Can Locanda dell’Orso stand out in a crowded Italian food space?

Tucked into the south corner of W Pender and Homer Street, physically distinct from Gastown (even if only two blocks away), sits the home of Italian restaurants.

The wide windows and black facade at 350 W Pender were formerly occupied by Autostrada, a small neighbourhood Italian restaurant. That’s now given way to Locanda dell’Orso, another Italian restaurant. Like pasta-stained white shirt (of which I own a few), you clearly can’t get the Italian out of the area.

Locanda dell’Orso, translated to “inn of the bear,” opened back in May 2024. It has billed itself, at least on the website, as “the ambiance of a warm Italian home” and a “welcoming and indulgent culinary experience.”

The decor is reminiscent of Gastronomy Gastown, but not in a favourable way. Red and black dominate, with almost blood-like leather chairs and a darkened interiour that felt less like a home and more like a dark cinema. While inns may be dark, it does the restaurant no favours. I hope in 2025 we can do away with red and black as a colour theme.

The clientele felt more business and less like a casual inn. I couldn’t help but think back to my time in Milan, the business capital of Italy, full of suited Italians bustling off to work, rather than Bologna, the slower, more decadent food capital. It feels more corporate and upscale, rather than a small inn. 

It’s a spacious restaurant, a welcome change from the smaller, louder and more cramped spots in town, a nice place to take a date for a more intimate conversation, or if you’re hard of hearing. But please, can we away from the all-too-stereotypical posters? I don’t need another Campari bottle picture to remind me I’m in an Italian restaurant. 

As one of the servers told me, the menu takes inspiration from around Italy, with a focus on the north. Ingredients and dishes like veal, bolognese and ossobuco, speak to those northern Lombardy and Bologna roots. 

For those finding bourbon a bit too much, their version of an old-fashioned includes the liqueur amaretto di Saronno. The cinnamon and almond softness of the drink was a welcome respite to the more intense bourbon flavour. Well done. The wine list also includes wine by the glass from Umbria and northern Piemonte.

We started with the Vitello Tonnato, thin sliced pink-ish veal, served cold with a light and creamy tuna sauce. Airy, subtle and slightly salty, it’s a dish I haven’t seen in any other local Italian restaurant. Different for sure. 

The most creative dish happened to be the least Italian. Perfectly fried Hokkaido scallops ($26) were topped with layers of darkly rich mushrooms. The playful dish was superb but felt out of place with the rest. 

Deep, indented ravioli pockets chock full of ossobuco were sublime, with a healthy application of olive oil bringing it together. The rich meal paired well with the fresh pasta exterior. But at $39, with only a few ravioli, the dish felt lacking. 

The squid ink pasta with bognese, jet black strands of al dente pasta with foamy (yes, foamy) venison ragu featured the most wonderful addition of raisins, lending little bursts of sweetness in each bite. Not traditional, but very good. But the dish, on the whole, fell a bit short, missing that extra punch of umami. Luckily it was only $34 for a decent portion size. 

Italian desserts, in my experience, serve more as a vehicle for showcasing chefs’ different inspirations, with tiramisu and panna cotta offering a blank canvas of experimentation.

Nothing says Italian like pistachios, and their tiramisu featuring pistachios did not disappoint. Creamy and decadent, and healthy portion size for $14 is, by itself, a reason to visit or even come by for dessert and a glass of Italian wine. 

Locando dell’Orso poses a challenge. While positioning itself as an inn, the prices feel more like an upscale restaurant without the upscale accompaniments. With two drinks, two appetizers, two pasta dishes and dessert, the entire meal set us back over $200, or $100 each. 

That’s just not competitive in a city where Italian food has carved out space as some of the best places to eat in the city. Standing out is truly a challenge. 

And yet. Behind the perfectly good pasta, there is a hint of something more, a simmering creativity waiting to be unleashed, apparent in the approach to the scallops. Is that possible within a type of food like Italian, where expectations and standardization are so set, where people expect pasta and tiramisu? Can Locanda dell’Orso embrace that creativity and make a case for itself even with its high prices? Maybe more time is needed. 

Locanda dell’Orso is a place worth trying, if a bit on the expensive side, but especially if you want to see some Northern Italian cuisine. But maybe try the lunch at the prices that are more affordable. 

Noise Level: It was very easy to hear when I visited, but it was also a weekday. 

Recommended: Scallops, tiramisu, veal tonnato.

What I wish I had ordered: Agnlotti, panna cotta.

Drinks: $16-$21 cocktails, $12-$16 for a glass of wine, good list of non-alcoholic options.

Price: $$$, appetizers at $22-$30, pasta $28-$36.

Other details: Lots of vegetarian options, including pasta.

Similar restaurants:

• Autostrada on Main — This was one of my favourite meals of 2024, but the place is now closed. You can still visit their other location downtown though!

• Cioffe’s— Not a restaurant, but my go-to spot for Italian grocers. Has literally everything you could want. The only question is how much are you going to leave with.