Gusto Restaurant & Bar

I love everything about this restaurant: the food is great, the service is excellent and the ambience is nice. There were three of us and we ordered bruchetta and calamari for starters, while for the main course I picked mushroom risotto while the other two both ordered chargrilled fillet steak. The risotto came in such a big portion that it is impossible to finish it by myself. It tasted great but somehow the rice seemed to be not thoroughly cooked; could still taste several uncooked grains here and there. Other than that, it tasted delicious with a hint of truffle oil. The steak was great, however I would recommend ask for medium well as the fillet is thick and the center might still be raw if you ask for a medium rare. Overall experience with Gusto is positive and would love to come back

We visited Gusto at the request of my sister and her boyfriend. I hadn’t been for a few years so was looking forward to it. Upon arrival we were taken up to the mezzanine level. The restaurant was quite busy but not in an off putting way. Gusto has a classy, plush feel to it and you could easily not realise it was part of a chain.  After having a look at the menu, we decided to go for nibbles instead of starters, so went for some olives, garlic dough petals and some hummus. Then for mains I opted for the venison special, my sister went for spaghetti carbonara and her boyfriend, a veggie, went for the sweet and sour aubergine steak. My sister and I also had a strawberry and vanilla martini, which flavour reminded me of a mivvi ice lolly I used to have as a child (that’s a good thing).

Since we are now officially in wedding season, the annual panic of what to wear to a wedding has set in. I thought I would share 3 outfits I would wear to a wedding to give you a few ideas on what to wear. Dress, Blazer, Fascinator, Beaded Bag, Clutch, Shoes. This is a slightly more traditional wedding outfit and would be perfect for a church wedding. I think the Ted Baker dress is really pretty and ideal for a wedding guest outfit. I would team with a white blazer to cover my shoulders and a fascinator. I would pick the beaded clutch, but the Whistles clutch would also look great. For shoes I would keep things simple with these sandals from Faith.

On Monday night the husband and I headed to Gusto on George Street to try out their new menu*. Gusto has the most beautiful entrance, with the window decorated with pretty fairy lights tempting you inside. Inside the restaurant is beautifully decorated with chandeliers, plants and lots of black and white photographs - they have a whole wall of black and white images. The restaurant had a really nice relaxed atmosphere and all the staff were so friendly and helpful. With its location on George Street it would be perfect for grabbing a bite to eat after a long day shopping.

The first thing that struck me on entering Gusto was that the inside of the restaurant was much bigger than I had expected. The double height ceiling gives the main dining area a real feeling of space, and the decor is chic without being overly fussy. The Cheese Friend and I particularly appreciated the long, lit-up tables in the centre, which reminded both of us of the salt lamps sold at the Christmas market.

Our table was on the mezzanine level at the back, temptingly placed above the open kitchen so we were able to look down and spot our food coming onto the passe. The menu is fairly extensive, and we struggled a little bit to choose as it all sounded so appealing. I decided on a Redcurrant Mai Tai to aid the decision making process, before settling on the calamari (always a litmus test for a good Italian restaurant) and one of the specials: monkfish with fregola and pomegranate salad and a lobster sauce. My Cheese Friend opted for the frito misto to start, and the handmade artichoke tortellini. We also opted for a portion of garlic mushrooms and deep fried courgettes to share. 

As I sipped at my delicious cocktail, the Cheese Friend and I were unable to resist peering over the balustrade of the mezzanine into the kitchen below. I observed my monkfish coming out to be seasoned before disappearing back into the kitchen to be cooked. We also had the opportunity to watch other people’s food being prepared and regret not being able to try some of the other options as well. With great anticipation, we observed our starters being set on the passe and inspected before making their way up to us.

Both the calamari and the frito misto were pleasantly crisp, the batter not greasy at all. My calamari was perfectly cooked, soft rather than rubbery and served with mayonnaise and a squeeze of lemon, just as I like it. The Cheese Friend’s frito misto was likewise very enjoyable with a spiced tomato mayonnaise to give it kick. Our main courses arrived shortly afterwards, and we tucked in with gusto. 

The artichoke tortellini were beautiful, pasta perfectly thin and bursting with flavour from the rich artichoke puree within. The brown butter sauce was a great compliment and the dish was a hit which I would certainly recommend. My monkfish was also very tasty. The fish itself was well cooked and moist, and the fregola salad was a refreshing match. The lobster sauce was velvety and enhanced the subtle flavour of the fish. What I was most interested by, however, was how well the pomegranate seeds in the salad and the sauce went together. I had initially been sceptical of the combination of lobster and pomegranate, but I very much enjoyed the combination of flavour and texture. The sides were good as well; crunchy battered courgette chips, soft in the middle and mushrooms fragrant with garlic.

Although we were feeling fairly satisfied by this stage, we were unable to resist the lure of the dessert menu. I opted for the baked flaming alaska, having never actually tried a baked alaska but always wanted to, while my Cheese Friend opted for her favoured cannoli (the bar was set quite high for this as she is used to the offerings from the excellent Sicilian pastry shop in Leith). I had also been desperate for an excuse to try the Tiramisu Martini mentioned in the Signature Cocktails list, and felt this would be a perfect accompaniment to dessert.

One thing I would like to note at this stage is that, although the food was excellent, we felt at times that the presentation let it down a little bit. As we were sat above the passe, we were able to observe the finishing touches being put on a number of dishes, including our own. We both felt that the final plating, particularly of sauces, was a touch careless at times. The only reason I would like to mention this is because both the Cheese Friend and I thought that the food deserved more care as the flavour and cooking were so good.

Our puddings arrived with some ceremony, and I was delighted with the theatricality of having the flaming cherry liqueur poured over my baked alaska at the table. The Cheese Friend’s cannoli was very pleasing as well; a crisp, sweet outer shell filled with fragrant vanilla mascarpone and toasted hazelnuts, with fresh fruit on the side. My baked alaska was slightly disappointing; the centre was over frozen and the meringue, which had been lightly caramelised with a blowtorch before it came to the table, ended up slightly burnt in places from the flaming liqueur. The flavour was nice, but it would have benefited from being taken out of the freezer slightly earlier, and caramelised slightly less before being flambeed. The Tiramisu Martini, however, was divine.

The Cheese Friend and I both left feeling very satisfied and thinking that we would gladly return to Gusto as a treat some time, especially as there were many other options on the menu that we wished we had room for.

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We showed up with no reservation, we had to wait a few minutes at the bar, but not to long. The host was on point. The bartender was too. Had an aperol spritz with ginger ale not soda. He was every patient and kind when I was wishy washy on ginger ale or ginger beer. It was a tasty drink. Very good after a day of walking. Our seat was ready almost as soon as my drink was. The server was very kind and knowledgeable. She was asking about allergies (peanut for me) So they have a system for dealing with allergies that is fantastic. They bring you an iPad where you can peruse everything on the menu to check for specific allergens. We started with delicious dough petals with pork and fennel. They were delivered hot and tasty. We had the rigatoni with chicken in the spicy arrabbiata sauce with truffle skin on fries. And the crab fettuccine with lobster bisque sauce with young broccoli spears. (We asked for fresh Parmesan because we are Parmesan cheese ho's) The rigatoni was spicy but it didn't kick you in the face. Good balance and delicious. The fries were fresh "burn you fingers" hot and crispy the way great fries should be! The crab fettuccine tasted good but could have used more lobster bisque sauce. Some of the noodles seemed dry, stiff and chewy that really would have benefitted from more moisture. Even after squeezing some lemon juice on it. That's why I counted down a star on food and also on the over all. I would give 4.5 overall but it's not an option. On the crab fettuccine, The flavors were there, but would had better mouth feel if there would have been a bit more moisture. It had some dill and spicy red pepper with it that gave it a nice subtle kick. Not to overly dill, very subtle. The broccoli was delicious, not overly cooked, good fresh flavor. I would like to try the crab fettuccine again but definitely ask for extra sauce. Because the flavors were really good but the dry chew of some of the noodles took away from what would have really been a great dish. Our server was very attentive, all in all a very enjoyable experience. I would definitely go there again.

We thoroughly enjoyed Gusto Italian. The server was helpful and friendly. The service was superb. The restaurant has a great vibe, we especially loved our window table. My Rigatoni Arrabbiata was great but my husband’s Roast Vegetable Salad, was divine, and I was jealous! Great portions and fair prices. Lovely experience.

Good family Italian with some interesting variations on the standard fare. Took care of the kids well and even though our water knocked a glass of wine all over me I'd still recommend.

WAS GOOD ,FOOD IS NICE ,JUST BIT OVERPRICED AND BIG SERVICE CHARGE... BUT OK ,GOOD COCKTAILS, WINE IS GOOD BUT £12 FOR A GLASS 175..

Amazing pizza. Delicious pasta. Staff were under the pump but worked hard and were lovely.