Great food, atmosphere, and drinks! We have been here 4 or 5 times and have always loved the food. The service seems to be declining a little, that's the only reason why I'm not giving it 5 stars. Would still go back though. read more

My husband and I were excited to try this place as we love italian food and will become loyal customers if the place is good. So disapointed. We went in at 5:30 Friday night hoping to have a nice dinner in time to catch a 7:30 movie. Only 10 tables in the whole place where sat yet we were told that they didn't have any tables avalible so we would have to sit at the Chef's table or wait 1.5 hours. We honestly thought the girl was joking as the place was EMPTY. When we said as much we got an attitude. We decided to stay anyways since we were there and where seated at the Chef's table. We ate our entire dinner and by the time we left only half the place was full. We thought the food was good but given the front of the house experience I doubt we will go back. So disapointed. read more

Great venue, food and service. Nice to have a place of this quality in the burbs. The pork meatballs and cockles were fantastic to start and the bolognese was excellent as well. Saw someone with the ribeye and that looked fantastic. Next time I"ll get that. Closed the evening with the cheese plate which was a good mix of hard and soft cheeses that all went well with the bottle of barbaresco we were drinking. Hung out at the bar after until just about close and the staff was extremely nice. We'll be back soon. read more

Il Casale has been on my list for a long time and finally got the chance to go last night. Excellent food, excellent service, excellent experience. read more

I finally dined at il Casale, after having heard about it from a few friends. I don't want to bore you with long reviews so I am going to be as concise as I can. I have lived in Italy for a very long time, so my expectations from restaurants offering Italian cuisine, are exactly that: proper Italian. Il Casale failed my standard of authentic Italian cuisine. Their menu names a mix of authentic italian dishes (like Pappa al Pomodoro or Pasta e Fagioli) as well as American-Italian names (like Veal Saltimbocca or Ceasar Salad). However, to my dismay, the authentic Italian names are just that: names. They don't have anything to do with the Mediterranean originals. The Broken Lasagna with rabbit, asparagus, peas and mushrooms was really bland, as it was the case with the Pasta e fagioli and Tagiatelle al ragu'. A real disappointment!. The Sfizi were good (Arancini and the pork meatballs, although the fried Shisitso are not really part of the authentic Italian menu). The medium-done ribeye special my husband ordered came out well done and was dry and tasteless. So, although I would have liked to have a really good Italian place right behind my door, unfortunately il Casale did not live up to the expectations. read more

Unlike many other reviews I thought the service was top notch. The waiter was very professional and attentive and he managed the other attending folks like the water server flawlessly. Unfortunately, I can give only 3 stars as the food was way too pretentious. I had the Veal Saltimbocca, three microscopic medallions, that were over done but in a tasty sauce. My wife got the trout which was served with the head glaring up from the plate. I'm not a trout fan but I've had it before - this tasted a bit off. The place is well decorated as you would expect from a firehouse renovation, which may be one of the issues here. Lot of money put into the tenant fit up that needs to be covered with upscale food and beverage prices. This is undoubtably a place many will like just not if you are hungry. read more

Great room made from an old fire station. Good Italian food, sophisticated but not pretentious. Appetizers are my favorite, I usually get two or three and skip the main course. Meatballs, burrata, arancini, Caesar salad, all really good, not tiny servings either. read more

Elegant interior of this popular local Italian restaurant might make you think that it's expensive. But it's great value for excellent classic Italian with a twist. Small menu makes choices easy. Fresh fried calamari with the tang of citrus is a must. Special of rolled pork with aroma of herbs was hearty, earthy, flavorful. All spaghettis were al dente and accompanied by fulsome yet delicate sauces. The kitchen takes care of the food, served fresh made, balanced flavors. Just great place to meet friends. read more

We had a very disappointing experience at Il Casale in Belmont tonight. We had a reservation at 6:30. Were seated and after half an hour had to go to the hostess to see if anyone was going to come to our table. Our server showed up, apologized and took our drink order. We also asked for water and a half hour later had to flag a waitstaff to get water and bread. Meanwhile the tables on either side of us, who were seated well after us, had water, bread and apps!!! The manager came by, apologized, and comped us a round of drinks. The halibut special was very good but the rest of the food was marginal. Overall very disappointing. read more

I love the concept of rehabilitating the fire station (which took an extremely long time) and retaining the original features, but an open kitchen and a cement floor with brick walls means the end result is way too loud. On Saturday night it was packed (bar and restaurant) and we could not get a table for 2 until 9 pm. We came early for a drink at the bar, but had to stand at the entrance - fortunately they seated us early. They don't lack for wait staff, but the coordination could be improved. Food was only OK, and portions small for the price. The bread tased like Iggy's and the olive oil was fruity. Based on the server's advice we tried the pepperonata (sweet and sour pepper bruschetta) which was tasty. The server was helpful indicating what dishes could be vegan-ized - fortunately the fava salad could and it was good. The cappellini (sans anchovies) was basically a soup bowl full of angel hair pasta, with none of the promised garnishes. The carbonara dish was missing any carbonara components (no bacon??). A garnish of pickled peppers that the server insisted were house-made tasted from a can. One of our water glasses had a distinct smell of wet dog - when pointed out to the water server, he appeared not to notice and did not replace the glass or water! Nice touch - we got to take our half-empty wine bottle home in a sealed plastic bag. Conceptually, the food is interesting and has potential, if the execution is improved. Over time I hope the service is smoothed out, and they do something about the noise. read more

Il Casale - we were all looking forward to have dinner at this location, after great reviews from family members of Dante. Just a quick note: do not go there if you are short on time, or hungry! 5 of us were there on a Sunday night at 7pm. Our waitress was overwhelmed with tables and could hardly get to our table for service. We had called over the weekend for a reservation and were told we had to sit at a high top at the bar as they were booked in the dining room. If they knew they would be that busy before Sunday, they should have called in extra help. (we ended up being relocated to a very nice banquet style table along the back wall without asking). Our portions were very small - in fact we chuckled out loud when the appetizers were delivered - we were pretty hungry by this point, as it was nearing 8:30pm and we had been seated for approx 90 minutes. Upon delivery of our entrees, we found there was decent preparation and flavor in the food, but it was not outstanding. I think the icing on the cake was going home after wards and stinking like I had worked in a restaurant all night, which is from the kitchen being in the dining room at this location. A very cool building and concept, but there are many other restaurants nearby that are worth spending a fortune at. read more

I asked my partners to take me here to celebrate my birthday; I had heard good things about the food and expected a nice meal. Lo and behold we also got some of the best service I've ever had anywhere- and I have a lot of expense account meals under my belt with which to draw comparisons. The food was outstanding- every single bite was delicious, portions were perfect, and the entire thing was orchestrated and timed to perfection by Alfie, who gets a gold medal for perfect service! Try the spinach with lemon and cream sauce- I don't normally like spinach but I would eat this every day if I could. The burrata with pistachios and the agrodolce pickled vegetables were perfection. The negroni and bourbon crusta cocktails were also wonderful. read more

My wife and I came here to celebrate our 1 month anniversary the other day. She jokes that I can't go more than 24 hours without pasta. The truth is that I can but simply decide not to. So I've sampled a LOT of Italian restaurants. Here are just 6 of the many cities where I have not been able to find gnocchi as good as I got at Il Casale: Boston, NYC, Bagno a Ripoli, Napoli, Positano, Firenze The only better gnocchi that I've ever eaten was the gnocchi sorrentino at Il Gabriello in Roma. (You can find it near the Spanish Steps and I highly recommend it if you find yourself in Roma). Il Casale can get pricey but you probably won't be able to find better gnocchi in Boston and it's much less expensive than flying to Roma for dinner. Our other food was good too, but next to the gnocchi I didn't notice much else. I should note that you will not get a huge portion size as you would at most American restaurants. The portion size is similar to what you see in Italy (outside of tourist hubs) so you can enjoy multiple courses, some wine, a bit of limoncello, a desert and an espresso without leaving either hungry or uncomfortably stuffed. (If more restaurants focused on quality rather than quantity like Il Casale does, maybe our obesity epidemic wouldn't be so bad...) Don't come here looking to get full, fast for cheep. Come here if you are interested in enjoying your meal. read more

Third visit because friends kept telling us we must have had an unusual experience in the past. Food is average, wait staff is good, and the interior is attractive...but the noise is absolutely ridiculous. If you want to hear anyone you are dining with, I suggest you try another restaurant. We will not be going back. Every time we've dined here we find ourselves shouting and leaving with a headache. Sad since this noise level could be corrected. read more

We've lived in Belmont for 20+ years and have always made it a point to support our local businesses. We've been especially happy to see so many new restaurants revive or renovate long-neglected spaces in our little Center, which now offers a diversity of cuisines. So we've tried Il Casale three times now since it opened, and each time we wonder why we go back and give it another shot. The space is lovely and the owners deserve kudos for their renovation of our little "downtown" brick firehouse. But the food has been consistently bland, the portions small, the service marginal and the dining experience just overpriced for what you don't get (and should expect). Sadly we cannot recommend this restaurant and will not be returning except maybe for cocktails at the bar or on the patio. Instead we'd direct you to Savinos in Cushing Square, where the food is always exceptionally fresh, delicious and elegantly prepared. We consistently hear nothing but positive feedback from people we send there, and it's become our favorite local go-to place for fine dining. read more

good and bad......good food, terrible service! Sat at the bar for dinner and the food was quite good. But the 2 bartenders were terrible....actually one was rude! it's clear this is a great spot for locals/regulars which is awesome as the locals got great attention from the 2 bartenders....but if you are not a local then forget about it. The bartenders ignored us and at one point when we tried to ask the gal something her reply was "wait a sec"! Who says that? the other issue is that they have tried to cram way too many seats at the bar, had the feeling I was sitting in a sardine can.....are they trying to emulate the airlines? Funny thing is next night we were dining with friends at another restaurant and we mentioned our experience and they said they had the same experience! So go if you are local and a regular, don't if you aren't! read more

I went here for a weekday dinner. It was quiet, and really nicely decorated. The interior has a Italian vintage feel to it. The food was patiently delivered, tasty, and had a little more edge than basic Italian food. I had grilled snap peas, prepared in a way I hadn't seen before. The wait staff were polite, but not remarkable. Total for a dinner for 2 was $100, without drinks. read more

Omg so good. Fresh as a farm stand. More authentic then the north end. Wow. I have been twice and both times I was shocked with how good the food is. read more

Don't waste your time with 'wearing a fancy hat to the Kentucky Derby' or 'seeing the sun rise over the Pyramids' on your bucket list. Just get your ass to Il Casale and get the fried dough and chocolate fondue. read more

My boyfriend and I ventured outside of the city to check out Il Casale. For starters -The wine wasn't that great (tasted really tart and cheap) could have been our fault for ordering it, the burrata app was good but the octopus salad was strange. It was the entire octopus (head and all - about 5 small ones) served over boiled potatoes. Not good at all. For dinner I had the gnocchi which was potato dumplings, porcini crema, roasted peppers, artichoke chips. If I am being 100% honest this was one of the worst pasta dishes I have ever eaten. The gnocchi was overcooked, the sauce was like a very very tasteless cheese sauce and it had random roasted peppers in the center. None of the flavors went together. If I were you I would take a pass on this place. It's pricey and if you are going to pay $$$ you at least expect to have a great meal. I would not go back. The ambiance is nice. read more

Very tasty authentic Italian food without the price of downtown Boston. I am a sucker for fresh pasta and they did a great job with it. Could have been a five star review. I know in Italy they don't normally serve ice, but this is America and even if we are only drinking tap water, and not the expensive sparkling bottled waters from Italy, I think we are entitled to a little ice don't to you? Why should I have to ask for this? It's embarrassing and makes you feel cheap. Another problem. The kale Caesar salad had no kale. Kind of a glaring omission. read more

Solid restaurant. Great atmosphere, often bustling, good Italian food. Desserts and apps are great. Sit at the bar (if you can find a seat).

Good service, food, decor, and overall atmosphere. My first time back here in a few years and it was very nice.

Baffled by the lower ratings because this place is off the charts good. The beauty of this place is that if you're craving something classic like a chicken cutlet or Bolognese they have it and it is absolutely amazing. If you're more adventurous and like to try different dishes, their specials are always awesome. I have never had a bad meal or bad experience here and I could not recommend it more highly. read more

Extremely disappointed. We went there to celebrate a special occasion with friends from out of town who drove an hour to come here. Inspire of reservations ,we had to wait 25 minutes to get a table. It was another 20 m minutes before we had our drinks. Service was poor and the management's response was "we try our best" !! I am sorry your best is not close to good enough. The food was Okay, but not worth the trouble. Pancetta and trout sounds like a great combination except when the pancetta is burnt. This is my second try at this place and I am certainly not coming back. read more

Great drinks, food and decor! I went with a friend and we sat at the bar because the wait was over an hour. The bartenders were great and it wasn't too loud to carry on a conversation in such a crowded area. Try a few of their fun drinks - wine list is good, but they have some great cocktails perfect for a night out not too far from home. Enjoy! read more

Arrived on a Monday night to a near empty dining room. The host asked if we had reservation and did not take kindly to my asking if we needed them. Our server was less than attentive and the food was overpriced garbage.Twenty four dollars for a bowl of spaghetti with meat sauce? My dad's lasagna was cold and unimpressive and my mother's chicken was dry. Our server was non existent throughout the whole meal. Overpriced food, rude host and extremely inattentive server. I won;t be going back anytime soon. As we left, my Dad said he could see why Comella's was full on a Monday night. read more

Bread, sauce, and cheese--almost every item on Il Casale's menu seems to be comprised of these three ingredients. While normally I wouldn't have a problem with this, the dishes I sampled the night I went all kind of tasted the same. For the price you pay at this neighborhood eatery (a fairly pretty penny), I would expect a little more depth and subtlety of flavor. read more

Not much goes in Belmont Center( even the Macy's does not offer much) but, this place will be a gem. I can only write about having drinks at the bar, but my group and I enjoyed ourselves completely. Very cool space, they did a nice job renovating an old firehouse, but keeping nice details (brick walls, high ceilings, etc). The marble bar was very nice, and I found the bartenders to be very friendly and attentive. They had a large wine and drink list, and they had prosecco by the glass--always a plus for me on a warm summer evening. We didn't eat, but the place was pretty crowded last night and the food around us looked pretty good. Their outdoor seating will be available soon, and I plan on enjoying it! read more

I've been here probably 6 or 7 times by now. The veal with prosciutto is out of this world. Bolognese is delicious. For apps, i've tried the arancini, traditional meatballs, beef carpaccio, and calamari. All were excellent. Their charcuteries are perfectly sliced and delicious. Shawn the bartender is super friendly, so we've started sitting at the bar when we come in now. read more

A half-portion of pasta and some side dishes of vegetables provides a pretty filling meal for maybe $20-25 per person. The Gorgonzola ravioli special was excellent. The tray of little desserts, including cannoli, wasn't fantastic. Service was friendly and very competent. The Bellini soup was amazing and original (roasted peach base). read more

We don't make it out of the city to eat a lot but my wife heard about Il Casale from a friend and we thought we would check it out. When we got to the restaurant we were immediately asked if we had reservations - we didn't - we were allowed to sit at the table next to the door as it was the only table not previously reserved. The fact that the host staff let us come in and sit down at the restaurant was honestly the only thing that irked me about our experience. Our server dropped off some bread and olive oil for us and then we started off with the Pomodoro bruschetta and it was delicious. We both ordered salads. I had the semplice - the hazelnuts, raisins and gorgonzola were perfect with the vinaigrette. My wife had the rughetta and loved it as well. For our entrees, I had the squash ravioli and she had the chicked with a side of green beans. The ravioli was done perfectly, it was served with a browned butter sauce and sage. Very tasty! I would highly recommend it. My wife had the roast chicken with a green bean salad. She loved both. I will say that I thought the green beans were a bit over-cooked. By the time we were done, we didn't have room for desert. We're planning on returning in the near future though. read more

We live in Belmont and are so happy to have a "city" style place to take guests, hold a business dinner, etc. We have been twice in the last month and loved everything - the ambiance, the food, the service. The food was outstanding, and we have high expectations! Many other reviews thought negatively of the "smaller than typical" portions, but it's one of my favorite things about the place!! Let's just say they are ACTUAL portions vs. Americanized-jumbo-gluttonous portions! This way, the food shines, you are left wanting more, you can actually enjoy an appetizer AND an entree without feeling stuffed and/or wasting food. So three cheers for them! read more

I went here to get a gift certificate. Have read great things about this restaurant. The front desk was a little discombobulated. The place was packed. Loud (in the bar area). I stayed to have a little bite. Had a glass of Montepulciano, a small order of the tagliatelle bolognese and a side of spinach (in marscapone and lemon - different). It was delicious. Portions were small, but just right for what I was looking for. I wonder about the entres. My waitress was knowledgeable and friendly. I'm looking forward to going back and sitting in the dining room and trying some new stuff. Tentative 4 star...we'll see. read more

The small plates are excellent and the service was exceptional! The space is really beautiful. While not listed as kid friendly we brought our 2 year old and the staff was unbelievably nice to him and accommodating. I can't wait to go back! read more

I ate here for my birthday dinner with my parents. This is a intimate restaurant that would be a great place to take a date. I found the lighting to be bit dark. I was confused/annoyed at how the waitstaff hovered and refilled your water glass every time you took a drink. I understand drinks are going to be pricey. Perhaps it could be served in a bigger class? Sangria was mediocre, but strong. Still, the food was fantastic. We got the chicken parm, which comes with a green salad and your choice of pasta. It was the best chicken parm, I had ever eaten. I loved that the portions were so big, I had leftovers for at least 2 meals. I recommend sharing the chicken parm. For dessert I had the coconut gelato, with shredded coconut and a whipped topping. I also had the mango gelato. You must try the gelato, it was out of this world. I would give this restaurant 3.5 stars. read more

My favorite restaurant, all time. Outside space so nice, and they will bring you fuzzy blankets if you ask. The bruschetta is to die for. Literally. read more

We went to Il Casale for the first time over the weekend. This was our belated Valentine's Day date, and based on the menu we assumed it was a pretty fancy restaurant. So we were dressed to the nines, me in a sexy dress and heels, he in a suit. We walked through the velvet curtain and were suddenly very conscious of being horribly overdressed. I hate it when that happens. Oh well, I tried to get over the fact that everyone else was in jeans. We had a reservation through open table and got sat at a high table near the bar, also unfortunately close to the door. Every time someone came in, I was frozen by the icy wind (stupid wearing a dress). I was starting to regret our restaurant choice, but tried to give it a chance. We started with some drinks and appetizers. The cocktails were really good, so that was a plus. I got the pear cider drink and my husband had the blueberry martini. They were interesting and yummy. For the appetizers, I got the ignudi, he got the mussels special. He *loved* the mussels and I even tried one and liked it. The sauce was good. But my ignudi was pretty disappointing. I'm not sure what I expected, but what I got was a ball of spinach and cheese in red sauce. I was hoping for something more upscale, it was pretty boring. The entree saved the day. They were out of the scallops (I was so sad!) so we go the mahi mahi (lampuga) and the trout (trota). The mahi mahi was okay, it was a bit salty but still good and well cooked. The eggplant caponata was very good. But the trout was AMAZING. It was a whole fish, deboned and stuff with lemons and herbs and a delicious olive sauce on the side. Seriously, it was one of the best fish dishes I have ever had! We were very happy! We ended our meal with the pana cotta, which was pretty good although the strawberries with balsamic and basil reminded me a little too much of mozarella caprese salad. The service was good and attentive. Our waiter, Christian, seemed a little quiet at first, but he actually turned out to be quite funny (especially when he tried to convince my husband to eat the fish head!). We had a good joke out of that! Overall, we had a nice date. I think we'll go back, but it is an expensive place and the food was hit or miss. But it would be worth it to have another meal like that trout! But next time I'm wearing jeans. read more

I love the decor, but the food is expensive and not the best I've had. Go for the apps and pastas... the main dishes don't seem to be the best. I recommend: traditional meatball appetizer gnocchi with pesto read more

The meatballs and risotto ball appetizers were very tasty, though the barata was not quite as creamy as some we've had. Our entrees were pastas--the vongole was delicious and the bolognese tasty, and they actually have real Parmesan which they grate at the table. Good service, too. A cut above the rest. read more