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Osteria Napoli has been serving hearty Italian homecooking for over 23 years.
Dined here on Saturday night, February 25, 2012. We had a reservation for 7pm. The restaurant was 3/4 full but there seemed to be only one waiter. He apologized at the beginning telling us that he was the only one on. So we ordered a bottle of wine right away and it came quickly. We received our appetizers when the first bottle of wine was finished so ordered another. We waited an hour for our meals. I ordered the gnocchi. They should have been little soft pillows. They were chewy balls of rubber with a bland tomato sauce. It was exactly like frozen gnocchi with Ragu sauce poured over for $18! My friends both ordered veal parmesan and and received hard, thin pieces of crusty veal and bland pasta.
Thoroughly terrible food, bad service and a dirty bathroom.
The only thing half decent was the singer with the electric piano.
My friend and I went there here for dinner and we both ordered Ossobuco and the main waiter asked if I want my in lamb or veal. I never had lamb Ossobuco so I selected lamb. We also ordered two appetizers and wine. We arrived there at 7:30 and our main course arrived at 9:00pm. The place was full and there were three waiters but it seems like only one waiter taking orders. Our waiter is tall with salt and pepper hair. Right away both my girlfriend and I didn’t feel right by his energy, he was very short with us but clearly not with other tables. He was very friendly with other guess and I hate to say this but they are all Caucasian and mixture of males and females. We decided not to order dessert because we afraid it would take another half an hour for it. We asked for the bill and handed our Entertainment coupon to our waiter. He looked at us with an annoyed face expression and walked away. Shortly he came back with the bill and told us that we can’t use the coupon because we ordered the special. I asked what special, he said the lamb Ossobuco. I told him when I order the Ossobuco he asked me if I want it in lamb or veal without telling me that the lamb was special, I thought it was a choice. He just ignored my comment and said that it was a special and we can’t use the coupon. He also said that we should be thankful because we got serve faster than others. OMG!! I could not believe he said that! At that point I had enough of it so I paid the bill and left. Later on I found out that Ossobuco is always served in veal and not lamb. The dish I got was lamb shank with tomato meat sauce!
Needless to say I will never go back there again and I WILL tell all my friends about this. I noticed that someone wrote here that is non white had a similar poor service.
Last December my coworkers and I continued our annual tradition of going out for dinner in December for a nice time catching up with each other, having a good meal and exchanging gifts. We decided to try a new place and one of the girls suggested Osteria Napoli, having had good meals there before and others had heard good things too. The night was bitterly cold and I and another friend were there early. The place was virtually empty except for some people in the back area. True, it was a weeknight, but if a place is good, one does not expect it to be virtually empty. I felt that was an omen and how right I was.
My friend and I were shown to a table by the front window and we both sat on the side with the window, with out backs to it. While we waited for the rest to arrive, we almost froze to death as it was bitterly cold right next to the window. It wasn't until our group was complete that the entirely non-busy waiter remembered there was a base board heater under the window and offered to turn it on for us. We were so relieved as the welcome heat thawed our frozen bodies.
My friend and I, who had the full view of the goings on in the restaurant couldn't stop giggling about the waiter who, while ostensibly polishing cutlery (or something) kept staring at us very much in the manner of a jailer. It did not make us comfortable that we had to endure that miserable, awful food while under the unblinking stares of the rather menacing looking waiter. We were brought menus and things got started. The waiter began taking our orders and was partly through, when one of the girls asked for separate bills. We really got the stink eye then and he told us in a flat tone that no, we could not have separate bills as he had already started writing our orders. We were finding the situation, while awful, droll and were biting our lips to not laugh out loud. It was hard not to leap up, with a stiff-armed salute and shout "Jawohl, Mein Kommandant!!" Orders taken, we had some laughter at the behaviour of the jailer/waiter and got down to chatting and catching up.
My friend and I played it safe and also didn't find the food fairly priced, considering what it was, so we both ordered linguine with pesto sauce, thinking, well, there's not a whole lot that can go wrong with that. Well, at Osteria Napoli, apparently it can. Very wrong. The rest of our friends ordered various dishes with tomato based sauces and I could see from the appearance of the 'sauce', how poorly prepared it was (I know how to cook Italian food very well, so have high standards). It pretty much looked like tomato paste out of the can, thinned a little with water to make it more 'sauce-like'. Not one of my friends had any praise for the food and they all found their dishes mediocre. My friend and I, who thought we had been clever with the simple order of linguine with pesto sauce, were served anaemic looking linguine, with a faint, watery hint of something green. It was so barely-there it was hard to tell it was pesto sauce. It was completely unseasoned so she and I made an effort to get some flavor in it by adding some salt and pepper. I was the worst linuine with pesto sauce I'd ever been served anywhere. It was an insult to be asked to pay for this mediocrity. Our friends' dishes were also very pedestrian, poorly seasoned and the entire dinner a huge disappointment. I think some of my friends ventured on desert, which was brave of them, considering the dreadful quality of the food.
This taught me to be very cautious when someone recommends a restaurant because they had a good meal and others had 'heard' it was 'supposed to be really good'. I only venture to places now after doing quite a bit of research and reading about other people's experiences before considering going to a new place.
Stay away from this dated looking, has-been place, with poorly prepared, grossly overprice food and very mediocre (though entertaining in its bizareness) service.
If you do venture, despite this warning, bring a little container of basil pesto in case you plan to order linguine with pesto sauce, you will need it.
Pops and i do this trip once a year before Giants games and it is always a favourite.
Theplace is always empty though (out by 6:30/7).
Food always stands up, nothing to blow you away, nothing to lament. The polenta with the veg sides- so good. Service is always friendly, though the lady can be demanding...
Veal tends to be bland so I try something else and its good. Sauces are hit and miss, just skip the boring/ mainstream ones as these i have found to be a weak point, the others are always good, some outstanding, had a gorgonzola special last time, yummy.
The atmosphere is so good, live performance throughout the dining. The performer even walked to our table and played a song at our request. Waiter is very friendly and has a sense of humor. Food is delicious and portionis huge comparing to other Italian restaurant! I would go back again and recommend to my friends.
The restaurant was recommended by my Italian friend who, like me, is a foodie. I lived in Italy for three years and have an idea how good Italian food tastes like. I love Osteria Napoli’s fresh food and staff that made us feel at home on our first visit. Franco, the waiter, has great sense of humor and took his time to talk to us. On our two visits, we had a pleasure to talk to the hostess and she also made us feel special. The portions are pretty big and I always take some food home in order to have some room left for their dessert. Crème caramel is truly something. Ravioli in Alfredo sauce – amazing! I tried their three veal dishes and all are to die for. Washrooms are very clean. Clean white table cloths and napkins. The restaurant is like many restaurants in Italy, cozy and authentic one.
Mrs. C and I were on the prowl for Italian, and I remembered this place was near the T&T in East Van. It seemed like a good opportunity to try a new place.
The restaurant itself didn't look like much. It was rather run down and the tables were too close together. The w/c was reasonably clean. On the plus side they had live entertainment in the form of a guy playing the keyboard near the bar section. Very home-style.
We got a table and menus quickly. I noticed they had a decent selection of entrees including a set dinner with an appetizer, main, dessert and coffee for 34 bucks. I saw that the deserts were all from one of those gelato factories though, so I decided to go with a la carte ordering so I could get exactly what I wanted.
I went with a veal parmigiana and penne pasta with tomato sauce and my beloved dining companion had prawns in Alfedo sauce with pasta. I also had a small glass of the house red for 8 bucks more.
The server seemed like a nice guy but the manager/hostess (who had a really strong accent) was a different story. She took our orders and told me I had a choice of veggies or pasta with my veal. I said pasta please, and even asked what kind, etc. She said penne with tomato sauce. After about half an hour our orders arrived, and for some reason there was no pasta on my plate. I mentioned this to our server and he apologized and brought me a side dish of pasta right away. Just as I was about to plunge my fork into my coveted pasta, the manager came over and started to berate me for "changing my mind" and said I definitely ordered the veggie sides. I politely reminded her about our previous conversation about the pasta, and she yelled "you are wrong" and stomped away. The server apologized when his boss was out of range, explaining that she was French (as if that explained anything) but the damage was done.
I also noticed at the neighboring table another couple had ordered the set dinner and I overheard them tell the server they had not received their pasta or one of their desserts. Once again the server apologized, and he was offering an adjustment when the same manager stormed over to the table and began arguing with the couple like they were trying to cheat the restaurant or something. The man left the restaurant red-faced, but his female companion stuck around for a while and tried to explain what happened. I couldn't help but watch the way you would when you see a car crash. I just could not believe how out of control the manager was. I left the place with the shrill rantings of the crazy manager ringing in my ears. Perhaps she should consider a career change.
It was a shame because the food wasn't too bad.
Definitely not recommended, except for the masochists out there.
I've been attending this place for years, and have become great friends with the owners and staff. Joe the owner is top notch, and his food outstanding. The staff, although there have been many are great, one of which has been there when the original owner was around. I have become friends with Joe over the years and this is why i still go. I am hoping that he reads this and does something to save his business. He needs to address the management situation, which will be difficult because she is his wife. Obviously this is the only restaurant in which she has worked. I have sent many people to this locale only to be told that the french speaking woman is totally rude. The night was very busy and she was running around in a panic trying to create space by placing tables together and cramming people in. My friends decided to stay and found the food excellent and service to be good as well. They did however complain that the price of cetain things is ludicrous 3.50 for a splash of pop in a glass full of ice and no refills for instance as well as other things. Ive also noticed price changes for things that I already consider over priced.
So on this note I hope Joe reads this and does something, cause the problems his manager cause will be his demise. I myself am embarassed and will no longer send any more people to his place because of these complaint from people in which I already sent.
I had to throw in my 2 cents as the previous respected reviewer gave this restaurant a lower rating due to service, but admitted the food was good.
I've lived in Italy, albeit for far too briefly and am familar with the food's there. After returning home I had a severe case of homesickness for Italian food. I could recreate some dishes at home but I wanted to enjoy the restaurant experience as well.
After researching and eating my way through many Lower Mainland Italian restaurants, I stumbled across Osteria Napoli because of a piece written by the CBC food critic Don Genova.
The hidden secret about Osteria Napoli is their Porcetta theme nights, where they roast a whole pig. This is an awesome deal as it includes the appetizer, pasta course, main entree and dessert. Also included is entertainment with a live musician. They also sometimes offer a seafood themed night but I haven't tried that.
The roast pig is simply delicious, as it's prepared with herbs. The meal is really fun as well as because it's essentially a feast meal and it's a long leisurely meal so take along dinner companions you want to spend time with. The portions are huge, by the time the roast pig entree arrived most of us were stuffed.
I hope the owner and management do listen and takes steps to rectify customer complaints about the service. However service misunderstandings aside this place is well worth a visit for the food. All of the food is freshly prepared with quality flavourful ingredients and it's well worth a visit for the tasty food and for that smidge of real Italian homecooking essence.
I think I also had a different experience because I speak French, and I found that the Quebecois server was fine.
This hidden gem is a really great restaurant with amazing dishes. Our waiter was great, he was attentive and very nice and genuine! They have a special on the front page of the menu where you get your choice of appetizers (the mussels and clams was really yummy), pasta trio, veal done 3 ways with delicious roasted potatoes, grilled tomato, peas, red pepper and broccoli!! After your meal, you get a choice of dessert (the home-style Tiramisu was really well done!) and coffee or tea is offered after. There were a lot of food and I even had take out from each course to bring home!! We would definitely come back to order off the regular menu. Very pleasant dinner and great service, it was amazing from start to finish.
We've been going to this east Vancouver restaurant for a number of years now, enjoying our experience each time. Last night, after reading several reviews critical of the service, we were pleasantly surprised at how the stellar staff, both hostess and waiter, made our meal a memorable experience. The meals have always been classic dishes covering a wide range of tastes and last night was no exception. We shared a very good Caesar Salad and then tucked into two pasta dishes: Gigi and Calabrese. Both were well prepared and served piping hot. We'll be back again soon. A great place for an autumn or winter meal.
Went here with my husband earlier this month on a weeknight. From the outside, the tables looked nicely decorated with white tablecloths and candles at each table. When we walked in, the place had an "old musty house" smell (the building was kind of old) and the floor on the front half of the restaurant looked grungy - the grout between the (vinyl?) tiles seemed to have some black stuff stuck to it. I give the ambiance a 2 because of the nice table cloths - otherwise I would give it a 1.
I wasn't sure if I wanted to stay, but since there were no other customers, we felt it was rude to walk out and go to some other (cleaner-looking) restaurant. At least the food and service were better than the ambiance.
Their complimentary bread was nice and warm - great for a rainy night. Unfortunately, the butter was almost frozen. We had eggplant in tomato sauce for the appetizer. The tomato sauce was reasonably tasty and we soaked it up with the bread. For our mains, I had fish in a tomato sauce (with capers) that was a bit on the sour side. The fish was cooked to a good texture, though. My husband had the lamb chops in brown sauce. The lamb chops were cooked medium (that's what he asked for) and I thought the sauce was just OK. We didn't feel like dessert that night. Portion sizes were reasonable. All in all, the food was solid, but nothing to write home about. There was no "wow" factor to it, although it's nice that the food came out hot and fresh and both entrees came at the same time. I've had food that was about the same quality at other restaurants for a few dollars less, so it wasn't the best value (then again, it wasn't the worst either.) Drinks were also pricey - we both had juices and they were $3.50 each for a tiny glass.
Service was polite and solid - nothing outstanding but nothing bad either.
Overall, I'd give this place 2.5 stars if I could (but barring that, I'll give it a 2). Unless they renovate the place, I won't be going back.
just say no - i have gone to this restaurant for years and recently went there while it was under new ownership. The smell of the cigarettes wafting in from the kitchen was overwhelming. The waiter, from Quebec, was great and so friendly but had a bit of trouble pronouncing menu items to customers but kudos to him he would ask people at other tables how to say it which I think is totally ok.
The food tanked - the veggies included those nasty bleached machine tumbled carrots that are all white and frosty on the edges.
The meat, veal, was good - however, the osso had a huge bone and way too much gristle and very little edible meat on it.
I just can't get over the smoking or the scary carrots
We came for the dine-out event with an early reservation. The restaurant is divided into two parts, the front and back. When we arrived only one other table was occupied and yet they placed us right in the passage between the front section and the back - next to the entrance to the kitchen. Whenever a waiter would want to check if the other table in the back was doing fine they would just poke their head around the wall right next to us, essentially over the shoulder of two people at our party. Then the cook would come out of the kitchen and stand on the other side of our table chatting with the waiters. Throughout the entire meal we felt like we had someone hovering around us. Never a moment of privacy.
At one point a table of 6 in the back turned into a table of 9. This meant that the waiters had to carry a smaller table from the front to the back. Since we were right in the middle they lifted it up over our heads. Thankfully not over our food. The most entertaining part was that now, with the addition of the extra table, the waiters had no way to get to the table at the far back where a couple was sitting. Thankfully, there was a back corridor that led to the restrooms so the waiters did not have to jump over the tables and instead served all the food for the couple via the "restroom" corridor.
As for food - at most it was average. The "original" ceasar salad was horrible. An ordinary ceasar would would been better. The antipasto was average. The tomatoes and bococcini was the only good appetizer. For the main entre everyone at our table ordered veal - 2 different kinds. None were exceptional - they were covered in sauce with some steemed vegies on the side - essentially identical to anything I could prepare at home, except the sauces at home would be better. For desert I ordered the tiramisu which tasted store bought.
To top of the experience, the ladies restroom had a large container of digestive tablets - just in case the food you had been served was not sitting well with you.
Overall, even though I can't comment on their non-dine-out meu, I will not be coming back.
Dine Out Vancouver 2009 - Table of 6
4 of our table had chossen to have Dine Out Vancouver, and from the first moment our server understood that, we noticed a cold shoulder and poor service right away.
It was more then fair that he mentioned the portion size of Dine Out Vancouver was smaller then normal. He is not responsible for portion control, but instead for our experience. However, we do expect courtesey and appreciation, neither of which we got.
It was funny, they other 2 of our table decided to order from the regular menu, and the 4 of us couldn't understand why the waiter was willing to engage only half our table. Putting our plates down on the small table seating 6 people can be a challange, but come on, you dont need to bang the plates on the wine glasses and bread plates everytime.
We had to ask twice to even get a wine menu, the server continously rushed our plates, putting his hand on our plate asking to remove before we had finished. Even the other 2 where getting rushed, the server 'forgot' to server them they Pasta Course (thats a joke) but at least remembered to bring it to them to go.
Portion control was a concern. All of our desert sizes where extermely different, 3 different sizes of Tiramisu? And the portion size for the caesar salad looked similar to what they serve at Wendy's for 1.59, in those plastic to go containers. Sure it was good tasting, but after seeing the HUGE by compairison bocochini salad and Antipasta (and I am only talking about portions of the 4 Dine Out Van) it was a joke.
The main course has decent all around the table, but as the server forgot the other 2 were not on Dine Out Van, I had the feeling he did not serve them the correct poriton size (and of course neglecting their Pasta course).
Offering us coffee after desert is finished is a little too late in my opinion, I though they are suppose to be served together, mind you, i am no expert. But at least be willing to serve us a second cup of coffee.
Quality and taste of food was very good.
Ambiance was decent. Lower marks for putting our big table between a narrow path of the restaruant. Table of 4 could have gotten away with it, but a table of 6 (with a reservation over a weak old) should have been reconsidered.
I have been going there for at least 15 years and it is always good, professional waiters and you can taste the difference fresh food makes. last visit, Feb 30/2010, We both had the Osteria Special, $65 for two, I recommend the mussels and clam dish, the antipasto was very good but the mussels were amazing, then a trio of pasta, each one beyond reproach. The main course veal was a little chewy for some bites but excellent sauces and a good portion of four vegetables, the potato's were to die for. The tiramisu for dessert was light and fresh with a good hit of liquor, fantastic. To break it down, the first two dishes would be $7 each, the main would be $15 and dessert would be $6, considering the quality of food, truly an excellent bargain. Two days later and I can still smile thinking about the food there, yum.
Went there a couple of weeks ago on a Saturday evening with a group of people. Our first time there. Unprentious, but warm and cozy with friendly staff. Food and service were very good, nothing fantastic. They had a singer who payed the keyboards and also roamed around with his accordion. He was great and a lot of fun! Overall, a nice little place and reasonably priced. Even better, they take the Entertainment coupons!
This is my all-time favourite restaurant. I have been going there for years and have never been disappointed.
The live music is a bit cheesy, but I go there for the delicious food. I tend to stick to the chicken dishes which always turn out perfect. It's served with your choice of pasta or veggies. The veggies are absolutely wonderful, especillay the roasted potatoes. Generally, I don't even like roasted potatoes, but I just love them here.
My friend always orders pasta dishes and has always enjoyed them. He's half italian and is fussy about pasta, but he proudly compares the food here to his grandmother's cooking.
It tends to get busy here on weekends, so be sure to make reservations.
Went there a couple of weeks ago on a Saturday evening with a group of people. Our first time there. Unpretentious, but warm and cozy with friendly staff. Food and service were very good, nothing fantastic. They had a singer who payed the keyboards and also roamed around with his accordion. He was great and a lot of fun! Overall, a nice little place and reasonably priced. Even better, they take the Entertainment coupons!
Precious, Maggie Simpson and I met for dinner at Osteria Napoli. Precious and I had the tomato & bocconcini salad, which could have used more balsamic. However, the cheese was fantastic and the portion was quite large. Maggie had the (very generous) antipasto platter and she enjoyed it. Both Precious and I had the vitello bocconcini -- very rich and tasty. Maggie had the (huge portion of) sole and it looked delicious. To finish, the tiramisu was very good but Precious was disappointed with her crème caramel…it was too “burn-y” tasting.
The service was solid and due to the size of the portions (which were large and we were told they were smaller than their regular menu!), the value was very good. I would definitely go back.
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