Il Gusto — Restaurant in Liverpool

Sadly this was one of the worst dinning experiences I've ever had. I and 14 other people attended for a 18 birthday meal and thought a lovely new restaurant in Woolton village close to where we live might be the answer. Ohhh how wrong could be have been. We were met but a rude waitress who rolled her eyes at us shouted at us to "hold on" and " wait a minute" and the huffing and puffing what a shock to us all. We had booked weeks in advance and submitted our food order to the restaurant in advance to try and relieve any potential stress due to the size of our order. 15 of us were cramped into 4 tables (6 people were expected to sit on a table only big enough for 4 people) and were basically told that we had to deal with it. Only two people had starters every one else where just mains so you would think not to hard to get wrong right!! Wrong I ordered a goats cheese crustine but got cottage cheese and chive. Which i know shouldn't be to much to complain about however I hate cottage cheese and knew straight away it wasn't what I ordered but wast told by the same that it was goats cheese. Like I don't know the difference. Now the mains. Whilst I appreciate that we were a party of 15 not everything is going to run smoothly. However the food was awful bland with a resemblance of slop for some, in complete orders for example if it had a glazed sauce this was missing and an alternative given with out asking if this was OK or if there was any allergies. My dish was salmon which in my opinion looked like the salmon strips you get from Aldi smother in a overly salty sauce. Now everyone who knows me knows i love my salt and were all yes all where taken aback when I stated that this was too salty. The same waitress was passing food over people heads and actual hit the birthday boy on the side of his head with the plate as she was passing it down. What ever you do don't ask for a jug of water as you will be told to "Wait a minute" and will be met with dirty look. Overall the food for us was below par and the service was rock bottom. Please also note that there is only one toilet in the whole restaurant and there is a table of dinners sat outside the door. A few of us had to run across the street to use the toilet in their bar. This place is small and I would not recommend this for a party bigger than 4 people however I actually wouldn't recommend going at all. Now here is where you have to be on your game. When the bill arrived it automatically added the 10% service charge. Which we always pay anyway as we class this as standard procedure. To make it easier the bill was paid as a whole rather than people paying individually which can be a pain and very time consuming. However We were then charged an additional 10% as a tip when the host paid for the whole meal on her credit card and was not told. No this was not a transactional fee for using her card the receipt clearly states TIP. Therefore the restaurant got a 20% for poor food and service. Now I must point out we are not shy about tipping and go above what would be the standard amount however to take a tip twice is utterly wrong. Would I come back here again!! Not if you paid...

A standout spot in Woolton Village Il Gusto completely exceeded my expectations. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, with a pleasant energy that added to the experience. You can tell it’s a place locals genuinely love.

The starters were impressive. There's a great variety to choose from, and everything arrived perfectly seasoned and cooked. The calamari was light and crisp without a trace of oiliness, but the Sambuca prawns stole the show. They were absolutely massive, incredibly fresh (sourced locally on the day), and came in a rich, sauce that was genuinely unforgettable.

For the main course, I had the sea bass, which was cooked to perfection with crisp skin and tender, flaky meat. The vegetables served with it weren’t an afterthought, full of flavour and clearly prepared with care. The potatoes were golden and crisp on the outside, soft and fluffy inside, exactly how they should be.

The wine list is well curated with a great selection of Italian bottles, and the staff were friendly, knowledgeable, and more than happy to help with recommendations.

Il Gusto is one of those rare places where the food, service, and setting all come together effortlessly. Whether you're planning a relaxed dinner or something more special, this is a spot that really delivers. One of the best Italian meals I’ve had...

We have just visited this restaurant for the first time for my birthday and unfortunately we will not be returning. Such a disappointment. Our starters arrived and my husband was served the wrong starter and had to be changed. We then received our main courses and as I received mine I questioned it as it didn't look correct. The member of staff assured me it was exactly what I ordered. I started to eat it but was not happy and I looked the menu up on line and found that I had been given the wrong meal. They agreed then that I had received the wrong meal and offered to replace it. This obviously took time and my husband had to eat his on his own and when mine eventually came I had to eat mine on my own. We also ordered garlic bread which was cold by the time my meal came out. I was asked if I wanted another drink which I didn't. We were then ignored and had to ask for the table to be cleared and our bill as we just wanted to leave. We didn't receive any recompense or any apologies at the end for the total shambles of a meal and an upsetting evening. Totally...