Al Forno Kitchen – Authentic Italian Restaurant in Bentleigh, Melbourne — Restaurant in Melbourne

Oh, dear reader, let me transport you to a world of culinary ecstasy! The moment I sank my teeth into that divine creation known as the "Pepperoni Pizza," my taste buds embarked on an odyssey of unparalleled delight. With every savory bite, I was enraptured by the harmonious dance of robust tomato sauce, gooey mozzarella, and those tantalizing circles of pepperoni. Oh, how they mingled in a symphony of flavors!

In that cozy little pizzeria, I found myself surrounded by the warm embrace of pizza enthusiasts, all reveling in the same euphoria. The ambiance, bathed in the soft glow of dimmed lights, whispered secrets of countless pizza lovers who had come before. And as I savored each heavenly morsel, a joyous crescendo of delight welled up within me, threatening to burst forth in a chorus of jubilant exclamations.

Yes, dear reader, the "Pepperoni Pizza" at this remarkable establishment was nothing short of exquisite! It was a celestial masterpiece that transcended mere food and became an experience, a memory etched into my heart forever. If you seek the zenith of pizza perfection, look no further, for you shall find it here, in this hallowed pizzeria, where every bite is a...

I am usually hesitant to give such a low rating as I am aware of what bad ratings can do to people’s livelihoods. However, the purpose of my rating is twofold: firstly, to set your expectations if you were planning to visit this establishment, and secondly to flag with management that they need to up their game. We arrived and stood awkwardly at the door for a good few minutes before being shown to our table. The poor server (the only one, on a Friday night) was run off her feet. The restaurant itself is shabby: peeling wallpaper, chipped paint and decor looking tired. The tablecloths were dirty. We were served our Coke Zero (which turned out to be Diet Coke from the 1L bottle behind the counter) in dirty mismatched wine glasses. We were warned the food would take 25 minutes to arrive (confusing as our order was nothing special… two salads, and a carbonara pasta) but it was probably closer to 40 minutes. Food was nothing special, though we didn’t expect it to be. You don’t have to be super fancy or expensive to serve a decent meal in a timely manner on clean dinnerware. Something has to change here (e.g management), but either way we...

I've been to Al Forno three times now, and each time has been excellent. It's just a small local eatery, but it's well worth a visit. The food is always delicious and the service is great too. They're really accomodating when making adjustments to pasta dishes, and always get your requests right. Their gnocchi is superb and so soft, and their sauces are fantastic. I've had the gnocchi with chicken and avocado in a cream sauce, and I've had a gnocchi with chicken and avocado in a yummy curry sauce (sooooo good and way better than it might sound to some). Two out of the three visits, I've had and shared the chocolate mousse. The first time was delicious and the second time it tasted more like a light chocolate pudding/whip. The only minor negative I can say about Al Forno (and this is purely nitpicking), they don't play music so there's no real ambiance to the restaurant. Having said that, the decor is nice enough and the staff are friendly, so couple all of that with beautiful food, and this is now my favourite local Italian eatery. I highly recommend it. It's great for dinners with the family and it's really...