Review Ask For Luigi - Vancouver

Wish I could give this place a 4.5 star instead of the 4. That's honestly what I thought it deserved. It's a nice and cosy restaurant. Our server was excellent and helped us pick our dishes. The pasta was fresh and tasty but I've had better. The vegetarian one in my mind offered up the most flavor. The Burrata cheese and Crispy Cauliflower was awesome. Definitely go check it out for the experience.

Amazing food! Very delicious and filling! ❤️ The service was incredible. Our waitress was extremely polite and on top of it! I personally believe the menu is missing a classic pasta served with your famous meatballs. But what do I know! We also forgot to ask for Luigi 🍽

Absolutely fabulous authentic Italian meal in this quaint little restaurant. Definitely lives up to all of its hype. The staff was super friendly and attentive. The food tasted every bit as good as it looked. Portions were perfect and quite generous. The perfectly balanced desserts were the perfect end to the meal! Looking forward to our next visit already!

Good but not mind blowing! They asked us if we wanted bread and went on to charge us for it without informing us about it. The pasta was good but just needed more flavor. Overall, worth a visit but expect to pay for the name and be just a little disappointed. I have to say though, they were very accommodating and provided a walk-in with much ease. Thank you!

Small quant Italian place with excellent service and amazing food. Really cannot go wrong with anything you get. We had the meatballs, one of the specials, and the bigoli nero seafood pasta. Make sure you make a reservation as the place gets packed pretty quickly. Thank you for a great evening! :)

Love this spot ! Super cosy (I would say roughly 40 seats in the whole place). So far it is the best Italian food I’ve had in the city. Excellent pasta, buratta, wine selection and vermouth. Great service and an intimate venue off the beaten track. What else can you ask for !? (Ps. If bookings are full you can still go earlier in the evening and try for a walk in as they do accept walk-ins)

Beautiful place to go out for brunch or lunch! Great experience except that pastas were way too salty for our party so we had to leave half of the portions left. Would recommend asking for less salt for pastas so you could control it on your own :)

Probably one of the best Italian restaurants we've ever eaten at. This small unassuming restaurant had a very home family vibe to it. Everyone working here were extremely friendly and attentive. I think if we had room to, we'd try every dish in this place. The food and flavours are absolutely amazing. For starters, we had the bone marrow with morrel mushrooms and the burrata, both were amazing. For mains, we had: - bigoli nero, seafood, cherry tomatoes, uni butter & pang ratatouille - pappardelle, ragu del giorno with bison - beef short ribs, fregola pasta,pork belly We shared the dishes we ordered so that we could all experience the flavours of each dish, and we can honestly say it was hard to pick a favorite. It's obvious with this quality and quantity of food that Ask Luigi is booked solid for months in advance. Will be back for more!!!

This place never disappoint me, great food, good service and the best panna cotta in town.

Great tasting food!! Awesome staff and service. The pork belly is to die for! Panna Cotta is a must.

We've been wanting to try this place for a while and were under whelmed. Service was great, pasta was mediocre and far from authentic. Less than good olive oil and sparkling water that tasted like soda stream. It's okay at best but not what I expected. Cin Cin and Cioppinos are better experiences.

A friendly cozy and casual place with excellent pasta! if you want good Italian food in Vancouver , this is where you should go.

Admittedly, we are no pasta or Italian food experts. After Googling most of the terms on the menu (and playing the game of ‘is this a cheese, noodle or meat?’), we placed our order. Penne bolognese, parmesan: I decided on the penne bolognese with parmesan but substituted with pappardelle noodle instead because I was craving wide and flat noodles that day.

I went to Ask For Luigi a couple of months ago on a cold evening looking for a warm, hearty meal. The restaurant's food was excellent and the portions were good.

Amazing food if you get a spot in the cozy place. It is a lil annoying the server keeps filling your half glass of water everytime you take a sip of water.

I don't usually go out for pasta, so I still haven't tried Ask for Luigi despite how popular it is.  Knew it would be busy so we went there at 5:45pm and the place was already fully packed.  Luckily we got the last table :)  Order the featured starter, a beef tongue garnisheed with pickled cherries/scallion..., the bocconcini fritti, spaghetti nero and pappardelle & duck ragu.  The flavours, texture of the pasta and portion size - equally great.  On top of that, the servers were all attentive and friendly.  One unfortunate thing, they had turn up the ceiling fan during service which cause my pasta to cool down extremely fast, so I was pretty much eating cold pasta, which I'm still happy with.  Would definitely come back again in the future, been eyeing all the meatball starter that most people got but I didn't.

The happy hour drinks and appies are excellent. This is one of my favourite goto restaurants whenI am in the area. The servers are very attentive.

We dropped in for brunch as B’s friends had told her good things about Ask for Luigi’s brunch menu. We came on a late Sunday afternoon (around 1:45pm) and the place was still busy. People kept on coming in up until they official closed their doors. Yeesh. The inside is cozy and intimate with a pretty laid back ambiance/feel to AFL.

Cozy restaurant. Quaint and inviting. Some may find the area sketchy but a few years ago that’s what some people said about Commercial Drive and Gastown! I came during lunch hour and arrived at opening. Only three other people there then 12 pm hit, the place filled up quickly. The servers were friendly and kept my glass of water filled. The food was delicious! I ordered their special to start. Then I think I had garganelli, octopus & puttanesca sauce as the main. I honestly forgot what I ordered.<br/>I drank two glasses of wine. But the meals were delicious! That I remembered!

Ask For Luigi is located on North of Chinatown.  It is in a sketchy neighborhood on Alexander Street and Gore Avenue.  It is a pretty small restaurant with approximately 12 tables.<br/><br/>Try the pasta.  Their pasta are well-known in town.  They were chewy and perfectly flavoured.<br/><br/>I took off half point because the tables are very close together.<br/><br/> Food: 🍽🍽🍽🍽🍽 Must Try!<br/>Service: 👩‍🍳👩‍🍳👩‍🍳👩‍🍳👩‍🍳<br/>Price: 💲💲💲$50-$100 for two<br/>Presentation: 📷📷📷<br/>Parking: Street Parking<br/>Would I Return: Yes🙋<br/> <br/>Explore the Menu: Luigi's Meatballs, Squid Ink Radiatore & Octopus Alla pizziola, Fregola Sarda, clams and Nduja<br/>Tips: <br/>📝Arrive early and put your name down for a table (they don't take reservations)<br/>📝Tiniest bathroom

One of the great places for pasta in town.<br/><br/>Do not be fooled by the cramped space and humble decor. The menu features simple genuine traditional Italian kitchen favourites with a fresh twist.<br/><br/>We absolutely love the fact that they make their own pasta from scratch!<br/><br/>Overall, we enjoy their food, even though the portions are a tad small for our taste. The flavours are well balanced, and you can tell that there are some magic happening in the kitchen.

Ask for Luigi is a cozy restaurant in a sort-of-sketchy neighborhood charging fine dining prices for fine dining food and thankfully, fine dining quality service -- friendly staff with easy smiles and a server quick to put you at ease if you show signs of being daunted by the menu. No pretentious attitude here.

Amazing food! Love it! The service is fantastic! I loved everything we ordered that night. Will definitely go back there ! The clam was amazing

Cute place. Pastas and appetizers are always outstanding, but it is quite expensive and portions aren't outstanding (not overly small however). There aren't many seats either so expect a decent wait.

Was there for lunch one Saturday and a dinner on Thursday night. Both times it is great. We loved the meatballs and ravioli. Serves was excellent. Nice quaint and cozy place that serve super delicious comfort pasta with a twist. Authentically giving a three thumbs up.

Finally was able to try this place out after wanting to go for awhile. My first attempt was for dinner and the wait was over an hour. This time I came for brunch at around 11 on a Saturday. They don't seat you until your entire party has arrived. We didn't really have to wait, but it definitely was busier by the time we finished our meal. So definitely plan to come early or be prepared to wait.<br/><br/>The restaurant is quite small, but it feels cozy. There are plenty of windows to let in natural light. The servers here were friendly and very prompt. We got the banana bread with a whipped ricotta spread to share. The banana bread came slightly warm. Put a little bit of the spread on and it was delicious. Something simple, but done well. For my main, I had the fregola risotto with fennel sausage, broccoli, and a poached egg. It was a different risotto from what I was used to. It wasn't as creamy and rich. But I liked it as it was still flavourful and the poached egg had the runny yolk to add some richness. It was yummy. I would definitely want to come back to try more items. It was nice that the kitchen was open and I could see them making their pasta.<br/><br/>Overall, it is some solid food for a decent price. No reservations are taken here so make sure to come early. Service was good and I would come back again.

Sitting by the open window on a hot day is quite nice. Lamb Tonarelli was tasty, strong flavours and it coated the spaghetti nicely. The meatballs are a must, enjoyed the cabbage and pine nuts mixed in with the slightest hint of spicy notes at the end. Wine was served promptly so that you never went a minute without a drink :)<br/><br/>Good stuff!

a restaurant that i've been waiting for a long time, came here during a friend visit from overseas, and definitely the food was served is good, not bad, but not great either. it's something similar to a comfort food for me, and the presentation is definitely good, and love the combination of cheese that they use in their dishes, but overall it's a good comfort food, but nothing really excites me beside that. price wise is definitely affordable as well. but i'd prefer anton's pasta for a similar comfort food :D

○good service/ if you're around the hood when they open, put your name down for a table/ they do not take reservations and they won't put your name down unless your physically there / we waited almost 2 hrs during weekend around 7pm, i suggest you put your name down and go a few blocks down to Gastown to have some drinks then they'll text you when you're next and you have 10m to get back/ the place can fit around 50ppl max.. small cozy place<br/>○good food/ not my favorite pasta place but it definitely is very unique and not your usual taste in pasta/ they change menu regularly so if you see a picture you like, they may not even have it/ definitely making people go back to try different things every time<br/>○pricey but worth trying<br/>○they have parking In the back<br/>○would I go back? Maybe

Totally deserves the hype and huge waits. Great Italian restaurant with an always changing menu. Food is fully of flavour and not overly heavy like many Italian restaurants. Will look forward to coming back again and again.

I’m not that patient, so I rarely ever wait more than 30 minutes for a table at a restaurant. But at Ask for Luigi in Gastown, there’s just no other choice. I think Grape and I made it to the restaurant roughly 15-30 minutes after it opened at 5:30pm and we still missed the first dinner round, so we had to wait over 45 minutes… thankfully, they had an electronic queuing system that texted us when our table was ready.

Nestled into a corner in Alexander Street, Ask For Luigi delivers superbly almost every time. They are known for their amazing hand-made fresh pastas, and they are certainly worth the wait. On the topic of waiting, prepare for long, long line-ups, especially around 11:30 to noon. If you're a party of 3 or more, expect even longer waits- maybe even over an hour. The pastas are a little on the pricey side, but it's OK considering the quality of the pastas. The restaurant is small, but cozy and decoration is a simple 70's family-style place in Italy. I would recommend the mushroom and taleggio toasts, it melts in your mouth and the cheese gives an incredible crispy and gooey texture. Don't forget to try their brussels sprouts- if you are a sprouts hater, this will reverse you. It's a win-win dish: fried sprouts and ricotta! All their pastas are handmade and delicious, and always change, but if you catch it try the rigatoni bolognese. The meat in the sauce nestles inside the thick, perfectly al dente tubes of pasta and the shaved pecorino adds a tasty zing and kick. There are chile shavings which add a little spice, which makes a little fire in your mouth. Overall this place is amazing- the only downside is occasionally too-oily sauce and long, long waits. I would come back any time! If you just need a really good pasta that hits the spot, just Ask For Luigi. He'll impress you.

When you visit Ask for Luigi located in the heart of downtown eastside, you know you’re in for a special treat. Ask for Luigi a casual Italian eatery best known for their excellent house made pasta dishes. Here you will find authentic and traditional family style Italian dishes run by chef and co-owner JC Poirier who previously worked at Campagnolo and Lumiere.

It’s no secret that Ask for Luigi is one of the top, casual Italian eateries in Vancouver.  This year, they are ranked in the top 50 of Canada’s best restaurants.  And despite being located on the edge of Gastown in a less than tourist-friendly area, pasta lovers will gladly line up outside Ask for Luigi to await their chance to indulge in their fresh, handmada pasta.  A while back, a few friends and I went to Ask for Luigi for a weekday lunch.

I only come to Vancouver one time per year. I finally got a table without a wait...probably because it's a Tuesday night before tourist season. They serve their wine in a small tumbler style glass, reminiscent of the old world Italian ways. Gotta have the meatballs and went for the ravioli. Charming little place. No reservations, because they don't need to. Highly popular all the way to the bank. <br/>Worth trying to get in for a good meal.

Having heard the cray lineups for dinner we decided to wake up extra early to avoid such happenings for brunch and got there way before it opened its doors at 9:30am! But oh well I still managed to get some beautiful shots on Railtown district. Our spread of brunching and munching items!Complimentary banana bread with that whipped butter and caramel sauce before 10am only!

Good food, attentive service, great decor for a little Italian restaurant.<br/><br/>We started with the meatballs, which were very well made (slightly better than the Ikea meatballs - sorry but to me that is the common standard for meatballs) <br/><br/>We then had squid ink pasta with clams and anchovies. The pasta itself was made with squid ink, so it wasn't the type that makes you ending up with black teeth. It is good Italian food, as expected with the hype. <br/><br/>The papadelle with wild boar ragu was cooked with a hint of southern Italian style.

Ask for Luigi was recommended to me by every man and his mother so naturally I needed to check it out. I went with a friend of mine and we got fairly carried away ordering 5 dishes to tide us over; we ordered the sea urchin; the beef tongue, the octopus; their fregola risotto and the special of the night, a chicory and boar sausage, shell pasta.

It's pretty incredible the hype this place has. I was finally able to get a table here without waiting two hours. All the dishes were really tasty and simple, the way good Italian cooking should be. The best part of our meal was the special. The gnocci were insane. Very decadent. I probabaly wouldn't come back here again though in a hurry, because if the weekend waits, especially with other amazing alternatives like Savio Volpe or Via Tevere.

The restaurant told us the wait time was an hour but it was shorter than we expected. It was only a half an hour wait. They would send text messages to us once they got a table for us. <br/><br/>The restaurant is small and packed with tables and chairs. There is not enough room for new customers to stand and wait for the tables at the foyer, so some customers either walk outside and go somewhere or squeeze themselves standing at the tiny foyer. We stepped out to have a beer and appy at Postmark as Ask for Luigi told us to wait for an hour. <br/><br/>The food menu doesn't have many varieties. Appetizers have 11 of them. Main courses have 7 of them. Desserts have 3. We tried the albacore tuna crudo & clams escabeche. Basically this was an Italian sashimi. It tasted good. Both the clams and tuna were fresh. The sauce was like tomato one with some olive oil. The main dish was the pappardelle, chicken livers and artichokes. The presentation was ok. It tasted great but the portion was small. It did not give me a "wow" impression as everybody said this restaurant had great pasta. <br/><br/>Overall, I think the prices for the appetizers and main dishes are a bit high but the portions are smaller. I may not go back unless there are any special occasions that family or friends want to go here.

I like their cozy atmosphere, and highly recommend their house-made banana bread. Carbonara and Bolognese are good, but not extraordinary. It's fun to see the open kitchen and you can see them make the pasta right in front of you. I've only been in for brunch on weekends, and would like to try their dinner next time.

We came to Ask for Luigi for lunch on a February weekend and wound up waiting for quite a long time until we got a free table. I guess that says a lot about how popular this place is… even on the sketchy side of Chinatown.<br/><br/>Given the amount of time we had to wait… I was super hungry so I made sure to make my order worthwhile. I ordered the Tagliatelle Carbonara with a poached egg and pancetta ($19). And just to be sure, I ordered a side of pork belly for $6. The pork belly was a thick cut and super tender.<br/><br/>The pasta itself was quite good and I found that it wasn’t a very heavy version of carbonara.<br/><br/>Yolk porn? You betcha!<br/><br/>The food’s pretty good here. Wish they had a bigger restaurant though.

We had to try this place based on the ratings and reviews. Considering the long wait times (hour and a half), one would expect amazing food. Maybe our expectations were too high, but we left very disappointed. Both the risotto and pasta (rigatoni) were very bland and flavourless. What almost saved our meal was the tuna albacore appetizer, this was excellent. <br/><br/>Service was great, portions are small and the food is way overpriced. There are better Italian options in the city where there are no long line ups. We will not be back.

We started with a nice bottle of wine and some good old fashioned meatballs. Man do I love their meat balls. It's a pretty big appy though and I'm thankful we didn't order a 2nd or we wouldn't have had room for the amazing dessert. <br/><br/>For mains I ordered the Ragatoni with spicy octopus and he got the tagliatelle Verde with rabbit ragu. Mine was delicious and had a nice subtle spice to it. Pasta was cooked well and I had a good meal all around. The Pasta Verde lacked flavor and the only good bits were the pieces of duck. That was not our favorite dish bit of a shame we tried to be experimental but perhaps should have gone with the risotto. <br/><br/>For dessert we got the chocolate cake and panna cotta it was amazing. I wasn't really in the mood for chocolate but it was so good I really enjoyed it. The Panna cotta had such a light fluffiness to it MMMMM. So good. I dare say it was so good you could skip the dinner and just drink wine and eat dessert and still leave happy. <br/><br/>I'll be back! <br/><br/><br/>

Fresh made pastas, more than one ragu on the dinner menu! Every dish is as good as the last. I prefer to go at brunch as I find it less difficult to get in. I wish they served their wine in wine glasses. They come in tumblers, filled almost to the brim. Get there well before opening at lunch and dinner and line up!

- Pasta was VERY salty. We were super thirsty afterwards. Flavours were great though.<br/>- Appies were quite yummy. <br/>- You gotta have their desserts! The Panna Cotta was superb! And the olive oil cake! Yum yum yum. It's ironic that the desserts turned out to be the star of the show while the pastas were TOO salty and kinda ruined the whole dish. <br/>- It's in a very sketchy part of town. Homeless drug addicts came up to us for change as soon as we walked out of the restaurant. <br/>- Extremely loud inside. I had to yell at the waitress while she leans over to place my order.<br/>- Service was quite good, no complaints.<br/><br/>Overall, I would not go back again because of how sketchy the area is, very loud inside the restaurant and the extremely salty pasta. <br/><br/>

Waited 90 mins for a table in this hip, cozy joint. I really like the app/text service so you know exactly where you are in line to get seated.<br/><br/>Four of us shares multiple antipasti, and each chose our own pasta. Antipasti were delicious, the saffron penne was lacking a little in flavour, though nice touch serving it with clams and mussels. <br/><br/>Wine list is unique, the Pinot blanc from Alsace was perfectly aromatic. <br/><br/>Service was nice, not friendly. The staff all seem to have "this is a happening place and we know it" attitude. Hopefully that improves next time I visit.

The fact that someone can wait up to two hours for a spot in this place just shows how ridiculously good it is. Very small and unassuming, Luigi is a gem in a rather sketchy neighbourhood. Who would've thought a place in Eastside would garner so much love and affection? Its pasta collection, although somewhat limited, is one of the best I've had in Vancouver. <br/><br/>Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. The duck ragu is an absolute must and although they serve family sized dishes, you should always leave room for dessert.

Atmosphere 1/1<br/>It's a small piece of Europe smack in downtown eastside. The walk there is a big sketch for the faint hearted. Otherwise quaint tables, small intimate space, wooden decor... Love the plates they use, very homey you'd think your Italian grandma was serving you food. Be warned though - get there early! There are definitely line ups for this place<br/><br/>Service 1/1<br/>Everyone here is so laid back and relaxed! Friendly and professional. Their timing is spot on; they'll make sure your water glasses are filled and that you are well taken off. This is one of the only places I've been to where the service does not feel intrusive or interruptive <br/><br/>Food 1/1<br/>Mmmmm Italian food to match that in Italy. I have to admit I'm more fond of their appetizers than the actual main. Especially fond of the herring, and tonight's meatballs are perfect. Normally I'm not a huge risotto fan but their risotto dish blew away my reservation. Absolutely perfect texture and flavour<br/><br/>Price 1/1<br/>Worth it +++<br/><br/>Personal opinion 1/1<br/>Crazy about this place. Only thing I'm not too keen on are the line-ups and the amount of planning I have to do to get here. A bit out of the way and definitely not the spontaneous eatery given their tendency to be super popular and have long waits. Non the less... Bookmarked ! <br/><br/>

I ordered the (whole wheat) pappardelle with wild boar ragu. Plus parmesan. It was nice, a lot like pulled pork. Very generously meaty and very manly.

Oh my this place was amazing. I really loved the brunch and coffee I had. I think the pasta is freshly made so it's just delicious. Line ups are supposedly long for dinner, I am going there this Thursday so try out the dinner so I'll keep you posted on how that goes or just post pics from my dinner.

Wow, hidden Italian gem in Vancouver. Was looking for a good Italian restaurant and ran into Luigi. What a great find it was. The restaurant is quite small, which kind of makes the 45 min wait reasonable. I wish I had made a reservation. <br/><br/>We ordered quickly; I heard a lot of good things about this place so I didn't fuss too much about what to pick. Everything sounded delicious and the options to pick from weren't many. Tried the fried cauliflower & aioli as an appetizer and the pappardelle & duck ragu as a main, which I accompanied with a glass of wine. The pastas are quite large, perfect for sharing between couples, so be sure to pick wisely!

I had the spaghetti tuna putanesca. Spaghetti was perfectly cooked and the sauce was very flavourful. Perhaps a little too salty but nonetheless delicious for it. <br/><br/>We arrived at about noon and were told there would be a wait of about 45 minutes. The staff member took my phone number and said he would call when the table was ready. He called no more than 25 minutes later. Service in the restaurant was fast. Our order was taken within 5 minutes and our food arrived about 10 minutes after that. The restaurant was quite busy but the staff were well prepared to tend to all guests. <br/><br/>The restaurant itself is quite small and perhaps a little cramped. Not an ideal place for an intimate dinner, despite the great food. Friendly atmosphere and family friendly (may be a negative for some).

A place where you have to line up for their pasta.. It must be good, right? Well it really was great! We came here early morning for brunch and the place was already packed and there was a 20 mins wait. I guess we were quite lucky as I know the waiting time could go as long as an hour or even more during their peak hours. The pasta here tasted very fresh, and you can definitely taste the ingredients. They have great pastas and appys, this is something I'm sure you've heard already. But they also have great side dishes that go well with your entrée. Eg: we got their pork belly and it was very tasty! A very nice addition to our pasta as it added more flavors. I decided to come back for their dinner on a weekday, and they told me I had to wait about an hour. I couldn't wait as I was too hungry and left, but I am definitely going to try again soon as their dinner menu looks just too appealing!

I wasn't expecting too too much when Ask for Luigi first opened its doors. I thought it was all hype and will die down in a couple of mouths of so. But it never did. The line up goes on and the food maintained its awesome standard. <br/><br/>The dishes were a little too greasy/heavy for me, but then I am a very light eater to start with. I can imagine this place be pasta heaven for anyone who loves pastas and Italian cuisine. <br/><br/>I've returned multiple times and will no doubt go back for more !

Expect a long wait because the restaurant is really tiny and they do not take reservation. (Approx 1&1/2 to 2 hours of wait time) Two of our friends arrived at 5:30pm when the restaurant was empty, but they were not able to get a table because the waitress said everyone has to be there to be seated. We were not allowed to wait inside because the restaurant was small and the waitress would ask everyone to stay outdoor. It was a rainy day, four of us ended up waiting in the pouring rain and a friend of mine was 7 months pregnant. The service was ok. The Pastas, risotto and ravioli we ordered were in small portion and little bit too salty. We believe everything is overpriced and overall ambiance was so so and the seats were too tight and crowded. Perhaps we waited for too long and had even higher expectation or it just wasn't right for us. We were over the hype and will probably not go back again.

The hype did not disappoint! The pasta was fresh and simple. Dressed with fresh ingredients. Our favourite entree out of the four was the Wild Boar Ragu on whole wheat pappardelle. We also highly recommend ordering the crispy polenta!!!

Great food, friendly waitress, small restaurant. Be prepared to wait, and I mean wait in a long line outside. I understand that it's an Italian restaurant and maybe not big on tea, but my girlfriend cannot drink coffee and wished they could offer tea as well.

Welp, here goes! I am by no mean an Italian foodie but this restaurant is over hyped. Perhaps because it is SO over hyped that my expectations for the food was off the chart. Regardless here goes.<br/><br/>Service: It's alright, nothing spectacular or extremely memorable<br/><br/>Ambiance: Tiny. The space is very tiny with a lot of tables so you are quite close to your neighbor. I guess you can say it's trying to mimic the environment of what it would be like in Italy but space is too small for my liking. <br/><br/>Food: Not enough meat, a lot of pasta. Flavour was not there, seasoning was missing, the pasta was did not have that nice al dente chew to it. <br/><br/>If you are looking for literally THE best pasta place, check out anchovies and olives in Seattle. A few hours away but worth a stopover. Simply THE best pasta. I cannot recommend this place enough!

Real taste of Italy, right down to the wine in table glasses. Fresh made pasta and delicious panna cotta. Loved the ricotta ravioli so much, I almost ordered it again. Attentive staff, a bit pretentious, but it fits with the Italian style. Great small restaurant vibe; always love when you can see the kitchen at work. Great place for a date or wine night with the girls.

Have to say more restaurants should be like AFL. Service was attentive but not suffocating. Food was amazing. Haven't had a positive dining experience and in awhile and this blows it out of the water.

My favorite Italian place in town. I grew up in Argentina, where my babysitter was our italian neighbour. It wasnt up until I moved to Canada that I learned that people can get pasta out of a box (which I refuse to eat). Also been to Italy, and this is where I go for pasta.

Not much else can be said that hasn't already about Ask for Luigi. They continue to make deliciously fresh house made pastas in all forms with relatively simple yet very welcoming ingredients of all kinds.

If Ask for Luigi was in my neighbourhood, I would be a regular. My pants would also go up in size. There was not a plate that I saw with a trace of food on it going back to the kitchen. Every dish that went past looked great and I mentally made a list to try on my next visit; which can’t be soon enough.

Freshly made pasta, simple menu, simple drinks, plain or fizzy water. Life does not get better than this. Cheese Polenta, gooey and crispy with a plain simple TOMATO sauce. Fried cauliflower with mint and parsley and a sauce with a kick. Lamb sausage risotto, cooked to perfection, so hard to get it right, Gnocchi , my wife ate it I didn't try, loved it, Pesto with spaghetti, beans and potato, best pesto I have had in a long time. We rarely have dessert, chocolate cake, so nice, not too sweet. This restaurant is a traditional Italian bistro, busy, good and fast service with fresh food. I can't say enough good.Side note, we arrived 12:45 for lunch, we timed correctly, a table must have just cleared, by 1:30 there were a lot of tables, great for a late lunch. Dinner will be next.

Easily, the best meal I've ever eaten. Cozy quarters and a long wait, but totally worth it. Incredible pasta, mouth watering dessert, and a great wine selection. The rumors are true about this place. It's life changing.

Voted best restaurant in the Vancouver by Vancouver Magazine. Honestly I don't think they deserve the title if what I had is their usual quality. The restaurant is very small and hot with the tables way to close to each other, but it would be quite cute if there were less people since it was packed when I visited. Service was good.

The ragu was very flavourful and much to my enjoyment, the meaty flavour really came out and accompanied the pasta well. Their pasta is definitely a must try. Risotto smoked salmon, sorrel and seaweed. This was an overall disappointment. It was too rich and creamy for my liking. It was not well balanced, all I tasted was rich, cheese and rich

We came for a dinner on Sunday, just after opening and needed to wait for an hour. The wait list is managed efficiently and conveniently as they text you when your table is almost ready. <br/>The place is very small and somewhat crowded, but pleasant enough and service is decent and professional. The best part is food. We tried an appetizer, risotto and pasta. The bone marrow and escargot risotto, and I'm not a fan of risottos, was surprisingly balanced with nice texture. Wild boar pasta was simply delicious, and I'm not a huge fan of pastas either, but I'm willing to visit again for another serving of pasta. This place is definitely above average and I will not hesitate to visit again.

Ah never disappointed here. It's a favourite for pastas that you can tell there was care and attention put into. It's good to come here early to make sure you're able to get in that night as they don't take many reservations. If you show up before 5:30 when they are open, you may be able to get in but there will tend to be a long wait time if you come afterwards like 6pm. <br/>I had their risotto and fell in love with it. The texture is perfect and it had a great flavour.

Awesome place to eat with your family. They open right on time, not even one minute early or late. <br/><br/>I came early, and there were already two people waiting. Another man came after us. We got sparkling water, some kind of special crepe, meatballs, and the duck ragu pasta.<br/><br/>The duck ragu was really good. I will come back all the way for that. The food was pretty healthy in general.<br/><br/>The boss actually folded napkins for me when I was in the washroom. I just left the napkin on the bench and he tidied it up. So embarrassed ...

Worth the wait - delicious pastas await inside!. We went on a Sunday for lunch and the line was about 30 minutes. It's a very small restaurant with an old school charm interior. Nothing special inside but the food is what you come for! We had the fried Brussel sprouts, papadella bolognese and the tagliatelle carbonara! Each dish was delicious as ever!!! The bolognese sauce was tangy and the thick pasta worked really well with it. It's unlike other bolognese sauce I've had elsewhere. The fried Brussel sprouts had a nice fried smell to it and there was a secret citrusy cream sauce with it which cuts the greasy fatty taste. Yummy! Finally the carbonara had real thick pieces of pancetta bacon; every strand of pasta was nicely coated in the eggy creamy carbonara sauce without being too rich or heavy. I can't wait to go back for dinner!!! The price was very reasonable for the amount of pasta, service and quality. Keep up the good work!

Third visit, and never disappointed.. I've been to Ask for Luigi three times now and it's quickly becoming a favourite. We recently did a weekend brunch here, and the food was great and not at all typical (any time somewhere offers pasta with an egg on it as a brunch item is okay by me). We didn't have to line up or wait, either, which was a surprise, as we know to expect otherwise. We visited again for dinner this past Saturday night, and ... the deal with this place is... It will be busy. You will wait. It is small, and loud. We're absolutely okay with all this (but we know older family members who might not be), and come prepared to make a night of it. They text when your table is ready, which works great for us, so we show up, give our number, and go out for drinks elsewhere while we wait. It's casual, the service is prompt and friendly, and it's a lot closer to the Italian food I grew up with, when I was being cooked for by my northern Italian father. No lame Roman columns, or overwhelming wine list. We recommend it to everyone!

This place has seriously delicious food!!! Try the poached eggs on eggplant wrapped ricotta, it's a very tasty dish. I loved the unpretentious atmosphere and the friendly staff. This cafe is well worth checking out.

I was disappointed from the moment we arrived. We made reservations two months in advance, which were confirmed by phone an hour before our time, and confirmed again by text message 30 minutes before our time, yet when we arrived just before our reservation time, we were asked to wait while they seated three groups of walk-ins without reservations while there were 10 empty tables ready for seating. The host was contrite and later in our meal made a snide comment to us about whether we had enough time. The appetizers were good, but the meatballs were undercooked and tough. The ravioli was overcooked to the point of being soggy. Overall it was not a good experience and we would not recommend this place.

If you are Italian food lover, highly recommend you to "Ask for Luigi"!     Ask For Luigi, a little Italian joint at the corner of Alexander Street and Gore Ave.  It is one of the smoking HOT and BUSY restaurants in town. My good friend picked this place for dinner the night before leaving town.  I would not mind facing line up for delicious dishes so we were there around 6:15pm. We were told about 1-hr wait.  I gave them my mobile number and they sent me SMS text message when the table is ready.  Simple and efficient.  We walked around the Gastown area while waiting.  The wait ended up taking 45-min.  It was not that bad!  I love the wooden interior, warm and cozy atmosphere. Must Eat:  Luigi's Meatballs & Pappardelle & Duck Ragu We picked 3 antipasti to share: Bison Tartar & Tuna Aioli Bruschetta @ $12 Fresh and delicious. 'Chef Salad' Brussels, Pork Belly, Sweetbreads, Agro Dolce @ $14 Surprise!  It was a warm salad.  The pork belly was good. Luigi's Meatballs @ $15 It was excellent!  Very flavorful and tender meatballs. The sauce was rich and tasty.

One of the newer restaurants in Vancouver that’s often seen with a lineup on its doors steps, Ask for Luigi is known for its house made pasta. What it should be known is its Bone Marrow & Escargot starter!

Hot damn everything was delicious. Spritz and mimosa cocktails to start, refreshing, not too sweet. House-made bread with jam, ricotta stuffed eggplant, tagliatelle carbonara and a side of pork belly. The pasta was properly done, so nice. For sure do it family style for a bit of everything. We also went crazy with dessert, we got all three. Surprisingly the panna cotta won us all over. Also, best latte and americano I can remember ever getting at a restaurant, usually it's an after thought. Well worth the half hour wait on a warm day.

I had the waffles when I went here for brunch and HELLO!! Heaven in my mouth (I'm a big sweet breakfast person)! My fiancé had a pasta dish and that was delicious as well. I believe they make all their pasta fresh! The price was right for a delicious brunch! I would definitely go back.

I absolutely love this place! Amazing Italian food in a warm and cozy setting. One of my favourite Italian restaurants in Van. Highly recommend it!

Yum!. Outstanding service. Intimate room. Great food. I've been waiting for an Italian family style restaurant in Vancouver for ages and they really nailed it. I'll be back!

The man hosting have bad attitude!

When Ask for Luigi first opened its store, it was nearly impossible to get a seat. I remember going there for dinner and had to wait in the car for more than an hour before it was our turn.

Yep. Excellent house-made pasta, fantastic appetizers (Brussels sprouts salad & roasted cauliflower in particular) and stellar dessert. Service is totally on point. The tumblers for wine are a bit kitschy: great for cheap and cheerful house-wines, but doesn't really work for the more delicious offerings on the list. Regardless, will be back many more times.

Outstanding food, service and overall value. I've been countless times and always seem more satisfied then the last. The hand made pasta is probably the best I've ever had. Best Italian I've had in the city hands down, worth trying if you haven't already

Cozy little gem. Great service from some wonderful people. It's nothing fancy -- just a humble little place for a decent meal. My wife and I enjoyed their fried cauliflower and a couple different types of pasta. The pasta is freshly made in-house and the gluten-free pasta is great, even for a glutivore such as myself.

Was not impresed. The chairs are uncomfortable, menu verity is limited, the service is just ok and they are not very good with accommodating changes to their menu.

Great food and friendly service.. The location is tiny but it adds to the intimate ambiance of the restaurant. We ordered the Bison Carpaccio, which was amazing with the added crispy artichoke on top. We would recommend the meatballs and the cauliflower dish, both were superb, although my friend thought the cauliflower was a tad on the salty side. We shared the pappardelle & duck ragu (this was my favorite hands down) and the rabbit ragu. I love the open kitchen concept and the service was quick, attentive and friendly. I would definitely recommend this to my family and friends and to also make reservations ahead of time.

Best service i have had in Vancouver... and the foods not bad either!. The menu at Luigis is quite condensed, but that doesn't matter because every dish is superb. I would highly recommend a visit here if you want authentic Italian food and great service.

Lovely lunch with Corner Gas. Had a delicious lunch of fresh pasta and had the pleasure of dining several feet away from Brent Butt and his Corner Gas co-star. I felt like a star!<br/><br/>Seriously though, quaint with delicious pasta. What more can you ask for?

Very fun atmosphere, friendly & attentive service, but mediocre food. Evening we ate was the same goopy texture: eggs & herring, cauliflower, and ravioli. Doesn't live up to the hype... I'll go back to classics like Nook or Tavola the next time I want Italian.

Great little restuarant on the fringe of Gastown. 4 of us went for dinner there for my husbands BDAY! Great service, shared 3 appies and 2 entres! this was enough for us 4,,,,, plus a bottle of wine, the broccoli appetizer was popular among the group and the 2 pasta dishes . Great atmosphere, food and service..at very reasonable cost!!

Amazing service & best pasta dish I've ever had. I went to Ask for Luigi for the first time tonight, and had a wonderful experience. We had a pate special with a celery, date, and almond salad, and it was gorgeous and delicious. For pasta we split the pappardelle with duck ragu, and the special spaghetti, which had Salt Spring Island mussels and a butter braised leek sauce, with chiffonade basil and parsley throughout, and breadcrumbs on top. The special was outstanding. The pasta was so fresh - the texture and firmness were perfect for me - and the sauce was fantastic. I loved the ragu as well, but the special was just so exceptional. <br/><br/>Maybe I'm just feeling thankful (happy thanksgiving), but I really really enjoyed my experience!

Loved everything here! It was cute inside- a lot smaller than I had expected but it wasn't busy. I went for brunch so I wasn't able to try some of the dinner it's I had been eyeing. The pasta noodle texture was fresh and unlike other restaurants. This was my favourite thing about the restaurant! I will be back for dinner.

Extremely Disappointed. After hearing a great deal of hype about this place I organized 4 friends to go last night for my birthday dinner. As expected, there was a wait of over an hour and the host said he would call when our table was ready. We went just around the corner to The Urban Winery (which was fantastic) and had a drink and a couple of appetizers while we waited.<br/>As promised, Luigi's called and we quickly walked over to sit down and have a nice birthday dinner with friends. After a number of minutes waiting outside for the table to be ready, the host came out and made mention to me that they wanted to 'get some food into us before we serve any alcohol' and that 'some people had a bit too much to drink'. At first I thought he was talking about the people that were getting ready to leave - whose table we were waiting for - but after a little more talk I suddenly realized that he meant US!<br/>I was mortified. There wasn't a single disrespectful word spoken by any of us. There was not a single act of drunken behaviour. I couldn't think of a single thing that would make him think any of us had too much to drink. I asked him who he thought was drunk. He pointed out one member of my group and when asked what made him think he was drunk he replied, "he is kind of stumbling".<br/>I then asked him if we would be served wine with dinner? His response was that we were welcome to come in and eat but none of us would be served any alcohol. Which was strange because he claimed one person was 'stumbly' but none of us would be served. I can't even begin to explain how I felt standing on the street surrounded by other patient would-be diners listening to this host declaring that my party was too intoxicated to be served alcohol. That left me on my birthday at close to 9pm without a reservation anywhere.<br/>I don't know why this happened - maybe the host had a couple of friends that wanted a table, maybe someone paid him to get in right away so he gave away our table, maybe they didn't like trying to fit a table of 5 into the small room, maybe they just didn't like the look of us....I don't know. But what I do know is I will never go back there and I will never recommend this place.....which is too bad because I live close by (Strathcona) and am always happy to have great neighbourhood places to frequent. Apparently, this isn't one of them.

Disappointed. We had heard good things about this place so we were excited to try out this restaurant.<br/><br/>The service was good, the starters, especially the bone marrow was really tasty, and the portions were fairly big. However the 2 pasta dishes we ordered were over cooked and sticky. They were tangled and would fall apart with forks. The seasoning was missing a zesty flavor like fresh lemon or fresh herbs, but the tomato sauce was a little acidic. Not something we expect for a $20 bowl of pasta. <br/><br/>We also noticed everything we had ordered had very soft texture, nothing crunchy or crispy including garnishes. Also the pinot noir we had by the glass was almost not drinkable. It had a strong taste of alcohol like some cheap wine does (but considering the volume of covers they must do every night, the wine couldn't have been old).<br/><br/>Overall, we were very disappointed in the qualify of food and will not be going back...

Amazing!!!. I have been saying that Vancouver doesn't have a good Italian restaurant...until I went to Ask for Luigi. The food was so delicious. To start, we ordered the bread with olive oil, the meatballs and the boccochini. Everything was so yummy I couldn't believe it. I normally don't like tomato sauce that much and I was trying to eat every last drop of sauce on the plate of meatballs. For entrees, we ordered the ravioli and the sausage tagiatelli and they were both incredible. All of the pasta was freshly made and the sauces had so much flavor. Only downsides are the tiny restaurant, long waits and rushed service (food comes very quickly like they want to rush you out the door). Quite frankly, I don't care too much about the downsides and will definitely be returning. I highly recommend it if you like Italian food. Don't pass it up!<br/><br/><br/>-----30 Sep, 2014-----<br/><br/>Everything. ALL AMAZING

Great restaurant. The food and service is excellent. <br/><br/>Only complaints I have are the long waits and the cramped space

3..2..1.... Just go. Best pasta in the city.

Taste of italy. I just came back from italy and i was really missing the pasta. i really liked luigis. the pasta was al dante and sauce was great. good service and great wine. gnocchi and spagetti was my fav. will be back.

Overrated. Would not wait in line for this overhyped place. You can find better pasta elsewhere in vancouver.

Was curious but not going back. About the only thing I would ask Luigi is Where's the food ?? Tiny portions .. I didn't even order. I watched watched my friend eat an $18 order of ravioli and it looked like only about 8 little pieces ! I'm no big Gourmet eater as I find all of this stuff tiny and overpriced. But that's just me. I'll stick to my usual spots on Commercial drive. I have to give credit to the staff our waiter and server were very good. Just not my cup of tea..

I consider this good not great.

7/10. Fine, but won't be hurrying back any time soon. Did not pay the bill but relying my personal impressions. I estimate that the bill came to at least $150 for 3 adults and 2 children... Ordered 3 appies, 3 pastas, 2 deserts and a couple of glasses of proseco. One of which was too eagerly removed since there was still some proseco in the glass, was that a 2 oz glass?... Served day old bread to start. No one else at the table seemed to notice, but I certainly did. 5 thin slices of bread and maybe a quarter cup of oil- $3. Parpadele a little too soft. Other pastas fine but you may find the one with anchovies a little too salty, anchovies are salty. Note, I imagine children's pastas would be seasoned differently. The pasta with tomato sauce was too spicy for the little ones. So order children's pasta for the kids or simply request no chilies in their simplest dish. Panna cotta was the best part of the meal. Budino, forgetable. <br/><br/>I hated that we were so crowded at our table and we weren't the only ones. There were 3 people crowded at tables meant for 2. When I asked if they would consider giving us the 2 top immediately to our left, the answer was no. I guess it was more important for them for another party to spend $50 than have our return business. I simply felt too crowded and uncomfortable having dinner. Would have had more room at MacDonald's. <br/><br/>Cheers!

Not so itialian.... My friends and I decided to check out this place after hearing some good reviews by people and also by TV station. We decided to try the butternut squash raviolini. What a big disappointment right off the bat, we each received a handful of raviolinis that wouldn't satisfy any hungry customer; also the raviolinis were served with a heaping amount of oil sauce. Last but not least, the raviolini's weren't made fresh as the edges were quite dry. I say stay away from their not main dishes...no pictures to add to this review as the dish was not pretty enough to take a picture of.

This place is too full of itself. A month or so ago, we dined here and the food and service were excellent. Yesterday, I called to reserve for last night. The recording on the machine told me that there were a limited number of reservations available each night and most of the space was dedicated to walk-ins. I left a message to reserve 2 people for 6-ish. I received no call back, but we went to the place anyway, arriving about 6:15pm. I was told by a very officious and unwelcoming young man that it would be at least an hour and a half wait for a table, and that the reservations were only available between 5:30pm and 6pm. I could have easily adjusted our arrival time. There was nothing on the website about this policy, nor on the answering machine. A short call back would have left them with a happy customer. As it is, I am not happy. I am also wondering if my greeting at the restaurant could have been because I am an older female?

Their style = overly salty pasta. I didn't have a good feel when I called for an reservations already. First attempt - I wanted to go there for Dine Out but when I called they said they are fully booked for that already. Second attempt - I called 2 weeks ago asking for an reservation but then I was asked to put on hold and he will look into this for me. I got placed on hold for 10 mins before I hang up. Third Attempt - A girl told me the manager was not around and I had to call back. I asked if she could ask him to call me back. Nope, they don't do that! Fourth attempt - Manager is finally in and I was being told that they could only take reservation at 5:30pm or 6pm. The maximum number was 8 too. Fine! Let's give it a try!<br/><br/>I'm surprised nobody complained how salty their pasta are. I was there with Foodmuse M and I could not believe how salty pastas could be. Our server told us that this is their style of pasta. WTF?!<br/>Fried cauliflower & aioli $10 4.5/5 - oily and a little on a salty side but still bearable. People kept ordering this dish throughout our dinner.<br/>Luigi’s meatballs $14 4/5 - 3 pieces of meatballs and a piece of bread. It was similar size of a size of a tennis ball. The tomato sauce was salty but still okay with the meatballs or the bread. I really liked how they put pine nuts in the meatballs. Very moist!<br/>tagliatelle & octopus puttanesca $18 2/5 - The octopus was tender but overly salty. Wikipedia says this should be "tangy, somewhat salty Italian pasta dish"?! <br/>spaghetti, anchovies, garlic & chilies $15 2/5 - Our server recommended this but I would prefer if we went for the butternut squash ravioli. Somebody at our table had the ravioli and she didn't complain it being too salty.<br/>pappardelle & duck ragu $19 2.5/5 - This is the best of our 3 pasta. More of the level of saltiness than the taste. There were not much duck on the plate too. The pasta was al dente. The leftover is still sitting in my fridge. I'm afraid it will be saltier than 2 days ago.<br/>chocolate budino $8 3/5 - We asked our server if the dessert was going to be salty. Our server said they put salt on their dessert too. I was a little scared but it was fine. It was more like a ganache. Good for sharing but too much for 1 person.<br/><br/>Our server was fine. I guess there were more problems for the management. Otherwise , don't think they can survive much longer after the wave dies down.

Good food, meager portions. Can't complain about the quality of food or service, but the portions served does not justify the price. People joke about wanting to hit the drive-thru after such an experience but this time we did just that. $20 for a 6 ravioli entree.

Overrated pasta. We ordered the fried cauliflower to start before each ordering a pasta dish. The cauliflower lived up to the hype -they used a bit of Japanese mayo, lemon, and mint leaves to add flavour and it was a fantastic combination. <br/><br/>The pasta on the other hand was nothing too special. I'm no pasta expert but I didn't find anything particularly exciting about the pappardelle. Neither did my friends on their dishes (tagliatelle, raviolini). For the price point, she felt that the quantity of raviolini was a bit lacking. <br/><br/>Their star quality would definitely be their customer service -waiters constantly topping up the water and just being accessible was one of their great fortes. Perhaps being such a physically small restaurant they are able to be more attentive to their customers' needs compared to other larger-scale establishments.<br/><br/>I think I would return if they changed their pasta menu to include some more exciting options such as more variety in sauce options (mostly tomato-based, two creamed based).

Had duck ragu w pappardelle, beef carpaccio, prune pannacotta. The pasta is handmade, had delicate bite. Carpaccio was lacking in beef, but tasty enough (mizuna kind of tough). By far the outstanding taste was the soft barely sweet panna cotta w such tasty prunes. Prunes! Nice toasty crunch to the 3 little almond biscotti. Small space, service decent. Scared for safety of car, as you can call it Railtown, but it's still DTES. Would return.

Dine Out 2014. Out of the way to get here, but really worth it. A new fav!