Zambri's

My spouse and I had a private dinner in the atrium for our wedding. We had 11 people altogether and it was fantastic. The food was wonderful, we ordered the antipasti to share as a starter and that was also wonderful. We had a range of dietary needs: vegan, vegetarian, no alcohol, gluten free, and each option was perfect and the service was excellent. Great recommendations for mocktails as well.

The atroum itself is also perfect: quiet, and we could all hear each other perfectly. The only downside was we too much food (we got 4 courses and antipasti) but that is not Zambris fault, we just ordered too much:)

Loved the ease to reserve a table last minute, great service, beautiful ambiance, and delicious meals!

I still can’t get over how absolutely delicious our meal was! The pasta was remarkable, it was delicate, with a perfect contrast of complimenting flavours. Service was on point, and high touch point without pretentiousness.

Out of all the meals I’ve had in Victoria this one tops the list! Make sure to go here, wear your pants with an elastic waist band and order the extra sides. Worth every penny.

Chefs kiss

Great wait staff. Marcus was great. They care about your experience. Lasagna was superb, but while the sauce was classic Italian, my preference is for a thick, deep red, flavorful sauce. Very interesting location - you could eat inside of a mall-type setting or in a street view with full-height windows.

The best service I’ve ever experienced. Sat at the bar and was greeted by my excellent bartender Jit. Not only did Jit exhibit his superb bar knowledge but he took care of me and went over and beyond what I expected. Once again I have never experienced such high quality service. Thank you Jit, you will be seeing by me again!

Nothing better than spending a few hours with Jit at the bar. Food was great. Drinks were phenomenal. Always a good time.

Food was excellent but the service was slow, likely because the place was packed. The glass walls amplify every little sound, so much so, that it's hard to have a quiet or intimate conversation. I still recommend it but not for an anniversary.

The food was excellent… however, we happened to get the worst table of the place for our reservation. Sandwiched between the kitchen and the server desk. Despite being within inches of the servers, we were forgotten at least three times and waited long for each step of dinner, including to pay. Thankfully the floor manager came to the rescue a few times, and had a good sense of humour. Food was 5 star, service and table was 1 star. Despite this, we enjoyed ourselves, the wine helped.

Best pizza I’ve had in a long time. The sauce was amazing. So authentic. Naomi the manager is the best, and Jit makes the best drinks ever! I’ll be back:)

Zambris has always been a favourite restaurant. So, when my husband and I were planning our wedding, it was a total fluke that we were ordering takeout and then mentioned events. About a year later, we were hosting our small wedding reception in the atrium of their building. And as always, Zambri’s delivered on the food. From the antipasto, pizza and amazing cocktails to the drool worthy multi-course tasting menu. They nailed every dishes, each more delicious than the last. The crispy broccoli and panna cotta were especially a hit. Not a single guest went home feeling hungry. In fact, in the months since our wedding, our guests have raved about how amazing the food was. It truly stood out. In addition to the food, I have to mention the staff. They really went above and beyond. I never saw an empty wine glass. We had little ones at the reception, and the staff were so kind and patient. We can’t wait to celebrate our wedding anniversary for years to come at Zambri’s. This place truly holds a special place in our hearts.

Atmosphere was very nice but food was mid and our waitress stopped at our table 3 times the entire 1.5 hrs we were there. Overall disappointing

Classic North American Italian food, graciously served in clinical surroundings - well, glass and wood.

Portions were generous but was not wowed by the flavours. Was a bit of a let down for our last dinner in town.

For a place that specializes in pizza and pasta you wouldn't expect them to run out of pizza at 7pm. Pasta was good though and portions were big even if it isn't what we were hoping for.

Winelist is excellent. Appies were good too. Service was inconsistent though and waut staff felt like they were a little overwhelmed. Had trouble getting their attention at times, were told our reservation was about to be given up when they meant another party because they hadn't checked who we were when we called.

Don't think I would return on my own but if someone else was excited to go I would give it another go.

We went here for a family dinner. It is a bit more casual than other Italian restaurants in town. Ordered a cocktail (Sicilian 75) and it was so good so we ended up ordering another one. For foods, we ordered prosciutto pizza, chicken thigh, crispy pork shoulder and Orecchiette. Foods were all good, very nice wine selection as well. Gladly paid about $200 bill for four people.

Good vibe. Food was good, but expected a bit more flavor from an Italian restaurant. Would come again to try a few more dishes.

Food is decent. Great tomato flavors. Noodles perfectly cooked. Service very attentive. Acoustics are terrible for anyone with hearing challenges.

Not a particularly good value. You will be hard pressed to get out of there for less than $100 without drinks. Cocktails are all around $17. Even a mocktail in a tall glass and a lot of ice was $12.

Nice location serving well executed family friendly Italian eats. Dishes are very well portioned and the menu was simple. The fried brocolli was wonderful. Service was good and very unobtrusive. We enjoyed our dinner here.

Our recent dinner was okay but not great. The service was quite slow and confused. Drinks took forever to arrive. The food was uninspired and each person in our group found something about their meal that they didn't like. Certainly not good enough for the prices charged. We won't be back.

Explanation provided at restaurant's request.

Understand the impacts of covid and inflation. However, braised greens ($10) were easily achievable with improvement for ~$3.50 at home, which wouldn't have been a big deal if the bechamel on the funghi pizza wasn't undercooked (strong raw flour taste). Just seemed like a bit of a miss. May try again; understood places have "off" nights.

Beautiful, home cooked food. Lovely selection of wine. Great service and an incredible atmosphere in the courtyard. Thank you for such a memorable dining experience.

Went for Dine Around. It was amazing. Could not stop raving about it. The hostess was so nice, our server was amazing and the food was absolutely delicious. Highly recommended!

Unfortunate experience last night. Host asked for my vaccine id in a rude way. Also I was ID’d immediately and without courtesy. Finally my glass was chipped on the rim, lucky I didn’t cut my lips.

Edited: This place has been our favourite for years for Italian in the city but last night dinner made me never want to come back. It was the worst service I have ever had in my life. We were never asked for drinks when ordering our food, then once we finally got drinks we never were able to get refills. They completely forgot to put my meal in, so I watched my friends eat while I waited for them to make mine. We waited 30 minutes for the bill and had to ask a different server because ours was no where to be found. They didn't even give a discount or comp for not putting my meal in. I don't think I will return after this. Also, the meal quality has gone down significantly recently. So disappointed. Guess we will be going elsewhere for pasta.

Despite being very busy we had perfect service and amazing food. Attention to detail and quality were undeniable. Our server was so personable and efficient.

Stop reading and just go already! It's so darn good you're missing out by wasting time reading all these comments. Do yourself a favour, stop right now, and just go. Go. Go now! It's delicious!

Great food and great service. Romantic fine dining atmosphere with modern menu with obvious traditional roots to the offerings.

Very nice restau, waiters very professional, food delicious, atmosphere very nice for date night.
Why only 4 stars?
they brought my wife's birthday cake with no candle.
Hmm.

Bread was fridge temp, maybe that's the intent but overall the focaccia was only average. Uneven seasoning throughout all the other dishes. Salad was very bland, unevenly dressed and had no salt. The pork shoulder was dry (probably due to deep frying to get it crispy) and very heavily salted. The steak was cooked well and seasoned properly, but the potatoes accompanying the steak were basically salt bombs. I wish I could have tried a pasta or pizza, but from what we ordered I wouldn't come back. Tiramisu was good, affogato had the tiniest scoop of ice cream which was completely lost in the espresso by the time it arrived at the table. Service and ambiance were very nice but not why I'm here.

Service was amazing wine was awesome. Food not so much appie was greasy and just for pasta it was $27 that wasn't even enough to fill the plate

Food was great as always. Extra thanks for the birthday dessert and candle for my daughter. Only criticism; asked for the bartender to make me a mock tail follow their choice, they make me a Shirley Temple.

I was reticent posting this but I went for my birthday dinner persuaded by the glowing reviews. No seafood pasta despite seeing pictures lending to the idea there was. The food we had was so average but I have to qualify that we had the sample taster package at $75 per person and the entire table had to have the same.so thats 4 x $75! However the lack lustre food experience was just a further slap in the face. There were other issues which was not addressed well by the manager which is too serious to be brought up here. I was so looking forward to this birthday experience but feel I have let my family down by suggesting this place.

Fantastic experience! My wife and I made reservations for dinner here on our first night out visiting Victoria. Couldn’t have picked a better restaurant to start off our trip. Awesome atmosphere, great customer service, and of course the food was delicious. Highly recommended!

Very good food, nice setting and atmosphere, with fast, appreciative service.

Home-made focaccia bread ($4), moist and fresh, great with the oil & vinegar ($3) : a good starter complemented by the Venetian Sprutz ($10) garnished with an olive and orange slice.so refreshing!

The Orecchiette with house made sausage, rapini, and broccoli puree ($20) was delicious. And very filling.

At first when I saw the plate, I thought I should have ordered an extra side, e.g, meatball, piece of chicken, or a sausage. Happy I didn't.that would have been too much. My meal was just right.

I ordered some gelato to go ($8) and to enjoy dessert at home.

I recommend Zambia's; give it a try.

There is seating available with the Atrium section of the building.

I highly recommend reservations for preferred seating.

P. S.the "Ottavio's Housemade Gelato" is wonderful. I ordered the Lemon flavour (has chunks of fruit).

Ate here on 11/2/2019. Service was good but the food was mediocre at best. Pasta tasted like it was from Costco and my wife had to send her meal back because it was inedible.

I would not recommend this restaurant. Hard to understand how this place can compete in Victoria.

The food was the same quality as supermarket pasta with store bought sauce. The drinks were good and the bread was fantastic, but overall I wouldn’t go back. Not as high quality as you would expect based on the atmosphere.

The daily menu is excellent Italian food. For something special we recently went to a long table event that featured an area of Italy. These events happen every few months. You should call and ask Zambri's to put you on their mailing list to get updates on these events. The events usually have various courses and pairings of wine from a specific region of Italy. The last event we visited featured Puglia and included 6 appetizers, a main and dessert with wine pairing at $80 a person. The food was exceptional and the wine was very tasty all in an excellent value.

Unfortunately I am italian and live in Rome. Very good service, but the "italian" food was strange. This restaurant was suggested by our friend, but it was a delusion. The octopus with potatoes was original, but not Italian. Their pizza margherita, that they call " Queen pizza", had a strange not Italian flavour.

Beau restaurant, très jolis et bons plats. Un petit bémol sur le service. Un prend la commande, un autre vient servir, intervertit les assiettes pour 2 convives et n'apporte pas le plat commandé pour le 3ieme convive. Excuses et petit cadeau faits. Un grand respect tout de même. Magnifique soirée.

First time eating here, I order their spaghetti, and it's actually pretty good. An interesting taste, which is unlike your regular pasta.and definitely something I'll remember in the long run.

Charming authentic Italian food. Service has always been excellent and meals are perfect portion. Will definately return when I am in town.

Always a great italian dining experience with a warm atmosphere, attentive staff, and amazing food and desserts.

The ultimate in high-class Italian dining, nestled in the heart of downtown Victoria. Absolutely stunning meals, the service was exceptional and the wine selection is to die for.

This was a group business event and both the service and the food was exceptional! Loved that they had a private room to prevent distractions from our speaker. Would definitely hold another group event here.

First of all, this should have a $$$$ rating for price NOT $$. This is already extremely misleading. This is the most expensive Italian restaurant in the city. We are regulars to high end food and were looking to enjoy a special dinner at Il Covo. Unfortunately, it totally fell flat. Right from the start, the waiter did not bring bread with the wine, (we had to ask for it), when it came it was dry bread, and we thought it would be better with butter or a spread. Looked around and saw all the tables on the other side that were serviced by the other waiter had olive tapenade, so then we had to ask the waiter again for the tapenade. His attitude was unapologetic and vague that it was his bad, we had to ask if the tapenade was standard here as it was our first visit. He reluctantly told us he had just "forgotten"it. Moving on, he described the fish special as Halibut "with a blackberry" sauce, sounded a lot like my favourite dish from Il Terrazo, so I was excited. Ordered it immediately, even at the high high price point of $40/plate (about 1/3 higher than Il Terrazo). When it came, it was super disappointing, and how much I wanted to love it. Halibut, should be creamy, this was dry, dry with no "blackberry sauce", but rather Mexican inspired with red pepper and onion sprinkled on top with a few huckleberries that lost their flavour to the Mexican flavour of red pepper and onion. So, a very dry Halibut. The entire dish was Mexican, with corn on the side and a roasted red pepper. Dang! I was craving high end Italian, not overly priced Mexican! Service again was poor, waiter did not ask once how the dishes were. We found that this place is low value for the money. It is by far the MOST EXPENSIVE restaurant we have dined at in Victoria and unfortunately, not the value for the money. My husband had the Cioppino soup and it rather too saucy, he also preferred the soup from Il Terr. Salad portions were very small also. Maybe next time with a better server and a dish that the chef does better we might be hopeful, but for the very disappointing experience on our first time there, we will not be returning. Felt like a waste. Dishes are at least 1/3 more than fairly priced for high end market.

We were so impressed with the service, we made an effort to offer our compliments to the manager. Too fast - soon, our waiter was pulled away to be the bar tender. We enjoyed our lamb and pork dishes and the wine. Was almost a 5 star night until we discovered the prices were not what we were told. The wine we ordered ($45) was out of inventory, replaced with a bottle of what we thought was a $55 bottle wine which ended up $64. We ordered a “half order pasta”m was told the price is “about half” of the full order but it turned out to be 75% of the full order price.

Excellent food and great service. We were visiting from the states, it was so delicious we ate here twice. Highly recommend any of the pizzas and the beef tenderloin was amazing.

. Meh.is all I have to say. Service could be better, and same with the food. Nothing special to see here.

Food was great, pricey but I don't think nothing out of the norm. Staff was super friendly and polite. Thanks guys! Will come back!

I did not enjoy my lasagna - there seemed to be 10 or more sheets of pasta and not enough filling nor sauce which deemed the entree to be tasteless.
The 3 tiny triangular mozzarella appy was over fried and very brown. Hubby ordered crispy pork shoulder which was definitely overdone. All dishes not enjoyable.

Zambri's was extremely good. I was there with a group for a dinner training. Everything was so delicious! Even the very classic simple looking salad was the best I've tasted and the horderves were absolutely incredible. Everything was beautifully presented and the flavors were amazing, Paired with the perfect wine. Our waiter Peter P.was very attentive and friendly. A great evening

My girlfriend and I went last night for a nice Italian dinner. We have never been to Zambri's before and were excited to try it.

It took a while for the server to come and take our orders, no big deal they seemed a little busy. We got our drinks, mine was the iced tea, which was great, no too sweet, perfect for me.

We get our meals, I ordered Penne with Peas & Gorgonzola, and my partner ordered Garganelli with Local Albacore Tuna. Honestly I thought mine was very bland and was lacking. No chicken or any other vegetable in it. Just peas. We ask for pepper and Parmesan to one of the lady servers who says she will get us some, but disappears and wait for 10 minutes until we ask the other server who doesn't apologize but he does get us our request, which by then our food is already cold.

Disappointed honestly, there are better and less pretentious Italian restaurants in Victoria.

Excellent and friendly service. Pizza and pasta were delicious (slightly thicker crust / cooked perfectly al dente). Desserts were so so good. I recommend the chocolate budino!

Our reservation was not on the books but the staff found a way to make it work. Great food, awesome service. Definelty a $$$ or $$$$ on the spend scale, but fully worth it. If you don't order their pepperoni pizza you will only have yourself to blame.

Different menu items like the octopus but at reasonable price. Delicious food. Very nice atmosphere.