IL Covo Trattoria — Restaurant in Victoria

Disappointing Experience I regret to inform others about my particularly disappointing experience at Il Covo, here in Victoria. Despite being a regular patron, spending significantly on each visit, the treatment I received from the manager during my last visit was anything but pleasant. On one occasion, after calling ahead to inform them of a slight delay in our arrival, we were unceremoniously denied entry upon arrival. My husband and I have always enjoyed our meals here, contributing to a substantial bill each time, a fact well known by the manager who frequently saw us dining. Unfortunately, the lack of courtesy and respect on this last visit has left a sour taste. This experience does not reflect the warm, welcoming spirit of Canada that we know and love. For those seeking a dining experience in Victoria that marries exquisite cuisine with exceptional service, I wholeheartedly recommend Il Terrazzo. The food and the attention to detail in service there are unmatched in Victoria, Canada. Choose Il Terrazzo for a truly enjoyable meal where your patronage is valued and respected.

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The service at this restaurant has been truly appalling. Imagine, instead of improving from critical feedback, they choose to delete negative reviews and even go as far as to retaliate against their customers. I am also going to report this behavior to Google, as it sets a terrible precedent for businesses to simply erase customer feedback instead of addressing it. My husband is a prominent businessman here in Canada, and it's a shame you decided to delete his review. Attracting quality patrons to your restaurant might be in your interest, but it should start with offering superior service to your customers.

P.S. Obviously, I will not be calling you because if your responses through these messages are this aggressive and rude, I can only imagine how you would speak on the phone. Truthfully, I've already had one bad experience with you, and that was enough for me. Thank you for your lack...

Given the restaurant’s reputation, expectations were high. Unfortunately, the experience fell far short.

The evening started with a long, unexplained wait for our appetizer. No communication from the server, just silence. When the meatballs finally arrived, they were excellent. Rich, flavourful and easily the highlight of the night. Sadly everything that followed was a steady decline.

The wait for our entrées was even longer and by the time they arrived, we were starving. The “catch of the day” salmon was overcooked, dry and uninspired. On the side was half a cob of corn which was mushy, bland and lacking seasoning. For a restaurant of this caliber, it’s baffling to see such basic elements executed so poorly.

The spaghetti allo scoglio was the biggest letdown. Every seafood component was overcooked. The fish dry and rubbery, the shrimp tough and chewy. For a dish meant to showcase freshness and technique, this was simply unacceptable.

We decided to skip dessert, but the server brought out an “apology” plate anyway: two chocolate truffles topped with rainbow sprinkles. It looked like something a child assembled at home rather than a professional kitchen’s attempt to make amends.

Given the restaurant’s strong reputation, this was an incredibly underwhelming experience from start to finish. Great meatballs, but everything else, from communication to execution,...

This delightful hidden gem, just off the edge of downtown Victoria is an absolute must visit!

I have eaten gnocchi all my life, and I can say with certainty that no gnocchi I have ever had the pleasure of trying, even comes close to the culinary delight that was the gnocchi at Il Covo Trattoria! Honestly I don't even live on the island, but I am seriously considering taking another trip back to Victoria, just for another chance to sample their delicious, and flavourful gnocchi!

My only complaint would be that the gentleman who served us was really not very good. It took nearly thirty minutes after our arrival before he even took our drink orders, and then almost another twenty before he came back for our dinner order, and he also took our drink menu, and was gone so quickly that we couldn't even ask him to leave it, as we were not done with it. Then after dinner when we wanted to order cocktails, it was almost twenty minutes before he even showed up, and he brought our bill without even asking if we wanted dessert or any drinks, and then we waited an additional twenty five minutes for the drinks we ordered to arrive. Though he seemed to be alone in his lack luster service, as the rest of the staff seemed to be quite on the ball.

If you haven't been, and you're in the area, I would strongly recommend you try out this...