Review Mona Lisa Ristorante Italiano - Winnipeg

Mona Lisa’s is an Italian Restaurant staple in Winnipeg on Corydon Ave. I’ve been here many times over the years. Food is always great. This time I went for cocktails and pizza. Bartender was very accommodating and made custom drinks to order. He was a good sport 😎 Margarita pizza was delicious. Neapolitan style. Crust was soft and chewy. Picky pizza eater here. Check it out. Patio is lovely in the summer.

Cocktails were spectacular! Good service and food was 7/10. Make sure to get a reservation early.

Food was good but nothing out of this world. Pasta at bonfire is better and cheaper and Vera has better pizza... But the atmosphere was nice and patio was perfect for the summer day. Service was great. I am sad that I didn't go for the tiramisu for dessert.... next time I will definitely give it a try. Seafood pasta is a must try at this restaurant.

Our first time to Mona Lisa and we were not disappointed. You could taste the freshness of the handmade pasta noodles that were perfectly cooked to al dante perfection and the sauces that went with it were delicious. Calamari was cooked perfectly and a bottle of Pinot Grigio topped it all off. Our waitress was attentive and friendly yet gave us our privacy to enjoy our meal. We look forward to visiting again soon.

So Glad Joe is back. Been wanting to drop in since I saw the lights on. The panino was so good. Simple; Italian. The bread was better than the wine and the wine was spectacular. Hope the staff can smile at us soon. It's simply time the masks came off.

I have never ordered from Mona Lisa. We decided to try all the pizza’s in Winnipeg. I ordered the special pizza that’s a large from Tuesday- Thursday with two topping. That’s a great deal. We ordered plain cheese for the kids and over the phone they mentioned the daily special of fried bread and small garden or Greek salad (both half off). The pizza was really good, the best quality ingredients and hardy. We all split slices and had more then 2/3 left. We are a family of 5. The crust was not great but not bad just basic. Felt like the pizza needed more oven time? The fried bread was fun and the tomato sauce was excellent. The salad sucked but for >$3.50 I can’t complain.

My very first time there, ordered the cured meat platter. The slices of meat selection were fatty, tasty, and flavorful. The olives, green and black, were what I expected: juicy and mouth watering. The pickled eggplant had a nice texture and was savory. The 🍞 was the only part which was not up to par with the rest of the elements on the plate. It was certainly not bad but not extraordinary either. The salmon portion was HuGe ;) although it somewhat looked not fully cooked. The only bite I had from the salmon made me wonder why I didn't ordered the 🐟 salmon.

Very good atmosphere. Clean and professional with a lot of elegance. The food was very delicious and they were very polite even though we came pretty late in the evening. Would love to visit again!

Mona Lisa is divided into two sections, a low key lounge and a bright modern dining room. We came on a quiet weekday evening, and was warmly welcomed with prompt and attentive service. Mona Lisa serves in house made pasta and sauces. You can immediately taste the freshness and the nuances that come from it being house made. Whether that is for everyone is to each their own but I find it very good value for what you are getting.<br/><br/>If you are looking for a modern Italian restaurant that also happens to serve some classics done very well, Mona Lisa’s doesn’t disappoint.

I have mixed feelings about this place. The service is attentive and very friendly.The atmosphere is warm and inviting and I think the restaurant presents itself very well overall. However, I found the food lacking in both value and taste. I ordered the  $27  tiger prawns with a dollop of noodles. It just seemed like the dish was lacking.Possibly adding vegetables and a dipping sauce for the prawns might help. I ordered the lemon gelato and got less than half a scoop. Someone else had the german chocolate cheesecake which had a lemon flavored base? It was very bitter when paired with the chocolate and was a total failure in terms of taste and texture. To their credit the calamari was excellent and no complaints there.<br/>Its too bad the food wasn't at a better level to match the price as I really liked everything else.

Over priced. McDonalds of Italian food. Washroom was very dirty. Ignored request for no mushrooms due to allergies on my friend’s pizza. Spaghetti sauce tasted like it was made with pork, not beef. Owner/manager? Kept touching my friends shoulder as he walked by. Will not go again.

We went there at 5:15 yesterday (July 10th) and were quickly greeted and shown to a table on the patio. There was only one other table occupied at the time. The girl brought us just drink menus and then proceeded to make a phone call while we sat and waited. No waitress came to greet us or give us the full menu or take our drink orders. After about 10 minutes she ended her phone call but still ignored us, I spoke up and asked for dinner menus. She then disappeared for another 10 minutes. At 5:35 we decided we had enough and got up from the table to leave. A waitress suddenly appeared as we were leaving full of excuses as to why we hadn't been served. We'd had enough by that time and went somewhere else. Terrible service, no apologies, we'll never go back.

What do you get when a family style restaurant does extensive renovations and sets the prices at par with 529 Wellington? Answer: a nearly empty food joint on a Thursday night. Details: the only reasonably priced items are the pizza ($18 for a large) and the house wine ($18 for 1/2 litre). Despite having top notch entertainment, only 5 tables were occupied in this fairly large space. A brief synopsis of pricing: Salad from $7 to $24. Pasta in the $25 range. Entrees are from $28 to $37.  One final comment: The service was pleasant enough, but far too attentive. Granted the 20-ish year old server started out in the kitchen a short while ago and has a lot of self-confidence. But after around the 5th, or 7th  time of being asked how "everything was", I politely replied that, it was fine before, it is fine now and will be fine the next time. I added that he didn't need to ask anymore. Long story short, he insisted on "dropping by a few more times before we got fed up and left...

Mona Lisa has such authentic Italian food! Never once was I disappointed with my order. At the most recent visit, I had the pane fritto (fried fluffy pillow-like dough with tomato sauce), Italian salad, fettuccine alfredo and pollo parmiggiano. The meal was delicious!!! If you are looking for a great authentic Italian restaurant for special occasions, this is the place!!

The food at Mona Lisa is tasty but I found the price for main meal portion sizes is too much and that's why my rating is lower. We ordered two appetizers. The beer battered mushrooms which are good and price is good. The bread with roasted garlic and olive oil. Basically get a whole loaf of bread for 8$ which is a great price. I ordered pasta with tomato sauce and added meatballs. I got 4 meatballs for 7$. However my pasta without the meatballs was 19$. 19$ for pasta and tomato sauce. I ate it all and was still hungry. They do half portions, and I honestly thought I received a half portion in error but the bill said 19$. It tasted super good but so expensive for what you get. My partner got pasta with housemade sausage and liked it. I think it was about 26$ and again I felt the pasta portion was small. I took a gluten free cake to go for 9$ and it was a good size and very yummy. So, basically the food tastes good. The service is impeccable. But I don't know if I would go back knowing how much they charge for main meals but feel hungry after.

Ordered the Mona Lisa special pizza when I went here for lunch. It was delicious! Caesar was okay, not the best in the city. Decor is a little odd, not sure where to enter sometimes.

Mona Lisa is okay but there is nothing that special about it. <br/>Decor-wise, you walk in and it seems quite modern, sleek and elegant and then you see - a bunch of hockey jerseys? What look are you going for, fine dining or sports bar? Pick one. <br/>It's the kind of restaurant that believes their food is so perfectly seasoned that they don't put salt and pepper on the table. Only the food is not that good. We had Caesar salad and it is definitely one of the blander ones I've had in Winnipeg restaurants. My kids, being kids, ordered a pepperoni pizza and the pepperoni lacked any zing. I ordered a vegetarian shell pasta filled with cheeses and spinach and topped with tomato sauce. The fresh basil was a nice touch. The dish was good, but it wasn't great. <br/>The prices were really high. When pasta dishes are in the twenties you kind of think that should be all inclusive with a started salad and garlic bread, but no. The restaurant drew me in because of a Show and Save book coupon. I saved nothing over going to a normal-priced Italian restaurant. <br/>Service - all around good, professional, friendly.

Went here for our wedding anniversary. Even though I called ahead of time to reserve a table, for some reason we had to wait for our table and then were squeezed into a corner, with little space between us and the table beside us (makes me wonder if they forgot to reserve our table..). Made for a very claustrophobic evening, but what topped the cake was a girl at the table beside us who literally stared me down the whole night. The food was good, but if I'm going to pay that much for a nice dinner, the atmosphere better be on parr. And it definitely wasn't, so now my husband never wants to go back there. Too bad because I've only heard good things about this restaurant.

Great authentic food, good atmosphere and I had perfect service from my server.  We went on "Wine Wednesday" and got very good wine at a reasonable price.  I love the vibe in this place and will be back.

THIS WAS ACTUALLY THAT BAD!!!<br/><br/>My wife and I went to Mona Lisa for dinner on Sat March 19/2016. We were seated (after making reservations) in their bar/lounge. This was a very loud area with many people standing beside our table while being served at the bar. We waited for an hour and a half for our entrée orders of Ravioli and a large Mona Lisa signature pizza. Our waitress apologized for the wait. You think the manager could have possibly offered us a complimentary glass of wine while during our prolonged wait. We also noticed two couples at the table beside ours were also waiting a very long time for their order. (We overheard them say that they were regulars, and they they were also getting very frustrated with the wait. They also were thinking they should have at least been offered a complimentary glass of wine. SO IT WAS NOT JUST US) Once our entrees finally arrived, I was in shock... The Ravioli which is priced at $26 was a very small serving. 8 To be exact. The pasta was al dente which was good. But the filling...we might have had 4 tablespoons of their "Montreal milk fed veal mixture" in total of the 8 Ravioli. (1/2 Tbsp per) The flavour was comparable to Chef Boyardee in taste and texture. The sauce was just ok. Bright red and tasteless. After tasting the pizza (Georgio's special), we might as well have had a Delissio thin crust pizza. The price of their so called "Large" specialty pizza was $24... The crust was bland, very thin, and too crispy (almost burnt). The sauce was pretty much non existent. The toppings were very sparse and tasteless as well. The cheese was also very sparse... Za Pizza Bistro BLOWS Mona Lisa's pizza away...!...and for less than half the price...and considering Za is fast food. BTW we were easily able to finish the "Large" pizza. When we order a Santa Anna Large pizza, (which is also head and shoulders above) we can only eat half because of all the toppings and cheese! So instead of spending $55 on this meal, save yourself the time and money by buying yourself a can of Chef Boyardee and a Delissio thin crust pizza for $10. For that price point and meagrely serving you receive no salad or soup or anything at all for that matter. A side Ceasar salad is an extra $7 each...OUCH! Oh and the two couples at the table beside us received their food just after us. One of the guys returned his dish. He obviously was not happy with it. That says a lot because after waiting an hour and a half, most anything would taste "good". <br/>By now, if you have hopefully read this, please don't think that my wife and I complain about everything. In fact this is the first time that either of us have ever written a negative review. We are of the thinking to only give positive reviews instead of any negative ones. THIS WAS ACTUALLY THAT BAD. *just in case the owner of Mona Lisa reads this and offers us a free meal/appetizer, (which I doubt they ever do anyways seeing how we or the couples beside us were never offered anything at the time/which could have gone a long way and might have changed things) please don't! As we will never go there again and we will be sure to tell everyone of our terrible experience.

Nice update! Modern interior, sleek, I like a more authentic Italian feel myself but this was kinda cool. Seating was tight. I felt like I was at McDonald's. Service was very good. Bar was a little slow. Sat 6:30-9:00. Food was very good, but pricy. Really tried to stretch this into a 4.0, but will go back.

I have been hearing about this place for years and finally just checked it out.  I came here on a first date, and the atmosphere was very cozy for a date setting.  Our server was absolutely fantastic!  It is very had to find good service in this city so I was thoroughly impressed.   I ordered the fettuccine Alfredo with asparagus and my date ordered the meat pizza.  I thought my pasta dish was really good and he raved about his pizza.  Very good experience and I will be coming here again for sure, just not with him...

Food is pretty good, but I stay away from the pizzas, I'm really not a big fan. The rest of the food is quite good though. The patio is nice in the summertime right on Corydon.

Been my favorite restaurant since I was a weeeee child! Awesome service! Amazing food! Will always be on top of my list when choosing a restaurant

We were seated fairly quickly which was nice. It took the server about 10 minutes to come see us and give us menus and take our drink orders. My friends ordered a medium pizza with 3 toppings which worked out to be $26. I ordered the Conchiglie Con Spinaci, a vegetarian pasta which consisted of sea shell pasta stuff with spinach, ricotta, romano and mozzarella cheese. The pasta was good however the serving size was sad. It was a total of 6 sea shells for a cost of $26! I think charging $26 for a pasta without any type of meat it outrageous. Thank goodness I had a giftcard to help cover the cost of this one. I won't be returning unfortunately as it's not worth the cost.

The Swizzle Styx dined here today and it was excellent.  Service was top notch with perfect timing, great menu knowledge, friendly and efficient.  Atmosphere is really good here too, not too quiet, not too loud.  The food was delicious, well presented and prompt.  Only complaint is that they were out of veal scallopini...not a good thing when only four proteins are offered and you're out of one.  But other than that small glitch it was a wonderful lunch.  One in my group had the soup of the day and stated it was the best soup he has ever had.  We had starter salads, Caesar and Italian and both were good.  Two had salmon (wonderful!), three had pizza and one had mussels and all were pleased.  We do come here fairly regularly and have always been happy, we will be back!<br/>August 2018 - The Swizzle Styx were back here this week. Must say, service was very slow but food was still great.

Haven't been here in a while, mostly because I think it is quite overpriced especially since the renovations. I guess they have to fund that somehow. <br/>The appetizer menu is expanded since I was last there, which was a nice surprise. The pane fritto is one of my favourites. Little puffy pillows of seasoned dough with tomato sauce for dipping. So yummy. Also shared the misto Italiano which was a meat and cheese tray. Nothing to write home about. Finally the crostini with a breaded goat cheese, mushrooms, rapini and diced tomatoes. Again nothing to write home about but it ok. The goat cheese definitely was the star of this dish. <br/><br/>Service was great and the ambiance in the cantina is nice but my feeling is that this place is still overpriced for what you get. With all be great options in this city, I won't be returning here soon.

We LOVE Italian food and Italian style. Totally cool place!!! I went there with my family and the food was great. Nice style and good service. Everyone enjoyed the place. I had the ravioli. So good. I guess the only other place on this street that's worth a try and is also in the Italian family is the Bermax cafe down the street. great Italian coffee and they also have ravioli (which I LOVE). Thank god there two places in this city that one can enjoy good food and good design.

Real Deal and authentic Italian Sausage. I truly love the pizza and the atmosphere. I always go back.

Overpriced. I found the food here way overpriced. I ordered one of the cheapest things on the menu, margherita pizza, and it wasn't authentic at all. Taste was okay but it was so small and thin. Again, overpriced. It was also insanely crowded and loud. Won't go back here ever.

Food disappointing, service irritating.. My husband and I came to this restaurant on a Saturday evening and sat in the lounge - the Cantina - as there was no space in the restaurant. We shared the fresca pizza and a large salad with a few glasses of wine - a nice, light meal. This being a classic Italian restaurant, I expect bread on the table as soon as I sit down. Only when we got the rest of our food, I brought it up with our waiter who said, "Yeah, I can get you some bread if you want." Meanwhile every other table had bread. In addition, the fresca pizza is actually a cold pizza with the veggies raw and cheese not melted - this would have been nice to know. In retrospect I should have figured it out, but this is something that was not clear, nor clarified as it was different from the rest of the items on the menu. The house salad was too oily and there was nothing special about the dressing - it was literally just oil and a bit of vinegar, no herbs or spices, or even salt. In aggregate, the waiter said a dozen words and it was awkward trying to give him any feedback on our meal or anything for that matter. When asked how it was, I said MEH and he walked away. Very underwhelming and poor value for the dollar.

Very mediocre food. We booked a large private party in the private room. We have very specific directions about wine and spirits to serve at the bar. Numerous times we had to talk to staff about what the parameters of this were. For example, 2 whites, 2 reds, certain brand of spirits and beer were available. They did not follow this directive and we were charged a ton for shooters, premium spirits and wine not on offer. Very disappointing and costly. The room set up was not what we agreed on either. Appies were excellent. Mains were inconsistent. Dessert was not good. Wine is costly and is served out of thick Dollarama wine glasses. Great location, great venue but the food is inconsistent.

Poor service, customer service and food. I went with a group of co-workers, my first and last time to ever visit this establishment. Waited almost an hour and 45 for our meal, patiently and kindly due to the very informative waitress. We were offered salads and drinks to tide us over during the wait then charged for the entire bill. I am sorry but after waiting an hour and 45 min for our dinner, no matter how nice we are about it, does not mean we should be taken advantage of. After waiting forever for our food we finally recieved it, only to be room temperature not hot! Also several 2 - 4 person tables were sat and ordered after us, all which received there meals well before we did. A member of our group had to leave didn't even get to eat and they charged her for her drink. Ridiculous and very poorly handled, at the bare minimum a drink should have been comped for each of us purely out of consideration. I will never return and neither will any of the other members of our group and it was all but one members first time in your establishment.

Mangi Cake Place.. I ordered delivery from them. I ordered:<br/>Pasta Aglio Olio (starter size) $8.00 and Insalate di Mare Grande $22.00)<br/>The description on the Insalate di Mare Grande said "Fresh Atlantic salmon, tiger prawns, scallops, langostino lobster and calamari, tossed with mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, dressed with our freshly made lemon and olive oil vinaigrette" <br/>On opening my order I noticed the following: 4 tiny cubes of skin on salmont(think dice size), 3 prawns, 2 scallops, and 4 rings of calamari. Where was my langoustine? I decided to give them a call as the order was missing my langoustine. The main reason I ordered the salad. It brings me back to eating langousine with a nice aoli in Provence with a nice glass of Ricard but I digress. The first person who answered the phone seemed to not really have a clue and put me through to someone else. He said they stopped putting langoustine on the menu. Well it still was. He then said that they gave me 2 scallops instead of one which costs more than a langoustine. Not really true but if they want to sub an item let the customer know. The seafood that I received first was good. He said he would send some more seafood as I was not happy paying $22.00 for what I received. I said OK but that was weird. 45 minutes later the driver came back with a small container with 1 prawn, 1 malignant looking scallop, 2 rings of calamari, and a small cube of salmon. The pasta was soaked in oil and was under al dente. In the future when you make aglio olio add a little of the pasta water back to the pan to emulsify with the oil. I was able to pick up all the pasta at one time with the fork. Threw out 1/8 a cup of olive oil. Dry chewy and oily all in all not edible. The seafood they gave me first was cooked well. The scallop had a nice sear and was rare in the middle. The salmon cubes were not over cooked. calamari was ok too. The extra seafood seemed almost boiled. Overall not a pleasant experience. The least they could do way maybe comp desert or just offer a discount on what I received, instead of making me wait 45 minutes more to get more seafood. I do not mind paying if the quality matches the price but unfortunately this place falls short. They cannot even make a simple 3 ingredient pasta dish properly.

Pasta good, pizza is decent

Great Italian food. We hadn't been to Mona Lisa in a while and it seems it was renovated. It looks really good.<br/><br/>They had live music, but we couldn't get a table in the dining area. We were placed in a squishy table against the dessert display in the lounge. So, while the atmosphere may have been a lot better had we made a reservation for the restaurant, the service and food did not disappoint.<br/><br/>My husband had the cannelloni and I had the Alex pizza. I was very impressed and will certainly be back. The coffee and espresso creme brulee was also delicious.

Won't Return. Mona Lisa service was horrible. We sat for 20 min before having water brought to table and then another 10 for waiter. Finally recieved our app only to have them bring out the complementary bread afterwords?? Food was cold and my ceasar was way way to spicey. Small portions and very little taste. Does not rate in my top 10 of up scale rest in winnipeg.

Worst Italian restaurant anywhere. Went for lunch and what a disappointment. Service was terrible with only one waiter for entire restaurant. Soup was luke warm at best. Pasta special was cold and dry with very little sauce that was absolutely tasteless. They were out of green tea. Waitress tried to suggest others and warned us not to order one type as it was old!<br/>I remember now why I told myself after my last visit I'd never go there again. If anything it has gotten worse.

Enjoyed the meat lasagna. Service was very good. Had the sangria...meh ok.

Wonderful food, warm service. We have often gone to Mona Lisa over the past two years and find the food to be delicious. Our favourite is the penne with chicken. the portions are very generous -- enough for two meals. It is pricey, but the décor, warm service and very good food make up for that.

I now see why after visiting this restaurant why it scored low on Urbanspoon. People, do yourself a favor and try another restaurant.

The McDonald's of Italian food. Winnipeg has much better Italian food to offer.

Terrible service!! Food was fine but nothing to write home about. Waitress and waiting staff basically ignored us (perhaps because we were not their target clientele?), didn't tell us the specials and only gave us brief moments of attention before whisking off other places. Sat and waited and waited for service. Would rather go anywhere else as the dining experience was unpleasant for overpriced mediocre pasta.<br/><br/><br/>-----05 Aug, 2014-----<br/><br/>Food was ok. The patio is nice. The service is not. The staff were unhelpful and treated us (first time customers) with lacklustre service. We weren't told about any specials, waited for or food and our bill and were all but rushed out! <br/> Also their wednesday specials include still overpriced wine and the "half price pasta" is spaghetti and tomato sauce. Laughable special, bad service. <br/> The food we did have was good, but there is lots of other places with better service and better prices with equal or better food! Try something else

Fool me once shame on them fool me twice shame on me! A groupon lured me back. Nice update on the decore. Good location easy parking.Service does not match what you expect for the look and feel of the restaurant and the price tag on the menu. I strongly believe the waiter made assumptions about what we wanted because we had a groupon. We were not asked if we wanted to add salad to our meal for an additional cost and had to ask for bread. The pasta was ok my dining partners lasagna was excellent as was the focaccia bread in the bread basket. So disappointed in dessert. We ordered a slice of chocolate sin cake. The icing was stale and the cake was dry. The waiter asked how it was I indicated it was dry his response was oh. Funny how he changed his attitude when he saw we tipped on the full amt including the groupon and not just the difference . Wonder if he would have addressed the cake issue differently had he known he was getting a decent tip that he didn't deserve.i am shocked at how full the restaurant was, most patrons were in the retiree category and have probably been long time customers.

Bread!!!!. Classified sources from Mona Lisa restaurant have informed me that the bread that is served to the customers is reused if not eaten at one table. That is digesting! who knows if the previous customer had touched the pieces of bread or had sneezed/coughed around the bread. All I'm trying to say is don't eat the bread.

An Excellent Night for the Patio. Went on a date here for the first time with my significant other- overall great experience! Weather was beautiful so we sat on the patio. We went on a Thursday so there was live entertainment (a nice touch) however the only downsides was the traffic made it hard to hear sometimes and the table was slightly wobbly. Server was extremely knowledgable of wine and took our appetizer order right away followed by our dinner order. For an appy we had the calamari which was delicious and crispy however our server asked if we wanted an aoli sauce so we said yes not realizing it costed an extra 2 dollars (it ended up being very much worth it!). For dinner we each ordered small pizzas and both we agreed were cooked to perfection! We finished the night off with the chocolate sin cake and coffee- just the perfect amount of richness and icing! Our sever was helpful and always around but never interrupting conversation. I would recommend to all my family and friends and will definitely be returning!! 9/10

This was my first visit back to Mona Lisa in some time. Things have certainly changed! Food quality was good but not outstanding. My cannelloni arrived cold in the centre. Caesar salad was marginal at best. Quite expensive for pasta! Will not likely be back again.

Don't get the veal!. Well that was a disappointing way to spend our anniversary! I should have known right from the get go that this wasn't going to be the best experience .....We get to the restaurant early for our choice of patio tables. My partner points out the table we would like but is advised no that section is closed and that it is not fair to make the waitress out there go that far when she has tables on the other side. Well before we have even seen our waitress the table we wanted gets sat by another couple. They get a new server who clearly isn't as busy as our server and have drinks long before us and their food etc. So here we are at our table with a view of the milk crates/cooler/serving station. Our waitress(older lady) finally makes her way over she was nice enough but not overly friendly or attentive and clearly frazzled. Meanwhile you have 3 people standing around at the hostess stand and a busser coming around filling waters frequently...ummm maybe you can help out at the tables.. When our dinners come out she is also balancing salads and making the most of her trip out.....we try our food and boo what a disappointment. The veal was tough. Both of us had ordered a different variation of it and were really unimpressed! I had better veal the last time I had it from a little hole in the wall Chinese place. Our waitress finally checked on us well into our meal. and we were honest and said it was tough. It tasted like a really cheap cut of meat and at $36 a plate I had higher expectations. Eventually a female manager came to hear our complaint and we were offered new meat....but seriously by the time it came we were done. So it was packaged up for us. The re-do was marginally better when I tried it at home but definitely not high quality meat. Other points of interest : there is one pepper mill for the entire patio. Our waitress plunked it on our table. Whatever happened to the server doing that for you? Also no fresh shaved Parmesan at an Italian restaurant? Seriously? We weren't offered or given bread at our table. At 8pm one of staff decided to come by and open up the umbellas? It was smoking hot and you wait until 8pm when it is now cooling to open umbrellas? What was the point exactly? The place was busy and obviously does a good business...I have to wonder why. Did we just have an off night or what? I won't be rushing back. Even with the $25 gift certificate they gave us to somehow make up for our lack luster meals. You will get a far classier, quality and tastier experience at Tre Visi or Pizzeria Gusto.

One of the best!. I haven't been to Mona's for years...and I'm not sure why. Service was fantastic, but the food stole the show. All apps, salads and entrees were fantastic, better than I remember. The place has a great vibe for a Saturday night too. Save room for dessert!

Poor snobby service, overcooked veal and tasteless pasta . I will not be back .

Would not return. This was our first time dining at Mona Lisa. We are not connoisseurs of Italian food by any means, but the experience we had would not entice us to return.<br/>The wait times: Between ordering, appetizers and food it seemed like a very long time. I understand everything is made fresh, but when the restaurant is nearly empty, we expected a quicker response. At least with taking the orders.<br/>The food: The Mona Lisa pizza was quite bland. We took it home and added some extra spices and sauce to it. Shared another dish, the Chicken Parmesan. It was a very large portion with lots of flavour, but very salty.<br/>The server: Any questions asked about food or wine, we received the same response: "Totally awesome", which wasn't very helpful. She was a nice girl, but very flighty.<br/>Multiple servers were VERY attentive with the water. Overly attentive. We asked for a jug of water and still had arms and perfume around us every 5minutes. <br/><br/>For the price, we expected a bit more professionalism and quality.

Sometimes good sometimes bad. Food's okay, little pricey. Sometimes you have to beg to get your water glass refilled. On a number of occasions, there was no salt or pepper on the table and a couple of times, there were no napkins. Sometimes you get a wedge of lemon with your grilled chicken, sometimes you don't. I give it a 2 out of 5.

Pass it on!!!!. The waitress we had was in her early to mid 50's. She was not friendly at all,never smile once while we were there. When clearing our appetizers , she said she couldn't take two calamari to the back. Someone must eat them and when no one indicated that they would like them cause they were getting full, she scrapped them off the plate onto our friends dish with two huge scoops of the sauce and said you eat them. She also reached across my plate while I was still eating to clear our friends plate instead of going around the table to clear it. No excuse me... Her manners were terrible .<br/>The food is way over prices and has no taste. My chicken dish was so salty I couldn't eat it the spaghetti on the size had no taste either. My husband had pizza and he said it wasn't bad.<br/>Our bill was close to 200.00 and I left there feeling hungry and disappointed.<br/>I will make sure I tell my Family, friends and coworkers not to go there.

I had just a ham and pineapple pizza just to gauge things out. At first I thought that it was really quite expensive, but that was one of the best game and pineapple's I've had. It was worth the money. I would go back on a special occasion, but I won't be a regar here.

Terrible experience. Food was way too salty and all the server could say to me was 'well thats on of our popular dishes'. Wow! Never going back, such a dissapointment.

Mona Lisa Great Food. We visited Mona Lisa November 23 for our 2 year anniversary and were very pleased with everything.<br/>It started with our jackets being checked at the front and then being seated to a great server Marco that was very attentive during our entire stay.<br/>I ordered the Cannelloni and my girlfriend had the Ravioli. The Veal Cannelloni was the best I have ever had!<br/>It ended with coffee & delicious caramel cheesecake!<br/>Joe came to our table and we introduced ourselves. He asked how everything was and for an owner to be there on a Saturday night doing P.R. shows me he genuinely cares about his restaurant and wants the best for his customers.<br/>Our whole experience was great as this was my first time there and honestly I couldn’t really pick anything apart.<br/>Joe you have a great place in Winnipeg for Italian Cuisine!!<br/><br/>Pasquale and April

BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT IN WPG. Excellent customer services, out-standing food taste. Am not a big fan of pasta but Cannelloni is to die for. Their Gelatin ice-cream is also taste deliciousssss. My fav ice-cream flavors are Pistachio, Mocha, and Vanilla. Am planning to go back there again with my family. Price range is a little bit high but it's worth it.

Went here and the food was fantastic, until the waitress leaned over and whispered "this is the season of death" and carved a pentagram into my pizza. No other employees acknowledged my existence..

Once again a lunch pick up for work meetings is not ready. Out of loyalty to family I keep trying Mona Lisa - yet they cannot seem to get the timing right - even with lots if notice. Our organization is on a tight schedule when we have meetings - so I ask - are you sure it will be ready? I am told No problem. <br/>Yet here I am again sitting here waiting for my order - now 23 minutes past when it was promised. We will Not use Mona Lisa again.

Poor service, tacky artwork, mediocre food... Get your food to go and you'll be a lot happier, and warmer, it was freezing in there.

Visited Mona Lisa after not having been for a few years. The renovations look great, and the food was just as good as it always was. Portion size was still big enough for leftovers. Service was a little slow (sat for 20 mins before being acknowledged), but attentive. We will go back.

Hot. My daughter finished 18 years of school and we decided to celebrate at Mona Lisa. There was 4 of us for dinner. We started with a starter ceasar salad for $6 that consisted of 3 lettuce leaves with no dressing on. As we waited for our meal the power went out and it was an extremely hot day. So we sat there with no lights and the temperature rising by the minute to an unbearable level. The meals finally came and the rigatoni was so undercooked it crunched. When I informed the waiter he replied that is how they cook it. I guess their version of el dente.By the time we finished our meal the temperature in the restaurant must have been 35 degrees. Having given the conditions we ate this poorly prepared meal I asked the waiter if he could make any adjustment to the bill. We were refused. Returning to this restaurant . I don't so.

We waited 2 hours for a pizza and pasta dish that was served cold. The service was poor. Highly disappointed. I was a loyal customer since it opened many years ago but not anymore.

Yikes!. Went with a large party a little while back, we made a reservation and it was not mentioned to us that the dinning room was not open; fair enough, but when we arrived in the very small packed temporary space our party of ten stood around so long waiting for someone to seat us that one of us finally stopped a waitress who'd passed a few times as it was clear they weren't coming to us any time soon. <br/><br/>Seated in a small space, the service got a bit better once we were seated and while not always on top of it, they were friendly, I'll give them that. I ordered my meal and was asked if I wanted the olives and feta on that; I said yes thinking it was just a question of preference not an extra item, it was an extra 6$ we later saw...the dish when it came was a disappointment, the pasta was rubbery, the sausage was just okay and a little over cooked, and the sauce was hardly existent. The added olives and feta was piled on making the dish so salty that it was hard to eat towards the end, and I LOVE salty things. In the end it was 27$ for some of the worst pasta I've had. <br/><br/>Those at the table who had the pizza said the one was enjoyable, but the second they were sharing was hardly touched and most confided was not very good, that the meat tasted bland and the crust off in some way. I don't know if they kitchen was having an off day since I'd heard only good things about Mona Lisa...but for the amount it cost us and how poor I found my meal, I certainly will not be returning any time soon for a second chance.

Never go back. We had a large party there last week. 30 min wait with each drink ordered. Dinner took 2 hours to come. When asked we were reassured the "owner" would be around to our table but never happened. Manager was rude. Food was satisfactory....not great. Never again.

Food seems to have a taken a turn for bad. Chicken parm was salty and not much parm. Cacciatore had chicken wings that appeared to be fried first. You had to pick them up to eat them and they were definitely cooked from frozen.

Bad server. I went there for supper with my wife a few months back.the server looked around 50 yrs old.very unfriendly,never smiled,untalkative.bad first impression...will never go back even though the food was good.

Fantastic Food. I can't imagine food that could be any fresher. Pastas are just perfect. Brought a client and some co-workers last night and we were all wowed. <br/><br/>The renovation is beautiful, the crowd is beautiful and the staff are fantastic.<br/><br/>Keep it up!

Good, but not great.. This was my first time to Mona Lisa. We had a reservation for 8 people, but upon arrival we discovered that the main dining room was still not open due to renovations. The staff were looking around trying to figure out where to seat us. It was obvious they had no room for such a large group in the small lounge. After about 10 minutes they admitted they had overbooked and decided to seat us in the new dining room in spite of the fact that it was not technically open to the public yet. The new dining room is lovely. Very warm and inviting with some great artwork.<br/><br/>The service was okay, but not outstanding. We asked about the specials and were told there were none. When we said we saw several specials on their website (half price on selected pasta and wine on Wednesdays and a weekday pizza special) the server backtracked a bit. The only pasta on special however was the spaghetti and meatballs and the half price wine list arrived after our drink order was already taken. <br/><br/>The table received bread and an olive oil and balsamic vinegar bread dip. Normally I love this, but the bread was very dry and dipping it didn’t help much. The rest of the food was quite good. I had a gluten free pizza (the Angelino) and it was quite tasty. Finding a decent gluten free pizza is not easy and they’ve done a good job. My only gripe would be that they charge an extra $3.00 for gluten free and when my medium pizza is already $18 that stings a bit. Two members of my party had the large 2 topping pizza deal for $12.99 and said it was great. Much better value!<br/><br/>Everyone else had pasta type entrees and enjoyed their meals. The only complaint food wise was really the prices. Although most portions are generous it’s still a bit overpriced. One person ordered a pasta dish and the server asked if she would like olives and feta with it...she agreed but had no idea that it would cost her an extra $7.00! I might go back for the pizza but I’d probably go for pasta somewhere a little more reasonably priced.

There's a good reason why this place has been in business for so long. Real authentic Italian food! Food done right! Can't wait to see the new reno's

Delicious but way too expensive. I finally tried Mona Lisa Ristorante. My friend and I ordered the Ravioli and the waitress made sure we didn't want an appetizer or a salad to start, we didn't think anything of this. She comes out with two appetizer plates with about 10 or 12 raviolis on it. My immediate thought was "that's it?" 22$ and we get a tiny plate I was expecting a big bowl. The Ravioli was absolutely delicious! but, we were both finished eating within 5 minutes of getting the food and were still hungry. No wonder the waitress asked us if we were sure we didn't want an appetizer or a salad. We decided to drown our hunger with a dessert. 8$ for a tiny piece of cake... 43$ later (each) we left hungry with no intention of going back.

I have eaten here three times. Every time disappointed! Pasta tasted good but was a tiny portion! And rediculasly over priced! I was with 3 friends ordered 2 large pizzas. They arrived they were the size of any other restaurants smalls! 45 dollars for 2 tiny pizzas. We ended up ordering from another resteraunt . Never going back! Good food way over priced with tiny portions!

Not a great dining experience. I travel all over and eat at various types of restaurants.<br/><br/>Working in Winnipeg from out-of-town, we decided to eat at an Italian restaurant but found none of the highly recommended ones were open on a sunday.<br/><br/>We found this place open and decided to try it.<br/><br/>Ordered some appetizers and wine, then seafood risotto as a main dish.<br/><br/>The problem was that I found the risotto resembled creamy mash potatoes and not rice. We didn't eat the rice but I did have some of the fish as I was hungry.<br/><br/>I told the waitress then she called the manager over. I explained that the rice was overcooked and really should be al'dente. He agreed and left but never returned.<br/><br/>The waitress took away the uneaten dishes and then came back with 2 glasses of grappa as a good will gesture which was quite nice. She was pleasant and very good throughout the whole meal.<br/><br/>The issue I have is that the risotto was left on the bill (a $25.00 dish) even though it was unsatisfactorily prepared and served. To me, this place lacks restaurant business acumen.<br/><br/>I also find the dinig area to be very dated.<br/><br/>Taking all of this into consideration, I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone and would, in fact, tell people to stay away.

I took my parents here from out of town for a “nice” Sunday dinner. The waitress had a miserable cold attitude towards us. We got our bread basket and there was half eaten shrimp LEFTOVER GARBAGE at the bottom!!! We confronted the waitress about this and with NO apology she took it away and brought us another basket of bread (which we did not need half way through our meal at that point and it was just a plain loaf of bread.) besides feeling queasy about half eaten food. <br/>The pasta was all undercooked and my seafood was ice cold.<br/>After the meal we talked to the manager who arrogantly told us “well YOU don’t know how it works! We recycle the baskets” he was stumbling over his words because no, you obviously recycle your food!! again ZERO apology and absolutely not a dime taken off the $114 bill. Unbelievable!!!!! <br/>WILL NOT GO BACK EVER!!! <br/>I went there a few years back and had a meal that was so doused in garlic it was un edible and they threw on a $65 bottle of wine on our bill too(which we didn’t order and they didn’t know how to “take it off the bill” <br/>Thought I’d give this place another chance smfh

My husband and I went here for our anniversary last night and it was wonderful!! Great service, excellent wine, amazing food. Even a bottle of champagne on the house to celebrate! We loved it!

Overall the food was typical Italian crusine, not bad, just average. The service was terrible, we were the only people on the patio and it took 10 minutes before the waiter finally took our drink order. He was polite but overall unhelpful when trying to decide between 2 entrees. Portions were small & should have come with a starter or salad for the price. I would not eat here again.

I think it's great!. I took my son to lunch on a Tuesday, the doors are arranged so upon entry you have to walk past their sandwich/antipasto bar. We chose to order off the menu and sat on the lovely Corydon-facing patio. We split a medium Angelino pizza - it was terrific! Washed it down with ice cold Peronis. Service was fast and friendly. I will be back!

I am also surprised by the number of bad reviews on here. My husband and I requently come here for dinner and have not had a problem. Whenever we need a pasta fix, Mona Lisa always satisfies.

Greatest learning experience to date.. Will just cut to the nitty gritty.<br/>Upon being greeted by the most amazing antique door ever, me and the missus proceeded to the most confusing of thursday-afternoon-playing-hooky-from-work luncheon to date. Every facet of our meal we selected from behind a upscale cafeteria style counter. While being partially famished we went with a split array of an order of homemade meatballs, two orders of Rapini panini, and a side of boccocini e pomodoro. We got seated on the corydon facing patio and within 2 minutes were kindly greeted with our drink orders, with our food only a minute behind. While I am partially apprehensive towards new food (and this was) I did quite a number on this order without making any faces. Such fresh ingredients and amazing portions!! The chef - Gill was very polite and resourceful in explaining the entire process and suiting an amazing meal to our tastes! I cannot recommend this place enough, nor can I wait to tackle their dinner menu!!

Delicious. I'm really surprised at the bad reviews on here... I've been going here for the past 12 years and never had a problem. The pasta is amazing and they (used?) to have amazing mozzarella sticks but they apparently have a new menu and have taken that appetizer off, which is extremely unfortunate. Still I'll definitely be going back

Food was amazing. Service was wonderful and knowledgeble. Price was very high, but considering the quality, I guess it was relative.

Excellent. I am by no means a food expert. I don't eat out a lot, and coming to this restaurant was a treat as it's more expensive than what I'm use to. I visited with family in June of 2011.<br/><br/>It was a nice evening and we sat out on the patio. We ordered a bottle of wine, which was tastey. <br/>I had the Penne al pollo rosso, on recomendation of the waitress and I think it was the best pasta dish I have ever had in a restaurant. It was delicious and if I ever revisit the restaurant I will order it again.<br/><br/>I am actually quite surprised with the reviews.

Used to be Great.... We used to get take-out from here on a regular basis because Mona Lisa once had excellent Italian food. However the quality has taken a significant nose dive over the past few years and thus we are not going back. <br/><br/>We have often ordered the cheese salad with our meals and have been frequently been disappointed with bad lettuce, green tomatoes, and a general lack of olives and other off-putting items in the salad. One time they even forgot the dressing! It is a very big pain to return the salad after taking it home so we suggest checking everything before leaving the restaurant if you are getting take-out.<br/><br/>The pizza has generally been alright in the last while, however it isn't what it used to be. We recently had red peppers instead of green peppers on a specialty pizza (and not at our request or knowledge until we opened the box). It didn't really work.<br/><br/>The final straw came a few weeks ago when we ordered the calabrese sausage with pasta. Their sausage was still pretty good, however the pasta was not at all properly cooked. It was very starchy and had not been cooked long enough. They can't even get the basics of cooking pasta correct anymore.<br/><br/>We are sad to say we will not be returning as Mona Lisa used to be one of our favorites. I hope they start improving the quality of their food soon.

Disappointed. My wife and I went on a quiet mon eve, at about 5pm. We were expecting a very good meal as it is one of my inlaws favorite places. We were seated beside the brick wall next to the lounge. The first ant that crawled on our table was unexpected, the next couple were unwanted. The waitress moved us, but did seat someone there a little later. My wife had the seafood pescatore and i had the veal ravioli (all 9 pieces of it). The bread was ok, if dry,and oil/balsamic dip was tasty. The pescatore was ok, the ravioli was tepid at best with a bland tomato sauce and hardly any veal inside. We did not receive any apologies or compensation for the ants, the price for both of us was over 65$, with no alcohol and as the title says we were very disappointed to say the least. We will not be back and this is the first time i've felt the need to post to advise others.

Haven't been back in 18 months . Last time it took two hours for the mains to arrive and they were ice cold. Hope it has improved but I no longer feel the need to risk it - better options exist.

Good!. I was invited to a birthday party to this restaurant as this was the bday boy's favourite Italian place. I had checked out these reviews and was going there expecting mediocre food, extravagant prices, small portions and bad service. I was pleasantly surprised to have found the opposite on all counts. We had delicious appetizers (fried portabello mushrooms were great). Our entrées were tasty and decent size portions. Our server was attentive and efficient and we did not have to wait too long for our food. I wasn't blown away but I would go there again.

Italian Sushi !!. Had dinner here the other week with a friend. It was a Tuesday evening so it was about half full in the restaurant.<br/>Being a sushi lover, I decided to start with one of their most interesting and unique menu items; the Italian sushi !! We had the Giardino Roll which was artistically presented and very visually appealing. There were no chopsticks or soya sauce to go with this version, instead it had tasty grilled red pepper, avocado, zucchini and roasted eggplant all drizzled with olive oil ! The rice was a little hard but overall a good dish that we both enjoyed !<br/>My dining partner chose a pizza for his entree and I had the Risotto de Mare. I really enjoyed the flavour of the risotto and the seafood but found the portion to be quite small for $25. More risotto would really have been nice. My dining partner enjoyed his pizza.<br/>Our server was pleasant but hardly around and drinks from the bar took ages to come. This could be improved on.<br/>I would probably try this restaurant again and hope I order something with a little more substance !!

Great evening!. Really enjoyed great service, a nice wine, and some great food! Initially, we were surprized at the number of negative reviews, as we've been here several times and always liked it. Then, we figured that it does take some time and energy to open up an account here and get around to posting a review. And...well, it's much more likely that motivation is sufficient to do that when someone's feeling negative than positive...you know the old cliche about how people who are unhappy with service usually tell a lot more people than those who are happy...we'll be back!!

Don't go. It is overpriced and nothing special. Eaten here three times in the past 5 years and service is usually poor. Have had pizzas and stuffed pastas. Apparently everything is home made but I could not tell. We pick up some fresh pasta from delucas instead and make it at home. They have a private room you can "rent" for private parties.

2 strikes and 1 ball. Went to Mona Lisa 3 times; 1st time on Canada Day-food ok but waited forevever, were told they will not compromise on food quality and wait worth it (Was OK, but the wait made us not event care). Thought we'd give another try about a year later, 2nd time was OK, 3rd time was horrible, sat next to some sliding door storage closet that kept getting slammed and the wall next to us was shaking and banging. Food was ok, way overpriced, and service terrible. Could not get out of there fast enough, but also could not flag waiter down to pay the bill and get out. Won't be back for final strike.

Disappointing. I have frequented Mona Lisa over the past few years since I moved to the area and I have always been able to rely on them for quality (albeit expensive) Italian food. It had been quite a while since my last visit to the restaurant when I decided to return, however the quality of the food has made me doubt I ever will again. <br/>For an appetizer, we had order the fried calamari. The texture of the squid was adequate - not too chewy. However the breading was soggy and flaky; revealing that it may have been quite a while since its last visit to the deep frier. We also ordered a "garlic aïoli" to accompany the squid. I would hardly call the bland sauce that was served an aïoli. It tasted like sour cream that had a clove of garlic dragged through it, hardly reminiscent of the provençal-style garlic mayonnaise that I had thought I ordered. <br/>For my main, I had ordered the risotto di mare. Risotto is one of my favourite dishes, and I am a seafood fanatic. Mona Lisa offers theirs as a mixture of whitefish, mussels, clams, and shrimp overtop a risotto in a tomato sauce. There is no conceivable reason why I would not like such a dish. At Mona Lisa, I found one. A risotto is supposed to be chewy - al dente. Not only was this risotto not al dente, it was cooked past the doneness of regular rice, I was served tomatoey mush. However, the quality of the seafood shone through the belaboured risotto and the over-powering tomato sauce. This highlights my concerns over this restaurant - quality ingredients, amateur preparations. <br/>Also sampled was the spaghetti al pomodoro. Simple. Italian. Supposedly anyone can cook this. Apparently not. The soupy pomodoro sauce completely drowned the noodles that once again were far over-cooked. This was not an Italian preparation of spaghetti - it was a kindergarten kitchen project. <br/>Prior to my conclusion of this review, I would like to comment on the presentation of the food. Having raw pasta stick out of absolutely every dish is not only unimaginative it is completely unnecessary. Italian food is supposed to be simple, flavourful and hearty. Not over-cooked, bland, and pretentious. Not worth the price, not worth my time; Mona Lisa.

It should have been a lovely dinner on the patio, but the service was so painfully slow that we wondered if we were invisible. After poor service and a long wait, the food was mediocre at best. We will not be back.

Don't bother.. I went there today with some co-workers. We had a reservation for 7pm. We ended up sitting in the lounge until 7:30, the staff was very sarcastic and unapologetic that our table was not ready for our reservation. We weren't compensated for it at all. <br/><br/>All of the staff that I noticed (servers, hosts/hostesses, bartenders) were either airheaded girls who were hired to look pretty but were actually useless, or they were rude and had an attitude and would gossip amongst eachother. While we were waiting in the lounge for our table no one even offered us menus to look at, we had to ask for them.<br/><br/>When we finally sat down at our table, 10 minutes later an un-enthused hostess dropped a basket of a sliced stale baguette on our table with a little plate of olive oil and vinegar. We thought maybe it was somewhat of a compensation for them seating us a half an hour late, but then we realized every table got the same thing.<br/><br/>When we finally ordered and got our food, it was mediocre at best as far as italian goes. Not to mention WAY OVER PRICED especially for the amount of food you get and the quality of it.<br/><br/>Overall, there are far better places to get Italian food in this city, with friendlier staff, better service and atmosphere. I'm not into chain restaurants so much, but I'd go to the Olive Garden or Boston Pizza over Mona Lisa any day. Just sayin.

Good Food & Service. After not having been in about 5 years I ate at Mona Lisa with a couple of friends this past Saturday and while the service was good the food had it's ups and downs.There were several very appealing dinner options and I had a tough time deciding. The appetizer of fried mozzerella sounded very good on the menu, "made with fresh mozzerella" etc. but it tasted like any other mozzerella stick from Burger King or frozen from a box. At $8 for only 4 it was quite a rip-off I must say, although the sauce made a good dipping sauce for the dry bread, which I might add we had to ASK them to bring butter for. Yes, the dry bread--white and multigrain which comes complimentary with balsamic vinegar and olive oil to dip with. Personally, I found the bread dry and not the type I would dip. In my experience, fresh focaccia bread is best for dipping into the oil, not plain dinner rolls. <br/>Anyways, for dinner my boyfriend had the fetticini alfredo which he enjoyed and I sampled. Very creamy and delicious sauce. I ordered the vegetarian stromboli which is like a giant pizza pop filled with artichoke hearts and eggplant with sauce and cheese. It was very good and I would definitely order it again. The two others I was with had the fetticini alfredo with chicken and the il predatore (all meat) pizza and they both were satisfied as well. <br/>Despite other negative comments on this site, I for one, will definitely be back to try some of the other menu items.

Won't be back. Drove 1.5 hours to get to this place. Had a nice meal, all be it a bit slow but as their WEB site and menu says "your meal is homemade and fresh, please allow us time to prepare it".<br/><br/>OK, it took awhile and was very good but as soon as the meal was paid for we were asked to leave the table as others were waiting. <br/><br/>If you go, hold on to that bill UNTIL YOU"RE ready to go.

Great Experience. Showed up with no reservation, busy night, managed to get in with a good table. Diner was excellent, service was quite good. Had the Valentines special, chicken and linguine, awesome.

Lackluster. I ate at Mona Lisa with a few friends, two of whom had been there before. I ordered the Risotto, which came with deep-fried shrimp and scallops. It did not sit well with me. <br/><br/>The restaurant boasts an extensive wine list, but our first choices were not to be found. We settled on a limited edition wine that was rather bland.<br/><br/>In the end, it came down to the price--approximately $50/person (wine, entree, dessert). The lackluster food just wasn't worth it.

Hit and miss, no consistency. Consistency is not this places strong suite. Not sure why things are so good some days and others they are not.<br/><br/>On this day I ordered the veal with fettuccine side. The whole dish was swinging in oil and raw garlic. I would have sent it back but i did not want to disappoint my girlfriend.<br/><br/>Our last visit was so so and the time before was awesome. What gives?<br/><br/>Anyway, I ended up with heart burn. Ahhhh the things we do for love.

No thank you !!!. Got a lot of problems with this place, for starters I ate hear for dinner once, had the seafood risotto, that stated there was fish in the dish, well when the dish came to the table, I saw a few small soggy over cooked scallops, a couple mussels, a couple shrimp and GUESS WHAT, no fish !! When I think of fish in a dish, I think if salmon, halibut, arctic char. Well there was none of this. I asked the server about it and he came back with a few more of those soggy over cook scallops that I hate. On another occasion, try ed there fancy bar next door that was overpriced from the get go, got a warm glass of Stella and I asked right away for a cold one, but again got another piss warm glass. Anyways I think if your paying 7 bucks a beer it better be cold, the girls serving the drinks in there seemed like the typical Earls girls.

Mona Lisa Ristorante Italiano. Our family chose Mona Lisa for a very special family dinner. Regretably the meal was awful.At 28$ for an entre we were very disappointed in the veal. We chose two different preparations. They were both, tasteless, rubbery, and quite difficult to cut. The pastas were heavy with oily sauces. Our granddaughter had meatballs which were tasteless and cold by the time they arrived at the table.I am sorry to say that I cannotrecommend this restaurant. We paid 225$ for this evening and were collectively disappointed.

Favorite Italian. Mona Lisa is my FAVORITE place for Italian food when I come to Winnipeg. Owner Joe Grande is a wonderful host who makes everyone feel like family! The menu is fantastic and it's always a fun, friendly atmosphere!

Great seafood. I love calamari and their "frittura di calamari" ($12) is probably one of the most tender squid I've ever had (even my 3 year old niece ate them). They're lightly battered and very delicious. No sauce, just a lemon on the side. The portion is surprisingly small at that price but the quality made up for it.<br/><br/>Ordered the small margherita pizza ($14) which is about 10 inches. It's on a thin crust that tasted greasy (and more akin to a foccacia taste); the toppings were okay but I don't think I'd order this again due to the greasiness.<br/><br/>Tried "the rustic" ($16), they say it's not a pizza but they don't describe what it is in the menu! LOL. It's like a rustic partially open calzone. I've attached a picture. It was a hearty dish filled with artichoke hearts, calabrese sausage capicollo, and mushrooms. Good filling dish and more interesting than a regular pizza.<br/><br/>The seafood risotto ($24) was the best dish of the evening served with mussels, shrimp, scallops and fish in a spicy tomato sauce. There were lots of mussels but not that many shrimp. The risotto was cooked well and the sauce was really delicious. I don't usually eat risotto in a tomato sauce so it was a nice change from the white wine and parmesan versions.<br/><br/>The vitello capriola ($28) is veal scallopine goat cheese reduced sauce with side of rapini and rosemary roasted potatoes. Veal wasn't that tender but the sauce was good. The rapini is not my fav veggie but it was good along with the tender roasted potatoes.<br/><br/>I'd skip their pizzas and go with their seafood offerings as they seem to shine in that category. Comparatively, I'd say their pricing is a tad more than other Italian restaurants like Bellisimo or Tre Visi. But I'd say their quality is pretty good.

No Hurry No Worry. Friday lunch - shared the Mona Lisa house pizza. Tasted great. $22 pizza. Sized just right for sharing between two. Came with bread and balsamic in olive oil. Terribly slow service both before and after meal. Credit card machine broken. Only one waitress in the whole place for the lunch shift - I commend her efforts. I'll be back - just on a day when I have no after dinner plans.

It's all right.. The restaurant itself could use some updating. Our table for 2 was tiny and barely fit our dinner plates and drinks. Not the greatest atmosphere. The food was good, and the servings were huge, but I really would have felt like we paid to much if we didn't use a show and save coupon. The service was ok, but slow and our server either had too many tables or was just forgetful.

Super cool wine machine

We ordered the Misto Italiano, a generous size portion of Italian meats, olives and cheese. The meat was fresh, generous slices, and a great mixture of mild to medium heat. We also ordered the Bocconcini and Tomato Salad, an interesting variation on the traditional caprese salad, with larger pieces of tomato. It was superb. Our mezo/mezo comprised of 2 different types. The first was the il paisano roll which included thin slices of mortadella and calabrese salami, gorgonzola and roasted pine nuts. Our second roll was the tre colori roll which had more bocconcini cheese, red onion, prosciutto, tomato, basil, lemon and formagini. The mezo/mezo lacked the finesse in completion, but considering it had been by a non-expert, it was more than satisfactory.

The media business is a close community. Many people that I work with, I have known for almost twenty years. In some cases, I am now collaborating with a second generation of media representatives. But it is highly unusual when virtually 100% of persons gathered at a restaurant for lunch are from one business community. Such was the case though, at La Cantina de Mona Lisa. Hot 103, QX 104, CJOB, Power 97, CTV TV and Global TV were all represented by the tables in the room. This all proves the point that not only am I an appreciator of good food but so are the people that I call friends. When you travel in Italy and it is around the lunch hour, you might walk over to a market and buy a small, fresh loaf of bread. You would break this open and find yourself at the cheese truck and request a creamy portion of unripened mozarella. Continuing along to the meat stall you might ask for a wavy, thin slice of poscuitto ham. Before you were done, a slice of grilled eggplant or red peppers may be