daMaurizio Dining Room

Second time having dinner at this restaurant.
since they offer special course menu, me and most of friends ordered the course. $ 45 (before tax) includes one choice of appetizer, one main course and one dessert.
My friends ordered mussel as their appetizer. Looks really good.
I had squash soup. It was ok. My main dish is haddock with lobster. It was really good. I enjoyed it.
The best was dessert. I had pumpkin and pecan torte.
A little bit salt makes the dessert better. I love its taste.

Been here twice in last month — had to go back because the first time blew my mind the tastes where plentiful — it wasn’t a dream the second visit was just as good.
The calamari is the best I have ever had — I have tried 6 of the appetizers in those 2 visits — all where top shelf.
My main entrees where the steak and penne, both to die for.
The staff was also very pleasant and service was A1, everyone chips in to help each other. Cozy atmosphere and your made to feel right at home.

One of the problems with eating out at Christmas as a table for two is suffering from ‘not a big group-​itis.’ The food was all quite good, but I felt neglected in favour of much larger groups nearby. Our waitress was not particularly attentive and forgot a few things we asked for. Our wine wasn’t refilled promptly and it took awhile for us to catch her eye for the cheque.
Part of the joy of dining out and splurging (which is a once-​a-​year occasion for my friend and I) is the high quality of service. We’ve had that other places, but not so at daMaurzio. If it were any other restaurant at any other time of year, then the level of service would have been fine. As it was, the food was special, the occasion was special, but the service was not. That makes me a little sad.

Great atmosphere, nice menu, but I was very disappointed in a key part of my meal, and not impressed with the service. I ordered a prix fixe menu, which included pork tenderloin, «Arista di maiale alle pesca e cigliege». The pork arrived and it was tough and dry. It took some effort to saw through it with my knife. I often cook pork tenderloin at home, and if done correctly, it is still pink in the centre and remains delightfully tender, with a nice, slightly-​crisp crust. This pork was overcooked, which is a crime when you’re paying $ 40 for it.
The wait staff were notably absent for the entire main course (a good 30 minutes), so I didn’t have a chance to raise my concerns about the meat before it was too late. Not once did the waiter ask us how everything was or if the food was okay, before, during, or after the main course. This was a reservation and a table of 7 on a Monday night. You would think with a larger group like that, the waiter would be paying pretty close attention to us.
My wife’s panko crusted haddock seemed to be cooked very nicely, my mussel appetizer was tasty, and I enjoyed my banana panna cotta dessert. The pork, however, like the service, was just bad.

Location, atmosphere, and food are great.
However, every time I go (I go back so many times for the dessert menu and the atmosphere), the service is very much substandard. Drop the pretentiousness. The food, the selection of scotch, and the beautiful décor of the restaurant already have the prestige covered. I would definitely visit on a more regular basis with more friends if the services got better. I have high hopes.
(don’t be afraid to be stern with some of your veteran waiters. I think they are being too comfortable).

Called last minute on a Thursday for reservations and the staff almost giggled, saying it wouldn’t be a problem. LOL
Nice, warm atmosphere. Some traditional Italian prints on the wall, very comfortable chairs (without arms), long/​narrow layout with maybe 20 tables? We were seated at a two-​seater about midway down and the tables immediately around us remained empty from about 6 through 8, with a few being taken at opposite ends.
Very friendly service.
Always like the free bread with three varieties in the basket and offer of more if we wanted some. Came with whipped butter, no oil/​vinaigrette.
Delicious Caesar salad that I’ve actually been thinking about for the last 48 hrs, although it had no croutons or crustini, I found it was good enough just from the homemade dressing.
Very good spaghettini (sp?) with garlic, olive oil, etc. Was asked if I wanted the appetizer size, which I didn’t notice as being an option on the menu, but it was just right. I wasn’t hungry afterwards, but not painfully full either.
Told by my partner that the tenderloin was quite good. Thick like a filet mignon, but served as a relatively ‘small portion’ atop the mashed potatoes which could’ve been a bit more, but satisifed.
Yum dessert of chocolate/​white chocolate gelato with brownies? Definitely large enough to split.
Decent wine selection. Small cocktail menu but I believe you can order anything you want from the bar.
I look forward to going back. :)

I really enjoyed my meal here with friends.
The service was great. Everyone we dealt with was pleasant and attentive, from the hostess, to our waiter, to the food servers.
My food was fantastic. I had the beet & goat cheese salad to start. It looked cool, there’s a pic here I snapped. Generous with the goat cheese, just how I would want. I had a grilled chicken breast with tomato sauce as an entrée. Well prepared, not dried out. The chile marinade described leaves a nice little kick. The tomato sauce had a lovely flavour that made a rather plain entrée by description really wonderful to eat. I had the maple crème brûlée for dessert. I had expected the maple flavour to be a bit stronger, but regardless it was super creamy and great.
I like the way this place rolls in the sense that there is no rush between courses. Great place to come with friends to sit, chit chat, and enjoy a leisurely meal. Not a place to rush into hoping to grab a bite with 30 minutes to spare. Kick back, have some wine, relax.
You can make reservations through Open Table, always a bonus.
The menu is varied and I picked out a few more things I’d like to try — I’ll be back.

My husband made reservations at this restaurant as part of our Valentine’s Day plans. It was my first time, and as Italian food is one of my favorites, I can be somewhat picky. This restaurant did not disappoint, it was excellent. Has a very nice atmosphere, and the service was perfect, very attentive, however, not to the point of annoyance. Our server was able to answer all of the questions about the menu items, which ones that she preferred, etc., and when she noticed that I did not drink my iced tea, she promptly removed it from our bill. Honestly, it seemed that all of the servers provided this level of customer service.
The food was simply amazing, very flavorful, not huge portions, yet completely satisfying. We each had an appetizer: Calamari alla Gradese and Cappasante alla Pancetta, which were both beautifully plated and flavored perfectly. Our mains were ordered off of a special menu, and I can not remember the exact names, he had a veal dish, and I had a linguini in a white wine/​pesto sauce with manila clams. It was the best clam linguini dish I have ever ate. We finished with a Trio di Sorbetti (selection of handmade Italian fruit ices) which were delicious.
Now, it is a little pricy, but the quality is incredible. We did not order any alcoholic beverages, just pop, water, iced tea (which is the only thing that I didn’t like), and our bill was approx. $ 105(+ tip).
Any special occasions, if you enjoy Italian food, this place is a must.

I’ve been coming to daMaurizio since Maurizio and Stephanie Bertossi opened it what seems like a lifetime ago. Good friends Tanya and Andrew King have owned it for almost a decade and have done an excellent job of maintaining the quality and specialness of the resto. They have an outstanding staff who are knowledgable about the food that Andrew produces and the wines that rest in their cellar. While this is a destination resto for special occasions, it’s accessible enough for a Tuesday night when you just want someone to feed you something wonderful.
The menu changes seasonally and they have a prix fixe menu that changes monthly. You can’t go wrong with the calamari or lumache to start. If you’re into bitter salad, have the warm radicchio salad. Their take on a caesar salad is also excellent. If the veal chop with porcini crust is on the menu, get it. Anything with rabbit will make your taste buds do a happy dance. They have a deft hand with seafood, and the halibut is always an excellent choice. The pastas and risotti are all delish and come in an «appetizer» size (which I find filling enough) but you can also order them in a larger «main course» size. Desserts are decadent – their pastry chef is a genius. If you’re like me and don’t have a sweet tooth, you’ll be pleased with the cheese plate.
The wine list is extensive but lacks details so ask your server for descriptions and/​or recommendations. And don’t be shy about setting a price limit! They’ve got something to suit every budget. There is also a decent selection of wines by the glass. They have a full bar, so if wine’s not your thing, there will be something available to quench your thirst.
Special occasion or not, daMaurizio is a fabulous destination.

Another «BLAH» Italian restaurant in Halifax.
Service leaves something to be desired. We were served by an older man on Thursday evening that seemed too busy to tend to us. I would state his name had he mentioned it to us.
I ordered the Ravioli alla Boscaiola (chicken ravioli) and was surprised when it came out to me there was far too much salt I couldn’t eat it. Our waiter did not ask me how my meal was one time. Thankfully my girlfriend shared some of her meal with me to fill me up. A different waiter removed our plates from the table and did not ask how it was either.
We had the Crema Bruciata allo Scriroppo d’acero for dessert. (Maple crème brûlée)
Again, nothing special. The sugar cookie atop it was hard and old.
I waited about 15 minutes for the bathroom as there was a line up of 4 women for a 1 stall bathroom. (Not very fine dine if you ask me.)
Having paid over $ 160.00 for two of us to have dinner and drinks and not being *wowed* — we will not return nor recommend this place to anyone.

I was looking forward to dinner here for days. Tried the Radicchio Salad and the Gnocchi.
salad was great– original, fresh, high quality ingredients, flavourful and a very good size.
the gnocchi — I’ve had better. It was a good size (the appetizer portion), but i found the texture too chewy, and it didn’t compliment the rich cream sauce. I like my gnocchi to be a pillowy and light but this was chewy and gummy.
service was good though and the restaurant was decadently decorated (gold cherubs, and brass salt and pepper grinders on the table)

Fantastic! What a great find. Actually, it was recommended to us by the concierge at the Price George. He was dead on. If you want great, fine italian dining, go here. Service outstanding. Food was delicious. Even wines by the glass were decent, but I’d consider ordering by the bottle if you’ll drink it all.

I’ve been waiting to go to daMaurizo for months. I also had an old Groupon coupon to use. t
It took a bit longer than expected for my guests and I to be seated. It wasn’t a horrible wait, but something I would have expected an a family resto or bar, not a fine dining establishment. I let the waiter know I was using the coupon and he instantly said I couldn’t order off of the prix fixe menu. That was fine, it’s just the abruptness that he said it that rubbed me the wrong way. The waiter was noticeably chilly the entire experience which was felt by all three of us. The food was fantastic. I went for each course while my friends ordered from the prix fixe. Everything was wonderful, perfectly seasoned and well presented. My favorite was the Ravioli alla Boscaiola. The food would have merited a 4 star but the waiter’s stand offish approach really pulled down the overall experience. I will return, for the pasta alone.

I love the food they serve because the vegetarian options are plentiful. They always have 2 – 3 soup options and a few entrees as well. It’s nice sitting down knowing you’ll be able to find something scrumptious on the menu.
On the other side of things, the crowd is a little older only because the prices are high and I’m sure they don’t get a lot of students eating there. As a youth I find that when I eat here the waiter always caters to my mother and gives me the snotty shoulder because they’re looking for a tip. However, what they don’t know is that I’m the one paying the bill and I don’t appreciate being judged for my status as a young student. For this reason I have slowly fazed out coming here as I’ve found vegetarian options that are equally as scrumptious AND offer good service.

This was my first time dining at daMaurizio’s, I arrived a little earlier than my party and was greeted by the friendly staff. They took my jacket and sat me at the bar while I waited for the others.
The bar service was great and wine selection is vast. We were taken over to our table which I found was nicely lit and not cramped at all. One issue I had when it came time to order! I forgot my glasses so could not see everything one the menu too well. I ended up going with the ‘root salad’ it has a very fancy name but again I couldn’t read it. for the main meal The salad was a mix of different root vegetables cooked to perfection.
The main meal I chose was chicken (again no glasses for the fancy name, I spotted chicken in the description and ran with it) It was cooked nice and tender. One of the group chose the wine and we ended up going through two bottles of it.
I will be back for two reasons, 1. I have to bring my glasses and read the menu. 2. the food and service here is excellent

An exceptionally delicious meal. Calamari, radicchio salad, risotto all beyond incredible. Truly outstanding and I can’t WAIT to come back. I am here for 2 months so you know I’ll be back to try some more of their incredible dishes.
Also, service was perfect. Thanks!

I’d heard SO much about this place and after several great experiences at the Bicycle Thief, I decided to give it a try and see what all the hype was about.
Everything from the moment we walked in the door was excellent. The hostess who sat us down was warm and friendly and although presented us with several menus, explained each one in detail and even gave her own recommendations.
Our server arrived shortly after to take our drink orders followed by the meal orders. He was attentive right to the end and, as ridiculous as this sounds, I felt he actually cared about us… everything from filling up our water glasses at just the right time, checking in with us when our food took a bit longer than normal (not that I noticed) and promptly arriving with the debit machine when our desserts were done. This guy was nothing short of awesome.
Everything about the food and drinks were also worth writing home about. The salad, haddock, and banana cream mousse dessert were to die for. We opted for the Table D’hote which gave us a three course meal for around $ 39+HST. It was well worth it. I would normally give more information about the actual food but I was so in awe of each course, I barely remember what they were called.
In my opinion, this place is worth all the hype and if you’re looking for a nice night out (with a few bucks to spend) I’d absolutely suggest Da Maurizio.

I went to Da Maurizio for Open City and I waited in line to get the scrumtaculous gnocchi bolognese. There’s no photo to post because I wolfed it down, thanks Tanya and Andy!

My favourite spot in Halifax, so so good!
I had noticed on Twitter that DaMaurizio had been tweeting about a new menu coming out on the 26^th. After a few exchanges and when I realized pumpkin ravioli was on the menu, I made a reservation for my birthday on the 26^th.
When I arrived and checked in online, one of the owners Tanya, stopped by the table to introduce herself and thank us for coming, she had said that she had enjoyed my tweets. I thought that was a nice touch. I have seen her at the restaurant every time I’ve been in, and it helps to show why the restaurant is so consistently good, because the owners really care.
Onto the best stuff, the food! I had the pumpkin ravioli with citrus duck sauce and sliced duck breast, just awesome. The sauce complemented the pasta perfectly. For my main, since I’m a carb lover, I had the gnocchi and requested it be made with a pomodoro sauce. The service was excellent, so of course the waiter did not bat an eyelash accommodating the request. The sauce was fresh and flavourful and the gnocchi was light. I have a giant sweet tooth, so dessert was my favourite. I ordered the crème brule trio. It had mini pots of vanilla, dark chocolate and salted caramel flavours. OMG, it was awesome. The salted caramel was hands down the best, the little flakes of sea salt just popped. I can’t stop thinking about it.
Da Maurizio is not cheap, but when there is no budget, this is my top choice, every time.

When I went to my grade 12 prom we decided to get reservations at Da Maurizio before the dance began at the Westin, just down the street. There were about 20 high school seniors at our table, which took up the majority of our dining room. Most of the remaining patrons were middle aged business men or older couples dressed to the nines.
I was a little overwhelmed by the atmosphere, the food and the even the bathroom (which has expensive looking lotion next to the soap). This is because Da Maurizio is a fine dining experience, and (as we soon learned from our bills) not intended for teenagers with part-​time jobs.
Having dined at Da Maurizio a few times since my first experience I’ve started to become more comfortable there. While it is still expensive and the bathrooms still have lotion dispensers, I have to admit the food and atmosphere are worth it.
Hot Hint: There is a «Prix Fixe» special menu every month that offers an option of 4 appetizers, 3 entrees, and 3 desserts. Choose one dish from each category for a fixed price of $ 39.95. Last month I had bruschetta, prime rib of pork and chocolate torte and it was delicious, just don’t forget this doesn’t include drinks.