Real Italian Restaurant in or near Belfast

psybear

Anybody know of any? I don't mean a restaurant that serves Italian type food - I mean one which is owned/run by Italians, with an Italian chef.

I was in the States recently and had amazing Lasagne in Italian restaurants in Miami and Boston - have never tasted anything like it here, but I would like to!


PB

BigAl94

There aren't any but this comes close http://www.scalinirestaurant.co.uk/scalini_main.asp

dmxdave

BigAl94 wrote: »

There aren't any but this comes close http://www.scalinirestaurant.co.uk/scalini_main.asp

Hope it has changed from last time we were there Villa Italia

PandaPants_2

Villa Itallia is the best restaurant in Belfast... actually, the world! I think the manager is Italian, that's the impression i got. Not sure about the chefs though, but the food is AMAZING!!!

dmxdave

We haven't been for a while but it would need to have changed bigtime to tempt me back

Francophile

Scalini and Villa Itallia are owned by the same person. The menus are the same etc etc. Fine for a reasonable night out but not what I'd call authentic Italian. Best Italian meal I ever had was in Gerona, Spain. Not sure if there are any real Italian restaurants in Belfast.

belfastgirl23

I don't think you're going to find what you're looking for, sorry

There is nowhere that does authentic italian food in Belfast. Scalini is a very N Irish italian restaurant, food is edible but don't go there expecting to feel like you're in italy. Villa Italia in my opinion is not very good at all (sorry, I know it has its fans but I'm not one of them).

If pizza is what you're after Pizza Express is as close as you'll come to something authentic in Belfast.

I've only found one good italian restaurant in the Northern part of Ireland and that is La Belladonna in Donegal town. Worth checking out if you're up that direction. Italian owner (along with his Irish wife although she looks v italian too).

Girlzmum

I loved Scalini's but not sure about how authentic it is! Avoid Speranzas though, been very disappointed the last few times I've gone and won't be back.

declanh

Villa italia gets the thumbs down from me (esp for pizza).
Last time i went my pizza was horrible and soggy - i ate about 1/4 of it but the waiting staff never even bothered to ask why.

When i went to pay the bill they asked was my meal ok, I said no the pizza was terrible. They said "sorry about that" and left it at that. I reckon they are too busy with lots of customers to be bothered about the occasional complaint.

Pizza express has the best pizzas in belfast (as far as I can tell thus far).

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pamperedprincess

Guiseppes in Newtownards is italian owned (I think), anyway, the guy who makes the pizzas is italian. It is only a take-away but in my opinion the food is lovely!

w123kid

from an italian living in belfast several years let me tell u scalini and villa italia are not italian restaurants!

as belfastgirl said they sell food that irish like, but if u were to cook those dished in italy to an italian they will chuck it at ya.

there were some nice typical restaurants but these big restaurant chains unfortunatelly pusehd them out or after years of hard work tehy have just retired and passed their business on to other ethinical groups or locals.

these restaurnats have a few italian staff in them but as i said the food is not what i would call typical italian.

So if u fancy a typical italian dinner maybe someday u can join me and my fellow italaians to a tavolata lol