I used to be a big fan of Nello’s in Redding — the unique pasta flavors, quiet ambiance, and attentive service made it one of my go-to spots. Unfortunately, after a recent visit in the summer of 2025, I won’t be returning.
During dinner, I bit into something in my salad that broke a tooth. I brought this to the waiter’s attention, and he said he would speak with the manager. When he returned, he placed our bill on the table and said, “Your dinner is free,” but still charged us for the rest of our party’s meals — without so much as a basic apology.
We then spoke directly to the owner, hoping for a more professional response, but instead he argued that “teeth break for no reason” — as if that explained or excused what happened. We weren’t trying to get a free meal; we simply expected acknowledgment, concern, and a little empathy.
Nello’s used to be a favorite, but after this experience — the lack of accountability, the rude service, and the dismissive attitude from ownership — we won’t be coming back.
Elizabeth Packenham
This place is the epitome of class
Merry Martson
This is one of those hidden gems in Redding. Its absolutely fantastic food, great service and a nice dinner house atmosphere.
Jimmy
The Place That Sparked It All. This place is the place that got me started on my reviews. 11 years ago.
We came back to where it all began. Nello’s helped start the fire—so tonight wasn’t just dinner, it was a full-circle moment.
The bread? Soft and crisp. The prosciutto and melon? A little gamey, but good. The chicken piccata was lemony perfection. The alfredo? Creamy, grilled just right—solid 4.5, maybe even 5. Even the salad held its own.
The antipasto lost us with tuna juice bleeding across the plate. Wine list wasn’t offered—we had to ask. They didn’t have my wife’s choice, subbed it with Cupcake Moscato, then charged $11 a glass for a $9 bottle.
But the service was otherwise tight. Drinks never went dry. Course progression? Elegant.
And just when we thought the old-school charm might carry it through… The illusion fell when the check came. Overall not too bad. Might go back may not who knows.
Niranjan Manjunath
Great place and service. The food was excellent as well. Will definitely go again
Bill Wood
Authentic Italian with excellent service.
Linda B
I enjoy the atmosphere here plus the great service. The food is edible, but our party agreed it had changed somewhat from years past. The salad lacked the old pizazz and the tuna in the antipasto plate was awful. One Entree, eggplant parm, was served without sauce! A small bowl of sauce was promptly delivered to the table without request. Not cool imo.
Milan Franco
Absolute gem in Redding. My husband and I stayed down the street for our honeymoon and this place was romantic and just perfect for a date night! Gourmet food, truly a classy establishment! We will be back!
Aditya Vidhate
Amazing service! Conor was such a gentleman.
Dyani K
We went as a group and was all our 1st time. I've recommended to guests from out of town and they always loved. So I was very disappointed. The food was ok. It was my 1st time trying the escargot. Not bad. But that sauce was very similar to the sauce on my scampi, veal, and scallops dish. Not to mention, I questioned where my scallops were when they served my dish. The server assured me it was on top of my veal. Ookay... and they apologized to my friend for putting scallops on her dish when she hadn't ordered it. Ours looked similar, though. I was positive my taste buds were off as my "scallops" tasted the same as the veal. Turns out I was right. My friend and I swapped the dishes as no servers came back by before we finally realized. Was a very busy night, and prehaps they were short staffed. That would explain why we waited so long in between for the 2 + hours we were there. They were very warm and friendly when helping just too busy to be there for us. I would give another try just to see if there is better service. But for a 1st time, $100 meal (appetizer, main and dessert ), I was disappointed. I did bring home the tiramasou for my daughter as it's her fav, and she loved it.
Romantic setting and awesome service. Affordable too!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Noelle Ziegler (NoellyZ)
This was our first time here tonight. my husband and I had a spontaneous date night away from the kiddos. My hubby especially is a very foodie person and he was extremely pleased. The food was excellent. The atmosphere was superb and very relaxing. Wonderful hospitality. You're never really truly waiting for food. They start your evening off with drinks, warm bread. They bring you your soup and or salad after. By the time you have finished that your main course is in front of you. This experience has been absolutely devine and we will be back here for my birthday and our anniversary. Visit Nello's place. You will not be sorry.
This was my grandfather's favorite Italian restaurant. He would take me with him once a month and would tell me how it reminds him of "The Old County". Since then he has passed away but the tradition is still carried on today with my daughters. The food still tastes exactly like it did when I was little and I still toast to his old favorite table in honor of him. I love this place and would recommend it over ANY OTHER place in town. Bravo guys and thank you for keeping it simple and delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lynn Smoles
Given the write up on this restaurant and the presentation once I arrived, I was totally disappointed by the quality of the food. The pasta dish came out partially warm, so did the main course which was a veal dish veal. Oscar was barely warm and the sauce that it was swimming in more like gravy was gross. This was the most disappointing Italian restaurant I’ve been to ever. And the prices were outrageous, considering the quality of the food. I have never written a review about a restaurant before, but I felt like I had to write this.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 3
Holly jean
What a treat! Staff was ready and anxious to sit and serve us. The special was halibut and it was sooooo delish. The salad, the pasta, the bread all Cooked to perfection. Our young and knowledgeable server helped us choose our wines and they were lively. Service was prompt, the food was hot, and the ambiance was off the hook. So romantic and kickback. Can't wait to go back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Veal Saltimbocca Alla Romana, Mixed Green House Salad with Shrimp, Homemade Manicotti Cheese
I used to be a big fan of Nello’s in Redding — the unique pasta flavors, quiet ambiance, and attentive service made it one of my go-to spots. Unfortunately, after a recent visit in the summer of 2025, I won’t be returning.
During dinner, I bit into something in my salad that broke a tooth. I brought this to the waiter’s attention, and he said he would speak with the manager. When he returned, he placed our bill on the table and said, “Your dinner is free,” but still charged us for the rest of our party’s meals — without so much as a basic apology.
We then spoke directly to the owner, hoping for a more professional response, but instead he argued that “teeth break for no reason” — as if that explained or excused what happened. We weren’t trying to get a free meal; we simply expected acknowledgment, concern, and a little empathy.
Nello’s used to be a favorite, but after this experience — the lack of accountability, the rude service, and the dismissive attitude from ownership — we won’t be coming back.
This place is the epitome of class
This is one of those hidden gems in Redding. Its absolutely fantastic food, great service and a nice dinner house atmosphere.
The Place That Sparked It All. This place is the place that got me started on my reviews. 11 years ago.
We came back to where it all began. Nello’s helped start the fire—so tonight wasn’t just dinner, it was a full-circle moment.
The bread? Soft and crisp.
The prosciutto and melon? A little gamey, but good.
The chicken piccata was lemony perfection.
The alfredo? Creamy, grilled just right—solid 4.5, maybe even 5.
Even the salad held its own.
The antipasto lost us with tuna juice bleeding across the plate.
Wine list wasn’t offered—we had to ask. They didn’t have my wife’s choice, subbed it with Cupcake Moscato, then charged $11 a glass for a $9 bottle.
But the service was otherwise tight.
Drinks never went dry.
Course progression? Elegant.
And just when we thought the old-school charm might carry it through…
The illusion fell when the check came.
Overall not too bad. Might go back may not who knows.
Great place and service. The food was excellent as well. Will definitely go again
Authentic Italian with excellent service.
I enjoy the atmosphere here plus the great service. The food is edible, but our party agreed it had changed somewhat from years past. The salad lacked the old pizazz and the tuna in the antipasto plate was awful. One Entree, eggplant parm, was served without sauce! A small bowl of sauce was promptly delivered to the table without request. Not cool imo.
Absolute gem in Redding. My husband and I stayed down the street for our honeymoon and this place was romantic and just perfect for a date night! Gourmet food, truly a classy establishment! We will be back!
Amazing service! Conor was such a gentleman.
We went as a group and was all our 1st time. I've recommended to guests from out of town and they always loved. So I was very disappointed. The food was ok. It was my 1st time trying the escargot. Not bad. But that sauce was very similar to the sauce on my scampi, veal, and scallops dish. Not to mention, I questioned where my scallops were when they served my dish. The server assured me it was on top of my veal. Ookay... and they apologized to my friend for putting scallops on her dish when she hadn't ordered it. Ours looked similar, though. I was positive my taste buds were off as my "scallops" tasted the same as the veal. Turns out I was right. My friend and I swapped the dishes as no servers came back by before we finally realized.
Was a very busy night, and prehaps they were short staffed. That would explain why we waited so long in between for the 2 + hours we were there. They were very warm and friendly when helping just too busy to be there for us.
I would give another try just to see if there is better service.
But for a 1st time, $100 meal (appetizer, main and dessert ), I was disappointed.
I did bring home the tiramasou for my daughter as it's her fav, and she loved it.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Restaurantji Recommends
Romantic setting and awesome service. Affordable too!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
This was our first time here tonight. my husband and I had a spontaneous date night away from the kiddos. My hubby especially is a very foodie person and he was extremely pleased. The food was excellent. The atmosphere was superb and very relaxing. Wonderful hospitality. You're never really truly waiting for food. They start your evening off with drinks, warm bread. They bring you your soup and or salad after. By the time you have finished that your main course is in front of you. This experience has been absolutely devine and we will be back here for my birthday and our anniversary. Visit Nello's place. You will not be sorry.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Garlic Bread, Cheese Ravioli Marinara, Chicken Fettuccine
This was my grandfather's favorite Italian restaurant. He would take me with him once a month and would tell me how it reminds him of "The Old County". Since then he has passed away but the tradition is still carried on today with my daughters. The food still tastes exactly like it did when I was little and I still toast to his old favorite table in honor of him. I love this place and would recommend it over ANY OTHER place in town. Bravo guys and thank you for keeping it simple and delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Given the write up on this restaurant and the presentation once I arrived, I was totally disappointed by the quality of the food. The pasta dish came out partially warm, so did the main course which was a veal dish veal. Oscar was barely warm and the sauce that it was swimming in more like gravy was gross. This was the most disappointing Italian restaurant I’ve been to ever. And the prices were outrageous, considering the quality of the food. I have never written a review about a restaurant before, but I felt like I had to write this.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 3
What a treat! Staff was ready and anxious to sit and serve us. The special was halibut and it was sooooo delish. The salad, the pasta, the bread all Cooked to perfection. Our young and knowledgeable server helped us choose our wines and they were lively. Service was prompt, the food was hot, and the ambiance was off the hook. So romantic and kickback. Can't wait to go back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Veal Saltimbocca Alla Romana, Mixed Green House Salad with Shrimp, Homemade Manicotti Cheese
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