Nando Milano - Champaign (IL)

2 /5 silvia: Large gap in value/prize. There are no longer proper "restaurants" (fine dinning) in the area, and Nando was nice for a nice dine out evening. With grocery prices going up and inflation, it is understandable that restaurants need to adapt to maintain profits. Nando decided to move to a special occasions market (the first thing you are asked is "anything you are celebrating tonight?”), shrank the food and wine options, reduced the size of their portions, and raised prices. Their decisions will change the profile of the clients and the atmosphere. Ratings given here are weighted by what would be expected for the overall price. Nothing particularly to criticize, just not meeting expectations. For 2 people: shared a starter followed by two pasta dishes and accompanied by one glass of wine per person. No dessert, coffee or digestive. Price: 180$ including tip. Food: good, ok, nothing extraordinary. Service/atmosphere: good, cordial, nothing remarkable. No longer offer pepper or Parmesan when they bring the pasta, no table cloth of any kind (personally, that makes a difference for fine dinning), and no, you will not interact with the kitchen.

5 /5 Christine Dathe: Nando Milano is our absolute favorite restaurant in Champaign. We’ve been there many times and are never disappointed. The food is consistently excellent—perfectly seasoned, beautifully presented, and always delicious. The restaurant is small and cozy, which makes every visit feel special, especially when the outdoor seating is closed. The servers are extremely friendly and attentive and have a wonderful talent for making you feel truly welcomed—almost like you have the place to yourself. My personal highlight is the Brussels sprouts appetizer. It’s an incredible flavor explosion and easily one of the best dishes you can find in Champaign. Highly recommend.

1 /5 esther hanson: Absolutely do not go here unless you want to waste your time and money. Despite making a reservation, we waited 15 minutes to be seated. Because there was a limited menu (Christmas Eve), we were told we had to pre-order all of our dishes, but when we got there, we were the only table that had done this. Once we were at our table, the waiter pretty much ignored us for an hour until we finally flagged him down to ask about our appetizers. We were given a snarky excuse as to why we hadn’t received them yet despite other tables that were seated well after us already being on their main courses. It wasn’t until we asked another 2 times that we received our apps. As far as the food goes, it was in fact something to write home about, but only because it was so awful. This restaurant does not know how to cook meat. The braised beef was dry and lacking in flavor and our medium steak came out still cold on the inside. The atmosphere could have almost been a vibe, but it was very loud and the music didn’t quite fit for the occasion. Overall, a pretty horrible experience, especially the waitstaff, and I will not be returning. Also for an Italian restaurant, the cappuccino is terrible

2 /5 Jeffrey Richig: Service was decent, about what you’d expect at this price point. Unfortunately, the food just didn’t hold up. I came in craving some quality, authentic Italian, but what I got was bland dishes trying to pass as fine dining with fancy plating and small portions. I ordered the gnocchi short rib “chef’s special,” and honestly, there was nothing special about it—especially not at $58. By the end, my wife and I walked out having spent $250 with tip, and it just didn’t feel worth it.

2 /5 Flynn Darby: Im afraid that Nando has sadly lost its appeal for me. Ive enjoyed several meals here over the years... it was always pricey for Champaign, but the quality was there to match. Not anymore. I can forgive a bad experience, but not when you combine that with the prices being like ~$10 more per entree than last time I was here in December. For example, meet our caprese salad (see photo). $26. 4 slices of non-local tomato, and -- count them -- 1, 2, 3 tiny basil leaves. Again, $26. My pasta dish, Pappardelle Alla Norcina, was better, but not nearly $48 good. The atmosphere was nice and the service was ok, but Im afraid I wont be giving it another try at these prices.