Il Toscano

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 you're 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 couldn't 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 s

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. Th

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. It's 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. It's truly timeless gem.

This is not your typical Italian restaurant from Italy. There's 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 choc

The food is delicious! Had the best pasta e fagioli soup of my life. The entrees have plentiful food at reasonable prices. Parking is free (valet) in the lot across the street.