Artigiani — Restaurant in Montreal

Here's a breakdown of the meal my family and I had:

Beer on tap: good Arancini: good Calamari: very average, chewy

Now for the pizza... Crust: way too thin, burnt in some places, tasted too much of flour Pizza toppings: very few, some tasty, some not so much

After receiving our beers, arancino and calamari, we each received our pizza. As we were eating, we noticed our pizzas were thin - very thin! The sauce and toppings caused the pizza to become very soggy. But for my dad who didn't have any sauce nor "heavy" toppings (only a few cherry tomatoes, goat cheese, arugula and proscuito), his pizza had the opposite effect; it was burnt in parts on top and underneath. We showed the waiter and asked him if he could change my dad's pizza. He returned with a second pizza but this time, it was undercooked. He showed the waiter again who completely agreed with us and brought us another pizza. By that time, we were all done eating and although my dad found his pizza to be burnt again (this time there was even a hole in it due to how thin it was), but my dad gave up and ended up eating it anyway.

The service: Upon our arrival the owner or manager was very nice, accommodated us outside on his terrace although we were previously sitting inside. Our waiter was very friendly and made sure we got our food fast. However, our biggest disappointment came from the owner who, after seeing a pizza was returned twice, hid inside the restaurant and never came back out. Not once did he come outside and apologize, to see if the pizza was to our liking, or even offer us any anything else. Not even coffee on the house. I mean, come on?! After spending $165 in his restaurant, the least he could have done is to come and see us before we leave to thank us for coming to his restaurant. As we were driving in front of the restaurant a few minutes later, we even saw him sitting on the terrace. That to me shows a complete lack of respect for his customers. He was willing to greed us and welcome us upon our arrival but couldn't care less once we had issues with our order.

Over the past few years, I have been to Artigiani at least 5 times, recommended this restaurant to countless of people, including friends and colleagues of mine, but after our experience last week, I don't...

Disregard any reviews criticizing this establishment. I am a chef at Cafe Epoca, and was blown away by the quality and speed of service. We started with an antipasto of marinated vegetables, followed by a salmon sashimi foccacia, calamari, shrimp, basil and cheese pizza and cheese bread. For the main course, we had perfectly grilled peppers and zucchini, juicy pork and and halibut. For dessert, beautiful and scrumptious coffee with nutella bread. Besides my own establishment, of course, this is the finest Italian restaurant I have had the pleasure of eating at. The presentation was beautiful, the taste exquisite, the texture perfect, the colours vivid and the wine flowing. The waitresses were among the most professionally friendly you could imagine, and the owner catered to our every need. Ignore Steven Power, who is not a cook, and clearly not Italian. You must be accustomed to a different palate to enjoy it. This is like a Mexican eating Indian, and criticizing the herbs! The wood burning oven uses Quebec Maple, which burns at high heat for a long time. Yes Steven Power, the food all tastes the same, it is all from the same region of Italy. If you want variety, go eat fusion tapas, I suggest Cartel Street Food Bar...

Finally a restaurant in Mtl I have zero complaints about. We decided last minute to eat here and called 30 mins before arrival. The receptionist was very polite and welcoming. The hostess greeted us with a warm smile. With a stone wall and super cozy decor, Italian music in the background that isn't too loud and an open kitchen to witness all the action. This place just makes you immediately feel comfortable. Our waitress Sabrina was a sweetheart. Friendly, easygoing with a genuine personality. The food, from entrée to pasta and then pizza, was fresh, perfectly balanced and seasoned. Every bite was just so distinctively delicious. I was curious when I saw they served Zeppola for dessert. It's definitely not the same as the Zeppola di San Giuseppe I'm used to eating in March but it was a decadent twist, served warm with a drizzle of honey. I got to experience this place with my Italian fiancé and his mother. They both were very happy to try this place and we all agreed we will be returning soon. I...