Italian restaurants in British Columbia
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A
Pagliacci’s
At Pagliacci’s, unlimited baskets of fresh focaccia bread are delivered to the marble-topped tables. Generous pasta servings from the cinema-themed menu almost defy devouring; try the Hemingway Short Story (beef-stuffed tortellini).
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B
Italian Kitchen
Forget terra-cotta tiles and Tuscan color schemes, this is a swish, lounge-style Italian restaurant with a difference. Sit upstairs by the window – open in summer – and tuck into a hearty, well-priced menu of gourmet Mediterranean comfort food. The pastas (crab ravioli is recommended) are perfect, but the antipasto sharing platter – a large dish of delectable finger foods such as tiger prawns, prosciutto-wrapped asparagus and dangerously addictive cheese-filled zucchini flowers – will have you singing an aria or two on your way out the door.
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C
Cincin
A favored haunt of Hollywood types, casual yet elegant CinCin is the restaurant where you’re most likely to find yourself standing next to Robin Williams at the urinal. Don’t let that put you off, though. The Tuscan-brushed seasonal menu often includes delectable Salt Spring Island mussels and tender Fraser Valley duck, while gourmet alder-smoked pizzas are another favorite – the wild salmon variety is recommended. There’s also a tempting 800-bottle wine menu to keep you merry.
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D
Cioppino's Mediterranean Grill
Not your standard Italian joint, this fine-dining Mediterranean eatery deploys the cucina naturale approach to cooking, which aims to reveal the delicate natural flavors of a range of regionally sourced ingredients. The warm wood and terra-cotta interior is the perfect setting in which to dip into West Coast dishes tweaked with Italian flourishes – try the lobster and crab cannelloni or spit-roasted duck breast – while the international wine list should keep you jolly all evening.
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E
Il Nido
Hidden in the courtyard of an old-school apartment building, this good-value Italian gem has a warm and casual ambience, a secret little patio and a menu of well-prepared Italian comfort foods. A great respite from the Robson St shops at lunchtime – check the daily pizza or pasta specials – it becomes a romantic, mood-lit nook at night, when the chatty patio is the place to be. Menu highlights include the house-made polpettine bison meatballs and the delectable lobster-stuffed ravioli.
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F
Gusto di Quattro
A smart-casual but never ostentatious family-run Italian eatery, this welcoming, warm-hued restaurant covers all the pasta classics as well as any other restaurant in town – but the prices make this a better deal than most. More adventurous diners should make for the duck fusilli or tiger prawn linguini. The wine selection is good and some international tipples have started to infiltrate the mostly Italian selection in recent years.
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G
La Bussola
The Cultural District location is fitting. Since 1974 Franco and Lauretta Coccaro have worked to perfect their Italian supper house. The menu spans the boot, from pesto to red sauce, veal to seafood. Dine on the flower-bedecked sidewalk tables or in the stylish dining room.
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H
Villa Rosa
Northern Italian food is celebrated at this always popular restaurant which combines a certain formality with a laid-back vacationer haven. Outside there are a few tables on a vine-shaded patio; this is a major score in summer. The Okanagan Beach motels are just a short walk away.
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I
Zambri's
Run by a second-generation Italian chef, the menu here is far from traditional trattoria fare. Unassuming from the outside, the ever-changing dishes might range from a hearty squash soup with butter-fried sage to a mouth-melting sablefish, served with rapini and poached eggs. Consider the nightly three-course tasting menu or, for the budget minded, drop by for lunch instead.
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J
Mamma Rosa
Okay, the red-and-white checked tablecloths are plastic, but that just makes wiping up your slobber that much easier. And slobber you will over big bowls of excellent homemade pasta (about 100 varieties it seems) and more. Customize by adding meatballs, broccoli, anchovies etc.
reviewed
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