La Pentola's next-level Italian food will give you instant FOMO (PHOTOS)

If word of La Pentola’s delicious Italian fare hasn’t reached you ears yet, you’ve surely seen an Instagram of someone posing for a photo in front of its black and white brick wall reading It’s Love Baby.

And while people spend a lot of time taking photos of the restaurant’s signature street-facing wall – because, let’s be real, it’s pretty cute – it’s the food here that patrons should be really turning their cameras on.

Located inside the Opus Hotel at 350 Davie Street, La Pentola offers Vancouverites sustainably farmed meats and locally grown vegetables for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch.

The restaurant is one of a handful of venues (including Hello Goodbye, Opus Bar, Bar None, and Republic Nightclub) that is now under new experience-focused hospitality brand, Safe & Sound.

It’s hard to resist Italian food normally, but once you’ve seen a perfectly-plated creation from Chef Travis McCord pass by your table, your food envy will be taken to whole other level.

Dinner here includes a wide selection of colourful, seasonal fare. Guests can order a la carte or opt for one of La Pentola’s Alla Famiglia options, which include a selection family style multi-course dinners.

The mains up for order are flavoured and garnished perfectly, and make great share plates as well.

The menu at La Pentola boasts a visually stunning Smoked Fraser Valley Duck with squash purée, mostarda, hazelnut, farro, and grilled radicchio, and a tender Lamb Sirloin with salsa verde, cabbage, baby turnip, carrots, and charred spring onion too.

It’s pretty difficult to sit down at an Italian restaurant and not get pasta, especially when it’s careful crafted in-house. La Pentola’s Agnolotti is filled with pea and ricotta cheese and topped with preserved lemon butter and pea tips, while the drool-worthy Squid ink Pappardelle is a combo of baby squid, n’duja, rapini, and herb bread crumbs.

Both dishes incorporate seasonal flavours into traditional Italian classics.

One of the most stellar items up for order is the Thiessen farm Quail Involtini. This dish consists of thin slices of quail stuffed with sausage on roman gnocchi (which is much larger than the classic pasta) with tomato purée and rapini.

Another standout is the Grilled Octopus, a dish with spicy sausage, chick pea, roasted tomato, pesto, and foccacia.

With a selection of light, sweet dishes including Affogato (espresso and vanilla ice cream), an Chocolate Almond Torte, biscotti, and macarons, along with showstoppers like the Chocolate and Milk (chocolate ganache, dehydrated milk foam, crispy chocolate mousse, milk sorbet), and the outstanding Vanilla Panna Cotta (honey brittle, pistachio, apricot sorbet, graham crumble), dessert here is an absolute must.

The cocktail program at La Pentola is also another compelling reason to make a reservation. Opus Bar is just a hop, skip, and a jump from the eatery as well, giving thirsty guests plenty of choice when it comes to picking their poison.

Some libations you can grab from La Pentola include Milly’s Garden, a stunning combo of Brockmans gin, lemon syrup, Fentimens dandelion and burdock, Rootside tonic, and soda with fresh sage.

There’s also the whimsical Tea Thyme, served in delicate secondhand tea cups, is made with Ciroc Peach, Chai tea, lemon, Earl Grey syrup, and finished with Fresh thyme.

From Opus Bar, patrons can order creations like the Paloma Rosa, a winning combination of Don Julio Blanco, fresh pink grapefruit juice, chamomile syrup, egg white, strawberry slices, and garnished with dried rose and chamomile flowers.

There’s also the Bad and Biju, a mixture of Tanqueray #10, Cinzano Roso, Yellow Chartreuse, and orange bitters.

Whether you pop in for a drink or are looking to settle down for a multi-course feast, the food and drink from La Pentola will make your friends have food FOMO faster than you can say housemade pasta.

La Pentola is open daily for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and on weekends for brunch.

La Pentola

Address: 350 Davie Street, Vancouver
Instagram: @lapentola