Pretty new Italian restaurant along Nanaimo,classy and huge looks like it can accomodate morethan…read more50 clients at a time,somedays of the week this is open for lunch but mostly its a dinner place. Exterior and interior design was really impressive,inside its classic to modern and nostalgic vibes combined. I admired how crews are all very friendly. I tried pasta,the half chicken dish and I would say this close to perfection,price?well its kinda pricey but seems like money is worth,street parking only but its free,the resto is located on ground floor of one newly built condo,I only visited once but im sure I am coming back to try some more of their great dishes in the menu. The chicken I ordered is somewhat sweet its really tender and the sauce was yummy. They serves all kinds of colas,juice and alcoholic becerages,If you are planning for a weekend dinner calling for reservation is a must. I love this place,I love the foods and I love the vibes

We visited Foiletta last night for the first time to celebrate our dear friend's birthday, and it…read morewas an absolutely delightful experience! There were five of us, and we were warmly greeted by a friendly host who confirmed our reservation and guided us to our table. I had the pleasure of trying the Citrus Grapefruit Spritz cocktail, which was fantastic, and my friends also enjoyed their drinks. We started with a few appetizers, including: * Carne Cruda - raw beef, mushrooms, bagna cauda, smoked egg yolk * Polpo e Patata - grilled octopus & new potato hash, poached egg, salmoriglio * Italian Meatballs with Focaccia Bread Everything was delicious, but the Italian meatballs completely stole the show--soft, fresh, and perfectly seasoned with a touch of spice, just like in Italy . For our main courses: * I ordered the Linguine with geoduck clam, Calabrian chili, and parsley -- fresh, hot, and bursting with flavor. * My friends ordered the Rigatoni all'Arrabbiata with San Marzano tomatoes, Calabrian chili, and stracciatella -- rich, spicy, and comforting. The cherry on top of the night: our waiter surprised my friend by bringing out the cake I had purchased, and we all sang Happy Birthday, Judy!! Such a thoughtful and personal touch that made the celebration feel extra special. The service was attentive and friendly throughout, and the atmosphere made our birthday dinner unforgettable. Highly recommend this spot for authentic Italian flavors, great drinks, and a warm, welcoming vibe.

Claudio's ls located at 103-4402 Skyline Drive,Burnaby,BC…read more This was our first time visiting Claudio's, and it was a very pleasant experience. The restaurant looks clean, comfortable, which made me feel relaxed as soon as I walked in. The food was very good and easy to enjoy, even we are not familiar with Italian food. The dishes were well presented and looked fresh. The pasta was cooked nicely, not too soft, and the sauce had a rich and comforting taste. The flavors were balanced and not too heavy, which made the meal enjoyable from start to finish. The service was friendly and attentive. The staff were polite, patient, and helpful when explaining the menu. They made sure everything was okay and did not rush us, which made the dining experience even better. Overall, Claudio's is a great place for a casual meal or a nice dinner with friends or family. It is a good choice if you want to try Italian food in a comfortable and welcoming environment. I would be happy to come back again.

it took a few attempts to finally nail down a lunch date with the ladies, but with a lot of…read morepersistence and determination, we made it happen: a party of four with a 1:00 pm reso on a tuesday. claudio's came recommended by a friend, run by the sons of the family behind la roca on commercial drive, many moons ago, and also the team behind pasta amore. the restaurant is named after their dad, claudio, which automatically sets expectations a notch higher. finding the place itself was easy enough on google maps. the parkade, however, was another story. finding my car after lunch turned into a misadventure that no one asked for. inside, claudio's is bright, open, and airy, with soaring ceilings and generous natural light. warm wood tables, a cozy booth with deep leather seats invite lingering, and vintage style photos line dark walls, adding nostalgia. greenery spills down from a ledge near the ceiling, softening the exposed pipes and ductwork above, like a leafy curtain politely disguising the ventilation system. the open kitchen, anchored by a wood fired pizza oven, is a strong visual cue that pizza is serious business here. our arrival, unfortunately, was...odd. one friend became convinced the front door was locked. diners were clearly inside, but she swore a staff member made eye contact and didn't move to help. we circled the building like confused cats looking for a secret entrance before returning to the front door. still nothing. i finally called the restaurant and was told, cheerfully, that the door was open. eventually, another customer attempted entry, gave the door a heroic yank, and voila, it opened. shoutout to that stranger. less so to the brunette staff member whose vibe leaned towards standoffish. once seated, spirits lifted quickly. we were celebrating a birthday and decided to share, which felt right given the generous portions. the table filled up nicely: calamari fritti, a verde salad, and a capricciosa pizza topped with tomato, fior di latte, prosciutto cotto, mushrooms, olives, and artichokes. the spread looked inviting, exactly the kind of lunch you want to linger over. the calamari arrived first and was a highlight, absolutely stole the show. lightly breaded, crisp without being greasy, with a mix of rings and jalapenos and a side of pale, creamy aioli, it was the dish everyone kept reaching back for. if there's one must order at the table, this is it. the verde salad, dressed in a pinkish vinaigrette and sprinkled with toasted hazelnuts and shaved cheese, leaned a bit heavy handed on the dressing and felt slightly wilted, though the flavours were there. the pizza arrived last, rustic, with a blistered, wood fired crust and toppings scattered generously. the crust was thin and pleasantly chewy, not oily, though a touch soggy in the centre. still, it held its own and disappeared quickly. we shared an affogato with gelato, espresso, with crumble and a generous portion of tiramisu with a dusting of cocoa powder spelling out happy birthday was a thoughtful finishing touch. both hit the sweet spot without tipping into overly rich territory. all in all, it was a lovely afternoon, good food, plenty of laughter, and the easy comfort of catching up with old friends. claudio's has a lot going for it: a beautiful space, standout calamari, and solid pizza. the parking maze and the great door mystery were 'character building', to say the least. i'd definitely come back, though next time, i might bring a crowbar.

La Quercia is my favorite Italian restaurant in town. We have been to there several times and we…read morelove that they always change their menu / offer seasonal menus. We tried dishes from their morel menu in May, and truffle menu in early November. Everything was impressive with a good wow effect. The restaurant is cozy and the servers are helpful. We will be returning to La Quercia from time to time!

We split the soup in two and it came in this cute cup. It was one of the most comforting soup I've…read moreever had! My other favourites from the night were the stuffed pasta and the semifreddo. All in all a very memorable evening with delicious food. I'll definitely be back to try some of the other dishes!

We visited Bar Corso during happy hour. It was nice ambience and service was very good…read more What we ordered: Crostini - Wagyu(Wagyu tartar Smoked bone marrow emulsion, onion ash and pickles) Tonnato(Confit Albacone tunnel belly Fried capers) Stacciatella(house stracciatella, balsamic,Perl's and basil) Tapenade(olive, sun dried tomatoes, roasted pepper and Calabrian chill) Wagyu was the best. It was full of flavor and wagyu was tender. Great item. Tonnato was also good. Very solid item. I did not have stacciatella. Tapenade was sour side, with strong olive and roasted pepper flavors stand out. Vongole(savory clams, fermented Taragu mares chilli white wine and parsley, squid ink linguine) Highlight! Clam and Vongole sauce were very delicious! Squid ink linguine was also good. It was good to have sauce with bread. Bistecca(Babette steak, Amaro jus, garlic scapes, frisee and hazelnuts) This item was also very delicious. Medium rare steak was tender(a bit chewy) the garlic scapes, hazelnut and frisée combination was excellent. i really enjoyed having together with meat. Overall, I really liked this restaurant. I would like to visit late night next time.

What a lovely discovery. I had walked by this place a number of times and never stopped. Foolish…read moremistake! Four of us went for dinner and had the tasting menu. We weren't sure what to expect especially because the price was so reasonable. The food was absolutely delicious. Each course was innovative and delicious. The service was fantastic. Finn and our waitress both made it a memorable experience. We all thoroughly enjoyed it and will be back. Highly recommend.

A true hidden gem for Italian food! Conclusion first: the…read morefood is much better than the drinks. Here are the dishes I enjoyed: Burrata & Rhubarb - The creamy, milky burrata paired with sweet-and-sour rhubarb was such a pleasant surprise. We ended up ordering the focaccia to soak up every last bit. White Anchovy Toast - Not fishy at all! The anchovies were tender and juicy with a bright lemony flavor. The vegetables underneath added a nice fresh touch. Vitello Tonnato - I'm used to veal being breaded and fried, but here it was cooked sous vide, making it incredibly tender and juicy. The only downside was that the tuna sauce tasted a little fishy when eaten on its own. Ricotta Agnolotti - I originally ordered this because of the spot prawns, but the agnolotti completely stole the show. Each bite was filled with creamy ricotta and was absolutely delicious. The only dish I wouldn't order again: Ling Cod - The portion was much larger than what you usually get at other restaurants, but unfortunately the fish was quite tough in texture. It tasted like previously frozen fish. The clams were enormous, but they were a bit chewy as well. Cocktails: Overall, they were just average, though the prices were reasonable (all under $20). My least favorite was the Fumo Dolce. It was described as being infused with peach tea, but the flavor tasted quite artificial. None of the cocktails were particularly memorable. Overall, we had a great experience. The service was warm, the atmosphere was lovely, and the food really impressed us. I'd definitely come back to try the seasonal menu when it changes.

After a four and a half hour guided walking tour of Chinatown and a Pink Floyd laser light show at…read morethe Planetarium you would think we'd want to order in. Nope, we went on to Autostrada right out of the Uber and damn happy we did. Our server Chris, who spent time at Le Crocodile was absolutely outstanding. In fact the entire experience was top notch. The space was smaller than I'd thought it would be, and decorated, as is everything right now with Christmas. It's not the fanciest place, but it's accepting and inviting in an understated way. The food itself was top quality. It came out fast, was delicious, and is for sure on our list to try again. We talked to the table beside us and they ordered the $80 per person price fixe menu and we will for sure do that next time. Our Anchovy toast was outstanding in my mind, the lovely K didn't hate it, which is a positive given her aversion to fish. The Caesar salad was great, but needed more than 5 croutons for sure. The young romaine lettuce was a nice touch, no big ribs to deal with. Our pasta dishes were very good, my Ravioli was rich, but just enough for a portion and the pasta was outstanding. K's Rodolo was equally as good, and we took one home to try and replicate the dish. K's Birthday is a day away so a limoncello apéritif was a nice touch after dinner. It's a bit of a walk but Autostrada should be on your menu, it's worth a stop.

Such a great evening. We sat at the bar and let Louis order for us. Everything was delicious- tuna…read moretoast, king salmon, shishito peppers, shrimp with a mango slaw, and scallops. One bite was better than the next. The place was filled with regulars. If you like seafood you should definitely come to Bar Bravo!

Went here for a friend's birthday and we all were blown away by the food and service. We pretty…read moremuch ordered one of everything except just 1 dessert and shared it among 6 people. Most dishes were small bites but needless to say we were very full at the end. The stand out plates were the ceviche (a daily feature), hokkaido scallops, tiger prawns, sablefish, shishito peppers and olives. The olives were warm and spicy, a definite must try if you like olives. The only dish I wasn't a fan of was the beet gnocchi as it had too much of a musky taste for my palette but my friends enjoyed it. Big shout out to Shandy for her hospitality. The restaurant was busy and she made sure service was smooth for us. My girlfriends and I don't usually repeat restaurants for our birthday celebrations but we will have to make an exception for this one!

Another French bistro we recently tried. Didn't realize how we missed this place for so long but…read moreglad we dropped by. The dishes were simple and classic but I think they were nicely executed. Mussels were fresh and the cream sauce was not oily. Duck confit with lentils are classic pairing but done well. Duck was not salty. French fries seasoned well. The star was the pomme dauphine, hot, rich, cheesy but not heavy. French cooking done well. Treated ourselves with a lemon tart but it was not what we imagined. This was more of a family style tart with great pastry, set cream, and poached pears. The flavours and textures were amazing and balanced. Glad we splurged on the dessert.

We came on a weekday for a quick lunch. Service was fast and friendly…read more Croque Monsieur - sandwich was crispy and addicting. Very cheesy and decadent Mussels - decent portion of mussels. Cooked to just right Steak tartare - loved the flavours on the steak tartare. Interestingly the steak tartare was in chunks and not grinded which was welcome for me Chocolate nousse- okay but I would pass next time Fries and salad came with each dish. The fried are so addicting and morrish. A bit of old oil flavour which is understandable considering the amount they are frying. It's not crispy but instead very potatoey. The sauce that it comes with (like mayo) went so well with it. Could eats lots of it. Salad was also a welcome addition to make it feel a bit healthier Overall great little French lunch spot

Small and cozy inside, but loud with large groups, so we opted to sit out back, which was a lovely…read moresurprise. The trees, plants, and dividers made for a lovely Sunday brunch setting. The service was a little slow, but incredibly friendly, pleasant, and able to answer questions about the menu with ease. The Marsala Mushroom Benedict was fantastic and filling. The sausage benedict and peach waffle entrees were thoroughly enjoyed by others. We will be back.

The Farmhouse is an unassuming restaurant tucked away in Mount Pleasant…read more I loved the interior design--it truly captures the cozy farmhouse aesthetic. From the window-shaped mirrors to the vintage décor on the walls, every corner feels warm and thoughtfully designed. They also have an adorable backyard patio that I didn't notice until I was leaving. Had I known, I definitely would have chosen to enjoy brunch out there. The food, however, was a bit underwhelming. It leans heavily toward a simple, family-style Italian breakfast--comforting, healthy, and lightly seasoned rather than rich or indulgent. The presentation is also quite rustic instead of picture-perfect. We ordered two pork belly dishes: the Pork Belly Benedict, which swaps the traditional English muffin for focaccia, and the Baked Polenta with stewed tomatoes, creamy polenta, glazed pork belly, and eggs. The eggs in both dishes were closer to soft-boiled than the runny poached eggs I was expecting. Overall, everything tasted fresh but quite mild, and honestly felt like something that could be recreated at home without too much effort. The service was also a little slow. We visited during brunch when the restaurant wasn't particularly busy, but there was only one server working, so service felt a bit stretched. I'd come back for the atmosphere and the beautiful patio, and I might give their dinner menu a try.