Visited on a Monday, wasn't as deserted as one might have expected. Seated immediately - got to choose where to be seated. Given time to peruse menu, offered drinks, not hurried. My food was very tasty hers' tasty but a little dry (chef happily supplied us with a batch of MY dishes' sauce for her meal for pennies.). Overall ambience - friendly, well-lit - although it was still light outside, appropriate music played at low volume. Toilets were spotless and impressive. Staff were helpful, polite and really made an effort. Not too expensive given the quality, and portion size, of the food - the potato-skin starter was as big as a main meal. Having visited quite a few restaurants where we have had a terrible dining experience, we'll often visit again just to see if it's still the same - everybody/place can have an off-day, we will visit Al Forno (Of/to, the furnace/oven) again just to see if we were at a good place at a bad time or a bad place at a good time I feel sure it'll pass the second-visit test. Happily recommend it. read more

This is one of the places in borough that's been going for seemingly years. The staff are always nice, and it's really reasonably priced, which I guess it has to be practically sat in the uni campus. Real range of age customers though. I'm always a bit miffed when I order restaurant lasagne instead of the stuff we make at home, but that's personal preference and it did still taste great. read more

Nestling in the University Campus is this great Italian restaurant. Very busy, so book a table for weekends. We arrived in Middlesborough and booked a couple of hours beforehand. They were full but managed to reserve us a table at 8.30. Arriving a little early, the weather was slightly inclement (OK it was peeing down), we were guided to the bar for a pre-dinner drink. I now realise why Northerners complain about London prices. A double Grey Goose vodka for £4.50, a no brainer. At 8.30 exactly, our table was ready. Fantastic menu, delicious food and impeccable service. To start I ordered antipasto for one. This plateful arrived. The waitress explained that this was for one, with a smile. Obviously, the kitchen had made a mistake and plated up for two. One the final bill, antipasto for one. I cannot recommend this restaurant any more, almost a five star in my opinion. Only drawback was the final coffee was very bitter. However, a minor drawback. Great Italian atmosphere, noisy but welcoming. read more

I really like this place. It is a charming little italian eatery not far from the university with a small interor eating area and also an outdoor terrace. The food itself is tasty and well cooked and there is a lot of choice. You can get somke deals on food like during the day when you can get soup and a sandwich for less than £5 but when i went i had some risotto and desert which was beautiful, scrummy and well presented. The drinks are slighty more expensive than i would like to pay but if you only have a couple with your food then its not too bad. The staff are helpful and were so when i visted by helping a vegan friend pick something she was able to eat. The restaurant is a little small but it is very clean. read more

Great restaurant...great food...great service...all I can say is al fornos delivers first class food aswell as first class service...resonably priced and in a great location surrounded by great bars... read more

This is a new place right in the middle of studentville - so if you're looking to fill your boots at a reasonable price then go here. As all the decor is brand new it does look very clean and funky. The food isnt out of this world but it is nice and filling and is great if you just want convenience. read more

In Middlesborough on business, came here on a Tuesday evening 6:30, the restaurant was busy. But service and staff were clearly "buzzing I chose the Seafood Risotto with a side of Garlic Ciabatta - both great. The risotto especially had a nice hint of chilli and lots of seafood, with fresh spring onion and cherry tomatoes in the sauce - helped down with a glass of Merlot. The staff are attentive without "bothering", and no pressure to clear the table either! Would certainly recommend, the menu has a wide range of prices to suit all pockets. If you're in Middlesborough it's a short 10 min walk from the Holiday Inn express on Albert street. I'll certainly return next time I'm in town! read more

Al Forno - Best Friend - Italian Near Me - Middlesbrough, MDB

This place has a good feel to it, and as italian is my fav food I would always end up here for birthdays and work do's. The price of the food is a national price and compared to some places in Middlesbrough seems expensive but I would recommend it to many a person read more

A recently new restaurant on southfield road. This is close to the university and offers a good menu. The decor inside is very nice and the staff are friendly. would recommend as a meeting place for friends or family meals. read more

Nice looking restaurant with a lovely outside area at the front. Food was great and as we ate in Happy Hour was very good value. Good with kids and nice pleasant staff. Went back and ate on a lunchtime and again was great value and good food it was busy though and only just completed lunch in time. Staff tell me you can pre-order and discount loyaty card avalable for regular customers. Highly recommended best restaurant in M/boro. read more

Went to Al Forno on the 3rd looking to try somewhere different in Middlesbrough. At first it seemed ok, our order was taken quickly and our starters arrived within a reasonable time. Unfortunately when my main course arrived my Fillet steak was a gigantic ball of fat, it was tough to cut and when i tried to eat something i couldn't chew or swallow it. They waiter said i was in the right and said the kitchen staff should never have used that cut of meat and they prepared me another. I had to wait 15 minutes for my replacement meal, by which time my girlfriend had already finished meaning i had to eat on my own. Although they did replace the meal I think it would be been appropriate to have made some kind of token gesture to compensate. I left feeling like i definitely paid over the odds for the experience, it definitely ruined the whole meal for me and I would not return again in the future. read more

The Al-Forno Restaurant is located on Southfield road in Middlesbrough, very central. I have only eaten in this restaurant once and that was mid week. This is an Italian restaurant and they have some unique dishes on the menu that I have never heard before. I however stuck to the lasagne, which was quite nice. The resultant itself resembles a dim light bistro what can be quite romantic if the occasion is needed, I would also recommend it for functions or any other group meal. We went on a Thursday night and were served and seated immediately, this could be partly due to the restaurant being virtually empty, and I am told that on a weekend it gets extremely busy. Our party had a child eating with it and I have to say the restaurant is very child friendly, they offer children their very own extensive menu, and this was definitely a selling point for us. Also if you go on to their website you can print off a voucher to get 10% of your meal, I would recommend doing this as some of the dishes are quite expensive. read more

I was disappointed in Al Fornos as I had heard positive things about this restaurant. As a party of 10 we were crammed in and felt like people were all trying to move round us which did not aid a relaxing meal. The food was ok, not really anything special and joe rigatonis and central park are better. Al fornos is not cheap and when I pay a higher price for my meal then I want food that reflects it. read more

What a twit chef_ne is. He clearly does not have a clue about food or works for competitors, Central Park restaurant, just up the road from Al Forno. The food there is quite poor - funny though as lots of people rate the place. I've been there 3 times and the last two visits were awful. His English is also about as well honed as his critique.. Anyway, back to Al Forno.. The food, service and ambience are superb in Al Forno. I maybe should not write this as it's getting difficult to get seated there sometimes, especially on Friday and Saturday night etc. The chef there, Danny, is excellent. He has travelled the world working in many kitchens in different countries. It's a really good restaurant. I always read these type of reviews as it's good to have a clue about what you might be letting yourself in for, but I never fill them in.. I had to this time as I really feel that the people who work there should be rewarded for their winning receipe for a good restaurant experience. read more

The place is new in M/Boro but its lovely, the inside is a little small but the staff and service was good. My husband and i liked the general taste of the food but it was a little burnt at the bottom. anyway nice place with good prices, not good to take children though. try it! read more