I thought hard about writing this review and leaving the rating of 1 star or not leaving a review at all.
There were 4 of us for dinner on April 1 (yes, April Fools Day). Violi is situated in the old Bravo restaurant in Mercato. Great location, complimentary valet parking NO longer provided. The bar and baths are basically the same, as is the ceiling (tiles near the kitchen are dirty and in need of replacement). The Greek pergola and artificial flowers (bougainvillea, I think) add a nice environmental interior element. I wonder how they clean the flowers? Tables are nicely spaced, comfortable and new. Outdoor seating is the same but on this day there was a torrential rain so no one was sitting outdoors, around the bar only.
We were seated against the wall, comfortably, and our server was attentive. Perhaps too attentive, spoke broken English, and she asked my companion for her ID. We all laughed. My companion is 55 years old! She said it was policy to check for ID's for anyone looking 30 or under. My companion was flattered, but really?
We ordered a bottle of the Zoe Rose for $40. It was fine.
We ordered appetizers of Charred Octopus (charred cipollini onions, fresno chiles, kalamata olive relish). and Crispy Zucchini & Eggplant (tzatziki, smoked paprika). Hardly any Tzatziki sauce either.
We were served one arm of octopus in a bowl with a grilled half lemon and a sauce. Our server cut the octopus into about 6 pcs and finished with a squeeze of lemon. We thought it would come grilled with vegetables, no sauce, but covered in what seemed to be a yogurt sauce? The octopus was tough, certainly far from tender. It was tough to cut (server had to work to cut it), tough to chew, and not to our liking either in texture, taste or appearance (sorry, forgot to photo).
The crispy zucchini & Eggplant was barely crispy, more soggy and drenched in oil. We shared the apps between the 4 of us and did not finish either of them. We all agreed they were not what we had expected.
Across the table they ordered Seafood Linguine (with lobster, shrimp, clams basil and lemon) to share, we did the same. I also ordered the Avgolemono Soup (cup) and Spanakopita (they spell it Spanakopitakia on the menu).
The seafood linguine is served in a red sauce. You can see small pieces of shrimp and lobster, didn't see any clams, the basil ingredient gives the impression it is served in a clear sauce (not red), and there was no taste of lemon (nor should there be in a red sauce). Pasta was overcooked and soft. For $38.99, it was overpriced, under proportioned (didn't see any clams), and poorly prepared/presented. We asked for cheese to top off the pasta and our server brought us grated/shredded cheese, not sure what kind it was.
The cup of Avgolemono soup was fine, but average.
Here was the big surprise. I spent close to 40 years attending the Greek Church and participated in dinners, festivals, etc., I grew up in a Middle Eastern family and my Mother, Aunts, Sisters all prepare/d Spanakopita. I was served 4 triangular pieces of Spanakopita! I was expecting a rectangle or square cut from a large tray as would be traditional. I guess that is the reason for their spelling and as an appetizer it is what the chef decided would be appropriate. The menu does say "4 pc", and I didn't ask how it is prepared, so that is my bad. When they served it my friends asked if they bought it frozen from Costco! I've had frozen before from the supermarket and will say there was a little more filling than the store bought so perhaps they are home made. Regardless, not the image I had when I ordered.
We skipped dessert. My portion of the nights bill, with tip, came to about $150.00 of which 1/3 was the wine. Still, a lot of money for the portions and the quality offered.
I've visited other Greek restaurants in the area, was looking forward to dining at Violi's but unfortunately will most likely not return except to perhaps sit at the bar for a cocktail after the snowbirds leave Naples.
Opa!