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Antica Pizzeria
Categories: Restaurants Pizza Restaurants Italian Pizza, Italian [Edit]
5785 Victoria AveNiagara Falls, ON L2G 3L6
(905) 356-3844
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 11 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
29 reviews for Antica Pizzeria
Review Highlights
"The wood oven helps a lot."
(in 8 reviews)
"I even ate the crust, great very thin crust."
(in 5 reviews)
"The wait staff is great and the prices are reasonable."
(in 3 reviews)
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29 reviews in English
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Review from Josh H.
10/12/2011
I had an eggplant parmesan and it was amazing! Nice, flavorful, chunky tomatoes, light breading (super light actually,and it's not breadcrumbs-idk how they do it but it's great.) They put it in the wood oven so it's like a crispy layer of eggplant on top. Super nice and hot. Just really amazing. I can't remember having a better eggplant Parmesan.
I tried a slice of their pizza as well. It is actually really good also. Wayy better imo than the cold, tasteless pizza around the corner at bravo(I ate there for lunch earlier). I'm sure their toppings and different cheeses are great.
Tip: The bread they give you is really plain. I didn't taste it, but they have a garlic bread that looks tasty and they put it in the wood oven.
Tip: On the outside it might look like a regular neighborhood pizzeria that's just average (that's what my party thought and we made the mistake of driving by and going to bravo). It's nice inside though and food is authentic.
Highly recommended. -
Review from Brittany K.
12/28/2011
This restaurant is in a super touristy part of Niagara Falls, ON. It has all the right pieces to be a nice chain restaurant but just falls short.
The decor is brick walls and art deco prints. The tables and chairs are kind of institutional which are what make this restaurant chainy and not comfortable.
I had a perfunctory Cesar salad and an oven fired pizza (The Peasano) that was just as good as the hand tossed pizza I can get from our local Ohio mall for $8.
Our waitress, though, was a pro. Not too friendly but she was very attentive and professional. She even wished us all the best in the upcoming year.
Two stars pretty much sums it up; during the meal I just kept thinking, Meh. -
Review from Rachel S.
10/9/2011
We had a great meal here on a Saturday night. Since we were a party of two we were able to get in with only a few minute wait; larger parties probably waited about 20 minutes for a table.
We had the pizza canadese, which was delicious. The 12 inch size is just a tad too big for one person, and a little two small for two people to share. You might be able to get away with two pizzas for three people though. Since we had extra room in our tummies we decided to split the Toblerone peanut butter cheesecake. It was very delicious and did not feel too rich. I was a bit disappointed that they don't offer cannolis, but I guess that's better than offering mediocre ones.
The service was fine, but I felt a bit rushed. The server was very efficient and came by with a purpose every time. That was fine, but usually I expect a little more pampering. For example, our water glasses got pretty low and my empty wine glass sat on the table even though I finished it before the dessert came out. However, for the price and crowd, I was willing to let it slide.
Instead of the server finalizing your check, you pay at a cash register. Again, not a huge deal, but it takes away from the full-service aspect. In addition to credit card, they were taking both US and Canadian money, giving you change in whatever form you paid. -
Review from Chris G.
Stoney Creek, ON
12/27/2011
Considering the location, in the middle of the touristy and expensive Niagara Falls area, the food was pretty darn good, and the prices, a bit steep, but very good for the area. Nice atmosphere too.
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Review from Syed I.
Milton, ON
10/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Food was excellent.
Their Pizza is so thin and so good, wood oven just does the trick.
My wife had a Mediterranean Pasta with goat cheese, let me tell you i have never had a pasta with out a marinara sauce that was bursting with flavors.
This restaurant is in very touristy area of Niagara Falls, ON but the prices are very reasonable. Service can be improved just a little. -
Review from Soren M.
Vancouver, BC
12/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
True Italian family owned restaurant, this place transports you to Italy for a few hours.
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Review from Geoffrey W.
Toronto, ON
5/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've eaten here once, with my wife and son. It's a big place, like many restaurants near Clifton Hill, and the ambience is decent. There's a large patio and a spacious indoors. It's neither cheap nor expensive, given the location. If this were farther from the Falls and Clifton Hill, I'd say it's a little steep for what you're getting.
I had a wood-fired pizza, as did my son. They were excellent. Not the best pizzas I've had, but well above average, to my taste. Simple, but well-prepared, and the wood-fired nature made the difference.
Everything else, on the other hand, was just about average. I had bruschetta, which were fine, my wife had ravloli and a salad, which were fine. Nothing was wrong with anything, but nothing stood out as being really good either.
My inclination is that this is a good place to get a wood-fired pizza, and don't pay too much attention to the rest. -
Review from Natalie V.
4/27/2011
I ate here about 4-5 times in the last week and really loved it.
A lot of reviewers complain about the staff being slow, but that was never our experience. The last time we were there was on a Saturday at 6:00pm and when our waitress heard we were in a bit of a rush, she got our salads to us in less than 4 minutes and our pizza out to us within 10minutes! TEN MINUTES, folks! That's how quickly our food came out!!
We tried just about every pizza on the menu and by the end of the week the #19 Pepperoni was the clear winner. The roasted vegetable with goat cheese was decent, I hated the sauceless one with olives and some weird meat, and the chicken artichoke one was a big disappointment.
The crust is outstanding. I'd take their pepperoni pizza over most of the NYC pizza joints and I don't even like pepperoni. Would come back in a heartbeat. -
Review from Kim M.
Niagara Falls, ON
9/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Mine was skimpy, poorly orchestrated, asiago cheese and prosciutto pizza. Sounded good but all they did was cook a pizza dough and then sprinkled it with cheese, prosciutto and arugula. Hers was more flavorful. Desserts were prepackaged and just ok.
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Review from Ryan T.
Toronto, ON
9/3/2011
Everything tasted cheap.
-
Review from Wojtek W.
Mississauga, ON
11/8/2010
The food and prices are great!!! We got the pizza Americana and garlic. Both were made in the wood-burn stone oven. These two dishes were delicious!!!!!
The only problem I had was the very slow staff. I counted 5staff just standing around and socializing.
I strongly recommend this place :-) -
Review from Nick F.
7/29/2011
My wife and I passed this place on our way back to the hotel one night before dinner. I mentioned to her that Antica's looked like a good place to eat. We were staying @ the Double Tree and had a $50 voucher for dinner. After sitting at their bar we had a few drinks and decided not to use the voucher and go grab a pizza. Excellent choice!!! Pizza was really good, thin crust style and the calamari appetizer was awesome!! Washed it all down with a nice cold beer. Server did an outstanding job
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Review from Renee E.
6/21/2010
After walking up and down the streets in the Clifton Hill area, we were lured in by the promise of wood-oven pizza and a seat in the patio area. It was also a bonus that Antica didn't seem quite so touristy as most of the other places around.
We liked that there was a good variety of pizza options. Vegans as well as carnivores can find some sort of pizza to fit their liking (there are a few no cheese options). They also have various pastas and whatnot, if pizza isn't your thing.
Ours came hot and fresh and delicious. No complaints here. And the service was excellent, even though our poor waitress had a table of about 15 who were there for a stag party. -
Review from Hoang N.
1/5/2011
The only good thing I can say about this place is that my server was really knowledgeable. However, she was a little smug so my table wasn't too fond of her.
The food itself was good. Not amazing, not disgusting. I suggest going here to try wood oven pizza, but don't expect anything wild. It just tasted like a regular pizza, that happen to be really thin. I don't know, I want to say I loved this place... but it really didn't stand out. -
Review from Tony D.
Toronto, ON
2/22/2011
The pizza here was one of the best pizza's I've ever had, which says a lot coming from an Italian boy ;-). Thin, tasty, and loaded with toppings. The bocconcini antipasto was also delicious. The place was packed the evening we went, but the service was still relatively fast, and our waitress was super friendly and quick. Couldn't get much better than this.
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Review from Mike P.
7/7/2009
Antica is off the beaten path of Clifton Hill, but close enough for tourists to come here for lunch or dinner. And who can blame them?
The place looks great on the inside and outside, with Italian themed decor, which includes red and white checkered tablecloths. The ONE thing that makes this place awesome is the wood fire brick oven, which is used to bake the pizzas and other food items.
When I came here, I was greeted by a courteous, friendly host and then server. During my wait, I could smell the pizza dough baking and in some cases burning. Thankfully, none of the pizzas were charred burned, though the outer crust was a little charred, but that's the badge of honor for a pizza baked in a wood fire brick oven. It made the place smell great.
Pizzas are 12 inches in diameter, though they also make smaller size pizzas.
I ordered the New York pizza- Mozzarella Cheese, pepperoni and tomato based sauce. Thin crust. Wood fire oven. Slightly charred outer crust. You do the Math. The pizza was excellent!
What I didn't like was the service. The service was slow, and at least to me, was discourteous. When I arrived there weren't that many customers, and it takes no more than 90 SECONDS to bake a pizza in a wood fire brick oven. I waited 15+ minutes! I noticed a man and a little boy who probably waited LONGER, and FORGOT the little boy's smaller pizza. I felt bad for them, but of course the servers who worked there CONSTANTLY checked on that table to make sure everything was okay and CONSTANTLY apologized for being late with the little boys pizza. Furthermore, it looked like they've gotten several refills of soda.
For whatever reason, the staff did not ask me how my food was, if I wanted anything else, wanted a refill and so on. Furthermore, I waited a LONG LONG time for the check. They seem more agreeable with tables that have families and especially with little kids.
If only these assjaggers know that I tip very well when its well deserved. I probably tipped at a better rate than a table of ten.
The pizza is so good here that it deserves a repeat visit. I just hope the staff works on improving customer service skills, or if my visit was on a bad day, get out that bug that got shoved up every ones asses.Listed in: Niagara Falls, USA and Canada
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Review from Dane K.
7/15/2009
Searching for a non-cheesey place to eat in Niagara Falls is like looking for a straight guy at a Madonna concert. We were feeling indecisive with the few options left, so we literally flipped a coin to decide to go here or not. The coin said not, but after we walked 15 minutes further to not find an Indian place we came back here.
I wouldn't say this place is non-touristy by any means--it's right in the heart of Clifton Hill...
Their menu is about half pastas and half pizzas.
We decided to order a Caesar salad and a pizza.
The Caesar salad had way too much dressing on it.
Eventually our pizza came, only it was the wrong one. We at first hoped the food runner just delivered it to the wrong table, but the waiter told us he thought we ordered something else. (The menu has numbers next to the pizzas and we ordered by number, not name, so I'm not sure how this was confusing to anyone) ...After waiting another 15 minutes the correct one came.
It was a pizza w/ artichokes, mushrooms, and maybe something else (can't recall). The mushrooms were hard to find. The artichokes were straight from a watery can (not even good canned ones)...
The tomato sauce was lackluster--to me it tasted like straight tomato sauce from the can (not even canned pizza sauce, literally canned tomato sauce). The crust was nice in texture but was pretty flavor-neutral. The wood oven helps a lot. The crust is the only part worth repeating of this pizza.
Overall given the area it's an OK choice maybe... Prices are reasonable at least. -
Review from Nick S.
5/22/2010
Given the plethora of fast food and overly-priced chain restaurants, there's not a lot of great places to eat around Clifton Hill.
Unfortunately Antica - which is about a 1/2 block away on Victoria Ave - is not an oasis from this desert of mediocrity.
It's not bad, it's just not very good either. My girlfriend and I ordered the calamari for an appetizer, and at $10.99, it was not impressive. Chewy and unremarkable, with a garlic aioli that barely saved it from being a worthless pile of rubber.
For our entree, we split a Pizza Bianca - a white pizza with bacon, pineapple and olive oil. It too wasn't bad, it just wasn't very satisfying. The combination of bacon and pineapple was interesting at first, but ultimately a letdown in flavor and texture.
To top it off, they charge full price for refills, and when your soda (or tea) comes in a standard 12oz glass, $2.05 per drink is a bit much.
Our bill came in at under $30, but for just under $10 we could have eaten at Wendy's and probably been just as (if not more) satisfied. -
Review from Adriano A.
Toronto, ON
12/14/2009 1 Check-in Here
I make it a point to go to Antica nearly every time I visit Niagara Falls. There's probably plenty of pizza places just like it, but there's something special about Antica I can't quite describe.
The first thing you notice when you walk in is the wonderful aroma of wood-oven pizza. It's the focal point of the restaurant as well. You can watch the entire process of your order being made in front of your eyes.
There are quite a few options, in regards to pizza. Something like 20 choices, all numbered in case your Italian isn't up to par. There's also pasta and veal sandwiches, but pizza is where Antica is at its best.
The wait staff is very friendly and the orders are usually put through quickly. Be aware though, during the tourist season there can be a long wait just to get you in the door.
Also when you ask for the bill, they will bring it to you, but you have to bring it back to the cash register. Odd little routine, but very easy to get over. Especially when you do pay, you'll find they don't leave your wallet too light.
The atmosphere is great. I usually use it as a topper to my weekends in Niagara. The girlfriend and I will have one last meal before hitting the road at Antica, and it almost guarantees to put a smile on our faces the whole way home. I definitely have a warm place in my heart for this restaurant.
(Tip: There's no free refills on pop here, but they don't always remember to tell you. Keep that in mind before ordering another drink.) -
Review from Nik B.
8/2/2010
Fueled with hunger, we searched for a decent place to eat dinner in the foodies' desert known as Niagara Falls, Ontario. We stumbled upon Antica, which was sure to deliver decent food quickly, knowing that they had a wood-fire oven.
I ordered the pizza Antica, with banana peppers on top. The crust was well cooked, and had a good crunch like any wood-fired pizza should. I liked the cheese and sauce on top, but I wished it was more evenly spread throughout the pizza.
Overall Antica is a better option than the fast food joins around, but I think everything is definitely overpriced. $10.99 is too much for 12" thin crust pizza, $1 is too much to add banana peppers to it, and $4.25 is too much for a Labatt Blue. -
Review from Yash D.
10/28/2009
If you are in the mood for pizza, then this is it! Amazing service even though it's very very busy! Pizza's were tasty and delicious. Pick any pizza. They are all good. Enjoy folks.
Park around the back for 5 bucks on a busy night. (like saturday night) -
Review from Tom L.
Toronto, ON
9/28/2011
This is one of the few reasonably priced restaurants in downtown Niagara Falls. We found the pizza to be solid and the service really good.
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Review from Sheila B.
3/16/2009
Known for its wood oven baked pizzas I go there for Antica's great Tiramisu. With drizzled chocolate on top it's melt in your mouth heaven!
The restaurant's decor is the typical Italian, dark wood with scenes of Italy on the walls. Pizza is pretty good and their side salad is enough for two. The wait staff is great and the prices are reasonable. -
Review from Erin C.
North York, ON
4/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Eh... Pizza is pizza, would give it a 3.5 if I could for taste...I even ate the crust, great very thin crust. Nice atmosphere also. Service not great, had to go looking for the waitress for our bill. When we went to pay in the was a line up of frustrated people. I guess they were having some sort of problem. One suggestion would be that they serve the pizza on some type of a hot plate to keep it warm and so that the cheese isn't dry and hard by the time your half way done your pizza.
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Review from baba b.
Niagara Falls, ON
11/8/2010
the pizza is pretty good--it's regular pizza but for fancyshmancypants pizza it's decent enough
the wait staff is pretty lazy
the owner is a nice guy though--I kinda know him
mostly this review is to let Anele S. in on something--in Canada iced tea is not just cold tea--it's that overly sweet lemony peepee
I served tables in NOTL years ago and Americans complained about that then--they also at that time had no idea what white vinegar was--at least they were always shocked you could put it on food..
Iced tea--both kinds---is nasty
Why don't most Americans drink when they eat out?
I'm telling you this is true--was true when I served them
Is true when I eat in the US or you can clearly tell from the accent it's Americans eating beside you here
On average they drink very little with their meals I'd say
well this has turned into a rambling mess
But ya--the servers are lazy there.
posting while loaded
I've been banned from other boards for this in the past
just letting that be known
I'm cool with the fact this is what my life's become -
Review from Anele S.
We were looking forward to trying this place for something that wasn't a chain unlike everything else in the area. We're not NY style pizza fans anyway so we didn't have really big expectations. The waitress was a little older and sweet. She brought our plates for our garlic bread and mine had a big ol' hair on it. I know that doesn't bother some people but that makes me gag because if there's hair on that, where else will it pop up that I can't see? Again, just me.
The pizza was wood fired right in front of us which was nice but the flavor was pretty flat. No real spice to the sauce at all, just tasted like straight out of the can tomato sauce, generic cheese and the pepperoni was really bad. I tried doctoring mine up with some pepper, red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese but it didn't help much. I swear I'm going to have to start carrying a spice holster with me everywhere I go. Also, I got iced tea and wasn't told it was lemon flavored sweet tea. (BLECK!) I didn't drink it, the hubby did and I drank his water. (Neither of which was offered to be refilled. When it's not tourist season, you have to beg every restaurant for refills. Grrrr!) On the upside, the bill was $19 something for 1 drink, garlic bread and a pepperoni pizza and the waitress made very sure we were aware her tip wasn't included in the total. Another side note, they have wifi! (A rarity in this area! Just ask the owner for the password) -
Review from Moe G.
6/9/2009
I grew up in and around the NYC area, so I am forever burdened by a preconceived notion of what constitutes great pizza. But sometimes you just gotta say to yourself, "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown". Or, as the case may be, Niagara Falls.
Which brings me to Antica Pizza, located smack dab in the middle of Canada's very own over-commercialized heart of darkness, Clifton Hill.
It takes true courage to walk amongst the savage tourists brandishing their $1.99 "Slowly I Turn" T-shirts and refrigerator magnets, but armed with nothing but our faith in mozarella, and our overextended Visa cards, we dedicated ourselves to the mission. Find good pizza, or be prepared to call two donuts and a cup of coffee at Tim Hortons dinner.
Here's what your humble narrator and friends discovered upon their arrival at said destination.
Thin crust wood oven 12" pies with darn good tomato sauce and some interesting topping options, including banana peppers and artichokes alongside the usual suspects.(For whatever reason, eggplant ain't on the menu.) On the internationally recognized Fuggetaboutit pizza scale, i'll rate Antica a 7 out of 10. If you didn't grow up in NYC, you'll probably be inclined to rate it higher. Either way, not a bad slice if i do say so myself.
More Wolfgang Puck than Mulberry Street, but like Dorothy said, we ain't in Kansas anymore.
Considering the price gouging going on in Niagara Falls, the bill at Antica is like landing on FREE PARKING. Four of us (that's 4 individual 12" pies) ate for about $45 plus tip and Ontario's 13% restaurant tax. (So that's how they finance socialized medicine here...on the backs of the overserved and overfed).
Antica also has the standard Italian pasta and entree options on the menu. But one look at their pizza kinda obviates the necessity for much else. -
Review from Daniella F.
Vancouver, BC
10/4/2009
I stumbled across this place, looking for something that wouldn't be outrageously tacky or terrible but still walking distance from the hotels. I got gnocchi and a salad. The salad was HUGE and the gnocchi was pretty tasty but a bit plain. The bread served with dinner was terrible, which was a disappointment considering the restaurant's brick oven. Next time, I'll grab a cab and go to Queens St to eat.
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Review from Tiffany S.
9/10/2009
i was a little iffy about finding good and decently priced food in the heart of the touristy clifton hill area, but i was wrong! really good pizza here. we had no idea. happened to be walking by mid-afternoon and noticed the crazy long line. we decided to return for a late night snack and there was no wait - yaya! i'm glad we did! we had an artichoke chicken pizza. it was really good. if i'm ever in niagara falls again, will definitely stop in here. don't order cocktails. hella weak. go with a beer or wine if you want a drink with your meal.
