Osteria Savio Volpe, Vancouver

VancouverEating Out

Osteria Savio Volpe, Vancouver

Vancouver trio's new neighbourhood diner adds contemporary cool to the classic Italian osteria...

Giving a space warmth and character within the walls of a cold new-build is always hard, but when the classic Italian osteria — the tradition-based precursor to the public house — is your point of reference, with its roots in family, neighbourhood, and heritage, it was a feat that needed to be pulled off to perfection.

Osteria Savio Volpe, Vancouver

Here in Vancouver, Osteria Savio Volpe‘s three owners (Mark Perrier, Paul Grunberg and Craig Stanghetta) can dish out a round of mutual pats on the back; design, cuisine, service and bags of vibes synchronised to perfection. The design looks to Italian tradition; wicker, wood, and natural stone are heavily utilised, yet the overall aesthetic manages to come over cutting-edge too. Abstract artworks and innovative lighting details rub shoulders with overt retro influences; a centre kitchen — where simple Italian dishes are prepared on the wood fire grill and spit — adds a little theatre. It’s a considered concept that has been nicely realised.

Propping up the heart of Vancouver’s up-and-coming Fraserhood, Osteria Savio Volpe keeps informality high on its agenda throughout; the aforementioned spit is used to deliver suckling pig porchetta with crackling and salsa verde, handmade pastas accompany meats fired on the grill … spritzes and Negronis join an all-Italian wine list and craft beers in washing down the treats from head chef Derek Gray’s kitchen. Saluti.

@savio_volpe

Osteria Savio Volpe, Vancouver
Osteria Savio Volpe, Vancouver
Osteria Savio Volpe, Vancouver
Osteria Savio Volpe, Vancouver
Osteria Savio Volpe, Vancouver
Osteria Savio Volpe, Vancouver
Osteria Savio Volpe, Vancouver
Osteria Savio Volpe, Vancouver

Photography, Allison Kuhl / Knauf and Brown