I can not believe the reviews for this place! I have been 3 times in the last 2 months as we have been so impressed! The lasagne was perfection, so damn delicious I’ve ordered it again each visit. In my most recent visit, our table also ordered the avocado and chicken pasta, I’m not normally one for avocado in pasta but this was divine. Our waitress was very friendly and gave us all a free drink filling the wine glasses almost to the top. I will be back again soon for sure!
I went to there with my partner randomly last Saturday night and it was quiet at the beginning . We ordered garlic bread, seafood risotto and carbonara . Food was above average especially the risotto ( like the pervious people’s comment ). I got a heart sharp garlic bread :P However there were more guests came and the poor waiter (only one waiter ) had to serve 5-6 tables and definitely understaffed . I thought those people waited for a bit for their food n services . I hope the owner can put an extra staff during weekends I help poor him .
I don't understand why people give this place such a low rate, the service is great and the food is definitely beyond the average on Lygon. The lamb shoulder risotto is amazing! Actually it is the best risotto on my list. The lamb matches perfectly with the carrot sauce and fresh tomatoes, cheese and parsley (or basil, I'm not sure, maybe both) are added just alright to balance the oily feel of lamb. This dish stays tasty even when it is cold. And the old gentleman in the front house is the warmest waiter you could ever expect.
I'm actually surprised by the low reviews here. A cousin and I decided we were going to eat our way up Lygon st one week and one restaurant at a time. I was all for a methodical straight up the street approach but she preferred haphazard and so we found ourselves here for lunch one afternoon.
The eccentric old male owner was delightful regaling us with tales of his youth and even singing at one stage (we have since been back and he was just as charming). Both times I had the pollo avocado fettuccine which was a generous main serve for only $20. My food was delicious and the service was warm and entertaining. I had an enjoyable experience with some serious euro vibes. On a street where everyone's serving the same fare Il Gusto (or more specifically the owner Fernando) definitely stands out as a point of differentiation!
My girl friend and I ate here today. We dine out a lot. Like 14 times a week a lot and feel this place is under rated. The food was delicious, I had the lamb cutlets and she had the Morton bay bugs. Both of us enjoyed our meal, got what we paid for.
The owner was so lovely and made us all laugh throughout the night. The service was really good and the food was good. It is a beautiful cozy place. This place deserves a second chance based on the reviews written, I will always remember the dinner I had here and the service Fernando delivered.
We ate at Il Gusto last night after encountering Fernando on the street. We actually continued along Lygon Street but then went back to this little restaurant. The service wasn't outstanding although it was good. My fillet mignon was missing the bacon (resolved with a suitable price adjustment plus complimentary port) but otherwise the meals were excellent. It was the best mushroom sauce I've ever had! I'd gladly eat here again.
Bought a good deal voucher online, my dining experience here turned out fairly good. We ordered gnocchi and lasagna for our entree, which both of us agree to say 'good' in term of quality and taste. Having osso buco and pan fried fish for the main which ok for us. The service might be a bit slow tho.
Tick of Approval from a European!
Il Gusto is a type of nostalgic experience. The food is INCREDIBLE. I have NEVER had a lasagne like the one at Il Gusto. The service is not the greatest BUT if you look past the little slip ups, it's the most authentic Italian cuisine you will ever have. I went here in June 2013 and again March 2017 and every time the food astounds me. I know the other reviews aren't quite that great but YOU GUYS. YOU HAVE TO TRY IT. I've tried other Italian restaurants in Lygon and they're not as good.
it's been awhile since I've been here.. decor hasn't changed much and depending on the individual I can see why some may not like it.. as for me it's a blast into the past. Came here on a Groupon deal... for $49 we got choice of bread or bruschetta, choice of 2 entree pastas, 2 mains and 2 glasses of wine. Great value!!! It was a quiet Saturday lunch ... service was great with friendly staff.. highlight was the pasta!! Homemade feel and yum!!! the mains were great too but we liked the pastas better.
Exceptional food and service, walked in on a cold day for some hot authentic italian. The pesto gnocchi was excellent 😉 Warm family owned vibe. Will return for sure. Thanks 🍝
Gorgeous service and food was fantastic. Certainly the place to go to if you're looking for somewhere quaint and special along Lygon street. Experience is worth it just to get the pleasure of meeting the owner. Thank you for a lovely evening!
Best place on Lygon St - great food - great friend staff - authentic Italian! You can taste the freshness in the food. Nice balcony seating on a Summer night. The owner is a true character and is an icon of Lygon Street. Love it.
The service was friendly and our girls got spoilt rotten with affection.
The food was equally nice with the bonus that we were expecting to pay a great deal more given the quality of food we had just received. I'm still in shock that 4 dishes cost us less that $40. It was made with love and we enjoyed it greatly. We will be returning without a doubt.
Very nice spag-bols, bruschetta and mussels dish. They also had good service and free garlic toast.
It usually takes something special to make it standout enough for me to give a 4.0 or higher. In this case it was very good food at an amazingly low price. They decided to not charge us for the two kids spaghettis. So those two meals, the garlic toast, bruschetta (double entree size) and the seafood dish - all lovely - was only $36 TOTAL!!
OMG my tummy kept saying eat more. More then a billion times the server was amazing and the food was like the best I ever had.
Very friendly!. We love coming here! we always make a bee-line for Il Gusto when we get to Melbourne, even if it's for a stopover. The owner always remembers our name and treats us like family. it's a shame others don't enjoy it here as much as we do.
I constantly come here with my friends and I'm always happy with the service and the food. Especially the seafood pasta. And great seating up on the balcony, lovely cosy Italian restaurant
Great restaurant , we were greeted by friendly mr fernando at the front of the restaurant. He even took a picture with us and sang to us as we left after our meal. The food was lovely, we ordered the pasta with chicken mushroom and creamy avocado sauce, lasagna and warm chicken salad and garlic bread. The waiter was attentive and suggested a lovely wine and kindly wrote the name of the wine down when requested. We did wait around 30 mins for our food but the friendly staff and good atmosphere made up for the wait. I think it's a perfect place to dine for a catch up with friends.
Bellissimo!!!. Had a meal here with friends after being conned inside by the old man at the door with promises of a free bottle of wine and great food, and we were not disappointed. Dined on the balcony, great food and service, will be back for sure, cheers
High above the madding crowd.... As a large group we found ourselves upstairs being tickled with the summer breeze through the balcony's open doors and gazing into the tree tops. I'm no fan of pasta and pizza offerings at an Italian restaurant - it was the specials of the day that got my attention. The waiter explained the extensive choices with the admirable memory of a savant and a thespian delivery. All meals arrived after a fair interval so service was good. My salmon fillet was chargrilled with a lovely crisp surface and tender flesh - it was a satisfying dining experience. The specials were the winning poker hand.
The lady was very nice and friendly for international visitors such as me. The restaurant had a good Italian style and I felt relaxed. The combination of pasta and cheeses tasted awesome.
The best gnocchi Gorgonzola I have ever tried by first far! To be fair all the dishes are amazing!! The most lovely staff that couldn’t be any nicer. We have been coming here for about 2-3 years now and cannot understand why that do not have 5 stars… we drive from Elwood at least once a fortnight 👌
We enjoyed proper Italian hospitality with excellent dishes - I had the veal parmigiana which was superb, my friends had gnocchi and spaghetti (both perfect). We topped it off with a fab homemade tiramisu and limoncello. Old school. Great cooking, service, and a whole lotta love poured in. Highly recommend.
We stopped in for coffee and dessert. And the Signora welcomed us in. All the other places did not want to even talk to us! "Oh no, we are only serving Dinner!"
Anyway, IL Gusto was great! Tiramisu was really lucky. Gelato was so good. Coffee was great as it was not bitter, just like in Italy.
I promised Signora we are coming back for a full-blown dinner!
Very enjoyable dinner with my little one. Staff were confident with gluten free options and the risotto and gf garlic bread were fantastic! Will happily go back again!
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