Il Pellegrino in Watford

The food in here is so good that it makes up for everything else. I was also very surprised by the quality of the food compared to the prices which are far more than reasonable. When it comes to the staff, most of them are lovely and polite. However, there is the odd one that is a little rude. For example, one lady eared away the plates and my friend's side plate without asking as he was still eating his meal. It was minor but these things do stand out unfortunately. Lastly, the setting is great even if it is a little cramped. The only issue is if you sit near the door on a cold night, it gets a bit breezy. Again, very minor and has not put me off going back four times now.

We preferred to eat here on our first evening in Watford. Everythin we ate was very delicious. Lasagne was really good. Igli was very polite and friendly. He offered us homemade Lemoncello. We recommend this restaurant.

6 of us arrived without reservation at the last minute and we were taken care of extremely quickly! What a nice surprise for us who thought it was going to be difficult to find a place. All the staff are very pleasant and kind. A cozy and family atmosphere that we loved. Ultra fast service and each of our dishes, from Bolognese pasta to pizza diablo, or seafood pasta to lasagna, was delicious! There is also Nero d’avola (Sicilian red wine) which I love and which is not found everywhere. We will come back if we come back to England! Go there with your eyes closed if you have the chance. The street where it is located is very friendly and lively. Thank you!

Service was really nice, very friendly waiters and waitresses, unfortunately the food was flavourless and dry, restaurant is really small and felt very cramped, tables are really small and it gets extremely loud.

A fantastic dining experience at Il Pellegrino! The food was exceptionally delicious, served hot and with great attention to detail. The service was impeccable—10/10. The ambiance was warm and inviting, and we were seated at a perfectly located table, making the experience even more enjoyable.

Food are always amazing! Lovely ambience Igli is always very helpful and welcoming. His customer service is second to none! He always attend to our needs , especially with our Son every time we visit this restaurant.

We chose this restaurant based on reviews on here as we were travelling down to London last weekend and unsure of nice places to eat. The service was okay, could of done with a smile attached though. The food came very hot however every dish we ordered was bland and just didn't taste of anything, the meatballs had nothing to them, the lasagne was just sauce hardly any mince. The starters were gorgeous and children's meals well priced at £9 for their pizza ice-cream and drink. We have had much nicer meals elsewhere and felt a little waste spending £80 on our meal for it to be this plain.

Food was exceptional. Margherita pizza was the best.

Visited as group of 7 on 23.3.25. In hindsight I should have mentioned in restaurant as I'm sure an alternative would have been offered. However the homemade beef lasagne was lacking seasoning and I struggled to find the meat!

Overall I would say that Il Pellegrino has become another like a chain restaurant in Watford sadly providing quantity over quality. They would rather have their tables booked up over quality of service and food quality. I have been many times to this lovely place, however unfortunately when I did go there after an absence, I found it not to my expectations. Even after making a reservation, I found myself not in the best seating arrangements, but accepted what was offered. One of our meals wasn't what we had ordered it had be re done. we had to inform the waiter about this who subsequently re did the order accordingly.

What an amazing restaurant. Nine of us have just celebrated my Grandaughters 13th birthday here., and she loved it. The food and service were excellent and the staff are exceptional. Nothing was too much trouble for them, we'll definitely go back again and can highly recommend it.

Booked a table for 7pm on a Saturday evening arrived on time and spoke to a member of staff confirming our booking. Stood there waiting for 10 minutes waiting for a table being walked pass by staff without any interaction about when we will be seated. I understand that restaurants get busy but to just ignore customers this way is unacceptable so we left feeling very let down by the experience.

Yesterday, me and my partner visited Il Pellegrino while traveling in Watford. The restaurant serve best Italian food in the town. Lovely background music with friendly staff. Price is affordable as well.

Very enjoyable lunch. I had the seabass and goat cheese salad. The food felt very fresh and nicely cooked. A great choice for quality food

Great food and service! Sang happy birthday to my dad! Pizza was lovely

We have lovely lunch time in El Pellegrino, good service,nice people,lovely music,amazing food,thanks a lot,we will come back for sure!

Amazing time in El Pellegrino, friendly staff, lovely food. Definitely Recomend!!!

This by far is the best Italian restaurant in and around Watford, everything from the friendly service, the great food and the atmosphere. A great little restaurant. Love it.

The best restaurant in all of Watford. Wonderful ambience in industrial design, the food is incredibly tasty, the staff is extremely friendly. Everything is just right here!

A very pleasant discovery! We really appreciated the quick reservation by telephone and the speed in preparing the dishes. Once we arrived, we were greeted by the very kind staff. We were craving pizza and didn't expect it to be so good! Our compliments to Pellegrino!!

Great service food was average but at that price point decent

Went for a birthday meal with the family. Delicious Italian food and great service

Lovely Italian in Watford, Great Food, Service, Price's were Really Good too Would Definitely Recommend, Will Definitely be Going back again🙂👍

Drink service could be more attentive

The best pizza I've had in the last year! And overall a very nice restaurant!

We enjoyed a fantastic family dinner with a spectacular Italian lasagne, mussels, and pasta that made our evening. Even if in the area are other Italian restaurants, this is by far the greatest. I can not understand people who left bad feedback on the restaurant when, about two weeks ago, we went to Rome, and they've had food approachable to the originals!!! Sabri became our friend, and he always takes care of us!!

We had a lovely meal here. Fresh, home cooked food. The prawns and mussels to start were delicious, even the bread on the side. My partner had the fillet steak for main, and I had the homemade lasagne. Yum. Washed down with a bottle of pinot grigio, it was a perfect lunch. Service was also great!

The food was really bland, not even close to real Italian taste, cheese on the pizza tasted very salty and strange. Carbonara was made with lots of cream. It seems the quality of ingredients isn't great, surprised the restaurant has so many good ratings.

Both service and atmosphere were amazing. However I'm with severe allergies, no substitutions were provided to certain dishes, so I was recalled to Pasta Bollegnaise.. which was lovely but sad. I can't do any other dishes without the allergies. I would say to include the ones with allergies, but to keep the authenticity, I get it, but its abit upsetting.

Great food, great service, were able to accommodate to us while they were really busy and the service was really quick. Would definitely visit again!

This Italian restaurant is a personal favorite; I discovered it serendipitously and highly recommend it. Their pizza, with its uniquely thin and crispy crust, is exceptional. The grilled chicken breast with mushroom sauce is also outstanding. The ambiance is cozy, featuring a warm, woody décor and subdued music. While service speed could be improved—we experienced some delays and needed to call the waiter—it remains a hidden gem, offering a delightful dining experience capped by an excellent dessert.

Nice cosy Italian restaurant with friendly staff and great pizza. The tiramisu doesn't need the chocolate sauce on it though, leave that classic dish alone!

Lovely friendly place with delicious food.

Saturday afternoon, two persons with no reservation for dinner. I really can recommend this restaurant. {+} Positive • {#} Neutral • {~} Negative {+} friendly stuff {+} delicious meals, especially the pizza {+} no long waiting times {+} fair pricing My rating by star(s): 1/5 Insufficient, unsatisfactory 2/5 Below average, poor 3/5 average, good 4/5 Above average, very good 5/5 Absolutely recommended My rating according to star(s): 1/5 Insufficient, not satisfactory 2/5 Below average, deficient 3/5 average, good 4/5 Above average, very good 5/5 Absolutely recommended

Three of us ate on Saturday night. My friend is coeliac and has to have gluten free food. We checked this with the staff every step of the way. My friend was very very sick throughout the night. This was the only place we had food. It ruined our Sunday excursion and will take her a few days to recover fully. I went to the restaurant the next day to tell them. I didnt want anything, just wanted them to know. The waitress who served us was apologetic. The manager didnt say a word. Dissappointing! Beware if you have allergies

Amazing place ! Would highly recommend

This is a lovely spot well located at the entrance of Watford town centre. I ran a half marathon this Sunday and so rightly so enjoyed a delicious spaghetti carbonarra. Service was swift, welcoming. The food was hot 🔥 and so yum 😋 and priced fairly. Thank you to my friendly server and hats off to the chef. Highly recommend!!

Great value with excellent menu.

Comfy environment, good service and excellent food. They also serve kids meal and my girl loved it! Risotto is also quite authentically made. Pizza is good too and the buratta cheese is amazing!!

Not sure where all the good reviews come from. Carbonara it's nothing else then pasta with double cream. No taste and makes you feel sick. 1 out of 10. This place has nothing to do with Italy. Also you can see chefs in the kitchen wearing filthy jackets and dirty joggers. Good service.

Il Pellegrino’s was a 10 out of 10 for sure. The staff were very polite and helpful and the food was very good. Food starter I had the Sauté di Cozze alla, which is mussels in white wine and onion and herbs. (£9.50) For main i had the Tagliatelle ai Gamberoni which is Tagliatelle with king prawns and cherry tomatoes. (£13.50) The price of alcohol was also reasonable. £4 for a bottle of Koppaberg cider. Normally pay over £6 in the average place. Definitely recommend people to try

Alicja and Igli were wonderful and the food was great. Thank you for the complimentary dessert given as a birthday celebration!

Great service from Alicja and Igil Lovely food and great place to eat

Great food and service from Alicja! Also Igil was a bit stingey with the cheese (just kidding), but made up for it with the Limoncello :)

Lovely date night here, such friendly service and brilliant food Thank you!!!

My sister and I came here for early dinner and everything was great! We highly recommend the Spaghetti alla Carbonara and Cotolleta di Pollo alla Milanese, both were creamy and delicious. Also, a big thank you to Igli for being attentive and for making our dining experience pleasant!

First time in my life I had to return a dish. While I appreciate a good food, I usually finish my plate, regardless of food not being the best. Not last night. At an italian restaurant with 4.8 ratings, I was served a mockery of risotto: mushy, watery, microwave reheated and no amount of parmesan could save it. Reminded me of the food served in hospitals back in communist Romania. No chef with self-respect would ever serve that. The house red wine was slightly off, bottle opened for days. The pizza and mussels were nice, but can’t compensate for the offence Italian food culture received last night when that risotto ended up on a plate. Staff was very polite, offered us any other dish in exchange of the risotto.

Staff were lovely, attentive and timely. Food was satisfactory - not bad but not wow. Could do with getting a higher quality flour for their pizza bases. Only dish I truly enjoyed was the penne all’arrabiata. Disappointed by the melanzane parmigiana. Few bits of aubergine in lots of sauce but no mozzarella, not created in layers. Only light dusting of parmesan-like cheese on top

Excellent food, good service. I had chicken in a creamy mushroom sauce and it was excellent.

Servings were big and prices were super affordable. Food was really tasty! I ordered the grilled shrimps and the butter herb garlic sauce was sublime! Would come back

I had a fantastic dinner with friends. The staff were exceptionally friendly and patient, allowing us to relax and enjoy the evening without feeling rushed. The food was delicious, and I would definitely return for another visit.

Excellent food, good service. Armoshphere was nice. I would go there again. Drinks are reasonably priced and so is the food. I had chicken in mushroom , wine and cream sauce. Beautifully cooked. Others in the group had pizza. It was nice of them to swap toppings at no exta cost.

First time here and wont be the last as the food and service were fantastic, the restaurant has a rustic feel to it and feels very relaxed, but overall a great place to dine in and we will definitelybe coming back.

Went for late lunch before heading to the airport. It was quiet but nice atmosphere and customer service was great. Hope to be back when I return to London

Tasty pasta and delicious panna cotta!

Came here by chance had the T bone steak medium cooked to perfection melted in the mouth also had chicken mushroom risotto perfect

It looked nice at first, but the service was super slow, the pizza was cold, the lasagne was below average and we couldn't hear the thing because it was really noisy.

Following a recommendation from a friend, the restaurant is cosy, the food and portion sizes are great and good value. Igli was friendly and welcoming and made sure we had everything we needed.

I recommend this institution in all directions Service Food Prices Staff guys Igli Dionysos 🤝👍👍👍🙌🏼

Lovely little Italian, great location and price for a pre theatre dinner at the Palace Theatre. Lovely food and great service

We popped in for dinner as a group after a day of work in the field. We were greeted warmly by the team and quickly served. Cocktails were expertly made and delicious. The food came out beautifully and tasted exceptional. And all more than reasonably priced. Highly recommended!

I had high expectations after reading the fantastic Google reviews, especially since I am an avid foodie well-versed in Italian cuisine. The restaurant had great decor, and we were promptly greeted and seated by the waiter. The menu offered a variety of Italian classics, from pizzas to pastas and main dishes. Feeling adventurous, I ordered the Farfalle al Salmone, while my dining partner chose the Spaghetti alla Carbonara. The food arrived swiftly, and that’s when everything went downhill. At this point, I actually thought that I had plummeted into an alternate dimension where the food was utterly disappointing. The Farfalle al Salmone had an overwhelming smell of heavy cream, and the pasta seemed drowned in it. It lacked flavour and was quite dissatisfying. The dish was supposed to include prawns, but I only found 2, and the salmon was tasteless and dull. Also, I couldn't detect the promised delicious white wine sauce! After just two mouthfuls, I had to stop as it was making me feel nauseated. I invited my dining partner to taste it, and they agreed that it was very disappointing. When the waiter came to clear our plates, I explained the issues with my dish. However, to my surprise, we were still charged for it. The apology that we received was less audible than a hummingbird's wings, alas, lamentably, this was by far one of the worst food experiences I have ever had in a restaurant.

Aysh is a fantastic host Great with kids too 🙂 I highly recommend dining here.

Genuinely a fabulous meal, made extra special by the first class service from Alysha and her colleagues. We had no idea where to eat in the area and called on the off chance they could accommodate us at short notice. They did fit us in and we're so glad they did! Fantastic meal, brilliant cocktails, really reasonable price and the staff went above and beyond to help us get a taxi back to our hotel. What a credit to the restaurant every one of the team was, we will positively return next time we visit the area. Thank you all so much!

Pizza, risotto and spaghetti are all delicious. The owner is so kind and friendly. Will come again.

Exclusive dishes of Italian cuisine, very beautifully decorated and very tasty, service is excellent, great atmosphere, I recommend it to everyone!

very good food, very nice staff, fast service, they are very friendly and you feel good in their company, especially the Albanian guy Is so friendly 🫶

Il Pellegrino had amazing presentation and taste in the food we recieved. The Albanian waiter that served us today was really friendly and checked in with us to make sure we were happy with our food. The service is fast and the place is also really clean.

Service and food is fabulous. The environment is cosy and warm, home like. Service makes the place very special, Iglil’s service made our day wonderful and we definitely come here again. Highly recommend.

I would love to share the best moment we had with my friends simple yet fantastic because of Igli he made us laughed a lot! While talking to us!Thank you for the best service you gave!warm and genuine approach thank you igli!your the best!and the food and place as well...

We had a very nice food, ambience and service as well. Shout out to Igli who look after us during our dining he is very friendly, funny and approachable. This is the kind of person you need in your business. Two Thumbs up for you 👍👍

Amazing Experience at Il Pellegrino! We absolutely loved the food at Il Pellegrino! I ordered the Carbonara, and it was delicious—perfectly cooked and full of flavor. The staff was incredible, especially Igly, who was friendly, approachable, and made our visit even better. We will definitely be coming back and highly recommend this place to our friends and family Rowa ❤️

Just an average Italian restaurant. There's nothing in the menu to bring you back to eat here again.

The food here was lovely, and our experience was made better by our brilliant waitress, Alicia. Would recommend

One of the best meals I have ever had (king prawns starter, salmon main). Another example of my family telling me I have to try it and them being proved right. A great balance of flavours and great portion sizes. Lovely atmosphere, nicely decorated with very friendly/pleasant staff. Highly recommended to people looking for hidden gem.

I tried this restaurant for lunch on recommendation - and it didn’t let me down. The food, service (thanks Alicja!) and premises are excellent. The portions are generous so much so I didn’t need another meal that day ! I will keep returning when in the area if only to try all I can of the menu and its wide choice of dishes.

The best restaurant I’ve been to in some time. The food was amazing, and consistent. The service was imbecile, there was a young lady who absolutely made our night. And also a gentleman who was extremely kind and warm. Thoroughly enjoyed our dinner here, if you’re reading this stop, and go order some food at this amazing place ASAP.

I stopped by before going to Harry Potter. There is a kids menu. Great Hyeja for 9 pounds Main menu, juice and ice cream!!! Carbonara was delicious Alio Olio was different from what we thought. It's not good

Great little find in Watford! Hearty portion sizes and waitresses are super friendly, they're pretty quick to come around but aren't invasive when you're in conversation which is always a plus! Meatball tagliatelle was great, big portion size but a tad too heavy on the chilli as when you get through past halfway, your mouth just feels overwhelmed with chilli, so depends on tolerance to spice but for someone with a decent tolerance, it gets a bit much. Prawns for starter were lovely, be advised you need to de-shell them. Would return to try more of their menu again however, food came out at the same time as others on the table and hot - overall a good experience!

Amazing service, especially Igli who stayed open on a Monday night so that we could have drinks. Friendly, attentive, generous, good humoured service. Go, you won’t regret it!

Fabulous service, especially thanks to Igli who kept the restaurant open for us 💜 Food stopped at 10pm but totally worth staying late. Thank you! We will be back xxx

I booked a table for me and my wife but on getting there, I found out that my booking was for the next day. I felt disappointed but Igli and Ash made sure we were okay. They got us a table and kept on checking on us to be sure we are good. My wife had Paster and I had Bass and it was lovely. I would recommend you try Pellegrino and I will sure return to try other food on the Menu.

Perfect food and amazingly provided service by Igli

Visited here a couple weekends ago. Lovely food and atmosphere and background music. The service however really let down our experience overall and was one of the worst. The lady had no welcoming smile, was very slow between meals and getting dessert menus, then was quick to ask if we were finished dessert when my partner still had some on his plate. We then asked for the bill, didn't come. Then we had to go up and ask again, for her to come back with the wrong bill that was double the amount we were really close to paying!!

Come here all the time, really great staff, food and atmosphere, definitely recommend

come here often with my friends. great servers, great food, great place for family and friends!! would defo recommend.

Loved this place, food was great and service was amazing! Aysh was soo friendly and helpful, credit to the restaurant. Thank you for making it such an enjoyable experience Aysh! :)

Amazing food and drinks 😍 thank you Alicja for your wonderful service. We will be back!

Amazing food in this italian independent restaurant. Lovely cosey atmosphere. Staff were super nice and accommodating

Nice t‐bone steak and excellent service!

Lovely pizzas, very good climate and nice staff. Great choice for lunch - not to mention for the quality the prices are way more than reasonable.

The Best pizza (Parmigiana) I had in a long time. Lovely people, great service, great food!

Lovely Italian place in Watford town. Yhebetagf where friendly and informative on the menu. The food was really tasty. Hats off to the chef and the team. The muscles in white wine sauce were delicious. The main dish Aliolio was ok, I would recommend more garlic and fresh garlic to be used. A place to eat authentic Italian.

Let's start with the beginning.Staff was extremely polite,helpful,smiling all the time,super friendly,we didn't wait to take our orders,super fast, and make us feel better,for what it was to come.I wanna thank them for this, because if they wasn't so nice with us I would in first second when I received so called food.Okay now, let's speak about the big problem, the food or let's say the attempt of food which they are serving.I ordered two carbonara, but I received something which let's say polite it is gross,horrible,a disrespectful attempt of food for the name of famous dish like carbonara.I don't mind if you want to reinvent a dish,but do it properly,do something wich has taste and is edible.We received some pasta,with alot of heavy cream,bacon,no salt,no pepper,no parmeggiano(we had to ask for it),a dish with no taste and the worst thing ever,parsley in carbonara🤮🤮,which is disgusting🤢,even a child can do better if he is searching online receipe. I belive the chef doesn't have a good taste for condiments like salt,he did a dish good for hospital,even there the food is better.If he is cooking like this all the time,he is good for a cantine in some country where they don't need a chef,just an amateur cooking person.I laught so much when I received so called carbonara,or better said carbonara soup with heavy cream,that I tought I will pass out from laughing,parsley was top,good job joke chef but keep that joke for you, don't ruin those carbonara.Luckly the waiters was so nice and they try to excuse the chef saying is an english version of carbonara and they was nice with us and polite to ask us if we want to order something else.A+ for those waiters👍, they keep that place nice and make you feel better after you receive your food,because the food is horrible for a so called italian restaurant.Is my first and last time when I eat there,for 40£ is way to expensive for what they offer.

We have been here about half a dozen times and it NEVER disappoints. Whether quick lunch or family occasion I can heartily recommend Il Pellegrino. The staff are so friendly and the food always good. Price is absolutely great value for the quality you get. Will be back...again and again.

I ate here with my teenage son. We're visiting from Northumberland to go to Harry Potter. Staying at the Leonardo Hotel nearby. I booked this restaurant based on the Google and Trip Adviser reviews. It was amazing! My son's favourite meal is carbonara, which I try to make reasonably authentically (although with smoked pancetta because I can't get hold of guanciale). Disappointingly for me, my son now prefers this restaurant's carbonara to my own. And he's a tough customer to please! I had the sea bass which was delicious. I'd recommend it.

Unfortunately we went again and food was not authentic Italian by any stretch of imagination. The parmigiana was a mish mash of aubergines and tomato. When we told the kitchen there was no mozzarella they just told us there was. So I am attaching a picture of what a Parmigiana di Melanzane I made looks like. For some reason the supposedly Italian waiter not only did not want to speak Italian but did not want to engage with us. Che antipatico!!!

We had fantastic family meal at your restaurant . Very efficient service from Alessandro and all team . Everything was amazing , highly recommend to everyone . Great ambience profesional service and amazing food . Thank you

I’m not from the Watford area and came across this cute restaurant! Took our chances and booked it blind and I really don’t regret it! The prices were amazing considering how delicious the food was! The food portions were really good and filling as well. I got the salmon pasta and my partner got the seafood pasta and usually other places skimp on the fish but our plates were filling and honestly it’s one of the best Italian restaurants we’ve been to. To top it off the staff were so attentive and polite and after realising it was my partners birthday even brought us two shots of limoncello which was a really sweet touch. Thank you so much to the team and we will definitely be back!!

Nice meal, atmosphere and staff.