This place is somewhat of a local legend. I’ve been meaning to come here for a while, but I’m quite lazy and I haven’t stayed down near the Albert Dock recently, so it’s had to wait until that came around again.. Anyhow, that time has now come and so I took the opportunity to visit on a grey and windswept summers day, as squalls whipped across the dock and tourists ran for cover. The restaurant itself is in one of the dockside Pavillions - if you’ve been here, you’ll know the score. Beautiful brick buildings that were rescued from dereliction in the mid-1980s; former warehouse buildings, they have brick vaults, low ceilings and loads of character. Some of the refurb is a bit 80s’tastic, as you’d expect, but it has mainly stood the test of time well. Gusto itself is in one of the first pavilions that you come to as you come in the main gate opposite the Hilton, next to the Dockmaster’s office. The entrance is discrete, as they all are here, with corner signage and an inset door. Inside, the restaurant is dark, although there is a wall of glass dockside, with views of the water and the boats. Seated straight away on what appeared to be quite a busy night, the service was good and drinks etc were offered quickly. They had Noam, which is quite a fancy beer that I’ve only had previously in Gaucho - it’s a German-style beer that comes in quite a fancy bottle. Love a fancy bottle. I wasn’t actually very hungry, so I was focussed on smaller meals that packed a punch in terms of flavour, rather than a pizza or something like that (their pizzas are good though - had one in Edinburgh). To start, I chose the arancini - this was an excellent portion, three little arancini with mozzarella and saffron aioli. Big flavours and very rich. Hit. For a main, they had a three-meat lasagna, which sounded good - I actually saw someone else having this, so knew the portion was reasonable. A bit weird it didn’t say what the three meats were - I assume pork, chicken and beef? - but overall the flavour was good. The waiter seemed to think I would need sides, but it really didn’t need sides - I guess I could have had garlic bread, but it didn’t need it. Some people might order chips with it, but that would be greedy. No pudding on this occasion, as I was full, but they do a very nice tiramisu - as I recall from Edinburgh, they serve this from a big bowl at the table. I mean, that’s a degree of theatre I don’t necessarily need in my life, but it does presumably demonstrate that the tiramisu is freshly made in house. That’s nice. Overall I would definitely eat here again - this is a nice restaurant, the food was pretty good value and the service was efficient and friendly - if you like cocktails etc, then there seemed to be a lot of that going on as well behind me, with much rattling of the cocktail shaker. I think next time I’ll have the garlic mushrooms to start and the salsicca pizza for a main - I will even splash out the 45p to make it a diavola with the addition of fresh chilli. Well done, two paws up. Recommended.

If you're looking for a place in Liverpool where you can enjoy truly delicious Italian food, Gusto Italian is absolutely worth a visit! From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere was welcoming and the service was fantastic — the staff were incredibly friendly, attentive, and everything was handled with great speed and care. We didn’t have to wait long for our food at all, which made the experience even better. I ordered my classic Carbonara, and it was simply perfect — rich, creamy, and full of flavor. My partner had the Risotto, which was just as amazing — beautifully cooked and packed with taste. Both dishes were honestly some of the best we’ve had in a long time. Overall, Gusto Italian combines excellent food, a lovely atmosphere, and wonderful service. It’s definitely a place we’ll be coming back to!

Absolutely loved our meal here. We had not booked prior, and the lovely receptionist booked us in an hour from then so we took a little walk around and visited a shop or two. When we came back we waited about 5/10 minutes in the bar before being seated. Wait time was average and we loved absolutely everything we ate, our favourites being the meatballs and the warm Brownie. Our waitress checked in regularly too and was generally very lovely. Would definitely recommend.

We had an exceptional lunch at Gusto Italian Liverpool. The food and drinks were top-notch, with delicious flavours and generous portions that really made the meal special. However, the service was just okay. Initially, we sat outside by the dock, which was lovely but very windy. Unfortunately, when we had to move inside because of the weather, we didn’t receive any assistance from staff, which was a bit disappointing. The final bill for our party of four came to 140 for a midday lunch, including a 12.5% service charge that was automatically added. While the food and drinks definitely made up for the average service, it’s worth being aware of the added charge. Overall, Gusto is a great spot if you’re looking for exceptional Italian cuisine in a lively, picturesque setting.

We visited this evening to celebrate our wedding anniversary with our kids. The staff were really friendly (especially Giuliana, who couldn’t do enough for us!), especially with our daughters, the food was delicious ( the make your own pizza on the kids menu is brilliant!) and the place itself was lovely. It was our first visit but we’ll definitely be back! The special dessert we were brought for our anniversary made it all even more special!

My friend celebrated her birthday at Gusto. We were treated to an exceptionally good service from start to finish. Especially from Besim who was our server. Also Peter and Louise who also checked on us throughout the evening. The food was delicious, I had the Cod which was really lovely and would recommend. We had garlic bread and hummus for starters which was amazing. I had sorbet for dessert which was so nice, three different flavours.We had drinks to our own taste and water on the table. My friend enjoyed her birthday celebration and the staff sang Happy Birthday to her and brought cheesecake to her. 10/10 for a lovely venue and setting not forgetting the staff who are so attentive. We will be back...as my friend said "We are coming back next week!"

Lovely restaurant situated on the Liverpool docks. Served by Lewis who was very polite and on point. The wine selection offered up by Lewis was impressive. Really enjoyed the red wine. Food was really good. The Carbonara was especially good.. recommend 5*****

We had our wedding in the Captain's Room on Monday, and it was absolutely amazing! There was a slight mix-up with the menu, but it was resolved quickly, and they removed any incorrect items without a hitch. Our server was incredible—she couldn’t have been more helpful! Everyone raved about the food; it was unreal! We will definitely be back for more delicious meals. Thank you for making our day so special! Xxx