Padova Restaurants

Amazing. Simply amazing.

If you are in the mood for Indian, this is the place to go for sure. It seems a bit far from the city centre on the map but its only a 10min bike ride, and well worth it. The food is perfect (I'm working my way through the menu) and the staff are really great. They also speak excellent english.

Favorite Dish: Garlic naan dipped into the Devil Gost dish... Spicy lamb heaven.

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This restaurant is becoming popular in the industrial are of Padova because it offer nice food and very reasonable prices.
They cook food for the local Chinese comunity so it is not Europeanized too much and it taste good.
The dining room is simple but fearly clean, they have a glass counter where you can see some of their appetizer and pick a raw fish you want them to cook.
The menu is in Chinese, Italian and English and it is large.

Favorite Dish: So far my favourite dish was Hot and sour soup, really tasty! I also like cashew nuts chicken and shrimps whit onions and ginger. Their spring rolls and steamed doumplings are also good.

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We visited da Manoi after obtaining a reduced price for two offer on an italian site. We were not disappointed.
We had a nice appetizer, see photo, and pizzas of our choice.
The menu had other choices, pasta and the usual Italian items basic to Italian dining. This ristorante is situated 30 minutes from the center of Padova, and is frequented by people who live nearby. it is under a new ownership, but the place has been there for many years.
During the warm months the dining can be outdoors, which is nice.
It is a bit difficult to find as you think you will never find a ristorante in a neighborhood of only houses, but don't give up. It is at the end of the street.

Favorite Dish: The crust of the pizza was very light and not soggy. The sauce was a nice tomato fllavor. The mushrooms were not the fresh type, and I would order a different item next time.
We will return in a few months, as this is a good choice for a quiet evening and a pizza.
Service was good, everything is clean, and we were pleased with everything.

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If you are seeking food from India, this restaurant is incredible. Not only the food is unbeatable, but the atmosphere is enchanting. The walls are covered with exquisite art from India, not posters and cheap decorations, but really nice paintings and art. The music sets the mood for great dining, yet they have thought to put up noise reducing bafflers in the ceiling so you can actually hear people at your table speaking, etc. When you enter Buddha you are greeted by the owner and several waitresses dressed in clothes from India. The smell of cooking food is enticing, and the seating arrangement are made so that you do not feel in a huge room, but instead several small rooms for a more intimate feel.
Everything from beginning to end is more of a performance, a unique opportunity to enjoy India and its food. I have to give this restaurant a rating of best in Padova, until I am lucky enough to find a better adventure. We will return here soon.
Cleanliness-superior
parking is across the street and free
Located near the center of Padova

Favorite Dish: We tried lots of items in the appetizer category, served with 4 sauces, tamarind, yogurt, mango and chili... see photo.
They have listed some foods with pepper cartoons to show the "heat" value. This we found to be Italian heat levels, so two peppers is only kind of mild heat--still good.
The menu is large and you will see lots of choices.
Viewing the photos you will see several choices of chicken, one is sauce, and also a chick pea dish.
They have three kinds of beer from India, all 5 euros, large bottles.
We tried a lot more items than we could finish, and found it all amazingly good. So our bills was higher than normal. 58 euros for two people.
The owner is from Kathmandu, but his menu includes many things from southern India.

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The restaurant is close to the heart of Padova, the dining room is very nicely decorated with Indian prints, sculptures, pottery and quilts. The owner is really friendly and will help you decide through their menu. All the people working in the restaurant are Indian and they wear their traditional clothes. Also the music is original and not loud leaving room for conversations.
Beside the normal menu they offer three tasting menu, fish for 25 euros, meat for 20 euros and vegetarian for 15 euros, prices for person.
We tried vegetables samosa, fried vegetables and onion rings as appetizers. The we had rice with shrimps, madras chicken and chicken tandoori and some stewed chick peas. We tried their garlic bread and mint bread and we accompanied all with two Indian beers.
As soon as we ordered they brought us some complimentary chick peas bread with four different sauce to try, than, when the dinner was over we had also a selection of seeds to eat to "clean your mouth" and a shoot of a liquor.
Everything was presented in nice copper pots and was delicious.

Favorite Dish: I would have a hard time choosing as everything was tasty and delicious. I will go back for sure.

Sometimes you are just not in the mood to dine in a crowded, touristy café, especially on a warm day. If you are seeking a relatively inexpensive, but tasty, light lunch near the center of Padova, this place is pretty ideal. This café is hidden away in a tree filled (rare!) and shady piazza located behind the Piazza dei Signori in an area surrounded by University buildings. So your dining companions are much more likely to be students or faculty as opposed to tourists and the prices are more in keeping with their budgets.

There is always a nice selection of hot and cold panini plus toasts (around 4eu each) and seasonal salads to choose from -- both lettuce/greens-based as well as cold pasta and/or rice salads (6-7eu each). Everything is very fresh and ingredients are good quality. It's definitely a step above the usual student hang-out/sandwich shop fare. And unlike most tourist spots, they don't charge a coperto (cover) which helps keep your lunch reasonably priced.

Best of all, it is a quick walk back through the Piazza dei Signori to GROM (see other reviews) the gourmet gelato shop, so you can top off your meal with a fantastic treat and still not break the bank.

After studiously comparing pastry/coffee options throughout Padova (and I agree with OriettaIT that Graziati is pretty fantastic) I have concluded that Pasticceria Breda is possibly one of the best bakeries in town. The one thing it lacks is a great location on a large piazza, but otherwise, all of the pastries are amazingly delicious and their coffee drinks are consistently excellent. Plus, the staff is warm and welcoming; they make the experience even better because they genuinely put some love into making their espressos.

All of the brioche pastries are flakey, buttery, and fresh; I tend to veer towards the marmellata which normally is filled with apricot jam (albicocca), but you will not regret anything you select here. The biscotti (cookies) and little tartlets filled with nuts or marmellata also make nice buttery partners for the coffee. They also have amazing looking cakes for take away in case you need something for the road.

It's less expensive to stand up at the counter in the back, but there are several small tables inside as well as outside in the street (it's a pedestrian zone). Close to the Prato della Valle and on the main street through the centro, it's a great stop for breakfast or any time of day you need caffeine and a sweet treat.

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If you are in the center of Padova and considering a restaurant that has more than pizza, a great wine list, and local cusine, consider Pe Pen. During the warm months of the year this popular restaurant has outdoor seating in a nice small piazza, lit up with warm lighting.
Pe Pen has a wine list that is more like a book, with many pages of listings. We wonder where they keep all that wine. U want to see this cellar.
If you like appetizers, you can view many of the choices just inside and then tell your waiter which one you want. With a wine list like this, you can expect the food to be exceptional. We have never been disappointed here.
The pizzas are also very good, with generous amounts of ingredients you might choose..

Favorite Dish: You can get a pizza here mid day, which is more difficult in the city. My favorite is Capricciosa.
see photos below.
Also their desserts are foto moments....
House wine is also good.
Price below is with house wine. Expect more when ordering a Secondo.
Enjoy