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At first glance, Luigi's doesn't look too appealing if you are after modern decor and a refined menu akin to the Michelen starred chefs that we see on television. However, Luigi's possesses something that is not that common in many Nottingham restaurants... atmosphere. Luigi's is often just as busy midweek as it is on a Friday and Saturday night due to the huge amount of repeat custom. We are regulars there, dining once every couple of months, tempted back by the legendary stuffed mushrooms and the most fantastic steaks in a variety of lush sauces. The service is sometimes a little slow, but I like that. It comes with a smile and although the restaurant is not the cheapest, it certainly stands up against many of it's inner city rivals for value for money.

Luigi's is a suburban restaurant which provides excellent Italian food and friendly service in a warm, friendly environment. The quality of the venue is clearly evidenced by the level of mid-week bookings. It would apprear that this is a function of a long standing reputation for good food and lots of repeat custom. Good value for money which would be difficult to replicate in a city centre restaurant. Also, has reasonable awareness of the needs of vegetarians which is a bonus. 8/10

We noticed that Luigi's Ristorante Italiano in Arnold had joined the Gourmet Society and thought we would give it a try. We booked for 6.30 on a Tuesday, thinking it would probably be fairly quiet, but when we arrived, so did a dozen other diners, and by 8pm the place was almost full. Seemingly, most of Arnold had turned out that evening. Despite this, the quality of service and food didn't suffer. I started with cannelloni, and my wife, spicy prawns in breadcrumbs. My starter was perfect, and my wife enjoyed the prawns, but thought that the breaded coating was a little too thick. Main for me was saltimbocca, (pork escalope now that veal is not P.C.), and it was perfection, tender and tasty. My wife had a tagliatelli, which she found very tasty and filling. All the while, Luigi and his 2 friendly assistants were bustling about at high speed, but even so, Luigi found time to chat to all the customers. My pudding was an Italian ice cream, and my wife's a light cheesecake, both beautifully presented. With 2 beer Peroni's, the whole thing with gourmet discount came to £28, which we agreed was an incredible bargain. 9/10 from me, and 7/10 from my wife,(only her prawn starter failed to come up to an otherwise perfect standard).