Lupo

My boyfriend and I drove from Seattle to dine here for my birthday and the whole experience was so memorable. Reservations were made for 8:00 PM, but we arrived upon opening at 5:00 PM. Oops! Thankfully, they were able to seat us 3 hours before our actual reservation time. FYI– The restaurant is situated near Robson street but you will have to walk a bit to reach the main/​central area of Robson if you need to kill time.
We ordered the sunchoke-​porcini soup as an appetizer, which came with two prawns and this foreign crunchy bread stick (I don’t know.) covered in garlic and butter. I always judge the overall quality of a restaurant on the soup offered and I thought their soup itself was solid.
For entrees, I ordered the pappardelle with duck and my boyfriend ordered the ravioli stuffed with veal. I won’t go into detail about the ravioli since it was their special of the night, but I thought the sauce was deliciously creamy. The pappardelle, on the other hand, was a little dry to me and required each bite to be complimented with shreds of their tender duck. Delectable, nonetheless.
I used to only recommend Japanese restaurants in the Vancouver BC area, but I am definitely adding Lupo to my list!

Sorry guys. Service was nice, but a heavy olive oil, no wine and not a novice’s use of herb in a red sauce is inexcusable for the prices you charge. Anybody from the old country or even New York would chuckle at the effort. Basics first when you want to call yourself an Italian restaurant.

We went to try Lupo because of the reviews and they lived up to the hype. If you want amazing Italian food in a cool atmosphere with great service this is it. We made a reservation for 3 and showed up with 5 and they found a way to seat us. They were all over us and sent over another service to assist with a wine choice. We were impressed from start to finish. The burratta was so creamy and dreamy. We all enjoyed our dishes. They had unique specials like elk & ricotta ravioli. You can get a smaller portion of the pasta offerings as well which is nice. We ended the evening with cannolis and dreams of eating there again. Enjoy!

A simply unforgettable experience.
Lupo serves up beautifully crafted dishes that impress on so many levels. Between the four of us we had the specials of the night which included the Cornish game hen (so tender, juicy and succulent — this thing was deboned, stuffed, wrapped in a loving layer of pancetta and roasted to perfection), lobster and prawn ravioli (the perfect texture and spot on flavours), and sable fish (melt in your mouth goodness with a hint of sweetness). And wow, the burrata salad — so creamy!
The dessert (gelato and tiramisu) didn’t blow me away, but they were very tasty none the less.
I also loved that this restaurant is built from an existing home.
Above and beyond the food, major credit goes out to Nathan, our waiter for the night and also one of the managers, who made this evening beyond exceptional. Seriously, the service here is amazing.

This could possibly be the best Italian food in the city and surrounding area. We went there with a party of four… shared 3 different appy’s and each of us ordered a different meal… everything and I do mean everything was OUTSTANDING

I have tried that restaurant last week.
Ambiance is incredible, service is fantastic, I really want to highlight that point.
But I put only 3 stars cause the food is not that great, and overpriced compared to the quality.
I had an under seasoned lamb shank, and my girl friend had a just ok seabass.
I still recommand the place but they should be more careful about the food.

Came here last night for what was suppose to be a romantic dinner spent with my husband for my birthday. What a disappointment.
We were late as it was hard getting a taxi Saturday night, received a phone call that did not display their name and no voice message so we figured it was the taxi company. Arrived and the hostess nonchalantly tells us they gave our table away. After explaining what happened they would «try and find a table for us», they did, shoved in the back corner upstairs. On the way, the hostess again reiterating how this was completely our fault. Thanks for the reminder?
The food was ok. Our appetizers were good, my husbands pasta was good, I got the gnocchi which tasted like a salt brick. Desserts were ok, as a birthday wish they put a candle in my Tiramisu, thanks?, was this suppose to make up for the atrocious start? Our espressos arrived 10 minutes after we ordered dessert.
I usually never leave bad reviews but honestly, there are so many restaurants in Vancouver that are excellent, L’Abbattoir, Hawksworth, Joe Fortes but when my husband asked me where I wanted to go I said Lupo as I’d never been there, I’d heard good things and we were going to the queen elizabeth for a show after which was within walking distance. I am beyond disappointed with the experience here, we wont be back. A birthday dinner I’d like to forget.

After such a great experience having dinner there, my now-​husband and I chose Lupo as the venue for our wedding rehearsal dinner. We had family flying in from halfway around the world and this intimate venue was the perfect choice. We were given the entire upstairs, which provided us with a private dining experience for all 19 of our guests, as well as our own bar, and area for mingling. I spoke with the Chef and the Sommelier before the event to discuss options and budget, but honestly left it in their capable hands — these guys know what they’re doing!
When we arrived everyone was greeted warmly and shown upstairs, where they were served prosecco and delicious canapes while mingling. Then we sat down to an absolutely amazing 4 course meal. I mean, amazing. Everyone kept talking about the food, it was honestly incredible. We started with an antipasti appetizer individually plated for each person. Then we had a ravioli that was made in-​house and was absolutely perfect. By then we were already feeling full but then mains came out — we had a choice of tenderloin or sablefish, both of which are the Chef’s specialties and were beautifully plated. Dessert was also a few options, I went with the house-​made gelato. I only wish I had eaten more of everything but since I was getting married the next day my stomach was all in knots! Lucky for me, the server was kind enough to pack up everything I didn’t finish, which made a great luxury leftover meal!
All in all, it was the perfect experience — and exceeded my expectations. I can honestly say that the food at our rehearsal dinner was way better than at our actual wedding! As an extra treat, the chef, Julio, came upstairs to say hello and meet everyone.
I think many people don’t even think of this sweet hidden gem for a wedding rehearsal dinner, but I’m so glad that we did.

Lupo is wonderful! My family and I couldn’t decide what to order so we ended up ordering eleven different things: 5 appetizers-​3 pastas-​2 main courses-​1 dessert. It was a culinary exploration of their menu and an amazing experience!
1. foccacia: fantastic! best foccacia i’ve ever had. it was cut into six slices like miny pizzas with a nice balance of cheese and vegetables and a perfectly crispy crust.
2. burrata: this was one of the daily specials and my favorite dish we ordered. the burrata had a wonderful flavor and was very smooth and creamy.
3. prosciutto and salami plate: really nice portion of prosciutto and 3 – 5 different kinds of salami. perfect appetizer for two (even if it’s your only appetizer)
4. foie gras parfait: good, but not particularly remarkable in any way.
4. octopus carpaccio: this was actually the only disappointing thing we ordered — it looked absolutely delicious in pictures and on the table, but the flavors just weren’t there. pretty bland and something we wouldn’t order again.
5. ricotta gnocchi: the gnocchi was good but what made the dish was the pork cheeks. There were several small slices of the meat and they were very tender and flavorful.
6. tagliarini w/​mushrooms and olive oil: this was a highlight; the mushrooms were delicious and the dish was light and well balanced
7. linguine nero: the seafood atop the dark noodles was delicious! the lobster pieces, in particular, were absolutely mouthwatering
8. halibut: so by this time, we were getting full. I remember that the halibut was well cooked but overall, just OK. good size portion of fish.
9. short rib: this was another fantastic dish with white truffle butter and potato purée. the meat was very tender and we received quite a large portion of fish.
10. tiramisu: just OK. i had just had some homemade tiramisu earlier in the week and I couldn’t help but think that that one was better. to be fair though, we were all very stuffed at this point.
In summary, I’d say the must-​order items are as follows: Foccacia, burrata, prosciutto/​salami, linguine nero, and the short rib entrée. This is a lot of food. All of it will be presented beautifully and with excellent service!
Try your meal with the negroni or the Cal y Canto Tempranillo!

The ambiance features as a character in this experience so make sure and book a table upstairs, overlooking the street (if coming to a restaurant in this price range is a «treat» as it is for me).
The service is highly gracious and personable without being overly attentive.
The starters were a favorite part of the meal. The pot of foie gras accompanied with house-​made preserves and breads is a must-​have-​at-​least-​once experience. I am not a fan of foie gras and this dish makes me a believer.
The fresh burrata is everything it should be and more.
I generally do not order fish except at establishments prized for it. However, I found a dinner companion’s sablefish to be worthy of ‘entrée order’.
I could not try the Ossobuco as we were sharing family style and a member of our party could not have one of the ingredients integral to the dish. I will be back to sample it.
The ravioli was quite nice, if not exceedingly memorable. Next time I will try the gnocchi.
Everything was artfully presented and the tiramisu was tasty, though not quite up to par with the one my local elderly Italian widower friend makes.
The crème brûlée hit all the right spots and the flavour lingered pleasantly.
Unless you are a sommelier, ask for wine recommendations. They know their stuff and we were exposed to brands previously unknown to us.
If you can, make time for a walk around the neighbourhood and check out the bakery and ‘ginger-​bread house’ style buildings next door.

Do you want the best food you can have in the most unassuming place in Vancouver? Come to Lupo. My experience here were years apart, but they were every bit as good as the first time when I discovered the wonders this little house in downtown can serve up.
On my latest visit, I was over an hour late, and my party has already started the evening. When I stepped in they knew exactly who I was, and greeted me with, ‘Where have you been?’ For a cold evening, a hearty welcome warms the soul. My husband has already ordered for me, and minutes after I settled down, they served up our entrees.
Now I have no idea what I would get, because I asked my husband to surprise me. The dish I got was their daily special, sable fish; and it was the single most delicious thing I’ve ever put in my mouth. The fish was extremely succulent, perfectly seasoned with a little bit of sweetness, and melts like butter in your mouth. It was such an elevated experience I seriously considered ordering another one. But luckily for me, this is their hidden menu item that they almost serve daily as long as they are supplied. I think I will need to go back every few weeks to just have that. Pro tip: pair it with a drier wine. I had it with an off — dry wine, and while it was still good, I found it a bit too sweet for the fish.

Everything we ordered was exceptional.
I ordered the pre event course:
Octopus Carpaccio
Lamb Shank Ossobucco
Lemon Tart
The husband ordered Halibut
Octopus Carpaccio was quite delightful. The plate was covered with thinly sliced smoked octopus with light sauce and a tiny pile made up of a few pieces of octopus prepared in a different flavorful seasoning with sweet carrots and potatoes.
Lamb Shank was on a bright yellow risotto topped with tomatoes. The lamb melted in my mouth with the flavorful creamy risotto blending harmoniously with the lamb and sauce
Halibut was mounted on fabulous quality farmer’s market veggies, seasoned with a spicy Asian kick. The first bite brought an element of surprise. It was fantastic
Finally, the highlight… The Lemon Tart was just perfect. It was heaven. The berries tasted beautifully with the tangy lemon tart balanced by the sweet burnt crème brûlée shell. Absolutely delightful.
Our waitress was out of this world. She was incredibly pleasant, informative, and helpful.
Food was delightful
waitress was delightful
oh~ what a delightful night!

From the moment we walked in, we knew tonight would be an experience. Our server, Nathan, made us feel welcomed and at ease right away. He pretty much talked us into ordering most of the specials, ha!
We started with the thinly sliced veal with a tuna and caper sauce. It wasn’t fishy, rather it was hearty and nutty in flavor.
Second course was the spaghetti with Bolognese… HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. This was the only thing we ordered off the menu and we will do so again and again. One of the best bolognese sauce I’ve ever had… There was a nice round, slightly smokey flavor to it I can’t quite place. Spaghetti was also cooked perfectly al dente– which is easy to butcher. Do yourself a favor and order this!!!
The birthday boy got the veal t-​bone and I got the Halibut; both specials of the night. His veal was on top the most scrumptious reduction! And the mushrooms in the sauce was almost candied! My halibut came with a huge prawn and hollandaise sauce on top, and a crispy bean salad. I recommend trying at least one special entrée… You won’t be sorry.
Lastly, dessert was a plate of browned peaches and berries with a cheesecake gelato :) Not too sweet; a light, refreshing ending.
I can’t rave enough about Nathan, our server. He was a delight and made our experience special, along with the food and wine.
Thank you, Lupo! You’ve got yourself new lifelong fans!

I ordered two dishes that I’ve stopped ordering years ago in Italian Restaurants anywhere, Veal Milanese and Ricotta Spinach Cannelloni. The veal is generally pounded into oblivion, and cooked into shoe leather. The Cannelloni is always swimming in a pool of sauce, while the pasta has disintegrated into an unrecognizable puddle of mush.
These dishes having been on hiatus, I took a gamble and ordered them. Amazingly both dishes were the best I’ve ever had. The veal was thick and pink inside and full of flavor, more like a steak. The Cannelloni made with fresh pasta was cooked to perfection. It was all about the pasta and filling, with just the slightest hint of sauce. I believe it’s almost impossible to make fresh pasta Cannelloni and have the pasta cooked just right. I still stand by that belief, but Lupo is truly the exception.
Every bite from either was shear pleasure. Bravo Maestro.

Great little Italian place, stellar service and tasty morsels. Make a reservation on the weekends. They have a great discounted multi course selection they call the «pre event» menu, this option ends at 6:15.
The server quickly presented a lovely glass of red wine after we told him what we liked, he was right on point. The sable fish special was melt in your mouth. Cannelloni was the best we’ve tried, and the special braised beef ravioli with mascarpone was also delicious! Nice ambiance as well.

I dined here with a buddy on a Monday. We came with our cadaverous faces because we had not had food therapy for some time to alleviate the stress from work and life, the usual lemons life throws at you.
I picked Monday because I presumed Mondays would be pretty dead so it would be perfect for us to catch up but I was very wrong. The restaurant, a heritage building, was busy. The level of business made us feel it was a Thursday or Friday. Our server had unshakable composure and laughed off our comment; he said what we considered busy was not even busy in his standard. Mind you, there were large group up stairs and downstairs were occupied with mostly couples and groups of threes and fours.
My buddy and I shared a octopus carpaccio, burrarta, ricotta gnocchi, and halibut and sautéed spinach. Service was attentive and professional. I felt we were given a lot of privacy. The ambiance was comfortable without the pretentiousness. The food reflected the same.
Octopus carpaccio — thinly sliced octopus, with cubed potatoes, carrots, with a little bit of arugula (and maybe frisee?) as garnish. There were ample amounts of octopus bits that were braised and chopped. These bits were tender and delicious. This appetizer opened my lust for the much needed food therapy.
Burrarta — was served with heirloom tomatoes, a thin crostini and green leaf garnishes. The balsamic reduction is worth noting because it was intensely flavored with the aroma of caramelized onions. The burrata was soft and velvety. It was refreshing with sliced tomatoes and crispy crostini. This appetizer was a real treat and my stress was quietly dissipated.
Ricotta gnocchi — pillow-​y gnocchi and braised beef short ribs. This dish is full of flavor and could easily be my favorite comfort food.
Halibut — the fish was pan fried, served with tomato-​based sauce and sliced red bell peppers. Sautéed spinach was accompanied. The halibut was overcooked and the entrée was salty.
If the food overall was not as salty (including the appetizers) this place is a solid five stars and I would have been ravishing. Nonetheless, I felt like a furry pet who had just been patted and stroked.
The bill came to $ 100.80 before tips. This is without wine. Yes, the food was pricy but I feel with the quality of food, execution, and service, the prices can be justified.

I saw someone on the front page of Unilocal review this on January 11, 2015 and her pics of the dessert made my mouth water. Part of the reason for the delays. 1. It is pricey and 2. The person whom I wanted to with we had trouble coordinating due to lifestyle.
I recommend making a reservation. My girlfriend and I arrived at 5:45 pm and we were immediately asked if there was a reservation and of course we did not have one. After a pity of a sigh answer we were taken upstairs and of course put in the corner with no view. I understand that the reserved seats are for the big views, however, I spent the entire time looking at an exit sign on the door, no ambiance. There was a couple beside me from CA who were treated the same. We made friends with them and it became a running joke throughout the evening.
Waiter was nice and had an awesome accident.
Meals came out in a timely manner.
I had the sable fish daily special marinated in an orange and soy sauce = amazing. Very moist and tender on a bed of veggies. It was filling enough.

Located in a beautifully renovated Heritage home, his place has an air of class. From the cotton towels in the washrooms to the dining areas on big the first and second floors.
Suggestion 1, make a reservation. If you’re trying to impress anyone or want to enjoy the view, you can apparently reserve window seats.
Suggestion 2, though there’s no dress code, this is a nice place. Sneakers and shorts felt out of place and may have contributed to our seating assignment. That being upstairs in the back of the restaurant.
Lupo has a great wine selection, fine entrees and, on the night we visited, excellent specials. The atmosphere is classy though they’ll take casually dressed tourist money all the same.
Focaccia, salad, two drinks and two entrees set us back just over $ 100 CA, not bad for this kind of restaurant. Portions were satisfying and the food tasted great.

Lupo takes classic technique and uses it on NW ingredients like ling cod saltimbocca and lamb shank ossobuco as well as standards like chicken cacciatore, steak Fiorentina, and ribolita. I agree with the 4.5 star rating that Unilocal has averaged out but that choice isn’t available to me and in the end I went with the 5 side. My complaint is hard to pin down. It comes down to a lack of harmony.
The service was exceptional, well informed, attentive and just the right amount of friendly. The ingredients were fresh, very well prepared and beautifully presented. I can’t agree with those who have complained about serving sizes. Our antipasti were ¼ cup of dense, smoothly chopped chicken liver with 6 pieces of a focaccia and 6 crisps of olive bread for $ 22 and ½ cup (120 ml) of 2″ (50 mm) and 1″ (25 mm) shrimp dressed with a tomato lemon vinaigrette and molded with frisée for $ 17.
Our primo had 1.5 cups (350 ml) of well cooked pasta and a handful of wild mushrooms for $ 25 and smaller portions of each pasta are offered at reduced prices. They divided that into two bowls for us, without asking, as we wanted to enjoy a secondi, their contorni and dessert. It is hard to serve me too much garlic but this pushed my limits and slightly overshadowed the more subtle fungi. The scarpetta was enjoyable.
Our secondo was 6 – 7 oz. (200 gm.) of an atlantic halibut special, pan seared to flaking with a citrus sugo, dressed with 7 small similarly cooked shrimp and 1.5 cup (350 ml) of a warm mediterranean salad of roasted root vegetables, chopped bell pepper and mixed greens for $ 38. Contorni were 1 cup (240 ml) of rapini with more moderate garlic and asparagus dressed with a parmesan fonduta, both grilled to tender externally and crunchy internally for $ 17 each.
5 – 6 each of red and white wines were available by the glass with 3 – 4 times that number by the bottle. We chose a chardonay and a nero d’avola that were pleasant but not memorable. Sampler flights of 3×1 oz. (30 ml) of house selected pours from the by the glass list are available for both whites and reds.
Dessert options were varied including 2 flavors each of house made sobetto and gelato, as well as bread pudding and a chocolate torte. We chose a Meyer lemon tart, 2″ x 4″ x ½″ (50mm x 100 mm x 12 mm) of tart, pleasantly bitter, custard with a thin upper and slightly thicker lower crust plated with a dollop of crème fraise and a swirl of raspberry sauce with mixed fresh blue and raspberries.
As others have stated frequently, the ambience is semi-​formal meets homey but too crowded for my taste with 5 tables (4×2 and 1×4) in a 12’x15’ (3m x 4m) room with no noise abatement. We were seated next to a noisy table of 4. That can’t be avoided but stopped me from relaxing into the meal.

What amused me the most was how hot our food was, even after I spent a while taking photos of all the plates.
Every bite was pure satisfaction of perfectly balanced goodies.
The foie gras was alright, we had to as for more bread because the portion was quite generous
Risotto, amazing
Sable fish (?), super juicy and heavenly
Dessert, looks fantastic and tasted even better.
Loved everything about this gem in downtown.