Venezia Restaurant

The food is amazing the atmosphere it's beautiful. I'm not a big fan of Italian food. This restaurant has changed my mind. The food is delicious. I had the ribeye, medium rare. It was savory and tender. My son had the lasagna. It was so amazing that he ate the huge piece in it's entirety. For appetizers we had eggplant sticks and garlic bread. Both were freshly made, not frozen, and scrumptious.

No one greeted us upon entry and there was a since of "what are they doing here" from the patrons eating there with the stares we received. Nevertheless we found seating at the bar and the food and wine was awesome. There was an older gentleman sitting next to us and he talked to us most of our stay. He was very nice, he said he came there often and always sits at the bar. He mentioned he had everything on the menu except the Veal Pontchartrain which is what my girlfriend was eating lol. Overall we had a good experience and we will most likely return.

It was just okay. Nothing to brag about. Price is decent. I had the Pontchatrain veal. Crab meat was tasteless. Veal tasted weird. It felt Syscoish. Staff not diverse. Management and guests moving about with no mask. No one asked for vaxx card. Perhaps I should have tried spaghetti and meatballs which is what my friend had. I felt hungry afterwards. And garlic bread was barely toasted. But I think that's a New Orleans thing. The servers were attentive, but a bit frazzled. The place was full, but well staffed so I don't know where they kept running too or why. But whatever.

Decided to go Venezia after the play for a early dinner and I ordered the veal parmesan. The veal was good but the pasta was room temperature and under cooked. A gentleman was lighting the candle at the table and asked how was our food and I informed him the pasta was under cooked. His response was sorry about your pasta and just walked off. I was shocked how you responded and then walked off. I asked our server who you were and I was informed you were the owner. Well owner I will not go there to eat again. Eventually the people that have been faithful to your father will not be around and you will have the next generation that will not accept under cooked room temperature pasta nor your response. You should have asked if I wanted you to trade out the pasta for a serving that was cooked but you chose to just walk off. Well they are many other restaurants in that area and one of them will get my business and not Venezia. But at least the dumpster critters by your restaurant will have something to eat.

The food at Venezia's never disappoints. The service was a little slow. Waited 20 minutes before we got a menu. We weren't in a hurry but we were bringing food back to someone at home. I had the Supreme with chicken. The chicken is topped with shrimp and crawfish. The dill cream sauce is to die for. You get a side of pasta and you can pick the sauce. I recommend the Alfredo because I think it would go best with the dill cream.

Chose this spot for our last night in NOLA- oof, mistake. We arrived early for our reservation and waited an hour past our res time to be seated with no explanation or even a glance in our direction. Then waited almost another hour for our meal, which was 0/4. Saw our server maybe twice total— he never came back after dropping our food off. And it’s a small restaurant. What a Bummer- we were excited to try a cozy neighborhood spot. Skip this one, y’all.

Summary: This place is bada$$. I tried going to the restaurant last Thursday after grad school, but the place was packed. I just assumed it was because it was a restaurant in New Orleans so, therefore, people come in regardless. After dining with them tonight, however, I realize that there is a reason so many people flock to this restaurant. The restaurant itself is an older, darker, typical Italian restaurant complete with red and white checkered tablecloths and a busy yet still atmospheric environment. The employees were all dressed well and everyone was diligently working. I decided to call in and have my name added to the waitlist so that I wouldn't miss out like I did last week. I am in school for hotel, resort, and tourism management so I understand how important customer service and hospitality is. That being said, V host I spoke with was very friendly and, for once, I actually lucked out eating alone because there was a small table near the bar available without a wait. He even approached me after my meal, address me by my name, and asked what I thought of the meal as well as the experience. That is a 100% PRO move right there. My server was absolutely incredible. I eat at restaurants multiple times daily and have a pretty good idea what good customer service skills are at this point. This gentleman not only met my expectations, but exceeded them. He said he had been working at the restaurant for 15 years and I could definitely tell. His experience and knowledge was impeccable as he recommended multiple items and even explained a little bit of background about the restaurant. I decided to order veal cannelloni, which was one of his recommendations. It absolutely did not disappoint. The way he described it was perfect when he said that it was, "a smaller portion compared to other items on the menu, but still very rich and filling." I can say without a doubt that it was the best veal I've ever eaten and this certainly isn't my first time having a dish like that. I forgot to order garlic bread when my entree came out and he was able to round some up for me in no time. I'm really big on customer service and having a high-functioning waitstaff; these folks are absolutely killing it by being prompt, polite, and efficient. The menu prices are surprisingly affordable considering the high quality food and service that you receive. I definitely found myself leaving more than a 20% standard tip. This restaurant is perfect for any occasion whether it is eating alone, bringing a date, or even for a birthday celebration like someone was having tonight in the back. If you're in New Orleans and looking for some quality authentic Italian, then I highly recommend Venezia.

We’ve dined here routinely not weekly but routinely since 1981. Now that we are In our retirement years and on a fixed income along with recent inflationary increases, our “Venezia Fix” is beginning to now coming to an end. Tonight and after asking our waiter about it, we find a non-cash charge is being added to the tab. Had we known beforehand even ordering, we either would have picked another restaurant, our done one drink round less. In the future, we will now be asking when making reservations anywhere, if other restaurants are doing the same. Cash May we’ll be the only way to beat restaurants doing “pass throughs” rather than accepting credit cards as a part of doing business. Be warned. Venezia did not display this change in doing business. One doesn’t find out until the bill has dropped. CHECK YOUR BILL AND COMPLAIN AS WE DID! In the past this would have been a 5 star review. Not tonight. The pleasure of dining out has left a bad taste in our mouths. This local isn’t as bullish on this local business and when the family comes in town in the future, there will be other local favorites we’ll now be supporting.

The food was amazing and so was the service. We had the ribeye, cannelloni and calamari and it was all excellent. We will be back next with our friends next week.

If you l9ve Italian food man oh man you will love it here! Food is fantastic and service is kind and swift! Meatballs and spaghetti can't go wrong!Food: 5/5