Ivana F.

Looking for a place to eat in the Cheshire area, we stumbled across Il Gusto, hidden behind a bank parking lot, and this place was a gem! It was beautifully decorated with flowers welcoming you right in. And so did the people inside! John Franco immediately came over and introduced himself and offered us seating inside the dining room, bar area or the outdoor patio. We chose a quiet corner in the dining area but still close to the bar. It was perfect. He was very friendly and attentive and helped us with the menu because I always have a hard time deciding. I started with a red Cabernet wine. Bread and a complimentary bell pepper mix tossed in oil and spices was brought to the table. I don't eat anything spicy so I wish they had left it off but my niece enjoyed it and it did not go to waste. We ordered the shrimp bruschetta for an appetizer. Although I expected something different from the description on the menu, we had no complaints, it was delicious and creamy. For our meal, I was so excited to hear they had a cheese wheel that was brought out to the table! It was the highlight of our dining experience! And the pasta was the best part! It was cooked to perfection and the flavor was just right. You get to choose your pasta dish to be tossed in the cheese wheel and we chose the bucatini cacio e Pepe made with a creamy pecorino Romano sauce and crushed black pepper. After our second glass of wine and the carb overload we still saved room to have dessert. We ordered the espresso martini cocktail and one chocolate mousse cake and a cannoli ice cream to share. It was a great ending to a great Sunday evening. Honestly a really all around great experience. I'll be back for happy hour and ladies night! Can't wait!

Kate L.

Finally made it to Il Gusto. Waited awhile to come as the ratings weren't great when they opened however we had great service and the food was good. Located in the old Waverly building so definitely some nostalgia for me. Il Gusto is open 7 days a week. Came last Monday and we split the Buffalo burrata and I had the Branzino. Two large pieces of burrata with a bunch of fixings to go with. My friend got the risotto and opted to add chicken. Burrata was good and my branzino was great. Risotto wasn't the best I've ever had but it wasn't my meal. They offer peppers with your bread which was a bit random but different I suppose. We didn't eat them. Portions are huge. It wasn't very busy but it was a Monday after all. I did have to send my wine back as it tasted like it had been open a few days however they gave me a new glass. My only issue was there was a terrible smell in the restaurant the moment we walked in and near the bar. Smelled like sewage. Didn't affect the rating as the food was good. They do need to fix that though. The outdoor patio could use some updating. They said they updated it but it didn't look very modern. We sat in the bar area in a booth. Bar looked nice (minus the smell) and there are nice seating options with booths as well. Toured the banquet area also. Didn't look too different than it used to when it was the Waverly. Could use a refresh also to make it a bit more modern. Overall good food and good service. Would come back.

Russ K.

First time to Il Gusto, and I was impressed. They start you off with a complimentary medley of fresh garden veggies in very nice marinade. The menu is sizable & diverse, with an emphasis on Italian. I opted for the Tagliatelle Bolognese, which was great. They add peas to several pasta entrees (including mine), which I hadn't seen before, apparently "Pasta e piselli". Either way, I luv peas, so I was happy. We were on our way to a college hockey game, so we skipped apps, but we did have a nice after dinner digestifs - Sambuca with espresso that hit the spot. My buddy got the beef short rib over pasta special, & was delighted. The wine list was ok, but had some good Italian options. The dining room & bar area were nearly at capacity, yet service was still solid. To quote my favorite film franchise - 'I'll be back' :-)

Allison C.

We decided to try Il Gusto for the first time to celebrate my grandfather's birthday, and we're so glad that we did. The ambiance was exactly what we were looking for, classy without being pretentious. The menu had a variety of great choices, and the highlight was definitely the cheese wheel pasta that's made tableside. I appreciated that you could pick from 10 different homemade pasta dishes. My husband and I both did the Cacio e Pepe, which was delicious! While only the two of us ordered it, they had enough for a third plate, and they kindly gave us the option to take it to go or have it plated. We had them plate it so that the rest of our table could share and enjoy. My two critiques would be that the server could've been a little more attentive, as my water glass sat empty for a good amount of the meal (but it was also the Thursday before Valentine's so they were quite busy), and I would've liked to see them offer more than two homemade desserts. Otherwise, a great meal and we would definitely return again!

Lauren S.

I'm surprised this restaurant doesn't have higher ratings! Coming from nyc I am always skeptical when my family says they have a "great new place" for us to try, but this lived up to the hype. It's very clean, there's a beautiful outdoor seating area, the portions are huge and the service is fast. I loved my grilled chicken and broccoli rabe (and now have been inspired to make broccoli rabe one night this week)!

Jenni F.

We went to Il Gusto on New Year's Eve, a night that is often so crazy for restaurants that sometimes mediocrity is the best you can hope for. Our night was a 10 out of 10. We had a very cozy and comfortable spot at a corner high top in the bar. While it was loud, you could hear just fine and it felt very celebratory. Our server, I think his name was Alcino, was exceptional. He made us feel special and made great recommendations. I had one of the evening's specials and it was out of this world: blackened salmon over a bed of beans and broccoli rabe. The flavors were really outstanding! My husband had another one of the specials, a seafood fra diavoli dish. The portion was enormous and he nearly licked the plate clean. We can't wait to go back and try some more items from the menu.

Gail P.

I have to say if you haven't tried this, Restaurant, please put it on your list. You won't be disappointed. So we decided to go to IL Gusto on Saturday such a lovely Restaurant, beautiful atmosphere. Very friendly and inviting the service was top-notch . We had the shrimp bruschetta for an appetizer it was delicious. The shrimp came right off the grill. The bread was toasted, and the cheese was smooth and creamy. I had the stuffed pork chop. It was the best stuffed pork chop I ever had huge portion done perfectly compliments to the chef. My husband ordered the Veal-Osso- Bucco the Veal fell right off the bone. You didn't even need a knife. It was absolutely delicious. Very large portion very flavorful the sauce that was on the veal was delicious . The rice was done perfectly just a perfect veal dish . This is a great spot for a first date. Quiet atmosphere. Classy Restaurant . We definitely will be returning very soon.

Michael B.

Hostess was a little awkward for multiple reasons. I won't get into the details but it was just an odd experience. Nothing huge, just odd. That being said, if the food was actually good it could have saved this place. But it wasn't. Which is sad, because when you hear word of mouth from this place, most people say the service is "meh" but the food is the highlight. Not the case for us. Nothing was really good. My girlfriend got the salmon and it was completely drenched in balsamic. I've never seen anything like it before in my life. It was more than 10x the amount than what was necessary. Balsamic is a strong flavor, a little goes a long way. I ordered the scallops, they weren't bad necessarily, but I've ordered scallops from lots of different restaurants in Connecticut and they've all been done better than at IL Gusto. We also ordered a lemon sorbet for dessert, and it was way too frozen to eat, hard as a rock. We had to wait a while for it to become a temperature for it to be edible. I didn't give 1 star because the salmon was at least cooked correctly, the scallops were okay, and the lemon sorbet dessert was good once it became edible.

Laura S.

IL Gusto (meaning the flavor/taste in Italian) is appropriately named. The food here is very, very good. I knew the moment the waiter started talking the food is going to be authentically Italian. Food: Whoever is cooking things up in the kitchen knows what they are doing. The sauces shine here. Calamari? Good. Arancini? Good. Homemade pasta? Goooood. The cheese wheel thing seemed a bit gimmicky when the table next to us ordered it. At "market price" I would be needing you to scrape the heck out of that cheese onto my plate. Drinks were also good. The godfather is a classic you don't see many places. And the Negroni is the best one I've had outside of Italy. Portions are huge, making the value $ really great! Get ready to bring home leftovers. Service: Wait staff is efficient from start to finish everything came out timely, correctly, and cleaned up the same way - no frills here and no worries either. Just enjoy the meal! Atmosphere: The space is great with different spaces at the bar versus dining area. It can get extremely loud in the entire place. There is no sound dampening on the walls, ceiling, or floors. So it gives small warehouse brewery trying to be an intimate Italian date spot atmosphere. This isn't enough to not return, because the food truly is that good, but damn it gets overstimulating. When the arancini makes it to the menu full time you know where to find me. Mangia!

Michael C.

Tried out IL Gusto this past Sunday, and we were pleasantly surprised. It's always a gamble when a good Italian spot branches out to the suburbs--you never know if it's going to keep that authentic charm or start feeling like a chain restaurant. I believe IL Gusto is connected to Adriana's in New Haven, which we love, so we went in with high hopes. First thing I do at any Italian restaurant is test the sauce--because if the sauce is off, the whole meal is doomed. We started with fried mozzarella and a charcuterie board, and I'm happy to report the sauce was excellent, just like Grandma's on a Sunday. The meats on the board were fresh but cut a little thick, and it was definitely meat-forward--if you're looking for balance, maybe ask for extra cheese and olives. For dinner, I ordered the branzino, and let me tell you--this was not a normal-sized fish. This thing must've been some kind of trophy catch, because it was massive. My wife got the scallops wrapped in bacon, and again, the portion was huge. You could easily split a dish and still leave stuffed. For dessert, we got the chocolate mousse cheesecake, which followed the same theme--delicious, but served in a size fit for a medieval feast. The only thing that came in a normal portion? My single espresso at the end of the meal. Service was great. It wasn't super busy since we went on a Sunday, but the waitstaff was friendly, knowledgeable, and it seems like they have a few authentic Italians on staff, which is always a good sign. The ambiance is clean, modern, and elegant--nice enough for a date night, but also great for a family dinner. Would I go back? Absolutely. The only feedback I'd give is maybe dial down the portion sizes a bit, but my sense is that's just their thing--so either come hungry or bring a doggy bag. Either way, you won't leave disappointed.

Dawn P.

It was our first time at this amazing new restaurant. From the minute we walked in the staff was very friendly. We had a choice of sitting in the lounge bar area with the high tops or in the main dining room with the low top tables. We chose the lower tables due to being with an older couple. After being seated they brought us over fresh bread and some type of pepper and onion spread . It was amazing. They have a very large wine menu and so many great options for dinner. As appetizers we tried the calamari and burrata. Both arrived at the table within minutes and were delicious. For our entrees we ordered the airline chicken, the salmon and the pork chops. Portions were large and full of flavor. Our friends stated it was the best meal they had ever had and couldn't wait to come back with others. Great experience and will definitely be back!! The only downside was our table for 4 was a bit small for all of our appetizers and entrees but not a bad problem to have. And with a full dining room it can get a bit loud but not too bad at all.

Liz F.

We stopped in on a Wednesday night--Wednesday is the new Saturday when you're an empty nester! The place was so busy, the parking lot was full, and we thought we might be out of luck. Fortunately, there was a banquet in the back room, so a few tables were still open. We opted to sit at the bar and, although the bartenders were jammed, we didn't have to wait too long for a drink. Thankfully, they had two bartenders working. To our surprise, we were given bread and marinated vegetables to start. I ordered the stuffed veal, and it was delicious! It had a crispy fried coating that added great flavor to the tender veal inside. It came with mashed potatoes and vegetables, which were also tasty. My husband had linguini and clams in a white sauce, which can sometimes be bland, but not here--it was full of flavor! We were handed a dessert menu, and although we weren't planning to order anything, the gelato truffles caught our eye. We decided to try the pistachio one, and oh my gosh, we were so glad we did--it was absolutely delicious! We'll definitely be back.