Reviews Al Dente Restaurant

In Edinburgh for a long weekend... we were staying in an apartment pretty central and found Al Dente just down the road. We thoroughly enjoyed our food and wine. Great value for money too.

Would rate a 10/5 if I could!! This place is amazing! I went while on vacation with a few friends! Gives a very homey feel, and you can tell it's very authentic! The couple running the place were the only ones there besides us when we went, yet they didn't rush us or hover over our table waiting for us to order or finish!
I have yet to mention how AMAZING the food was! We ordered the roasted red pepper and goat cheese bruschetta to start, and all gobbled it down in 5 minutes! It was incredible! For dinner we ordered a bottle of Chianti, with the risotto with prawns, and orichette with broccoli and bacon! We all cleared our plates! The best risotto I've ever had! At the end, they gave us complimentary chocolate salami! Which was something I've never had before! It was incredible! The prices are veryyyy reasonable, service was impeccable, and the food was to die for! Will definitely be coming back when I go back to Edinburg!

We've been three times to Al Dente, our local Italian, and have enjoyed each visit. The food has been really tasty each time, and I'd wholeheartedly recommend the orechietti pasta dish, the risotto and the White chocolate profiteroles. Graziano the owner is really friendly and is always keen to get feedback on the dishes-ours has always been positive! There are also monthly themed nights, when the menu comprises of dishes from different Italian region each time. We've not been to a themed night yet but are looking forward to trying one.

I was well impressed with Al Dente. I thought their food was really good, with a strong emphasis on keeping things simple and letting the flavours sing

In the centre of Edinburgh you’ll find Italian restaurants all over the place. They’ll serve you what you’d expect: pizza, pasta and cheesy delights. I’m not a fan of this type of restaurant. Firstly, a lot of the food is lazy and uninteresting, and secondly, I can make a lot of it at home. Luckily, there are Italian restaurants that stand out. Al Dente, on Easter Road, is one such restaurant.

Al Dente has been hit listed by the List’s Eating and Drinking Guide several years, recently won a Best Italian Restaurant Award and has a dedicated following both locally and further afield. I’d heard a lot of good about it before I visited for the first time and am delighted to say that it was just as good as I had been lead to believe.

I visited Al Dente on a relatively quiet mid-week evening. Three couples and one gentleman on his own were contentedly tucking in to their first courses when we sat down. A few more diners came in while we were there and service was unhurried but attentive. The restaurant is intimate and relaxing. The room is small and unpretentious, with the feel of a traditional trattoria, but the food is ambitious and delicious. The menu changes with the season and showcases dishes from different areas of Italy. You won’t find pizza here, nor a long list of standard pastas. Instead you’ll find interesting and seasonal dishes. You’ll also find a warm welcome and great service. Graziano Spano, the owner, was very attentive to all his guests and knew when to have a chat and when to leave a table alone. Al Dente is my favourite type of neighbourhood restaurant: welcoming and friendly with an interesting and frequently changed menu.

We settled in with olives and bread, sipping a light and hearty Valpolicella and discreetly checking out what everyone else was eating while perusing the menu. It helped me chose my starter: faggotini, a pork and mushroom dumpling wrapped in bright green and crispy cabbage. It was miles away from the cabbage dolmi that I grew up on – grey, stodgy creations wrapped in tired, often slightly burned, white cabbage leaves and served with a cream-based gravy and lingonberry jam*. The faggotini was crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. The flavours were well balanced and the pork went really well with the delicate chickpea purée it was served with. C. had the scamorza pie with fennel au gratin. It was lovely and C. was particularly impressed with the mixture of cooked and fresh vegetables that gave the dish an interesting texture as well as a great flavour.

For the main, I had a roulade of grilled sword fish stuffed with pine nuts, breadcrumbs, lemon and raisins. It was served with a timbale of barley cooked with peppers, capers and anchovies. The barley side turned out to be cooked just like a risotto and is called orzotto in the region of Italy where it is traditionally made. It had good flavour and great chew. The fish tasted of the sea and had great texture. C. had the sformato di radicchio e funghi, layers of pasta and grilled radicchio and mushrooms with bechamel and mozzarella. It was a fabulous dish: rich, creamy and flavourful.

When it came to desert, both C. and I departed from our normal habits. We considered cheese, and the poached pear, but were both seduced by the comforting gorgeousness of cream and chocolate. My chocolate profiteroles were smothered in chocolate sauce and bursting with cream. C’s tiramisu was a cloud of mascarpone cream surrounding delicate coffee-flavoured lady’s fingers.

After finishing with a refreshingly acidic espresso, balanced by a sweet amaretto, we wondered out into the chill evening with warm hearts and full bellies. We’re already planning when to return. Graziano runs themed evenings every now and again, with a regional menu, each dish paired with a wine, as well as regional music and information. It sounds like great fun and a tasty way to learn more about Italy and her regions.

* Everything was served with lingonberry jam when I grew up.

Amazing place. Cozy, friendly staff. Food is unbelievable. Please try. 10/10

Best italian restaurant in Edinburgh - friendly and knowledgable waiting staff, clean and intimate dining experience. Fantastic food, definitely going back.

I cannot recommend this place enough. My girlfriend and I came here on a Wednesday (you can bring your own wines on Wednesday,) and before 6:45 for the 3-course meal for £15. Unfortunately the waiter couldn't make it, but the owner told us before we sat down and told us it was going to be a little slow; he stopped letting people in once a few tables were there, which was a very respectable thing to do. All of the food we ordered was marvelous, we were very surprised everything we ate because it was all so good. The owner had something bad happen with the no-show, but our time there certainly did not suffer. He got himself some new regulars.

Don't judge this little corner of Italy by the decor - the food is excellent. The mains and desserts were outstanding and resulted in cleared plates all round (for a party of six). My risotto was superb. My only suggestion would be that on reflection and comparison to the other courses, the starters have a little room for improvement. Service was friendly without being intrusive and we felt very well looked after.

Went to Al Dente to celebrate my friend birthday and we had a lovely meal followed by home made Italian pasta, very nice bottle of Chianty and friendly staff including the owner which made us feel comfortable. The spinach and ricotta cannelloni was amazing, and the tiramisu too. My friend has the amaretto desert which looked amazing and aparently was the best dessert he ever had. It was quiet but I think it’s just because the location due the food was very nice and the stuff friendly and helpful. Definitely coming back.

Authentic Italian food, freshly prepared with a careful offer of regional dishes from various parts of Italy. Don't miss this one... book in advance since the space is pretty limited.

Superb food and the service is exceptional. Definitely book ahead. With only around 6 covers, it's an intimate affair. Cannot wait to return.