Caffé Roma & Lounge

Je suis entrée au Caffe Roma ce samedi soir, voyant que l’endroit avait l’air plus calme que les autres (la musique live c’est vraiment sympa, mais quand tu veux juste avoir une conversation autour d’un verre sur le drive, il faut y aller!!!).
De fait je dirais qu’il y avait moyen de tenir une conversation! L’espace est grand, ce n’est pas bondé (on né se sent pas oppressé), parfois ça fait du bien.
Quand le groupe s’est mis à jouer, presque toutes les personnes présentes (pour la plupart d’un certain âge) se sont mises à se trémousser sur la piste, j’ai été séduite par l’ambiance!
J’ai hâte de voir comment ça se passé les autres weekend!

Great location. Stopped in for a cocktail and ordered a Patron Silver Margherita. The check was $ 29 for one drink. The drink was 5 – 6 ounces. Needless to say this is the most expensive little drink I have ever purchased. Manager explained to me that I was from the states and things are different here… hmmm…he told me it was an $ 18 up charge to switch from Cuervo 1800 to Patron… sadly I think he thought I was drunk. I refused to pay the absurd price and left… I would stay away if you are «from the states»…which I guess means «going to get ripped off».

Can’t tell you about the food ’cause we never got any service. After waiting 15 minutes at the table for menus, I ordered drinks directly at the bar and ask to have a server at the table. Drinks did not come… so we left. Had a great experience across the street at Charlatan!

Nice thin crust pizza… not-​so-​nice service. I was one of a handful of tables with at least 4 staff on. It took more than ten minutes to get someone by for a drink… no one checked on me while I eating… and I had to wave someone down for a takeaway box and my bill 15+ minutes after my glass was empty and napkin on my plate signalling I was finished. At least it was freshly made food so I can’t fault them for that!

We went there to watch a game and might I say it was the worst table placements. My neck hurt from watching sideways. It would make sense to have the tables facing the TV. Well, then we started to order food. They didn’t have three of the three items we ordered right off the start. They were all out of food and it was barely after lunch.
DO NOT ORDER THE WINGS. Honey garlic wings were SO GROSS, that I would rather lick my own butt than eat those wings. It was AWFUL!!! Nobody at our table could eat them. Did you think the waitress cared that our food was crap? They don’t use salt in their food. They don’t give you salt, pepper, parmesan, or even ketchup at the tables. We had to ask, and even then the waitress would steal everything back and not leave it at the damn table.
The only good part was the dessert. They must’ve bought it at Costco because it was the only item at our table that was edible. By dessert time came, we were so hungry we basically inhaled dessert in three seconds.
I gave them two stars because they had nice lights.

Excellent food — excellent service. I have now been to almost every good restaurant in this block — by recommendation of my friends who live in the area. This place was a great choice tonight. We got in there before they filled up and had the shredded cauliflower appetizer, margherita pizza, strozsapreti (I always forget how to spell it,) and the coconut crème fraîche dessert. Everything was tasty and fresh. Service was better than you could ask for — water always replenished, and server attentive without being annoying.

I went to Caffe Roma first on a Saturday night before Christmas. My friends and I were doing a little Christmas pub crawl along the drive (which is often hard because most places are sit down and smaller). We ended up going into Caffe Roma and it was great! The servers were friendly and not too overwhelmed by having a big group come in. It was karaōke that night so people got up to sing and it was a very nice. fun atmosphere.
The second time I came here was for the dine out menu. The food was great, the tiramisu was reallly good, despite being so full I forced myself to finish it. Again, the atmosphere was so nice with live music playing as wel but not too loud so that we could still have a conversation. We noticed that the owner was having a drink at the table beside us and all of the staff would go up and chat with him. It’s nice to see he seems to have a good relationship with his staff and good to see him in his own restaurants where lots of other customers seemed to be familiar with him.
This is a really good place to go to on the drive for some live music and good food. The only complaint I have is that I like craft beer, this place had craft beer but only in bottles. It would be nice to see if they reserved a few of their taps for some local craft breweries!
Overall it’s a great place, just put a little pressure on them about the taps ;)

It’s Dine out week in Vancouver and I was wanting to take my family out for a Sunday night dinner. Much to my delight I saw that Caffe Roma was participating in the Dine out this year. I had previously gone here for a fundraiser and was really impressed with the ambience, service and food that I had last time. I thought I’d try it again. This time with my family. I can honestly say that once again I was really impressed. We all ordered from the Dine Out menu that was reasonably priced at $ 18. Great selection for the price. I had the Chicken a Parmigiana and it was Great! Huge serving and the pasta that came with it was really tasty. My husband had the Eggplant Parmigiana and he said it was the best he ever had, my children had the Braised Beef and Gnocchi. They cleaned their plates! Dessert was equally delicious. I had the Panna Cotta and the rest of the family had the tiramisu. All really good.
Again i was very happy with the friendly service and the great lively atmosphere.
I will return again for great atmosphere and fantastic food. The service was attentive and friendly. They also have entertainment I think I’ll come back with some friends and see some music. It’s so great to see that Commercial Drive has another choice for a great night out!

Went for Dine Out Vancouver. All the food was really good, and the service was excellent. Live music was great too.
They have a lot of taps, but unfortunately the list is dominated by crappy Euro lagers. Be good to see some more local beers in there.

I’d like to start by saying that I have never written a negative review for any restaurant on any site before, I am food lover who almost always enjoys his experience, even if I don’t like the food much, I usually still appreciate the effort put in to feed and serve me. However, my dining experience at Caffe Roma was quite unpleasant.
— — — –
The bad:
— — — —
Meatball appetizer: Texture of meatball is really bad, like cardboard and sand. The meat itself had no real flavour, just bland. Covered in a tomato based sauce which was even worse! The sauce is bitter with a horrible taste that I don’t really know how to describe. Honestly, the worst meatball I’ve had anywhere. Even whitespot has better meatballs (and I don’t have many good things to say about them)
Pesto Gnocchi: Gnocchi texture is too firm, under cooked in my opinion, but I guess that is open for interpretation. The pesto sauce is O. K, but really sub par.
Lasagna: I was really excited about this, the plate looked delicious but I was sorely disappointed. The only fault here is that the lasagna uses the same meat/​sauce as the meatballs! It was so bad, I just couldn’t continue after a few bites, and I LOVE lasagna, Ive never had a lasagna I didn’t want to eat until today.
Garlic bread: Heavy amounts of raw shaved garlic covering the bread made it completely inedible. Really, really bad.
— — — — -
The Good:
— — — — -
–Pork Belly: Delicious and tender, quite enjoyed this one. Big portion size too.
–The place is clean with a fun atmosphere
–I went in the afternoon, they had already finished breakfast service but still put together a custom fruit bowl at my request.
–generous portion sizes
— — — —
The Meh
— — — —
Beef carpaccio: Decent quality meat, but uninspired and unoriginal dish. Beef, arugula and a tiny bit of parmesan. not much flavour — meh. Also, swimming in olive oil.
Staff — Waitress was in such a hurry to clear our appetizers and serve the mains that she took my fruit bowl before I was finished (there was still fruit in it) and put the finished plated ontop of the pork belly plate which still had a big chunk of meat on it (wasnt finished that one either). To her credit, she did take my lasagna back and offer to replace it with another dish to make things right. However, her attitude seemed a tad unfriendly afterwards as if she was annoyed that I didn’t like the dish. She wasn’t rude, just not as polite as I would have expected from most servers.
— — — — — –
Bottom line
— — — — — –
I can tell they put effort into the dishes, they are plated nicely and look delicious. Unfortunately, it really is some of the worst food Ive had in a long time and just can’t recommend this place for anything more than drinks and watching the game.
I originally wanted to give 1 star, but bumped it up to 2 due to the kitchen’s flexibility in making me an off menu fruit bowl and for offering to replace my disliked main course.

Hip urban joint well managed by it’s ever present host, Gino. Place is as charming as he is with good food, warm staff and top bands playing nightly. Internationally renowned artists, a great late night vibe and groovy ambience — put in place by the unique lighting of the street in the wall length windows — make you feel like you’re listening to the blues in the french quarter of new orleans.

I had great service and the coffee was amazing.
I have had lunch there before and the pasta was amazing.

This is a great spot to watch sporting events. Especially soccer of course. However, their menu lacks in substance. They used to be a really cool corner coffee shop. This location changed into a trendy bar with «okay» food.

Went here last week to meet a friend and wanted to sit at the bar to have a drink. When I got there I waited for the bartender who never came! I sat for a few minutes then was annoyed that the bartender was nowhere to be seen. My friend said, he said he was going for a smoke and that he would be back in 10. What the F@&$? Who does that? AND who allows that in their establishments? No one the the industry is allowed to go for a smoke and leave the floor unless someone covers them. AND who tells the customer that they are leaving for a smoke anyways! Don’t know how this guy has a job, completely useless. Well needless to say, i left immediately, and will never go back and you can be sure I will mention it to ALL my friends!

I would probably give this place 3.5 stars really. I’ve been there twice since the remodel (never went before). Both times to watch a World Cup game, which was great. They have plenty of screens and the other patrons are also football fans so you can really get into the game (unlike other places that invite you to watch the game but don’t even turn on the sound). I actually found the staff and service to be fine. Even managed to find a couple of seats for an Italy game (they lost). The place was packed but service was friendly. I tried the grapefruit radler they have on tap and LOVED it! One complaint is that the breakfast I ordered during my second visit (mozzarella, tomatoes, focacia and fruit) was a skimpy and I thought the cheese tasted a bit sour.

Marginal at best. The worst customer service. Overpriced beers. And no ketchup. Who doesn’t have ketchup?!? Outrage

This is a fantastic dive-​ish place on the drive. They have fresh cannolis and delicious Amercianos with a fun and rambunctious staff. Watching a Serie A game is certainly on my to do list!

This is a fantastic place that we literally stumbled upon while walking the streets looking for a place to eat lunch. There happened to be a soccer game featuring the Italian team on live which created a fun atmosphere, especially listening to the many Italian men ride the wave of emotion that is soccer. The food was tremendous and modestly priced and they have wi-​fi, which is handy!

This place is great, I usually go on sundays to have a schnitzel with a super salad with italian oil.
It has wifi and the environment from home.

Great, until they realize you’re not from Italy, lol

Caffe Roma is a staple on Commercial Drive. If you really want to experience the Little Italy this is ground Zero. This is place to watch soccer and other Europe events. Sometimes its an old folks home in there Caffe Roma, lot of old men.
Good Caffe Latte, very standard.
Food is a surprise and didn’t expect much but, real Italian deli style Pizza and full menu of pastas and sandwich’s. Was better then average.
*Soup and pizza is good.

When I lived in Montréal, I had the best little café across the street from my apartment. It was actually an Italian social club that eventually opened its doors to the public, while still maintaining a vibe that said that the owners didn’t especially care about trendiness or the latest thing in coffee. What they cared about was making great coffee. So, when I moved out here, the owners of my café back home told me that the only possible place that could approximate theirs is Café Roma. It’s not across the street from me, but everything else about it is pretty close to what I’m used to: lots of Italian men playing cards, watching soccer, and talking animatedly; excellent coffee; good paninis; and an absolute lack of overt trendiness. This place is spacious and definitely caters to the soccer-​loving crowd, with the TVs overhead, but it also has nice outdoor seating for when it’s warm enough. I almost hate to write about Café Roma for fear of it becoming the next big thing, but missing out on their coffee would be a shame. So, there it is, go to Café Roma and you’ll know you’ve found the real thing.

Somehow, through some miracle of the old country, there is a coffee shop on Commercial Drive that has never hired an image consultant, never put up a clever sign next to the tip jar, never hired a barista with a lip ring, never tried to sell Christmas albums, and never tried to pander to the people who think that coffee should be a culture unto itself.
Café Roma may be more than a little out of touch, but the sincerity of the old Italian men and true sports bar feel is beyond refreshing, and the coffee was clearly never broken and hence never fixed.
With its long outdoor patio, it’s the perfect place to watch the world go by, free from moms on cellphones and scenesters on laptops. It is what it is, and you must acknowledge that you don’t fit in in order to enjoy it.
Of note is that the music is atrocious (soft rock), but likely acts as a deterrent to the main players of the «coffee is my image and my life force» denomination.

What they’ll do is make you an offer you just can’t refuse…
Like a world class espresso or an Americano that is sure to put the «Fa get» into your «Fa get about it».
It’s like you’re walking into a scene of the Sopranos when you go to Café Roma down on Commercial Drive. The place is decorated like an Italian teenager’s bedroom. Posters of Italian soccer stars and local athletes adorn the walls. You’d be a complete idiot to walk into that place with a Spanish or French jersey on. You may get sprayed by a passenger on a motorcycle while sipping on one of their awesome house blends.
They have food there that is a taste of the old country. They have created a perfect blend of Vancouver Canadian cuisine mixed with that Italian flavor. Try their panini. Awesome!
If you have the chance, go there during a world soccer event. You’ll never experience the beautiful game quite like they do it at Café Roma.