This a great, old fashioned Italian joint. You'll either love it or hate it. Big portions. Value wine.

3.5 stars. The atmosphere is better than the quality of the food at that price point. This neat little restaurant transports you to another decade with an old school Italian vibe in NYC - very intimate and fun atmosphere! Service felt rushed even though we dined in the early dinner seatings on a weekday. The bread basket was a nice touch but I could definitely use some olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette for dipping. The bread itself did not stand out to me. Spaghetti and meatballs: Yes, the meatballs were massive and looks great for Instagram, but the spaghetti was not worth $26!! It did not taste freshly made nor was it al dante. For a premium price point, I'd expect freshly made pasta. Essentially, you are paying for gigantic meatballs instead. The sauce didn't stand out to me either. Gnocchi: Very pillowy and soft gnocchi! The portion was definitely smaller than the spaghetti and meatball dish. But flavour profile wise, this dish wins!!! The texture of the gnocchi was perfect!!! The olive oil based sauce gives it a very light and airy profile. Would definitely order this dish again. Overall, even though the setting and atmosphere of this restaurant is one of my favourite vibes. The food fairs just average only. read more

Pepino's - Gnocchi - spaghetti and meatballs - Italian Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

One of my favourite spots to hit up! Food was delicious, service was nice! Mozzarella sticks and shrimp were delicious. Didn't get a good picture of the mains but they were also good. One downfall/perk I would say is that the menu seems like it's always changing. Although, it's great to try new things sometimes you just want something you've already had and loved! read more

Pepino's - Mozzarella sticks - Italian Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Pepino's staff are phenomenal, they definitely go the extra step to make you feel comfortable without being one of those restaurants to refill your water after every sip. Overall, I like Pepino's :) Lots of love, Owen read more

Made reservations a couple of weeks in advance to celebrate a birthday here. Friendly staff, cozy atmosphere and delicious food! We got the garlic bread, pappardelle bolognese, rigatoni alla vodka w/ a meatball and chicken piccata w/ broccolini. The food was exceptional but the star was the rigatoni alla vodka - holy crap, it was amazing! read more

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To echo a review I read before we went to this place, this is a blunt review. We decided to take the risk because we love Italian cuisine but we were just disappointed. Me and my partner visited on an evening over winter. Obviously COVID-19 protocols are a challenge in smaller venues but surely common sense would tell you not have so many people crammed in like sardines. I've been in stores recently that are bigger than this place and can only have 20 people max with staff. They had around 50 patrons in this tiny space. There was a big line up at the door with no signage outside saying to be careful because the door opens in to people. Our table wasn't ready yet. Neither was the two groups before us. When we finally came in I saw the kitchen staff were not wearing masks at all. I noticed throughout the dinner as they walked back and forth from the front to the back that they never had them on either. We had nice service from our waiter and he was very friendly but the food did not live up to the hype I had read about. Perhaps that was because the whole experience had just left us with a bad taste in our mouths. It seems like the management was just not taking COVID protocols as seriously as it needs to and is more concerned with getting people in and out as fast as possible. We will not be returning any time soon. read more

The food was really good, one of the best pizzas I've ever had. The vodka pasta was also amazing. read more

Pepino's - Italian Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

We snuck into Pepinos last night after a long day of skiing ! On our list for quite sometime and in need of a warm meal we decided to give it a shot. Before entering the restaurant we called to ensure they had space and staff was already very accommodating. On arriving staff was quick to greet us at door and show us our seats. The interior reminded me of An old European tavern. Really setting the mood for our meal. True craftsmen, making their own dressing in house which is to die for. And you can't beat their selection of pasta. Highly recommend. read more

Pepino's - Spaghetti and Meatballs - Italian Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Ok so after 2 years we made it back to Pepinos. Overall, the food is still very good, the service is still very attentive, and the place still looks exactly the same. Would still highly recommend this place for anyone looking for top quality Italian dining. That said,a couple of notable changes: - the Calamari dish has been removed from the menu. A shame since it was one of the better versions we've tried. - the Chicken Piccata is a little different in that it's now drenched in a gravy. Again, delicious and large portions but different. Happy to see this place doing well. Go eat here. read more

We have ordered two dishes, Mushroom fettuccine Alfredo and Spaghetti with meatballs and gravy. Both dishes are very salty. We could not finish them. This place is definitely overpriced and I don't know how they can make the spaghetti so salty. $46 for this meal is not worth it. They were so busy on lunch time. They didn't have time to take care of our bills (we pay cash) when we need change. There are many choices on commercial drive to have a decent Italian meal. The only thing I like about this restaurant is the interior decoration. They know how to package their restaurant into an upscale, vintage, high class and cozy restaurant. Sadly, their food is not at that level. You can goto sunrise pizza next door and have better spaghetti I bet. read more

Pepino's - Mushroom Alfredo fettuccine - Italian Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Was visiting from Toronto and had the pleasure of eating here on my trip in Vancouver. Amazing restaurant! Everything from the service, food, atmosphere was top notch. read more

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Great Pasta place. We started with garlic prawn with parley and chili . Yummy (wish that we ordered bread as well. So that we could dip and finish off the sauce). rigatoni alla vodka (good, al dente. Wish it is slightly softer) Spaghetti Alfredo (yummy) Squash & Ricotta Ravioli, Sage Butter, Bocconcini, Pecorino ( Excellent. Will order this again) Chicken Piccata, Brown Butter, Capers, Parsley, Carrots (yup... fried chicken. Yummy too) desert ( tiramisu and salted caramel something) Both are great. Will order them again and again The food was so good that we finished everything when we were there. read more

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I don't usually write reviews on yelp, but after 24 hours since I visited Pepino's, I feel like I have to point out few things. The tiramisu was the most inedible dessert I've ever had, It was way too sweet. Usually Italian restaurants would have decent dessert. Great antipasto, lovely flavours and the cheese came with it was delicious. Very nice house made fettuccine and not spicy at all rigatoni. The chicken piccata though, it wasn't a pleasant experience because we found a long shiny black curly hair in it.. the managers said it came off from the brush, that's ok..(I don't work in kitchen, no idea what type of brush with long stiff black hair that is required for cooking chicken) they served us another one, it was tender and juicy we liked it. Honestly I wouldn't even mind the chicken with hair, but the tiramisu was a total nightmare. Let's just say I'll rather go back to Salvio Volpe read more

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That tiramisu, omg. So thick and sweet with a whiff of chocolate. The best mascarpone I've ever had. It will spoil you for any other tiramisu. We got the $35 / person x 2 dinner special. So much food. So good. It's enough for two meals. So much butter and cheese and olive oil. Fresh pasta. Too good. My belly is still dreaming of it. read more

To be honest, I almost turned around when we first walked in. The sister restaurant of Savio Volos, I expected classy swag. Instead I walked into my grandmas basement. Good thing I love my grandmas basement so I stayed because the pasta was 10/10 rockstar primo Italian deliciousness. Try the olive stuffed sausages to start. Any of the hand made pastas for your main. And highly recommend a bottle of Il Bruchiato with anything. Excited to come back. read more

I've been wanting to come in since my hairdresser raves so much about this place! We came in on a Friday night and fortunately my friend made a reservation for two as it was packed. The set up hasn't changed from the restaurant's predecessor, where the kitchen's situated by the front door, which leads to a bit of an awkward waiting spot for your table. The service was great. Our server had someone shadowing and training for the night but neither of them missed a step. They were also very helpful at making suggestions for both food and beverages. The meal starts with a complementary bread basket accompanied by whipped butter. The bread was soft but I would've preferred it warm. The two of us decided to share the avocado salad, the vodka rigatoni with a side of meatball, and the pork chop. Totally loved the salad as it was creamy and flavorful. The rigatoni has a nice heat and we were very happy we got the meatball which was large and tender. The pork chop was just comfort food. Perfectly cooked with a bit of fat, delicious breading and tomato sauce, topped with cheese. This dish normally comes with a side of spaghetti and meat sauce however we decided to substitute it with broccoli to keep the meal semi-healthy (haha)! We skipped dessert as we couldn't even finish the last dish and opted to end off with limoncello! I'm looking forward to coming back with the hubby and trying some other dishes! read more

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Service was excellent. Avocado salad is a must. Probably best salad I've ever had. Spaghetti and meatballs were delicious, although the meatballs were quite dry. Still good. Veal was very tender but lacked flavour. Gnocchi were perfect and fluffy. read more

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I went and I indulged. Pepino's has a cozy, neighbourhood, family establishment vibe. Great little standing room nook as you enter and wood paneling and mirrors make up the walls. Our server was the same guy from Salvio Volpe and he is best. Gives great suggestions and is very attentive. We had the oyster Rockefeller special, calamari, the gnocchi (sooooo good), and the pork. I would definitely give this place a go! Gets really busy so i would make reservations in advance. We got in last minute calling a head. read more

Pepino's - Oysters rockerfeller - Italian Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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I used to love this place but i came back tonight for the first time in a couple years and the quality and vibe has gone majorly down hill . My friend and i ordered the calamari and it was greasy and over breaded vs the old version they had . The mozzarella sticks heavy breaded not very cheesey or flavourful . The Caesar salad was drowning in dressing . The prosciutto and cheese were good it was a bit of a thick cut for prosciutto. The peperdelle was really yummy and the tirimisu . Over all i used to give this place at 5 and i give it a two and it's way over priced and is giving spaghetti factory energy at this point . read more

The best Italian I've had in this city. Everything was mouth wateringly delicious. When you first walk in, it seems old and not trendy but it ends up becoming a warm, familial experience. The service is great from the host to the waiter. My waiter was spectacular. He was on point watching for empty glasses and checking how we liked our dishes. When one of our dishes was late, they comped it...pure class. We went for the dinner menu for two. Everything we had was so good. I cannot stress the quality! We had a burrata, gnocchi pasta, sable fish and zucchini, ending with tiramisu. I would love to come back to try more. It is on the pricier side, but it's worth it. Pepinos, where have you been all my life? Phenomenal. read more

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Dodgey exterior but goes with the mafia vibes. Food and service is great. Shareable/ self plates. Pasta itself is 4/5 sauces 3.5/5. Complimentary bread to start. Calamari was tender. Rigatoni was slightly harder than alienate. Meatballs were ask for Luigi comparable the other white sauce dish was good. On a to do list for Vancouver Italian spots simply for the vibe (in my opinion). read more

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We celebrated NYE at Pepino's and had a lovely delicious dinner! The decor was old style Italian, reminded me of the Italian restaurants in New York with dark wood walls, pictures on the walls, and small lamps on each table. Ordered the $45pp dinner for two. You can choose an appetizer, pasta, main, side & dessert to share between two people. We had the calamari, short rib parpadelle, beef tenderloin (for an extra $5), broccolini, and cheesecake. The calamari is thick and lightly battered, and comes with a delicious garlic dipping sauce. Loved the fresh parpadelle with tender short rib. I could have eaten another one of these! The tenderloin was good and came sliced, with arugula salad on the side. Also enjoyed the brocollini. Would definitely recommend Pepino's and the $45 menu! read more

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We had for mains the lobster spaghetti feature, linguine vongole (clams), margarita pizza and veal parm. Omg - so good! Our server was so nice! The atmosphere was definitely older, but it was cozy. I'd highly recommend eating here. For dessert we had tiramisu and cheesecake. Both SO yummy! read more

Had a chance to try out Pepino's and I was surprisingly disappointed in my meal. First of all, it was a nice cozy restaurant and I did like the atmosphere, like an old school family run Italian restaurant from New York. Service was good, they were energetic and did everything with a smile. I was very disappointed in the food for the price point. When you're paying $26 for spaghetti and meatballs, I was under the assumption that the pasta was made in house, which we were told it was not. We also ordered the calamari and veal cutlet, both were very salty. The biggest disappointment was that all 3 dishes we ate was very salty and over seasoned. Not sure if the staff was having an off night, but we ended up not even finishing all of the food. At that price point and with a relatively small menu, we did not expect such an amateur mistake. I don't think I will come back here. I would rate my overall experience a 3/5, but for the price point I gave it a 2/5. read more

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Such a cute place - amazing menu, and wine list was great. Highly recommend the Rigatoni vodka!

Delicious, rustic Italian comfort food. Spaghetti and Meatball is EPIC!!! (see photo) The cold cut, friend olives antipasto also very nice. read more

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I was recommended by a few friends to try out this Italian restaurant since I love pasta. It's a nice Italian restaurant on commercial drive. The moment I stepped in was very cozy and had a great atmosphere. Dimmed lights and very authentic Italian feel to the restaurant. Came here with my family and had the dine out menu. We ordered the calamari and Cesar Salad to start. Also ordered the spaghetti and meatballs along with the Alfredo with mushrooms. The appetizers were great and had good flavours. Calamari was fresh with good batter. The entree I found the spaghetti a bit salty but the meatball was good. May be cause it was a busy night there, I found the spaghetti meatball just an average dish because it was so salty. However, the fettuccine Alfredo mushroom was fantastic. I could taste the fresh hand made pasta every bite. It was cooked perfectly and flavour was on point. We finished the fettuccine in an instant and there was a huge gap between the two dishes. One was perfect and one didn't hit the mark. The fettuccine definitely met my expectations however the spaghetti was off the mark. Last was the tiramisu and my friends said this was a must. It was fantastic and it is probably one of the best ones I have had in Vancouver. Overall, I would come back again for the fettuccine and the tiramisu. Great service and nice atmosphere. It is also a big portion and not too expensive for a pasta. I just wish that the spaghetti meatballs could have been better. Everything else still met my expectations, so I will still come back! read more

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Soooo good! The happy hour was awesome and all of our food was so so delicious. The best part was our server- can't remember her name but she was Australian and so on top of things and very friendly. Good food and great convo with her! read more

A beautiful restaurant with super friendly staff. In terms of food, Lasagna was just ok, but the pasta was great. read more

We went there for dinner on Dec 29, 2018. Looks quiet from the outside but not so inside. We arrived at 5:30 sharp (we thought it opened at 5) and it was packed, not an empty seat except for our two reserved seats. Service was excellent and prompt. I never had to ask for anything, water, menu, drinks, extra bread :), all presented to us before I asked, very nice. Ivan was our server and he was as good as it gets. I had the veal and my wife (who is Italian) and ravioli, both were EXCELLENT. I highly recommend Pepino's, we will definitely be going back. p.s. if you are looking for a quiet, romantic place to have dinner, this is not the place however if you go on a quiet night (if there are slower nights at Pepino's), I would sit somewhere at the back.. read more

Pepino's - Italian Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

A good meal and better service. Felt like we were sitting in an old NYC restaurant. Bench seating is cramped as guests attempt to get in and out of the seating and will hit you. Food was tasty, especially the tomato salad and gnocchi but I don't feel it lives up to the price per plate. Some of the dishes are made with dried pasta vs handmade so choose wisely. Service was prompt, positive and super friendly. read more

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Took my friend here for her birthday dinner and wish we came with a couple more people so we can try more from the menu. I gotta say, the service was TOP NOTCH. Not only did our server check up on us during our entire meal, other staff in the restaurant also popped by to take dishes away so there was never a dirty or empty plate on the table. Food was delicious! We had: Featured pan fried peppers - be careful, some of them have a serious kick, it's like playing Russian roulette Featured Caprese salad - the balsamic sauce was so delicious. I believe one of the best Caprese salad I've had. Rigatoni vodka - a rose sauce, quite enjoyed it. Spotted prawns linguine - tasted very light, it's olive oil based with garlic and chili. The ambience is very classic old school Italian and it's extremely dark inside. Come here to enjoy the food and make sure you're hungry! The cheesecake looked amazing but we were too stuffed to indulge. I recommend trying this place out and I will definitely be going back to taste the rest of the menu. read more

Really disappointing. We're really big fans of Savio (their sister restaurant) so we had big expectations. Wanting to go forever and finally went for our sons birthday. Had a couple appies (cheese bread & mozza sticks) which were the best part although the sticks were luke warm. Started with cocktails (negroni) which were solid then ordered a bottle of wine. They must either store their wine in the kitchen or next to a heater as it came hot (3 of us were calling it soup) and considering they charge almost 3x the price of a bottle is an insult. For mains my son and wife had the lasagna, my sons friend had the ravioli, and another friend and I had the spaghetti & meatballs. They dishes were all mediocre at best. The spaghetti sauce was very plain and under seasoned (had to get a side of spicy sauce) and the noodles were over cooked and soggy. The lasagna's were really dry on top and flooded with béchamel sauce inside and the ravioli were under stuffed. The pricing is simply ridiculous considering the location (almost bottom of commercial dr). More expensive then restaurants downtown and even Savio. The service was ok. Lastly the music was the worst thing ever. Some of the playlist included "I'm Every Woman" Chaka Khan, "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" Cindy Lauper, and "Don't Stop Believin" Journey. Apparently they want to be the Roxy on an 80's night instead of a great local Italian restaurant with the feel an old school NYC hotspot (place should be pumping Sinatra & Dean, jazz or even goodfellas soundtrack). Real shame as we wanted it to be amazing and one of our regular spots and instead we simply won't be back. Overpriced & underwhelming. Choose one of the many great Italian restaurants in our great city instead (including Savio Volpe which is outstanding). read more

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Incredible cocktails, service and food. Love sitting on the bar side! I'll be back for lunch sometime :)

Overall the food and ambiance were really great here. It's such a cute, quaint place with old school charm. I came here with two friends and we shared a bunch of food. Everything from the heirloom salad, Caesar salad, rigatoni alla vodka, and pizza were all wonderful. The only dish we didn't enjoy was the calamari. Extremely small portion and it just wasn't tasty. It tasted like a few tiny cuts of boiled squid (tender though) dipped in marinara. We loved the tiramisu at the end which was served in a sundae cup. Very cute. I would definitely come back again. read more

Pepino's - Rigatoni alla vodka - Italian Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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One of the best Italian restaurants I've been to in awhile. Very homey and nonchalant atmosphere. Servers were friendly and attentive. The menu has a good selection of different entrees and prices are quite reasonable given the portion sizes. We ordered the spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna and steak with mushroom sauce pasta. The portion sizes are great (be prepared to have leftovers). The spaghetti and meatballs was very good. The meatballs were soft, but firm on the outside. The marinara sauce was simple, but provided just the right amount of delicious coating for the spaghetti. The lasagna was fantastic as well. It had several layers of ricotta cheese in it. Last, but not least, the steak was incredibly tender and full of flavour. With the mushroom sauce poured over it made it extremely rich. All in all, a great experience and will go back read more

Great atmosphere, although I found the food hit or miss. Glad I tried it to check off my list but likely won't be back unless someone I'm with is dying to try it. The avocado salad and cheesecake were delicious but the mains we ordered were meh. Gnocchi in marinara was ok (as with gnocchi anywhere the portion was on the smaller side especially compared to all the huge pasta dishes around us) and the sauce tasted out of the can. The veal was also just ok, nothing to write home about. I also didn't think it was particularly good value for what we got - after tip and drinks it came to $160 (would rather go to a place where the mains are a home run for the price). read more

Husband and I dined as first timers. Pasta was freshly made. Ambiance is old fashion family style Italian with dim lit tables. Ordered salads and served fresh bread. I ordered Spaghetti Bolonese and hubby ordered Pappardelle, Short Rib Ragu. Pasta was prepared perfecto! Al dente. We had the most attentive and plesant waitress, Sierra. She made sure every detail of our meal was perfect. We ordered their cheesecake for dessert was a bit too rich for us. Only comment was their sauces are extremely heavy in cream and rich in cheese . If i return, i would order lighter fare like Linguine and Clams with white wine. Want old fashion pasta? Try Peppino's and ask for Sierra! read more

Doesn't look like much when you walk past but the restaurant is always packed full of people! I've always heard good things about this place and they did not let me down. Unfortunately they ran out of papardelle so we had the fettucine Nd mushroom + short rib ragu with the same type of pasta read more

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We ordered the set menu where two can dine for $45 each. We ordered calamari to start, pappardelle as the pasta, chicken as the main and broccolini for our side. The pasta was our favourite, tasty and the meat was tender. The chicken and broccolini were decent, calamari we didn't enjoy. The tiramisu was so good as well. The value for the set menu is worth it. read more

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