ate here on a very late and last minute basis after a big rugby match on Saturday. We were given a warm welcome and a table for 4. Service was efficient and pleasant. We had lovely bruschetta and minestrone soup was pleasant. All had pizzas and they were delicious. Very fresh and tasty toppings. 2 nice bottlers of wine. This place was buzzy and its great for pizza. i would return if back in the area.

Have been to al boschetto before and again for diner today. Best starter is still the bruschetta. They really do it well, though you won't be kissing anyone after it due to lots of garlic. All starters and main course enjoyed by everyone. The carbonara and risotto frutti di mare being the stand out mains. We even squeezed in desserts. The chocolate cake and apple pie were particularly good.They never fail to please in al boschetto

I visited this restaurant with 5 friends before Bon Jovi, as expected it was very busy. The service was fast and friendly which was a good start for such a busy restaurant. Personally I did not like my starter as did one of my friends who had the same, extremely salty calamari. Other than that it was a good size and came with a good portion of salad to compliment. The other starter (only one other went for a starter) was a salad and again it was a good portion size and it tasted nice and fresh. We all had pizza with varying options and all comments were good. It was a good experience overall but not one to set the world alight and it has only fairly expensive options left on the wine list. I wonder would if differ on a night when there is no concert on ?

My first visit it since 2007. The decor is great and we were all very pleasantly surprised by the fantastic food. Every dish was a s good as the next. And it's great value too. I'll certainly be returning for pasta dish again.

We visited the restaurant last Saturday. We called them book a table for 7 girls and tried to organize a set menu. The girl over the phone told us they have 3 different set menu and she will email it. It is never arrived. When we arrived, in the restaurant nobody knows about the booking. The place was empty on Saturday!!! We could get a table. Of course no set menu. The waitress was really unfriendly, extremly slow, under organized. I ordered a pizza and finally I got the different one. For me this time was the 3rd visiting, and everytime I was satisfied. But after I never ever go there.

I visited Al Bochetto on the Saturday evening before Mother's day. My mum and I go to Ballsbridge every other weekend for dinner and we decided to try Al Bochetto for a change. We had no problem getting a table on a saturday night- half the restaurant was empty and alsthough we got a lovely window seat and the service was good, the food was very dissapointing indeed. I could have made better myself and for the price, it was more expensive than other restaurants in the area and far inferior than other Italians in the D4/D6 area. I got the chicken and my mum got the fish and we were both very dissapointed with the portion size which was very small and the quality and taste of the food. We were also dissapointed with the wine list as they did not have one Sauvingnon Blanc on offer. With a bill of €100 I definelty won't be back!!!!

We had lunch here today and it was the worst lunch I have ever had. Myself and my girlfriend regularily eat out for lunch around ballsbridge and sandymount and have never had food as bad as this. We ordered Bruschetta as a starter and got tomatos on toast. Very little olive oil on it and generally no flavour. That was dissappointing but it is hard to get good Bruschetta. For the main food we ordered two pasta dishes. One was with seasonal vegatables and plum tomato salsa sauce. The second was Zuchini and prawns. When they arrived they looked exactly the same. They were both just a plate full of penne pasta, which were not warm or cooked enough, with some bland red sauce. The seasonal vegetables and plum tomato sauce was penne pasta with no vegetables and some onions mixed with bland red sauce. It tasted awful. The Zuchini and prawns were basically six prawns, no zuchini and even less sauce. The sauce was the same but with a slight fish taste. It was also awful. We are not used to complaining, so we tried to eat some of the food, but it was so bad we complained to the waitress and left. The waitress apologised, but still charged us full price. We paid €23 for disgusting food and left hungry. I am raging now that I didn't complain to the manager as it was an insult to charge anybody for food as bad as that.

Went today for lunch with 11 work colleagues booked in advance for lunchtime just to be sure. We were greeted with big smiles on the way in by the staff. Our waiter was attentive and patient. The Lasagne and chips were on special which is what I had and after reading some previous reviews I have to say I totally disagree as it was totally delicious and full of flavour and piping hot, it came with skinny chips perfect for adding into the dish with the lasagne. None of my colleagues had any complaints. There was a lovely range of food. Some of the others had fettucini, pizzas and the fish was Seabass. There was no shortage of water on the table which you don't often get and prices were really reasonable. All in all an enjoyable lunch. Can't wait to go back and try the Thy Salad.

I would eat out quite a bit, by far the worst Italian restaurant I have ever been to. Lasagna was microwaved, and bland, the chips were greasy and brown, the pizza lacked any flavour, or sauce & cheese, the service was unbelievebaly slow, the waiter was rude and hardly spoke. Just an all round awful experience. I couldnt wait to leave. Just arocious!

wanted a quick bite before going to a concert and this served the purpose. The starter or brushetta was disappointing....not a fresh tomato in sight! the main of pasta with broccoli was nice - good helping of fresh broccoli. A little overpriced and considering we were one of the one couples in the restaurant it would have been difficult to mess up the service. Staff were friendly and polite. Suited to a quick bite but I wouldn't be spending a romantic Saturday night over dinner here.

charming restaurant ! in spring and summer you have a very large terrasse , and you can eat there. you have to try the seafood risotto ! good and decently priced food ! staff is friendly...

We visited on a Sunday evening, about 6.30pm. There weren't very many other diners in at that time, but I did find a lovely, friendly atmosphere. I was a little skeptical before dining here as the reviews on Menupages have been mixed. I found the service friendly and attentive, the food tasty and well presented and the whole meal good value for money. I started with the caprese salad followed by risotto with roasted vegetables accompanied by a glass of house red. My dining companion had the salad of parma ham, rocket and parmesan to start and the seafood risotto as a main with a coke. Followed by two coffees, the total bill came to €54 plus tip. I enjoyed the meal and will definitely return.

Have eaten here quite a few times and must say I always enjoy it. Have never had a problem with the service. Large selection of food available and staff always knowlegeable of the menu. Will definitely go back. It is cheap and cheerful but in these times that is very welcome!

we went valentines weekend and it was a lovely evening, heart shaped pizzas that tasted light and delicious. We had an antipasto to share as a starter and some smooth nice house red. The service was friendly and didn't hover considering it was early and we were in the minority. great location for a local pizza treat

I have to agree with all the other reviews. The service was so bad I would not go back cause of the hassel. I ordered the cod which was lovely. But all I remember of my visit is the bad service!

I ate here with a friend the Sunday of the bank holiday weekend so it was busy. However I could not get over the appalling service we received. I have eaten here before and found it to be as described, cheap eats. We waited 20 minutes for our order to be taken, cutlery was produced as an after thought, and no pepper was offered with the main course (pizza, and penne with courgette and shrimp). I ordered a glass of Chianti and was brought out what could only be described as vinegar in a glass. Having pointed this out, and requesting an alternative, nothing was brought down and no apologies made. Waitresses spent the night avoiding eye contact with patrons making it impossible to even remind them about one glass of wine. V disappointed. Furthermore, the wine was proudly displayed on the bill, which had to be sent back, so we waited another 20 minutes just to pay.

Dried pasta not cooked very well. Side salad with just olive oil, had to go looking for some balsamic myself! Mushroom cream sauce was dried out on top of my dish so obviously heated up. come on folks, just because leinster were playing later is no excuse for such shoddy service and food. Will not return!

WATCH OUT FOR THEIR LUNCH SPECIALS AND DONT GET RIPPED OFF !! The lunch special on my visit here was a pizza with any two toppings and a soft drink for 10.90. So 2 out of my party ordered a margherita pizza, 2 others ordered a margherita pizza with pepperoni. Service was terrible so after our meal we paid the bill quickly and left. It was later that afternoon I discovered I had been charged the full menu price for the pizzas and overcharged by 14 euro. After many phonecalls and 2 visits to the restaurant, I was told that when ordering I had to specify that it was the "lunch special" that the waiters will assume the full price if I didnt say the lunch special (even though the pizza in the lunch special and the menu are the same size same ingredients the only diff is the price). Eventually they agreed to refund me (but only this time I was told they wouldnt do it again... dont worry I wont be going again!!) and then would you believe were then charging me a 10% service charge on my refund. Can you believe it. I hadnt even been charged a service charge on the bill so when I argued this I was told I should have been !!. I stood my ground and eventually got my 14 euro back. Wont be visiting them again !!

Nothing great about this place, we had an average meal for the usual high prices of Ballsbridge. I had pizza which was just about average but other shad the pasta which was fairly small and again just average, There are alot better options in Ballabridge for your money,

Had lunch here to day and was very disappointed. We had a pizza and lasagne and both were disappointing especially the pizza. It had a taste that was hard to quantify but just quite unpleasant. The lasagne was so hot I couldn’t eat it for 15 mins which makes me think it was nuked in a microwave and for far too long. In addition, the salad dressing tasted like it was just olive oil and had little or no flavour. Total bill was just over €40.00 for two starters and two mains with no alcohol. Seemed a little steep just for a lunch considering what we got. Starters were nice but I shan’t be going back here.

There were only two wait staff for the whole restaurant when I visited so service was a bit slow, but the two did do a good job. My BF and I shared a bruschetta for starters, which was lovely, and shared pizza and pasta for main course. It was fairly nice but nothing outstanding. The restaurant has a nice busy atmosphere.

We visited the place on Sunday on or way to Bruce Springsteen concert in the RDS. The restaurant was very very busy but we got a table straight away. It took a while to have our order takenas the staff seemed more interested on clearing more tables to get new people in. The food wasn't special, quite plain and flavourless, overpriced, and on top of that a 10% service charge on a table of 2! not with that kind of service i am afraid!

Visited here on sun before the Bruce Springsteen gig,place was very busy.We had garlicbread and bruschetta for starters both were bland .Form mains one chicken pasta and the grilled chicken with french fries.When i pay 15euro for bowl of pasta i have expectations which were not met here.Poor quality chicken and pasta.Service charge added to bill a bit smart in my opinion.Over all very poor standard food at an expensive price.

I absolutely love this place. My favourite is the pizza. It is amazing, deliciou...every ggood word you can think of! Definitely going back!

After reading good reviews my husband and I headed here after work before the Leinster match. It was quiet enough as we got there around 5-ish. We were greeted warmly and found the service very attentive. They did not have any of the 3 half bottles on the menu so we were offered a half litre of the house red which was delicious. We shared the prawns to start which I wasnt mad about, the prawn was very lacking in the bread/batter surround. However the main courses excelled - we both had pizzas, I had the diavola and really enjoyed it, the thin bases and freshness of it was lovely. We didnt have dessert and the meal came to about 55 including tip which gets included automatically even on parties of 2 so beware. All in all a very nice meal at a reasonable price....would go back!

Visited on Fri night - in general very tasty starters, however the Caprese salad was really poor - halved cherry tomatoes, little mozarella balls and lettuce! - supposed to be plum tomatoes, sliced mozarella and basil! Didn't have that lovely fresh summer taste at all. Pizzas were excellent, as usual. The house red was very enjoyable! The staff are so friendly that it is always a pleasure to eat there. Will be back. 40 a head for starter, main, lots of wine and coffee.

Great pizza, and very good gnocci. Friendly and efficient service, and there was also a nice buzz about the place, especially considering it was a Monday night. Only a couple of small niggles: the sauces could have had a bit more flavour, and the wine was bit thin. But those aren't major complaints. I'd definitely recommend this place for a casual but stylish dinner.

Excellent restaurant.Food is always fresh and delicious.Service is the best ever.Prices are relevant for everybody.The best place in Ballsbridge to eat out in my opinion.Highly recommend this place to everybody.

Haven't been here for a while, but met a friend for lunch last week. Pizza as good as always and service was very smooth. Will keep on coming back.

Excellent Italian Restaurant. Have eaten lunch here many times. The food is always amazing, Love the pizza's. Service is always excellent. Great value for money. Will continue to pop in every now and then.

This restaurant is very basic, but quaint. Most of the choices on the menu are easily and quickly prepared, so you never have to wait very long for your meal. They usually only have one or two servers in the entire restaurant, which is small to begin with, so the service is sometimes slow, but they're very nice about it. The house wine is fantastic The hawaiian pizza was delicious with a standard thin crust. However, the crumbed chicken and roast potatoes wasn't that nice. Their pizzas are the safest and best bet - quick, inexpensive and tasty.

I have eaten many times in Al Boschetto over the past number of years as I work close by. It does a brisk lunch trade usually so it can be necessary to book for larger groups sometimes. I have found the food to be a little inconsistent over time. They have some very nice dishes that make me return, however I invariably get a very meal that is not as satisfying, so I am deterred for some time. Sometimes a salty meal, or sometimes too greasy, so that it's not appetising. It's the thing that they need to resolve to bring it to a 4 or 4.5 star rating for me. The service is always very friendly and it can be a nice location for a relaxed sunday lunch. It is a great location for a team lunch as it is lively without being loud and the meals are tasty on the good days.

Went for a work lunch and the food was delicious. The service was extremely efficient and friendly. Will be back

Service was excellent but atmosphere was a bit dull. Didn't care for the dance/techno music at lunch time but the food was quick to our table of 6 and we all really enjoyed the lunch.

the food was pleasant but the service was bad - only one waitress was working, on a day when there were three separate expo's on in the RDS, and a rugby match had finished up nearby.. She was run off her feet and we were waiting over 20 mins for our order to be taken.. The food came promptly once we had ordered. The place could do with some music to improve the atmosphere

Really tastly reliableItalian food. Atmosphere is missing just a eat in place really.

Nice place to go to at lunchtime, for a quick and tasty meal. Not too expensive, pizzas are very good, pasta ok. Staff are smiling and kind, but a bit absent-minded. No real atmosphere for long evening with friends. Overall - very nice, but at lunchtime and not too often.

This is a great place to go for lunch. I found the dishes tasty, though perhaps a little on the oily side. The service was very friendly and prompt, which is important during the lunch hour.

Excellent service, great food, nice decor and reasonable prices. We went here for a work do recently and were incredibly surprised by the all round quality of the place. We'll definitely be returning.

yummy yummy yummy Have been here loads with friends and work colleagues. Never had a bad experience. Lunch time during the week is usually jammers so ring ahead, especially if there's a feww of you. Staff are wonderful and everyone of them is able to memorise your order no matter how distracted they get; quite the trick. I would pretty much recommend everything i've had. However as my memory's not that hot I can't remember exact details. So, Chicken of teh special menu with sliced, roasted (I Think) potatoes and a tomato based sauce...very good and very filling. Pizza - love them all and YES I think I've tried them all (not at once!). Once asked for a simple Penne and pesto and it was delicious..so fresh! Great place..I'm hungry just thinking about it!

I signed up especially to comment on this restaurant as I've noticed bad reviews. Myself and my colleagues eat here for lunch at least once a week and have never been disappointed. The food is tasty and fresh and the menu varied, the value is good, atmosphere nice and service is outstanding. The only reason I gave an overall four stars are: seating is a bit close together depending on where you sit and sometimes the 'couch' like seats are to low, also the house wine really isn't the quality you'd expect when coupled with the food. Overall though myself and the people I go with love this place and always return.

I honestly don't know how this place stays open! The food is so boring, not tasty and you could spend your money in somewhere else and enjoy it a lot more. Will definitely not be going back

A great place to pop into for lunch or tea after work. Great simple fresh dishes and the service is timely and unobtrusive. The tables are perhaps a little close together for an imtimate dinner or an indepth private discussion but all in all agreat place to eat.

I was here on a work lunch. We were seated upstairs and it felt a bit liek we were sitting in somebody's living room. The menu was very basic, pasta and pizza and a few meat dishes. I had a pizza and I hate to say it but takeaway pizza is practically the same thing if not nicer. The location is great and the downstairs looks lovely but all in all it is a boring "Irish" Italian. They should put a few more interesting choices on the menu.

I tend to end up in this restaurant once a year. Myself, hubbie and two kids stay in the Herbert Park Hotel and venture across to this restaurant. We were there on Christmas Eve this year. The atmosphere is always a little subdued. We arrived early last orders were at 7, given the night that was in it. Actually, it was rather strange as the whole of Ballsbridge seemed to shut down early on Christmas Eve. We all had pizza. There is no kids menu. The food is only OK. 10% service charge is added on and the staff stand waiting for a tip, which annoys me intensely, as you cannot have both. A very basic eater at D.4. prices

Was here for a midweek dinner, food was OK, nothing special. Tasty and reasonably priced but I've had better...

Always found the staff friendly food can be a bit hit and miss but I always like the calzone pizza

There Saturday night last. No booking and with the kids. Nice atmosphere and typical Italian. My wife had lasagne which she said was very nice. I had pizza that was uninspiring insofar as the base (crucial) was crumbly rather than crisp. Did nice pasta (hard not to) with butter/cheese for the kids. And while the staff were very nice and friendly I thought they were slow and not very professional. So for cheap (ish) and cheerful it's grand. Nice garlic bread with cheese, it must be said.

We called in here after a rugby match having not had a prior booking. They were very pleasant and accommodating. The starters we had were very tasty but quite large. We had mixed reviews for the main course. The pizza was considered good, the gnocchi a bit tasteless and the spaghetti bolognaise was ok. We might try it again.

Usually go here for lunch once every month and it's ok. Today however was another matter. It's my belief that if you are told at the time of booking (or arrival if you haven't booked) that they need the table by a certain time then it's fine. But coming to us and ordering us off our table while we were still having coffee is just plain insulting and exhibits poor organization and service. I won't be coming back anytime soon.

I was here for a work lunch of 12-13 people. I thought it was great that we could ring and pre book our food and it was ready as soon as we got seated. However, there was one pizza not ready for about 5-8 mins but that was not a long wait anyway. I would mostly recommend the pepperoni pizza as the pepperoni is the nicest I have tasted anywhere. I love the way the pizza base is nice and thin also. I will definitely be back again!

Lovely for lunch, pasta is good. Dinner menu is good too. Prawn starter is lovely

I love this place. The food is great! The kitchen staff are really good! I will definitely be going back!!!

I have often been here for lunch as I work across the road. The staff are very pleasant and very helpful. The food is consistantly good and good value for money. The ceaser salad can be a little over dressed though. The service is quick which is ideal for a one hour lunch break

Really relaxed, cosy place where you can sit with a bottle of wine and some nice food and have a relaxing evening. Staff are lovely.

Pizza is Ok but nothing special. I used to go for lunch during college and I found it Ok nothing more, nothing less. One time they noticed I was Italian and they told me: "You should have told us we would have let you eat better".......................

This Italian restaurant has a menu featuring all the usual suspects (pizza, pasta, pollo, carne), cooked to standard and served in generous portions. The food here is wholesome and filling but not outstanding in any way. In a word: average.

I love this place the food is great & the staff are really friendly & accommodating.... I will definitely be going back.... RECOMMENDED...

I ate here last night with my girlfriend, and whilst it went off to a good start, the staff were helpful, and all Italian, so I felt confident we were about to have a nice meal, it sadly didn't work out that way! The menu is quite boring, and over priced too, but that is the area I guess. We ordered a bottle of red, and it was out of stock, so he gave us the house red, which was 'OK' but nothing to write about. We had garlic bread and it was soft, and not full of flavour, the pastas were bland, and terribly dry too. It was literally, OK, and nothing more. For the price you are paying I would expect a lot better. At the end I saw we had been charged for the good wine that was out of stock, yet given the house bottle, the waiter did not correct it but rather had some excuse handy and I just paid and we left. The bill contains a 10% service charge, be warned! Anyhow, keep walking, there's better out there, this place is a big disappointment, and a let down.

Went here several times when I worked in the area and while the food is tasty and fairly reasonable it is nothing special. The service was never the best and if there were a big group of us we would always call in our order yet there would always be a mistake. It's not the worst but not somewhere that I would rush back to.

Although I must admit the food here is tasty, nothing really stands out about this restaurant. I had a creamy pasta dish and my partner had a pizza, both of which were quite good, but definitely not in any way exceptional. The staff weren’t overly friendly, and service is mediocre. As far as prices go, it’s very reasonable, but that said, I wouldn’t recommend it for a special occasion.

Unimpressive place that an Italian colleague took me to a few weeks ago. He said that he'd rather have gone to the other Italian restaurant nearby, but it was full. The pasta was OK, rather than great, with a very salty main dish of meat and sauce. I saw the receipt and it wasn't even a cheap meal... Maybe you'll have a better experience. I found it noisy and the service was fairly slow.

A fantastic Italian restaurant. We had two of the best pasta dishes we've ever had at Al Boschetto. The staff is friendly and the service great, and the cozy atmosphere reminds us of Italy. A great place for a date.

AWFUL PLACE- food tasteless, staff extremely rude with no personality, this place only appears to be busy, as they probably can’t get into the more popular restaurants close by. Food arrives late, my friend’s steak arrived late and over cooked at which point the waitress held the plate up to my face and asked me to have a look at it!!! Unbelievable behaviour in this day and age.

I really really don't like this restaurant. I have been here three times now to give it a fair chance and each time the staff have been rude, not very attentive, forgetful and very impatient. We were completely rushed through our meal. They also got my order wrong. Would never go back and would not recommend.

It’s a nice place for a casual night out, the pizzas are very tasty and the pasta is pretty big.

Another distinctly average Ballsbridge lunchtime spot. There's much better Italian fare out there but to its credit, whilst Al Boschetto doesn't excel, it's not in any way unpleasant. The pizzas are decent enough and the pasta dishes major neither in flavour or authenticity (although portions are ample). However, the prices are reasonable enough and as a quick fill up, this place will do.

Myself, my husband and my two daughters (aged 9 and 11) ate at this Restaurant lately. I scoured the menu beforehand and was surprised to see that the prices weren't very inflated for Ballsbridge. In fact, they were cheaper than Ranelagh restaurants. My husband and I ordered bruschetta for starters and the girls had garlic bread. The bruschetta was deliciously garlic and soaked in olive oil and basil. For main courses, my husband and eldest daughter ordered pizza and myself and my youngest ordered penne arrabiata, my favourite Italian dish. When the pasta arrived, my daughter took one bite and her eyes started to water. I took a bite of mine and couldn't believe how incredibly spicy it was. We are both used to arrabiata but this was uncomfortably loaded with chillies. I changed my daughter’s pasta for pizza. They charged me for the more expensive dish, which I felt was unfair because the pasta was inedible. I really should have sent back my own. It’s a lovely restaurant with a great atmosphere but I definitely wouldn't order the arrabiata again.

Beware of the service charge!! The food here is nice but nothing special, the portions are large and good value. It’s a nice place to pop into for a cheap and cheerful pizza but not exactly special occasion stuff. The only problem we encountered was a hefty service charge included in our bill which brought a bill of €65 up to €73, this really annoyed me as the service was not good and I only believe you should tip if the staff are deserving and there were only the two of us. The place seems to cater for all the groups working at RDS exhibitions so it can be very noisy and difficult to get waiting staff's attention, as they are very understaffed.

Nice Italian restaurant. Simple good food without the fuss. Lovely home made tomato soup!! If you are looking for an Italian restaurant, this one will not disappoint you!!

Mediocre. Had a working lunch here a while ago and didn't think much of the food or the wine. Edible, but disappointing.

Quite a nice place but the pasta isn’t up to much. Very tight for space if you are sitting at the front of the restaurant.