Elio Volpe: Vancouver’s Bold New Italian Eatery Redefining Casual Cool

Vancouver designer Craig Stanghetta likely had a bit of déjà vu as he began transforming a local mechanic shop into Italian restaurant Elio Volpe. After all, about a decade earlier—and just 10 or so blocks east—he was putting the finishing touches on sister restaurant Savio Volpe, an osteria located in a former tire galvanizing shop. “They were both these old, industrial spaces that had to be converted,” Stanghetta recalls.

To Stanghetta (principal at Ste. Marie Studio) and Paul Grunberg (owner and operator of parent restaurant group Banda Volpi, of which Stanghetta is also a co-owner), both Savio and Elio’s locations were well worth the elbow grease. The not-quite-downtown yet not-quite suburban locales that the restaurants inhabit have a distinct community vibe. “I like to focus on dense neighbourhoods that will drive the programs,” says Grunberg. His goal for Elio was to be a go-to for everything from hot date nights to family birthday dinners to after-church brunches. “We want to be grounded within the neighbourhood,” Stanghetta notes. “We want to feel connected to that kind of character and sensibility.”

Opening Elio had its own unique challenges, of course. The duo felt that the restaurant should honour the building’s original character, and the factory windows, large ceiling trusses and structural steel beams do just that. Functionality was an obvious priority for the restaurant vets, and the central bar is a masterclass in smart space planning: it was designed for five staff members to be mixing drinks, slicing meats, pouring wine, making espresso and serving bar seats all at the same time. “It’s a kind of nerve centre, and it’s highly coordinated and orchestrated,” says Stanghetta. Plus, the bar is a buzzy focal point. “It gives a sense of energy to the room that really drives the vibe,” Grunberg adds.

The restaurant’s exterior features a heavy stucco detail that continues inside, where dark green and ochre marble bring warmth to the expansive space. The use of natural marble is a subtle nod to Italian materials (“We wanted to do it in a focal way—a trace here, a brush stroke there,” says Stanghetta) and gives the space a carefree, easygoing personality that’s also reflected in the menu. Wood-fired pizzas and fresh seafood (think sidestripe shrimp carpaccio and pan-roasted sea bass) are main players in Elio’s game. And just like at 10-year-old sister restaurant Savio, the diverse, devoted crowd goes wild. “I think neighbourhood restaurants are the best restaurants,” says Grunberg. “They capture everything.”

On the Menu

Rigatoni Cacio e Pepe

10-year-aged cheddar from local cheesemonger Benton Brothers makes this no-fuss pasta dish sing. “The black pepper, the cheddar, the pasta water with its beautiful emulsion—it’s fabulous,” says Grunberg.

Whole Grilled Branzino

This fish is a true catch (and it’s filleted, cleaned and butterflied in-house). The branzino is grilled with salt, fennel pollen and lemon: “It’s so simple and  fresh,” Grunberg says.

Pepperone Pizza

Besides the classic pomodoro sauce and those iconic crispy ’roni cups, this legendary wood-fired pizza comes topped with hot honey and rich confit garlic. Perfect for feeding your inner child.

 

This story was originally published in Western Living’s March/April 2025 print issue as part of the Place Setting series (formerly Great Spaces).