Celebrated Italian restaurant set to reopen following £300k refurbishment

Italian restaurant, Il Forno, will reopen next week following a £300,000 refurbishment at its Duke Street site in Liverpool.

The 150-capacity restaurant, which has been a staple of Duke Street’s leisure scene for more than a decade, has been significantly modernised and will showcase new lighting, new seating and a freshened-up bar and lounge area when it reopens on September 1.

It closed temporarily in May for the modernisation work to take place.

A major part of work has included the refurbishment of the bar area which the team at Il Forno hopes will become a central focus of the restaurant where diners can enjoy its new small plates menu comprising delicious Italian tapas.

The wider menu has also been updated to include fresh new additions following an overhaul from Il Forno owner and executive chef Paolo Cillo.

Il Forno has long been a popular destination for some of the city’s football stars.

Paolo Cillo said: “We have significantly invested in the refurbishment to give the restaurant a fresher feel and we are incredibly excited for our customers to see it. The new-look Il Forno looks fantastic.

“The menu has also been updated with a brand new Italian tapas option for casual diners and we have added a variety of new dishes to our traditional menu, too.

“This is a new beginning for Il Forno and we are very much looking forward to welcoming people back.”