Do NOT be fooled by the outside of this establishment. It looks like an old run down pizza spot but on the inside it's a characteristic and lively Italian dining experience. I started with the Caesar salad and they use whole anchovies rather than incorporating it into the sauce. Which is not my preference but is a dedication to a style I cannot discount. My main course was a whole Neapolitan pizza. Very very good and classic. My boss got pepperonis on his and regretted it because why on gods green earth would you desecrate a well done simple pizza like that. Beyond me. The wine was good. Our server was very nice. Surprisingly great meal. read more

Alforno - Caesar Salad - Pizza Near Me - Old Saybrook, Connecticut

So I moved from California not to long ago and always saw this placed tucked in a huge parking lot- didn't pay much attention. A friend recommended their pasta so I stopped by. It was a weekend so beware there will be a wait in weekends during dinner. As soon as I walked in, the host was extremely friendly. The place inside looks so nice and great for a date, or a family outing or any celebration. Everyone was so friendly but the star was the food. Oh my goodness the mouth watering pasta. It's amazing. I wanted to save some and just couldn't stop eating. Everything is made with care. I'd recommend this restaurant to everyone. Huge parking lot on site. read more

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I love Alforno! The chicken francese is amazing, I love that they use bell & Evans chicken and it was the most tender and delicious chicken! Love the lightness of the lemon sauce. I highly recommend getting the homemade tagliatelle instead of rigatoni. Their homemade gnocchi is the best, the gnocchi are so light and soft, I got it with the cream sauce and would try a different sauce next time, it was good but a little too milky for my liking. I also recommend their pizza with garlic, it reminds me of New Haven pizza. Their desserts are amazing as well -- the chocolate torte is so rich and the raspberry and fresh whipped cream compliment it so well. There's a reason it's always busy! read more

Alforno - Chicken francese - Pizza Near Me - Old Saybrook, Connecticut

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We have dinner there every one or two weeks. Dinners and staff are exceptional!! Food is always quite delicious and tasty. Staff are always helpful and attentive to every need! We would highly recommend having dinner or lunch there. read more

The food is always consistently good The service was great and the restaurant has a great vibe read more

Best restaurant in CT by a landslide. This is my favorite restaurant of all time. The best pizza, pasta and eggplant parm. The meatballs are unreal and the calamari is to die for. The staff and owners are kind. I love the bolognese as well. When you want an amazing Italian dinner this is your spot and you will be back for sure. read more

"No dark sarcasm in the classroom Hey, teacher, leave them kids alone All in all, it's just another brick in the wall" (Pink Floyd) No bricks in the wall here, but they have plenty of bricks in their brick pizza oven, and man oh man, do they work to perfection. A few months ago, we won a charity raffle for gift cards to three Old Saybrook restaurants. One of the three was from Alforno, so we dropped in for a pizza "to go" on our way home after a day visiting around Old Saybrook. Our large pizza with meatballs, caramelized onions and caramelized peppers was $21.65. When Alforno says large, believe me, you get large. The eight slices were enormous, truthfully some of the largest slices I can remember seeing. The pizza was a very good rendition of the New Haven style thin crusted variety. Good sauce, good cheese, good crust, good toppings. The topping that stood out in my mind was the caramelized peppers. That's something I don't think I've ever seen before. PRO TIP - be aware that Alforno closes from 2:30 to 5:00 every day to transition from lunch to dinner, so be aware of the time you want to visit or call in a to-go order. read more

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We came here for dinner as a last minute decision. When we first pulled into the lot, I was a little concerned. It was dark, no one around and it seemed to be the only business in the plaza. When we walked in it gave me a mom and pop shop. It was busy and full of families and locals. It seemed like everyone knew each other. We didn't have reservation but we were able to get a table in the bar area. Our server was on top of everything and knew the menu well. I really really wanted pizza and pasta but I didn't want to look greedy. I even asked if they sold slices to my disappointment they didn't. After we've placed our order a serving of bread and olives came to the table. The bread was good, I had no problem eating majority of it. I ordered the bolognese and it was soooo good, a little on the salty side but I did regret ordering half portion. My husband ordered the gnocchi with a white sauce. WOW it's like a delicious Mac and cheese. It was hot till the last bite. The portion is huge that I had to help him finish. If I'm ever in this area again, I would come here and get more pasta but next time I will order that pizza. read more

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Down visiting the Clinton Outlets on a Saturday night and were hungry after a day of shopping. In the mood for Italian and this was only about 15 minutes away. Don't let the ghost town of a plaza this restaurant is located in scare you away - the restaurant was packed!! Inside definitely gave off mom and pop vibes but in the best possible way. Without reservations the hostess quickly offered a high top in the bar area which we accepted. Our server was friendly, professional, and helpful with our questions about the menu. She even offered a sample of the featured wine before I committed to a full glass. They offer complimentary bread and olives which was a nice way to start. Meal portions are large and some even allow you to order half sized if you'd like. My wife ordered the bolognese which I thought was delicious. I had the gnocchi with the white sauce which tasted like delicious Mac and cheese! All the food we saw on other tables looked amazing. Would love to try their pizza as well if we're ever in the area again. We also felt our meal was a good value for the price. Highly recommend you check this place out! read more

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Simply the best. Food is top notch, service is on point, and you cannot beat the ambiance, especially in the bar! Highly reconmend, my favorite is the Bianca Pizza! read more

First and foremost...the food! So fresh, such great quality, beautifully seasoned and absolutely perfectly prepared! The welcoming hostess is lovely and as I understand it, a member of this family run and owned restaurant.The waitress (Ashley) could not have been more delightful, intuitive, knowledgeable and efficient. The ambiance casual and family friendly. There are many fine Italian restaurants around but this is clearly one of my favorites. read more

Alforno's never disappoints! The service is fabulous, pleasant and attentive! One of my favorite places to bring family and friends! read more

Planned to go elsewhere up the street but it was closed. Walked by this place and liked the congenial spirit of the crowd, small cozy room open to the deck area and low noise level. Our waitress was perfection and always showed up at the right time with great food, drinks or that water refill. The lobster ravioli with superb mushroom ( and lots of them) was loaded with lobster and had lots of large chunks of lobster on top to boot. You really got your money's worth. Linguini with clams also full of chopped clams. Great mussels in an excellent broth. Don't forget dessert or get a couple to share. read more

Everything was great...service, food and atmosphere. The GF pizza was delicious, beet salad very good and my daughter loved her pasta and bread. I was really impressed with the fact that I didn't like the wine and they let me switch with zero charge...that is good customer service! Highly recommend! read more

Neapolitan Pizza (for which they're apparently accredited) is NOT good. Dough is weird. Sauce is mediocre. Extremely annoying that they only serve it for dinner menu and not lunch, though that may be better for business given the above. Their other pizzas are not bad - better than average but not outstanding. read more

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They served you hot , fresh out of the oven, hard crusted bread with a nice soft center with olives. We finished the original serving and asked for more and they gave three times the amount and ate it all. So good with the olive oil that they had on the table. For an appetizer we had the veal ricotta meatballs with Tuscano tomato sauce. The meatballs were so soft and moist. They must of been cooked in sauce our baked, no crust on the outside. Very good Main course was the Tagliatelle Bolognese sauce dinner. The tagliatelle noodles were made in house, light and delicious. The star was the sauce, it did not have ground beef, but plenty of pulled beef. It was covered with a very rich tomato sauce. They also sold the Tagliatelle noodles, sauce and veal meatballs separately in a freezer case. This way it you to take the ingredients home you could. Service was excellent, location was close to I 95, and plenty of off street parking. read more

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Pizza crust like a pie crust. Wouldn't get pizza again. Not much sauce or cheese on it.

My favorite pizza in the Old Saybrook area. Crisp crust and very rich flavors. Love the margarita and the eaudage and pepper pies.

Don't get fouled by the parking lot set up! The food and the services (Kylie)was really good Our salad was very nice included the dressing The Napolitana Pizza was fantastic and worth the stop alone. The toscano penne and sausage was so tasty very well executed sauces on both Really loved the meatballs as well flavorful and light Really good job made with love all around! Bravo read more

The line out the door says it all. Alforno has quality food. This is not standard "italian" fare. The preparations are light and remind me of Northern Italy rather than some restaurant in the "italian" part of town. Expect to wait for 15 to 30 mins depending on the time you get there. It is worth the wait. My only complaint is that they don't take reservations or even have call ahead seating . read more

Food is always fresh and delcious . service is friendly and very efficient. this is one of our "go to" places for good consistent food

Oh my. Just got back and the meal and service were amazing. Had some amazing calamari for an appetizer, salads big enough I would recommend two people share. They recommend the Tagliatelle bolognese and they might have undersold it. Amazing. Definitely a spot to try and was crowded during a summer evening. No surprise. read more

Food is always good and the service is top notch. I love thin pizza and have never been disappointed. Not a big place so on the weekend you may have a weight, but worth it. read more

Their pizza is terribly salty, I know pepperoni pizza should be a bit more salty, and flavorful, but this just tastes like someone shook salt all over it. read more

Best in Old Saybrook. Great Pizza, great staff. Get there early if on a weekend - it gets busy! Highly recommend!

We went on a weekday during the summer and were surprised to be greeted by such a crowd (line out the door). Despite the line, the wait was quick and the host was eager to accommodate our party. Everything was delicious and the server made excellent recommendations for both a wine and the daily special. Nothing was overly spiced (I am leery of Italian-American cuisine as there's typically SO much garlic). I purchased a to-go container of their Tuscan bean soup and am so glad I did as it too was delicious. read more

The food is good. I recommend the veal and ricotta meatballs. The place is really small, so I suggest making a reservation if possible. read more

Alforno - Bread and olives - Pizza Near Me - Old Saybrook, Connecticut

We have not been to Alforno in a long time but I kept hearing good stories about them. I always enjoyed the restaurant but we just stopped going there because we moved. Well, we went back and I am happy we did. As good as ever and maybe a bit better. Their cavatelli is the best. Try it, you'll like it. read more

Don't let the outside appearance of this gem of a restaurant deter you. It is in the corner of abandoned strip center. However, once you walk inside, you will forget about that and settle to a great dining experience. I had the chicken francese, and it was one of the top 10 meals I've ever had. The chicken was prepared perfectly, and from the first bite, I was overwhelmed with the wonderful flavor. The mashed potatoes and spinach were great accompaniments. The service was also outstanding. Going forward, I will be eating here weekly. read more

Amazing restaurant. Easily best Italian food on the Shoreline. I've gone here my whole life and continue to even thought I now live in NYC. Alforbo is better than most places in NYC a town where red sauce Italian is getting rarer and rarer. I hope this place is around forever. read more

You will find this place tucked into the corner of a dead strip mall (literally every other store there has gone out of business)....I went there on a recent Saturday to pick up a pizza that I had ordered an hour before...walking into the place from the desolate scene outside, I was surprised to find a warm, lively and packed restaurant....when I arrived the manager came out to let me know that the pizza was delayed...he offered me a glass of wine as a gesture (which I happily accepted!) and my pizza was ready maybe 10 minutes later.....I went back with my husband a week later to dine in and had as good an experience: everyone -- and I mean everyone -- that I interacted with, busboys, host, waitress -- was polite and welcoming. The service at this place is what will keep us coming back. read more

Don't let this restaurant's location fool you. It's tucked into a little plaza but you can't miss it because there's usually people waiting outside to get in. The pizza, entrees, fresh bread (like my grandmother used to make), and sauce were all delicious. Service was great too! This restaurant is a great little find! read more

A diamond in the rough. Awesome food and service!!! You would never guess the interior and quality based on the exterior. Don't be fooled....go have an awesome dinner!!! read more

Alforno was recommended by a friend and I made sure to thank her for the recommendation! There was about a 30 minute wait for a table, as I found was typical since they don't take reservations. Once seated, we were never rushed. Our waitress Melissa was lovely and so accommodating! The staff bringing the bread and clearing our courses were also so pleasant and professional. I had the house Sauvignon blanc (Scaia, from Italy, surprisingly) and it was terrific along with the bread and olives on the table. My date and I shared the crab cake appetizer- literally all crab and delicious! We both had the tagliatelle bolognese, and, when asked, Melissa said my date could have his without the "touch of cream" so as to comply with his dietary restrictions. He was thrilled and the meal was outstanding. We split the pistachio semifreddo for dessert-utterly delightful! The price point was extremely reasonable for such an exceptional meal. Decor, staff, food...couldn't be better! read more

In my opinion, the best Italian food in the area. Nice atmosphere and friendly staff.

Was hungry for a pizza so I decided to give Alforno's a try since I hadn't been there in years. Ordered the Napolitano. Pizza was excellent especially for only $12. read more

Best pizza on the shoreline - Always busy but very consistent. Would not go anywhere else for pizza in OS

We just can't get enough of this place! We're always greeted like long lost friends, even when we were just there a week ago! We signed up for the emails to get the specials ahead of the weekend and almost always decide what we want to order on the hour+ drive before we get there. The food is amazing and if you are ever undecided, ask owner Ben or any of the wait staff for a recommendation and you can't go wrong. Owner Michelle and the bar staff will steer you to the best cocktails and wine or beer to go with any appetizer, entree and dessert. A visit to Alforno's will make you feel good and we wish we could get there more often -- and don't forget to take home some of their amazing homemade bread -- it's to die for! read more

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We were in the area so we stopped over for dinner after seeing the menu. The service and meal could not have been better! Everyone was extremely welcoming and attentive, it felt like being with family for the evening. We split a salad, the chicken parm and meatball appetizer and came home with leftovers. The portions were perfect for sharing so, come hungry! Their homemade bread and focaccia is out of this world and the sauce is fantastic. We opted for rigatoni with our chicken and it was cooked perfectly al dente. We will definitely be back. As a note, they have an outdoor patio with lights and it is adorable for dining during the pandemic. read more

Alforno - Bread basket - Pizza Near Me - Old Saybrook, Connecticut

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Stood and waited to get seated. It was 1pm. No one un restaurant except 2 tables. No one came to seat us or said they would be right there. Stood with my party of 4 for 10 minutes and left. No place is too busy to say I'll be right with. Won't be going there ever again. Not worth my time read more