Il Terrazzo Ristorante – amazing!
We’ve been many times to this lovely restaurant in Victoria, BC. So, after many visits, I finally wanted to give it a proper and objective review using our detailed approach to better guide gastronomes visiting or living in Victoria.
Pre-arrival
You’ll need to book a reservation at Il Terrazzo Ristorante or you’ll never get a table. They are packed and booked solid for many weeks in advance. So, no last minute bookings either. Sadly, this does leave the random tourist out of the mix for such a wonderful restaurant and fantastic feature of the city.
Arrival and Ambiance
You’ll have to park on the street and walk to Il Terrazzo Ristorante as there is no parking for the restaurant itself although there is ample parking on the street and frequently there is parking close by. The restaurant lies in a back alley and while they’ve managed to keep away from the homeless problems in the city, there is always risk that this could cause problems for guests coming to the restaurant. The entrance in the alley also passes by the back door of a racy night club and occasionally the trans-performers peek out the back, which is neither good or bad just something each individual should be aware.
The entrance to the restaurant also passes by their patio where diners can sit outside in the summer and enjoy the open air. We’ve never had the pleasure of sitting on the patio at the front but it looks pleasant enough. I’d only wonder about the random nightlife that could cause disturbances.
As you enter the restaurant the ambiance is wonderful. The front entrance is a little small and isn’t expected for people to wait. A hostess quickly greets you and ushers you to your table within a very short time. The restaurant is always full and as you enter you look onto an old style round bar with guests sitting around it. The interior definitely gives you the feeling of old Europe charm. The walls are brick and the lighting is dim with just enough light for the perfect ambiance. The tables are also close enough together that you can slightly hear your neighbor but not too close that their conversation intrudes on your privacy. You can also see everyone around you but the tables are well position so that you can focus on your own guests. The rooms are separated by step floors that also give enough open space while keep enough privacy for the guests. Il Terrazzo definitely scores full marks for ambiance.
Servers and Service
The servers at Il Terrazzo are overall quite good and quite experienced. Management clearly takes hiring seriously. However, the servers are still the North American style servers and often miss the professional feel of a fully educated University careered server. Oversharing and too frequent visits are common and while the knowledge of the menu is good, there’s another level of excellence that could be achieved at this restaurant. Management would do well to offer additional classes in wine pairing and food preparation and everything that goes into the restaurant. The higher standard they hold for their serving staff the better the experience will be for their guests. While I give them almost full marks for the service because honestly there’s not much better, this restaurant could actually get to the next level. This restaurant is good enough to set a standard unseen in virtually every other North American restaurant in service.
Cuisine and Selection
This is clearly why everyone comes to this restaurant. The cuisine is Northern Italian style cuisine and is amazing. The appetizers are to die for. Even thinking about the cuisine as I write months and months since I’ve been back, I want to go again. Every dish makes me want to learn to cook and know that I’d never make it as well as the Chef at Il Terrazzo. Every item on the menu is worth trying and the menu has plenty to select from. There is no other place in the city where the cuisine is as delicious or prepared as well as Il Terrazzo Ristorante. The Chef gets full marks!
The Miss
Unfortunately, Il Terrazzo doesn’t promote the Chef. While the food is amazing, the name of the Chef is nowhere to be found on their website. There’s no acknowledgement of any kind for the main reason we go to the restaurant or for the people that make this experience possible. There’s no acknowledgement of the manager that holds everything together when everything goes up in flames or the server that handles every table when someone calls in sick. There’s no recognizing the bartender and sommelier that knows where every wine comes from and makes every drink without even blinking or the hostess that knows where people can sit and who can come in unexpectedly and still get a table because she or he knows that some people always get in (you don’t refuse Madonna at any restaurant).
Overall
Overall this restaurant is a 4.9 out of 5. By recognizing their people and stepping up their training they’d easily make a 5 out of 5.