Artusi Restaurant - Italian Restaurant New Westminster — Restaurant in Brow of the Hill

**Update: Thank you Artusi staff for a much-improved second dining experience. I will admit that I was quite nervous going back given my previous experience (below), but was very glad I did. Our waitress went above and beyond in terms of service, and the food dishes were all delicious with a reasonable wait time in between. The staff member from last time came to check in on us too, which was appreciated. It was nice to see that it was not only our table that was receiving excellent service, but the ones around us as well. Great improvement, and we would love to go back again.

** Original Post:

The two stars earned are only for the food at Artusi. I was there for my birthday dinner, and called to let them know that I was going to be 7-8 minutes late. The staff member sounded understanding on the phone, but when I said our name at the door, his response was “yes, we’ve been waiting for you.” I got a hint of passive-aggressiveness in his tone, but didn’t make much note of it…yet.

In spite of our slight tardiness, our table was not ready upon our arrival. We waited around 10 minutes before our server came over. I asked for hot water, which did not happen until I asked again later in the meal. Her attitude was one of the worst I have ever seen, and stuck out amongst the warm decor and vibe of the restaurant. She was abrupt, impatient, and when I asked if the restaurant does anything special for birthdays, she looked at me as if I had offended her. She told me that they could give me a candle with my purchased dessert, but the candle never came. Every interaction I had with the server was uncomfortable and I felt like I was an inconvenience to her, for whatever reason.

We waited about 40 minutes for our pasta dishes to arrive. The wait staff seemed to have a lot of down time to chat amongst themselves rather than check in on their guests. I ended up asking the staff member when our food would arrive, and told him that we were trying to catch a movie soon. The dishes were very small in portion size, but the flavours were amazing. It reminded me of my time in Italy, which was nice.

We were happy with the staff for helping us make our show time, but on my way out, the staff member who first greeted us said “enjoy your movie, but maybe leave more buffer time next time.” While I acknowledge that we were 7-8 minutes late to our reservation, we had no idea that it would take an unusually long time for our order to be placed, and definitely did not expect a 40 minute wait for two pasta dishes. This comment confirmed my earlier sentiment that the staff member was being passive-aggressive. We had left a 18% tip as a thank-you to the restaurant for a more positive conclusion to our otherwise unsatisfactory dining experience, but after receiving this comment, we immediately regretted the tip.

If not for the excellent food dishes, I would not give...

I have been a loyal customer of this restaurant for quite some time, and it deeply saddens me to write this review about my recent visit. Unfortunately, my birthday dinner at this establishment left me thoroughly disappointed with the quality of food and overall experience.

To start, I ordered my all-time favourite appetizer, the shrimp with bacon. This dish has always been a highlight for me in the past, but this time, it fell short of expectations. Both the shrimp and bacon were served uncooked, which was not only unappetizing but also a concern for food safety. Upon bringing this issue to our server's attention, the dish was replaced. However, the second attempt was no different from the first, leaving us waiting for almost an hour to receive properly cooked appetizers.

Moving on to the main course, my niece's Vongole spaghetti with tomato sauce was another let-down. Instead of the usual flavourful and abundant clams, we were surprised to find only four measly clams on top of the pasta. Even worse, the taste of the dish was lacklustre and didn't match our previous experiences. i have never seen Vongole spaghetti with tomato sauce. Although the restaurant tried to rectify the situation by providing a new plate, it was evident that the dish had simply been washed and recooked, as traces of the previous tomato sauce were still visible. The taste was far from what we had come to expect.

Even the steak, a reliable choice in the past, didn't meet our expectations. It lacked the usual garnish of tomatoes, and to make matters worse, it was overcooked, resulting in a disappointingly dry and tough piece of meat.

When we inquired about the decline in quality, our server informed us that there was a new chef in the kitchen, possibly explaining the inconsistency we experienced. However, as regular patrons, we expected better, especially for a special occasion like a birthday celebration.

The cost has never been an issue for us in the past; considering our willingness to spend more for excellent food and service, this time, it wasn't easy to justify the price tag for such a subpar experience.

It is disheartening to write this review, as I have had countless memorable meals at this restaurant in the past. I sincerely hope that the management takes this feedback constructively and addresses the decline in food quality and overall dining experience. As a once-loyal customer, I'm left with a heavy heart, uncertain if I can continue to support and recommend this restaurant...

Recently, a new Italian restaurant opened up in New Westminster called Artusi. Located on 6th Street (just steps away from Hon’s), I visited in mid-November for lunch.

The interior of the restaurant feels fairly large with a big open space that showcases their tables adorned with white linen table cloths and stark white walls accented with green trim.

I wound up ordering their Tagliatelle alla Papalina ($14) which is an egg noodle pasta with prosciutto crudo, free-range egg, cream, and 24-month aged Parmigiano cheese. This was a really good pasta dish with tender noodles and a nice creamy sauce. I especially liked the ample amounts of prosciutto crudo (dry-aged ham with a flavourful fat content). Despite devouring the entire dish, I’d say this was the perfect size for a lunch meal.

I returned the following week to try some lighter fare and ordered the Onion Soup with Crostini Topped with Mozzarella. To be clear, this isn’t French onion soup (which isn’t surprising since this is an Italian restaurant). That being said, I did quite enjoy this soup and it was perfect for warming me up on a cold November day. There were plenty of tender onion pieces in the soup.

I also had the Mortadella Focaccia ($12) with Provolone and Giardiniera (Italian relish) which wound up to be a bit carb heavy. The Italian relish contained chunky pickled veggies like cauliflower, beans, and peppers which made it a bit difficult to eat without falling out of the sandwich.

In the new year, I returned and tried their lunch special… Gnocchi allo Scoglio ($22). This has definitely got to be one of the best gnocchi dishes that I’ve had. The tender gnocchi was sublime and the meaty prawns and creamy tomato sauce just amped everything up a notch.

In late February, I returned during the Vanfoodster Lagana Challenge and tried their Passion of the Porcini ($18 during lunch). This is a really unique dish for me as I’m used to the lasagna that’s made with more of a tomato ragu. Instead, this dish relies on a creamy porcini mushroom sauce with nuts, rosemary, and cream. It really gives the dish an earthy aroma and the lasagna noodles were perfectly tender.

The pasta dishes here are really top-notch and I hope to be able to try out more dishes...