This might be one of the best Italian restaurants I have been to, and my first experience here was unforgettable. This was my first stop after having just landed in Vancouver. I had secured a weekday lunch reservation a few weeks prior in anticipation, which I highly recommend. The staff was incredibly friendly when we arrived, and we were seated moments later. The inside was quite full (a good sign), cozy, with all the tables in close proximity, but it provided a very inviting atmosphere. To start I ordered the Fried Cauliflower and Sourdough bread based on other recommendations I had seen, which both lived up to the hype. My wife and I had to stop ourselves before the main course, the rigatoni alla bolognese, arrived at our table. It was perfectly portioned, still steaming as we devoured the last few bites. Our waitress was even kind enough to provide us some other recommendations in the neighborhood to try during our trip, as it was our first time in the city. Prices were more than fair for quality of what we received. Though parking might not be the easiest, and reservations are in high demand, it's worth the wait. Whenever I find myself back in Vancouver, I'll always Ask For Luigi. read more

Ask For Luigi - rigatoni alla bolognese - Italian Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Insane. Still thinking about the ravioli. My boyfriend has celiac and they had plenty of amazing options including homemade gluten free pasta. I'm from Boston and this place blows nearly every Italian spot out of the water. Cocktails are premade in bottles. I do wish they had a full service bar. read more

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A few days ago, I visited this place and had a really lovely dining experience. The food felt thoughtfully prepared and full of comforting, well balanced flavors. The pasta dishes were rich without being heavy, with sauces that tasted fresh and well seasoned, and the cheese added a perfect finishing touch. The dessert was simple yet elegant, smooth and not overly sweet, which I really appreciated. Everything felt honest and well executed, from the quality of the ingredients to the presentation. The atmosphere was cozy and inviting, making it a great spot to enjoy a relaxed meal. Definitely a place I would come back to when I'm craving comforting Italian food done right read more

Ask For Luigi - Italian Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Hands down, a must try in Van! This restaurant presents a cozy and intimate atmosphere with friendly and attentive service. Great items including house-made spritz (rotating flavor) and home-made pasta noodles (including GF), and everything in between, you will taste the passion in the quality, that you won't be able to stop eating. Plus they aren't shy on the parm cheese that goes on top- yum! read more

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I never go out for Italian cause I always think I can make it pretty decently at home, but wanted to try Luigis. Its a tiny little place and parking around the neighborhood isn't the best. 3 We were able to get a lunch reservation with pretty short notice and wanted to try a variety of items. So, we ordered the meatballs, squid ink pasta, meatballs, risotto, and rigatoni bolognese to share. Not sure if I just don't go out for Italian enough, but this might be one of the best I've had. All the textures were spot on with the pasta, the risotto was perfectly creamy and balanced. Will definitely come again when I'm in the area. read more

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Came here for a quick lunch on a rainy day. The restaurant is small but cozy and the service was great. We started off with the focaccia which was great, and the olive oil had a unique taste to it. We then had the cacio e pepe and the squash risotto. The cacio e pepe had a slight funkiness from the cheese, which I wasn't the biggest fan of. The squash risotto was amazing. Overall super cute restaurant with solid pasta. Would recommend! read more

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The meatballs and sourdough were insane! I would go back just for those. The service was amazing. We never felt rushed, and our waitress was very attentive. read more

Finally snagged a reservation to this great place! Small and intimate, and the staff were helpful in making our wine selection. We started with Luigi's meatballs and 2 salads. The meatballs are absolutely delicious and the bread they are served with is so dang good. We loved both the Raddicio salad and the Arugula salad. The risotto was rich and delicious and the seafood pasta had just enough spice. We had no room for dessert so we'll have to come back! read more

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Ask For Luigi ended up being one of our favorites in Vancouver. The pasta was everything you'd hope for: fresh, perfectly al dente, and full of flavor. We ordered: * lobster ravioli (special that day): creamy and straight up chef's kiss. * mussels, nduja sausage, fennel & pomodoro: the sauce was sooo good. * bigoli nero frutti di mare, uni butter: rich and well-balanced with just the right creaminess and depth. The space itself is tiny and intimate, with tables packed in close. It might feel a little snug if you like extra elbow room, but the cozy atmosphere and relaxed pace more than make up for it. Even when it was busy, there was no sense of being rushed. It's not the ideal spot location-wise, but honestly, I'd still recommend it to anyone visiting. read more

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Great food, highly recommend! Really enjoyed the sourdough focaccia and meatballs. Service was great too. read more

Ask For Luigi - Great meatballs (coming from someone who has eaten at a lot of great Italian restaurants in Philly and NYC) - Italian Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

This place was amazing! I can understand why it's recommended in the Michelin guide. This place is small and can only seat maximum 4 people. It's a little cramped but the food is worth it! I would definitely recommend making a reservation, there's no waiting area so if you're waiting for a table you'll have to wait outside and depending on the weather that's not always fun. I came with friends and we shared 4 pastas, an appetizer, and a dessert. Rigatoni alla bolognese: this was a rich red sauce and had a great savory flavor from the ground meat. I'm unsure if it's beef or pork or a mix but I eat either so not a problem for me. It was definitely on the salty side which isn't for everyone but I didn't mind it. Paired with sourdough focaccia it's a great meal. Burrata, roasted honey glazed squash, squash puree, pistachios: it had a nice creaminess from the burrata and the honey glazed squash gave it a nice sweetness to give it some more flavor Bigoli nero frutti di mare: I think this might've been my favorite pasta! The combo of the seafood and acidity of the tomatoes plus the fresh tomatoes were so good! I usually lean more towards a ragu/bolognese sauce or a tomato sauce with cream in it because sometimes tomato sauce can be too acidic but this was perfect to me! I also loved the squid ink pasta. Beautiful presentation and delicious. Radiatore verde & mushroom trifolati: this was a very simple pasta. It wasn't too too heavy and had nice big pieces of mushroom in it which I loved. However I'm a sauce girl so personally I would've preferred more sauce but this is great for someone who is looking for something light. - Lamb ragu spaghetti: this was a special that's not on the menu. I usually love lamb however the lamb in this pasta was a little too gamey for me. I probably wouldn't get this again but this is a great option for someone who loves lamb and is not bothered by a gamey flavor. Olive oil cake: not too sweet with a slight crispness on the outside! I've never had an olive oil cake before and I was definitely full so this was a great option because it wasn't super heavy. I think it helped that this was shared between 4 people read more

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The food was amazing. Oh my goodness. I've been meaning to try this place for 2 years but the wait time and reservations never lined up. Compared to other Italian restaurants, every single dish we tried was so flavourful without being too heavy and rich. The textures of the pasta, the cake, and the risotto were amazing, you can really tell it was freshly made. And it was very novel too, I've never had Italian food like this. It was perfect for a date night, cute candles and good service. I will definitely need to come back to try more dishes. 5 stars! read more

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After having to postpone this visit multiple times, I am so relieved to finally come visit this gem. While not in the most attractive neighborhood, as soon as you step in through the door, you get transported to what feels like your nonna's kitchen. The place is small, no wonder reservations come and go like hotcakes. The food was good but our server was a little shocked when we decided to order 3 pastas for 2. We are big eaters, but boy did I struggle to finish everything on the plate. Duck Ragu pappardelle was my favorite, mostly because it didn't seem overly heavy and decadent. 100% will be back to try all their other dishes! read more

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So, I've never been because at first I was like, I am too darn old to be standing in a line for 2 hours because they didn't take reservations when they first opened. Well, they now take reservations, but they are booked up a month in advance! I was finally able to make a reservation for a Monday night at a normal hour. So, after a month's wait, and many years of anticipation.... It was so underwhelming, lol. I had the squid ink seafood pasta. It was... ok. Not bad. Not great. Not even close to the best seafood pasta I've had. I wouldn't even rate it in the top 10. My husband had the beef ragu "bianco" and that was actually quite lovely. But was it mind blowing? No. We also had their radicchio salad, which was good, but my favourite neighborhood Italian spot makes a better salad any day of the week. They had a nice selection of wines and amaros, and the server was really good. The ambience is super cosy. So while I enjoyed myself, I don't see myself making a reservation a month in advance again, especially when Tavola has much better food. read more

Great service, decent food, but the seating was quite cramped. We went for lunch, and the place was packed. The cacio e pepe was a bit disappointing -- too thick and hard to eat, with the pasta slightly undercooked. My friend liked his seafood pasta. read more

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My first impression was that this place is in a pretty interesting area. There are definitely some unique characters around so just be ready to see some random stuff while parking. We came on a Tuesday for lunch and got seated right away which was nice. The menu had plenty of options to choose from but we ended up getting the meatballs to start and I went with the seafood uni black pasta. The meatballs were literally the size of my fist, super shareable and really good!! The pasta was something I've never had before and the flavor was sooo fresh! Overall I'd give this place a 4 because the food and service were both solid! Since its close to a more active area with some homeless folks, two came in while we were eating but the staff handled it really well and didnt make it a big deal. read more

Ask For Luigi - Luigi's meatballs - Italian Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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One of the best Italian places I've tried in Vancouver. A stone's throw from Gastown, this cozy restaurant really had some of the best pasta I've had. Even better, was that they offered a gluten-free pasta substitution that was made in-house, which makes this place much more accessible. The waitstaff are kind and knowledgeable. The suppli (not gluten free) was stunning. Crunchy and cheesy, filled with noodles - it is a pasta lover's dream. The duck ragu was excellent. Not too salty, and the duck was not too gamey. It's a delicious sauce. We were stuffed but the tiramisu was completely worth getting - it was gone instantly. read more

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A cute little cozy restaurant tucked in Alexander street. The service is great, and the ambiance is quaint and romantic. The mushroom risotto here is to die for. The wine options are great and the pan cotta is a perfect end to the meal. Its difficult to get a reservation so plan ahead and book a week or two in advance. read more

Ask For Luigi - Mushroom risotto - Italian Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Looking up the best pasta places in Vancouver and Ask for Luigi came up several times. Plus my Vancouverite friends said it was good so made a reservation right away, which are highly recommended. The restaurant is small but cozy and the staff is very welcoming and friendly. They patiently went over the specials and any questions we had. Allergies and diet restrictions were also promptly acknowledged. As a party of 5, we made sure to each try something different as they had a few delicious options. We ended up with the truffle mushroom pasta, campanelle & braised beef ragu bianco, risotto, rigatoni alla bolognese, paprdelle duck ragu, and bruschetta. There's a reason why this place is Michelin recommended. The pasta was fresh and had tons of flavour. The portions were just enough as anymore would've caused me to roll out of the restaurant. Would recommend Ask for Luigi for a great bowl of pasta! read more

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Appetizer: the salad is amazing!!! Main: all noodle is average but we like that they were fresh Dessert: is on point not to sweet. read more

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We had such a nice dining experience at Ask for Luigi. The space is fairly small, but makes for an intimate dining experience. The service was really fantastic, the staff were very friendly and knowledgeable. We started our meal with a Pinot Grigio that was on special that had fruit forward flavors and was very delicious at the recommendation of our waitress. We also had an appetizer with the arugula and fennel salad, which was a highlight for me for our means we went with the mushroom special and the braised beef Campanelle. We ended our meal with the olive oil cake with whipped ricotta on top which is a must. Overall, I would highly recommend this restaurant if you're in town for a night in Vancouver and suggest making reservations in advance. read more

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Good pasta but the star of my brunch visit was the banana bread with cinnamon ricotta! Service was a bit slow.

Food was to die for; the best pasta in town! We ordered the mushroom pasta with truffles (special of the day) with gluten free pasta and it was amazing! The cauliflower appy was also really good The service was incredible! Brooke was our server and she went above and beyond accommodating our table. It's a small restaurant but am glad that they accept reservations. I will definitely be back to try more menu items!!! read more

Ask For Luigi - Gluten free - Italian Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Reservations: Easy to make online, but the prime times get scooped up quickly so make sure to book early. You may be able to get a table as a walk-in when they open at 5 PM but I wouldn't rely on it. Location: This is a quaint old house that is cute from the outside. Unfortunately it is only a couple of blocks from a long street crowded with drug use, garbage, abandoned buildings, and homeless camps. I definitely wouldn't recommend walking here, we felt much safer taking an Uber. Service: The check-in was easy, and our server was lovely. She answered our questions and made great recommendations. Food came out fresh and promptly. Ambiance: The restaurant is quite a small room with tables around and throughout. The tables are a bit close together, but fortunately we were on the side so it was cozy. It was warm and welcoming. What we ordered: DRINKS- I had the Vermentino, which was their house white. It was delicious and refreshing. FOOD Focaccia and Olive Oil-- this soft, warm, freshly baked bread was incredible. The olive oil was excellent. I recommend saving a little bit of bread to scoop up the last of the sauce from whichever pasta you order! Mafaldine (Special)-- I enjoyed every single bite of this pasta! The flavor was full of depth-- with mushrooms, truffle, garlic-- my mouth is watering just remembering it. The pasta was cooked perfectly and I understand why Ask for Luigi is known for their pasta. I will be dreaming of this dish for years to come. Wagyu cheek and Lamb Shank Ravioli (Special)-- this was a rich and hearty ravioli dish, with a hazelnut crema that really complimented the flavor of the filling. The portion size was perfect. Overall this was a wonderful meal, highly recommend! read more

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Truly amazing. A fantastic Italian choice for gluten free pasta. Service is always wonderful. The pastas were great, but the salad was on another level. Great place. read more

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In my honest opinion, this place is over-hyped, overrated, and overpriced. I think there are other places that are just as good (if not better) but won't make you go bankrupt I was told to come here many times when I lived in Vancouver and since it was in Michelin guide in 2023, I decided to check it out on this visit. Not to mention, my bf is a lover of Italian food Service was phenomenal! I have nothing bad to say. The place was too dim for me Meatballs - the bread was spectacular. The meatballs were ok, nothing too special. The sauce was a bit too acidic for me Seafood ravioli - I enjoyed it and it was fresh but I'd rather eat seafood while it still has its shape and not blended into one. The tomatoes were a perfect addition to this but I wish they gave more My bf enjoyed his Pappardelle and rated this place 4/5. Really wanted to try the panna cotta but they were sold out :( read more

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I didn't know anything about this place before I stopped in on a very brief work trip. Thankfully, someone else had done the work of making reservations and I was able to just walk in. The vibe is similar to a family restaurant. It's quite small and kept somewhat dark, which evokes memories of the Italian restaurants of my youth. There's a nice big window to look into the kitchen as well, so if you're someone who's always keeping an eye out for your food... you're in luck. I really enjoyed the pasta. We ordered multiple platefuls and treated it as a family style meal, trying everyone else's meals and sharing drinks. I got their limoncello, which is a must-have from places that make their own. Perfectly lovely, especially served sparkling. Sweet and tart, just right. Fresh pasta is a must-have, but fresh pasta sauce is where the real skill lies. I'd recommend this place to anyone visiting or local or just passing through. It was great! read more

Intimate dining space with big flavours. So many people have recommended Ask for Luigi over the years, and with good reason - it's almost certainly the best pasta I've had in Vancouver. Set in a kinda cute looking house on the corner of Alexander St, it immediately gives off a sense of cosy home cooking (if your home cooking happens to be exceptional and Michelin recommended ‍). Starter: We had the fried cauliflower. Flavourful and well seasoned - crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Like an elevated version of cauliflower cheese. Main: We shared two dishes: the pappardelle & duck ragu and the braised beef ragu bianco. Both were excellent. The pasta had the perfect amount of bite and the ragu for both was well balanced with tender duck and beef that melts in the mouth. If I had to choose, I'd say I preferred the duck ragu but it's almost too close to call. Dessert: The Panna Cotta was great though my memory of it wasn't nearly as good as for the pastas Service was great. Our server was knowledgeable and attentive, she made a great wine recommendation (and directed us towards a reasonably priced bottle, rather than pitching something more expensive) We've tried a few of the other restaurants in the Kitchen Table family of restaurants - they're all good, but for pasta I'll be going back to Ask for Luigi. P.s. please excuse the terrible photo, the food looked so good I was halfway through the first plate before I thought of taking a snap read more

Ask For Luigi - Duck ragu in the foreground and the braised beef ragu bianco plated at the back - partially eaten already, apologies. - Italian Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

From the moment my son and I entered the restaurant the ambiance of this place made for a truly memorable evening. The food was spectacular and the service was as well. Both my son and I loved the small family style made to order meals read more

Wowwww!!! What an incredible experience I had at this restaurant.. after craving for Italian cuisine, my friends invited me to try out the past from Ask for Luigi. The restaurant is cute inside & small, but with a beautiful decor. Their customer service is wonderful, they are so helpful and so knowledgeable, that makes your experience way better. It was hard to decide what I would like to eat, thanks to the waitress, she made an excellent recommendation and I followed her instructions. I ordered the bigoli nero which includes frutti di mare, uni butter with an amazing sauce. The prawns were so yummy !!! That was divine and I really Loved the flavour.. my friend tried out their tortellini and it was so yummy! Their pastas are really good, I highly recommend this place. They are listed on the Michelin Guide!! Anyway, I hope you will have an amazing experience there. Cheers read more

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Great food great staff and great space. Highly recommend going here. The pastas delicious and everything tastes amazing read more

Absolutely amazing!!! This is a Michelin Guide recommended restaurant. It was just me. I didn't have dinner reservations, but they added me to a waiting list. I started with the sourdough focaccia. For my meal I had the rigatoni alla bolognese. The focaccia had a great flavor, but it was a little tough to cut. The bolognese sauce on the rigatoni was amazing!!! This place is totally worth it. The service was great as well. I highly recommend it! read more

Ask For Luigi - Rigatoni alla bolognese - Italian Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Very cozy romantic place for dinner. The place is constantly busy and full so reservations well in advance are a must. The food is all freshly made in house with fresh local ingredients. Everything tasted divine and they had excellent service. We never had to ask for anything and they were on top of it like replacing plates, cutlery and even wiping off our table. I'm just sad that we ordered a couple of their weekly specials and totally forgot the name of the dishes. But these little fried cheese balls with peas were just perfection. The location is unfortunately located with a lot of homeless people around and open drug use. It felt unsafe in the neighbourhood. The price of the food is also on the higher side of dining in Vancouver which could be argued to be quite high for pastas. But I feel they do put a lot of detail into their dishes so your perception will be that of your own. We will be back to try other dishes soon. Definitely will be back to try other dishes! read more

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Had an amazing time at Ask for Luigi. Service was great and the food was delicious! The only thing was that the space was very small, so the tables and chairs were close together and I kept getting bumped by the person behind me. We got the arancini balls which was a daily special. Nicely fried, filling was gooey and the green sauce added some citrus and creaminess to the dish. We also tried the beef ragu - it was my first time trying a white ragu! Pasta perfectly cooked, not too salty and the beef was tender. The uni butter pasta was also delicious - the sauce coating the black chewy spaghetti perfectly. Would love to come back to try their brunch and lunch menu! read more

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Tried this place out about 10 years ago and made reservations ahead of time (def a lot more availability on the weekdays for lunch). It's a small restaurant and looks like it received Michelin status in 2023. It is located in questionable area, but we didn't feel unsafe, just a lot of homeless people and some people doing drugs in broad daylight as we were looking for street parking. Everyone was friendly and helpful. We ordered Focaccia & Olive oil, Radicchio & Gorgonzola salad, Rigatoni, Bigoli Nero di MAre, Radiatore Verde & Mushrooms, and a couple cappuccinos with Amaretto shot. The food was really good and had sophisticated flavors. The food quality was great where it mattered. The bread was a bit hard and wasn't the best, but not enough to dock any points. read more

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Ask for Luigi is charming. That's the best way I can describe it. I honestly was not wow'd by any single thing (the dish, the ambiance, the service, etc...) but the total experience altogether makes it a nice date night kind of vibe. We've heard about and had wanted to try Ask for Luigi for many years and were happy to finally get to try it. We ordered an appetizer, two main entrees, a couple of glasses of wine and dessert. it's on the pricier side of things and the food was pretty good. The service was prompt and friendly. The lighting was warm and the space cozy. So yeah, total date night kind of intimate dining experience. read more

Delicious!! We got the duck paparelle and beef ragu and both were phenomenal. Service was really great. I would definitely come back again. Bruschetta was amazing too. read more

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If someone asks me what's the best place in to town for pasta, I'd have to say Ask for Luigi. Nestled in what appears to be a quaint redone house, Ask for Luigi is a local favorite, and the perpetual difficulty getting a reservation on short notice reflects this. All the food is generally and consistently very good, but you're really coming for the pasta. The flavours and textures are on point every time. There are other more expensive pasta places in town (eg Carlino's), but I find nobody does pasta quite like Ask for Luigi, and the pricing is very reasonable for the quality. Ambiance is intimate and cozy as there is not a ton of room inside, and service has been great each time I've gone. Looking forward to bringing more friends to my favourite pasta joint in town. read more

Ask For Luigi has a very semi formal feel to it. The ambiance is dark & moody. I ordered: MAFALDINE - My husband and I shared this and the portion size for us to share was perfect! We were really satisfied. The amount of truffle was amazing & the pasta was perfectly al dente. SERVICE - Very friendly & quick, no complaints! read more

Ask For Luigi - Italian Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

When I first arrived at the restaurant, I felt a hint of uncertainty regarding its tucked-away location and the intimate size of the dining space. The cozy atmosphere was initially a bit overwhelming, but as soon as I began sampling the appetizers, my apprehensions melted away. I was pleasantly surprised to discover the creatively curated seasonal menu; each dish was a delightful exploration of flavors, showcasing fresh and high-quality ingredients that truly reflected the time of year. The appetizers were a standout, with each bite bursting with unique combinations that danced on my palate. As we moved through the courses, I was particularly impressed with how our server elevated the experience. Her knowledge of the menu was remarkable--she took the time to explain the inspiration behind each dish and suggested perfect wine pairings for our entrées and desserts. This thoughtful guidance not only enhanced the flavors of our meal but also made us feel like we were part of something special. Every aspect of the service was attentive without being intrusive, and the ambiance was warm and inviting, making it easy to lose track of time. I left feeling thoroughly satisfied and eager to return. Would highly recommend the olive cake and the hazelnut dessert cake with a wine pairing. I was visiting from the US and believe this place is underrated on it yelp reviews for its quality of food! read more