il forno

Yesterday we went out with my friends for my birthday meal - a week in advance of the big day. As I'm going to be 30 I wanted to go somewhere nice but without spending a fortune.

Italian food is one of my favourites and Liverpool has quite a few Italian restaurants but I was yet to find one that was traditional but didn't have plastic red and green check table clothes. So a bit of googling later we came across a restaurant described as "One of the Top 10 authentic Italian restaurants according to The Times Knowledge magazine, Il Forno is a slice of Italy situated in the heart of Liverpool city centre". The reviews on onionring seemed quite good so I booked us a table.

The booking was made for 7.30pm as they were fully booked for later slots - 2 1/2 weeks in advance. I was surprised then when we ended up staying in the restaurant for 3 hours - not rushed once by the friendly staff.

The food was fantastic. We shared some focaccias to start and then I tucked into a Garganelli al salmone fresco e funghi - Garganelli with fresh salmon mushrooms and a dash of cream. The bowl was huge, the portions definitely on the generous side and it was beautiful. The pasta was perfectly cooked and the sauce coated the pasta just enough. At a cost of £7.50 for a main it was most definitely value for money.

For pudding, well it is my birthday!, I had ice cream with a dash of baileys poured over the top. My friend also ordered this & we took one mouthful and just looked at each other as the delicious ice cream melted in our mouths. It was fantastic.

Its just such a shame we forgot the camera so there are no pictures to tempt you all with.

Hubby & I will definitely be going back & I just hope its sometime soon as there was such a good choice on the menu it really was difficult to choose.

And not one tacky table cloth in sight. The restaurant was modern, bright and really vibrant. A real breath of fresh air indeed.

So if you are ever in Liverpool in search of a good meal I'd most definitely suggest il forno