La Terrazza

Passion & Creativity Drive Vancouver’s Premier Italian Destination

Seen right: La Terrazza's decor
Photography by Bruce Law.

Praised by Zagat, Wine Spectator and Georgia Straight, awarded Most Memorable Meal by Where Magazine and celebrated by Vancouver Magazine for Best Formal Italian at the 20th annual Restaurant Awards, La Terrazza is Vancouver’s premier destination for superlative Italian cuisine. Now entering their 11th year in Vancouver, owner-operators chef Gennaro Iorio, sommelier Guilio Miceli and maitre’d Iqbal Grewal bring renewed vigour to this celebrated room, seeking to raise their sterling reputation to even greater heights.

“We’re working harder than ever,” says chef Gennaro. “We’re always looking for new ways to elevate the guest experience.” This first generation Italian-Canadian brings fiery passion to his kitchen and fresh inspiration from annual trips to Italy. Traditional recipes marry with the highest quality local ingredients to create a menu like none other. New dishes like duck confit salad with champagne vinaigrette and slow braised short rib risotto look to capture the imaginations of diners the same way the signature AAA beef carpaccio with black truffles and shaved asiago and the now legendary strozzapretti Bolognese has in years previous.

At over 2,500 labels and 40,000 bottles, Guilio’s wine collection is one of the finest in the country. Recognized with the Wine Spectator’s “Best Of ” Award of Excellence every year since first opening, the wine list at La Terrazza features dizzying selection and incredible value. While deep, it’s surprisingly easy to navigate – and Guilio and Iqbal are always nearby with insightful recommendations.

The dining room conjures images of a traditional Tuscan villa, but with a modern contemporary feel. Sweeping murals and stunning artwork adorn burnt sienna walls that stretch all the way to the 30-foot ceilings. Fresh flowers, white linen and hand-blown glassware decorate tables that are spaciously located to ensure comfort and intimacy. Two roaring fireplaces warm up cold nights, large French doors open onto a sunny private garden patio for ‘al fresco’ dining and two richly appointed private wine rooms provide luxurious exclusivity for private functions.

“We love what we do,” says chef Gennaro. “That passion shines though in every aspect of our business. When the chef, maitre’d and sommelier are also the owners, it adds another level of expertise and hospitality. We’re on the floor every night to ensure the best possible experience for our guests.”

Menu Highlights

APPETIZERS

Duck Confit Salad – organic micro greens tossed in champagne vinaigrette with Fraser Valley duck confit, candied walnuts, golden beets, Okanagan goat cheese and grilled red onions

Carpaccio Al Bosco – thinly sliced raw beef tenderloin, adorned delicately with black truffle vinaigrette, shaved asiago cheese and accompanied with warm fontina flat bread

PASTA

Strozzapreti Bolognese – strozzapreti with Chef Gennaro’s classic bolognese sauce and grated parmigiano reggiano

Linguine Crostacei – linguine with sautéed jumbo tiger prawns, manila clams, capers, finished in a white wine - tomato concassé

Penne a l’Arrabiata – penne tossed with crispy pancetta, hon shemiji mushrooms, spicy tomato sauce and pecorino romano cheese

FISH ENTRÉES

Snapper – pan seared snapper topped with a prawn and crab zabaglione complimented with a risotto pan cake

Merluzzo – oven baked sable fish encrusted in dry porcini mushrooms, adorned in a fish fumet – mushroom ragú, paired with a double smoked bacon potato cake

Arctic Char – roasted arctic char, marinated in a dill – caper tapenade, stacked on a potato gallette

ENTRÉES

Manzo – grilled aged AAA beef tenderloin, finished in a sangiovese reduction, accompanied by capponata and potato gratinato

Agnello – oven roasted rack of lamb, encrusted in grainy mustard and finished with a rosemary demi – glaze, paired with toasted Israeli cous cous

Ossobuco – spring lamb shank, braised slowly in a rich tomato vegetable stew, accompanied with saffron risotto

Best of the Cellar

La Terrazza has one of the largest selections of wines in the country. With over 2,500 different labels and 40,000 bottles, it also has one of the nations most award winning wine lists with "Best of" Award of Excellence from the prestigious Wine Spectator magazine. From Old World to South America and North America, La Terrazza's wine selections run from the approachable and value priced to collectors items. A strong selection of Italian and American wines along with the best of local BC wines makes for exciting choices. The wine list is on the web site should you wish to take your time perusing it in advance. A number of wine stewards and two in-house Sommelier's can pair wines by the glass with each dish for you; guide you easily and approachably through the list or simply be on hand with expert answers to vintages and selection questions.

Pictured above: MERLUZZO - oven baked sable fish, lemon and white truffle emulsion, asparagus and wild mushroom pastry.

LA TERRAZZA
1088 Cambie Street
Vancouver, BC
604-899-4449

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