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- Hours:
Mon-Fri 10:30 am - 3 pm
Mon-Thu, Sun 5 pm - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 11 pm
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Trendy, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
25 reviews for NOVO Pizzeria and Wine Bar
25 reviews in English
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Review from Scott P.
Absolutely my favorite pizza restaurant in the neighborhood! They get it and so does the staff. The best service! The meatballs out of this world and then the pizza was perfectly cooked. I wanted to order a second one to bring to the movies with me.
Speaking of movies - NOVO has deal for $44 for two people a three course meal and tickets to the movie theater next door. That is a deal!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/28/2012
Pizza and wine how can you go wrong...you can't!
This is a little gem of a restaurant. The pizza… Read more »
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Review from P M.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 5/10/2012
Have been to Novo several times now. First off, the pizza is truly authentic. Super fresh ingredients and amazing flavour.
Service is always good. They make you feel welcome.
This is a great neighborhood restaurant. I hope they can stick it through as many nights we have been there it has been unusually quiet.
A few recommendations:
1) This is a casual, neighborhood pizza restaurant. The average wine prices, however, do not reflect this. The other night we we there, on the chalk board, it said something about the 'feature wine' for $12. Ideally, they should offer more selection of wines for $40 and under (similar to say Cactus Club or Earls, also much easier to choose)
2) Should offer regular drink specials (the money is made from the drinks, not the food!)
3) On slow nights (example Mon/Tues), think about offering a special. For example, 1/2 off pastas or pizzas. Other establishments like Q4 (Kits) and Senova (W.57th) do this and it draws a crowd.
At the end of the day, people these days want to leave knowing they got good value. Novo is definitely on the right track.
PS.
A few concerns:
1) twice now we have seen one of the prep chefs snack on food in the open kitchen thinking that no one was looking at him...
2) we also saw a hostess eating her own snacks/dinner from a plastic container up at the bar area (not professional at all)1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/18/2012
This restaurant is right in our neighbourhood. Went here with my family. Excellent pizzas and… Read more »
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Review from Danielle B.
Vancouver, BC
First time dining at Novo tonight and it won't be my last. From the moment we walked in, we felt welcomed and appreciated as customers - unfortunately a rare feeling in Vancouver.
We started with an order of meatballs and a glass of wine. The meatballs were very flavourful, topped with shaved parmagiano cheese and sitting on a little pool of fresh marinara sauce (see photo).
We then had the truffled mushroom pizza and chose to add some of their fennel sausage (made in-house) which really kicked it up an extra notch. I also added a little chilli oil for some kick.
My friend chose the Caprese pasta with fresh tomatoes, burrata cheese and basil. Without any added sauce, (just really good olive oil) this pasta lacked a little bit of 'oomph'. But one word to our server and she brought over a little bit of fleur de sel for us to sprinkle on - it was just what I was hoping for. Really livened up the flavours of the dish.
We capped it off with their house made tiramisu. It was a little soggy, but the flavours worked really well together and the whipped mascarpone was very light.
All-in-all, a great meal. I hope to go back for the lasagna :) -
Review from Mike L.
Vancouver, BC
5/20/2012
They serve oven roasted pizza. We ordered 3 pizzas but 2 of them were very soggy for some reason, we had to ask the restaurant to remake the pizzas. Calamari was deep fried along with some sort of pickled italian hot pepper and was very good. Enjoyed the panna cotta and the tiramisu for dessert. But overall I think it's pricey.
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Review from Kenneth E.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 5/10/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Grilled chicken panini outstanding again. fresh tomato, mozzarella cheese, sauce, and a nicely done house salad w/ a few bacon bits for good measure. And yummy pesto sauce too.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/6/2012
These neopolitan pizzas seem to be the rage!
Beautiful decor, classy, and quality ingredients.… Read more »
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Review from Dee B.
3/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
My first time at Novo. Sadly, this review will not include my opinion of the pizza or the pasta because I didn't eat either.
BUT, I did eat the Rustic salad (greens, pancetta, olives and... PESTO! Brilliant, would have never thought to put pesto on a salad) and a side of meatballs with a glass of wine and an americano for dessert.
Salad - delish. As you are all aware at this point, I am the salad expert. Salad makes up at least 2 of my meals per day. The pancetta was crispy and salty, the greens crisp and fresh, the pesto creamy and fragrant and the dressing light and tangy.
Meatballs - they put little currants in those things! Again, such a great idea. Add a bit of sweet to the savory. The meatballs are juicy and full of flavour. The marinara sauce is one of the best I've ever had.
Service - awesome. Just the way I like it: be brief, be bright, be gone. Oh and he smelled good too.
While I admitted earlier to not sampling the pizza or the pasta, I did see a lot of people eating it. I can say that it all looked fabulous and the pizza's really are huge. These two women sitting next to us ordered a pizza each even after the server advised them to share and when their pizzas arrived they occupied 75% of their table and they both laughed and admitted that there is no way they were going to be able to eat all of that - lightweights. I would have taken one of those bad boys down no problem ;)
I will definitely go back to Novo - my husband will love this place. For $30, GREAT value. -
Review from Luisa D.
Updated - 3/5/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Went for supper with the family last night. This is not where you go if you want a cheap family pizza night. This is where you go if you want delicious, premium pizza in a comfortable but classy venue. We had a bottle of the Fontanafredda Briccotondo Barbera (perfect with pizza!), 2 Caesar salads that were split on to four plates and we each had a pizza. Mine was the truffled mushroom with fontina - so good, love the wood-oven cooked crust. It was $17 but I took 2 pieces home which the hubby packed for lunch the next day. My son and daughter both had leftovers too.
The high top chairs are really comfortable and the place was hopping on a Sunday night. We were glad we had a 6pm reservation. Our server took good care of us and they sent us out a tiramisu and panna cotta dessert on the house. Very lovely and my kids felt super VIP which was cute.
On Monday nights they do a dinner/movie night at $49 for two people. 2 movie tix then you choose an appetizer, pizza and dessert to share. That will be plenty of food, especially if you want some popcorn at the theatre.
For a nice night out with the family and a menu that will keep everyone happy this is a great place to go.Listed in: My Kitsilano, Yelp's 30 Day Challenge
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/15/2011
A sudden change of plans had us going to a movie at the 5th Ave Cinema at 9:30. We were early and… Read more »
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Review from Marc D.
Vancouver, BC
1/30/2012 1 photo
* Pizza digression *
Clearly Vancouver has finally caught onto the pizza trend as there are so many Neopolitan pizza spots opening lately.
NOVO is another, and I heard they were good, so I had to check them out.
I ordered the Diavallo (sic) pizza (hot capicollo, onion, chili flakes and basil). Granted I've never seen it spelled that way, but I digress.
The pizza did come sliced, which I'm always confused by in Neopolitan places, but I digress.
The cooking was a bit uneven with one or two chars that were past char and into charcoal range on the crust. But I digress, as barring the charcoal bits the crust was otherwise good. It was thin, crunchy on the outer parts and softer in the centre as it should be.
The toppings were of decent quality. I would have liked a bit more heat, but I digress.
A few years ago if this spot opened it would have cornered the market on pizza. But nowadays with the plethora of options opening it comes in as decidedly average among those offerings. But I digress......
Photo: http://www.yelp.ca/biz...Listed in: Vancouver European Food, Vancouver Pizza
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Review from Dianne C.
Richmond, BC
2/20/2012
I've always loved pizza and the more cheese the merrier was my philosophy. But with a dairy allergy, I order it sans cheese. Sound hideous? It can be because most greasy fly-by-night puzzerias think that piling a pound of cheese a good pizza makes. And take away the cheese and what do you have? A big mass of chewy cardboard dough with processed tomato sauce. And without the cheese, the pizza pie is nothing. Well, that's what you think. And that's what separates an average run of the mill pizzeria from a restaurant that serves authentic pizza that any Italian mother won't snub their nose at.
Even without cheese, Novo Pizzeria dishes up pizza that is extraordinary. Why? We're talking fresh tomato sauce on top of yeast that has aged for 24 hrs and then baked in a wood oven.
Once you've had a piece of pizza from Novo Pizzeria you know that this is owned by two pizza fanatics who make it their life's ambition to travel the world to taste that ultimate piece of pizza which they've already created.
When I took that first bite the word fresh comes to mind. Next sensation - crispy, the ultimate perfect degree of hard crackling crust that isnt burnt and not soggy as ingredients don't overwhelm the crust. I had the Margherita pizza that is just basically cheese, tomato sauce and basil, although I did have them put some peppers on it to compensate for the lack of cheese. My friend had cheese on her half and she said it was divine.
For appetizers, we had the meatballs which are great as they have currants, pine nuts and regianno cheese with marina sauce. I've had them once before and beware, they are addicting and you'll find yourself ordering them over and more again. I don't know about you but next time I think I'll order them on top of my pizza and that would truly be a magnifico pizza. -
Review from Edward L.
Came here again to try some more Neopolitan pizza goodness, and to spread the love.
Though we didn't do try it today, there is a Taste of NOVO promotion right now (Jan 20 - Feb 5). For $28 you get a 3 course meal.
For appies, we had complimentary meatballs. I won't tell you exactly how to get this, but if you join their Facebook page.. The meatballs aren't just ground beef. They were very tender and had lots of other bits mixed in such as pine nuts.
Mushroom pizza - recommended by Vincent N. Sounds basic, but oh wow this was freaking good. This is worth a special mention. Their pizza really is something special.
Caprese - penne pasta with a light olive oil dressing. The cheese was interesting as it was similar to burrata but with some bits mixed in that made it noticeably sweeter. The tomato
slices added a nice touch, as it didn't overwhelm the light flavour of the pasta.
Everything at the end came to $45 after tax and tip, for 3 people. You can't even do this at Cactus Club. Of course, having the meatballs comped helped a lot.
I guess the only thing they did wrong was get both my first and last name wrong in the reservation. Saw it on their computer screen. Had a good laugh.Listed in: 2011 Ed's Picks, 2012 Ed's Picks
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/31/2011
Came here with my friend Vincent N. to try out their food. Vincent had been raving to me about… Read more »
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Review from Grace C.
Burnaby, BC
2/23/2012
Many Vancouver-area restaurants are using Twitter to offer promotions and one that really inspired me to try them was NovoPizzeria. We headed there because they were offering free meatballs for following them. It's a small gesture, I agree, but it's incentive. And if it doesn't cost the restaurant too much but can draw people in, I think it's a wise move.
So here are the free meatballs. There were two of us, so we got two. I guessing they give one per person. Makes me wonder what their normal portion would be if you ordered off the menu. But oh well, it's free, and it's good. I liked the marinara sauce and the light sprinkle of parmesan on top. Also part of the meatball were some currants and pine nuts. You can even see a whole one on the lower left.
Knowing that we couldn't have two whole pizzas, we decided to try the Calamari with gremolata, pepperocino, lemon basil aioli. Tossed with diced red onions, the calamari was a perfect mix of tentacles and tubes. A generous squeeze of the lemon heightens the flavour nicely.
We also got the Diavollo, which comes with Hot Capicollo, onions and chilli flakes, and some fresh basil. We didn't think this would satisfy the carnivore in us, so we added some Italian Sausage to the mix. Can you see the nice blistery crust? They serve certified Neapolitan pizzas here, and they bake them in a 900 degree apple wood burning oven. They age the dough for at least 48 hours, which helps it give you this chewy yet crisp crust. They also use a special type of flour, called Caputo "00". Not sure if it's the flour, the aging or the oven, but the mixture of all three results in an excellent pizza! -
Review from Tess M.
Vancouver, BC
1/18/2012 10 Check-ins Here
Another stop on my Neapolitan Pizza tour and this is so far my fav. Gotta say they have a pretty special funghi pizza, and that's my go to pizza. It's the selection of mushrooms on the pizza that makes me love it so. Also TRY THE BURATTA ... the combination of buratta cheese and fresh basil is something pretty special.
Also they make these meatballs that have pinenuts and currants in them....so much love for these!
Customer service was great and I like that the tables are spaced out. I feel like everywhere I go lately the tables are so close together that I might as well be having dinner with my neighbours, space is nice!
They also make a this nutella calzone that isn't on the menu but if you ask they will totally make it for you...and it's worth it. The balance of the sweet nutella and the unsweetened cream is really nice, but be warned...IT'S HUGE...so you probably want to share. -
Review from Diana L.
Novo is one of my favourite restaurants for many reasons. First, and pretty obviously, the amazing food. The fresh dough and the fresh ingredients are a perfect combination. The burrata pizza is my favourite, and my second favourite has to be mushroom. On the burrata pizza, there are two different cheeses, which are of differing temperatures. They flash-melt one type in their brick oven and sprinkle the other type with fresh basil after it comes out. There is a perfect amount of creamy and crunch. I enjoy how the pizza is savoury without being too salty. Now, the mushroom is packed with flavour. It is more like a traditional pizza on Novo's special crust. It has tomato sauce, cheese, and an assortment of mushrooms (my mouth is watering as I write this). You cannot forget to order their signature meatballs. They are tender and moist. Seriously the best tasting meatballs I've ever had!
Second, the attentive, friendly, and charismatic staff. A person will never complain about the service at the restaurant. I've even had a chance to meet the owner on numerous occasions, and Carmine is the best!
Third, the atmosphere is cozy. The restaurant is quite spacious, so you never feel like you have another patron breathing on you. The tiny booths and elevated tables are very intimate. This is a great place for a large gathering or a first date.
Last, it's location is prime since there is often free parking and it's beside a wonderful indie movie theatre: Festival Cinemas Fifth Avenue. They have a special promotion going on now with the theatre. It's a steal!
To be honest, if you ever decide to go, I will likely be there with a pizza in each paw filling my face. Be sure to say "hi"!Listed in: Fine dine with out the…
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Review from Roni L.
Vancouver, BC
1/8/2012 8 Check-ins Here
I am so glad I waited (ahem, meaning was too busy) to post my review of Novo Pizzeria. If I had posted last year, I would have given them a 3 and a half star as they were going through some growing pains with their pizza but I had their pizza two weeks ago and WOW, it was outstanding. As perfect a Neapolitan pizza can be, perfectly hard on the outside, yet soft and light on the inside, sauce full of flavor and not short on ingredients.
I had the mushroom (funghi) and the burrata (olive oil and burrata cheese), which were superb. The margherita, my usual standby is really good here as well. Appetizer-wise, they have great calamari. Everyone seems lot love their meatballs as well, I find them to be a different style to what I like however.
They have a full bar, their staff is friendly and helpful, the entire room is welcoming and looking around the room, they give everyone a great experience.
I went to both The Bibo and Nicli right after last week and in the past I would have said Nicli was better (see my review on those), but now, with what Novo has done with their pizza, Nicli tastes a little one note to me and The Bibo has been hit and miss for me as well, although both still do a fine job.
But for full flavor that makes your mouth sing the opera, try a Novo pizza, preferably on a busy day when their oven is super hot. -
Review from Yunn A.
1/16/2012
I am so happy there are now three neapolitan style pizza places for me to choose from in Vancouver.
Had the Sicilian Meat Balls....so tasty! Really full of flavor, and the pinenuts add a nice extra dimension to the texture. Also had the golden beet salad, margherita pizza and mushroom pizza. The hazelnuts was a delicious alternative in the salad, when you normally see walnuts for this type of dish. Both pizzas had that chewy delicious crust that is characteristic of a great neapolitan pizza and the truffled mushrooms were just melt in your mouth.
Paired with great wine and fantastic quick and friendly service, I will most definitely be back. -
Review from Brian F.
Vancouver, BC
11/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
So far - hands down the best pizza I have had in Vancouver.
Its all about the sauce and the crust. Both perfect.
And the meatballs! nice. -
Review from Reena M.
10/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
Mmmm the pizza was delicious!! I got the Margarita pizza which is my standard litmus test pizza for any new pizzeria I try out because I like to compare it to the pizza I remember having in Naples. This one passed the test. It was delicious. The crust was perfect and there was a decent amount of cheese and basil. The price was reasonable--$13. But the pie was a bit smaller than Pizzeria Farina.
My friend and I also shared the beet salad with blackberry vinaigrette, hazelnuts, goat cheese and salad greens. It was lovely and the beets were incredibly sweet!
My friend got he verdura pizza with olives added to it and she really loved it. Though I thought that $4 for added olives is a bit much.
The atmosphere first seemed to me like a Cactus-Club-esque place when I walked in but we were seated towards the back near the kitchen and it only seemed a bit cactus-clubby and a bit like fine dining.
Anyway, I would go back.Listed in: Zippity do 'Zas, Yelp Vancouver 30 day…
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Review from D M.
Richmond, BC
4/29/2012
Excellent pizza, meatballs and burrata. We'll be back soon!
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Review from Nancy W.
1/11/2012
NOVO Pizzeria is located on Burrard Street near West 4th Vancouver is a recently opened Italian restaurant and home to previously Incendio. Newly renovated this place is bright, well lit with a bar area, tables, booth seats and an open kitchen concept.
The service is impeccable, water glass is never empty, and every dish was well presented with a thorough description of key ingredients.
Anti Pasti $14 (serves 2-3); $25 (serves 4-6)
Daily selection of vegetables, salumis, cheeses.
Fresh olives slightly warmed is firm and well marinated. Pickled scallions are sweet, crunchy and slightly salty - an explosion of flavours in your mouth.
Eggplant, chilli, and red pepper veggie paste was pungent and spicy.
Spread over focaccia toast and a slice of cured meat to balance the flavours out... Fontina cheese cleanses your palate between sets.
Please don't assume the cheese is plain and bland. Fontina cheese is pungent and also has an intense mixture of earthy, mushroomy, and woody taste. It pairs impeccably well with cured meats and truffles.
Prosciutto & Arugula Pizza 18
Prosciutto, argugula, reggiano, fiori di latte
Let me start by saying that the hero of this dish is the crust - thin, crunchy and never hard to chew or break like a cracker. As you bite into thin crust it will have a little softness of bread to counterbalance the crispy bottom.
The freshness of the prosciutto mixed the nutty spicy taste of arugula perks up this pizza. Reggiano adds a rustic texture with its buttery aroma and nutty sweetness.
Overall a very casual fine dining pizzeria with above par pizzas. Definitely a must try if you are in the area. Next time I visit I must try the mushroom truffle pizza with fontina (I wonder if it will also be as orgasimic as The Market's... ) ... mmmm truffle.... #melt -
Review from Jeff S.
Vancouver, BC
3/19/2012
Not bad. I particularly liked the meatballs. The pizza was decent, but not the best.
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Review from J N.
Vancouver, BC
10/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
When we walked in at around 7 pm on a weeknight we were seated immediately. Good thing, too, as it was filling up fast and a line formed shortly after we arrived.
Restaurant was pleasant enough and our order was promptly taken. Water glasses were filled.
Beverages arrived. $4 for a lavender soda for my friend seemed to be a bit pricey; my wine was around $11 a glass.
To share:
Standard mozza-basil-tomato salad-nicely dressed. Yellow + red tomatoes.
Pizza- A bit too soggy in the middle. I know that's how it's done; I'm a pizza aficionado if I do say so myself, but this was almost too soggy to pick up. Pizza was not meant to be eating solely with a knife and a fork--I don't care what anyone says. Still, pretty tasty.
Lasagna- quite delicious esp. made with the bolognese; probably the most enjoyable part of the meal.
Although the food arrived in a timely manner, our water glasses weren't filled even once. Due to the spiciness of the food, I was pretty thirsty. And since I was driving, I decided not to order another glass of wine.
After drinking my water, I finally asked my friend if I could have some of hers; two glasses of water and two empty glasses later and the server was still nowhere in site.
Then the bathroom...it was packed with only two stalls (which was a bit odd for a restaurant of this size). The toilets weren't working properly and the garbage was overflowing. This was around 9 pm on a Tuesday night. If that was the case, what was the inside of the kitchen like? I would hate to see what the weekend looked like, but maybe this was a part of the equation they had not factored into the staff as of yet.
Although the restaurant itself seemed clean, the bathroom was a turnoff. At almost $40 bucks a person for a shared meal and one drink, it seemed a bit steep in price, too.
It would def. be a convenient place to eat before a movie, but with all of the delicious pizza places opening up around town, I certainly won't be in a rush to return. -
Review from Josh G.
10/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
So I went out with Padre for dinner last week, just wanted something simple and easy, so we decided to try Novo where Incendio used to be....First glance, I certainly liked the new layout, very clean and open, bright and well lit with a very nice looking patio. The menu was simple but interesting so we started with calamari to split.
I will say, they have some neat ideas, they added a really cool gremolade to the calamari....too bad it was accompanied by about 5 tablespoons of salt...ick, return! those were inedible.....attempt number 2 wasn't much better, still very salty, oh well, on to mains. I had the prosciutto burger, padre had one of the zzas. The zza was alright, but I think they decided to skip the salt in our mains after the calamari, so everything was very bland. My burger was WEAK! If you read my reviews, you may know about my burger infatuation, this one did not make the cut. Stale old ciabatta, no crunch, just old kitchen sponge...fun. The meat was clearly a pre packaged, pre frozen patty from Costco, though the waitress denied it, nothing gets passed my taste buds and that patty was premade and rough....all in all, I can't say a ton of good stuff, other than this place has potential.
Our server was great! But that aint enough to get me back, oh well, so many other places to try :) -
Review from Nestor B.
Vancouver, BC
10/14/2011
Another nice addition to Vancouver's finally growing 'real' pizza scene. Their "pies" (really something of an insult when talking about authentic Neapolitan pizza) are up there with Nicli Antica and Campagnolo, the appetizers and desserts not quite. The service is extremely pleasant and attentive, the space has been nicely redesigned since the departure of Incendio West (one of my personal least favourite spots for Italian food in the city previously) and, in contrast to both of the aforementioned restaurants, they take regular reservations through OpenTable. If you love good, true Neapolitan pizza, Novo has absolutely claimed its spot on the still somewhat exclusive list of places in Vancouver that can satisfy your cravings.
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Review from L Y.
Vancouver, BC
10/4/2011
My husband and I had a lovely dinner here last Sunday. We started with the house salad and the rustic potatoes. The salad was a pretty standard (mixed greens, dressing, slightly unripe tomatoes), but the potatoes were a big hit. They were, well-salted, and accompanied by a great smokey tomato sauce, sort of like a nice twist on fries with ketchup.
I had the marinara pizza and my husband opted for the margarita. It's probably now my favorite pizza in Vancouver (I haven't tried Nicli yet, but have tried the rest on Globe and Mail's list). The crust is tender but chewy and very flavorful. There was just the right amount of sauce and olive oil to give it a great mouthfeel.
The ambiance is nice enough (I like the single booths for two), though it does get drafty if you're sitting near the entrance. Service was quick and attentive without being obtrusive.
I'm looking forward to going back! -
Review from Michelle M.
Vancouver, BC
9/2/2011
We went here with another couple before a Friday night movie. Overall, the experience was very good. Drinks were tasty, wine options were good, food was good (except the beet salad was watery!). The service was friendly and we had a good time. You can tell that they are just getting started with a few little quirky mistakes, but we will be going back.
