La Piazza Ristorante — Restaurant in Halifax

A sunny Saturday in January 2020 for breakfast just after 10am. I was out driving and remembered this place, so pulled over to check out their online menu, which looked good to me for breakfast options. When I arrived, two tables were already taken out of the maybe dozen? Friendly service. I tried the 'Lebanese breakfast trio - zaaatar, mozzarella cheese, Italian sausage, padano with vegetables on the side' $14. Because this was on the breakfast menu, I mistakenly assumed it would have eggs. It did not, it was definitely more of a flat bread pizza. It was very tasty and I'd definitely get this for lunch, but I wouldn't have ordered it for breakfast if I'd known what it actually is, and I blame myself for not asking in advance. Not the end of the world. It was quite filling and large (despite thin), and I took almost half home. The side veg were slices of raw red onion, black olives and chunks of tomato.

Prior visit: a sunny Wednesday in early Sept 2019 for lunch. Arrived at about 11:50 and were seated at a table by the window. Two other tables were taken at the time, out of maybe 10 - I'd guess seating for 30 altogether? Friendly service. I tried the SEAFOOD OLIO shrimp, scallops and mussels sauté with garlic extra virgin olive oil, fresh parsley and chili flakes tossed with linguine... 24.00, which was a good sized portion. Basic, not overly strong in any flavor, but satisfying. My friend had the QUATRO SIAGIONI Tomato sauce, sausage, pancetta, soppersatta, pepperoni & fresh mozzarella... 18.00 which is a lot for one person, but he managed to finish it off. Definitely not what I call a personal pizza, better to share. He liked it though, thinner crust, decent flavor sauce, not too much or too little topping. For dessert I tried the Chocolate Fondant (says $9 online but was $10 on the real menu). Small portion of lava cake that took 5-10 mins in the oven (which the server advised in advance), with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a large dollop of whipped cream, sliced strawberry - very tasty. I'd come back anytime.

Dec 2023: a Tuesday evening around 6pm. Had time to kill before an appointment so came alone impulsively and enjoyed a lot. The place was the most full I've seen it. There was one two-seater table left at the rear, that I was seated at. Lovely, cozy feel with some tasteful Xnas decor. Kind of loud with people, but as expected. Very friendly service. Ordered the Pancetta Penne ($26) which is a bit on the high price end for pasta that only has a little bit of meat, but I don't mind. Portion size was good in that I was very full, but not dying. Very good flavor in its rose sauce, served with one piece of garlic bread. This specific visit was my most impressed, of my few times here over the years. I'd be a regular if I lived in the...

We have frequented this restaurant many times since it opened and have referred people to it. It’s in our neighbourhood and we like to support local business.

The food had always been good and service, though a little variable depending on the server, was always okay. Unfortunately, based on our experience last night, it could well have been our last visit.

Overall, the food was, at best, okay for most of our table - nothing special, but okay. However, one person returned the deep fried cauliflower because it was essentially inedible but the charge for that dish wasn’t discounted at all. We noticed that there were fewer fries with the burger than usual, and not in the little basket but just on the plate. The pasta special was bland.

One person had a glass of wine - $13 for a 5-ounce glass of wine that sells for about $18 a bottle at the liquor store. We didn’t mind the price so much as we minded that 5 ounces just isn’t enough. A 6-ounce glass will take you through a meal, whereas a 5-ounce glass just leaves one wanting a bit more and is annoying. Yet the only want to get more is to order another glass even though you don’t want another full glass.

Service was not good at all. There were at least four servers but we had to wait several minutes for menus and water. Then we had to wait several minutes before they took our drink orders. Though the server had been at our table at least three times before the appetizers arrived, we had to ask for napkins and cutlery and then wait - with food on the table - for them to arrive. We had to ask for water to be replenished - twice - and then had to wait several minutes before the carafe was brought each time.

There was obviously a group upstairs, but other than that, the place was not that busy. However, the four entrees were brought to our table in three trips - leaving people waiting several minutes while others at the table had food. Don’t know if the problem was in the kitchen or with the server, but there’s just no reason to not serve all people at a table within a minute of each other. The place isn’t that large - it’s not a long walk from the kitchen to the tables.

The air conditioning was either turned down or not working well because we were all perspiring in the heat and it wasn’t that hot outside, but the restaurant was very warm.

So, our visit last night was very disappointing. Of the four of us, only one hadn’t been there before. The three of us who had been found the food, the service and the physical environment all very unsatisfactory - not at all what we’d been used to. LaPiazza, you...

I want to start by saying that I genuinely love ordering from this restaurant. I’ve been a regular for a while and usually order at least every two or three weeks. In a typical month, I probably spend between $75 to $150 here, from their pizzas and fries to their salmon and risotto dishes with extra vegetables. The food is usually excellent, which is why I was so disappointed this time.

I ordered the salmon and risotto one evening around 9:30 pm, just before closing. The risotto tasted great as always, but the salmon was bland and the vegetables were undercooked and crunchy. I called the restaurant right away and spoke with the chef, who also happened to be the one answering the phone. I explained that the issue was with the salmon and vegetables, not the risotto. He began explaining how the risotto was made with butter that night, and I clarified again that the risotto wasn’t the problem.

After I kept repeating myself to be understood, he eventually offered free vegetables and asked for my number, saying he or someone else would follow up. I asked if he wanted me to call back instead, and he said, “Sure, you can call back tomorrow.” The whole exchange didn’t feel reassuring, and I left the call feeling unheard and dismissed.

The next day, I called back and spoke with a woman. I started by explaining that I had called the night before, spoken to the chef, and just wanted to check if any message had been passed along. She immediately said, “Yes, I spoke to him. We did nothing different. He cooked the food exactly the same way as always so yeah.” Her tone felt defensive from the start, and I found it disappointing.

As someone who has worked in customer service and in kitchens before, I understand things happen. But even when the customer isn’t necessarily right, there’s always a way to hold space and show empathy for their experience. I’m not upset about being offered extra vegetables. I’m disappointed by how dismissive both conversations felt.

This review isn’t about the food quality alone, but about the lack of care and understanding in the way my concern was handled. I really hope the team takes this as constructive feedback and works on improving their approach to...