Il Vagabondo Restaurant in Vanier
186 Barrette St, Vanier, ON K1L 8A1, Canada
Business Hours
Services
Photos
Reviews
Most Mentioned
Went in with 6 people. Food was delicious. We were not rushed at all. Price was excellent for quality of food. Also have gluten free options. Definitely going back Plenty of street parking in the neighbourhood
Delicious authentic food at a very reasonable price. Quiet enough so you can actually have a conversation with your friends. Recommend. Definitely will be back.
I had always wondered about this place and decided to have lunch there today. The proprietor is a lovely friendly lady. The interior is quaint, comfortable, modest. The food is deliciously authentic, not the awful rich fare one encounters in so many North American eateries pretending to serve Italian cuisine. I like especially that the customer gets to match their preferred pasta and sauce.
I always like to support local entrepreneurs and appreciate small, family-style cooking. At the same time, there are still minimum standards to meet. Understanding that small enterprises can’t afford to hire extra staff to make ends meet, nonetheless, the service was exceptionally slow. In addition, we ordered four desserts and only three came. By the time we got Adriana’s attention, she had already prepared the bill before asking. The food was okay but nothing remarkable. So, overall, a disappointing experience even though we’ve gone previously a number of years ago. Sadly, I don’t foresee returning.
One star for tasty food and one for friendly service. Deductions because of 1. poor value for food (I ordered the cannelloni and there were only two very small pieces; I'm not a big eater but this was not enough now was there any indication of the small portion sizes on the menu) and 2. because I tried to contact the restaurant after we left (because it was too awkward to do at the time), twice, and they didn't get back to me. A good visit turned into disappointment and frustration.
We were looking for a quiet and quaint restaurant for our anniversary. From the outside, the restaurant looked a bit rundown, but the inside was pleasant enough. The Valpolicella wine was delicious. The service was acceptable, although a bit slow with only two staff to serve and cook. Unfortunately, the food was terrible. The salad and cannelloni portions were small, the bruschetta seemed to have canned tomato paste as opposed to tomatoes, the white sauce on the pasta was bland and runny, the bread was a bit stale. It was quite a disappointment. We did not stay for dessert.
Tables are well spaced; the host Adriana was lovely, efficient, and food was served promptly. Feels like you are being welcomed into someone's home for a safe, authentic dining experience. Very reasonably priced for what you get. The chef has wonderful taste; I had the tortellini with blue cheese sauce which was accented with green onion, and the cheese wasn't overpowering, just had a lovely rounded flavour that was beautifully complimented by a glass of the house red. They've been in business for a long time and you can see (and taste!) why. Very thankful I was able to visit this gem.
Had a great time here. We were the only table in the room (very early dinner) and the server, who was also the chef and owner handled it perfectly. She was attentive not lingering and was a delight. The food was all good and came out quickly and hot. The food here is made with love and served well. Do not go here if you are looking for something new and astounding, this is a place to go for a hot bowl of spaghetti and a great time.
Traditional Italian cuisine in a pleasant setting.
Friendly service and homey atmosphere.
A true hidden gem!
The waiter was utterly rude, and for no reason. I think that they are gone now and well they should be.
Very excellent food, great service. Will certainly return
Lovely authentic Italian food, homely atmosphere. Recommended.
A delightful restaurant
This restaurant is a gem! Adriana is the most wonderful hostess and makes sure your meal is the best! The atmosphere is warm, inviting and cosy. The food is delicious and portions are just perfect!
Very cute local Italian restaurant. Very family focused with great service. Food tasted authentic and fresh. Definitely recommend it if youre in the area.
The food is average at best with small portions. Dietary restrictions: Asked for no egg and received soup with egg. Food : 3/5 |
Like going back in time In a good way. Don t be too rushed. Enjoy the atmosphere and the extraordinary food!!!! 20 years later it is still just as good as day one.
It was a great treat to enjoy the excellent authentic Italian food this place prepares and the staff is outstanding!
So much fun to rediscover the neighborhood. Super friendly service. Great food and wonderful menu. Well make this a regular stop.
The quality of the food and the friendliness of the service are absolutely stellar. I love this place.
Came here after some Canada Day weekend events and had a great time. Service was very quick and friendly, and the fresh pasta was loved by all of us. We will be back!
That one was a surprise on a Monday night, as my friend and I had planned on another restaurant which happened to be closed. Well, so much the better! We discovered this hidden gem, where you feel like in a traditional family restaurant in Italy. Quiet, a bit dated in the furniture but that s the charm, homemade food absolutely deliciius with perfect portion size (european style i.e not huge and gargantuan) and the owner/cook/waitress super nice and not bugging you every minute and cutting you in your conversation to see how it goes. If you are looking for great food and not tape-à-l oeil, then this is the place. We will definitely come back and bring more people.
This was by far the worst meal I have ever had. The bread was stale. The pasta was way over cooked and sauce was little more than warm milk. Mixed in was raw pieces of bacon. The salad was tiny. A huge disappointment.
Lovely dinner! The passion of the owner was very clear both in how kindly she treated us and the quality of the food. We will be back!
Excellent food. Friendly service. Serves gluten free pasta. Recommended.
Absolutely delicious. Owner Adriana treated us super well!!
We are visiting Ottawa. My boys and I are impressed to have such an outstanding authentic italian dinner. Food is heartly homemade. Cosy, neat place. Thank you, for an exceptional service!!! From Abbotsford, BC with love!
Great food, good service! Vegetarian options: Several vegetarian options.
Great food and staff
Love this place. Very friendly and homey atmosphere, its like you are going to someones home. Good quality homemade food, I can see why this restaurant has been around for a long time.
Very glad we stopped by. The cannelloni and lasagna were very good. Cozy, charming and very welcoming.
The owner makes you feel right at home and serves with the biggest smile. You can tell she is very devoted to her work and customers. The food is fresh and made from scratch. Very tasty! If you are expecting fake Italian food like East Side Marios, than this isnt the place for you! We look forward to our next visit to Il Vagabondo.
A hidden gem! Excellent cuisine, simple but flavorful! Very satisfying homey cousine. Warm and cheerful service and hospitality. The more restaurants Ive been to, the more I would prefer one has really good food, wine and no noise that I can easily chat, and feel ease there. This is a restaurant we can go every night. Maître D.
Food was excellent, very welcoming, and affordable price. Highly recommended.
Great Italian resto, the breaded zucchini sticks are the best in town, she makes them fresh to order, no frozen stuff here. So good
Delightful homemade Italian restaurant. Open for lunch on demand so call ahead if you want to come in, ideally the day before. The owner was very happy to customize dishes for everyone as much as needed. I was pleased with the gnocchi and the wine. Each dish was made to order so I wouldnt recommend coming with a tight timeline but the results were definitely worth the wait.
Small portions expensive and not very good
Simply superb. Pasta made daily, nuanced sauces. Owner is an integral part of the dining experience. Prices cant be beat. Can sometimes have a bit of a wait as its popular and there might not be enough staff on hand. Food makes up for all that.
fresh, fantastic food as always.
Had lasagna today. Very disappointed. Was only warm, very little cheese and there was corn and peas in it. Noodles too soft. the sauce tasted like Chef -boy-ardee. She gave my friend and I a cannelloni on the house and it was awful. I did not eat it. My stomach was not well after that. Cost to much for the poor quality. Toilet in the womens washroom did not flush.
Got take out there on impulse one night. Definitely some of the best pasta I ve had ever. Homemade pasta is So good! Small portions though
Très bel accueil mais portions lamentables...jai mangé une salade césar. ..3 feuilles de laitue avec 3 croutons et 3 morceaux de bacon. .ensuite canelloni très bon mais 2 minuscules morceaux que jai mangé en 4 bouchées. ..ca ressemblait plus a une petite entrée. ..jai dû arrêter chez Louis pizza me.chercher une moyenne pizza. Alors si vous avez un bon appétit ny allez pas !
Small portions but good quality
Very great place to enjoy Italian food in a quiet neighborhood. Charming and warm atmosphere, food is delicious, portions are reasonable, the owner and staff are the best. Fresh pasta are exquisite! Will be back and will bring friends with us. See you soon!
The food here was exceptionally delicious. I had spaghetti noodles with rose sauce and meatballs and my son created his own carbonara creation (adding sausage) and we shared the breaded zucchini with a dill dipping sauce for appetizer. The portions were substantial and all the food was delicious. The atmosphere was quaint and unpretentious and the owner/waitress was so friendly and adorably cute. It was hands down the best Italian restaurant in Ottawa.
Went in. We wait 35 minutes after being seated and they didnt come take our order or give us water or even take drink orders. So we left
Waited 35min and nobody took our order or even offered water so unfortunately we had to leave
It took 40 minutes to get served at 7:30pm - the pasta was not cooked the way I like it, and had to send it back to the kitchen. The sauce was also runny, no follow-up on how the meal was. Not worth it.
I have never had such a dining experience in my life. Firstly, the food was average at best and the service was slow, but this was nothing compared to how appalled our entire table was at the behaviour of the woman serving us. She twice walked away in the middle of taking our order stating that we were not ready, even though the second time she came to take our order, I specifically told her we were and asked her not to walk away this time, which she still did. The most horrifying moment, however, was when she attempted to serve hot soup over my baby son just to save herself maybe 5 steps to go serve the person across from him. I have been to this restaurant before and had decent enough food and service to return, but never ever again. I am embarrassed that I brought my visiting in-laws to this place. No wonder there were only four tables seated on a Saturday night.
Great little place with a homemade touch
Really bad customer service. Took a really long time to acknowledge us or even take our order. The food was not good at all. Garlic bread was a joke.
OMG we ordered the LASAGNA and we received 2x4 square for $14.50 ! not even a mouth full.....that is a disgrace, no bread was served at the table we had to pay for 4 very small slices of garlic bread (2 each). I was insulted and so was my friend. Sorry never again Rip off totally and the Lasagna was not even good, no meat no cheese just noodles.
Visited this restaurant to buy a gift card for my parents for Christmas. The owner greeted me with a big smile and positive attitude. I will be bringing my wife for super on January 2nd for her birthday. Stay tuned with an update on the dining experience as well as pictures.
Really great service and lush food. Not oily or greasy. Warm environment
I loved this restaurant. For sure Ill back
Food was not very good. Bread was hard as a rock and tasted mouldy.
Im used to home-cooked Italian food (come from an Italian family and my mom is a trained chef; even makes her own pasta from scratch). The food here is just amazing. Portions are a bit small (should definitely order an appetizer with the meal) but is very reasonably priced for what you get. Everything is made from scratch (even the pasta). Decor is a bit dated but works well. The only caveat is that it can be slow (budget 2-3 hours for a meal here), but is well worth the wait. Cant recommend this place enough.
Owner/cook Adriana is there to make sure you enjoy your meal, fantastic food, homemade linguine, great desserts. Take 2 hrs for lunch (I.e. dontrush), finish off with a cognac and enjoy your day.
Very quaint restaurant owned and operated by a lovely Italian woman. Nice home cooked meals, that leaves you feeling satisfied, but not overly full (à la east side Marios...). Definitely worth checking out.
Yes
Beautiful restaurant and amazingly delicious food. If youre up for an inexpensive dinner with your special someone, then go to this place. The staff are fantastic people and make you feel at home.
Fantastic, authentic Italian. Reasonable prices. Same owner for decades. Worth your time.
Excellent authentic homemade Italian cuisine.
My family and I love this place. If you want authentic, homemade Italian food, including the many different types of pasta, as well as excellent service, then this is a great place. The owner cooks everything from scratch, and also works as a server. It doesnt have the bling of trendy restaurants and it is not a place to go to be seen but if it is good food you want without pretension then this is a good place. Portions are the size meals should be unless you are searching for all you can eat portions that are pumped up with additives.
My wife and I tried this lovely little spot for lunch, on a whim, over the Canada Day long weekend. Its a delight: unpretentious, cozy, with a sincerely welcoming atmosphere. Pasta and sauce: fresh as fresh can be, traditional, and prepared to order. Starters are a little expensive. Soda is served in the can. It amused me, trying to count the number of Italian Mamas who work the kitchen. You can hear them from the dining room, chattering away while they prep for dinner service. Every few minutes, a new one will pop out to fetch something from the pantry, and mentally you go: Okay, thats six. There are few remaining family-owned Italian restaurants in Beechwood Village. After Domicile gets through with the neighbourhood, theyll eventually be replaced with personality-free chain gastro pubs and demanding condo owners. Until that happens, avoid the much-more-commercial Little Italy on Preston and eat here.
Surprisingly really good! Especially the veal.
What a beautiful setting in this older part of Vanier, Ontario ... You are served by the Owner/Chef who also served us some very tasty Italian food, a good variety of menu items all explained to you and, should you want your food prepared differently, just ask and you shall receive!
The restaurant atmosphere is excellent but the food was very poor and really overpriced.. I do not recommended this restaurant.
Awful
Similar Places
