Il Toscano - Douglaston (NY)

5 /5 Eve Durante: Il Toscano has been one of my favorite restaurants for over 35 years, and they remain unmatched. The food is always exceptional-fresh, consistent, and full of flavor. The service is warm, professional, and makes you feel like family every time you walk in. Its rare to find a place that maintains this level of quality for decades!!, Il Toscano does it effortlessly. Definitely one of the best dining experiences. Its truly timeless gem.

5 /5 Damir Ritosa: Excellent Italian restaurant. As Im from Istria, I think I can say that. My relatives live in the neighborhood and they love it too.

5 /5 German Bosquez: This local gem is tucked away next to the Douglaston LIRR train station. It serves Northern Italian cuisine in an "old school" atmosphere that makes you forget youre in NY. They are only open for dinner and they get busy! We made reservations for 5:45 and were seated quickly by the Donna, who couldnt be more friendly & accommodating. Our waitress Lisa recited a long list of specials, all of which sounded amazing. The emphasis here is on "homemade" and they take obvious pride in their food preparation. Their ravioli (see photo) was so delicate, and stuffed with lamb and artichoke. I ate slowly to savor every bite! Their eggplant parm is not breaded and loaded with cheese as so many restaurants do it. The thinly sliced eggplant is cooked and layered and then topped with a delicate tomato sauce and a light sprinkling of parmigiano reggiano. It is so light compared to eggplant parm you get at so many Italian restaurants. A friend at our table ordered the gnocchi, which she raved about being fresh and flavorful. Their homemade Napoleon was layers of very delicate pastry and a cream that delighted the tongue while not being overly sweet. We thoroughly enjoyed all their dishes and have made plans to return again soon. Definitely worth the visit!

2 /5 Valerie Mae: THIS IS NOT A BOUGIE RESTAURANT . They serve bakery bought bread. You will not get warm rolls here! Their food also does not taste premium in quality. On the evening of 1/9/26, I ordered the fried calamari appetizer, the Lobster Toscano and a New Old Fashioned. The fried calamari was semi-crisp, and it tasted like it was fried frozen. Squeezing fresh lemon over it and dipping it in the garlic aioli did nothing to enhance the taste. Perhaps a marinara sauce would have paired better. The calamari had a tad too much batter. I prefer mine flash fried from fresh calamari. The Lobster Toscano was between firm and mushy. It also did not taste fresh caught. The dish was loaded with spinach, which needed more seasoning. The New Old Fashioned was made with Maker’s Mark and Vermouth. The Vermouth made the drink taste like medicine, so I did not like the cocktail at all. All TIPS must be paid in CASH, according to a sign inside the bill cover (see photo below) There is free parking in the lot across the street when the ticket is validated at the restaurant. My waiter Arturo provided outstanding service. The bartender Dennis was also good although I did not like the cocktail. I have been to much better Italian restaurants, where they bake their bread on premises and make fresh caught seafood. I do not recommend!

4 /5 Kyle Style: This is not your typical Italian restaurant from Italy. Theres no primi or secondi separation in the menu. The menu has some typical Italian dishes, but 1/2 it is a mixture of fowls & fish. The music they played is mostly Gypsy Kings & perhaps 1 Italian song, whilst we were there. The inside of the place looks like a typical Tudor interior, nicely decorated. Nevertheless, the food is very good. My wife & I were there to celebrate our anniversary. We shared everything from salad (has manchego [too white to be more than 3 months aged], avocado, baby spinach, red onion), lobster bisque (not as creamy as other places, however, what they have works well too), quails (deboned) stuffed with spinach, striper with asparagus (the tomato chutney was a great addition), peach cobbler topped with chocolate chip ice cream (we had better in Chattanooga, the streusel has granola, which is a pleasant surprise). I wished weve chosen the coconut panna cotta. Both the mains were cooked just right, not overdone. My wife had a cappuccino, which was not too fancy. It just has foam & a dust of cinnamon. Just like the pan gratis, the 3 or 4 varieties werent even heated. We like our breads heated. Weve also shared a raspberry limoncello martini. Im not sure what to make of it, but its not bad either.