I just wrote a review on downtown Winnipeg. I won't be making a duplicate review here. Rather, this…read morereview is more of my experience being a transplanted Torontonian and Markhamite living in Winnipeg for seven years. I am a latecomer to almost every trend you can think of. Many of my friends moved away for either college or university after graduating from high school. I didn't. I stayed within the greater Toronto area (GTA) and attended York University. Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't trade that decision for the world. My growing up and being independent happened after I got my undergraduate degree. I got accepted into a master's program at the University of Manitoba. I packed up and moved to the capital of Manitoba. The unexpected happened. The faculty at the U of M went on strike. I got tired of waiting. I dropped out of graduate school and went into the workforce. I spent a grand total of nine years away from the GTA, of which seven were in Winnipeg. Being away moulded me as a person and gained so much experience that I will always have a soft spot for the city. I held three different job positions. It wasn't difficult for me to remain in the Information Technology sector. Plugging in my car in the winter and having a remote car starter installed were two details that I wouldn't have known about had I still lived in the GTA. Learning that -40°C is the same in Fahrenheit was also eye-opening. From seeing my eyelashes crystalize when it was that cold, to ignoring experts to not leave your car running for more than a minute, it's a different kind of cold in this city. I would drive to work by the airport for twenty minutes with a windchill of -52°C and my car's interior was just starting to warm up. The provincial slogan is Friendly Manitoba. It is the case. Folks are friendly on the whole. You can take walks and say hi to strangers. You can easily strike up a conversation waiting in line at the supermarket. It's all good. By car, you can get anywhere in twenty minutes on a decent day. It's a city, but it still has a town feeling. I left Winnipeg when the population was around 700,000. These days, it's at 850,000. I have a feeling that it will hit one million in a couple of decades. Sure, it's both the Slurpee and mosquito capital of Canada. Winnipeg has a lot of charm as you get a sugary high and slap away these pests. Eating out is amazing in this city. I have had everything from squid ink pasta to spaghetti pie. Winnipeg got me into food. I also continued to develop a fondness for exploring grocery stores. I especially liked a gourmet store on Academy Road that had the best cheese sticks. I hope that it's still there. Naturally, hockey is a passion. Winnipeggers get it. They love supporting hockey at any level. It also has a number of solid hockey arenas, including Canada Life Centre downtown. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a popular team. Winnipeg Stadium used to be this football team's home. Like with Winnipeg Arena, Winnipeg Stadium also got demolished. The Bombers now play at Investors Group Field at the University of Manitoba. It was weird speeding onto campus at 50 km/h (it used to be 60!) and then parking to take in a football game. It's enjoyable seeing fellow Bomber fans heckle one another... haha! I lived in Osborne Village for the majority of my time. I loved how eclectic this area was and still is. I had Safeway and Shoppers Drug Mart within walking distance. The Granite Curling Club was across the river from my apartment. Catching the Winnipeg Transit bus was a cinch. There's everything from eateries and pubs, to piercings and gift stores. I loved walking around this area and discovering something new about it. What may surprise folks is that Winnipeg has a Francophone community. Saint Boniface has cool cafes and dessert places. I loved checking out eateries serving authentic French dishes, and my first time having escargot and frog legs. Saint Boniface Cathedral and Le Musée de Saint-Boniface Museum are notable touristy places to visit. The cost of living is lower in this city than most major cities in Canada. I miss the sunshine. Winnipeg is third on the sunniest cities in Canada, behind Calgary and Edmonton. Winnipeg does have its quirks. I did rotating shift work and found a hand-wand car wash open 24 hours a day with a fried chicken joint attached to it. I loved it! I hope that it's still around or has another eatery with the car wash. There is lots to do. I participated in everything from the Winnipeg Folk Festival and Folklorama with a cultural passport in the summer, to Festival du Voyageur and Canad Inns Winter Wonderland. Although it can get hot and cold temperature-wise on both ends of the spectrum, weather doesn't prevent folks from taking part in outdoor activities. I enjoyed living in Winnipeg. It was nice to return recently after nearly eight years. My stay was short, but I hope to come back a lot sooner and stay longer. (107)

Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on…read morethe confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. As of 2021, Winnipeg had a city population of 749,607 and a metropolitan population of 834,678, making it the sixth-largest city, and eighth-largest metropolitan area in Canada. I spent one week visiting my relatives here, absolutely different from the US, where Tim Hortons is their coffee instead of Starbucks, everything open 24 hours, Subway, Dairy Queen also a big thing here; Toys R Us still exists, Costco sells poutine and pretty much any places that serve food, hockey is a thing, the weather was below zero, cleaning snow every morning, each household has a big basement; the road is not flat, super bumpy, needs new asphalt; a lot of lakes, a lot of old beautiful architecture, fishing also a thing, a lot of festival, mostly commute by city street, very hard to get around by buses, cost of food is cheaper, everything written in both French and English, feel much peaceful and quiet, not rush rush rush, it just fits me so well. I wish I had more time, but I definitely come back in the future.

I spent five of my seven years in Winnipeg working downtown. My first job was at the Trizac…read moreBuilding (now 360 Main), at the corner of Portage and Main. This intersection is unique in that it's closed to pedestrians. To get to the other side requires taking underground paths. It's also the financial district with every bank imaginable at work around this intersection. This intersection was also where Winnipeg Jets fans rallied to try and save its team from flocking over to Phoenix in 1995. It's also the same place where fans celebrate when Jets 2.0 made it into the playoffs. I'd say that downtown Winnipeg comprises these areas: - Exchange District - Central Park - The Forks - Chinatown - Broadway-Assiniboine - South Portage Winnipeg was touted to be Chicago North. You see some similarities when you visit the Exchange District. It's a block north of Portage and Main, and houses over 150 heritage buildings. This area consists of a collection of 20th century warehouses, financial institutions, and early skyscrapers primarily made of terracotta. You can find the Manitoba Museum with the Planetarium and do all things touristy. Central Park houses the largest urban park in the city and features the Waddell fountain. It is the most densely populated area in the city. The area is bound by Notre Dame Avenue to the north, Ellice Avenue to the south, Donald Street to the east, and Balmoral Street to the west. It likely the most multicultural area, with Filipino, African, and Aboriginal folks comprising this community. The Forks is where the Assiniboine and Red rivers meet. It's technically the Mississippi River stateside that ultimately makes its way into Manitoba. The Forks is considered a meeting place. The Forks Market is fun to check out artisans and their work, along with fresh produce and good eats. The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is worth visiting. I did in 2016, two years after it officially opened. The exhibits are eye-opening. It also has a decent observation deck where you can take terrific photos of the city. Chinatown is tiny. It's maybe four blocks long and was first established in 1909. You blink and you're done seeing everything. Fort Richmond has a growing Chinese community with lots of eateries and Chinese grocery stories. Broadway-Assiniboine is also a fairly populated area. It makes up the south downtown area on the north bank of the Assiniboine River. It features a number of landmarks, such as Upper Fort Garry, Hotel Fort Garry, and the Manitoba Legislative Building. You can also do the Assiniboine Riverwalk when it's warmer and check out the restaurants. South Portage consists of a group of city blocks located between Portage Avenue, Main Street, Broadway, and Memorial Boulevard. It's basically where I spent a lot of time being employed and taking in Manitoba Moose games. This area features these notable places: - Millennium Library, which is the main branch of the Winnipeg Public Library - Winnipeg Convention Centre - Canada Life Centre (formerly MTS Place), which is the home of the Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose - Law courts - Cityplace mall (formerly Eaton Place) - Portage Place - 360 Main and Winnipeg Square - Graham Avenue Transit Mall, which is Winnipeg's public transit hub that are all buses I found that walking along Portage Avenue (it makes up the Trans-Canada Highway) in downtown Winnipeg recently to be a bit sad. Portage Place has many stores that have closed permanently. It's not the once exciting mall that I once loved to visit on a lunch break or after work. The Salisbury House eatery that used to be open around the clock across from this mall has closed. Major department stores, such as Eaton's and the flagship Hudson's Bay, have shuttered. It's a reflection of how the city has changed and what a pandemic has done to this downtown core. On the upside, I do see signs of vitalization, such as more restaurants around Canada Life Centre. I also saw more art, such as a two-headed coin called Mediating the Treaties that commemorates Treaty One between Queen Victoria and seven Chiefs of Manitoba. It was nice reliving memories of downtown Winnipeg when I was recently in the city for a brief time. I am hopeful that improvements will continue, including the restoration work at the Manitoba Legislature Building and a lot more. (103)

Downtown Winnipeg is an area of Winnipeg located near the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine…read morerivers. It is the oldest urban area in Winnipeg, and is home to the city's commercial core, city hall, the seat of Manitoba's provincial government, and a number of major attractions and institutions. I only spent one hour to explore mostly the Broadway-Assiniboine which features many notable landmarks such as the Manitoba Legislative Building, CTV station, St Mary church, Canada Life Centre; wish I had more time.

Food was excellent. Service was slow and a bit on the distant side. Waitress kept walking after I…read moremade eye contact. Nothing special as far as the venue.

This was highly recommended, and my favs were the streak tartare and salami toast. First time…read morehaving steak tartare in a crisp potato bowl!! Visited with a group and ordered one of everything from the meat/seafood and pasta menu. I'd recommend you to do the same so you can try it all. Food was good but nothing stood out to re-visit -beef tartare, crisp potato, crème fraiche, -cornichon, caviar $23 tuna carpaccio, citrus, fennel, olive, almond, green goddess $21 -arancini, wild mushroom, black truffle aioli $5 each -salami toast; soppressata, romesco, manchego $7 -canadian lobster carbonara; spaghetti, pancetta, egg 26 -campanelle, short rib ragu, chèvre, gremolata 25 - baked gnocchi, tomato sauce, whipped ricotta 25 -spanish octopus, roasted baby potatoes, -lemon caper aioli 25 -beef short rib, celery root gratin, grainy dijon mascarpone 28

Management, wait staff and kitchen have all changed. My group's fav pizza is off the menu as are…read moreall the delicious beers. Our waitress last night seemed to have no concept of hospitality, largely just gawked at the kitchen staff while they were clearly learning the ropes, and she seemed to have no idea what we ordered when we went to pay. If there had been any effort to connect with us it would have earned a second star. It feels like the soul of this restaurant has died, which is a real shame because this place was honestly fantastic. The food was tasty but soaked in oil, and presentation seemed to be off. I can tell the kitchen are working to get things right and I hope they do. There is no way I'm paying that much for pizza when the service is so lazy and the beer has dried up. Won't be going again for a long time, breaks my heart.

This place is really good. Staff is very nice and pizza is great - we got three different types of…read morepizza and they were all delicious. There is dine in as well as a small patio. Highly recommended : )

Ordered the Chicken Parmigiana and we were given the option for either salad or fries…read more Opted in for the fries and it was rich in flavour - great pair. Service was great and fast - our waiter even recommend any nearby places to hit up afterwards. Ambiance was also great.

The first time I went there it was with my friend Cod and the bread and buttery spread was…read moredelicious. So delicious I could not stop eating it and I wanted more. The calamari was pretty satisfying too. Not too crunchy. The second time I went with my friend that loves 1980s music and he ordered a lasagna and it showed up on a moon dish and it was watery and mushy and I am not sure he liked it. He said the chicken Parmesan was good last time though. The bread served at the beginning was fresh but not as pleasant, same feeling for the buttery spread. My spinach dip was enjoyable though but the bread squares with Parmesan salt was too salty and it made my brain fast. The mozzarella cheese triangles were perfect though. There's nothing wrong with real cheese and that's nice to see. Service was polite but a bit serious.

Despite being super busy, they are able to have a relatively fast turnover of tables and they…read moreaccommodated us with a short notice reservation on a Friday evening. All the food was amazing and I could not criticize anything. The restaurant was very busy with a lot of people, but it was not Overly noisy. The waiter provided some excellent recommendations and we were happy with everything. The quality of food was amazing considering how busy they were. Kudos to the chef. The servers were very attentive and aware of who needed water refills. A little more expensive than the typical restaurant but worth the cost.

+.5 for service I…read morethink it's safe to say this is the best Italian restaurant in Winnipeg. I hear about Harth as well, which also works as they're both the same owners! I went here with a friend a couple weeks ago, as I was saying about how I wanted to try authentic Italian food. This place is an institution that's been around for over 20 years. It's not extremely upscale, but it's a comfortable dining environment. I went with the carbonara after I saw the ingredients in it. An authentic carbonara consists of spaghetti or linguine, guanciale, eggs, and a special kind of cheese. No cream, no milk, no garlic, no onions. This was exactly what I got with this carbonara, so I can confirm it's 100% authentic Italian. It was absolutely delicious, and the prices are very affordable for the quality and authenticity you get. I added a lemon meringue cheesecake. Pretty good, loved the design especially. Given the combined total of under $40 including tax and tips, this is very reasonable for an Italian dinner. Service is excellent. I'll definitely return.

I enjoyed this restaurant. The food tastes exceptional. The ingredients are high quality. We…read moreordered take out. Dining in would be even better.

We had a wonderful experience at this restaurant. The food was delicious, the service was friendly…read moreand attentive, and the atmosphere was warm and inviting. Everything was excellent, and we really enjoyed our visit. We will definitely be back. Highly recommended!

Ordered from Skip the lasagna with meat sauce from Mona Lisa. The order came hot,which is a…read morebonus.In simple words the lasagna was delicious, good portion, meat sauce was tasty,really enjoyed it.Will order again from here and try a different meal.Thanks!

We visited Mona Lisa on a business trip with large number of ppl. It was a good ambience with…read moredecent service. Food was up to par ; ordered Calamari (it was good) and Pescatore.

This place was a 10/10. I was BLOWN away with the atmosphere, the menu, the service. Truly an…read moreincredible place to celebrate any occasion and by far one of the top places in Winnipeg. A must visit.

+.5 for service This…read morewas a bit of a shocking review for me as well, as I expected Harth to be leaps and bounds better than the other Italian places in this city. While I believe Harth is still good overall, the price point gave me second thoughts on whether I'd consider this place the best outright. I went with three friends for dinner back in October. Two of us shared a dozen oysters, and I had the tagliatelle. We also shared a tiramisu for dessert. While the taste of the oysters was fine, some of the oysters had bits of shells in them, meaning they were not shucked very well. The tagliatelle was very good, in fact I'd probably stick with the pasta dishes next time (I mean, it's an Italian place after all). The tiramisu for dessert was...average. I'd probably pick something else for dessert. Service was, as expected, excellent here. I could push this up to 4 stars with a future visit, but for a high price point in this city, I have to be realistic with what I paid vs the value I got.