One of three side-by-side restaurants on the south side of Mandela Square, Ghirardelli’s is unfortunately a bit hard to distinguish from the others, both in terms of where the entrance is, and in terms of the type and quality of the food. It’s the one in the center, for those wondering, and it’s more casual both in menu and atmosphere than neighboring Italian eatery Baglio’s.
The menu consists mainly of Italian-inspired comfort foods: grill combos, seafood combos, lasagne, pastas, and gourmet pizzas. I tried the lasagna, which definitely wasn’t traditional Italian — it was sort of runny and gooey (I guess this is where the “inspired” part of the branding kicks in). I also sampled the bacon-avocado-mozzarella pizza, which likewise, was more Italian-ish than actual Italian. The toppings were good, but the crust tasted like it was store-bought rather than made onsite. Desserts are filling and hearty, and include a wide selection of cakes, ice cream, and the signature cherries flambe.
Like the food, the atmosphere here is comfortable, relaxed and friendly, but nothing to write home about. Flat-screen TVs show sports matches, and there’s a buzzy din from the adjacent restaurants. Apparently the drinks are strong, because the group sitting across from me contained a couple of laughing hyenas, who thankfully took off after a couple of cocktails. If you sit on the plaza-facing patio, there are heat lamps to keep you warm on cool nights. And you can literally eat almost any time of day: breakfast is served from 8am to noon, and the place is open until 11pm on weeknights, and midnight on weekends. If you’re up early on the weekend, there’s also an all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast.
Expert Review
One of three side-by-side restaurants on the south side of Mandela Square, Ghirardelli’s is unfortunately a bit hard to distinguish...
One of three side-by-side restaurants on the south side of Mandela Square, Ghirardelli’s is unfortunately a bit hard to distinguish from the others, both in terms of where the entrance is, and in terms of the type and quality of the food. It’s the one in the center, for those wondering, and it’s more casual both in menu and atmosphere than neighboring Italian eatery Baglio’s.
The menu consists mainly of Italian-inspired comfort foods: grill combos, seafood combos, lasagne, pastas, and gourmet pizzas. I tried the lasagna, which definitely wasn’t traditional Italian — it was sort of runny and gooey (I guess this is where the “inspired” part of the branding kicks in). I also sampled the bacon-avocado-mozzarella pizza, which likewise, was more Italian-ish than actual Italian. The toppings were good, but the crust tasted like it was store-bought rather than made onsite. Desserts are filling and hearty, and include a wide selection of cakes, ice cream, and the signature cherries flambe.
Like the food, the atmosphere here is comfortable, relaxed and friendly, but nothing to write home about. Flat-screen TVs show sports matches, and there’s a buzzy din from the adjacent restaurants. Apparently the drinks are strong, because the group sitting across from me contained a couple of laughing hyenas, who thankfully took off after a couple of cocktails. If you sit on the plaza-facing patio, there are heat lamps to keep you warm on cool nights. And you can literally eat almost any time of day: breakfast is served from 8am to noon, and the place is open until 11pm on weeknights, and midnight on weekends. If you’re up early on the weekend, there’s also an all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast.