Da Zero Ristorante — Restaurant in Halifax

As a former chef of the elite such as David Bowie & Iman, President George Bush & Family, Queen of Holland, and of Course my favourite Boss Mr. Garrett Hein Besselaar. I know good wine and I am extremely picky about food. The Service was polite friendly and ever thing I would expect from a server. And how I cook and serve food. I gave it 4 out of five stars for when you serve focaccia it should be served with olive oil and garlic or olive oil and balsamic. It was served with balsamic and I do not know what that oil was. So I have to fault them for that for after all food is my passion. It was definitely an Italian atmosphere. The wine was lovely crisp, full bodied, and the flavor lingers on the palette beautifully. First course Bruschetta so light but crispy the fresh cherry tomatoes roasted garlic and a hint of balsamic / Olive oil on top was just mouth watering and making me want more. The Ravioli di Zucca was perfect. Just like pasta should be light and mouth watering in your mouth while the roasted walnuts was a great complement to the butternut squash .The flavours had me dancing in my seat to Demis Roussos which was playing in the back ground. The peace de resistance was dessert. It was a memory fulfilled. I was 10 years old and an old Italian man from little Italy Giuseppe Salvatore made me a fresh cannoli with ricotta filling and pistachio dipped. I have tried hundreds of cannoli in different restaurants but they all fall short. Just like Carlos bakery in New York Yuck! I tell you THAT CHEF in Da Zero knows their cannoli. I cried in my seat it was that good. And came home wanting more. I will be back. and will be taking cannoli home not just for me but for my friends Salvatore and Maximo to try. If they change it to olive oil and balsamic I would of given 5 out of 5. Bt it was because the oil that was used in the small dish I give it 4 out of 5. Well done Da Zero I felt at home with Nonna's cooking. I take my hat off I am truly impressed and my son would tell anyone that is not an easy thing to sway me. Con tanto amore e rispetto, un saluto alla vostra raffinata struttura. Grazie...

The restaurant has a refined, clean, and elegant atmosphere. The background music is just the right volume, even though, for an Italian restaurant, it has a very dated playlist (70s-80s). Italy has moved on since then. The waitress was very polite and courteous, and the service was quick, with a few shortcomings, such as the lack of cutlery after serving the pizza: I had to fetch my own. Unfortunately, the food was a disappointment: the arancini, made just with white rice, were flavorless and saltless, saved somewhat by the tomato sauce, and overall mediocre. The seafood pasta was flavorless with zero blend; the pasta itself was good and homemade, but the ingredients were frozen and of average quality, and above all, the sauce lacked any flavor or identity. I ordered the Margherita pizza instead, which didn't even list the traditional ingredients on the menu: there's no Margherita with "Genoese pesto". Think for a moment: if the Margherita is a traditional Neapolitan recipe, why do they add the "Genoese" tomato sauce? Perhaps they don't know that Genoa is a city that is over 700 km away from Napoli with completely different traditions. Anyway, I ordered a Margherita with only tomato and mozzarella, specifying no to put genovese pesto, and also asked for EVOO and fresh basil to be added after baking, but the pizza chef mixed everything together before baking, even with the Genoese pesto. The burnt basil was bitter, and the pesto oil combined with the EVOO made the pizza very heavy. Perhaps these recipe reinterpretations are meant to sell "Italian cuisine" to locals, but none of the recipes on the menu reflect any traditional Italian recipe. A word of advice, not to be taken as a criticism: seriously reconsider the "Italian restaurant" label, or seriously consider putting the kitchen in the hands of someone who knows how to cook Italian food. If you're a true Italian, avoid this place. P.S. The waitress accidentally added the pasta I sent back...

Went in to try a new place, left feeling impressed and satisfied.

Da Zero is an Italian restaurant that is nestled in Spring Garden road across the Public Gardens, very accessible by bus, cars, and pedestrian alike. When we first walked in, we were greeted by a very polite and welcoming host who showed us to our seats. The interior is open and bright, quite cozy but with a fancy flair as well.

On to the food, spoilers but everything was very delicious. The light and fresh pine nut pesto pasta provided an excellent contrast to the loaded and flavorful ceranova pizza. They didn’t skimp on the pesto nor the pine nuts, my companion and I even took the bread from the bread basket to wipe the plate clean. My personal favorite was definitely the pizza though. The crust was so soft and pillowy but held the toppings really well. The chunks of Italian sausage and prosciutto combined with the tasty tomato base was to die for!! Would highly recommend.

We ended the night with cappuccino and two desserts: Panna cotta and Tiramisu. Both were presented in cute mini jars that’s perfect to take home if you somehow did not devour it in one sitting. Needless to say we did not need any help finishing these desserts, both were not too sweet and very light but very much pack a flavor punch.

Overall we enjoyed our dining experience and will be back real soon!!

TLDR: Cozy and welcoming atmosphere with fancy vibes. Pizza was out of this world especially with the crust, pesto pasta was light and refreshing. Desserts were not too heavy and were tied for the best thing here (alongside the pizza).

10/5...