Claudio's Ristorante — Restaurant in Burnaby

Service: A Masterclass in What Not to Do From the moment we sat down, it was clear that customer service was not a priority here. The waitress, who seemed genuinely inconvenienced by our presence, barely cracked a smile the entire evening. Instead of properly serving plates from the side, she reached across the table multiple times, disrupting conversations and making the experience awkward. When taking our orders, she struggled to hear us and made us repeat everything instead of simply stepping closer. Yelling our orders across the table was not exactly the dining experience we had in mind. The overall attitude was indifferent at best, and sulky at worst. A little warmth and attentiveness would have gone a long way. The Menu Confusion: A Rigid and Frustrating Policy Our excitement for a rare family night out was quickly dampened by an inflexible and frankly absurd menu policy. We were only informed after ordering drinks that we had to choose from either the dine-out menu or the à la carte menu—no mixing allowed. Why restrict guests like this? If anything, our order value would have been higher had we been allowed to order freely. Instead, we reluctantly stuck to the dine-out menu just to avoid further hassle. Drinks: Bitter Disappointment Hoping to start the evening on a high note, we ordered a selection of six cocktails. Every single one had an overpowering bitter taste, with an unpleasant dusty, cellar-like undertone. Maybe that’s what "authentic" Italian cocktails are supposed to taste like, but if so, they completely missed the mark for us. Nothing was balanced, nothing was exciting—just uninspired drinks that left us wishing we had stuck to water. The Food: A Collection of Regrets Appetizer: Caramelized Cherry Tomato & Ricotta Crostini A crostini should be crisp, warm, and bursting with flavor. Instead, we were served cold bread topped with lifeless roasted tomatoes and bland ricotta. The dish was forgettable and uninspired, lacking any seasoning or contrast to make it remotely exciting. If this was meant to set the tone for the meal, we should have taken it as a warning sign. Entrée: Pear & Gorgonzola Pizza The biggest offense of the night. This pizza was pure sugar overload, with no balance of flavors to justify its existence. The missing prosciutto, which could have added much-needed saltiness, was an upcharge, turning this into a blatant cash grab. Whoever designed this dish either has an incredibly sweet tooth or no concept of contrast in food. A complete disaster of a pizza. Dessert: Crème Brûlée The only semi-decent part of the meal—though that’s not saying much. The custard tasted store-bought, and the sugar top was partially melted, robbing us of that satisfying crack when breaking into a classic crème brûlée. It was edible, but far from the elevated dessert we had hoped for. Final Thoughts: A Restaurant That Needs Serious Improvement This place looked great in pictures, but the reality was a huge letdown. Between poor service, rigid menu policies, uninspired drinks, and disappointing food, it’s clear that this restaurant needs a serious wake-up call. To the owner:

Train your staff to provide basic customer service. A smile and a little attentiveness go a long way. Be flexible with your menu. A dine-out menu should entice customers, not frustrate them. Improve your food. Stop cutting corners, and understand the balance of flavors. With so many great restaurants out there, we won’t be wasting...

In short... Food, delicious. Service, attentive. Management, dismal.

We were a party of about 20 people for a surprise luncheon party for our Dad’s milestone birthday. This establishment was chosen because the food is good and also for location. Many of the guests (seniors) live in the neighbourhood so it was ideal. This group of seniors had not gathered in over 2 years. Apart from the milestone occasion, the event needed to be special. It was win win, until it wasn’t.

In detail... A total of 14, yes FOURTEEN, email exchanges, probably as many telephone calls, and an in-person attendance was needed to organize and finalize details for this party, with management. A restauranteur's more lackadaisical approach in doesn’t exist in the hard fought restaurant business. The invitations had been sent so there was no backing out, mid-way. From placement of the tables to service of pre-ordered courses, almost everything turned out to be nothing that was planned, and discussed, and confirmed. This isn’t complex 5* Michelin dining but apparently all the effort put in by us still wasn’t enough.

Issues... *we asked to be placed near the windows, we were instead placed in the middle of the room. Not ideal for those guests seated by the bar area as it was the main through fare for the servers and other patrons. *we asked for Prosecco to be on the tables for a toast (upon arrival of the guest of honour). None. *we ordered family style appies with margarita pizza then a plated pasta course and a plated main course. ALL food was served family style. The pizza was prepared well into the meal and only because we asked for it. *when asked about the service of the plated courses, we were simply offered a copious amount of take home containers for the uneaten portions. Great, thank you, but we missed the point here. We had no intention of giving our guests their lunch as goodie bags.

I can say that no one left hungry but this is also not the point. The event was planned as a vehicle to converge, socialize and savour the occasion. We had intentions to have cake, coffee, and after meal drinks here too but given the experience a quick decision was made to move the party to our home, to finish off the afternoon.

While the servers were attentive not once did the owner/manager come over to check in with us. This is not a large room. There was one other group of about 10 and a handful of tables of 2 patrons, each. It’s not like anyone was run off their feet.

Interestingly enough, when initially planning the party I asked the manager if they had hosted large groups, previously, and was assured they do it frequently. That declaration and this family’s history in the restaurant business, was the comfort needed to book this party, here.

The restaurant comped the pizza, one appy, and the additional side we had preordered for the main course but then so graciously added $1000, yes, one THOUSAND dollars, to the final tab. The error was noted on the spot but we opted to go home and re-check our 14 emails. Did we miss something?? We called for the refund. No apology, no effusive regret as to how everything played out. Just “let me see if I can fix it so you don’t have to come back”.

Grab yourself some food for take out it, at least, is worth trying. But take your hard earned restaurant dollars elsewhere, where you are not made to feel you are doing anyone a favour by dining-in, at their...

Hello Chef! I discovered your restaurant through a friend’s recommendation it as one of the best places for pasta in the city, emphasizing its authentic Italian roots. My wife and I visited today. The restaurant wasn’t very busy, and given the time, we opted for the Happy Hour menu.

We started with two appetizers: Calamari and Arancini. The Calamari was tasty, served with a delightful garlic aioli and jalapeños that added an extra kick. However, it was far from crispy - in fact, somewhat limp. Our high hopes continued to the Arancini, but unfortunately, we were met with disappointment. Arancini, traditionally made with risotto - preferably leftover for better texture - was lacking in structure and overwhelmingly tasted of seafood, almost resembling a Crab Cake. The accompanying rosé sauce was bland, lacking in both flavor and seasoning.

For our main courses, we had the Pasta Carbonara and Pizza Diavola. The Pizza Diavola was impressive, with a flavorful dough, perfectly spicy calabrese, and a delicious sauce. The Carbonara, however, fell short. It lacked the essential richness and was severely under-seasoned and under salt, salt, saaaaaaalt, saved only by the Guanciale, which brought a hint of almond flavor - perhaps the missing element in the Arancini.

We attempted dessert, intrigued by the Torta’s menu description of raspberry, almonds, Amaretto, and Mascarpone. To our dismay, what arrived was akin to a Betty Crocker cake mix with a faint lemon zest, confectioner's sugar, and three raspberries for decoration. In an Italian restaurant, this was unexpected and disappointing.

A note on service: Upon arrival, our waitress seemed quite confused explaining the Happy Hour menu substitutions. A simple updated printout could have easily assisted her. Also, upon leaving, after settling the bill, we departed unnoticed, in stark contrast to how you personally greeted and attended to a group of your acquaintances seated nearby.

Regrettably, we won’t...