Via Veneto

05/30/2008 Posted by buddt

We had a bad experience once before but because of the recent "hype" we decided to try it again. Never again! The staff (including owner/host) have a terrible 'tude. They are not interested in you unless you are a celeb, regular or pretty young things (without male companionship). They are so concerned with turning their tables that my wife and I were literally accosted a minute after we sat down by the waitress wanting to recite a list a specials. She seemed shocked when we politely told her we just sat down and wanted a moment to look at the menu, order some wine and then hear the specials. The busboy also seemed insulted by our choice of tap water after he offered only bottled water (sparkling or flat). We were almost sitting in the lap of two other tables for 2 on either side of us. When my wife asked if she could subsitute a different pasta with one of their sauces she was told "we don't make any changes or subsitutions to the menu"...and when we asked to order our appetizer first and then order our main course we were told "we have a small kitchen I can only place a total order"...not customer-friendly at all. They were totally focused in moving us along; even with our battling to pace our meal and wine, etc. we were still out in an hour! As a side note, the host/owner paid particular attention to the table next to us with 2 attractive women (and they weren't regular's) providing them with a sampling of the ravioli specials. I'm sure that wasn't the only "special" he wanted to provide. For such a supposed fine restaurant, can you say "cheesy"?Never again!Hint:if you want great Italian and similar ambiance, but classic, attentive service seek out Ago (West Hollywood), Osteria Latini (Brentwood) or Piccolo Paradiso (Bev Hills)-much better food without the 'tude!

Pros: Could be construed as romantic environment.

Cons: Simply horrible service with a matching attitude from all members of the staff top to bottom.

05/27/2008 Posted by Ariel5504

I make an annual trip out to LA and Via Veneto is my #1 choice for dinner, EVERY night! Best food anywhere, cool, hip vibe, friendly wait staff and I even got to meet the "rock star" owner on one of my visits. My favorite dish is the crab salad in a shell....it's to die for!! Some of these bad reviews makes me wonder as it certainly doesn't reflect my many experiences at this great restaurant. I also checked out their new place "Hidden" which is right across the street and that vemue is beyond description!! The "Two Romans and a Rock Star" are a great team.

Pros: The food, the service, the ambiance

Cons: None

05/27/2008 Posted by margana

without a doubt, the BEST italian food experience in L.A. As an italian /american who's lived in italy, i know what i'm talking about. Get the spaghetti botarga with razor clams. There's nothing that even comes close, anywhere. btw, I LOVE the noise & the boys!

05/08/2008 Posted by sniffmeister

I'm shocked at the negative reviews! I've been there 4 times and each time it is better than the last. We were even turned away with reservations last Friday because my husband was in shorts and I'd STILL recommend this place. I'm going back on May 30th and bringing friends! The waiters can be hard to understand, but I've actually felt embarrassed by how much time they spent with us going over the menu. Our last time we tipped 50% because we were so impressed with the service. The asparagus ravioli is the best thing I've ever eaten.

Pros: Amazing food and service

Cons: Parking, and a dress code that isn't well communicated when making reservations

04/29/2008 Posted by gina141

My experience was like being served by sleazy used car salesman with fake italian accents. It was so hammed up that my boyfriend and I both couldn't understand the specials of the evening only that we felt roped into ordering at least one. We had the same experience with the wine. Every wine by the glass they were supposedly "out of". We were then pointed in the direction of the 1/2 bottles for over $100. When i tried to order a 1/2 bottle for around $40 again they were "out of" the bottle. It got so uncomfortable we almost skipped the wine. It seemed every bottle under $100 they didn't have. Before we had even finished our meal, (which was so-so and not worth the price) the waiter dropped the bill, only to discover he had charged us a different price for the wine we had ordered. Now, normally i wouldn't make a big deal over $9, but the fact that our waiter had been so shady when trying to order the bottle, i decided to bring it up. He told us that it was the "special reserve" and that he told us before opening. I have never experienced this type of sleazy service in a restaurant. The manager Marco then came to the table and told us that he will not be adjusting the price to what the menu lists it at and very rudely told us that our waiter said he informed us and if we don't agree we can take it out of his tip. THIS WAS THE WORST EXPERIENCE I'VE HAD A A RESTAURANT. YOU COULDN'T PAY US TO RETURN TO THIS PLACE.

04/21/2008 Posted by sarahprop

This was the worst experience I've ever had dining. Well, not dining really. We went on Friday night with 8:00 reservations, waited until 8:30 without even being spoken to, and then when we were asked to wait outside in the cold, we decided to leave. The manager or owner (never understood who he was) used expliatives and told us never to come back. It was absolutely horrible. I've been in the restaurant industry and customer service industry for 10 years. The worst service I've ever ever ever had anywhere. I would go to Olive Garden for Italian before ever even stepping foot in their restaurant again

Pros: none

Cons: customer service, attitude, FAR too crowded

04/16/2008 Posted by OCPaula

Let me start first by saying I 100% agree with scr17. I have been driving up to LA from OC for the past three years to dine at Via Veneto. Yes, the food IS that good. I've taken so many of my friends there and most of them have become fixtures of this restaurant. I've spoken to Marco, the so-called manager quite a few times. To make a long story short, I ended up making a reservation for me and two of my close friends, one of who is lactose intolerant. This friend asked for no dairy in the sauce. She wanted straight marinara sauce, they made her 2 dishes of pasta, both had dairy which could have sent her to the hospital. Instead of asking if she wanted soup, salad, or something else. The manager, Marco was looking at our table, giving us evil looks and sent a waiter over to tell us basically to pay the check and get out and that they needed our table! I'm not kidding you folks, this is exactly what the waiter said and keep in mind he was told to say this by the MANAGER! I will NEVER go back to this restaurant, not even if you paid me! And as for ALL my referrals; they won't be back either!

04/15/2008 Posted by shannonmf

I have been to Via Veneto when it had just opened and remember it being such a nice night, which is why I decided to take my parents there last night for their 46th anniversary. As I waited for my parents to arrive I sat at the table already embarrassed by the noise factor. The place comes off as a beautiful romantic restaurant but is louder than Laker game. We had trouble understanding the nice Italian waiter and had to guess what we were ordering on the specials. If you plan on dining here, see if you can bring your own bottle of wine because the prices are outrageous! Service was slow. The food was good. The overall experience was bad because of the obnoxious shouting at each table. It is not worth what you are paying at all.

Pros: good pasta

Cons: crowded, you are not able to have a conversation!

03/15/2008 Posted by scr17

The Good-The food was very good, exceptional in some cases. Our server was wonderful, great personality, a passion for food and a wonderful Italian accent that added to his charm. The Bad-Good luck trying to have any conversation. It is IMPOSSIBLE to hear inside. The Ugly-At the end of our meal we ordered a $130 bottle of wine at the sommelier's urging to go with our dessert. As we were finishing the bottle I started to notice the owner loudly conversing with the maitr d' and looking very irritated as he appeared to be glancing at our table. At this point, it was just about 9 PM, not an excessive stay by any means given our 7:15 reservation. 5 minutes later the same thing happened, this time the two literally cursing in English and Italian while stairing at our table. At this point it dawned on me that they were angry we were not leaving (our bill was paid a few minutes earlier), but we still had wine remaining. Then, the maitr d' literally came over to our table complaining that we were taking too long. I was blown away! We spent $350 on dinner for 3, were there for less than 2 hours and STILL had wine remaining that they happily sold to us at the end of the meal and they were not only trying to rush us out, they were cursing at us! The. Of course, when confronted the owner denied doing so and blamed the maitr d' which just made the whole experience even more disgusting. Funny thing is, apparently this happens all the time. The third member of our party referenced similar experiences on multiple visits-service ultimately stopping because the owner wanted to flip a table faster. Having worked in the food and restaurant biz, I have an appreciation for the fact it is a business and time is money. But it remains a service industry and Via Veneto seems to miss this point. Unfortunately, the problem is at the top. My take: If an owner places such little value in his patrons, he doesn't deserve your business. I know he won't be getting any more of mine...

Pros: food was great

Cons: offensive service from the maitr d' and owner, a disgrace to the business

02/10/2008 Posted by rtbarry

You know when you walk in the door, you're getting the real deal. This place isn't going to coddle you, or make sure your every whim is catered to - it's all about a treu Italian food experience. We (wife and I) cook 5 nights a week. We've eaten all over the world. This is consistently one of the best nights out for a feast that we've experienced, anywhere. We've been in small groups, and larger groups. Never has one person in our outings been underwhelmed by a dish. And we all are enjoying it so much that we feel compelled to share. No point in describing finer points of particular dishes - just go. But make sure someone tries the Rosemary Grilled Ribeye. And the homemade pastas change all the time and are outstanding - delicate sauces with layered flavors and interesting meats, like quail and rabbit. The printed menu is pointless. Listen for the specials, which consistently repeat favorite dishes. How could some people come away angry? They must have gone in expecting The Olive Garden. Here's the reality: - it is small, and crowded. similar to bustling cafes and restaurants in Italy.. go figure! - it is loud, and sometimes hard to understand the waiters through their accents, like Italy... go figure! - the staff has a smart, sharp sense of humor and they play off the mood of your table. give them attitude and they give it back... go figure! If you think you're more important than the table next to you, you're in the wrong place. If you think waiting 15-20 for your table to clear out, yet complain that you feel rushed out when it's your turn to get up, you're in the wrong place. Learn to use the people who put up a 1 star for this place. I now seek out the other places they don't like! Seriously.

Pros: fantastic food, playful authentic staff

Cons: small, crowded, loud, watch the wine upsells