Il Forno

Very good service and ambience.

Surprised to hear mainly Italian spoken by the staff at this restaurant. The pizza and pasta were very good.

Very attentive staff and high quality cocktails.

This was a amazing Italian dining experience.
We met the owner that comes from a cooking family in Naples.

We both had a Ravioli dinner each that was a new experience. The Best!
Both we had never had. You have to come here to discover.
And we are going back Sunday for a afternoon cooking class for the both of us in his Italian cooking school.
Another building.
Doesn't get better than this!

After booking our stay at the Resident Liverpool, I requested a list of places that the staff recommended to eat at. This was the restaurant they recommended and boy did it not disappoint! We ordered to eat the Calamari, Spaghetti Carbonara, and the eccellenza pizza. I would recommend any of these 3 dishes, they were great! To drink we ordered the pornstar martini and the espresso martini. Both drinks were also very good. The restaurant is nicely decorated and had outdoor seating that was in theme for Christmas. Restaurant staff were amazing and helped make this experience 5/5 stars. If you are in Liverpool I recommend stopping by this restaurant for a meal!

I got one of those flaming tables AMAZING we celebrated my birthday there and food and pasta AMAZING if your going to have a celebration or fancy place for a couple
Come to il Forno

Reading the other reviews is very informative and partly the reason we chose to pre-book our table
Myself and my wife finished off here during a shopping visit to Liverpool.

A menu with an average price, although when you buy a Prawn starter for nearly £10 you expect more than THREE King prawns!!! This prawn starter was spiced HOT and then menu did not mention such!
I had the Scallops Starter, and again, you would expect more than THREE Scallops for nearly £10!!!
A 175ml glass of red wine costs £6.50.
So a moan about the quantity of food you get and the price you're made to pay, I do have to mention that the food was excellent,(when not spiced up without the menu saying!), and we did feel full at the end of the meal with a dessert.
We were shocked at the price of the Bill when it arrived, we've never spent that much on a meal out for two before! The the whole experience was fantastic! The waiters are very responsive and the service was quick!

The noise level in the restaurant was noisy, so it's not for those who want a very quiet meal out.
There is a cloakroom facility and we were able to she'd the load of our coats and many shopping bags from us and concentrate on having a relaxing time with our meal.

Authentic classic Italian restaurant!

Dont forget to try the risotto di mare (with seafood) or the tiramisu!

Il Forno prides itself on being Liverpool's first and only authentic Italian restaurant. You'll find a real ambience and attentive staff waiting to welcome you. The restaurant even boasts a deli and traditional Italian ice cream parlour.

I am a big fan of Italian cuisine and the luxurious Il Forno along Duke Street did not fail to disappoint. For my main course, I decided to go for a classic Italian pizza of margarita which basically had a topping of tomatoes and mozzarella. This came at a price tag of £6.95 which is quite expensive considering it was as plain a pizza you can get. However, I was very impressed by the pure Italian pizza (very much the same you would get in Italy); it was sublime! The service was also fantastic which you would expect for a top class restaurant of this type. The waiter/waitresses always made sure you were satisfied before, during and after the meal.

There is a romantic mood about this place, so it is great for couples and groups alike. One thing to keep note of, is that you are paying a lot for quality and not quantity.

Il Forno is an award winner and it doesn't take long after you enter this establishment to realise just why that is. Everything about this place really screams professionalism and authenticity and this is quite a combination.

When a restaurant has been critically acclaimed by The Times then you know to expect good things and this is exactly what you get here at Il Forno. I used to have a favourite Italian restaurant at home in Birmingham and thought it could not be beaten in my eyes but Il Forno has easily outclassed it.

The variety is astounding and the food never fails to impress as well as the service being of the highest quality.

It is not cheap here but you get what you pay for and that is an experience of the highest calibre. Il Forno is a place for a special occasion and if you feel like a treat then check it out.

Yet another Duke Street restaurant, and this is a goodie. Beware they do have a tendency to be a bit finicky about you having pre-booked, even if the restaurant looks half-empty. I don't know if this is to give off the vibe that the restaurant's always busy, but still, it can be somewhat annoying. Meanwhile you get generously proportioned meals, all very rustic and Italian in flavour and theme. Calimari is good for starters, and you'll find all your favourite pastas on the main menu as well as some delicious thin-based pizzas.

Nibbles include mixed olives and the rosemary salted foccacia, which are all delicious little appetisers and you'll be hard pushed to avoid ordering seconds. There's a really extensive wine list and the staff are really knowledgeable when it comes to that, pointing you in the direction of the most complementary ones as opposed to the most expensive. You won't feel rushed here and the service isn't invasive at all, just friendly and efficient.

It won't be a bargain but it'll certainly be worth the extra pennies. Treat yourself to a glass of delicious Prosecco and find a strawberry balanced on the edge - a lovely touch. Less amazing are the desserts which taste a little mass-produced; same goes for the soups as starters. There was me, trying to be healthy. Well, at least I'll be avoiding puddings here from now on. All in all those small scruples don't really let it down and it's a very well rounded restaurant, great for couples and groups alike.

Il Forno is a gorgeous Italian restaurant and easily one of the best that Liverpool has to offer. It is always very busy and it's easy to see (taste?) why.

First off: book a table. It's packed on a regular basis, even popular with celebrities. Not that I care about that sort of thing, but it does mean you'll need to reserve your place. This doesn't mean it's cold and sterile though - the atmosphere is very welcoming, warm and relaxed.

Now that that's out of the way and you're in the restaurant, the menu lights up your eyes. There is a wide range of delicious, authentic, Italian dishes to choose from. For starters, why not have Bruschetta Piselli e Mozzarella Parmigiano (Baked bread with garden peas, mozarella and parmesan), or Focaccia with salt, rosemary and extra virgin olive oil?

The menu goes from strength to strength, featuring delicious soups and a HUGE range of antipasti. These are all an excellent choice and, in my eyes, they're so good that they're often one of the main highlights of the meal. I cannot stress enough just how nice the antipasti selections are - you could quite easily sit and just munch your way through these all evening.

The main dishes are made up of winner after winner. Homemade pasta is combined with sun dried tomatoes, pine kernels and anchovies. Risotto accompanied with pumpkin, pancetta and parmesan. The Penne All'Arrabbiata is breathtaking and you can add tasty, fresh, Italian sausage.

Even the pizzas here are phenomenal. Thin and cooked in a traditional oven, they have that Italian 'essence' that is often missing from pizzas elsewhere. A favourite of mine is the Pizza Il Forno, featuring buffalo mozzarella, spicy salami, porcini mushrooms, grated potato, parmesan and rosemary. The Calzones are equallly as good.

There are lovely desserts too. The whole range seems good but I'm always drawn to one of my most favourite dishes of all - Tiramisu. Real, proper, tadty, Tiramisu. Unbeatable.

I have no REAL negative points for this restaurant. It's expensive, so you could include that... but if you are aware of this beforehand and know what to expect, you'll soon realise that this place is well worth every extra penny you'll spend. It's a kind of posh-rustic restaurant, an interesting combination.

The service here is great, everybody is friendly, chatty and helpful. They aren't too quick about things, which fits the Italian eating vibe perfectly. Don't come here for a quick bite, expect to stay quite a while... but you'll enjoy every second, every morsel. Highly recommended indeed.