Best Italian in CU. Great service, food and cocktails. Nice selection of wines. The deserts are very tasty as well.

Nandos is one of my favorite places in Champaign. However, this visit was different than most-- they have started doing a set menu with appetizer, entre, and dessert for about $65 per person. The one caveat is that menu items off of the set menu can not just be ordered. For exampl, you cannot just order the arancini balls anymore-- which is one of my faves. This was a smidge disappointing if you don't want to order from the set menu portion. The regular menu has some options but not all that they used to. The food was good per usual just this change up threw us off! read more

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My daughter and I tried this restaurant for the first time this evening (on a Tuesday night around 6pm). We were greeted at the door by the host who opened the door and welcomed us inside. He quickly seated us and we were then greeted by one of the waitstaff who offered us tap water or sparkling water while we waited for our server. We ordered sparkling water and our server came right over and greeted us and took care of us throughout our dining experience. The ambiance of the restaurant is very pleasant, dark wood decor, lovely dining music playing. There were only a couple of other tables with customers so it was a pretty relaxed setting, but u can imagine this would be a lovely date night spot or group dinner venue. We enjoyed our dishes (pictures included) and unlike other Italian restaurants that often provide huge portions, these meals were appropriately portioned and filling. We also had the tiramisu for dessert; it was different than what we are accustomed too. Much more creamy and more like a pudding than a cake. Overall we enjoyed our experience and dinner! read more

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Service was very good, although the food did take a while to come out. The food was mediocre and bland, though, and overpriced. I would have expected much better food for the price. Biaggi's food is much better. read more

Went to school at UIUC for five years and never made it here. Came to visit my parents and brought them here to try it out. nando's has had a reputation among the student crowd as being expensive so I was curious to see what this spot is all about. Staff are friendly, room feels old, and food is aight. It probably does well enough for Champaign. read more

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I want to start off this review by saying I am SO sad to be giving this review, especially as someone who has worked in the service industry. We went for restaurant week, and honestly if that had been my first experience for Nandos, I would have never come back. The two other times I came, were great! But this experience alone completely changed my review of this place. I want to start with the good, the food! Per usual, the food was amazing. Regardless of the awful experience we had, the food was a 10/10. I've never had a bad dish from this restaurant and I will die on that hill. Now for the bad, it was restaurant week, and we made a 7pm reservation about 2 weeks prior to this visit. We get there, and they inform us that our table isn't ready and it won't be for awhile. We thought that was odd but figure a while was probably 10-15min after our reservation time. Wrong, we didn't get sat until 7:45. Once we do finally get sat, it isn't until 8:05 until our waiter introduced themselves and took our drink order, at this point it's an hour after our reservation time and we are just meeting our waiter. So we order drinks and our food because we can tell this is going to be a long night. Once he takes our order we see him two more times before the night is over. We did ask for a basket of bread because we're starving at this point; and then we asked for another because it's honestly almost 8:30-8:45 at this point and we still haven't eaten. What we didn't know is they charged us for the second basket of bread we ordered, which fair we ordered it, but as our waiter, why not tell us only one basket is complementary? That was weird considering how long we waited. Our table wanted to keep drinking, and never had the opportunity to order another drink until we were leaving. We didn't leave until about 10pm. No one ever even mentioned all the wait times, no one apologized, no manager came over. Things I'm use to at a restaurant of this caliber, when you have a restaurant charge what this one does, the expectations are just a little higher in my opinion! It was very clear they were short staffed, the manager's and what I believe to be the owner were also taking orders (which is Great! Amazing leadership to see) but restaurant week is not new to Champaign and it was very clear they over sat walk ins and weren't able to accommodate their reservations which resulted in just an awful experience. Being a past service industry worker, we obviously still left a 20% tip, simply because I recognize that there was SO much out of the control of our waiter and I imagine the rest of the tables were just as upset as we were and not tipping which is definitely unfair to our waiter. All in all, I genuinely don't know if I will be back after this experience and had a I left a review last time it would have been 5 starts so definitely keep that in mind when deciding to go here, this was my only experience like this, but truthfully it left such a bad taste in my mouth read more

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Took my parents here when they were in town from Bloomington. They have the best Italian food in Champaign by far! The service is always great and I've never had a bad dish there. If you can try the charcuterie, carbonara (if it's on their menu), or short rib gnocchi your taste buds will thank you! read more

Went to nandos for New Year's Eve with my wife and another couple. They have a very cheap corkage fee so we brought our own wine which was awesome. Out of the food the scallops as an appetizer were phenomenal, I asked Giuseppe the manager where they got them from and he was able to tell me where in Chicago they buy them from and the grade which is the highest grade you can purchase, not common in Champaign Illinois. My NY strip was perfectly medium rare and my wife had the short rib gnocchi which she loved. If you have a chance for dessert try the hazelnut semifreddo it was delicious. They were quite busy for the holiday but it wasn't overly loud and we had zero waiting time with our reservation or between courses if we needed anything at all. Also, you could add 2g of black or white truffle to your steak and I chose both and they were both fantastic! read more

By far this is the best restaurant in the area the food is amazing and the wait staff is on point shout out to Jackson who waited on us!!! Definitely will be going back read more

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We went for my birthday early dinner, on a Friday at 5:30 (on the early side). We waited for a FULL HOUR for our food to arrive, and the restaurant was not overly busy. This has been a repeated experience there. The food was very very good. I got a gluten free chicken Alfredo, which they made just for my allergy issues. (Much appreciated). All in all, the experience was ok, but it just took TOO LONG. Maybe carry out in the future. read more

I came here with zero expectations and was blown away by how good everything was. The lasagna was layered perfectly with just the right amount of cheese and meat sauce. It came out hot and bubbling and honestly felt like comfort food at its finest. Our server was really sweet and gave great suggestions. The place was busy but didn't feel chaotic. Loved the chill vibe and great service. New go-to for pasta nights. read more

Nando Milano Trattoria - Italian Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

I didn't have high expectations. Champaign-Urbana isn't Bologna, or even New Jersey. It's in the middle of Illinois, surrounded by cornfields and Subway Sandwich shops. High end Italian, with the emphasis on eye in these parts, doesn't exist. However, after fortification at Punch Cocktail Bar, we ran across the street at the recommendation of Jonathan, our bartender. As is our wont, we grabbed two seats at the empty bar at Nando's. Immediately impressed by the servers affect and sense of self as they went through their mixing and pouring behind the small bar, I perused the eclectic wine list. The selections offered were surprising for a restaurant in a lower Midwest college town. Jackson, knowledgeable and warm, took care of us, as we perused the selections on offer. His guidance through the extensive menu was helpful and engaging. Less helpful were the prices. Nando's was not inexpensive, with sobering big city pricing. Yet, we were not disappointed, and were served food worth the expenditure. My salmon, with a piquant bite, was delicious. The fish was cooked with a tender touch. While Nando's is not nestled on the shoreline in Mondello, the Cioppino's tasty ocean morsels, soaked in a rich tomato sauce, reminded us of our trips to Sicily. We enjoyed our meal. Nando's went way beyond our expectations. It must be popular. The dining room was packed at 9:00 on a Wednesday night. You will enjoy dining at Nando's. When in doubt, ask for Jackson, and he will guide you through a wonderful meal. Bon appititu! read more

Great food. Wonderful atmosphere. Staff were all friendly and helpful. Definitely recommend!

We had the pleasure of trying Nando Milano for our 3rd wedding anniversary a few weeks ago. The staff was incredibly friendly but not overbearing - they were able to answer all of our questions about the menu and give great recommendations! All of the food we ate was top tier. I truly don't know if I've had a better "all around" meal in the Champaign-Urbana area. The focaccia bread was soft, the salad was crunchy and the dressing didn't overpower it, and the lobster ravioli was to die for. I wish the portion size was bigger. The desserts were also phenomenal, we split a chocolate fondant and a cannoli and it was all so delicious. Along with being one of the best dinners I've had it was also one of the most expensive dinners I've had. I think it was over 215$ for the two of us. Because of the cost we won't be back for a while, but for those wanting to celebrate Nando's is the perfect spot! read more

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This is our go to spot during restaurant week typically in January. It's always so good and the atmosphere is great. The pasta is so fresh. Can't wait to visit again! read more

I have passed by this place many times, but never stopped by. I decided to change that when I was in town for Ebertfest. Suffice it to say, this might be the best restaurant in Champaign. This is a pretty upscale Italian restaurant. The menu is exactly what you think. I personally got the arancinis and the special pasta carbonara. Both were excellent and I would give much credit to the crispy pancetta. That is a slightly hard to find ingredient. My buddy got cioppino which was gigantic and something he really liked! The reason why I gave it 4 instead of 5 was that the place was super loud and the food took FOREVER to get. My buddy's uber driver warned him that it takes awhile to eat here. I was concerned that the food was going to come out cold based on how long it took to get it. Nope! Came out nice and hot. Also, the service was ok. It wasn't bad, but nothing really wow'd me, especially with the price of this place. This is a very expensive restaurant. It might be the second most expensive place in Champaign coming only after Hamilton Walker's across the street. Will I be back? Sure, but it will probably be around Ebertfest. Most people are coming to Champaign for events at the University (football, basketball, etc). This isn't really a place for sports fans. Rather, its a place to go on a date or celebrate a special occasion. I am glad that places like this exists in Central Illinois, but its not a "regular go to" place! read more

Great meal. Loved pretty much everything we tried. Only minor hiccup was the texture of the gnocchi with short rib. The gnocchi fell apart a bit too easily, like the texture of real soft mashed potatoes versus having a slightly firmer chew. read more

Came here for valentine's dinner with my partner, and was incredibly disappointed by the restaurant's greed and lack of transparency. Upon being seated 45 minutes after our reservation time, we were given a Valentine's set course menu (1 appetizer, 1 entree, 1 dessert), which we were never informed of during any point of creating the reservation. Worst of all, when we tried to order to share, we were informed that we HAD to order two, $85 courses. NOWHERE was this written anywhere on the website or during the reservation. The newly seated table next to us was also very disappointed with this and contemplating leaving before ordering. On top of all this? The food was a 4/10 at best. With a set menu, you'd expect fast service but we ended up being at the restaurant for 3.5 hours. The Brussels sprouts were mushy and overcooked. The NY Strip was incredibly salty and the pairings were strange, which greatly clashed with the steak. The gnocchi and braised beef lacked flavor. Desserts were the only thing alright about the meal. Overall a disappointing $220 meal! read more

Fantastic dining experience, fantastic restaurant! I tried the prix fixe menu for Champaign County Restaurant week and it was Amazing. For the appetizer I had polenta with mushrooms and fondue. The portion size was huge, and the polenta was warm and soft--excellent for a chilly night! The entree was eggplant cannelloni, a very creative dish! They used thin sliced eggplant to wrap meat sauce instead of cannelloni pasta. The taste was also impressive. I ended the unforgettable meal with a small dessert panna cotta topped with mango purée. It was a great combination of sweetness and sourness; in general the dessert was not too sweet, something I like very much. It would be better if they do not spread sugar powder around it, since it got stuck on the spoon. The service was of course good as well. So in general I believe it's a great place for fine dining! Just kindly note that the price was not low in their usual time. That says, it's really worth it trying their RW special in this week! read more

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Great find for a nice dinner downtown. I wanted to take my sister somewhere nice when I was in town visiting her. Made a reservation here and we sat at a table outside. We started with the Arancini Di Risotto and Cuori di Lattuga deli Ces. Both were very good, but I especially loved the rice balls. My main was the Spaghetti Portofino, which was full of flavor and that pasta was perfect. Thought the Polo Alla Parmiggiana was very too good, as I tried some of my sisters dish. We ended our dinner with the Bombolone as dessert. Saw all the photos on Yelp and had to give it a try too. Server was friendly, but didn't check back very often. Maybe because he was waiting on too many tables? As much as I love a nice dinning experience, I'll just never get used to being charged for iced tea refills. I guess i understand being charged for the limonata, but iced tea is definitely a no-no. I became less of a fan when I saw that. Parking in the area is not great. I paid for parking at a meter on one of the side streets. read more

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We had great food and great service here. Pasta is made in house, and they have GF pasta available to substitute on request. They have a pretty good size rotating specials menu, and everything looks so good-definitely more than your typical Italian dishes. Reservations are encouraged. read more

Nando Milano Trattoria - SPAGHETTI PORTOFINO - Italian Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Nandos has great pasta and an even nicer ambiance. I hear this is one of the best Italian places in Champaign and I would agree. Such a dreamy spot, feels fancy. Don't forget the bread ! Skip the Olive Garden date and get the good stuff at Nando's. read more

Our second stop while visiting Champaign IL was @nandomilanotrat This Italian restaurant is conveniently located near array of bars and offers indoor dinning and a large outdoor seating area. Chef's specials rotate often and include some amazing food choices. The wine menu is large enough to accompany any of the dish on the menu. The selection of appetizer did not disappoint us. TRY OUR FAVORITES: TAGLIERE DI AFFETTATI CALAMARI RAVIOLI DI ARAGOSTA E GRANCHIO CHEF'S SPECIAL - BRAISED PORK SHANK read more

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The restaurant is dimly lit, romantic and beautiful. The service is great! The Chardonnay is delicious, but the food we've had on two occasions is just......ok. This chicken parm was chewy. The meatballs are just ok and the sauce is meh. The seafood in the lobster & crab ravioli just wasn't good - the seafood tastes frozen (of course it is frozen, but it shouldn't have that frozen taste). This is our second time dining here (we wanted to give it another try), but living in Chicago & loving fantastic food, we've found this place an "overall miss" for all of our party both times (especially at this price point). Sadly it's kind of a Champaign thing. It's not overly priced, but if your food doesn't taste any better than Olive Garden - it's then overly priced. Luckily they've been completely full both nights we've come, so the community is keeping them in business. If you are generally pleased with "all inclusive restaurants" or cruise dining, you'll be good going here- if not, go grab a chicken sandwich at Watson's or the Mac n cheese & a martini @ Hamilton walkers across the street. read more

Excellent food! Great service. I had the lobster pasta, which was delicious. My husband had the chicken parmigiana-- big portions. Desserts were great-- the donuts and cannoli! So glad this place is in Champaign. Classy yet welcoming ambience with jazzy music in the background and lovely art on display. I would definitely recommend this place and I'll come back. read more

I appreciated that this trattoria was open a little later than some of the restaurants in the area. The dark colors, nice music, and good service offered a nice break after a long drive. I had the tagliatelle bolognese, and it was good. I wish they offered a complimentary bread service to help offer some variety against such a rich dish. Prices are on the higher side, and the pasta had a lot of bite - a bit more than al dente. read more

Nando Milano Trattoria - Italian Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

I'm really not sure why this restaurant is not rated higher, but it should be. The food quality and preparation was superb. Service was excellent and ambiance was elegant. Best restaurant I have been to thus far in Champaign. read more

Nando Milano Trattoria - Italian Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Since it's the food which I have the most authority and widest palette, I would say that overall this restaurant represents average Italian restaurant that still wants to retain an upscale aura. Perhaps we're paying for location, location here because the pricing certainly suggests upscale, yet the place clearly operates on a shoestring budget with a minimum of staff (our host was also our server and possibly manager too?). More than anything though, the (2.6-ish) rating here is mostly based on my $38 seafood risotto. Granted such a dish SHOULD be a bit pricey given the expectation of fresh clams, mussels, shrimp and scallops, but there were only 1 of each of the latter two, and both were over-cooked to the point of 'mealy' on the scallop. The lady's eggplant gnocchi was pretty tasty, esp the pillowy gnocchi themselves, but they were almost buried in a bowl of the veggie red sauce - coulda been much better, even just on more of a plate instead? Despite not being offered pre-meal bread like other tables, the service was actually pretty good, esp considering the barebones crew. In fact, when I mentioned the mushy scallop, there were apologies and a gratis tiramisu in front of us almost immediately. Altho not a dessert that agrees with me, the lady thought it was quite tasty and my sample concurred. A bit of a downtown vibe, the place itself is quite dated and we agreed the recent remodel in the bathrooms, needs to propagate the rest of the place. As there are too many other places in town to go, we won't likely be back, but if I did, I would probly ask them to recommend something because a few other dishes we saw around us (incl the arancini) looked fantastic. read more

Appetizers fantastic! The salad with the pear was phenomenal. All of my friends entrees were delightful, But I ordered the bolognese sauce on gluten-free pasta... A staple of an Italian restaurant is it's bolognese. Everything that I was able to try on my friends' plates was phenomenal, But a simple staple for a so-called Italian restaurant is their bolognese. Absolutely inedible. Far too much salt, and while I appreciate a little wine for flavor (And my do I appreciate my wine)it tasted as though it was poured with cheap Marsala cooking wine over the top of it. Considering the fact that this restaurant is raved on in our local community for it's "Italian", I sincerely hope that this was just a one-off. Worst bolognese I have ever tasted, and that includes ragu from college days. read more

We ate here while on a college visit. Service was fabulous and the food was fresh, tasty and perfectly portioned. Don't skip the dessert!! read more

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If you're looking for an upscale hidden gem, this is the place to go. Presentation of food as well as dress attire for the staff was very professional. Very polite and knowledgeable of the menu when curious of what to choose for your meal. The food was excellent, ESPECIALLY the brussel sprouts! We got the basket of bread, brussel sprouts, lasagna, and the halibut. Overall, we were satisfied with our experience as a whole. read more

came here with my boyfriend for valentine's day and had the best service from our server. he was so attentive and made an effort to connect with us. we've been coming here on valentine's for the last few years and this year nando's really went above and beyond! the whole restaurant was decorated with balloons and every table had a single rose and candle. 10/10 mood setting. food & drinks were also amazing. highly recommend! read more

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Up front, I would have given a 5* rating except for the prices. Beyond a doubt, the food was prepared excellently and portions were not too big or not to small. Our server was very attentive and perfectly friendly, in an honest way. Oh yes, I must mention that the cappuccinos were not hot enough and one person didn't drink theirs because it just didn't taste good. But the food was great! read more

Food was really good, and the ambience. The service was also impressive! However the prices were really high, hence the four star!

Food was so yummy. Service was so lovely. Could not have had a better experience! The dish pictured is the best thing I've ever tasted! Super vegetarian friendly. read more

Nando Milano Trattoria - CAVOLETTI ORTOLANI - Italian Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Amazing! Especially the desserts! The service is good as well! They're pretty friendly and kind! I love the environment inside, which was quiet at that time on Sunday evening. I'm so happy to treat my friend with such a great meal! (Though the price was expensive) read more

Nando Milano Trattoria - Italian Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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Lovely outdoor space. I love this place! The food is wonderful and the service is exemplary! I visit every time I'm in CU and I know I'll visit again! read more

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Had the best dinner here Saturday night! Service was excellent as was the food. Kind and friendly people and a cozy vibe on a rainy Sat. Can't wait to enjoy their patio soon. read more

If you would like to treat yourself and your family or student, Nando is the place. True authentic Italian cuisine and fantastic upscale presentation. We had the pleasure to interact with the manager who's family owns the this restaurant and you can tell how passionate they are about the food and their restaurant. We are foodies from California who love to travel and were so pleasantly surprised by this restaurant, food, ambiance and service, top notch! The burrata appetizer was delicious, the cioppino was amazing and the carbonara is a must, made with fresh pasta. We are definitely going to visit their location in Southern Cali and for sure going back when we visit our son at UIUC next time! read more

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I am a caterer since 1990 and I must say if you want fine, Italian dining, you come to the right place. I was introduced to this restaurant by my girlfriend who lives in Chicago where it all originated and boy am I happy camper. We go here a couple of times a year and order everything on the menu because we could never pick just one. It is so good every dish excellent a masterpiece! Dario and Alessio keep up the great work and I can't wait to see your new place in Beverly Hills. Also, I would like to be on your mailing list, but I couldn't seem to find out where to sign up for that, Aloha read more