Il Terrazzo Ristorante

Click to Enlarge

Tucked in to an alley just off Johnson Street, Il Terrazzo has a distinctly old world feel. The entryway, adorned with baskets of fresh flowers and vines, is reminiscent of an old time European courtyard. Indoors, you’ll likely be seated in proximity to one of the dining room’s six (count ‘em SIX) fireplaces. There you can cozy up by candlelight and ogle the stunning artwork and soaring brick facades. Il Terrazzo is unequivocally one of Victoria’s most beautiful restaurants. It can be a little noisy at times, but the ambiance is unparalleled, and we at Horsing Around like the lively vibe!

Click to Enlarge

Il Terrazzo’s menu is influenced by the cuisine of Northern Italy. There is a varied selection of wood fire pizzas, pasta dishes, and meat and West Coast caught seafood in the offing. Portions are on the ample side, bordering on gargantuan, so, if you dine here, be sure to arrive hungry! Food arrives lightening fast, so you won’t have to wait long to tuck in.

This family style restaurant is a long time Victoria favourite

Margareta Pizza

We have sampled a variety of dishes at Il Terrazzo. Everything was seamlessly prepared (with the exception of a seafood soup which was flavorful but somewhat diminished by an overabundance of banana peppers). We were a bit befuddled that Il Terrazzo, ostensibly an Italian restaurant, serves up decidedly un-Italian fare i.e. coconut curry meatballs and a linguini dish with mango, pimentos and toasted cashews. No matter, our dining companion loved the unusual but tasty linguini/mango/cashew combo. We don’t mind a bit of culinary tinkering if the end result is still tasty. However, if you are a purist and only authentic Italian will do, we suggest you head to Zambri’s instead (located in the atrium building downtown).  You won’t be disappointed.

Cannelloni di Maiale

Now back to Il Terrazzo. We alluded earlier to hefty portion sizes. The fare at Il Terrazzo errs toward saucy and substantial. This makes it an ideal place to take friends with hollow legs, fast metabolisms and hearty appetites. If your friends crave “guy food” suggest they try the cannelloni di maiale – tubes of pasta stuffed with roast pork, savoy cabbage and topped with a smoked bacon cream sauce (did we mention the food was rich?). If that is a little too much gilding the lily, opt for the Margareta pizza – a thin crust pie topped with fresh basil, tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. Foodie purists will approve of this classic dish with its crust (made crisp from the intense heat of the woodfire oven).

Click to Enlarge

Try Il Terrazzo if you are dining with a crowd, or conversely if you want to canoodle by candlelight (albeit with a pleasant hum of activity all around). Order a cocktail from the creative selection or ask the resident sommelier to assist you in selecting a perfect bottle to go with your fusilli Bolognese. This family style restaurant is a long time Victoria favourite. Bon Appetito!

LOCATION: 555 Johnson Street, Victoria. View in Google Maps.

Click here to visit Il Terrazzo’s website.