Al Dente Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Liverpool

BEAR WITH ME FOLKS THIS IS GONNA BE A LONG ONE! 😄 Loved it! Great ambience! Nicely furnished and decorated, lovely and clean too. Very welcoming staff! The music they played was not overpowering like some restaurants. Think it was Radio 1 Live Lounge with familiar hit songs performed acoustically by established artistes who put their own slant on them. So relaxing! ANYWAY we went to eat and boy did they feed us! 😃 We were a party of 7 and they really looked after us, coming to the table to chat and interact with us. Half of us were half an hour late but that wasn't a problem for them, they were lovely. A couple of drinks each certainly got us in the mood, whilst we enjoyed the music. They have a great range of gins to choose from which suited me fine! 😜 There were 2 starters ordered, king prawns in a creamy garlic sauce with their own baked crusty bread. It looked amazing and got the thumbs up. The other starter was halloumi fries, thick chunks of halloumi, accompanied by salad and with the finishing touch of balsamic vinegar, she thought it was exquisite! Great start👍 With a pizza style garlic bread for the rest of us to share, which was also delicious, we were all looking forward to our mains, and they didn't disappoint. 2 of the party chose steak and they both loved them. Their chunky chips sat in a small wire basket was a nice touch and they were lovely. Another choose lamb shank, sat on a bed of mashed potato and she was very pleased with it. Another choice was sea bass, 2 good sized pieces of fish in fact, sat on a bed of green beans in a pernod sauce, again with chunky chips. He said it was excellent and the clean plate proved so. Another choose chicken shish with rice and salad and was very pleased she did so. I chose the mixed meat Calzone pizza and it was huge. Topped with Bolognese meat sauce with salad on the side, it was superb! So big in fact I couldn't finish it, but enjoyed every mouthful. 👌 Well after such wonderful mains, we were all too full for desserts. Not a problem for them and they then brought out a cake as two of our party had birthdays, and the staff got the whole restaurant to sing happy birthday! 😄 They offered to cut it so that it could be our dessert but we declined as we really were stuffed. The staff were SO attentive at all times and even the chef came to the table to chat. Liverpool's Lark Lane is renowned for its restaurants and bars and the whole street is packed with every kind of cuisine you can imagine but Al Dente has to be up there with the best. I've eaten at a few, and never been to Al Dente before but will CERTAINLY be back! I wish I'd taken pictures when the food arrived to show how well presented it all looked. Thank you so much to all the staff you certainly made our night! FABULOUS! I can highly recommend anyone to eat at Al Dente. Pay them a visit; you won't be...

Indirectly buys 5 star reviews.

I chose this restaurant last week as I found it to have good reviews online, in fact it was 5 stars on Trip Advisor so I thought that it must be a special place to warrant 5 stars so I gave it a go. Firstly the food was ok not 3 stars or higher worthy, but was just ok. The waiters were welcoming and polite but could benefit from retraining/updating on food allergies. Having been to plenty of restaurants in the past I would not put this in the restaurant category, more of a diner or parlour place. Loud dance music playing, blue strobe lights on the ceiling, seating booths rather than tables with utensils put in a metal tin in the centre of the table rather than laid out by a member of staff.

As I say this wouldn't be a problem if myself and my partner wanted a quick bite or was going to take the kids for food but on this occasion, we didn't want this hence why we chose a restaurant.

I was pondering while waiting for my food to arrive how has this been given 5 stars on Trip Advisor, don't get me wrong it's a nice place but it's not as it was preceding itself to be online.

Then I saw the reason why. A beer matt asking customers to leave a 5-star review and get a free cocktail. I was almost insulted by this and felt tricked into coming to the place. Its indirectly buying 5 star reviews to get custom. Reviews should be solely made on experience and quality of food not to gain a free cocktail.

Overall will not be returning. It's a bit rough around the edges. Could be made into such a nice...

Al Dente Restaurant

We had dinner at Al Dente last night, and I highly recommend booking a table in advance, as the restaurant is quite popular. The atmosphere is cosy and inviting, with a lively yet comfortable ambiance.

Food & Drinks The menu offers a great selection of dishes. I ordered the sirloin steak (medium-rare)—it was flavorful, though slightly chewy in some parts. We also tried the lamb with mashed potatoes, which was incredibly tender and full of rich flavor. For pasta lovers, we sampled the Carbonara—delicious, creamy, and very filling (we couldn’t even finish the whole portion!). The shrimp pasta was equally tasty and satisfying, making it a great choice for seafood enthusiasts.

Service & Overall Experience The service truly stood out. The waitstaff were attentive, polite, and knowledgeable, helping us choose dishes and making sure we had a great dining experience. Their attention to detail added to the overall enjoyment of the evening.

If you're looking for a delicious Mediterranean dining experience in a warm and welcoming setting, Al Dente is definitely worth a visit. Highly...