Al Vesuvio

My wife and I visited a university friend of our daughters while in Dublin and we ate at Al Vesuvio. Our daughter’s friend had opted for Italian and reserved a table. We arrived slightly early and were placed near the pizza oven, which in retrospect, was good for the restaurant but not for us. We ordered calamari fritti and my reaction was that they had been microwaved out of a frozen bag and there weren’t many of them. Our daughter’s friend ordered the linguine with King prawns, my wife had the salmon and I had the Saltimbocca a la Romana, which is one of my favourite Italian dishes and an “acid test” for the restaurant as this dish is hard to do well. Our daughter’s friend’s King prawn dish only had four prawns in the linguine, which was shocking. My wife’s salmon was OK but there were absolutely no side vegetables served with any of the dishes. We had to order green salads at extra cost. My Saltimbocca a la Romana was simply a piece of veal with sliced prosciutto on top - a major disappointment, actually a joke. To make matters worse, we waited for an hour for our meals to be served after ordering. In addition, while I was ordering red wine for the table, the waiter was constantly trying to upsell me to a more expensive bottle, a rude experience I have never seen before. He failed even after several attempts. All of the staff appeared to be non-Italians, when I used a few expressions in Italian, they had no idea what I was talking about. So, in summary, the restaurant was extremely hot, the food was sub-par and there didn’t appear to be anyone with Italian cooking skills on staff. It was also very expensive! My advice is to absolutely avoid this restaurant at all costs

Authentic Italian restaurant in the heart of Dublin. It's a bit hidden in a quiet square right outside the usual routes of the visitors of Temple Bar, the busiest part of the city. The atmosphere is suggestive, as it feels to enter a cellar. Quite in line with Italian restaurants, which is of course a plus in this case. Staff is gentle and attentive. Most are first generation Italians. They talked and laughed with us without ever becoming invasive. Once they understood we were there to say goodbye to a friend, they offered us a final drink to celebrate. They never pressured us to leave, even if we went on taking until quite late for a Tuesday. Something that we deeply appreciated. The calzone I had had a very good and well cooked dough. Not the easiest pizza to do well nor the most representative of the quality of the rest. I will have to go back to try other things. There's a few ways to prepare tiramisù. Their recipe is one that I don't particularly like but I think it could be great if you like fresher tastes.

Glorious little Italian restaurant hidden down a back street. Stone oven pizza was lovely and the pasta was beautiful too. Nice atmosphere and cheaper than a lot of other restaurants in Temple Bar.

Very good experience! Service was great and food was pretty good. Vegetarian pizza and Bolognese pasta were not as good as everything else however all other dishes that we tried were great. I recommend checking this restaurant out.

Enjoyed our dining experience here. Staff was great and very attentive to our table. Very helpful with our order and customizing anything we wanted for our meal. Would definitely eat here again. Food was good, and an enjoyable dinner!

I recently had the pleasure of dining at this amazing Italian restaurant, and I must say, it was an unforgettable experience. The food was absolutely delicious—authentic, fresh, and full of rich flavors. Every dish was prepared with great attention to detail, from the perfectly cooked pasta to the mouthwatering desserts. What made the experience even better was the incredible service. The waiters were not only professional but also exceptionally friendly and attentive. They went out of their way to ensure we had everything we needed, making us feel truly welcome. Their passion for hospitality and genuine enthusiasm made the evening even more enjoyable. If you’re looking for a place with top-notch Italian cuisine and warm, dedicated service, this is definitely the place to go. Highly recommended!

10/10 experience every time! We come here when we visit Ireland. The food is fantastic, authentic Italian. You can’t go wrong with anything! It’s a bit off the path of temple bar and you’d miss it walking by but it is SO worth looking out for. Great atmosphere!

Always a lovely experience and a great dinner choice if you’re having family visiting, a date night or a special night in general. The atmosphere is cozy and intimate, really feels authentic. Their pizzas are fantastic as well. Service is consistently great, but I’ve experienced lack of attentiveness a few times.

The dining experience here should not be missed!! This downstairs restaurant/pizzeria is located inside of a vintage brick paved wine cellar( according to the owner). The pasta is homemade, the pizza is cooked in a wood burning oven. My husband and I both selected a pasta dish as our main course. The pasta was cooked to al dente perfection! We purchased an imported bottle of Italian wine, and ended our meals with a shared tiramisu. The food was excellent and the service exceptional.

Amazing experience!! After a long day consisting of the St Patrick's day parade and sightseeing, we decided to try Al Vesuvio. From the moment we made eye contact with our waitress, she was extremely welcoming. We were with 2 small children and usually, eye contact is avoided! lol. Evelina was kind and helpful. Giving us prompt service and not making us feel rushed. My husband and I had a lasagna and spaghetti bolognese and the children had kids sized spaghetti and pizza. All items were delicious! I did not expect such a wonderful Italian experience especially in Ireland on St Patrick's day! Give it a try!

I had the ravioli. It was the best ever. Service was great and the restaurant was wonderful. If i am ever in Dublin again I will definitely be going back.

Stopped into Al Vesuvius tonight. I'm just gonna say it was amazing service from Gerardo!! I had the pizza and my wife had the Bolognese. Gerardo recommended an amazing wine and we followed it up with their homemade chocolate cake. Not a traditional Irish meal but it was perfect for our last night in Dublin!! Thanks so much.. 5 stars

Delicious, authentic Italian food in an 18th-century brick and stone wine cellar. The grilled salmon was the best I had in Ireland and the mixed veggies that accompanied it were garden fresh! My partner had pizza (which I tasted) and it was yummy. They make fresh dough daily, then cold-ferment it for 3 days before making pizza. The manager and waitstaff were very friendly and encouraged us to take our time, savor our food, and enjoy our visit.

Legit Italian food and pizza was simple and spot on. The ambience is amazing. The staff were excellent. Small and perfect in every way.

Was on vacation in Dublin and decided to give Al vesuvio a shot. I was pleasantly surprised by my experience. The actual restaurant was super cool inside, the service was top notch, and the pizza we got was great. Now it is small, but I think that's just how it is. They do what they do well. I would recommend.

I had a terrific meal here--easily one of the best Italian dining experiences I've had in many years. My wife and I started with the carpaccio, which was very fresh and tasty. The thing that made this so special, however, was the Paccheri All' Amatriciana, which exploded with taste. The pasta was perfect and the sauce was amazing. My wife's Ravioli Golosi was exceptional, as well. Service was very attentive and friendly, and the ambiance of dining in an 18th Century wine cellar was memorable and romantic. I loved the experience and will be back.

I'm a bit conflicted on this one. Lovely room, very comfortable and a great and genuine Italian vibe. The food was ok, just not particularly memorable. We shared a calamari starter which was a tad underdone in my view but my companion was happy enough. I had mussels for main and I can sum them up in one word: meh. The sauce was anonymous and bland although the mussels themselves were plentiful and tasty but each one was relatively small. I wanted to be bowled over but, sadly, wasn't. I might return but I might not. Pity.

Very busy cramped little Italian restaurant where Dublin 2 intersects Dublin 4 along the canal. We made reservations for 12 and they were able to put several tables together to accommodate us at lunchtime. The staff is very friendly and efficient. They have an brick oven for pizza and bread. I ordered the pizza and it was very good. Some of our friends ordered the pasta and said it was delicious and it did look very good. The price was moderate. But since I have found Monelli's in Rathgar I am hooked! If you're in the area this is not a bad place to eat.

My friend and I were craving Italian and kind of stumbled our way in here. Turned out to be some of the best Italian I've had in years. I knew we were in for a treat when I heard customers leaving and speaking Italian with the employees. The house red was excellent for the price. We had the ravioli and gnocchi and both were 10/10. Only complaint was the portions weren't the largest but that might just be the American in me speaking. The dinning room itself is tucked away in a beautiful brick "cellar" and created a very romantic and quiet atmosphere.

If you are in the mood for Italian food in Dublin, this place is great and affordable. Service was great, good variety of Italian red wines. The pasta is homemade fresh and they use the freshest ingredients. I had the pasta carbonara, the pasta was not over cooked and the ham on it was divine. My husband had the pizza and that was a large pizza with an amazing crust cooked to perfection. The restaurant is mainly known for pizza, the individual pizzas are large, they use very few ingredients which makes their pizzas taste amazing.

I'm going to reluctantly give it 3 stars. There's a lot to like: The atmosphere is lovely. Not too loud, intimate. Exposed brick and a brick oven. It's small but it works. The beer selection was outstanding. Lots of craft brews. But here's the thing: I came for pizza. I ordered a vegetarian pizza. And the ingredients were fresh and delicious. But I really don't like the crust. It's limp and chewy. If you like to eat pizza with your hands, tough. This is too flimsy to do that. Many Europeans eat pizza with a knife and fork. But I found that difficult too because the crust is so chewy. Service was fine. Prices were reasonable. It looks like they have all sorts of delicious Italian food on the menu. So if you're in the mood for pasta or something else, I bet they're great. But if you're in the mood for pizza like I was, I'd give it a pass.

Was one of our favourite places in Dublin. The staff literary didn't care. The waitress that is working for a long time there was rude and we were so embarrassed in front of our friends as they arrived from England as is their first time in Dublin and we picked the restaurant based on our previous experience. All of us had starter and main, except my friend said that she will have just starter as she is not so much hungry. The waitress was so frustrated cause of that! We added on the end (only because of her reaction)that two of us will share pizza after. She said "You cannot share a pizza". We were shocked. After service no one checked or ask anything about food.When picking the plates no one asked if the food was ok. The same thing happened with starter and main course. If you are ordering still water please check what kind of water you will get on your table and then check the bill. Never left from this restaurant without leaving a tip but this time was with pleasure.

After reading previous reviews I seriously contemplated going to another pizza joint 15 minutes away but luckily, after a day of exploring Dublin my poor body was too tired to walk anywhere but the 100m walk to get Al Vesuvio. And I am so glad I did. My partner and I were seated right away, in a fairly small dining room. It is nowhere near as tiny as previous posts suggest, however if you do plan on coming with a group I would probably book in advance. The atmosphere is quite lovely too, quite intimate with the smells from the kitchen wafting through. So now to the food. My partner ordered the margharita and myself, the diavolo. Both pizzas came out reasonably quickly and were piping hot from the stone oven. The pizzas were absolutely delicious. A super thin crust, with fresh chilli and bits of hot salami on top of the diabolical. The only thing I did not find impressive was the lack of fresh basil on the margherita. If it a going to make up one third of the toppings if NEEDS to be fresh. Take the option for the chilli oil too- it is a light and fruity oil with a hint of heat afterwards- just delicious with the crust! For two filling pizzas and a drink each our bill came to €32. Certainly worth the visit and a great pizza I'll be using to compare future pizza meals to. I was also impressed by the attentiveness and friendliness of the staff. Whilst busy, they certainly tried their best and I enjoyed our servers friendly and inviting manner- in my view it always makes my dining experience that little bit better! :)

Very good pizza. Coffee and tiramisú high quality. Excellent service too. Authentic italian food, approved by an italian.

We ordered delivery using Just Eat from Al Vesuvio, two starters and two mains for 30.50 EUR inc delivery. The garlic bread was ok. The chicken wings were ok, but the sauce was no where near how the menu described them: "served in our famous hot sauce". The sauce was sweet if anything, but not spicy in any way. For main courses Al Vesuvio go for quantity over quality. For 8 EUR the pasta portions are very generous and appears to be good value, but the Bolognese sauce on my spaghetti was very bland. When I pay for it, expect it to be just as good if not better than the SpagBol I make at home. My partners main was also bland; it was meant to have chilies in it, but again it was not spicy nor hot in any way. Neither of us ate much of our main dishes. Driver went to wrong address also, so my main dish needed to be reheated. It can happen and driver was very apologetic, but we gave full address and very clear instructions with order to avoid this. I probably would have forgiven this if the food was any good. An expensive, mediocre and disappointing meal.

I can only speak for the pizza, and being fron New York, that was the worst pizza I ever had. I'm giving it 2 stars because the waiter was very nice and accommodating. Did not try the pasta, but the pizza was awful.

I gotta shout out to this little gem in Ballsbridge. I came here with my Da one time and now it has become our monthly meeting ha! The pizza is truly amazeballs and the staff are way too friendly, its small and cosy and not pretentious in any way. Defo recommend. x

Excellent. Best Italian in Dublin, I've never had pizza as good in Ireland, pasta, antipasto all really good, and a great selection of Italian wines. Go with the tomassino. The staff are friendly and attentive, and even if you sit there for an hour after finishing your dinner they never try to push you out no matter how busy it is. I can't speak highly enough of this great authentic Italian restaurant.

Came here for lunch, great lunch deals first of all. e10.95 for a starter and a main was great! Seated straight away, no waiting around. Soup was amazing! Real flavour, and a genuine Italian taste. The main course came shortly after and I have to say this was one of the nicest pizzas I've had in a long time. So simple, yet so fresh and well done. There was genuine effort put into cooking it and you can tell! Staff were very friendly too and the waitress was more than willing to help. The only downside is that I had to rush a little as I was on lunch but will definitely be back, and would recommend this place to anybody in the area for lunch time.

I wouldn't say that Al Vesuvio is the best or most authentic Italian restaurant in Dublin, but it's a good'un for when you're going out for lunch with the office and want to keep things cheap enough. All of us were happy with our meals -by no means amazing quality, but all of us were happy with our meals for the price we were paying! Nice and friendly staff too!

Awesome pizza, I really recommend the on with rocket and prosciutto. Not very expensive and it was recommended to me by a ton of Italians! Can it get better?

Great food and relaxed atmosphere, good place for a intimate lunch or for bigger groups.

The food here is great. It reminded me of food I'd eaten in Italy . . . which I guess it is given the place appears to be run by Italians. We had spaghetti carbonara and pizza and both were delicious The eating area bigger than it looks from the street and is super clean and nicely set up. While a bit squeezed, it's not too loud. I'd go back if I needed a place with a large menu and reliable quality.

Oh my gosh! The pizza was so good! While we were visiting the Dublin area we ate here several times. After living in Germany for 27 years and now the states I'd forgotten how good real Italian food is!! The place was clean. The food was great! And the service friendly. We even had my birthday dinner there and they treated me like a queen!! Loved the pasta dishes we tried too! Would love to go there again the next time we are in country.

Maybe 2 and half stars? It should really stick to what it is good at - the pizza, which is lovely and thin. However, starters such as the school canteen-style soup served in horrible basic school canteen-style bowls do not fly with me! I always think a soup says a whole lot about a place. It has to be the easiest thing to make. If you can't get that right, and are so scabby you have to water it down further... It speaks volumes about the laziness of the staff/managers/owners. My friend's ravioli wasn't too great either, and her mozzarella tomato starter... Again how can you get something so simple, so wrong?!

The Diavolo pizza is one of the best pies I've ever had, and I've lived in New Haven CT! So simple, yet so delicious, it's way more than the sum of its parts. Delivery is always prompt.

Ok ok , I'm Italian and I hate to eat Italian food outside my country ... But I have to say that is not bad at all. The owner is obviously Italian . Pasta e pizza are good ( try the calzone or penne alla vodka) and the price is absolutely acceptable. Good service

Ordered a margherita pizza and it was pretty good. The base, sauce and cheese were good but unfortunately they used dried basil which is just not as nice as fresh. Service was good and it wasn't that expensive.