Inside Vancouver’s new neighbourhood Italian restaurant — and what to order first

Vancouver has no shortage of stellar Italian restaurants, and after our recent visit, we’d like to add Folietta to that list.

The new East Vancouver destination comes to us from the Wentworth Hospitality Group, the team behind local staples Homer St. Cafe and Bar, Maxine’s Cafe & Bar, and Tableau Bar Bistro.

Not unlike the group’s other concepts, Folietta aims to be a local gathering place for folks living in both the immediate area and around Metro Vancouver. Despite being located on the ground level of a snazzy new condo development, the restaurant felt like a neighbourhood staple, full of charm.

Located at Nanaimo and Grant in the Grandview Woodlands area, Folietta is impressively spacious. It offers seats for 130 within four distinct dining areas.

The interior, designed by Ste Marie, features checkered floors, elements of rich wood and marble, and various vintage-inspired pieces throughout.

To the right of the entrance sits a sleek bar area marked with a retro Campari sign, and to the left, a bright and welcoming dining area that leads to a chef’s counter-style open kitchen.

What’s on the menu?

Folietta’s kitchen team is led by Executive Chef Bobby Milheron and Chef de Cuisine Imtiaaz Patel. You won’t find pizza here, but you will find a ton of other delicious Italian dishes with a vibrant West Coast touch.

Folietta’s menu offers regional fare from the boot-shaped country with a modern twist. The menu opens with a section dedicated to bread, a cornerstone of Italian dining.

There were some seriously tempting options, namely the mozzarella and prosciutto tastings, but we landed on an order of the house focaccia. It arrived loaded with fresh ricotta, black truffle, and olive oil. It was so simple and satisfying. It nailed that perfect crispy-exterior-airy-interior focaccia texture we dream about.

A great start. Our fantastic server (seriously, the staff are on top of it here) suggested combining the focaccia and the carne cruda, a combo of raw beef, mushrooms, bagna cauda, and smoked egg yolk. Naturally, we took the expert’s word for it. It was, unsurprisingly, a dynamite combo.

Then came the drinks. Curated by Beverage Director J-S Dupuis, here you’ll find all the Italian classics like Negronis on tap, ice-shaved amaro slushies, and a great wine selection heavy on the Italian wines, with some great B.C. picks from wineries such as Tantalus Vineyards and Lock & Worth Winery.

General Manager Miguel Arrais was around to guide us like only a sommelier could, even bringing out Folietta’s custom-labelled Italian wine collaboration and letting us take it for a whirl.

Other sips we tried included the Pasquetta, made from El Gobernador Pisco, Cocchi Americano, lime, pistachio orgeat, and egg white, as well as the Folietta Martini, a delightfully savoury offering which came complete with salumi.

Fresh, handmade pasta is a main focus here, and the varieties up for order span land and sea. From the Gnudi di Spinaci with brown butter, hazelnuts, and sage to the linguine with Geoduck clam, Calabrian chili, and parsley, there’s a lot to consider here.

If you’re like us, the rotating specials will make it even harder to choose in the pasta department. A seasonal must-order — spot prawn ravioli — lured us in, hook, line, and sinker. As you know, spot prawns are here for a good time, not a long time. We had to take advantage.

Another rotating offering we had to snag was the zucchini blossoms, as that’s not something you see on menus year-round.

From there, we dove into the larger-format proteins. Saltimbocca di pollo was the first one to grace the table. Topped with sage, prosciutto, and fontina, it was moist and a must-order. We don’t typically find ourselves ordering chicken, but if you’re going to, make it this one.

If you aim to make every nearby table jealous, the Bistecca Fiorentina is for you. This 32-oz dry-aged porterhouse will have the whole room drooling.

We were full, but dessert was a non-negotiable. After dabbling ourselves, we strongly recommend you partake just to round out the experience.

We somehow mustered the strength to dive into the velvety tiramisu, but if you have to choose one, make it the budino al caramello. The heavenly mix of salted caramel sauce, almond roca, and chantilly is truly the perfect finish.

Folietta hits all the marks — a beautiful space, warm, familiar vibe, and of course, the top-notch food and drinks. We can confidently say it was one of our top new dining experiences this year so far.

We look forward to returning and checking out the daily aperitivo hour (3 to 5:30 p.m.), as well as weekend brunch.

Folietta is open for dinner service daily at 5:30 p.m.

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Folietta

Address: 1480 Nanaimo St., Vancouver

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