Ask for Luigi

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Table in the Middle of Things

Ask for Luigi on Alexander Street in Vancouver operates on a simple but deeply felt principle: food belongs in the centre of the table, shared. The restaurant describes itself as "casual and intimate," Italian-inspired, and built around fresh, handmade pasta and family-style dishes. Antipasti arrive first, pasta courses follow close behind, and the meal unfolds the way it would in a traditional Italian home — unhurried, generous, communal.

That commitment to the Italian eating ritual extends well beyond the pasta. The drinks list is fully Italian, with a wine selection weighted toward small producers and indigenous varieties, offered by the glass, half litre, or bottle. Before the meal, the aperitivo is taken seriously: the Spritz, the Americano, and the Bicicletta anchor a list that also includes amari and rotating vermouths. The story behind it is telling — a friend from Treviso, upon learning that Canadians don't customarily start dinner with an aperitivo, reportedly asked the same question seven times before accepting the answer.

Pasta, Coffee, and Grappa

The handmade pasta is the kitchen's signature, and the restaurant makes a point of offering house-made gluten-free pasta across all pasta dishes — a practical detail that matters. Most menu items are also available for takeout.

The meal closes the Italian way: espresso pulled on a two-group Synesso machine, with a weekly rotation of beans, executed by in-house baristas trained to the same standard as the restaurant's sister coffee houses. For those who want to linger, a rotating selection of grappa — ranging, as the restaurant puts it, "from the approachable to the obscure" — is available for sipping.

Recognised and Returning

Recognised in the 2025 Gambero Rosso guide, Ask for Luigi earns its place among Vancouver's most consistent Italian-inspired addresses. It's the kind of room where the format does the work: shared plates, honest Italian cooking, and a drink list that treats the aperitivo and digestivo as non-negotiable parts of the experience.