The Ultimate Vancouver Brunch Guide: Ask for Luigi

Jess Fleming / Daily Hive

We’re taking a tasty tour of Vancouver’s many brunches to create The Ultimate Vancouver Brunch Guide. This week we’re checking out what the talented team at Ask for Luigi are cooking up on weekend mornings.

Despite being better known for their lunch and dinner menu, Ask for Luigi serves a mean and memorable weekend brunch that is sure to have diners praising the infamous Luigi for days to come.

Pappardelle alla bolognese (Jess Fleming / Daily Hive)

Located in an old wood frame building on the corner of Alexander and Gore Street, Ask for Luigi offers a fabulously Italian-focused weekend brunch menu with an array of tantalizing dishes.

Indeed, the menu features plenty of standout plates including: zucchini frittata with roasted tomato and goat cheese; waffles with apple, hazelnuts and tiramisu crema; Monte Cristo sandwich with prosciutto and soft boiled eggs; two poached eggs with ricotta stuffed eggplant in a tomato based sauce, and more.

Fried Brussels argo dolce (Jess Fleming / Daily Hive)

With arguably the best pasta in town, pasta lovers should dig into either the tagliatelle alla carbonara ($16) or pappardelle alla bolognese ($16). Who said one can’t have pasta for breakfast?

Topped with a perfectly runny fried egg, the pappardelle alla bolognese is mouthwateringly good. The fresh homemade flat pasta is not only the foundation upon which the chefs have built their flavours but simply incomparable to any other pasta served in the city. The pappardelle’s soft texture coupled with the rich and delicious tomato sauce makes this meal a true winner.

Jess Fleming / Daily Hive

While the restaurant’s main dishes are more than enough to excite the taste buds on their own, they are best accompanied with one (or two) of the irresistible brunch sides which include: fingerling potatoes cooked in duck fat; bocconcini fritti; creamy polenta and parmesan; fried Brussels argo dolce, and pork belly.

Brunch goers should make sure to leave room for a little post brunch dessert. With a tempting range of sweet treats like: panna cotta; olive cake; chocolate budino, and banana bread it would be foolish not to.

Freshly made with white chocolate chips and served with a whipped salted caramel butter, there’s a reason why Ask for Luigi’s banana bread comes highly recommended by both staff and patrons alike, it is outrageously good!

Banana bread (Jess Fleming / Daily Hive)

An Italian breakfast would not be complete without a strong espresso. Therefore those in need of a caffeine hit can expect to find a range of well-made espresso based drinks like macchiatos, cappuccinos and lattes on the menu too.

Apart from the delicious food offerings, what makes Ask for Luigi’s such a popular destination is the truly pleasant eating environment the team at Ask for Luigi have created. The décor (comprised of wooden chairs, tables and a black and white checkered floor) offers a cosy and inviting space for patrons to enjoy a meal.

Jess Fleming / Daily Hive

There can be no denying that the restaurant is on the small side and that the seating quarters are tight. While the close proximity of neighbouring tables may not be to everyone’s comfort level, it certainly adds to the whole dining experience, making the restaurant feel more like an intimate trattoria one would find in Italy.

With an impressive selection of Italian food, great value for money and excellent service, Ask for Luigi is a true gem in Vancouver’s evolving downtown Eastside and is a spot that both brunch enthusiasts and those who adore Italian cooking should make a point to visit.

Ask for Luigi

Address: 305 Alexander Street, Vancouver
Phone: 604-428-2544
Hours: Brunch served Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m
Twitter: @askforluigi