Aldo’s Pasta Bar

Your lucky I gave you 1 star that you don’t even deserve at all. This restaurant are the worst. Don’t even waste your money going in here or buying Groupon. If you dont want to get yelled at by super duper rude grumpy owner very unprofessional. He doesnt treat his employee good he yells at everyone. The foods worst. And when the grumpy old man owner find out you’ll be using Groupon. He will either deny your reservation and give you attitude. Like what’s the point of selling Groupon? If it’s going to be an issue when it comes to honoring it? You should be banned selling there. Youre a rip off and i think the only reason you sell at groupon is to lure people in your restaurant then give them the worst ever experience they could ever have. Youre a terrible business man that have a terrible business values. I can’t wait for you to close your door and for someone to take over your business. You suck… and I will tell Groupon about your awesome customer service…

Worst restaurant experience of my life!
Came in with my husband and a groupon on an extremely slow afternoon, we were the only people in there. Was sat and immediately told the waitress that we had the groupon. She said that was fine and told us what we could get with it. She asked if we wanted drinks and we said yes, we wanted to look at the drink menu a bit and would have 2 waters for now.
That’s when it all started…
I guess she told the owner (an older Italian man) that we had a groupon. You could hear him raising his voice at her, but we couldn’t hear what he was saying because of his accent. She came back and told us that we couldn’t use the groupon this time, maybe next time. When asked why she said because we didn’t have reservation. Umm ok. I asked if we could make a reservation for right now, since nobody was in the restaurant and she went to go grab the owner. He came to the table with a sheet of papers and threw them at us, telling us to read the fine print and talking to us very loudly. He said we needed a reservation and he didn’t want to honour the groupon for us because he has seen people like us in there before and we don’t tip well. WHAT??? People like us? A young married couple??? Did he just stereotype us? I have been working in the restaurant industry for over 10 years and always tip very well, on the price before coupons or discounts too! He basically told us to pay full price this time and that next time he might honour our groupon if we were good. I’m sorry, am I on probation at this restaurant? I was so confused. After telling him how unprofessional he was and how disappointed we were that he was being so unreasonable, we were told that the way he does business is none of our business and we must leave. Then he started yelling at his wife and the waitress and throwing his hands up in the air. They looked embarrassed and they should be. Nobody should be able to treat their customers like that and get away with it. F*cking Pasta Nazi. Grow up, you little tiny man! After reading other reviews, it looks like this happens frequently.

Best pizza in town, really cheese. Friendly staff. Will be going back for all my pizza here for sure.

Not so great … Had the pizza and tasted like a canned sauce … Nothing special
Empty and not interesting place … The prosciutto looked more like luncheon meat … Frozen seafood … The waitress had to ask about it … Canned tomato sauce tasted so sweet and metallic … Was kinda gross overall … The empty place should have been a sign will not return

Saw this resto on Groupon and decided to give it a try since we were in the area and in the mood for pasta. For the sake of those who don’t have time to read about my entire experience… Overall, this resto is overpriced for underwhelming flavours and indifferent servers.
We arrived on a Friday evening at about 7:30pm and the place was half empty. We were met with a luke-​warm greeting and seated at the table for 2 right at the entrance (a less than desirable spot when other tables deeper into the resto were available).
After about 5 minutes of being seated our waitress came so I showed my voucher before ordering as most places usually appreciate this. Our waitress politely said it was fine to show at the end. Shortly after this she returned and asked if we had a reservation (as mentioned above, the place was half empty). I replied no and she advised that using Groupon required a reservation but that they would let it go this time (again, the place was more than half empty!). I politely thanked her and ordered.
I had penne pesto with chicken which was bland and quite dry. My son had fettuccine alfredo with chicken which had little to no flavour. The waitress checked in on us as well as the chef (I’m guessing it was) … which was a nice touch and showed some effort to provide decent service.
Now onto where things took a turn for the worst in our experience. We were finishing up our meals when my husband came and sat with us. As I let him try my dish and help me finish, we were curtly asked if we were going to order anything else and when we said no, we were told that extra charges apply for sharing and that Groupons could not be used for 3 people. I replied saying that we unfortunately didn’t have time to wait for another meal. At this point my husband had only been seated for a couple of minutes. We were then told that it didn’t matter since he still ate (implying that we were somehow abusing some rule… which was absurd). By this time there were even less people in the resto.
When I presented my credit card to pay for the ($ 10) difference that the Groupon didn’t cover plus tip (on the full amount), I was advised of the $ 15 minimum charge on credit cards. Ridiculous.
I will never dine here again and I would not recommend it to anyone. It’s just not worth it. Even after the rude service and less than stellar dining experience I still left an 18% tip on the FULL value of the meal which was not deserved.

Decided on a date night with my husband. Came here at 9 and was seated promptly. We ordered clam pasta and lasagna. To be honest, I secretly hoped for more, from $ 17 dish. It was good but not good enough for me to spend $ 17 on the dish. I even secretly wished that I should have cooked at home.
Our problem came at the end. We had a Groupon deal and server told us that we had to make a reservation if we bought a Groupon deal. It was 9 pm and they close at 10. I think they should just be happy that extra $ 35 walked in the door, but then as a manager I would be happy, and then again, who am I to make such assumptions. Nevertheless, she took down my Groupon code and even insisted that I click on «used voucher» button and proceeded to stare at my phone screen as I was reading a text message, even after I clicked on «used» button. When we wanted to pay for $ 6.95 remaining portion with debit card — they told us that they can only accept cards after $ 15 bill. So my husband had to get dinged by cash machine. Overpaid by $ 5 and left without a slight satisfaction. I probably won’t come back.

I can’t say I’ve ever had better Italian food. The pasta itself is to die for and the sauces are outstanding as is the service. The penne al forno is a must try. Given how good everything is the prices are amazing.

I have yet to go to Italy but I can make the assumption that this little gem is very authentic. The staff all spoke Italian, which was my first hint, and the food was delightful! The caprese salad was one of the best I’ve had and the pasta is made in house. We ended our meal with the tiramisu and if you do the same you won’t regret it! I’m honestly not a huge fan of tiramisu but this place does it beautifully.

Worst Italian restaurant I’ve been to in all of North America.
My wife and I chose this spot as it is the closest «authentic» italian restaurant to our home. However, we were extremely disappointed.
Who puts BAMBOO SHOOTS AND BABY CORN in a pasta dish? It tasted like frozen veggies that were recently stir fried to mix in with their pasta. For those who are looking for very saucy meals or gigantic portions, this is the spot for you.
Granted, ambience and service were good and the location is convenient as it is steps away from the SkyTrain. But the food is horrendous and is NOT authentic. Unfortunately, if you want good Italian food you must venture in to the city to find it (Vancouver).
¹⁄₅ Stars.

This is were I first took my wife (when we just stated dating) and we feel in love with this place. Its small, and cozy, and the food is amazing. The wine is great, and the service is 1^st class. You feel welcomed here and its a nice experience that you will want to come back.

Great ambiance and atmosphere. Small and quaint but it was full when we went. Delicious food and prices pretty decent. Service wasn’t bad. Took 15 mins for us to get water but they were apologetic and the chef came out to make sure everyone’s meals were good.

I recently went in to Aldo’s after work as I found myself in the area and WOW was I surprised. This mom and pop owned and operated little gem was amazing. I ordered the Carbonara and asked if I could get it with a different pasta (penne) and they happily obliged. The polite waiter brought out some Bruschetta with mushrooms without me even asking. He seemed European, and was even suggesting places for me to go when I visit Europe. Both the food and service were top notch and I was shocked at how affordable a real authentic Italian meal was. I will be going back soon.

Let me state right out that if I was reviewing them solely on the basis of their Gnocchi Bolognese, they would get four stars.
But there were so many other little disappointments tonight: the best I can say is that if I could offer 2.5 stars, I would.
First off, let me address the attitudes of the front-​of-​house personnel. There is a female maitre d’ who is not that charming, and a head waiter who is extremely charming. When we entered the nearly empty restaurant, the maitre d’ icily asked if we had reservations. Of course we did, but it was laughable. The restaurant was practically empty, and we were there nearly an hour before the owner told me he would be closing (although I feel sorry that they have so little business that they feel the need to close at 9 on a Saturday night). And at one point during our meal, the maitre d’ came over and briskly asked us if everything was alright. Not warmly. Not kindly. Briskly. If she was Italian, I’d hazard a guess she was from the north of Italy. =)
But the head waiter was very attentive, and very charming. He more than made up for the chill that emanated from the maitre d’.
I had a glass of the house white, which was a dry Pinot Grigio, I’m guessing. It was very drinkable, but I’m not sure how much it was. I’d like to say $ 7. There was some confusion over the bill. I’ll get to that later.
We ordered the Antipasto Misto ($ 15), which turned out to be a good selection of mainly store-​bought meats, cheeses and olives. They were all okay, but just okay. The one exception was what I think was a tuna dish, that I’m fairly certain they made on the premises. That tasted fresh and bright. It went well with the warm bread they served (but I couldn’t tell you for certain if the bread was made in-​house).
When it came time to order our main dishes, my husband ordered the aforementioned gnocchi ($ 17), and I really wanted to order a pizza Napoletano (because I love anchovies), but I was told that they were not making pizzas that week! Che misere! Denied! D’essere senza pizza! I grumbled, because there was no way in heck I could finish a whole pasta entrée, so I ended up ordering the Antipasto Pesci ($ 15).
The gnocchi were perfection. Soft, delectable, wondrous. My husband and I both agreed that would we ever come back to Aldo’s, we would both just order the gnocchi. (And I would need a doggy bag.)
The seafood antipasto was hit and miss. It was slightly better than the mixed antipasto, in that there was only one item that was just as it was from the store, smoked salmon (and it was very blasé salmon too). Aside from a repeat of the tuna, the highlight would have to be the little shrimp, which were served with a seasoned mayonnaise. Well made. The last thing on the plate was what had been billed as marinated squid, but it was very watery for a marinated product, and had a weak taste.
Aside from all the other items listed, my husband also had a bottle of Pellegrino ($ 7).
The bill came out, and after our Groupon deduction ($ 30), it was $ 49 total. Well, we calculated the tip on $ 79 and paid up, and received no itemized receipt, unfortunately, because afterwards we had the devil’s time trying to figure out how they got to $ 79. $ 7+7+15+15+17=$ 61. That’s pre-​tax, of course. But taxes wouldn’t take you past $ 66. So there’s $ 13 missing. All we can think is that 1) the house wine price was not actually on the menu and I paid a higher amount for that and 2) they charged us for the bread, which we had refilled. It’s very confusing.

My wife and I love this restaurant. It’s quiet, secluded and the food is terrific. Their alfredo sauce is wonderful. Also the whole restaurant feels like an undiscovered little place that you stumbled upon. Check it out.

We had walked past Aldo’s once or twice but never gone in, so when a Living Social offer came up I bought it right away. We decided to check it out on my partner’s birthday.
It is almost right next door to the Columbia Skytrain station, so it is really easy to get to (it also means you can drink as much wine as you want without worrying about getting home safely!).
We went on a Thursday night, so it was slow with only about four other tables occupied. The location is pretty small, so I have no idea how the noise level is on a Friday or Saturday night, but for us it was nice and quiet. The other guests were dressed quite casually, so I felt a bit out of place all decked out for my honey’s birthday, but, honestly, this place deserves a little bit of dressing up.
The server was friendly and went about his job quietly. He didn’t even flicker when I mentioned the Living Social coupon, which was lovely. Two warm buns with butter were brought to the table soon after we sat down. We ordered our salads first and he took our order for the main dishes once we were done the first course. I’m accustomed to ordering everything (except for the dessert) at once, so this was a bit odd for me, but it was actually quite nice to prolong the meal (you can eat more that way!).
I had the Italian salad which was a bit disappointing. It had quite a bit of butter lettuce with only two pieces of tomato and a ‘zesty tomato vinaigrette’ which wasn’t anything to write home about. My partner had a Caesar salad which he quite liked. For our pasta dishes I had pesto penne and he had linguini with an alfredo sauce touched with pesto. They were both delicious! The servings are a decent size, not enough for leftovers but I certainly wasn’t hungry by the time I was done. We finished off with some tasty tiramisa and a Monte Cristo coffee. Yum!

Great service, authentic Italian run restaurant. Food is good, but a little heavy on the oily sauces. Tiramisu is homemade and excellent. Love that the old Italian man cooks and his son (from Rome) is serving. I really just go there for the service! The old man always comes out to make sure you liked your food.

Steps from Columbia Skytrain, there’s a little pasta bar named Aldo’s. It’s been there for what it seems like forever. It’s not a very fancy place, but if you’re looking for good, simple, uncomplicated Italian dining, you’ve found it.
For the quality and the quantity, the prices are moderate. I lucked out because I saw an ad on The Newspaper Leader featuring their pastas for half price if you order a glass of wine. Wine + pasta = happy Mary.
I had a glass of Rosso Giacondi & Velletri ($ 7) with my pasta. I ordered the Spagetti Cardinale with Marinara and Cream Sauce. It’s regular $ 14 but with my discount it came to $ 6.95. Not a bad deal. I also order the Italian Meatballs — For only $ 2 extra you get two large meatballs with your pasta, and I do recommend them.
For dessert I order the homemade Tiramisu. It was ok — but I’ve had much better. Still, it was a simple and satisfying meal.
I liked this restaurant! It’s very old fashioned Italian — It’s a family-​run business and it has a very homey feel to it.

I ended up trying Aldo’s on a whim. The restaurant we originally wanted to go to closed at 6pm, and since we were starving we decided to try this place since it was close-​by and was recommended by a friend of a friend. When we walked in the door, the restaurant was completely empty except for one other group.
Our server brought us drinks and took our orders quickly. For the meal, I ordered the penne with arrabiata sauce, with some shrimp added on top. The total cost of the plate was $ 17 ($ 14 + $ 3 for the shrimp). My boyfriend ordered the linguini with pesto sauce with some chicken on top, which cost about the same. The server told us about the special of the day, but when our friend ordered it they said they were out. Why mention a special if you’re all out? The restaurant loses one star because of that. He ended up ordering the chicken tortellini with the pesto and tomato sauce. The server brought us 3 buns with butter before the meals arrived. The buns were fresh from the oven and tasted great.
Our food arrived really fast (we had just finished the bread). All of the plates of pasta were quite large (I ended up bringing half of my plate home). The pasta tasted homemade and was cooked to perfection. The one issue my boyfriend and I had was that the shrimp and chicken pieces were very small, which was disappointing. Also, my boyfriend’s pasta had way too much olive oil on it.
After we ate, we requested the bill. Even though the restaurant was quiet, it took almost 10 minutes for the server to bring us the bill. The final cost of the meal was $ 68 (including all 3 pasta’s and 2 diet cokes), which was reasonable.
Overall, if you’re looking for a quiet sit-​down place to eat in New Westminster, Aldo’s is pretty good. However, there is much better pasta places out there.

If I were just rating the food, there would only be 2 stars.
Some friends and I decided to try this place out last night and although the service was fantastic, the food was um… not so much.
Two of the guys ordered the pitcher and bruschetta special, but since one of them didn’t want the bruschetta, the rest of us finished it off. It was pretty decent. I’d get it again if I had to come back to Aldo’s. which I would prefer not to do.
I ordered the Linguine with an Alfredo-​Pesto sauce and it looked great and came out nice and piping hot, but it didn’t taste like ANYTHING. Seriously. Soooo disappointing. I got about halfway through and gave up because it felt pointless. It wasn’t worth the calories.
I feel too generous with my 3 stars. but the guy serving us was sooo nice, and they even put up with us after the restaurant closed without rushing us. So come here if you want, but maybe stay away from the pasta.

We stopped in here on a whim while driving by and were very satisfied.
It’s operated by a married couple. We were impressed when the husband /​chef came out to personally ask how our food was. It’s a perfect place to stop in for a dinner date on a budget — the food was priced lower than I expected it to be, and the sauces were delicious.