Il Rustico in Dover

Everything about this restaurant was incredible, would thoroughly recommend this gem! Be sure to reserve as it's very popular.

Lovely meal. My daughter was able to order a small size child’s portion of almost anything on the menu. Food was amazing, service great and prices were really reasonable

Great food, service was attentive. Good value.

Brilliant restaurant The food was homemade. We loved the cheesy garlic bread. I had a calzone and couldn't finish it. The children had spaghetti and rigatoni Bolognese which they loved. Tiramus was perfect.

Lovely family run restaurant. They serve delicious homemade Italian and European style dishes. They have their own pizza oven too, and their pizzas are lush!! Great for all occasions, cosy dinner dates, or larger family gatherings, the owners are always happy to accommodate.

All dishes were delicious & great service! I can only recommend the swordfish.😋

Delicious food, presentation is really nice. A must try when you are in town

Without a doubt the nicest food I've eaten out in a long time. Hugely welcoming of our birthday group. Fantastic service, incredible food, will be coming again soon. The linguine Alfredo is amazing

We had a delightful meal here on a cold March evening, but felt as if we were in warm sunny Italy! The mains tasted like real home-cooked Italian fare - just as it promised on the menu. Vegetable sides were perfectly al dente (and little roasties to die for...) but the pièce de résistance was the amaretto cheesecake with vanilla ice cream atop and a generous dose of amaretto!

A Wonderful Italian Dining Experience! We had an amazing time at this Italian restaurant! The staff was incredibly warm, friendly, and polite, making us feel truly welcome. We tried their pizza and pasta, both of which were delicious and full of authentic flavors. However, the highlight of our meal was the Panna Cotta—it was simply outstanding! If you visit, you absolutely must try it. Overall, a fantastic restaurant with great food and excellent service. Highly recommended!

Very delicious food and very warm service.

We decided to visit this restaurant based on the reviews. We booked our table in advance over the phone, which was quick and easy. We arrived really early, so had a walk around in the nearby area before heading here. We got a large table at the back of the restaurant. There were so many options to choose from and we didn’t know what to have! After the long day we had, I tried the soup of the day for the starter. The flavour was good, but it was a bit watery. I should have picked the garlic cheese bread. I managed to pinch a piece from my sister and it was so fresh. For mains, I had the seafood linguine, which was so good! Portion wise, it is on the smaller side, so we ordered a bit more. We ordered another pizza and seafood linguine to share. I don’t usually order pizza at restaurants but my sister told me to try it and the pepperoni pizza was actually really good too. It was topped with chopped jalapeño peppers which gave it more of a kick. We couldn’t leave without trying some dessert so we tried the tiramisu and amaretto cheesecake. The tiramisu wasn’t too much to my liking, but I did enjoy the cheesecake. I would love to come back for the linguine and pizza again.

Lovely meal, efficient service, nice atmosphere.

Having been to Il Rustico previously we were incredibly disappointed with our visit yesterday. We originally tried to book a table via their website however as we didn’t get a response we phoned to book a table. When we arrived for our booking we were initially ignored by all the members of staff. After a few minutes a waiter asked if we booked and asked us to wait a minute. After another minute a female waitress asked if we booked and then asked us to wait a minute. A third waiter then asked us to wait a minute. Being disabled with a mobility aid it was upsetting and shocking that they didn’t seat us faster as there was many tables empty. It felt clear that the staff were communicating poorly with each other but we tried to be patient and eventually got shown to our table. Several other groups arrived after us and all had their orders taken. We waited, made eye contact with the waiting staff, tried to get their attention politely all the time they chatted with each other. Not once did they come near our table or ask us if we would like to order. I would have liked to balance my review with a positive but unfortunately we didn’t get any drinks or food. After more than 20 minutes without even being able to order we decided to leave. Despite living in Dover and there being few restaurants to visit we definitely won’t be going back.

Two years in a row, the samba band Drum & Blaze have adopted this fine establishment as our end-of-year reward following the Dover lights parade. After the first year, I couldn't wait for our second visit. The food meets the band's high standards very well. I had bruschetta, pesto pollo rosso, and tiramisu - their bread is great and flavourful, the pasta wasn't flashy or overdressed which is just my style. The tiramisu was fine - compared to the amaretto cheesecake everyone got I think I made the wrong choice of dessert. The staff are utterly brilliant, friendly and able to adapt to the needs of a 20+ person party flawlessly - the wine kept flowing, the amaretto was endless, and the smiles leapt from staff to party and back all evening. At one point we were shushed, which stung a couple of us, but as a drum band from Brighton we may have different ideas of volume. Altogether the restaurant was the highlight of our Dover visit, the perfect setting for our second end of year cheer, and well worth the wait. See you next year!

Excellent food and clearly prepared with care. The staff is amazing and very kind, can't recommend it enough.

Incredible, it couldn't live up to its name better.

Always very happy and attentive, food always excellent, what more could you ask for, prices great, wine list great, always have specials on.

This was the second year our band Drum and Blaze has eaten at Il Rustico while visiting Dover to play in their Winter Light-Up parade. If anything the food was even better. The charming host and his lovely team went out of their way to make our large and slightly unruly group welcome. We’ll definitely be back next year!

This was the second year our band Drum and Blaze has eaten at Il Rustico while visiting Dover to play in their Winter Light-Up parade. If anything the food was even better. The charming host and his lovely team went out of their way to make our large and slightly unruly group welcome. We’ll definitely be back next year!

Lovely restaurant. Staff are extremely professional and friendly. The food was delicious!!!

Called in on a Friday without booking a table. We were told we would have a table in 30 minutes so had a quick drink in The Hoptimist next door before returning. Food and service were amazing. Only thing we would have liked was for the lighting to be a bit more subdued. Perfect evening and we can highly recommend.

Good food and service. Went there for a late lunch on a weekday, didn't need to make a reservation beforehand. Ambience was nice

Lovely Italian restaurant. The food was amazing, we had pasta, pizza and a caprese. The service was great, lovely staff, very attentive and going the extra mile. Definitely recommended!

Fantastic, very quiet place and the food surprised me, the place is run by a family and you can see the care they take in serving customers. Thank you for the attention you gave us.

Brilliant service, and superb delicious meals. Have been a few times and always go back ! I recommend the linguini frutti di mare, pizza and panacotta

Had a lovely time. Great appetizers and filling pizza. Authentic italian restaurant.

Friendly and fast service as well as delicious food with a good price-performance ratio.

Was an amazing place we have been before so went back again booked a table however when we arrived the table wasn’t ready and we was told to come back in 10 minutes we went to a pub near by and came back. The service was amazing and staff were attentive but also left us alone which was great. The food was full of flavour and quickly prepared. Great restaurant and will be back!

Excellent service with fantastic food. Every dish was cooked brilliantly, and portion sizes were large enough to get your money's worth without becoming uncomfortably full. The staff were great and very amiable, keeping us entertained with good conversation and humour. Everything seemed reasonably priced, particularly considering the excellent standard of service and food we received. Having booked a table for lunchtime, we enjoyed our experience immensely. It was only slightly marred by the lack of other customers in the restaurant which we were dumbfounded by; we honestly could not recommend a better dining experience. We will happily be returning again!

Genuinely delighted with every aspect of our (Friday night) dinner at Ill Rustico. From the warmest of welcomes to tasty, hot and authentic dishes, it was pretty much perfect. The service was the real standout affair - the young and hardworking team went out of their way to make sure we had a cracker of a night, and we did. 10/10.

Best restaurant in Dover. Great food and service especially from the ginger boy and girl. Amaretto cheesecake was to die for. Highly recommended.

Best restaurant in Dover. Great food and service especially from the ginger boy and girl. Amaretto cheesecake was to die for. Highly recommended.

My family's favourite restaurant in Dover. We choose it for special occasions like birthdays as we always know the food will be excellent. Even with different dietary requirements and fussy eaters, there is always something. Love it, love it, love it.

Amazing food. Will definitely return soon

Head and shoulders the best restaurant in town. Great kitchen consistently pumping out wonderfully tasty dishes. Good value too. The only grumble are the wines, which to accompany food of this calibre are disappointing. Sort that out and it’ll be a strong contender for the best in SE Kent.

Very nice restaurant with lovely personnel

10 out 10 stars!!!!! Amazing drinks, appetizers, food, atmosphere and lovely staff!! We will definitely be back! There are no pictures of the food because we ate it all too soon with nothing left for proof. The owners are the sweetest and most authentic couple. You will be missing out if you don’t stop by.

Lovely Italian restaurant. Arrived on a busy Friday evening without booking but they kindly accommodated us. Food was great, our group had pasta, chicken and pizza dishes all were fabulous. They even have vegan cheese for pizza 🍕 The waitress who served us was very knowledgeable about veganism and without me asking was swift to acknowledge that they would ensure no cross contamination of items in the kitchen. Amazing customer service 👏

Great service, fabulous pasta, but best of all for me were the Gluten Free options, the Ameretto Cheesecake was amazing!!

Lovely atmosphere, yummy steak, meatballs, salmon

Fantastic food and Amazing service we were table of 7 in late evening.Thank you for good time really appreciate it

Really nice food and atmosphere. Staff were great, always like it when you get a bit of a laugh from the staff. Food was quick, fresh and cooked well. No complaints here.

Delicious real Italian food. Staff are super friendly and very efficient. Lovely venue and atmosphere. Would definitely recommend.

I want to thank the restaurant for the excellent service and delicious food. We ordered a Margherita pizza and Bolognese. My friend said it was the best Bolognese she’s ever had. The pizza was just the right size, with incredibly tasty cheese and tomato sauce. We will definitely come back here if we have the chance!

Amazing food! Amazing service! Food was as good as my (Italian) great grandmother's cooking!

The staff, the food, the noisy and busy atmosphere all typical of an excellent Italian restaurant. The advice given on the menu was just right as was the food. We will have to go again next time we find ourselves in Dover.

Food was excellent and service was very good. Very convenient to marina hotels. Easily walkable. Reservations needed.

Great place - genuine home cooked, delicious food. Great friendly service. Would recommend highly. Book if going at the weekend.

Fantastic food; quick and friendly service.. staff fitted us in at the last minute and we did not regret it. We had risotto and the salmon and both dishes were amazing

Famtastico. Excellent email. Great service. Highly recommend

We had an absolutely fantastic meal here for my niece's 18th birthday. Will definitely be back. Highly recommend the salmon and asparagus linguine, and the amaretto cheesecake. Delicious!

Had a wonderful starter, main & dessert, all cooked magnificiently Service was wonderfil

Perfect! Lovely calm restaurant, Italian music playing, varied menu, attentive service and very reasonable prices. They can add vegan cheese to pizzas if required and vegan options are marked on menu. The Swordfish was cooked perfectly and the pizza was generously topped. I would recommend booking.

Great local Italian which serves lovely authentic food. Service was attentive and quick however the seating layout meant we were spread out where there were plenty of seats at the front of the restaurant which would have helped the atmosphere. Very reasonable and well worth visiting.

Delicious freshly cooked Italian food. Amaretto cheesecake was fantastic! We will be back soon.

Very nice people and excellent food. Local wine and products served in a very nice place. We went twice.

We didn't had anything to eat since the afternoon and we entered around 21h35 for food, just before closing time, but the food was awesome, the owners showed love for their guests and made us feel welcome! The staff was also very friendly, and the lasagna really great, so all in all great experience and will visit again when i'm there.

A delightful dining experience. One notable advantage is that tables are well-spaced rather than bunched. Pasta was piping hot and really well prepared. Ample desserts beautifully arranged. Washed down with properly chilled Frascati. Staff were all both amiable and efficient.

Hands down the most amazing place to eat in Dover food was delicious and the service is perfect

Loved eating dinner here, 1st time & was impressed. Great menu, traditional Italian food & good quality dining. We had seafood pasta & it was fantastic. The dessert was excellent too, Tiramisu & the best Panna Cotta I've ever had - gloriously creamy & smooth. It's home made. This is a family owned business & it shows from their genuine care for customers, to their quality in the food they make & the love that goes into it. Eating here was an absolute joy.

Family birthday celebration lunch visit last week. Yet again Il Rustico came up trumps! Lovely menu with classical Italian favourites on offer. Well cooked, nicely presented and delicious to eat - all those dining were well satisfied. Good wine to accompany and nice desserts to follow. Reasonable prices across the board with excellent, friendly service throughout. As in previous visits, no hesitation to recommend this lovely Italian eatery. We will be revisiting again for sure.

We ate here two evenings in a row and the service was quick and friendly. And the food is fresh, hot and very tasty. The price/performance ratio is right.

Very good service. Very good food. The Tiramisu was the best I’ve had. Waiters/waitresses very friendly. My guests and I did not feel rushed and enjoyed the family restaurants atmosphere. House wine very good.

Amazing traditional italians! The staff were so attentive, and the food was incredible.

Beautifully clean and cozy restaurant with attentive service and good food.

Very delightful restaurant. Great find in Dover, England

Visited to celebrate my birthday and my daughter’s great exam results. We were on a stopover on the way to Southern France. Lovely welcome by friendly staff. Family friendly , great service and food that tastes so good you’ll want to eat it again. The deserts are so good!

Great place to go. Very good food for reasonable prices. The bruschetta was delicious. As well as the pasta and pizza dishes. Our highlight: the desserts. Loved the chocolate cake and the cheesecake with amaretto.

Lovely Italian restaurant with nice people and great atmosfere. You'll feel very welcome like at home.

True Italian experience! Loved it! Strongly recommend!! ♥️

The Linguini Ai Frutti Di Mare was very nice and the garlic bread was quite good as well. Would definitely recommend . The staff were quite friendly and the atmosphere was pleasant.

Always great food at reasonable prices .

The service was excellent, the food was good, better than any place in Dover, surely. The toilets were absolutely shiny! Maybe the portions could be slightly bigger, however everything was good!i would recommend this restaurant.

This really is a lovely authentic Italian restaurant. We had pizza, risotto and pasta, all were well cooked and well presented. The service is polite and unobtrusive. We have visited a few times now whilst meeting up with family in the area.

The restaurant was extremely hot..no air conditioning as far as I could tell. I chose lasagne, which was nice, but the dish it was served in had burnt spots all over it from the sauce splattering in the oven. It was not served with salad or anything else.

We visit with friends every time we visit Dover. The food is amazing and very reasonably priced and they have a good wine list. The staff are so friendly and knowledgeable. Will deffo visit again.

Lovely restaurant with lovely staff and great food. ⭐

We like to eat seafood, and the appetizer of mussels is delicious 👍In addition, we ordered two kinds of fish including Swordfish and Hake. I personally recommend Hake, which is tender and smooth, while Swordfish has a firmer texture, if you don’t mind! Because both taste great. The staff are polite and friendly, and the environment and atmosphere are comfortable and enjoyable. Will definitely come again!

Nice family restaurant, delicious food!

Rude behaviour!!! Wow, although the place had seating space available and no reservation signs on tables, we were refused entry by saying everyone (all customers) came in all together and we cannot manage them all….so no entry I am surprised this still exists. Sorry can’t comment on your food but can make sure it would be stale like the behaviour….

We recently dined at Il Rustico, and it was a delightful experience! As a family of three, we appreciated the warm and welcoming atmosphere. The staff were exceptionally attentive, making sure we were comfortable and well taken care of throughout our meal. The food was absolutely delicious. I had the hake, which was perfectly cooked and bursting with flavor. My husband and our son both opted for pizzas, and they were fantastic—crispy crusts, fresh toppings, and just the right amount of cheese. It’s clear that Il Rustico uses quality ingredients in all their dishes. Il Rustico is truly a superb local gem in Dover, offering authentic Italian cuisine with excellent service. We highly recommend it to anyone looking for a wonderful dining experience. We’ll definitely be back!

We recently dined at Il Rustico, and it was a delightful experience! As a family of three, we appreciated the warm and welcoming atmosphere. The staff were exceptionally attentive, making sure we were comfortable and well taken care of throughout our meal. The food was absolutely delicious. I had the hake, which was perfectly cooked and bursting with flavor. My husband and our son both opted for pizzas, and they were fantastic—crispy crusts, fresh toppings, and just the right amount of cheese. It’s clear that Il Rustico uses quality ingredients in all their dishes. Il Rustico is truly a superb local gem in Dover, offering authentic Italian cuisine with excellent service. We highly recommend it to anyone looking for a wonderful dining experience. We’ll definitely be back!

Amazing place. Very delicious Italian food. The pasta was superb. Special mention should be made of the desserts. They are not overly sweet, just the right amount. It was divine. The place is cozy, but we were there during peak hours. It was a bit noisy at that time, but it also added to the atmosphere.

excellent food, amazing tiramisu taste just like italy

Saw the reviews and wanted to give it a try. I must say that we didn’t have a booking, but we were able to be seated perfectly. We got some starters to share and everything was fine. However, we started to realise that all the waiters looked like young students (which we understand—no one is born with experience), but they all seemed to follow a script. But never mind, we ordered 2 starters, and they were ok. What we didn’t like much were the sizes of the pizzas—they were small. Furthermore, the risotto just tasted like cream; all the other ingredients were barely noticeable, too much cream in my opinion, plus, some asparagus were hard while others were soft, which was a bit strange. We also ordered tiramisu, and again, it just tasted like whipped cream without any flavour of coffee or mascarpone. This is just my opinion; but overall I got disappointed.

Great restaurant. Food is excellent.

Went here to spend a Christmas gift voucher. Very nice restaurant, where they do not try to hurry you. The meals we had were excellent, salmon for the good lady and veal for me. The desserts were lovely and nice sized. The waitress we had was very attentive and took our orders when we were ready. Thumbs up all around.

A lovely humble restaurant. Genuine Italian, with a proper Italian menu. Wife and I went to Sorrento a few years ago, and Il Rustico is every bit an authentic Italian experience, but in Dover! Lovely food, made fresh, served by a charming team. We've been here several times over the years and will continue to recommend it. 2024 update: It's still a lovely authentic Italian restaurant. Humble, honest, genuine food served fast and efficiently. Great prices, nice atmosphere. The front of house staff are great too.

Ate very tasty. Friendly and attentive service.

Ate here twice in two days. Great quality and fresh food. We had pasta, pizza, bruschetta and mixed salad.

Stunning food. A real slice of Italy 👌

This is a very cozy restaurant with tasty food! Very nice employees!

Good food. Excellent service. The chef altered an item on the menu to leave out tomatoes for me which was really good of them.

Very nice food, well worth a visit. Sticky tables the last time we went. Not for being dirty, just sticky where the varnish is coming off.

We went out for a family meal. Wonderful food and excellent service. I recommend the mushroom risotto and tiramisu.

It's a,bit tucked away but we'll worth the hunt. Family owned very friendly and attentive staff ( they had never seen us before but treated us like old and valued friends) so highly recommended. Very extensive menu at reasonable prices. So do give it a go. You won't be disappointed

Visited this place on a Sunday and was warmly attended by all the staff. From the moment you step in, you can sense it is a home run business solely based on the authenticity it provides, be it in food or hospitality. The food is delicious and cooked with love. Highly recommend visiting this place again.

We'd travelled for hours across France. Kmn (kill me now). Then the tunnel. Jesus wept. Then Folkestone. Are we there yet? FOOD! The place was empty which was a warning sign. Alarm bells ringing. The food is lovely. Pasta was Al dente. Pizza. Scrummy. The service is worth writing to every restaurant about. Sing it with me... "Do bee do bee do. I'm lovin it."

Good portion and very tasty Tiramisu was not a disappointment either Friendly staffs