Review Dels Italian Kitchen - Kitchener

When we arrived we were taken to a raised table and chair which we cannot sit at comfortably so they took us to another table for 2 which was good. Service was excellent and we have no complaints. Food was flavorful and pasta dish fettuccine Stella close to authentic. Creme brulee was average and pizza good. Mediterranean mussels were amazing and we enjoyed the deep fried calamari and shrimp. Will go back to try other dishes.

The ambiance and food was outstanding. Didn't expect the pizza to be so good. The bruschetta bread was unreal. The server was friendly but wasn't very smart, with words like "fire" every second word made me feel like I was at a frat house beer pong party. Other than that, the overall experience was great. Highly recommend. It's like "fire"...

What a fantastic dinner with great friends. Thank you for a great evening out. The pasta was delicious and the bread warm and fresh !! ( and to my surprise you had my favourite, burrata cheese, that 6 starts if I could )

Undoubtedly one of my favourite restaurants in all of KW. This place just never misses. The service is always on point and the food is always perfect. I know I’m always going to have an awesome experience every time I come here.

A great find! We were initially drawn to the outdoor patio but once we got inside it looked great so ate indoors. The Pepperoni Pizza was excelent and the flower pot bread a real interesting surprise. The menu looked great, the staff excellent, and the decor was very nice inside. Plenty of room for plenty of people!

Service is great, atmosphere is just as good, and the food tops it all off nicely. Located in the basement of one of the nicer restaurants in town can leave one a bit skeptical about the quality of restaurant. This place however does not disappoint. From the flower pot bread, to the massive bar, to the open kitchen.. this place really was a pleasant surprise. We had a pizza and a chicken Parm. The pizza was so good I didn’t even get to take a photo of it fully intact. The chicken Parm was delicious and well cooked. The presentation was a bit less than I had expected. Yes we eat with our eyes first but at the end of the day, the mouth is responsible for tasting. I will return here for special occasions and when ever I am feeling the need for a good, freshly prepared pasta dish.

I love this place. The food was excellent and is reasonably priced. Service was excellent. You can tell everyone who works there puts the effort and care into making sure you have a great dining experience.

Went for my birthday dinner and I had the best time. The food is amazing and is a great value!

We came out last night for new years even with our 2 year old. The atsmohere was great the service staff was very accommodating to us and the baby. The night didn't go as planed as our child got very cranky and wanted to sleep. We had to get our food packed up to go. The management and the service staff was so accommodating that we have no words to describe our appreciation. Thank you so much, you made our night!

We enjoyed new years eve dinner. The menu selections were fixed but choice was plentiful and the food was awesome and portions were quite large. Would highly recommended. Great bang for your buck. I particularly loved the ravioli

They were able to accommodate us at a late request during a busy time of year. Food was tasty with decent portion sizes. They allowed my husband to customize his meal due to health restrictions. Definitely a place to visiit for date night, family time or any special occasion and it won’t break the bank.

Absolutely love this place. Probably the only Italian restaurant that I like in Ontario and would recommend to others. Staff is very nice, food is delicious and ambiance is rich. Perfect place if you want to go on a date or dinner with family. Highly recommend this place!!

Had an amazing experience dining in. We reserved a table. We were 20mins early yet they accommodated us. Staff was friendly and food was delicious. Also kids get free refills on drinks (isn’t that cool?). Will definitely visit again.

Went here for my partner's birthday. Enjoyed the wine, cocktails, dessert and complimentary bread and butters. Absolutely loved the thin but flavour-packed Margherita pizza and the calamari. We ate another pizza as well; it was rich (infused with perhaps squash and boar) but not super memorable.

I've dined at this restaurant several times over the many years I have lived in Kitchener and I have always enjoyed my experience. Staff have always been friendly and attentive, with a great atmosphere, and of course very good food. A highlight is always the freshly baked bread baked in flower pots with the cinnamon and herb butter (two separate butters, not mixed!). Even though it's just bread, it's amazing bread and sets the tone for an enjoyable meal to come. The kids always love that part. The rest of the food has consistently been very good too. Definitely recommended.

Had a really good experience. Ambience, food and drinks were all good. They provide a small cake with a candle for birthdays.

What a lovely Italian treat in the heart of Kitchener. Having come back from Italy a couple of days prior, I was nostalgic to a nice Italian meal. My husband took me to Del’s to celebrate my birthday. The service was top notch. I was pleasantly surprised by the use of the space. It’s in the basement of the building but you really don’t feel like it. Feels like an Italian courtyard with a beautiful patio. We ordered a pizza and pasta and both were delicious. I wasn’t a fan of the tiramisu but it was worth a try.

Great place for a casual dining or a date! Very close to authentic Italian 👌 highly recommended!

FOOD:<br/>We had come here on a Saturday evening for dinner at around 6:45 pm. For our main dishes, I had chosen the Mascarpone & Truffle Ravioli ($19.25), while my husband had settled on the Chicken Marsala ($24.95). We were given complimentary bread at the beginning of our dining experience, which was actually baked right into a pot, served with two different flavours of deliciously flavoured butter. The bread was absolutely AMAZING; coming out hot (temperature-wise) from the oven, along with a beautiful presentation which made me want more and more. Definitely one of the best complimentary bread dishes that I have ever had; you could tell that effort was put into making the bread look and taste excellent.<br/><br/>In terms of our main dishes though, I was a bit disappointed in the dish that I had ordered. I had asked the server how big my dish would be, and she told me that it would be a good size. I then thought that I would be receiving a substantial amount however, I then received a dish which consisted of about 10 ravioli, which were all of a medium-size. The sauce that was included in the dish itself was very delicious, with just the perfect amount of flavour and spice, definitely one of the best ravioli sauces that I have ever tasted. The berries and truffles that were included in the sauce were to die for, very well-blended and presented. However, the amount that was given to me was much too small considering what I had paid for it.<br/><br/>My husband’s dish was much bigger, with a large piece of chicken, and a wealth of spaghetti underneath the piece of chicken. His chicken tasted quite moist, however, the spaghetti was a bit flavourless, tasting as though more salt was needed. We had mentioned that it was our anniversary upon entering therefore, our server brought over a complimentary dessert of Tiramisu, which we thought was very kind of her. However, I told her that I wasn’t able to eat it as there was an ingredient in there that I wasn’t able to have. I was a tad disappointed that she didn’t bring over another dessert that I could actually eat, as my husband was the only one that was able to eat the Tiramisu.<br/><br/>ATMOSPHERE:<br/>This restaurant was situated at the bottom of the Charcoal Steakhouse. It had a long staircase going down to the restaurant, which ended in a fancy dining room made up of many different areas. There were beautiful paintings on the wall, along with artifacts on the shelves, and a Vespa at the lobby near the front desk. It also had an open kitchen, in which we were able to see the chefs working. The lighting was dimmed, which made for a nice ambiance, along with popular Italian music playing in the background. I did like the atmosphere, and found it delightful while dining. <br/><br/>SERVICE:<br/>I had called about thirty-minutes before arriving to see if I needed to make reservations. The hostess said that it would be a good idea therefore, I had made reservations. When we had arrived, we noticed that the restaurant was only a ¼ full therefore, we were confused as to why we had to make reservations. Nevertheless, when we were seated, our server was very kind from the moment we walked-in, until we had completed our meals. She came by to see how we were doing as we were dining, and even brought us a complimentary dessert (even though I was unable to eat it). Definitely a great place for attentive service.<br/><br/>COST:<br/>1 Mascarpone & Truffle Ravioli ($19.25) + 1 Chicken Marsala ($24.95) = $49.94 (Taxes Included)<br/><br/>WOULD YOU RETURN?<br/>Yes, only because I have heard that their pizza is delicious, and would like to try it. I wouldn’t try any of their pasta dishes though as I was disappointed with the amount that I had received.

Came across this place in the fall last year and literally thought the food was amazing. The atmosphere was extremely eclectic and everyone was super friendly. Highly recommended if you know good eats!

Excellent food experience with a fantastic customer service from our server Chris and the supervisor Jessie!<br/>The new food menu is amazing, Lorenzo is my best pizza from the three I've tried. Fresh home bakes bread, and home cured cold cuts.<br/>We were celebrating our friends' anniversary, therefore all of us (8 pax) were served a complimentary drink after our meal, and the celebrated couple walked away by a $40 gift card at any of the Charcoal Group outlets.<br/><br/>Food Taste: 5/5<br/>Food Presentation: 4.5/5<br/>Meal Freshness: 5/5<br/>Staff Attitude: 5/5<br/>Staff Attentive: 5/5<br/>Speed of Service: 5/5<br/>Cleanliness: 4.5/5<br/>Atmosphere: 4.5/5<br/>Value for Money: 5/5 <br/>Children's Menu: 5/5

Very poor value and quality control. I had spaghetti nero (pasta with clams and mussels). All of the clams (except 1 I think) were either closed, or completely petrified (dried out and the size of a peanut). I would expect the kitchen to at least examine what goes on a plate before going out of the kitchen. Who serves inedible seafood? My wife had spaghetti Bolognese that was overcooked and nowhere close to an authentic Bolognese sauce. Bread served in terra cotta pots felt a bit kitschy.<br/>All in all, I felt the quality control and value was very poor. I would not go back.

New redesign is not good. Meatballs taste like tough rubber. Worst I ever had. My "steak" was precut into strips and tasteless. Overpriced. Waitress is nice, but the blonde older lady floating around (manager?) seemed to be a bit of a B to the staff. Used to like this place but unfortunately likely won't be back.

3 Hours for a meal. Bad service from the general manager.. We were trying to celebrate my grandparents anniversary, and my sisters 11th birthday. After the 3 hours, we were starving and the food was poor, they were busy however, three hours is a long time to wait for food. The servers, (John and another girl) were very kind and sorry. They brought the general manager out to apologize for the wait, (we had our meals by then), and all she said was "How is everything, mhm." and left without even waiting for an answer.<br/><br/>They gave us free desert, which after 20 minutes of waiting for that, we decided to give up and leave. We saw the General Manager as we were at the front. My dad confronted her, and she kept making excuses. Eventually she brought up that someone was injured, which was doubtful as that was the 4th excuse, if I were her I would have opened with that.<br/><br/>I'm sorry about the long review, but I am extremely disappointed with the service I received, even at a highly rated restaurant. I would NOT recommend going here, I am 15, and even I was disappointed.<br/><br/>Ethan

Went here recently for New Years Eve and definitely impressed! A little bit confusing since this restaurant is at the basement level of Charcoal. Had the prix fixed 4 course meal and it was more than enough to fill me. Food was delicious! Love the apple cinnamon butter that comes with the bread. Service was exceptional! Manger kept coming around to check up on us and server was joyful even though she was workin on the holiday. Even offered to take a photo for me. Will definitely come back again!

Hands down on both Food & Service. The service was impeccable! Our server was super-friendly and he made our dining experience pleasurable, fun, and relaxing. In addition the staff was full of smiles and good energy. <br/>For my main course I ordered the FLAT-IRON STEAK. The presentation of this dish was extremely enticing and I couldn’t’ wait to dig in! <br/>I found each bite melted in my mouth as the savoury, perfectly seasoned flavour of beef hit my palate. The Basil pesto mashed potato is an absolute brilliant combination and the side of seasonal vegetables were cooked to perfection. <br/>It’s one of those meals you can’t stop eating even when you are full! I found I was craving it the next day and I can’t wait to go back! <br/>The restaurant itself was full of lighthearted connoisseurs. This atmospheres along with the décor made us feel as if we were truly in Italy! Thank you for the exceptional experience Del Dente!

Upbeat, yet cozy. This place is one of our favorites. It's the kind of place that you can settle into for the evening with a group of friends, or your special date. The food is delicious. The wait staff are friendly.

We are here almost every week (Doug & Laura) The staff and service is best in the area. Food fresh and talented cooking staff. Bar tenders Rock yeh Rubin

Say Goood Cheeeeeeeezzzzzzze. It was a Thursday night around 6pm. The place was just starting to get busy. I was solo and the nice hostess show me to the dinning area where there are two tables with four big armchairs per table. I said to her it's a big table for one person. She said they only have big tables and the armchairs are very comfortable. She was wrong about only have big tables because I saw at least one empty table small enough for two people. But she was RIGHT about the armchairs are comfortable, I say VERY comfortable. And there are only two tables like that in the entire restaurant and they are in the middle of the dinning room. So why was she showing me to one of those table, I will leave that as mystery.<br/><br/>Virgin Caesar to begin my three courses meal. The bread came first. It was a baked inside a small clay flower pot. It has a napkin wrap around it. It was because the clay flower pot was still very warm, almost hot to touch. The bread, of course, was very warm too. The clay pot has kept the bread warm for at 20 mins. When I finished my Italian Meat and Cheese Board, the very last piece of bread in the pot was still warm to the mouth. The bread came with two kind of spread, a apple cinnamon and some sort of lime spread. Both were excellent. I prefer the apple cinnamon but the lime spread also has its own taste but it is a little too weak for my taste. If it has a stronger lime taste to it, I would put it equal to the apple cinnamon. Both warm flower potted bread and the two kind of spreads are a very nice touch and good surprise.<br/><br/>Back to the meat and cheeeeeeeeze board. Short version, I love it. Cheeese are stinking good. Yes, I said stinking....... good. I like cheese stink. The stinkier the better. I suppose they have better words to call stinking cheese but I use the word I know. For $18.99, I believe some people would think it is a bit on the high side. However, for the quality of cheese and the detail touch of the rest of the board, with three kinds of olives, three meats and three types of cheese, to me, it's a fair price.<br/><br/>Mediterranean pizza next. It's a 10" thin crust pizza. I think for $13.99, I would rather have one of this pizza than going to any take out pizza place, pay the same price for their regular cheese and meat pizza. I wonder do they offer take out? This pizza has good flour and San Marzano tomato sauce does seem to make a different. And I love olives on pizza. This pizza is better than California Pizza Kitchener thin crust pizza and it is at least $2.50 cheaper, based on today's exchange rate.<br/><br/>The dessert was a chocolate mousse cake with blueberry, strawberry and raspberry coulis. It tasted very good but nothing really special about it, worth the cost though. The espresso was a tiny bit weak.<br/><br/>Overall, I had a good time at the restaurant. Food and service good. I will go back and try their pasta next time and ask for the table with armchairs.<br/><br/>Additional info.......<br/>Del Dente is one of Charcoal Group of restaurant located at the lower level of Charcoal Steak House. You can't see it from the street. It took me a moment to locate it. The multi level parking garage are share with a hotel and it NEEDS some TLC. Del Dente certainly is a nice place. It just need the parking lot to match. Since Charcoal Steak House and Martini are share the same building, I think the Charcoal Group can spend a little money to fix up the parking garage. Have the hotel to chip in the repair cost too.<br/><br/>June 8, 2013<br/>After three months of dinner every once a week at del Dente, I like it even more.

Completely satisfying and wonderful tasting from start to finish including consistent and great service. Homemade bread, bruschetta, spaghetti b.,lasagne (all homemade pasta ) with ravine and Southbrook wines and a chocolate mouse cake for dessert. Best consistent end to end meal. Our server suggested the course and we were not disappointed. thanks Emily!!

I was craving for authentic Italian pizza. I ordered the spicy margherita pizza and it was bland. Not even spicy. But I really enjoyed their complimentary bread received in a plant pot. It comes with herbed butter and apple cinnamon butter. Both taste amazing. Nice romantic atmosphere for date night.

It had been a long time since me and my girlfriend had been on a date, so I wanted to wow here with an awesome eating experience. Even when I made the reservation I felt good about Del Dente, but I was blown away when I got there. The service was a little slow at the start but they made up for it with a nice apology and seated us quickly. There was a lovely, romantic atmosphere where we were sitting and the wait staff was great and fun. The food was delicious and me and my girlfriend loved the Tericota Bread, it was so fresh and delicious. I thought the prices were good for the portions and there is a great restaurant in Del Dente. I would go back again and recommend it to others.

Been there a few times in the past ten years our so. Hadn't changed much. Food had been consistently good. The flower pot bread is still awesome along with their butters. Most recently had the spicy chorizo pasta but they ran out of sausage. So they substituted out with shrimp amd bacon. The salads were a little over priced for the portion they give you. The saganaki appetizer was nice except they don't do the flames by the table anymore. the atmosphere is still quite nice. Overall a good restaurant to go to every few years or so.

Good atmosphere, good service, prices are reasonable and so are the portions. The food was ok, not authentic italian cuisine, but still good. My only complaint is the wine list. No italian wines! What?! But I drank a VQA Pinot Noir and still had a good experience.

Del Dente toothsome. A cheerful bustling place with absolutely just-plain-folks-nice greet and wait staff (I left my prescription sunglasses and they got them back to me at considerable inconvenience to themselves).<br/><br/>I had the prosciutto and arugula salad which was scrumptious (next time I'll go back and just eat three of those for dinner). We shared the grilled shrimp and chorizo plate which had a wonderful combination of rapini and tomato (actually, I could eat three of these too). Then I had the lamb pasta. The lamb was ground lamb formed into balls and was perfectly moist and the tomato sauce was a bit fiery for my very WASP palate but very addictive and the spinach made me feel virtuous.<br/><br/>This restaurant is one I will recommend to my friends -- a nice straightforward menu which caters to all tastes. And did I mention the staff? They were great.

Casual and Fun. This is a fun spot togo for good food in a casual atmosphere. I had the lamb meatball pasta dish and is was spicy and delightful.

Great pasta, etc. in a casual, romantic atmosphere.

Love it. Great for a casual dinner

The overarching theme of our dinner here was all the added touches – the homemade dishes and ingredients, the unexpected flavours, the local ingredients, and the complimentary dessert – all of which transform this restaurant into a place worth writing about!

Del's Enoteca Pizzeria was formerly known as Del Dente. It is part of the Charcoal Group and a personal favourite of mine. Once upon a time in our desolate region there was even less choice then there is now and Del Dente was the place to go to for all those special occasions...birthday, engagements, anniversaries, etc. But as new and different restaurants opened up...it got placed in a small recess of my brain. So this last week when we were trying to figure out where to have dinner with friends and little light bulb went off and I remember Del Dente...only it's not called Del Dente anymore! Del's Enoteca Pizzeria is the reincarnation of Del Dente...it has a new menu, new look but it has kept the tried and true features. When I called to make a reservation for 7 people on Friday night at 6 pm, I was initially told that they couldn't accommodate us until 7:30 pm but when I explained that we had children and that time

Kitty came up to Waterloo to celebrate my birthday and we went to Del Dente, which is located in the basement of Charcoal. Their bread service is really great. The freshly baked bread is served in a small flower pot and it comes with t