My husband and I chose to book a table here to celebrate our anniversary, because our favourite memories took place during a summer tour of Italy. We ordered wine, cocktails, appetizers, pasta, veal, dessert and cappuccinos. The bill came to roughly $250 after tip.

The positives were the food and drinks. The menu was authentic enough. The antipasto, pasta and secondi courses were well-prepared, hot to the table and nicely presented. The wine selection was nice and my husband's old fashioned was well-made.

The negatives were the stemless glass for my pinot grigio. I really prefer white in stemware to preserve the optimal drinking temp. The service was also subpar. Our server never introduced themselves but I think the name may have been Jaime according to the bill. She was efficient and by the book. She took care of us but I didn't feel particularly welcome. For the price and for our special night we would've enjoyed a simple "I'm JaneDoe, thanks for dining with us" or "Are you celebrating anything special?" Etc. I had to engage her in conversation only to hear "I hope you enjoy the rest of your night" twice in a row, revealing she didn't even register what I had just said to her. The final negative was the dessert. I had a forgettable tiramisu. It was overly wet, perhaps frozen, then thawed?? Not sure. I could barely detect the mascarpone. It lacked the delectable richness of tiramisu. My husband ordered the profiteroles which were frankly awful. They were mounded on a plate, then smothered in a chocolate mousse making them rather unappealing to the eye. The mousse made what is supposed to be a delicate airy choux pastry, a mucky mess. My final negative is the environment. It was remarkably dingy, gloomy and not evocative of modern Italian trattorias. Paper serviettes, no tablecloths and mismatched uncomfortable seating.

My recommendations would include updating the decor. Replace those dirty ceiling tiles. Paint the walls a lighter colour. Add italian murano glass lighting fixtures. Put linens on the table. Get stemmed glasses for white wine and better decanters, that can be wrapped in a cloth napkin and placed in an ice bucket. Remove the dusty shelves of kitsch and unframed canvasses of cliche Italian art. Replace it with greenery and authentic Italian moulding and pay an artist to do a fresco or bring in marble, mirrors and sculpture to elevate the environment to reflect a truly upscale dining experience. Also train the staff to give the best service. Get rid of the profiteroles and fix that tiramisu!