Il Posto is a cozy little Italian restaurant located just off Grafton Street. Preceded by narrow steps that lead to it’s underground location (like many, if not all other restaurants along Stephen’s Green) Il Posto is the only one that has parasols and outdoor seating for alfresco dining.
The interior follows a simple black and white theme which successfully creates a charming atmosphere. The white walls are complemented by black and white photographs featuring shots of various little Italian streets. Floor to ceiling walnut shelves hold what seem like endless bottles of Italian wine and prosecco.
Il Posto has been around for some time – I first had a meal here about five years ago, and have been back a handful of times since. Each time I visit, the food is consistent and the menu is varied. On this visit, we were left standing in the doorway and were told to wait for the manager to show us to our table – she took some time to appear and didn’t apologise for the wait, but when we were seated, the service was very good and the staff were friendly.
The type of menu at Il Posto is one that makes you question if you’ve made the perfect choice, or if you should read through the faultless choices again. No two dishes are the same, and not a single one looks boring. It took me a while to make a solid decision – a lot longer than usual in an Italian restaurant, considering I don’t like pasta. Il Posto offers a lunch special, €16 for two courses (3 courses for €20) but the A La Carte is very well priced too. Although their food menu is varied, their wine menu is solely Italian; if you want to bring your own wine, you can do so every Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday – no corkage charge applies.
To start, I had the tomato and mushroom bruschetta. I have never had a mushroom bruschetta, and this was good – crispy bread, lightly oiled with a mixture of tangy pesto, tomatoes and very dark succulent mushrooms, topped with rocket and flakes of parmesan.
My lunch date (also known as my Mother) ordered the beef meatballs arrabiatta, with mozzarella and basil. The meatballs were as good as meatballs could be but the sauce here was the winner – traditional, fresh and simple. She was very impressed by these and so was I. I still preferred my bruschetta though!
On to the mains – my Mother’s choice was fusilli with chicken, sun dried tomatoes & mustard cream sauce. She loves pasta and really enjoyed the flavours, she couldn’t fault the dish. She was a little disappointed though when she asked for fresh black pepper, and the waitress pointed to the pepper shaker on the table. Not a classic Italian wooden pepper mill in sight.
I ordered the grilled prawn mixed leaf salad with avocado, roasted sweetcorn & blue cheese dressing. This was one of the best salads I have ever had – everything from the prawns and the dressing to the lightly roasted sweetcorn was perfect. I’ll be going back to Il Posto again based on this salad alone!
I finished a very enjoyable lunch with an espresso. I’m happy to say the coffee here is excellent – which is what I would expect from an Italian/Mediterranean restaurant. Our bill came to roughly €60 – a bottle of wine, two starters and two mains from the A La Carte menu.
Il Posto is a perfect (and very central) spot for lunches, group events or a pre-theatre dinner. For more information on menus, offers and bookings, click here.
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