Alforno Trattoria • Bar • Pizza — Restaurant in Old Saybrook

Ben has returned and brings new recipes from Italy… We love this restaurant for its thin crust pizza and Italian seasonal specialties. Now that the owner's son Ben has returned from a long stay in the little town of Fano in the Le Marche region of Italy, where he trained and gathered recipes from a family friend, we look forward to additional specialties. My wife opted for the Flounder Livornese, (Pan roasted Atlantic flounder with a sauce of tomatoes, green and black olives and white wine over sautéed spinach). It turned out to be a huge portion, large enough for two dinners. She loved it as it was cooked to perfection. I opted for the always popular Margherita pizza with fresh crushed tomatoes and snipped basil; I added sliced veal and ricotta meatballs, wonderful. Leftovers: lunch today! The wine list features many Italian choices, primarily from Tuscany and surrounding area, but also from Sicily. We chose a Nero di Avola blend (75% Nero di Avola, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon), a lovely food wine. We have been fans of Nero di Avola ("The Black wine of Avola, a little town near Siracusa) and this one was one of the better we have tasted. And the price doesn't break the bank. Since the restaurant is located in a local small mall, parking is always available. The restaurant stays busy year roundin but does take reservations, often needed on weekends. And don't forget to reserve one of their brick oven baked breads to take home...

Alforno is one of our favorite family restaurants on the Connecticut shoreline and we have enjoyed dining there for several years. We love their crispy thin crust brick oven pizza made in a true Italian style. There are plenty of our favorite toppings available and it can also be ordered on gluten free crust. It’s a family run restaurant that you can feel comfortable bringing the kids to with a lively modern art decor that makes it a fun place for an adults only evening as well.

We have also had the occasion to enjoy a variety of dishes from the dinner menu that reflects Alforno’s dedication to putting their own signature on authentic Mediterranean cuisine. New discoveries the Zemel family makes on annual epicurean adventures to Europe make their way to the table through frequently changing daily specials and periodic updates to their menu.

Their fresh baked Italian bread is the best I’ve ever had and we often buy a loaf to go if we get there before it’s sold out for the day. We happy to live close by but it’s right off I-95 at exit 66 making it easy to get to and worth the drive...

Am so disappointed… went for takeout and read the bolognese was so highly recommended. I ordered a small portion for myself and a large for my husband. The restaurant is really lovely despite in a very depressing mostly empty strip mall. The manager Nate was so enthusiastic about the food quality and got me thrilled that finally in Old Saybrook there was a decent Italian restaurant. But when I got home, was shocked at size of portions. Mine which was the small size was just a slight portion in the takeaway tray. I thought well it must be so delicious and rich …. But when I ate , had only two bites of bolognese with meat( that was delicious) but that’s all…. Couldn’t believe it. My husband had slightly more and had 4 slices of bread ( wrapped in a napkin)for $44.00 . I truly wanted to be excited and find my new special place. I guess that food prices are just so out of control that restaurants can’t give customers any value today. Can’t judge in taste as only two bites with meat in bolognese sauce and pasta was bland. Very disappointed… think it would have been so much better...