Bottega Toffoli

Here’s the scoop: You MUST visit this restaurant. It’s tiny! Only 5 tables. The chef/​owner gives individual attention and cooks everything specifically to order and with incredible care and precision. It’s primarily pizza and pasta. Had a goat’s cheese and aubergine special last week – the crust is absolute pizza perfection! To top it off, he brought out a tiramisu that was simply unlike anything I’d ever had. I’m not typically a tiramisu fan, but this was just scrumptious. You cannot go to Dublin and not visit Toffoli. See their Facebook page for food photos!

Good food but –as others mentioned — the kitchen is extremely slow. In fact, another group made a point of mentioning that although the food was excellent, they really were surprised by the wait. We were on vacation so we didn’t mind that much but there really didn’t seem to be much reason for it. It is a small place, so there weren’t that many people and not a lot of take out orders that I saw in the 1.5 hours that I was there. There was a waitress as well as the cook, so it isn’t as if one person was doing everything. Don’t bother if you are in a rush.

Hands down, this place has the best pizza in town! The owner is extremely picky with his ingredients and only buys super fresh so he runs out often, fret not though! He always has a delicious alternative he can whip up with whatever he has around. Everything is made to order so plan for a long dinner if you dine in. I say just relax with a glass of excellent wine and good company.

Wonderful pizza. Exceptional Espresso. Owner is a curious and interesting character. Opening hours are sporadic and really the menu is what he sort of has or suggests not what you may want.
Very inexpensive.
Three wines: red, white or rose, take it or leave it.
Only a few seats and it does not operate in a conventional way so yes you may have to wait a bit as the guy waits the tables, makes the food and washes the dishes! Sit back, have a chat, you will enjoy your pizza!

The pizza was delicious. I made my own by adding roasted red peppers, mushrooms and spicy salami to the margherita pizza and it was amazing! The large salad with grilled vegetables id also a must! One advice to people who are in a rush, this may not be a good choice if you are in a hurry. Carlo the owner, is the chef and the only person working there. However, In my opinion it was worth the wait.

a treasure of a restaurant. Carlo, the genius chef/​owner. Divine pizzas and incredible pastas. Everything is carefully, lovingly made from fresh ingredients. Small, intimate, like being n someone’s kitchen. Great character and superior food and great, fun wine. Their pizza of the day is sublime and They use many high quality, healthy local ingredients

I had the best alio oli pasta here. Very authentic and fresh ingredients. I recommend ring them in advance or you should make sure you’re not in rush. You might need to wait for a while until the food served but don’t worry. It will be totally worth it.

Fantastic Italian food. The flavours are amazing and cooked perfectly. This isn’t somewhere to go if you’re in a hurry or pickey about what you want to eat. The best approuch would be to go in and see what’s recommended by the chef and take your time, you won’t be disappointed.

I had heard that the pizzas were great here so went to check it out and whilst the place is nice I wasn’t blown away with the pizza. We had the antipastino to start, which was some ham, cheese, tomato and bread. It was regular unsmoked ham. It was grand but you’d expect parma ham.
Anyway… to the pizza. Basically you just start with a margherita (€ 10) and tell them what toppings to add. € 2 per extra topping (mushrooms, aparagus, pancetta etc. Onion /​chili is € 1 extra. Parma ham € 4). I went for parma ham and asparagus so that worked out at € 16. The toppings were good but the base was missing salt and it wasn’t chewy enough. One of my friends had pancetta on her pizza so hers was actually a bit better as it was saltier but the base still wasn’t strong enough.
Had tiramisu for dessert and it was fantastic. Best tiramisu I’ve ever had. The coffees are excellent as well — Palombini coffee like La Corte. All in all I actually really enjoyed the trip here — the location is really nice and the atmosphere and staff are lovely. I would def go back and try some of their other dishes but my reason for going here was pizza and it just didn’t do it for me hence the 3*. Not sure if it would make my top 5 pizzas in Dublin when you have the likes of Manifesto, Da Mimmo and Di Fontaine’s.

I was here for the first time today at lunch time. It’s a place I have passed a few times and wondered how they do business in such an out of the way place — I guess the other reviews tell me why :)
Unfortunately we went here at lunchtime, in at 1.20pm and ordered at 1.25pm, I ordered a panino with spicy salame and gorgonzola (€ 4.50) and a tea (€ 2.00) and he ordered bruschetta (€ 5.75) and a cappucino (€ 2.20). A fairly simple order but since there was only one person in the kitchen we had to wait 20 minutes for our order by which time our lunch break was almost over. The panino was fairly plain, no dressing or side salad or garnish. For the price, I thought the portion was pretty small though fairly tasty. Apparently the bruschetta and cappucino were delicious.
I don’t think I’ll be rushing back — at least not when I am in a rush!

Clare did such a superb review of this place that I had to go try for myself. It is on my walk route home and everyday I see folks in there so yesterday I decided to join them.
It is a tiny little hole in the wall space with mismatched chairs and an open kitchen. The owners were chilling out front with their regulars when we turned up, I liked that touch.
I got the vegetarian salad and a glass of Cabernet. He got the open plate of pastrami which came with bread and flavoured cherry tomatoes and a glass of red too.
Salad = 9e
Open Plate = 6.50e
Glass of wine = 4.90e
Cappuccino — 2.20e
I thought it was great value for the amount and amazing flavour you got. Service was homely and authentically Italian. We were not rushed one iota. Great music played, Frank Sinatra to experimental jazz.
I noted a lot of folks getting coffee to go and also folks who just ordered coffee and mulled over it for at least an hour whilst reading the paper.
The loo is tiny, you have to manœuvre behind the door behind the till. It’s completely doable just be prepared!

Next door to the methadone clinic but with a markedly different clientele, Toffoli is a tardis-​like establishment run by true gourmets. Carlos and Elaine have poured so much energy and love into this tiny upmarket delicatessen you can’t help but feel it… and taste it. Sandwiches, salads, holy and delicious pizzas, an excellent wine list and tasty coffee — it’s no wonder that Toffoli has a dedicated following. Ingredients are of the best quality and every dish is prepared from scratch in front of your very eyes. Eat in, or buy olives, ham, artichokes from the deli counter and feast in the gardens of Dublin Castle. A wonderful place for eaves-​dropping over lunch, but best experienced by true epicureans during the mid-​afternoon lull.

Another great Italian joint serving an excellant and cheapish lunch. Mainly sandwiches and salads this hid away little café is quiet and relaxing. The atmosphere is great for a wind down and allows complete enjoyment of the food.