Corso: Endless Family-Style Italian — Restaurant in Niagara Falls

We had dinner here last week on a short trip to Niagara. Made reservations for the 4 of us which I would recommend you do.

It was not super busy and we got a nice table that was quiet and comfortable. Our server Zach was exceptional. He is personable, attentive and efficient. The Italian food here is served 'family' style. So you pay one price and you get a set menu delivered to your table in large dishes to share and you can have more of anything you like. It also included a welcome glass of prosecco (Italian champagne) and we also got 2 bottles of wine included in our meal.

The food started with fresh bread which was excellent. We did order more of that. It was followed by an antipasto dish with a tasty assortment of meats, cheeses and grilled veggies. All were very tasty. That was followed by three different pastas and a server offered meatballs to each of us. One had seafood, the other a creamy alfredo sauce with truffles/mushrooms and the third was a pasta in marinara sauce. They were all amazing and we agreed it was some of the best pasta we had ever tasted. The meatballs were also excellent covered in a delightful marinara sauce. I really enjoyed all the pastas and the meatballs. That course was followed by roast chicken, steak, salmon and salad. I thought all the meats were delicious and we did not order more as it was enough for all of us.

Desserts were then served. It was a tiramisu and a raspberry meringue dessert. Both were excellent. They also give each guest a little box of delicious bakery quality cookies to take home which was a nice touch. I had them later at the hotel and they were delicious.

It was a reasonable price for the quality and quantity of food that was served and the fact it included wine. When we got the bill we did notice the notorious 'niagara tourist tax' was added. We asked our server if he could remove it from the bill and he did. We were grateful. So note to anyone planning to travel to Niagara, this so-called 'tax' is not supposed to be mandatory and can usually be taken off the bill if you ask.

The reason I'm not giving 5 stars is the following reason. We asked if we could take the leftovers home. One dish in particular, the creamy truffle pasta, had plenty left as my son does not like alfredo sauce or mushrooms. Our server said they do not allow you to take home leftovers as he stated it's like a 'buffet'. I did not really see why that was the case. The food was just going to be thrown into the garbage so seems like quite a waste. It would be different if you ordered extra dishes to take home and maybe that's what they are trying to prevent. But we were at a Disney restaurant a while back that served in a similar style and they let you take home anything you did not finish from the original dishes served. I agreed with that policy and maybe Corso could adopt a similar policy.

Besides that issue, overall it was an exceptional dining experience which is rare for this tourist destination. Savoury, authentic Italian food, top notch service, cozy atmosphere and reasonable price. I would highly recommend Corso and we would definitely return if we were ever back in the...

Edit: We returned here, this time for dinner and the experience was unforgettable! We love the authentic Italian food here. But even more so, we love the concept. The Italian meal concept. Different courses, a huge variety and drinks (even a bottle of wine) are included. The best part is you don't have to think about what to order. They keep bringing you the different courses that are full of variety and you don't exactly know what you're going to get if you go on a different day. You are greeted at the front with complimentary glass of proseco! Even before you start enjoying your meal! Then, you start with a great antipasto, including charcuterie, cheeses, olives, fresh bread etc... Then that's followed by an assortment of different fresh pastas. We got four varieties in all and weren't able to pick our favorite because they were all so good in their own way. We also tried a homemade meatball. Fantastic! The mains were incredible too. Roast lamb, chicken, seared cod with bean salad, garden salad, butternut squash and also a special eggplant parmigiana for the vegetarian in our party! Another great part of this meal is if there is something you really want more of, just ask and they will bring you more! Dessert was fantastic too. We also ordered cappuccinos which were soooo good! The service and ambiance and decor are all fantastic too. What a great experience. I highly recommend this if you're looking for an authentic Italian food experience!

Original post from a few years ago: We went to Corso just for a small break from lots of walking. We thought it'd be a nice place to sit and relax for a coffee for a little while, and it was! We sat on the outdoor patio in the evening, just taking it all in. We had great cappuccino's and a delicious piece of chocolate and hazelnut cake. It was very very good. It wasn't very busy at the time we went, although our server told us it usually is, but regardless it was a great place to stop for awhile. Our server, Liam, was great, he answered our questions including where the best place to see the fireworks is. It was nice of him to take the time and chat with us. Based on what I saw on the menu and some of the other tables, I do want to go back there to have a proper meal next time I'm...

Ok. Let’s start from the beginning. Booked a reservation for special occasion. When we get there, we check in and I kindly remind the hostess of the notes on the reso about the special occasion. The host takes us to the back of the restaurant and puts us in a tiny corner beside the stairs that would effectively have anyone who walks down the stairs kick dirt on the table.

After some discussion with the hostess requesting a different table and her suggesting no other tables were available, we suggested we would wait for a better table to become available. As we make our way to the hostess table I see a table and inquire about it and we finally get moved to that spot in the restaurant that was completely empty.

We get the menu. Very basic, three options for entrees and some breads. You can no longer go up to a central buffet and gather antipasto. Instead they bring everything to the table upon request. We proceed to wait for 15 mins for someone to come by and at least acknowledge that we are seated. Nothing. As we continue to watch for another 10 mins I notice that the food doesn’t seem to be circulating. At that point we just got up put on our jackets and left. Not a single person stopped us on the way out. It was a horrible experience and if you are looking for good food and quality service I highly doubt you will find it here. At $70.00 per person you would think the service would be beyond exceptional. It’s not.. not even close.

I think that the establishment has realized that by controlling the pace they send out the food, less food means higher profits. I honestly didn’t see why anyone would want to Go here. I’d suggest other much better places in the area. We ended up walking down the strip and found a place called Antica Pizzeria & Ristorante. The service here was amazing, the food quality was amazing and it was well priced.

Honestly.. do yourself a favour and save your money and find...