Allegro Italian Kitchen

We dine here about once a month. Pauly is our usually server and greats us by name and knows what we like. Feels like home but the cooking’s way better. HA! Sometimes they have a Piano player on weekends, which is also enjoyable. If you’re not into that, you might want to ask before you reserve. We also reserved the breakaway private room for my husbands 50^th. The server was excellent, all the food arrived at similar time. Since we ran one tab for drinks she checked the balance and ok’d bottles of wine with me throughout the evening which I appreciated. Everyone had a great time. They also served a desert we brought without any concern. Easy to recommend.

For the price you could go have a great meal at Corso 32, the best restaurant in town. We had the veal which was good– there was no problem, but it was overpriced. I avoided ordering pasta as I could tell by looking at the table next to us that it was not classically ‘al dente’ it looker over cooked. Service was fast and courteous. The house red was actually really good. But in the end, take your money to somewhere like Corso or Chibo or Sorrentinos in Little Italy.

I was here this past Saturday night for a big birthday celebration. Our group was seated in the private room. The restaurant itself has pleasant surroundings and was packed full for their evening service.
The reason I’m giving the restaurant 3 stars is because I (and many of my fellow diners), felt that the price of our set menus was pretty steep compared to the portion sizes served. As we were a larger group, we had to order off a set menu. And from my understanding, they have a few different options price-​wise. Our group ordered off the cheapest option, which still ended up being $ 39.95 each. For this price, we had our choice of salad starter, an entrée and dessert.
I chose the house caesar salad, which although had good taste, was way over-​dressed with dressing, to the point of being almost inedible. For my entrée, I chose the salmon. The portion size was a bit of a joke. The salmon piece I received was about the size of my palm whereas another friend’s salmon portion was almost 1.5 times larger than mine. And the accompanying portion of penne with tomato sauce was also the size of my palm and the veggies, although grilled, was nothing to write home about. For dessert, there were no dairy-​free options so I settled on the tiramisu (vs. the New York Cheesecake); and when it arrived, it looked like it had been sitting out of the fridge for awhile as the cake was melting and oozing out of itself. I only took a small bite and found the taste overpowering with the coffee liquer.
When you factor in a drink each, the bill for my boyfriend and I was $ 100 not including tip.
The saving grace was our server who was excellent and did her best with the large group. Some of us received our dishes after others were almost finished though, which was the kitchen’s fault.

This place was an amazing find. I live downtown so it was nice to be able to just walk down the street and have amazing Italian food at my disposal. The great thing about this place is the smaller menu. It made it very simple to figure out what I wanted and MAN was it ever good! I had the penne with spicy sausage – to die for! I’ve spent in total about a months time in Italy and this place was on par with the experiences I had there. The service was exceptional, the waitress was very attentive and made sure that our wine was always topped up (my favorite thing). The atmosphere was intimate and not too loud. They have music playing but not so loud that you can’t hear the people across from you. I recommend this place to everyone I know :)

This restaurant is within a block or two of my work so I go here fairly often for work birthdays, business lunches etc. Being that there are not too many other restaurants around, it does get very busy over the lunch hour, so definitely make a reservation.
I’m a creature of habit and almost exclusively order the Panini Chicken Grigliato for lunch. it comes with a nice fresh salad with barely-​there dressing, and simple penne pasta with a tomato sauce.(I think it’s just crushed tomatoes and maybe a bit of garlic but it’s delicious.) Of course with the salad and the pasta you cannot finish the panini, so half (or sometimes all) of the panini becomes dinner. For around $ 15 that’s not a bad deal.
The servers are friendly but they can be slow. I’ve waited 15 – 20 minutes for the server to come back with the bill, which isn’t great when you have to get back to work. Otherwise I’d recommend it for a nice work lunch spot.

Excellent atmosphere. The restaurant felt full but the noise level was perfect. Our service was friendly and prompt while not being overbearing. Our wine was always topped up and we always had everything we needed. I ordered a salmon and asparagus fettuccine with vodka sauce; it was flawless. I would definitely go again and I recommend Allegro to anyone wanting a delicious and comfortable Italian meal!

Pianist on saturday night is fabulous. Great food. Exceptional service. Easy online reservations.
I booked online on opentable. Easy and only took 30 seconds. Parking is free in the back and theres lots of it after 5 pm. Upon arrival our table was not ready yet so we sat at the bar for a few minutes which was delightful bc of the live piano player playing classics. Some people were even singing along to the songs. It was fun and classy at the same time. So a pleasant start despite the wait.
I started with a huge ceaser salad which had a kick of anchovies that made it tastier than most ceaser salads out there. It was pretty big too. Double the size of most restaurants ceasers salad. My son had the soup of the day which was AMAZING. One of the best soups ive had in a long long time. It was a seafood tomato bisque. Plenty of mussels, clams and shrimps swimming in a tomato soup with fresh herbs. My son was licking his fingers and claiming the mess was worth it. The warm bread was nice and the olive oil and balsamic dip gave me memories of my travels to rome. A strong red balsamic was used with a nice sweet olive oil. Yum. Even my son enjoyed it.
Next I had the veal parmigana with risotto and fresh veggies. The veal was a little tough but the sauce and cheese that accompanied it were so tasty that I didnt mind. The perfect amout of sweet ripe tomatoes and salty cheese. The risotto was cheesy but not as al le dente as it should of been. The vegetables were so simple but super tasty. Cooked perfectly and seasoned just right. I think it was herbs, lemon and olive oil. Soooo tasty. My son had the stuffed cannaloni which was so tender, the pasta literally melted in your mouth and did not require chewing at all. The house red wine was smooth and really upped my meal from fantastic to «why dont I come here more often???» It was really good for just $ 8.
We finished the meal stuffed. But tiramisu was on the menu and it was fresh and a huge slice. Its was not traditional tiramisu but more like a cake. It had lots of expresso and a nice hint of marscapone which was not overly sweet. The regular coffee was a perfect accompaniment. It was strong but not sour or bitter. A really great blend. My server topped up my coffee as well which was lovely.
Overall service was exceptional as I received everything promptly and had everything I needed when the food was put on our table. Server brought freshly grated cheese and pepper with our meals and refilled our waters several times without prompting.
We had no complaints and I think bc of the awesome atmosphere (live piano) I will have to become a saturday night regular. It was really fun and the music was fantastic… that made you want to either dance in your chair or sing along. It was fabulous. The bad reviews I believe are for cheapskates or people who just have no appreaciation for great food that takes a awhile to prepare. We were there for about 1 hour 45 minutes for three courses. But the restaurant was at full capacity due to downtown dining week.
Ive been here before in the summer and I love sitting on the patio and going for a walk at the legislature afterwards. its my ritual to eat here before the canada day fireworks as its so conveinent and lovely with the cheerful crowds everywhere. I would highly recomend coming on saturday nights or during the summer on a beautiful day at the legislature grounds!!!

This food is incredible, the atmosphere is calming and intimate and the service is always awesome.
My boyfriend and I love it, and try to dine here at least once a month. We have probably been here 4 – 5 times in the last six months, and usually try something new, always with a bottle of wine (they have a pretty large selection of reds). The last two times we were here my boyfriend ordered the Sea Bass. It is cooked perfectly and tastes so delicious. Only downside is, there are always a couple of bones in it. I know this is hard to avoid when cooking a fresh fish, so there is no docking stars for such a thing. I almost always get something related to the Salmon, so I most recently tried the Salmon /​pasta dish they have. This was a very good sauce, and still cooked perfectly. The fish is never over cooked.
For dessert, their tiramisu is a great choice, or just a double shot of espresso with a shot of dark rum added.
There is a pianist on weekends which makes the atmosphere even more relaxing and enjoyable.

I took my girlfriend to Allegro for dinner one weekend. She had the spicy sausage with pasta and I had the veal with mushrooms. Both were pretty good. Unfortunately, neither of us had ordered these meals! She had ordered her pasta with chicken and I had ordered the chicken and mushrooms. We assumed they had used weird cuts or had created some franken-​chicken sausage; however, half way through our meals we were convinced that neither of our meals contained chicken. We were too embarassed by our own ignorance to send the meals back and never said anything.
If you go here, do not order using the italian titles on their menu. Supposedly, their servers don’t actually speak italian (i.e., Pollo con funghi supposedly does not mean Chicken and mushrooms but veal and mushrooms)

I really enjoy lunch at Allegro IK so I went back for dinner, had the lasagna, almost as good as homemade. I will go back, good service and reasonably priced. I have been back for lunch again everything was great. I especially like the dinner rolls: light, fluffy, crispy thin crust, not dry like many, yum.

I came for lunch with a friend and the restaurant was about half full. We had the option of eating on the patio but we didn’t want to risk our food being blown away or sand blowing into it. There were a few tables to choose from and we picked up towards the back.
The menu included pastas and sandwiches. The sandwiches are served with a salad and penne pasta so a great deal! My friend ordered the chicken sandwich and it looked good. She was only able to eat half since it was so much food.
We asked our server if there were smaller sizes of pasta and he mentioned you can get a lunch sized portion for about $ 3 cheaper. The pastas are around the $ 15 price so you can order and likely have leftovers or get the lunch size.
I wasn’t too hungry so I ordered the minestrone soup for $ 9. I noticed the buns they serve are huge so I knew it would be filling. The soup has large chucks of potatoes, broccoli, celery, and carrots. It was good for those who like a bit of spice but since I can’t handle it much, I didn’t drink much of the soup and enjoyed the veggies. It was a big bowl though, and a decent meal with the bun.
If I had ordered another item, I likely would have enjoyed it more. I will definitely be back for lunch and try a sandwich or pasta next time.

Hm, first time going to Allegro’s on a Tuesday evening for my mom’s birthday and it’s exactly what I expected it to be. Nothing mind blowing but not bad either. Place is a bit hard to spot but if your driving, it’s on the north east side of the street. Lots of free parking nearby which is a bonus. Like how they have a little patio area outside — too bad it’s the ugliest view. Guess that’s what you get when your on the main floor located in a random office building.
Anyways, we sat inside the restaurant where there were only a few other tables occupied. We were seated right away and they brought us some buns (fresh and hot which was nice) along with an oil vinaigrette dip.
We ordered and shared:
— Calamari ($ 15) — baby squid served with a spicy marinara sauce. Squid cooked perfectly. Not greasy at all and marinara sauce was a perfect compliment to the squid. Good way to start the evening. Comes with red onion and lettuce.
— Linguini fruitti di mare ($ 21) — your typical seafood linguini pasta dish. Came with an assortment of shrimp, clams, mussels and a white wine, garlic sauce.
— Lamb shank ($ 28) — lamb braised in a mixed tomato sauce. Lamb was tender, fall off the shank.
— Linguini Mare Monte ($ 19) — pieces of chicken and tigers prawns tossed in a pesto cream sauce. I had this one and it was good but as several people have said, their pastas have an excess amount of oil added to it. Very unnecessary. Prawns were good but chicken was a bit on the dry side.
We opted out of dessert as we were pretty full (and nothing special caught our attention) but it would have been a nice touch if they had gave a complimentary dessert or something for my mom’s bday! Anyways, overall for Italian, I wasn’t amazed. Still sticking with my go to Italian restaurants — Tasty Tomato or Piccolino’s

Great food, go there hungry, as the portions are a fair size. Private and cozy patio, the food was very flavorful, service was awesome! Price point, it was well priced, due to the portion sizes that you receive. I would recommend this restaurant to others and would return again myself… would like to try the lunch menu next time.

It’s this kind of meal that makes me SO wish Jack’s Grill had this space and WAS HERE instead of where it was in Lendrum Square where it closed last month… ugh. We came to eat at Allegro on April 5… a chilly Friday night, and yes, there was snow, so YES, I came wanting a nice dish of pasta.
I went to Allegro with hopes that it would be competitive with what is around, however, I was sadly disappointed beyond belief. The staff is quite nice, however, it doesn’t make up for the kitchen.
To be fair, my appetizer (Calamari Fritti) and my companion’s (Insalata Caprese) were good. However, my Fettuccine al Salmone alla vodka were NOT… in fact, I counted about 5 small pieces of salmon and with it there was asparagus… the STEM… grated stem (mandolin style, so large slivers). The sauce was more red and creamy and heavy, and a bit overcooked. My companion had the Seabass which was better, not memorable, at all.
The dessert, I ordered the «homemade» tiramisu’…it tasted old, like having been in the refrigerator at least 3 – 4 days (if anyone has made tiramisu’, after a few days in the fridge, the creamy mascarpone starts to «dry» out a bit and taste and have a bit of a «sticky» sensation)…
For those that feel this place serves ‘authentic’ Italian food … go home and read the recipe for what you order… especially if it is the Fettuccine al Salmone alla vodka… I can assure you that what you eat at Allegro is NOT the «authentic» Italian recipe…

This place serves authentic, traditional Italian. Don’t expect anything thought provoking or out of the ordinary. On the other hand, they do the cuisine justice, with excellent menu options, relatively reasonable prices (sort of), and great service.
Now, in general, I take issue to the pricing of most Italian restaurants. Italian food is most typically very cheap to make, particularly vegetarian pastas. Even importing, say, pricer San Marzano tomatoes and using premium toppings still doesn’t get you close to their pricing. Heck even the parm isn’t the read deal. This is completely irrelevant, as every Italian place seems to do this. so I’ll shut it for now.
What I did like; my veal pizzaiola was unbelievable. Exactly the way my mom made it. Lots of veal scallopini, cooked perfectly, with a nice neutral tomato sauce with penne, capers, and parmesean. Would definitely go back.
Oh, and the house wine was great. Every good Italian place needs a reasonably priced house wine to complement the pasta.

We got married here and had a fabulous time. A party of only 8 or 9 we just needed a place to have a quick vow exchange and paper signing with the marriage commisioner and so we reserved the party room in the back, there were doors that closed w/​curtains for privacy. The house wine was very good and my guests really liked the food. All in all we were pleasantly surprised in the friendliness and coziness of the restaurant and the good food. They definitely offer something different compared to other nearby italian restaurants.

Very good Italian food, I really enjoyed the pasta dish I had. Service was slow, this could have been due to the fact that I went for lunch and there wasn’t as many servers as there would be for dinner. The atmosphere was very casual and inviting, however I found the tables in kind of awkward places. Very convient location, only a couple of blocks from the LRT. I would come back to this restaurant and would recommend it to others!

Allegro is a decent little Italian restaurant in the government district of downtown. I work in the same building, so I occasionally go downstairs for a working lunch with colleagues.
The casual atmosphere is nice and the food is generally good, but I find that it is typically too oily (even bordering on greasy, at times). I like olive oil as much as the next person, but I really feel like Allegro uses way too much.
Despite the oiliness of many of their sauces, Allegro makes good food at a reasonable price. The atmosphere is nice for a working lunch or a casual night out with friends.
The service is really hit-​or-​miss, and that’s what keeps me from giving Allegro a 4-​star review. Because, despite my complaint about the food being too oily, it really is a nice place with good food. But the service is spotty.
Sometimes, the service is really good. Other times, I’ve had to steal a napkin from an empty table beside me because they forgot to give me one and the waiter is nowhere to be found.
Overall, Allegro is a decent Italian restaurant. I wouldn’t go here too often, because the food is a little bit too rich for my usual liking and the service isn’t always the best, but it is still a place that I return to at least a few times a year.

Consistent, casual and authentic Italian food. I’m surprised this has not received better reviews given my highly critical nature and love of this restaurant. From my observation, Edmonton has a tendency to favor the «chains» and its good to see that Allegro continues to attract a crowd and maintain excellent food and service during my second visit. Excellent food, staff and service on both occasions. This is more of an adults restaurant as they focus on fewer excellent dishes rather than appeal to the masses. Overall, this is what good chic Italian should be.

This is a pretty nice place with alright food. Nothing that really stood out for me but it got the job done.
The service was slow. I don’t think they serve to larger groups to often so when we came in they must have been in shambles. Our food orders all came out randomly and separately. It was kind of awkward. Everyone was hungry and checking out each others meals. It was like 8 or 10 minutes before everyone had everything they ordered.
Other than the slow and shaky service this place wasn’t too bad.