About the experience

Carlton's Lygon Street isn't short of Italian restaurants, but you'll always find room for the brilliant cuisine of Il Gambero. The kitchen offers diners some of the best pizza and pasta the area has to offer, and they've perfected their recipes over the course of 30 years in the business. The restaurant's downstairs area has a cool, old-school vibe, with exposed brick walls and shelves packed with wine. Upstairs is a modern, classy affair that can be reserved for functions.

Diners are welcomed by appetising blackboard specials and breezy al fresco tables, where satisfied patrons munch on mouth-watering pizza while looking out onto Lygon St Park. Inside, cosy dark wooden tables huddle up against the restaurant's exposed brick walls, which are lined with vintage photographs, drawings and hand-scribbled blackboard menus. Il Gambero on the Park's large traditional Italian menu, welcoming family atmosphere and enduring reputation all suggest that this new venture will re-assume its rightful place as a Lygon St staple.

Il Gambero on the Park is perfect for families with fussy eaters, couples looking for a casual dinner or friends wanting a laid-back place to celebrate the end of a long week. Like their food menu, the wine list is well thought out and great value for money.

Photography: Courtesy of Il Gambero on the Park