I was recently invited to check out the newly opened il Gusto on the Lisburn Road - a media event I was allowed the privilege of a plus one - it was Mum Hogan's turn. (she had been torturing me for weeks - I finally caved)
So we arrived at il Gusto around 7pm, what first stuck me was their creative use of the outside space (see above) - they have created a little al fresco dining area equipped with a heater - how I love our weather!In the summer months this will be a great space - just imagine sitting out, glass of wine in hand, watching the cars we can't afford drive past while tucking into some Italian (with a twist) grub - I'll explain the twist later ;)
Let's get to the food - il Gusto are marketing themselves as an authentic Italian Ristorante with a healthier approach who pride themselves on their use of local produce - they also making everything fresh in house (keep an eye on their social media to see fresh pasta being made)
So the menu offered up lots of choices - I've added the menu to the bottom of the blog - but I went for the Polpette al Pomodoro to start (Italian meatballs) and the Quatrostagioni Pizza as a main - Mum went for the Cozze in Padella (moules) and Tagliatelle Pollo Picante. Let's discuss...
The meatballs were outstanding - the marinara sauce was super, tangy with a little spice, and the garlic ciabatta was an excellent tool for mopping up my excess sauce...il magnifico!
The pizza - this was probably my only negative (sad face emoji) - now it was very tasty and you could tell that the dough had been freshly made and well worked but I was expecting a thin and crispy base. I urge them to invest in a stone oven as I think it would really elevate the restaurant!
As a food blogger it is very important that I try more than just my own food (well this is what I tell people when I want tot try their food) so I tried mum's Tagliatelle Pollo Picante, it reminded me of Italian Carbonara - remember I said this was Italian with a twist - the Pollo Di Picante had a cream sauce, chicken, mushrooms and fresh chilli - the fresh chilli were awesome, a really good addition.
We were sitting with two girls from the Ulster Tatler, Chloe and Joanne (who have promised me a front page), now I didn't try their food, let's face it - would you dive into someone's food on a first date? However I did snap away - their food is above, Chicken Caesar Salad, Soup of the day and Raviolo Alla Zucca (Raviolo stuffed with pumpkin and sweet potato) Photos are above btw
We were also treated to some desserts; a really good selection too including an espresso martini and fudge cake amongst others, I went for the Tiramisu and mum got the Sticky Toffee Pudding - check out that chocolate covered ice cream! My Tiramisu was topped with a pistachio crumble - wow, my whole dessert was actually quite wow worthy!
Here's a few photos of dessert. Get yourself down to 423 Lisburn Road and enjoy some good Italian food, with lovely staff and a very very reasonable price range - what more could you want!
Added Extra: They do a 3 course LUNCH deal for £9.95 - yes, you read that correctly, under a tenner!
