I've been here before and don't remember having a bad experience but this was on a Saturday afternoon late lunch so maybe everybody was simply exhausted. We were sat quickly but then waited and waited for anybody to come and take our order (about 20 minutes or more). We'd also been seated in an incredibly cramped spot that made me think of the medieval "little ease" cells where one can barely find comfort. Finally a waitress mistakenly tried to give us somebody else's order which I used as an opportunity to make our own. I ordered a glass or wine and my daughter ordered plain water. The wine made it, the water never did. The food was fine - pretty tasty overall, in fact. I ordered the bolognese and my daughter ordered the pomodoro. Both satisfied on that account. Getting the final bill also proved to be a chore and we kept getting different people serving us at each stage. I think the problem here is managerial and may also be because Saturday in Brighton is just complete chaos. My recommendation might be to try this restaurant on a non-Saturday day. read more

I often eat here - it's spacious with seating outside as well as ground floor and large room upstairs. Food is good and very reasonably priced with some meal deals available. Wine not expensive either and staff always friendly enough. Not been disappointed so far. Can recommend. read more

I can't speak to the pizza, although what I remember of it from my last meal wasn't too impressive. Having just missed the kitchen closing cutoffs for carlito burrito, meatliquor, bills, and seemingly everywhere else, pinnochio seemed like the only place that would have my dining partner and me at 10:20 on a balmy monday evening. (also, we should work harder to create a list of venues who serve good food past 10!) We set out to order the three course menu. Our eyes were bigger than our appetites. We both started out with the funghi trifolati (truffled mushrooms -- really they're just sauteed with garlic) which was simple and really quite good. Probably helped that the plate was coated with a healthy dose of olive oil. I had the aurora tortellini as a main. Tomato, cream, butter and parmesan cheese, filled with spinach and ricotta. It was a huge portion and very well done. Each tortellino had just the right amount of structure. Not too soft, not crispy. The 13.5% valpolicella had a great nutty flavor and was a suitable accompaniment to the pasta May go back for the tiramisu. I do think if you stick to the recommended dishes, you can have a very good meal here for 8 quid. Stick with the italian classics though. And maybe avoid the pizza. read more

Pinocchio - The aurora tortellini, recommended by the manager. Massive portion size and really tasty. Not buon appetito delicious, but a great value. - Italian Near Me - Brighton, BNH

The best way to describe this place is ... its not worse than Pizza Hut, but it's not as good as Pizza Express! It's A-OK! It's a good value for money place to eat in Brighton. 2 course for £7.95 is alright, I normally go for a prawn cocktail starter and get a pizza. The leonardo is REALLY good. But don't get the fish pizza.. In fact, anyone who gets FISH on pizza, should be shot. This may sound a little harsh, but come on, Fish ON PIZZA.. yuk. Anyway, the pizza is good! However, today, I went for a salad. It wasn't in the deal, as the deal is a pizza or pasta. But, I wanted to be healthy, I wish I hadn't! There wasn't much to it. A couple of lumps of avocado, olives WITH STONES IN, spinach, small chunks of chicken and low fat yogurt for a dressing. It was tasteless! I had to add lots of Balsamic vinegar and salt to it. I would not recommend it. All in all, its alright! The service is okay, it's not like out of this world, I might sound harsh, but sometimes the waitress do not have great english and often there is a bit of a language barrier when ordering food. Obviously, it's not a massive deal, but sometimes you like to be able to communicate with what your ordering and engage in some kind of conversation. I'm not up for trying to make chopper mates with the staff, I just would like to have a bit of personality. IMPORTANT FACT!!! If you decide to sit outside, sit on the tables furthest away from the door, nearest the road! The sun remains on those tables more, we learnt this today as we had to move as it got a bit chilly in the shade! I wouldn't say, DONT GO! But, it's worth a try if your on a budget. Nothing to write home about and certainly not somewhere to go if your impressing a girl on first date. read more

See all

-Food was delicious -Seafood risotto was perfectly done -Virgin mojito was a nice change from the usual soda pop -Husband enjoyed the chicken salad though he said the avacado and dressing were absolutely necessary since the chicken itself was rather bland -Enjoyed our meal outside in the beautiful weather -Restrooms were clean and private; located upstairs -Waited a long time to receive our check. Long enough to finish a full carafe of water -Waited again to process payment. Almost missed the opportunity to go through the palace museum we traveled to Brighton to visit -Issues with paying the bill ruined the experience read more

I was introduced to Pinocchio by my good friends & colleagues. Although we had a blast together, the food at Pinocchio is mostly mediocre - some of them are good, but most of them are more like a meh. I ordered the 2 Course Menu with my two visits to Pinocchio (£10.00). I started it with the Mixed Salad (buffet style) & Prawn Cocktail. I DO NOT recommend either of the appetizers. I personally found the mixed salad buffet really dull as there were not many choices available (& they were not fresh). As for the prawn cocktail, the prawns were not that fresh and the cup was FULL of mayonnaise. It was ironic how it almost ruined my appetite for the entire meal. Pinocchio really needs to step up its salad game. However, I was satisfied with both of my mains. I had Petto di Pollo Milanese the first time & Alla Marinara the second time. Alla Marinara was outstanding thanks to its fresh seafood. Also, the marinara sauce did not overpower the taste of the spaghetti. I strongly recommend it to all the seafood lovers out there. I also tried some of my colleagues' orders such as Margherita Pizze & Grilled Veal (Saltimbocca alla Romana). Unfortunately, they did not impress me in any way and I would not recommend those. In conclusion - if you have a chance to visit Pinocchio, go with its Petto di Pollo Milanese or Alla Marinara (solo). Otherwise it is not a speical resturant read more

For what you pay you cannot complain really, I had the spaghetti Bolognaise and was pleasantly surprised with the quality. For students especially this is a great place to go if you need to eat before a night out. A 2 course menu will set you back £6.95 whilst 3 courses is only £8.95 with a 10% service charge on top. Inside is nice whilst in the summer the outside patio which is slightly sheltered is a great way of soaking up the Brighton atmosphere during your meal. On my visit the stuff were funny and seemed to be enjoying themselves which is very important if you want to enjoy yourself as moody waiters always annoy me! read more

Pinocchio - cheap as chips - Italian Near Me - Brighton, BNH

A decent, quick, cheap meal. I have such memories of this place. As a child my parents and I would come to Pinocchio's a few times a month. It was run by a charismatic Italian guy, and most of the waiters were middle-aged. It was old-fashioned, cheesy and so, so good. These days the decor is a bit brighter and fresher, but it seems the charm has gone a little bit. The service is generally good here. Friendly and fast. Although the last time we visited, our waitress left us for a long time waiting to order so she could (visibly!) eat some bread and chat to the chefs. Not great, but she was smiley, and the rest of our meal went smoothly. The food here is good value and consistent. It's probably not the best Italian food you can find, but it's reliable and tasty. I usually go for the cannelloni with spinach and ricotta, and it's always the same, which is kind of comforting. It's warming and nicely seasoned. The pizzas here are good too. I'm not sure what happens when you move away from the pasta and pizza into the other traditional dishes, but I have heard mixed reviews from those that have. One thing to try - the tiramisu. It's homemade, a large portion and to die for! They have really great fixed price menus, so if you're on a budget you can still eat a big meal. The restaurant is also very child-friendly. The service is quick, as I said, so if you're on your way to the Theatre or the Dome, it's a reliable choice. It's also open really late - last orders are at 11.30pm, so very useful if you're hungry after a show or a few drinks at the pub. Overall, it's not the most exquisite dining experience, but it's tasty and does the job. read more

Can't go wrong, food is always plentiful and tastes great. Two course offer cannot be beat in Brighton :) Staff are efficient, happy and attentive but leave you be - creating a very relaxed atmosphere. I love the curried pasta and the bright orange aperols particularly! read more

It should probably be taken into consideration that I was quite inebriated during my entire experience of dealing with this particularly eatery, something which may or may not have influenced my enjoyment one way or another. My friends and I were relaxing, enjoying a drink in the Fitzherberts outside seating area, when we noticed a billboard advertising the pizzeria opposite, 'Pinocchio's', which sold margherita pizza for £3.50, american hot pizza for £3.50, and spaghetti bolognese for £3.50. Intrigued, we went inside, ordered ourselves a few pizzas, went back outside to our drinks, then returned again ten minutes later to find our food ready, promptly took it back with us to our nice little seating area, and proudly gorged upon our prizes in front of all our friends. The pizza was tasty, the service was ok, and, as aforementioned, the price was very, very reasonable. read more

The ideal place to eat before going to see a show at either the Theatre Royal or the Dome. The food is great with a wide range of pizza, pasta and other dishes. We went for the 2 course deal which is only slightly more expensive than a main course, so saving a fair bit. There is also a 3 course which we didn't have time for, but saves even more. I would however suggest that you don't sit outside when it's raining. Even though the seats have a canopy over them, I still ended up getting wet as the water poured of the canopy, hit the flower pots and splashed back onto me - much to the amusement of my campanions! The staff were friendly and helpful, even though it took us a long time deciding wether we would be sitting inside or out, who was sitting on what table and what we wanted to eat. read more

This is a charming and authentic little Italian restaurant. It has a wonderfully cheery atmosphere in it and the staff are very friendly. I thought the decor was so sweet: fresh white walls with a few authentic paintings, wooden tables and hanging plants - it really does try to make it seem like you're in a quaint street in Italy! The service may have been a little on the slow side but the food tasted fine and the portion sizes were good as well. There is a wide selection of typical Italian dishes to choose from and the prices were great. It's cheap and cheerful, but the food still tasted OK, of course it wasn't going to be impecible quality with the amount they charge but it's a lovely little place to go for dinner and share a bottle of wine with. (The wine is also cheap!). Don't slate it until you try it for yourself. read more

When we first walked in, service was good and they were quite accommodating. However when we starting to order, that's when things took a turn for the worse. Our waitress was quite pushy and all acted stressed and in a hurry. The food quality was ok, in edible condition. However my mother ordered the halibut and it was overcooked. Overall, my experience here wasn't great and I don't think I'll come back. read more

I love Pinocchio - the food is beautiful and not too expensive. Situated close to the Royal Pavilion and the Theatre Royal, there is a great atmosphere and the place is popular with families especially for birthday parties and other celabrations. The service is excellent and the staff very helpful and friendly. My only complaint about the restaurant is that there is no toilet on the ground floor but they allow disabled people to use the staff toilet which is situated on the that floor. read more

An italian food restaurant which serves excellent food and gives great value for money, much like it's larger sister restaurant Donatellos. The only difference between Donatellos and here is that Pinocchio's is smaller and as a result the staff seem less harassed, the food is slightly better and eating here feels more of an intimate affair. The menu offers a good range of dishes and starters, mains and desserts are all on offer. I have to recommend the pizza as this has to be one of, if not the favourite dish of mine that this restaurant serves. If you have never eaten here, do treat yourself one evening - you are guarenteed a lovely meal at a decent price with a good atmosphere. read more

super yummy and very well priced !! had the arrabbiata which was so delicious, also recommend the tiramisu :)

Much nicer than it's sister restaurant (Donatellos). Although the menus are the same for some reason the food here is fare better ! It's a smaller restaruant and not as busy as Donatellos. Seating is on two floors - and there is a private room on the second floor which can be booked for parties. Gets extremely busy pre-theatre (due to it's location near to the Theatre Royal) but if you tell them you have tickets they are experts on serving you quickly. Good value for money. read more

Great Pizza in an authentic setting. It's a bit of a squeeze, but that creates a nice environment. Staff are friendly and very happy to help. Prices are reasonable and it's in a great location if you've been to the theatre/dome. read more

No, no, no. This place is not worth more than two stars. It may be priced rather generously but the same couldn't be said of its flavour or portion size. When it comes to Italian cooking you either do it well or you do it cheap and serve massive portions. This place does neither. Whilst the prices may be good they should just commit to their budget status rather than trying to pass off as an Italian "restaurant." I would say it was more of a diner, the kind of place Italians would remember from motorway service stations in Italy. When reading this do bear in mind that I've only visited once but also consider how anywhere could have got it so wrong . read more

There's a whole bunch of cheap, nasty Italian restaurants in Brighton, and this one is down there, rooting about the gutter-regions with the worst. Sure these places have their place and purpose - cheap and cheesy grub for kids and people with no palette, but there's still something wholly undignified about the whole operation, like those 'wacky' American family eateries featured in The Simpsons. The ketchup-flavoured sauces are squeezed out the other end of the production line at worrying speed to literally loads of squealing tables. At £3 for a lunch-time lasagne or margarita its no wonder quality is forfeited in favour of in-out service. And the results are bad: hard, biscotti bases, with a well of oily goo that glistens ominously on top. read more

When I fancy a cheap Italian, I normally head to Donatello's (http://www.qype.co.uk/place/66800-Ristorante-Donatello-Brighton ) in The Lanes. Seeing as Pinocchio's is owned by the same people and has exactly the same menu, I thought I'd head here for a change of scenery. I've heard appalling things in the past from friends about their service, but I wanted to find out for myself. At first glance, Pinocchio's is perfectly pleasant - all bistro-style tables and gingham tablecloths. We were seated upstairs by two very welcoming members of staff and our drinks order was promptly taken. So far, so good. After perusing the familiar menu, one very nice waiter informed us of their 'special' dish meatballs with either pasta or rice. Being gluten-intolerant I thought offering an alternative to pasta was a nice touch, so I went for it as part of the set menu along with garlic mushrooms to start. The starter came out quickly and was, well, exactly the same as Donatello's. Still good. Then the main course came out. It was, in essence, a bed of risotto rice topped with six meatballs and generic tomato sauce poured on top. Not so good. I could have made it myself and done a much better job - I should have stuck with my gluten-free carbonara. To make matters worse, after the waitress said she'd go and get parmesan and black pepper, we watched her serve two other people and stand chatting to her colleague before finally looking over to us and seeing us waiting for her. True, she was very apologetic, but still... So, after a slightly disappointing main course, I decided I'd give them a chance to redeem themselves with dessert. Although there'd been less than ten minutes between our starter and main, our dessert didn't arrive until after 20 minutes I called someone over to ask what had happened to it. It was then brought over immediately by the fifth person to have served us that evening. I had my usual Coppa Pietro (lemon sorbet, meringue, whipped cream and lemon sauce) and it was as lovely as ever. I don't mean to do the staff a disservice, as nobody was rude and they all seemed like lovely people, but they were highly disorganised and didn't really seem to know what they were doing. I'd hate to go here in a larger group as I'm sure it would be a total disaster. I think I'll stick with Donatello's in future. read more

This food made me physically sick. I do not know wether it was down to something being under cooked or something being unhygienic in the cooking stage but I was very ill after eating here. The food appeared nice and the staff very friendly but the fact that I was vomiting after eating here made all of that irrelevant. read more

While it's certainly not the most horrid food in the world, I expected a bit more than what I got. The price for the set menu seems to have gone up just a touch but it seemed an inexpensive enough option when planning a recent holiday to Brighton - little did I know that nearly every restaurant on the avenue had a similarly priced lunch special. We carried on though and ordered what seemed like nice enough meals. I ordered gnocchi in a bleu cheese sauce but was brought something that looked rather a lot like gnocchi covered in American processed cheese sauce -thick and bright orange, mildly grainy in texture. It reminded me of the sort of meal you'd give a small child at school rather than an entree fit for an adult. I ate it (it was tolerable and I knew I wouldn't get a chance to eat until the next afternoon given our plans) but was definitely somewhat hesitant. It isn't the worst food I've ever had but with so many dining options in Brighton, I'd think twice before returning and certainly avoid ordering the gnocchi again. read more

I used to work in an office opposite these guys and I regularly felt like weeping thanks to the delicious fumes emanating from this place every lunchtime! - I do LOVE the food here. There are so many independantly-owned italian restaurants dotted around town (I've eaten at most of them, over the years!) and Pinocchio's is my firm favourite. If you like homemade thin crust Italian-style pizzas, you won't be disappointed. They also pass my portion-size guideline of 'pizzas must be bigger than your face'; as does their garlic pizza bread starter - you have been warned! Pinocchio's have an extensive pasta menu too (you can't go wrong with their spag bol) and it always fills me with joy when the older guy (we've nicknamed him 'Gepetto') appears with his large bowl of parmesan and giant black pepper mill. Be warned it can get busy pre-theatre, but they are always happy to take bookings. They serve gluten-free pasta and takeaway pizzas too :) read more

Pinocchio's has been a presence in Brighton for many many years and is still a family favourite for simple wholesome Italian food. It is far better than it's sister restaurant Donatello's I think mainly because it's smaller and easier for the staff and chefs to cater for their customers. It's also a cosier and more friendly atmosphere than Donatello's and a perfect place to go before a night at the theatre. read more

Pinocchios is part of the local Donatello's group and follows a similar format of simple, cheap, tasty dishes. There are good set menus available where you can get a selected starter, any pizza/pasta dish and desert for less than £10. This makes it excellent value and the food is always very nice. The restaurant is always busy, and is particularly popular with theatre goers. read more

I ordered Spaghetti alla Carbonara which arrived as a lukewarm, congealed, tasteless & inedible mess. The pasta was completely overcooked & the pork was processed. When I sent it back the manager explained that it came out of a packet & that was how it was served in every restaurant in the chain. I wasn't offered a substitute for the returned meal, but was instead charged the full price. Instead of inflicting Pinocchio's repugnant brand of culinary atrocity on yourself just get a Pot Noodle, it would be just as authentically Italian. Never again! read more

I don't know why I've ended up here on several occasions (other than because it's cheap). The food is disappointing, the staff bumbling and they have really tried to squeeze as many tables in as possible. On one occasion I was seated near the door, where upon my dinning companion and I were constantly gawped at, by people standing and queuing. Also, for some reason there are always a group of drunk women just hanging out, outside the toilets. There are so many better places to eat than this in Brighton. read more

When we went the service was rushed and it felt as if they want to get you in and out. The tables were cramped and there was no room. The food came out barley warm and the garlic mushrooms were tasteless. The restaurant was too noisy and i couldn't even hear myself think. Personally i wouldn't recommend this restaurant. There are much better places to eat read more

Due to my experiencing an inexcusably poor meal here I'm very surprised by the amount of positive reviews Pinocchio has received. Perhaps I visited on a particularly off day but one has to question how a restaurant can be so sub-par one day and seemingly of 5-star quality the next. Either I'm wrong or it's just very inconsistent. That said, I can only judge it from my own experience and frankly, that simply wasn't very good at all. I'm sure most Italians would liken the food served at Pinocchio to that served in their native motorway service stations. Admittedly it is cheap but to be honest I could buy my own ingredients for the same price and make something much more satisfying. It's definitely not the kind of place you should go to get an authentic Italian experience although I would imagine it would make a great place to grab some lunch. Just don't expect anything better than local diner standard grub. read more

another great italian restaurant, which is owned by Donatello's. it is situated opposite pubs, which can come in handy

Good location and fills you up but dont go expecting anythig special. The food is ok without being great.nice atmosphere though

good food and service from waiters. food is outstanding with a good selection of drinks. brilliant for going to before going to the theatre royal. good parking and easy to get to by bus read more