Where Saints and Librarians Eat (Don Giovanni)

Member Name: zoe_page_1

Product:	Don Giovanni
Date:	06/05/02 (147 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: menu and food itself, prices, location

Disadvantages: service can be slower than at some places, the green curtains

If I went to the library more often, I’d probably have found this place ages ago since it’s on the way from where I live to there. Don’t get me wrong, I do read as the ops on books show, but I generally buy rather than borrow when I’m in Manchester. Anyway, Don Giovanni’s is on Oxford St which ends with the library and town hall complex and is the continuation of Oxford Rd. Getting there is easy – busses stop almost outside, and St Peter’s Square Metrolink station is only as few minutes walk. It’s situated next to an easy so see cinema, and has a vivid orange canopy outside. Parking is limited if you want to leave your car for free, but there are several large car parks within a few minutes of the restaurant.

I rang up to book the day before we went, and spoke to a charming lady who assured me that they did take reservations for two (some local places only oblige if it’s a large party) and that they could fit us in. Despite the traffic and lack of parking spaces, we arrived dot on our agreed time. The waiter with whom I spoke went to check and came back to inform me I hadn’t reserved but that they could fit us in. Now maybe it’s me, but since they had a table for us, I wouldn’t have though he would have told me they didn’t have our names down – I mean what was gained by him saying that?

There had been a menu outside and we’d peeked before we came in, so we had a good idea of what we were after. As well as the normal menu, they also had a fixed one slotted inside which changed frequently. We ordered the food and drinks, and sat back to relax. The atmosphere was leaning more towards “bustling and lively” than “cozy and romantic”, but that was ok. The restaurant was practically full the whole time we were there, but there did seem to be some largish groups in (whose reservations hadn’t been lost….). The ground floor could proba
bly have seated around 40 to 45 customers, and although there were stairs near the door, I’m not sure whether they lead to more tables, toilets or staff only areas. We were sitting near the bar with a good view of the whole place. One side was windows looking out across the small alleyway and the local Odeon cinema, and the front area had a view of Oxford St and the shops and eateries on it. There was also a large mirrored wall which helped to make the place seem larger and airier. The décor was standard Italian really with interesting half-naked men statues, Chianti bottles and classical paintings.

The starters arrived quickly and we set in. The menu featured some nice sounding appetizers including garlic olives, breads, tiger prawns and vegetarian and mean dishes - whoever wrote their menu has missed his calling. Their main courses include pizzas, fresh and baked pastas (also available as a starter), steak, chicken, fish and much more. Prices were reasonable for a city centre affair, with starters £1.50 to £6, and main courses up to £15, and the food we ordered was certainly worth it. In Quy’s eyes, Michelangelo’s (see his op – it’s the one place we’ve been that I haven’t written on) now has a rival in the best steak stakes. The only real comment I have is that the garlic bread came with a tomato topping as standard, and this wasn’t mentioned explicitly on the menu (they said “pizza base” but so do lots of places, and most just mean the shape, not the toppings). Puddings on offer included Italian ice cream, gateux and profiteroles which, alas, we didn’t have room for as usual.

The service was reasonable all evening – the starters materialized incredibly quickly, but there was then a pretty substantial wait for the main courses. There seemed to be a lot of staff on hand through, and all requests for drinks and bills and the like were met pleasantly and promptly. A 10% servic
e charge is added to your bill but this is shown clearly both on the menu and on the bill itself. They accept almost all credit and debit cards, plus cheques and cash.

All in all it was a nice evening out. The food was delicious, the place interesting at very least, and the service more than acceptable. It’s not even all that expensive compared to some of the other places we’ve been, and I have no qualms whatsoever in recommending it should you be in the area.

Summary: