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Italian Kitchen
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
1037 Alberni StreetVancouver, BC V6E 1A1
Neighbourhoods: West End, Downtown
(604) 687-2858
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 4:30 pm - 1 am
Fri-Sat 4:30 pm - 2 am
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Valet
- 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:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
175 reviews for Italian Kitchen
Review Highlights
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"Spaghetti and Kobe meatballs = out of this world." In 8 reviews -
"...the noodles with some mouth-watering truffle cream sauce." In 8 reviews -
"...pasta with homemade lamb sausage served with potatoes and..." In 8 reviews
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175 reviews in English
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Review from Anna P.
Vancouver, BC
5/5/2012
Every time I come here, I'm never disappointed!
MUST try their meatballs, awesome...just awesome. You can even order one single meatball, which is the size of a baseball. I've had their Italian Kitchen sampler platter before, and that is worth every penny. The roasted Trout is my favorite.
It's a great place for Valentine's day, the restaurant is cozy and nicely lite. Even our mushroom stuffed ravioli was heart-shaped. So sweet! -
Review from Kova P.
Coquitlam, BC
5/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
I came with a group of 10 to celebrate a successful project we did and we ordered a bunch of food to share, starting with appetizers, then salads, then mains, and finally dessert. Each course topped the previous course, and everything was simply amazing.
The beet salad and the Caesar salads were really good. The Caesar salad was nice and light, but very flavourful at the same time, I would recommend it. We also tried the brussel sprouts which will forever change the way you think of this vegetable. These brussel sprouts were fried with cheese and other delicious things and were incredible.
We tried a few different pasta dishes, unfortunately I cant recall the names, but all the pastas were amazing. We also ordered a few pizzas and the prosciutto one was excellent. The restaurant is known for their Kobe meat balls which everyone raved about. Personally, I thought they were okay, tasted like regular meat balls to me, so I don't know what the hype was about.
For dessert, the chef actually made up a special platter just for our table. We had the honeycomb chocolates, peanut butter chocolate stick things, and donuts with a chocolately goodness filling and vanilla sauce. I believe the donuts and the peanut butter things were actually items off of their sister restaurant's menu (Coast) and the chef was nice enough to make it for us.
The service here was excellent, and our server made sure to top us our wine throughout the night. We also had the chef bring out our platters and explain what each dish was which was very helpful. All in all, this is a really nice place to go once in a while when you want to splurge (calorie-wise and money-wise). -
Review from Peter M.
Vancouver, BC
4/25/2012
The food here is incredible. I shared the pasta platter with my gal, and we could barely finish the thing, not to mention it came with the. best. meatball. I. have. ever. eaten. Quite a nice room, with a slick bar to have pre-dinner drinks at, and some backlit black and white photos from Vancouver's history.
Two minor quibbles with my experience.
1) The techno/ house music. What's the deal? I'm not used to going out and dropping a couple of bills at a place with white linen and wine glass pre-sets to musical accompaniment that would better suit a rave. Just saying.
2) Service. Maybe I wasn't dressed 'well enough' but the staff didn't offer to hang up my gal's or my coat (they did with the following guests), nor did anyone come to quality check our meal (fortunately, it was excellent). Tip to staff - my lack of expensive watch does not mean that I do not know how to tip. Keep that in mind. -
Review from Carl N.
5/26/2012
Great Italian! Got to try a bit of everything. The mussels are delicious, a bit spicy. The meatballs have an interesting (but good!) flavor. The fried veggies are delicious, and the gnocchi are perfect. Loved the shrimp, as well, and the mini calzone. For the pasta, really just get the pasta platter. It's absolutely delicious (everything!). Lots of great drinks, as well. Great staff and great atmosphere.
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Review from Ying Ying L.
Vancouver, BC
5/18/2012
Lunch time is busy with nearby office workers. The Lobster & Crab Monte Cristo came highly recommended but while it was good, I found it very oily. The steak carpaccio was fantastic though and will be going back for more. Came for brunch another time and the food was pretty good.
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Review from Ellie C.
Vancouver, BC
3/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
The calamari is deserving of the hype. Light and crisp - cooked absolutely perfect.
Otherwise pasta is pasta. Nothing that special here.
I was surprised at how busy it was for a week night. What doesn't help is the tables being so close together. Kinda feels like the person in the table next to you is sitting in your lap. I feel like the intimate cozy feeling is missing from this place. -
Review from John R.
3/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
Wow! Perhaps it was just us but we found this place very difficult to find at night when driving the streets and not being familiar with the area. The facade is rather dark and the name does not stand out. The valet is a little down to the left of the entrance. Once you do manage to get here, however, it is certainly worth the experience.
The Crispy Fried Calamari with spicy sicilian tomato sauce is outstanding. It has been a long time since I have seen calamari served this way -- cut into very thick steak like strips. For the main course I had the Spaghetti with Spicy Kobe Meatballs truffle cream sauce, tomato garlic confit, herb ricotta. It is a great and filling dish -- so much so that I have to leave some behind at the table.
The only way to get the missing star would be to step up to the quality of Macaluso's Restaurants in Miami. Their meatballs are the best I have ever had -- period, and the sauce (or gravy as I guess the Italians call it) is second to none. Until this happens the Italian Kitchen, while in Vancouver, will have to do -- and in no way is it a bad compromise! -
Review from Rick C.
We hopped down to the Alberni Street corridor for some pasta at Glowbal's signature ristorante Italian Kitchen.
The bone marrow beef tenderloin tartare with garlic crostini and beef carpaccio was savoury well-presented. It was a solid, ample filling appetizer.
The burrata with bacon, marinated escarole, and caramelized shallots was not as expected. Very top heavy, the toppings overwhelmed the bread slice when bitten into.
I ordered the linguine carbonara with pancetta, scallions, free range egg, and parmesa. It was well-cooked and satisfying. The sauce was just the proper consistency with a savoury flavouring.
Angela and Kevin split the pasta platter of spaghetti (with spicy kobe meatballs and truffle cream), braised veal cannelloni (with wild mushroom cream), pappardelle (with lamb sausage, cabbage and potatoes), and rigatoni pomodoro.
I was jealous of Grace's pappardelle with lamb sausage cabbage, potatoes, peperoncino, and olive oil. It was quite delicious and delightful. Also, Bennett's garganelli pollo with roasted chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, peas, and roasted chicken broth looked fetching and quite edible.
It was a very satisfying meal all around. We enjoyed our night of pastas with good service and atmosphere. -
Review from Adrian V.
Richmond, BC
3/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
I've been to a few other Glowbal restaurants, and I have to say Italian Kitchen is quite on par with the other ones. The ambiance, food, level of service, and experience are excellent.
My dear friend and I had brunch one Sunday to catch up and Italian Kitchen was our first choice. I had passed by this restaurant several times and have always been curious, so when I suggested it to her she agreed. Plus, around last summer or 2 summers ago, I saw a really hot server working on the patio of Italian Kitchen. The chances of me seeing the same server working when we came in was small, but I could dream :)
Before I comment on the food, let me just start by saying that I really like the layout of the kitchen. Everything is just out in the open for everyone to see, with the prep work and cooking done behind the bar. The cooks can interact with guests, which makes the experience more personal. I think a minor disadvantage to this is we ended up smelling like the food they were cooking. Not a big deal.
My friend and I wanted a sweet alcoholic drink but didn't know what to get, so our kind server offered to create something for us. He returned with 2 martini glasses with a bubbly pink concoction, which was fruity and delicious. Perfect for a Sunday brunch.
We ended up ordering the Breakfast Pizza and the Pappardelle Lamb Sausage. We ordered the Breakfast Pizza because it was such a curious item, not knowing it would be one the best decisions we've ever made in our lives. The eggs and bacon were divine, and the potatoes filled us up quite nicely. Best part? The burrata. Made the dish so creamy and added a nice texture to the dish. Love it.
The Pappardelle was also good, but I liked the Breakfast Pizza better. The lamb sausage was quite spicy, but not too spicy. The cabbage added an interesting layer or texture to the dish, which I think I could've gone without. But it was fine with it. I think I just preferred the Breakfast Pizza.
I always love seeing the washrooms of a restaurant too, to see if they maintain it for the guests. What I didn't like about the washroom is the fact that only one person can use it at any given time. Probs won't be good on a busy evening. However what it lacked in size made up for it in decor. It felt like it was my private washroom as I was the only 1 in there, and the decor was classy.
Enough washroom chat, I'm sure you probs don't care.
Overall this was a pleasant dining experience. I would definitely come back and try the Lunch, Dinner, and Dessert menu. -
Review from Sarah O.
1/26/2012
You know, it was just Okay. Nothing spectacular. A lot of hype and not enough wow. After a few weeks, I remember being really cold in the dining room more than what I ordered. When we first walked in, they were handing out samples of their bean pizza but the problem was that it was cold! Hmm! Our dinner was just alright and everything else was so forgettable. Actually- they had mouthwash in the bathroom, which was a nice touch.
Overall, I really wasn't impressed. Sorry. -
Review from Jessica H.
Vancouver, BC
2/16/2012
Kobe. Beef. Meat. Balls.
If you are a fan of meat balls like I am, this is the place to go. It's a simple item but they do it so well. Juicy, tender, and just a little bit of bite. Their flatbreads are good as well, and so are the share platters. The atmosphere downstairs is great for a date or night out with friends, upstairs I prefer if I am looking for something a little quieter (business meeting).
Make a reservation, or if you don't mind, sit at the bar - it's fun! Service is great and the desserts are even better(Italian Donuts are YUM)...so try your best and save room. -
Review from Joshua N.
1/11/2012 ROTD 2/22/2012
This was a truly excellent dining experience. From beginning to end, the food and the service were both incredible.
If you like cheese, try the cream mozzarella. I've never had anything like it. The spaghetti in truffle cream sauce with kobe beef meatballs is worth it just for the truffle sauce. The fried brussel sprouts are so good you'll think you weren't even eating vegetables. For dessert I highly recommend the zeppole cioccolato - but be careful eating them or you will shoot chocolate sauce on everyone and everything at the table. Unless that's all part of the plan - don't worry, I don't judge.
I ought to disclaim right here that I didn't pay for my meal and I was able to order pretty much anything I wanted with no limit. Italian Kitchen is not cheap so don't plan to eat here if you are on a budget. That being said, if you don't mind spending a little extra the food and service are well worth it. -
Review from TheHungryNomad E.
2/27/2012 Seated via OpenTable
I've been to Italian Kitchen on various occasions but never had gone for brunch. The service was great from finish to start. Our server very attentive- going through the menu with us and being patient with older members of our party. The food was really good. We ordered the Spaghetti and Kobe meatballs, the Lamb Sausage Hash and Prosciutto Pizza. I didn't find the Kobe meatballs to be out of this world like many have suggested instead I found the lamb sausage hash to be bursting with flavours and very delicious preferring it over my own Kobe meatball spaghetti dish. The best part of the meal had to be the dessert. We ordered the Italian donuts and Tiramisu. The Italian donuts were out of this world. Hot and chewy with melting milk chocolate in the middle making for an explosion of flavours in your mouth. The tiramisu was light, fluffy and the perfect amount of sweet.
The restaurant is on the pricier end of the spectrum but the ambiance, service and menu make it well worth it. -
Review from Stephanie M.
Vancouver, BC
2/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
In keeping with the business-oriented clientele in the neighbourhood and the upscale nature of the cluster of Glowbal group-dominated restaurants on the block, this place is equally appropriate for a power lunch or to impress someone with fancy cocktails and carbohydrate-laden Italian food after work. Finally made it here when our boss was nice enough to treat us to a liquid lunch to celebrate a victory at work.
I was immediately impressed with our server and the service overall. He was very personable but also, as they say, "the consummate professional", and helped us select a couple of excellent wines to taste. From there on in, my wine glass and water glass were never allowed to get close to empty. We shared the mozzerella tasting platter as our appetizer, and well, who doesn't love three different varieties of authentic fresh Italian mozzeralla? For my main, I had the risotto of the day, which was a white risotto or "risotto blanco" with prawns and mussels. Perfectly cooked and absolutely delicious.
The only negative thing I can say is that I had to head back to the office a tad earlier than the others for a meeting.
Just remember: with all the carbs and wine, don't expect a highly productive afternoon at work! -
Review from Erin U.
1/30/2012
After reading all the review on here i really thought it was going to blow my mind...The place itself is great, the interior looked awesome and the upstairs is cozy and nice as well. They also get stars for service as the waiter was spot on. Unfortunately for me, the food just didnt cut it, on their behalf i was there for dine
Vancouver so it was a set meal course and you choose one appy, one entree and a dessert of a few options menu. I guess I may have to try it again because the dine menu was terrible, the appetizer was a deep fried and small, the entree was dry pasta that honestly tasted like it came out of a box...they get some props for the creme brulee and a bit of my girlfriends tiramisu cake but overall I was severely disappointed with the food, if you have booked a table for dine out Vancouver you may want to reconsider and just pay the extra and order off their normal menu. -
Review from Natasha B.
Burnaby, BC
3/5/2012
Well let me tell you I walked into this restaurant not giving it much credit from reviews I heard through co workers. While we were waiting I was impressed with the buzzer indicating our table was ready. Not to mention the wine list had many options and reasonable price for a restaurant. Atmosphere was trendy and chic, our waitress was helpful and friendly. Now to the food it was remarkable, def proved me wrong. Both my boyfriend and I were amazed in how much flavor was in the sauces . We ordered the pasta platter for two which had 5 different pastas, all of which were just amazing. I highly reccomand this restaurant :)
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Review from Cathy S.
11/10/2011
My husband and I met a couple of friends for lunch. We had made reservations and we were escorted to our table promptly upon arrival. It is a nice room and our server was pleasant and efficient. Our glasses of wine arrived in no time. The big letdown was the food itself.
My husband and I split a panzanella salad to start. The salad was good but there wasn't a whole lot there for the princely sum of $13. We could have easily each had one instead of splitting and it wouldn't have dulled our appetite in the least.
For my entree i chose a forno chicken panini. Our meals were obviously sitting at the pass for a while because they were barely warm when they arrived. And what genius thought that a good way to serve a sandwich and a side salad is on a narrow board? All four of us had salad casualties off the side of the board.The sandwich itself was a whole lot of bread and not very much filling.
I might return to try a pasta, but for the $40 per person that this lunch cost I would consider a whole lot of other options first. 2.5 stars. -
Review from J H.
5/5/2012
Good Italian food with reasonable service and price.
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Review from Astrid L.
Vancouver, BC
2/2/2012
Went here on a Wednesday with my husband and father. We didn't make reservations, but we also went a little earlier probably around 5:30-5:45. Got seated immediately, but were also notified that the table had a reservation for 7pm. Not a problem, but definitely nice to have that advance notice. We ordered calamari as the appetizer, and it was delicious. I had a vegetable pasta dish in a cream sauce, which was very rich. Almost too rich to finish, but definitely delicious.
The service was pretty good, but I could see how busy it was getting when we left, and also we lucked out and were seated around the corner, but right by the door would be terribly drafty. I say give the Italian Kitchen a shot, but make a reservation, and maybe request a table closer to the back. -
Review from Jeff S.
Vancouver, BC
3/17/2012
Italian kitchen has found the elusive formula that works, unlike the the sister restaurants of the same proprietor accross the street. The food is very good, and it has passion and in generous quantities.
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Review from Dee B.
12/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
I am so torn - 3 or 4 stars?
Let's build the case for each:
4 Stars:
- Big group Christmas party (40 ppl). The restaurant and staff catered our every need.
- Service was attentive, efficient and completely accommodating
- The wine selection is outstanding. We drank tons of French champagne and Italian Amarones.
3 Stars:
- Trattoria has better food. I do realize they are owned by the same company so this is actually a compliment (maybe only to Trattoria). The food was fine, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't fabulous. IK does one up Trattoria only because they use truffle oils and have a better wine selection.
- The lobster burschetta is really just a piece of flatbread with some lobster (overdone I might add) and some tomatoes and sauce. It's more like a pizza.
- On my pasta platter, there was one pile of pasta that was undercooked. I appreciate al dante pasta, but this was just simply not boiled long enough.
- The restaurant itself looked a bit sloppy last night.
Although I just built a bigger case for 3 stars, I am going to give 4 stars because the Manager, Ich, was so accommodating, polite, speedy and overall quite lovely - especially with last minute planning. He made sure the wine cellar was equipped with specific wines our group drinks. So big props to Ich. He's just great. I would recommend him to a friend. -
Review from H G.
5/2/2012
Just fair AND expensive. Mista salad had a quarter of a tomato though it claimed " heirloom tomatoes", the Brussels sprouts side was just a salty dish of sauted leftover Brussels sprout leaves and the Marguerita pizza had way too much cheese. Add to this that the background music was loud Techno. !
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Review from Jasmine O.
Vancouver, BC
10/11/2011
What a special place to celebrate my one year of marriage! Very personable server (Hillary), out of this world food, and the best fine dining donuts I ever had...
Brushetta sampler, Gnocci, and the lobster pasta were the perfect mingler for Parke and I to share (we kept passing plates). Match that with some delicious red wine and you've got the perfect feast. Highly recommended... especially for a date.Listed in: date night late night
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Review from Connie L.
1/15/2012
We had a Saturday night reservation here. Very crowded: and even with the reservation our party of two was ignored at the bar, then at the table when we were finally sitted .
Thankfully, our beautiful hostess Isabelle took good care of us for the rest of the night.
We sat at a table right in front of the open kitchen, which was great. We heard boisterous remarks and laughter from the chefs through out the night.
BUT... it was too cold! Whenever somebody opened the door, this COLD DRAFT just froze us momentarily.
Please, management, something needs to be done here!
The food was good. It is more informal than the other restaurants along Alberni, but I think, still up to par.
We loved the Burrata with radicchio - very generous with those mozzas.
The funghi/truffle with pizza was also outstanding.
The special cioppino that we tried - just okay. Fish was dry, sauce was good.
I did love the house white - it was an okanagan white, menu didn't specify the blend. But for 7.50, these babies go a long way.
And kudos for the generous pour.
We would visit again. But definitely not on a busy night. -
Review from Larry L.
12/10/2011
I've been here quite a number of times for lunch now. I guess it's about time I wrote my review eh?
Always had the same table everytime. Service has always been consistent and when we have been here, it's never really been too crowded. Maybe we're coming at the right time. Whereas the review my brother wrote, he writes that it's always crazy busy.
The Missus likes this place and everytime she wants to keep coming back here.
I gues it's a good place to go to. This is our place now. :)
She loves the pasta and lets me decide what it is that we would want to eat.
She knows I love Italian food. And the food here is decent.
I wouldn't say 5 star rating, but on days, it can be.
I think overall the average is 3.5 to 4 stars. Closer to 4 stars.
Staff is friendly, and their spaghetti is quite good. especially the meatballs.
Sad to say, that I should've ordered this dish for takeout for my daughter to try instead of a sandwich. Mistake on my part.
So in a way, for the family, this is a favourite place to dine.
For the missus, it's fancy and well paced. It's urban and Italian.
For the kids, yeah, well, ditto on the above and lots to see.
For the sister, well, she likes it cause we do.
I have to admit, they love their pasta here. -
Review from Jasmine T.
Burnaby, BC
11/11/2011
The best dish ever is their Spaghetti with Kobe Meatballs.
I want whoever makes this dish to live in a cage in my kitchen so that I can have it any time I want. The first time I had this dish was during Christmas dinner with my girlfriends... this time I was here to celebrate the last night of singledom with my friend that was getting married. I went to Trattoria the night before and I got the Spaghetti Carbonara because I thought it might be this dish. Sad... sadness... Even though I had pasta the night before, I had to have it again.
We started off with pitchers of the limoncello drink they make with lemon curd... not sure what it's called... it's good though... We drank a lot of it.
Lots of different dishes were ordered, but I was only interested in one thing: Spaghetti with Kobe Meatballs. I get the Kobe Meatballs on the side because I don't like them. They're spicy and covered in tomato sauce... so maybe it's the sauce that's spicy... I dunno. Alls I know is that I want the truffle cream. I want the unspoiled creamy pasta. It's so good. How do they make it? I want it every day. I can't because lactose is my enemy, but wouldn't it be wonderful?
I'm not sure what else they have because the person I am going to trap in my kitchen who makes this will only know how to make this. -
Review from Herman E.
10/20/2011
This establishment is a constant haunt of mine. Been here more times than I can count.
Walking in and you will immediately notice that this restaurant is geared towards the young and trendy professionals working downtown. It's a place to see and be seen IMO.
But what about food and service? Very good on both fronts. The sharing pasta platter is more than enough for two people, and is an excellent choice if you don't know what you want, and you can sample small amounts to see what you like.
The veal milanese is a real star! Nicely breaded and fried crispy.
If you like trendy professional atmospheres, this is the place for you. -
Review from Stephen B.
11/27/2011
This is a great place. The menu is good with many choices and sharing is recommended. The other and I each ordered a main course for sharing. I had the Kobe meat balls with a cream sauce over pasta. The other had the veal scallopini prepared in the traditional method. Both were outstanding.
The place is loud and I would highly recommend a reservation. Go, eat some great food and enjoy ! -
Review from Gary M.
10/23/2011
Italian Kitchen is perfect for what it is, and where it is.
Great room, attractive servers, fancy milieu, loud music, Glitzy!. A place to see and be seen. Kind of what Vancouverites love.
We went to IK with a friend from Japan. She was impressed by the look and feel of the place and she said felt at home there . My wife and I have been before so we were glad she liked it. We ordered an appetizer platter and an entree of Kobe beef meatball pasta for all three of us to share.
Although the appetizer platter is meant for two, all three of us had trouble finishing it because there is so much to sample! We took the majority of the pasta dish home in a doggie bag for lunch the next day! (Japanese think the term doggie bag is so cute btw!)
The food, although very tasty, is a bit too heavy and salty for my taste.
Big and heavy seems to be the theme.
I guess I prefer simpler, lighter, elegant food.
I recommend Italian Kitchen if you want a fun, great, but heavy night out with friends. -
Review from Siri W.
7/11/2011
God this place is tasty. I mean really though. Hot damn. Every time my mum is in town, this is our go-to family gathering spot, which says a lot about the food, because it's not a great atmosphere for family get-togethers - it's very noisy, no matter where you sit and very pricy. However, we simply can't pass up the meal, so we come, time and time again.
I've had many delish items here, but the Kobe Meatball Spaghetti has got to take the cake. While not exactly authentic, it's absolutely incredible. The meatballs are rich, savoury, melt-in-your-mouth goodness, and the pasta is always cooked perfectly in a sauce with just the right amount of zip.
I've also had a few of the pizzas and they have all been delish. Also have eyed the lasagna enviously from my brother's plate...it looks scrumptious. Another time perhaps :)
But damn! Get out there and try it - you'll be missing out if you don't.Listed in: Top Restaurants, Post Five With Friends
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Review from lisa b.
10/21/2011
Based on a recommendation from a friend who is from Vancouver, my friend and I stopped by to check this place out. WOW is all I can say. The bartender Joe is fantastic along with the other staff there.
We choose the pasta sampler and were not disappointed at all, the veal cannelloni is phenomenal along with the gnocchi. We loved the place so much we ended up going back for lunch the next day.
The gnocchi was good to perfection, melted in your mouth and yet light.
Would highly recommend this place! -
Review from Jeff F.
7/5/2011
It wasn't bad, but it was far from good.
I have been making my own pasta and sauces for quite some time and have been to a few different parts of Italy in my travels, so I like to think I have a passing idea of Italian cuisine. The second you throw something like truffle oil on a dish though you show me you are a cost cutting operation. For those of you that don't know, truffle oil is as much truffle as artificial vanilla extract is vanilla. It is more chemical than natural most times. You want to impress me, sliver off a few slices of truffle, don't use the fake stuff.
I may go back again, but only if someone else really wanted to go. -
Review from Piyusha P.
7/4/2011
Italian Kitchen has raised my gnocchi bar. I mean... they were outstanding. Light and fluffy... as someone on food Network once described "Like little pillows in my mouth." Y-U-M.
The service was quick and prompt. We had a 7:30 reservation and our table was ready even when we got their early. The house red (local BC wine) was delicious... good body and really smooth. We were given a sample of their beet salad and the herb goat cheese was delicious. The herb cut through the usual tanginess of the goat cheese.
Besides the gnocchi (which was paired with a tomato cream sauce and fresh basil), we shared a mushroom pizza with truffle cheese. Very good and not overwhelming at all.
The tiramasu was okay... nothing to go running about but the chocolate sauce on the plate was fantastic. -
Review from Zoe P.
7/8/2011
Oh guys, this is tough. I've never given 4-star praise to overpriced Italian food before. But . . .
In a fairly large and talkative and persnickety party, everyone raved and then fell silent and ate their huge portions to the bottom of the bowl. Red sauces, cream sauces, meats, fish, the mushroom pizza (the only dish available for a vegetarian?) it was like everyone at the table secretly thought they'd gotten the best dish on the menu. This might be because everything was prepared a bit on the rich side with plenty of butter, oil, cream, bacon and/or fresh mozz - pick your poisons. The menu, like the name of the place, was a little generic, but they made no mistakes.
Service was accommodating, wine was pitch perfect. If you like Italian, you're pretty hungry, and you don't mind paying to have it done right, give them a try. -
Review from Justina L.
7/13/2011
We made reservations, which was a good thing as we were seated within minutes of walking into a semi-busy restaurant. Things picked up throughout the evening and was quite busy when we finished our meals.
We were seated upstairs by the window, but also inconveniently squeezed between another table and part of the wall jutting out. Nonetheless, we wouldn't let that put a damper on the delicious smells wafting all around us.
Even before arriving at the restaurant, we had already decided on the pasta for 2. He was probably excited because then I'd stop stealing/sampling his food! We started with the panzanella (?) salad, and the waiter was kind enough to let us know it'd be a warm salad. That sounded less appetizing, yet I was intrigued enough to order it. To my surprise, I really enjoyed it. It wasn't "warm" like soup or a pasta dish, but rather vegetables and croutons at room temperature, which suited the flavors and ingredients well. The pasta for 2 included four different pastas and my favorite, hands down, was the noodles with some mouth-watering truffle cream sauce. Although I am not a fan of cream sauces, my love for anything truffle won. I wanted to steal it all for myself, but the fair side of me decided to share a bit.
I've love to go back and try another pasta...or pastas...yum. -
Review from Rachael T.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 4/18/2011
I did not want to post a review like this.... Because I was really looking forward to this dining experience and I have heard such good things about this place and my original experience (almost a year ago). As a large group coming in at 8:45, I would also hope that we would get the attention that we deserved. Sadly, I cannot be the bearer of good news on this review.
We had a large group.... For 8:45... and when we got there, the table was not ready and I felt bad intruding on the people who were sitting at the edge of the bar by the front door. With no where to stand but the front area, the staff who were walking past the bar to the front was pushy, and rude.... I'm not sure if I'm at fault by this but I felt bad for being in their way.
About 10 - 15 minutes later, we were finally brought upstairs to our area - two different groupings because one table could not seat us all. The service was extremely slow throughout the whole evening, and I was surprised to see that there was one person serving all of us. The whie sangria I ordered tasted like pure sweet white grape juice and nothing else.. I'm not sure if that's the way it's supposed to be made.
What was most disappointing that for $45, our meal consisting of the appetizer platter and a main course was poorly proportioned. One table consisting of 10 people had two platters to share, and one table of 15 people ALSO had two platters to share. How is a table with 5 extra people sharing the same amount of food? There were approximately 4 pieces of each item on the platter so not everyone had a chance to try everything (I'm not sure how it works). Thanks to our hosts, they ordered extra burata for all of us, and I was very happy with the taste of the cheese and bread that it came with, but if that wasn't ordered, I'm sure that the rest of the guests would be pretty hungry considering that it was after 9:30 when the first course even came out. I would have suggested that the first course been put into the kitchen earlier because it only main courses had an option anyway.
For the mains - our option was Spaghetti and Kobe Meatballs, Wild Salmon with celery puree, and Chicken with Proscuitto and Panzella Salad. I have had the Kobe meatballs before and loved them so wanted to try something new to get a taste of what else they had to offer...... bad idea. When ordering the salmon, I requested my salmon be a little underdone and the waitress assured me that the kitchen knew what they were doing and they usually cook it that way anyway... well... not sure what happened but my salmon was TOUGH and dry and overcooked... well not just my salmon... I talked to everyone around me who ordered the salmon and they all got the same quality. Everything else was very pleasant but I did not order a plate to be eating veggies and puree.
I hate to be tough on this one but I can only save glowbal group restaurants for special occasions because I would consider it a higher end restaurant and a higher price point so I woul also expect the same quality and service. Unfortunately, this experience fell short on both.Listed in: Vancouver Magazine's 101 Best…, Crustaceans and Mollusks…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/30/2010
What seemed to have been a rough start ended up being a very respectable dinner with good food,… Read more »
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Review from Allen W.
5/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Had dinner here recently -- some amazing food!
We started with the burrata which I did not like. I think of burrata as a fresh mozzarella ball which is torn open to display it's runny, creamy interior. The burrata at Italian Kitchen was just a piece of cold, fresh mozzarella on a piece of crostini. Won't order again.
As for the rest of the food -- excellent. Ordered a pizza which was stellar, perfect crust and toppings. The best thing we ordered though was a side of fried brussels sprouts. I know, you're thinking I'm insane. Don't care. These were the best, most addictive brussels sprouts ever -- fried until brown, then topped with lemon, capers, and tons of parmesan. We ate the entire bowl before finishing the pizza.
Only downside is that restaurant can be a bit loud and cramped. However, I'll be back! -
Review from Rachel D.
12/31/2011
I was here when in Vancouver for work and out of the many places my group and I ate, the consensus was this was our favorite.
We came in for lunch and were thoroughly impressed. The food was excellent (including all of our food I think there was a pasta sampler, kobe meatballs, pasta carbonara, and a few other things I know I'm forgetting) and the service was great.
Our waitress was attentive and aware of what was going on. The restaurant was fairly busy and she managed to meet every need.
It is a bit pricy for what it is, but as the favorite of the trip, I can't really complain. -
Review from Lisa T.
11/25/2011
lunch or dinner, the service and the food are always consistently awesome.
i went for lunch today with a friend, though, maybe i shouldn't have simply because i am feeling myself fall into the afternoon slumber with my heavy eyelids and nodding head. we each had a panini; mine came with soup of the day (cream of asparagus and eggplant) and hers with a salad. it was delish. but heavy stuff. and i could feel it once i got up and started walking.
i love the sharing plates at dinner. they are well proportioned and you can sample a bit of everything, which is always nice if you are in a tapas mood or indecisive. i'm not much of an alcohol drinker but their white sangria is the best i've tasted. now, i'm quite picky and don't know much about wine either so don't take my word for it...it could just mean that the bar masks the taste of the wine really really well. ;)Listed in: great for large groups.
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Review from Ellie V.
Vancouver, BC
8/26/2011
The food is FREAKING fantastic. Holy.
My mother and I went back to the Italian Kitchen and we got the Carne Platter. I'm not a big fan of veal (it's kind of a gross mental image), but oh my, the veal was sooo delicious. It was so rich and velvety, topped with capers! The ribeye was to die for, and the chicken parm was heavenly. The meat also came along with a creamy, smooth, and perfectly prepared polenta topped with a bolognese sauce. The fried Brussels sprouts with balsamic vinegar were crispy, yet soft, and the grilled vegetables were done nicely. A small green salad is also included, which made me feel a bit better about eating such a sinful amount of rich food.
I always sit outside, and it's a little tight for space. The tables are really close to one another, so leaving for the washroom can be a challenge.
The service is great, and my waiter (for the second time now!) was really friendly.
I'll have to definitely try the deserts next time... If I don't feel too full!
