We went here last night for my SO’s birthday and was it worth it🤤👍. We both had the specials so can’t comment on anything from the menu accept the bread pudding (GOOD), and the cheese and arborio rice balls (ALSO VERY GOOD).
I had the pasta special which was a cheese ravioli with seafood and a rose sauce. It was all a very well made dish, but the sauce was wow. It was amazing. The seafood was well cooked and had a variety for the dish: prawns, scallops, clams, mussels, and lobster.
My spouse had the fish special which was the Mediterranean sea bass special-Branzino- if you ever get a chance to have Branzino, its verrrry good. it also had scallops and prawns with it. Which were also good. As a whole the restaurant was very good. And I feel deserves a better rating on here.
We went here for the first time on our anniversary. The service was incredible and so was the food. I didn’t love my first glass of wine, so when I asked for a different one he steered me away from that choice too, but still let me try it. He was right I didn’t enjoy it either. He then chose something he thought I would enjoy and pair well with my meal and it was excellent. To top it off they treated us to dessert for our anniversary!
Violino's is one of my favourite restaurants in the city and has, I believe, been voted one of Canada's top 150th restaurants. It has wonderful cuisine, amazing staff and one of the best patios in the city. For me, there is nothing better than sitting on the patio, enjoying a summer evening with good friends and great food. It is also situated in one of Edmonton's hidden gems - High Street- which has great shopping and spectacular flowers and gardens.
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It was my birthday dinner and I wanted to go somewhere where they serve something I've never had before. I heard about a certain pasta dish tossed in a cheese wheel so Violino's it was. Located right off Jasper ave, Violino is basically a house turned into a restaurant. There's limited parking in the lot and on the street. It's very cozy inside and has that upscale Italian feel. The washrooms are really nice. You won't find paper towels here, only fresh linen towels to dry your hands haha.
Don't go too crazy with sparkling water, it can go as high as $8/bottle. So maybe just stick to regular water. You also get a nice loaf of bread with olive oil/balsamic. We got some of their Calamari and Crab Fritters to start. The Calamari was crispy and cooked nicely. The crab fritters were hot & delicious and had a good amount of crab in them. I hate when there's too much filler. My auntie got their Seafood Pasta special for the night. It had good assortment of seafood and came with spaghetti and black ink squid noodles. All tossed in a light rose sauce and that was really light. My uncle got their 12oz ribeye steak and it came on the biggest plate I've seen in awhile. My girlfriend got their Ravioli with brown butter & sage. She liked it but wasn't wowed by it as there was anything else really but Ravioli and sauce.
Then came my dish, the star of the night. The Fettuccini Tavolino; pasta, chicken & Alfredo sauce, all tossed & set a fire in a cheese wheel. They do it table side for you which is the ultimate in food theatrics (if you've seen the Buzzfeed video). The alcohol they use is Everclear which is a odd choice. I hope they would of used a more flavoured spirit for the flambé but either way it's mostly for show and less for flavour. It probably wasn't the best for me since I'm mildly lactose intolerant. But I said f**k it, it's my birthday dinner I'm gonna indulge! Every noodle and chicken piece was drenched in sauce and cheese. It was lip smacking cheesy deliciousness. Next was dessert time and there was Tiramisu, Sorbet, Molten Chocolate Lava Cake & White Chocolate Mango Mousse. The tiramisu was moist, my girlfriends Lemon Sorbet was lemony and light. The mousse was my favourite. Mango and white chocolate work surprisingly well together. They also gave me a free birthday dessert which is their Bread pudding and that was really nice of them.
In conclusion, I had a lot at Violino's and to keep my review short, everything was wonderful. The staff was super friendly and the food was delicious. It was a really nice birthday dinner for me and I'll definitely be back in the near future.
Went with a large group and had a nice private room. Service was fantastic and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the applies, mains, drinks and desert. This place has been great for years. It's expensive but well worth it.
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My friend took me here as an early birthday celebration by surprise since I'm really into novelty food items and internet fads. I had finally been able to cross off my number one item on my foodie bucket list which was the pasta tossed around in the heated (Parmesan) cheese wheel! This dish was only offered as the Fettucine Tavolino ($26) (fettucine alfredo). It was brought out on a cart that contained a huge cheese wheel and a plate of pasta. The pasta was then tossed in the cheese wheel in front of you and extra pepper and Parmesan can be added if desired. The second Entree I tried was half a rack of lamb ($37), cooked medium rare served with wild woodland mushroom risotto (SO yummy and it wasn't even the main dish!), and seasoned vegetables. The rack of lamb was cooked to perfection and not overly seasoned which allowed you to really taste the lamb as well. Overall, my experience here was very enjoyable, id highly recommend it. The only reason why I didn't give it a full 5 stars is because I wish it was more of a restaurant rather than a house. However, for those of you who prefer a cozier setting, this is definitely the place to go!
One of the best meals I've had in months. The meatball appetizer was fantastic. The veal parm was outstanding. My wife had the Alfredo which was very good as wel. Overall an outstanding experience! We will be back soon.
Best food in Edmonton. Italy in Edmonton.The restaurant has a definite feel of Italy.The food presentation and Taste amazing. Very fresh ingredients they used. Love it gone tell all my friends & family. Highly recommended.Fine Dining.
Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve posted! It’s been a busy summer so far. I went to Montreal for my cousin’s wedding, then there was Taste of Edmonton, K-days, Heritage days… I haven’t had much chance to write anything! Anyways, without further adieu, here is my next post.
My boyfriend and I had an absolutely wonderful experience here. The food was delicious! Our server was also wonderful, familiar with the menu, and very conscientious. The manager did a little meet and greet with guests. The atmosphere was also incredible. I sincerely suggest visiting this restaurant if you are in Edmonton!
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went for anniversary dinner last night. We were quite impressed by the service and food. Fresh crusty Italian loaf with oil and vinegar to dip, comes first, and we devoured it. We had bruschetta and crab fritter appetizers. bruschetta was very good, crab fritters did not taste fresh to me but the flavour was OK. I had the beet salad and loved it. the candied pecans and arugula were perfect with the beet. Wife has caprese salad which was salted. We have not had a salted caprese salad, or if we did it was not so strong as to be dominant so it did not stand out. Still a decent salad, but too much salt for our liking. Wife had the halibut entree. I didn't taste it, I like halibut but she had eaten it all before I could try it. Loved it. I had lamb chops which come with mushroom risotto and veg. this was the best lamb I have ever eaten. Cooked perfectly, tender and juicy and the sauce was amazing. I would drink it by the glass if I could. Only ate half of the mushroom risotto, wife tasted it and half. we both agree it was the best item of all on any plate we had at Violini. She said next time she would get three courses of mushroom risotto and skip everything else. The entree was a good sized portionand we felt on it's own would have been a satisfying meal. they don't skimp on portion size in my opinion. All in all a wonderful meal. Service was very good, gave her 25% which for me is reserved only for the best service. water glass was never empty, dishes cleared promptly after each course. asked about timing the courses and how we wanted it all brought out. We took two hours to dine and never felt rushed or neglected. Cook came out from the kitchen to ask how the food was, that's the kind of care you don't get at many restaurants. We found the atmosphere very warm and inviting. we did not feel it was too crowded as others here have stated. we could hear voices from other tables but not the words, occasionally some laughter could be heard above the voices. tables were big enough so our plates and glasses still fit, which is better than some places we have eaten. We were driving so no alcohol, wife had diet coke which they offered to refill a few times. I had coffee after dinner which they made sure did not go empty. before tip the bill was under $150.00. Not a low cost meal, but very reasonable for what we had and didn't have to pay for parking or tip a valet. I would recommend this restaurant.
Excellent experience! Friendly and professional staff of Violino, from hostess to the general manager, make you feel welcome and support your dining experience very nicely. Décor looks like enjoying a classy meal at home while still going out: cozy and relaxing; quiet music makes a final touch. Last visit we enjoyed some veal entrees, seafood pasta and a tiramisu. Very much liked presentation, flavours and sizes of portions. Violino is one of those special treats where you want to come back for some special nights. P.S. Ask for a glass of their Chilean Rose wine - it is phenomenal!
This place was way better than I was expecting. It was quiet for a Thursday night but the food was fantastic. Our server was very professional and friendly and the decor has a classy and elegant feel. The bruschetta was amazing and so was the shrimp linguini in a sambuca cream sauce. Delicious.
Amazing! Great location. Winderfull venue and patio. Friendly service and simply fantastic food! Decided to go for "plain old", traditional spghetti. Fantastic! Can't wait to delve deeper into their menu! Risotto...increadible! We have placed Violino's high on our list of "try again" restaraunts!
Definitely a must try! The Food was delicious and the portion sizes were perfect.I think the chef did an excellent job in combining food and ingredients.I enjoyed every last bite.The atmosphere was great as well-romantic .I also loved the restaurant ambience look like 100 years old mansion and huge patio.A perfect place to go for dinner and to hangout afterwards.
Excellent Food & Service. The pork shank was phenomenal. The meat was extremely tender and juicy. The interesting combination of pan-fried salmon with risotto was very well received. The salmon was crispy on the outside, yet slightly pink and soft inside, but the risotto was the best part with the Chef's special sauce. We ended up ordering an extra dish Halibut with crab with the wild mushroom risotto phenomenal.
Violino is fantastic. Service was great, the food was exceptional. The conversion of old house to restaurant is very well executed. I had fig crusted
Lamb, done medium rare. My girlfriend had espresso steak, done to perfection. Will be coming back.
Violino is tucked away in a nice little spot with a beautiful patio overlooking several small shops. The service was decent, from a small lapse where we were left without a waiter for 20 minutes. Otherwise the wine and food were quite good. Overall an enjoyable experience for the price, a solid 8.5/10
Came here for the first time for my husbands birthday. Food was delicious and our server James was wonderful! Definitely will be coming back.
Spot on italian food. I went to this restaurant for a special occasion a couple of years ago, and was pleasantly surprised. Dinner was assembled in front of me, complete with sauce being made in a flaming cheese wheel. Quite the spectacle, but delicious indeed.
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Seven course nye dinner. Four of us booked the seven course dinner for nye and I would give the evening a 90%. It started a bit slow, having to wait quite a while to have our drink order taken. No waters until we asked, around the time the third course was served. But the complimentary proseco was a nice touch. Bread with oil and vinegar was delicious, as was the parsnip soup. The salad was good, the salmon terrine wasn't a favourite among our guests. Seafood capellini was good but lacking a bit of seasoning. The squash ravioli was tasty but could have used some additional savoury flavours. The tenderloin trio was nice but the pork was overdone on all of our plates. I was so sad when dessert arrived because I was so full but I made an attempt to try each the tiramisu, chocolate cake and chocolate mousse, they were all amazing. Our server seemed a bit insulted when our guests from out of country didn't tip very well so we slyly left an additional stash of cash at the table for him. Overall, we all said we would return because the food and service were great on the whole.
Great service, atmosphere, and patio atmosphere. Generous portions, perfect for sharing, a combination of the charcuterie platter, the Lobster risotto, and the Veal was more than enough for three people. Good selection of wine and dessert. Will return :)
I love the food but the menu has changed and this place is now too pricey. Lunch menu: pizza prices have doubled but size is now halved; only 3 salads on menu and costs extra for any meat - plus size is also halved. I'm guessing same ridiculous changes to dinner menu. I won't be going there anymore.
Really enjoyed the intimate atmosphere, comfortable seating, the cool old house that its in, service was great aswell as the food our waiter was insightful about the wine list. Our new favorite italian spot.
Nice, quiet place. Loved the ambience. The meals were good and the service was polite, casual and knowledgeable. Thank you Leon.
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4/5 for Violino. I had been told by a few reliable Italian sources that Violino was the place to go for great Italian food. The best part of visiting this restaurant is the gorgeous location; an old mansion that was built in 1913 in the fabulous neighbourhood of Glenora. The house sits tucked among the huge old trees, and I highly recommend coming to eat here when the weather allows for you to sit on their beautiful patio. We did just this on a warm autumn evening, and the amazing atmosphere was certainly the star of the show for me.
We got seated at a table for two outside, and were quickly delivered a board with crusty Italian bread on it, as well as oil and vinegar for dipping. So delicious! Our server was quite excellent. He was extremely friendly and professional, which always adds to the experience. We weren't feeling like drinking anything alcoholic, and he suggested a mocktail that he could make up, which was fruity and tasty - exactly what I was in the mood for. Another neat thing was when one of the servers came around with a HUGE (and I mean HUGE) wheel of mild yet sharp Parmesan cheese and chunked off a bit of it onto each of our bread plates. We ate it with our bread and the whole thing was completely delicious.
We decided to start with the Classico Caprese (Marinated Bocconcini cheese, vine ripened tomatoes, pickled red onions, virgin olive oil, balsamic glaze - $12.00) to share, a favourite salad of ours. We had to expected to simply share the salad off of the same plate, but they kindly separated it onto two plates for each of us, which was a really nice touch. Those types of little things go a very long way in my mind. The salad itself was excellent. The tomatoes were bright and ripe, and I really loved the pickled red onions, which is not something that you usually see. They added a kick to a normally mild dish. The one thing that I felt like I was missing was a good sprinkling of some rock salt on top.
When it came to my entree, I had decided on a pasta dish called Conchiglie (pasta shells filled with chicken-fennel mousse and baked with goat cheese fire roasted red pepper sauce and fresh basil). This sounded so delicious to me! However, much to my dismay, I was informed that they did not have this dish available that evening. Instead, I picked the Linguine al Sambuca (With prawns, radicchio, sun dried tomato and calamata olives in a light Sambuca cream - $17.00). The wait was a little while for the food, but I do believe that good food takes time, and I certainly didn't mind enjoying the nice surroundings on the patio. They even have their stone pizza oven outside on the patio, so you can watch them baking the pizzas.The pasta arrived looking quite impressive! The portion was quite large, and I got to work on digging in. I really loved the garlicy, creamy sauce and the sun-dried tomatoes and calamata olives both added two strong flavours that I really enjoy. I found the radicchio to be a little too abundant, adding a bit too much of a bitter taste. There was certainly enough for leftovers!
Somehow we managed to save some room for dessert, and chose the Buttermilk Panna Cotta (With blueberry sauce and Amaretti peach turnover - $7.00). A favourite dessert of mine, I really loved the light, creamy and sweet panna cotta. It was covered in fresh fruit, including lychee, which was all very good. I liked the addition of the peach turnover to help fill out the dish a bit more. Really nice and simple and light.
Overall, this was a very good dining experience. The food was very much what you would expect from a decent Italian restaurant... But that was also what was missing - there wasn't very much innovation here, and not many surprises. Sometimes that's exactly what you're in the mood for though. As the evening got darker, the patio felt like a glowing jewel, nestled in the heart of Glenora. The ambiance was very much the best part.
Loved it. I went there for my graduation dinner and the food was fantastic!! I had a truffled mushroom risotto which was amazing, this coming from a person who doesn't normally like mushrooms. My braised beef was cooked perfectly. The service was excellent, our waiter was entertaining and charming. Also, the lemon goat cheese cake was one of the best desserts I have ever had. I definitely am wanting to return!
Fantastic Sunday Brunch. My whole family went there for their 7 course Sunday brunch---it was fantastic! Food just kept coming and tasted amazing! Service was great and servers friendly. It took us a little over 3 hours (there was nine of us) and everyone had a great time. The atmosphere was great and had a romantic feel. We had the little room upstairs so it was private. Will definitely come back for brunch.
Friendly. Nice friendly atmosphere. Seems like they get a little busier than what they are prepared for and subsequently the service can be a bit slow.
Ambiance is GREAT and very romantic.
The older italian gentlemen often wonders around giving samples of fresh parmesan before your meal and often a little shooter glass of ?? Guapa?? that will clear your sinuses in a hurry!!
Food has always been good, although I don't believe the menu has changed much since they've been open.
A little pricey but the ambiance makes up for that. I have eaten my dinner here probably a dozen times and it's always been at least, a good experience, and sometimes a great one.
It think it's definitley worth a try.
This restaurant is great place to sit down with friends and family and have a great meal. It felt very fancy but the prices were reasonable.
Super adorable hidden gem of Edmonton. Great space for private parties. Lots of parking.
Forgot to take pictures of the food but also exceptional.
Only downfall is private parties get there own menu and you can't order off the regular menu 👎🏿.
Pretty good experience. Neat setting in a beautiful house. The lobster bisque soup was fantastic! The ravioli was just ok since the ingredients didn’t taste very fresh, especially for the high price. We felt rushed to leave by the staff
Pretty location. Service was very good. Food was tasty. Tableside flambe was neat to see.
Lived up to the hype. Service was great. It is a genuine classic Italian restaurant. You wont be rushed. Food was perfect and it was surprisingly not pricey
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