Il Gusto- the new Italian in town!

Love Italian food?  There’s a new kid in town and it’s worth a visit.  Il Gusto has opened its doors on the Lisburn Road in Belfast and Eating Ideas was invited along to try it out. Italian food is a firm favourite so this was definitely a great opportunity not to be missed

Il Gusto is the sister restaurant of Solo Kitchen & Bar and Ambrosia Caffe & Ristorante.  They have both proved popular so we knew we were in for a treat.  On arrival we were shown to our seats and given our menus. The restaurant is intimate and welcoming so we immediately relaxed into choosing our dishes.  The dishes served are genuine Italian options with a full separate pizza menu.  I was particularly pleased to note that there were several healthier options available as sometimes pasta and pizza can just feel a bit heavy.

I opted for the Insalata Caesar (Caesar salad with chicken and bacon) to start.  This was delicious with just the right amount of dressing.  Enough to add taste and moisture but not too much to overwhelm the dish.  Mr. Eating Ideas chose Polpette al pomodoro (Italian meatballs with il Gusto sauce, mozzarella and ciabatta bread).  These were declared to be delicious and I must say they did look amazing.

For our mains, we both chose the Salmone al peperosa caponata (roasted salmon with Sicilian caponata).  Caponata is a delicious kind of aubergine stew with tomatoes, olives and capers and this worked beautifully with the tender roast salmon. We both loved this dish and our plates were cleared.

For desserts we chose 2 different options to share- limoncello cheesecake served with coconut ice-cream and Tiramisu.  I am not usually the biggest fan of puddings but these were both delicious.

I can truly say that Il Gusto is a new gem for the city and we will definitely be back.  I urge you to pay it a visit!