Restaurants

Design Crush: Vancouver’s Hottest New Italian Restaurant

Designer Craig Stanghetta's Osteria Savio Volpe brings a classic Italian osteria to the city's east side, with a very modern update.

By Anicka Quin /

Designer Craig Stanghetta’s Osteria Savio Volpe brings a classic Italian osteria to the city’s east side, with a very modern update.

Back in 2013, we named designer Craig Stanghetta a Foodie of the Year for his ability to create a buzz-worthy restaurant just by his association with it, noting “a Stanghetta design is just about guaranteed to bring lineups on opening night.”He’s put paid to that reality with Savio Volpe, his first restaurant where he’s both designer and owner (with business partners Mark Perrier and Paul Grunberg). The latest Fraserhood boite saw full houses from its opening just a month ago, with locals clamouring for fresh handmade pastas (the ravioli with greens, ricotta and crisped sage is revelatory), wood-fired meats (smokey grilled squid, rosemary and lemon chicken) and rustic Italian dishes like bagna cauda, and cannellini beans with sage.

Click on the slideshow below for a peek into Savio Volpe:

Located in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood, the exterior has understated signage.

The centre console in the middle of the restaurant is reminiscent of a kitchen island€”and intended to remind guests of where the party always ends up. Guests can sit on one side, overlooking a cold prep station.

The centre console in the middle of the restaurant is reminiscent of a kitchen island€”and intended to remind guests of where the party always ends up. Guests can sit on one side, overlooking a cold prep station.

The vintage courtesy phone is fully functioning for guest use.

(Photo: Conrad Brown.)

In the kitchen, stacks of plates from potter Janaki Larsen are too pretty to hide away.

The furniture was designed to feel rustic and comfortable.

The Cascade woolblanket ($300), designed by Vancouver€™s PostProjects for Umbra and woven at Oregon€™s Pendleton Woolen Mills, is an abstract-yet-organic interpretation of the coastal mountains. vanspecial.com; urbanbarn.com

Anicka Quin

Anicka Quin

Anicka Quin is the editor-in-chief of Western Living magazine and the VP of Content for Canada Wide Media. If you've got a home design you'd like to share with Western Living, drop her a line at [email protected]