Had a great meal. Outstanding, pasta in homemade, the calamari is way better than expected in Calgary! Will definite recommend this place to any of my friends.
We celebrated two birthdays at this charming restaurant. I enjoyed the Combo La Viena meal very much. Annie spent a lot of time with us chatting and giving us some of the history of this restaurant. The service and food were great.
Loved the atmosphere! Super friendly staff, excellent customer service and delicious food. Will definitely be back soon. �
Great homemade pasta, great service! Definitely recommend!
Amazing, amazing food and incredible service! One of my favorite restaurants in Calgary!
My friend took us here. He’s been going to La Viena since they were at their previous location and always enjoyed it. It was spectacular. The lobster bisque was amazing. I would go just for that, but everything else was stellar too. Cannot recommend highly enough. Will go back with more friends! Service was excellent too.
I love this place!
Pasta Tuesdays are unbelievable!
The French onion soup was delicious.
Will be back soon! Hoping to make it a regular with the sisters!
The decor is exactly what I imagine when I think of classic Italian. This place isn't fine dining. It's home cooking, Italian from the heart, which is way better!
One of the best Italian restaurants I have ever eaten at. Incredible flavor and the services is right up there!! We have never had any issues when eating at La Vienna. Such a treat to come here! I would come every day if I could!
La Viena is by far the best Italian restaurant in town! The food is consistently delicious and they offer great value for your money! Our favourites here are the calamari and the spaghetti and meatballs. I would definitely recommend trying it out! It will soon become one of your favourite restaurants.
Great atmosphere and absolutely amazing pasta dishes! Wonderful service as well. Italian dessert was also delicious and ended a lovely meal. Great experience! We will be back.
Eating in Italy is all about family gatherings, homestyle comfort food. It's definitely a gem where you will find great food for its value. What is more inviting than sitting at a table with your favorite people, relaxing with some wine and enjoying a freshly cooked italian dish?
Many of La Viena's pasta dishes reflect what you will see in Italy. The use of anchovies, fresh seafood, artichoke, wine, it's always satisfying.
positives: steamy hot food, fresh pastas, quick service, family dining style
negatives: a bit heavy on the sauces, the bread basket is nothing to brag about
Great appetizers: Deep fried gnocchi in a rose/tomato sauce (this dish is large enough to be a meal in itself), Calamari - light batter, large fresh pieces.
Went for dinner with some friends a couple of weeks ago. Everyone enjoyed their pasta, which was cooked perfectly. Will definitely go again!
Super Delicious, reasonable prices, fast good service. I have loved every dish I have had. Highly recommend. The menu is large so there are plenty of different things to try. I am just writing more now to reach the minimum limit.. but it is seriously good.
Love it here, the service is always great and the food is amazing for its price. I've had always fresh tasting pasta here, this is my go to place for pasta.
Yummy!. I had the Gnocchi Nona and really enjoyed it! ! I came in because I saw this show on TV and the pastas looked so good! The prices are really great and you still get a good portion of food, after sharing a couple of appetizers I ended up taking half my entree home. Waitress was very attentive and nice :)
I would come here again
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Not bad, not fantastic, but decent. Tried to take grandma out to dinner with the toddler... 4th Spot was closed for a staff function. Thought we'd finally give Scopa try, also closed for staff function (same owners as 4th Spot), giving up we headed to our last resort, Earl's. It was packed. So we decided to try La Viena. Walking in we weren't expecting much. The decor is pretty bad. A holdover from the previous restaurant. Looking at a menu that is probably two pages too long, we resigned ourselves to our fate... And you know what, the place surprised us, it was pretty decent... Would I recommend it to a couple looking for a romantic night? Definitely not. An epicure looking for some top notch dishes like they had in the Tuscan hills or on the Amalfi coast? Nope. But a family looking for a decent meal at a decent price where their couple of kids aren't going to disrupt the ambiance for other diners. Absolutely.
While I won't be counting the days until my next visit, I will definitely return for another visit
La Viena is MOVING. As of November 4, 2014, La Viena address will be: 802 -16th Avenue NW, Calgary. Same Management. Same phone: 403-283-3063. And it is closed until the move is complete.
My extended family and I came to La Viena for the very first time this past week. We shared a variety of appetizers and each then had an entree. I have to saw that the food was exquisite, and service attentive without being overbearing. Will definitely return!
Not bad, not bad at all. La Viena is a tiny location you could easily miss on Kensington road across from Amato Gelato. They have great romantic atmosphere that is perfect for dates. And the servers are friendly and have that butler attitude that totally goes along with their atmosphere. And food here is not bad. Some dishes are quite good but some are mediocre at best. Definitely not the best pastas you will have, but it is really not bad at all. One thing though: I don't know if it's just me or their chef, but the food's been getting a little too salty for my taste. But still a great place overall.
Food is really delicious with fairly entrees prices but reaturant needs some renovation. Definitely will go back again
Cute and tasty. La Viena is cute little restaurant and the server I have always had is a little quirky and quite entertaining. He even went out of his way last time to get the chef to create a special appetizer for us. The lobster bisque is so delicious (even if it fills you up a bit) and I have tried a few of the pastas and they have all been very good as well. The combo plates they have are also very good, especially for someone like me who likes to try a little of a few things! A decently priced tasty meal.
La Viena is moving. La Viena has moved to 802 16th ave NW Calgary from 2139 Kensington Rd NW
We will be opening November 9th and our hours of operation will be the 11am to 11pm.
The phone number is the same at 403-283-3063, so you can make reservations if needed, just put your name, phone number, and date of reservation.
-----28 Jan, 2014-----
Hours have changed.. This message is just telling the people at Urban spoon and everybody else who enjoys our dining that our hours have changed, we won't be serving lunch anymore, except we will still be serving dinner 7 days a week. This is a little late of a message but hopefully it will help those that have been confused concerning our times of hours
Again. We are Not open lunch hours but we are open at the usual times at Dinner 7 days a week at 4:30pm to 10:00pm. Thank you.
Wonderful little place!. I brought my almost 93 year old mom in law here not long ago. She passed about three weeks after, but I spoke to her the night before she left us and she again brought up how much she wanted to come back. We enjoyed the lobster bisque, and each had a glass of pinot grigio, and a for two dessert (I'm sorry, I can't remember what it was called, it had fried banana and whipped cream with I think fried tortilla). The waiter and the woman at front were kind and attentive to us both, and the food was wonderful. I had meant to write this review earlier...but just didn't get around to it. Thank you so much for making our small meal a memorable experience, even taking the time to talk to my mom in law, still and always an artist, about the paintings. Will definitely be back with more family to enjoy more of your atmosphere, company, and very good food :)
It is good. Some reviews are not good about this place, but I have traveled around the world and my wife is Italian, and I grew up in city with lots of Italian immigrants, lots of good food... And I can say that this place is good, been there couple of times, and it worth it.
Few points here, the building is shabby, decoration is lame, parking is not good, but if you are not too picky and like good food for a fair price, go there.
If you are picky and like modern decor, quiet ambient, dont go.
I have been many times to La Viena. I have also been to many "expensive" Italian restaurants. La Viena has always given me a great meal. I typically get a pasta dish here as it so fresh. Great meal and great price for the quality. This is often my Sunday night treat.
Wonderful!!. Loved the food. A few of us ordered a special, others from the menu. We all really loved our meals. Mine was pear/sausage/shrimp with a garlic cream sauce. Amazing!!! Our waiter was very professional, quietly attentive but certainly not annoying. Due to the snowstorm, it wasn't crowded. We had a lovely visit. No loud annoying music. It was a great environment for our dinner out. Definitely would recommend to anyone! We almost chose another place due to the reviews on this site, but now I see you can't go by reviews. Loved it. 5 stars!
Great food!. The amount of racist crap in these reviews is insane, the fact that asians own this restaurant absolutely does not effect the quality of this italian food. Girlfriend and I have been 3 separate times (4th tonight) and every time it's been great! and well priced!
My only complaint is their italian soda is terrible.
Liked it. I just tried this place after wanting to try something new and I thought the pasta was really good. The restaurant is small and cozy the food is priced reasonably. The veal was a little tough so i would recommend the chicken and pasta. Make reservations it is a busy place!
Great meal & service. Had a lovely meal - our server was very nice and helpful. Tried the combo La Viena which was delicious.
Excellent food. Old time feel. Great place to entertain
Warm Cozy Resteraunt for Ideal Date Nite!. I know this is a terribly cliche thing to say but wow I'm surprised by the negative reviews out there! I see alot of people complaining about the decor. Maybe its just me because I come from Europe but I find the decorating of the inside quaint, of course I appreciate older buildings that have their own unique flair over the West with big box stores and everything having to be brand spanking new and boring. I love the food here and have never been disappointed
. It is a little bit on the pricy side for me to go here alot- so usually this place is my pick for Valentines, a Bday, etc. All the food is super flavorful and I love the staff! If I get a gift card for family usually its to here because it is such a hidden jem that not many people know about. Usually they are skeptical entering (the outside) but always have good things to say about the place :)
So great!!! Great food, amazing food!! And great service. A must go for sure!
I absolutely love this cute little Italian restaurant. The food is amazing and the staff are all wonderful.
Ain't what it used to be. We used to come to La Viena quite often, at least once a month. At best now it might be once a year. We used to love the lobster bisque. Years ago, the soup was an orangy color cream soup with lobster, now it's white, salty, and you might get a flake of lobster piece. We went on Valentines day this year and my husband's dinner was soo salty, they could not have tasted his entree before sending it out and if they did , they didn't care. I had a flat pop (again, no one had tasted the pop...it had no flavor, but it did have a slight brown color). We tend to get a server who presumes what we want instead of waiting for us to tell him, quite annoying. They however, did make an attempt to make right of the salty entree. The waiter and a manager wanted to ensure we were taken care of which we did appreciate. We would really like it if the quality of the dishes would come back.
Good Food.... ....but if you want authentic Italian this is not the place to go.
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Fantastic food that needs a nicer place. I had a lovely time enjoying tasty dishes with a fantastic waiter. You want to know more?
We had a number of pasta & pizza dishes from the kitchen and everything was incredibly tasty. So good that we continued to go through the menu for amazing items even after we (more than) full. There are certainly areas of improvement as regards the pricing of wine and the pizzas… but my party loved it even if I critiqued a few dishes.
I think our waiter was called Rob or Bob or something like that (IIRC), a gentleman to the end, and he was a fantastic host for the evening as regards the-incredibly tasty-food and wine we had. I must note that our early round of cocktails were suggested by him and for that alone we want to come back.
Nothing is perfect, alas, and most of our party commented on the outdated decor and outside building of La Viena but in the end it was absolutely worth it.
I remain unsure about the asian influenced Italian dishes despite trying several… yet the collection of more traditional Italian fare was a huge hit with me and my friends.
Overall I recommend La Viena fairly strongly.
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Solid Food, Lovely Service. I went to La Viena the other night with several of my colleagues from work. We decided to skip appetizers, preferring to sip on cocktails with the extra time, instead going with a fourth main dish and to mix and match between the three of us. We've been a number of times before and have gone through most of the appetizer's at one time or another and have liked most of them but today we felt like a change.
The tortellini arrabbiato was a favourite of ours, as long as you like at least some spice. The pizza (with a handful of different veggies) was good, but not great. Certainly better than many Calgary pizzas, but not as good as more dedicated pizza places (it reheated nicely the next day though). The other two pastas, a Fetticini Alfredo and a Bolognese sauce, were also quite tasty but the tortellini was the best dish of the night.
I was browsing through Urbanspoon for places to go several days ago and saw my old standby of La Viena and so the above dinner and subsequent review happened. I only write a few Urbanspoon reviews (being a lawyer is surprisingly busy) but I was goaded into this one by cruising the astoundingly strange attacks here. Yes the decor isn't great and not all the food is as good as the tortellini arrabbiato, but our server (who I've had on a number of visits) was lovely.
The man "Tastee" reviewed so poorly has served us on both this last visit and previous ones has been our favourite server at La Viena. Bob has been unfailingly nice, even when very busy with other tables, and in particular his selections of wine have served us well. I don't think I've seen such a vehement character assassination outside of my business in a while.
I imagine we'll be back in the next month or two, like usual, and we'll ask for Bob and have some great pasta and nice wine.
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Decent. The food was alright, not amazing, not terrible, but decent for the price. The one food item I didn't like was the calamari, the dipping sauce had no taste, and they weren't crispy.
The service however, was terrible. We didn't think that it'd be busy, so we showed up without a reservation. Whoever was at the front desk kindly rearranged some things around and we were quickly seated, but our server was terrible.
Although we were the first to be seated, and we were ready to order fairly quickly, he ignored us (despite the fact that our menus were closed and placed at the edge of the table) and serviced everyone else before coming over to our table.
Then when our food, came he just placed them down on the table, not telling us which item was which. Afterwards when we paid in cash, he simply took the bill, the money, and said have a goodnight. He automatically assumed that we were going to tip him the leftover amount, so he didn't even offer us our change back!!
Terrible service, decent food, I voted that I liked it, however I wouldn't go back.
Not Terrible...not Great. I have been to this restaurant at least 10 times in the past two years. They have an extensive menu. Is the food great...NO! Is the food terrible...NO! It's not bad. It's very small and quaint, but definitely not posh. It does have a home like feeling to the place, however the food is definitely not authentic Italian. I am surprised however that it is always very busy there and a reservation is a must if you do not want to wait in line. It is not my favourite restaurant, but from time to time I do crave it.
All I can really say is come here for the most traditional Italian food in Calgary. The portions are huge and the prices are great, service was excellent an we were a walk in of 8.
Cosy, attentive service, delicious food. La Viena is one of my Calgary favorites. The food is always consistently good and the atmosphere and staff are wonderful. The menu is extensive, and the specials are creative and interesting. This is a place where you can eat some fine italian food for very reasonable prices. Love it, recommend it, will keep going back!
Good Chinese Italian.. Best to go on (look it up) Tuesday or Wednesday, when they 1/2 price the entrees. It is satisfyingly passable Chinese-style Italian. Quite good for the price actually. NOTE: Not for pretentious eaters. No buffalo-massaged fresh mozzarella balls for you to take with your truffle-oil IV. Good food, yo.
Diamond in the rough. This place certainly doesn't look like much, outside or in. But the food is consistently good and the staff and service are wonderful. Portions are generous, and priced very reasonably. If you are a dessert person (which I am not usually) the banana dish is delicious and the pear one is fabulous too.
Pretty good food, but the food tends to be a little too salty. Great friendly service though.
La Viena is the BEST!. I love this restaurant. We have gone there several times over the past 6 years and have never had a bad experience. The food is amazing, the service is great and the food comes out fast and hot!
Our favorite waiter is Kurt, he always makes our experience wonderful & his lovely wife is the hostess, she is exceptionally friendly and warm.
My favorite dish is the Sole Englaise (sp) It is out of this world delicious! and I highly recommend appetizer #2!!
Comfort Food. I always come here when I need some good quality comfort food. Portions are generous and wait staff are friendly.
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Just Ok. I and my hubby are always looking for something new to try and love looking for small little community places. We came across this and decided to give it a shot.
First impression...Scary and almost didn't get out of the car! But we decided we drove all this way let's just give it a whirl. It's an older, small place with some weird modern updates that do not fit the decor.
The menu is HUGE with almost too many options, and it took a long time to choose what we would like. I decided to get the Combo Italiana and an appy of Calamari.
The Calamari was good! It came with tomato sauce and wish it would have been tzatziki.
The meal came with warm buns which was nice and always a fav before the meal. When my meal came the presentation was horrible. My plate was drowning in pesto sauce and all the sauces were mixed together. Everything tasted ok but with all the sauce mixed you couldnt really tell anything apart.
The food was good but nothing to rave about. This was a onetime thing and I don't think we will be back.
Mmm, Mmm Good. Homemade pasta at its best! Went here after wanting to go for some time now! Came with a few friends, and everyone left satisfied. Nothing fancy, just simply great italian food!!
The veal was tender, gnocchi was fantastic (fluffy and not heavy, it was done right) and the cannelloni could have been a little more spicy, but I am in no way complaining. We started with the calamari and a friend ordered the salsiccia parmigiana, which I thought was even better than the calamari! The lobster bisque is to DIE FOR!!! The only thing I didn't like was the garlic toast! Too bad, 'cause this is pretty easy to do right.
Finally for desert was the tiramisu, and it was definitely a winner! Happy I finally came to the truly authentic Italian restaurant in Calgary!
I have been here 3 times now and everytime I have yet to be disappointed! Food is amazing, price is perfect if not underpriced for their quality, all in all a great place to dine formally or casually!
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Good food for a good price. I was first introduced to this restaurant by a few good friends of mine years ago now, and though I don't get much of a chance to go there often, every time I have been there, I have not been dissapointed. I think every pasta I've tried there has been just fantastic, and the desserts are very unique and delicious. I don't feel I have to worry about ordering one thing or another - as everything is great - just different degrees thereof.
I should warn those diehards that don't like anything "fusion" about their food - La Viena is basically Italian fusion. I would never call it an Italian restaurant proper. If that's what you're looking for and what you expect - steer clear of La Viena, or you will be somewhat surprised and possibly annoyed. For those of you that don't mind a bit of fusion - La Viena is for you. Their appies, mains, and desserts are all very fun, tasty, and original creations of Italian and various other cuisines, most notably Asian. It may sound strange, but they somehow succeed at blending diverse flavours harmoniously.
The prices are also reasonable - this is a good place to go with either friends or a significant other for a casual dinner or lunch to catch up. And they are always busy - this is a good sign but you must make reservations, especially for dinner! I would recommend this restaurant all around (with above caveat noted). 8/10.
Surprised to find it so packed.... Much like reviewer Tracy, I too went on a regular Wednesday evening recently and found it completely full around 6pm. Without a reservation, we got told we could only have the one open table for an hour, which suited us just fine for a dine and dash (of the paying variety) kind of meal. Bolognese sauce was ok with my ravioli, perhaps could have used some more acidity. My partner was happy with their gnocchi. If you can get around the fact its right next to a gas station and the decor is really outdated, the prices and portions and speed of food delivery all work pretty well and la Viena is not a bad option for pasta if you are in Kensington...
Mmmm...love La Viena!. I went to La Viena last night (a Wednesday night) and the place was full by 6:30. I have to say, I have never been disapoint with their pasta. It's just so so good! And their prices are great too! Most pasta dishes are only about $12 and the portions are very big. The bread they serve is so great. The waitress we had was a little pushy and quit literally would not let my husband order ther fettucini alfredo. Instead, she suggested a different dish with a brie garlic cream sauce. He hesitated, but she insisted, so he agreed. However, she did not stear him wrong - he really loved the dish she suggested. I guess my only complaint is that the tiramasu she suggested (by "suggested" I mean "forced on us") wasn't great. I wouldn't get it again, thought I'm sure some people woule like it. All in all, the food is so so great, the service is very attentive and the prices are reasonable. If you can get past the assertive waitress, you'll love La Viena.
Yum. Good value for a moderately priced Italian restaurant. It does have a bit of Asian flavor as the owners are Chinese. The dishes taste good and we didn't have to wait long even though the restaurant was about half full. That's doing fairly well for a Thursday night. I love their bread, I could eat it all night long. Decor is a bit outdated, but the food makes up for it.
This place has GREAT FOOD but it is a disaster inside with the worst interior ever complete with syran wrap on the windows and dusty fake ivy vovering hte air ducts.. but.... the food is crazy good. HUGE menu that is italian but many dishes have an asian spin. The spinach salad is great as is the Ravioli Riccotta.
It is friendly and well priced with super yummy food just in desperate need of a makeover.
This is our go to Italian restaurant for Italian authentic pasta! Every order from food to drinks are very delicious! Service is always on top! Very friendly waiter and waitress every time we visit. I will always come back to this place for amazing food and service! They have pasta specials for $12 which make it so affordable for such fine dining experience too! I love this place so much!
Very delicious! Alfredo and lasagna were both so tasty. I could have eaten two servings! The atmosphere was beautiful and had some lovely music playing. The only complaint would be that the free bread was very stale. Everyone needs to try this place.
Calamari that was light to eat and really good. The Spinach Fettuccine came with lightly cooked tomatoes and flavourful seafood that came with a rich but light white sauce. The hostess was so SWEET and our waitress ensured our meal was excellent!
This is my favorite place in the city to go for a nice and cozy dinner. The pasta is SO GOOD, especially the brie one. The owners and staff are so good to the customers and really care about your experience. The food is so flavourful and filling. The calamari with a little lemon juice is a 15/10 with the marinara, just a wonderful experience. You know the place is well cared for and loved. We recommend it to any friends who want something reliable, reasonable priced and tasty.
Was delicious and super authentic. The waitress went above and beyond, she was awesome to our kids as well. Thought I'd post a couple pictures seeing as the ones I saw on Google didn't give this place justice. Definitely recommended :)
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Cozy & comfortable dining atmosphere with charm & character! It feels like a piece of Italy without leaving the country. Annie & the staff were very friendly, the service was excellent!! The pasta & sauce are always freshly made in house from scratch. The ingredients & quality are top notch. My man & son had the classic spaghetti w/ meatballs (regular size & kid size). I ordered their salad with chicken (well seasoned, crispy exterior w/ juicy & tender interior) from Annie's Specials Menu & made some substitutions/modifications, as their La Viena House Dressing (a perfect blend of spices) is the best! For dessert, the chocolate mousse is smooth & creamy, rich & decadent, with just the right amount of sweetness, my personal favourite. Their tiramisu is absolutely delicious! Both are made in house from scratch, I emphasize this as many restaurants have the same generic desserts that are ordered & shipped from what seems to be the same supplier (for example, the chocolate hazelnut pear) or just regular ice cream that can easily be picked up at any store. I can't speak for everyone but I truly appreciate the thoughtfulness & care of not having pasta from a box, sauce from a can, jar or factory or dessert from a popular chain supplier, as some restaurants do. If you're looking for REAL food with real ingredients & recipes, made freshly in house from scratch, then this is the place for you!
Warm atmosphere, excellent service and food. Ordered Fusilli Du Chef paired with a couples Stella's served in icy chilled mugs. That along with an order of Calamari before our main was a very satisfying, and fairly priced evening out.
Also I love their dinnerware, beautiful plates.
Kudos to the chef and our gentleman server.
Parking was good and our party was seated at the front away from the main restaurant and that suited us fine. Everyone enjoyed the Italian style food and large portions. Service was friendly and attentive. We will be back.
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