(menu)

Il Forno

Address:	132 Duke Street, Liverpool L1 5AG
Tel	0151 709 4002
Website:	Visit Il Forno website
Price: £28.00	Wine: £12.95	Champagne: £30.00
Opening Hours:	Mon-Thurs 11am-2.30pm 5.30-11pm Fri-Sun 12N-11pm

Square Meal review of Il Forno:

A menu that features a pizza americana topped with frankfurter & chips may seem somewhat at odds with Il Forno's claims to be ‘Liverpool’s first authentic Italian restaurant’. Then again, how many other Italian restaurants bother with a full Italian caffe menu, including coretto, ristretto, marochino as well as the more familiar latte & cappuccino? Such idiosynchrasies aside, this is pure, confident Italian: the chatter of families & friends, the charming waiting staff, the buzzy open kitchen & an ebullient host in owner Vince Margiotta. Despite its modern look, at heart this is an old-fashioned Italian local. Pizzas from the showpiece oven are large, fresh & nicely crisp. Try a classic margherita or indulge in truffle oil & porcini, or smoked salmon & caviar. There’s a good selection of secondi too, including hearty sausages with broccoli & polenta or a T-bone steak, all showcasing good ingredients cooked from scratch. If Il Forno’s not always Italian to the letter, it more than makes up for it in spirit.