Rosa’s Cucina Italiana

Rosas is well known, for a good reason! this restaurants atmosphere is cozy and welcoming, which is always great. The line up to get a table can be long but I would say that it is worth it. I would recommend Rosas for someone looking for a nice dinner or someone looking to splurge.

Went to Rosa’s for the first time with out of town visitors on Saturday night April 23^rd. We showed up there about 6:30 pm to a lineup of about 15 people and were told that the wait would be about 40 minutes. We heard the food was very good, so a decision was made to try the restaurant.
We ended up waiting for a total of 1 hour and 45 minutes, with only one update, before we were finally seated. A thin ‘Thanks for your patience’ apology was all that was given, but nothing else offered.
The food was very good, portions generous, prices reasonable, but the place was too small and tables crammed too close together for an enjoyable dining experience. Also, they don’t take reservations, which ends up having people wait outside in the rain instead of showing up at an appropriate time. Doesn’t make sense.
I will not be going back…

We went here because of 2 things… walking distance from home and great reviews. And the reviews are indeed right!
BEST pasta I’ve ever had!!!
When we got here the restaurant is a full house so we had to wait for 25 minutes before we got seated.
I ordered the special of the day which is the Eggplant (looks like an eggplant pasta to me) and Veal and my husband ordered the Homemade Manicotti. It took awhile before we got our orders but it’s worth the wait and money. They’re both really good and big portions as well. We both couldn’t finish our own meal, probably only ate half of it because it’s so feeling and we also wanted to make room for their famous cheesecake.
The cheesecake was good and different. My husband really liked it!

Not sure how I felt about this place.
Waited an hour in the freezing rain and finally got seated.
It’s a small place, but rather than it being cozy it was sort of uncomfortable.
Service was not amazing (like what I thought it would be like). It was just mediocre.
Now aside from all this, I had really high expectations for the food from Unilocal reviews and our friends who have been here. Maybe it was because my expectations were so high but I was not that impressed.
It was yummy but nothing stood out and nothing really left a strong impression.
Not worth the wait in my opinion.

This is a cozy, so welcoming restaurant with fantastic service and wonderful food.
We had mussels and seafood pasta and manicotti and everything was absolutely delicious! In addition to that, we were so warmly taken care of and we had a wonderful dinner and an amazing evening with friends.
This place is ideal for a romantic dinner or a great dinner with friends or with family, a wonderful place to catch up with people you care about … simply so right and so good.
Enjoy everyone!

Awesome place.
The owner greets everyone and serves every table like a champ. Really nice lady. The other server we had was an older guy who was great as well.
The food was awesome and saw everyone else enjoying their food. If you want Italian food in Port Moody this is definitely the place to be.
Was pretty packed for just around 6 PM too so you might have to come early.

Rosa’s is BY FAR the best Italian restaurant in all of Vancouver. As soon as you walk in you feel like you’ve walked into a 1980’s hole-​in-​the-​wall Italian joint somewhere in New York. Autographed pictures and Christmas lights everywhere. I felt like I was back in Montréal! The flavors are simple yet incredibly delicious and the staff is always friendly. Don’t be fooled by Anton’s who don’t even know how to serve a side of sausage. Rosa’s is the only place I go for Italian. A salad to start, mussels if they have them, and finish with spaghetti & meatballs or lasagna… take your pick, they’re both amazing… just don’t forget to get a side of Italian sausage…

Had a great Meal — large portion and good service — wait time for a table however will deter me from going again !

This is not worth the line up! I have no clue why there are good reviews for this place. We waited 30 minutes in the cold, only to have a party behind us get seated first. They don’t take reservations. The service was slow but friendly. I can take all that: but the food was awful!!! I had the Spaghetti Carbonara and my friend had Veal Parmesan. Both dishes were totally BLAND!!! Like I’m a way better cook which isn’t saying much!!! I am totally baffled on the positive reviews! The only thing that was good was the cheesecake.
PLEASE DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME, MONEY AND TASTE BUDS on this bland crap!!!

Well… definitely worth the drive from Vancouver!
There were 7 of us so we tried a wide variety of dishes. I went for the Veal Picatta with Fettucine Alfredo on the side, mussels for the appetizer although it was good enough size to be a main. To end we tried both the cheesecake and the tiramisu.
I can honestly say that the flavors were remarkable, especially the mussels. I’m picky as heck when it comes to seafood but the sauce was absolutely delicious. My veal was tender and flavorful and the Alfredo was excellent.
Dessert followed and did not disappoint! The cheesecake was light and delicious and the tiramisu was fantastic!
Service was prompt and courteous and… apparently Rosa wasn’t around to be a miserable grump! That seemed to be the running joke (at least I think it was a joke) from a number of regulars!
Definitely recommended!

Tried this lovely hidden gem for the first time with my parents. Luckily we knew to show up early as not long after we sat down the place was packed. It’s a little place so if you show up during peak hours definitely expect to be waiting a bit.
We shared the Caesar salad to start which was perfect for the three of us and was tasty. For dinner I ordered the spaghetti with meatballs, my dad had the spaghetti vongole and my mom had the linguini riviera. The portions are quite large so definitely expect to have leftovers. All three dishes were excellent with no shortage on seafood in the applicable dishes.
The food and service were top notch. We’ll definitely be back.

Came here for the first time a few weeks back on a Sunday and got a table right away which was very nice. I got the cannelloni and it was so tasty & yummy. Definitely will come back!

At the risk of sounding contrary to all the great reviews here, hubby and I were underwhelmed. He fancies himself a bit of a marinara gourmand since he perfected his recipe and I have to agree — we make better at home — and Rosas was «meh» when it should be better. The noodles aren’t freshly made and at least give us some fresh basil and grated Parmesan. Bread isn’t homemade, just what is? The 1 ½ hour wait had me hungry enough to enjoy the floor boards, but the only thing I loved was the tiramisu which by the end of the mediocre meal was a divine revelation from the almighty. The volume level and heat of the teeny tiny room was oppressive on my poor introverted self who likes dark corners and some room to move my elbows. There is nowhere to hide at Rosas so, like eating with your nosy noisy relatives, prepare to have a so so meal and defend your life choices!

This place is SPECIAL. Rosa has created something, that is these days is a rare thing. Family owned, truly authentic, INCREDIBLE FOOD. Vancouverites are lucky this place exist and if you haven’t been and experienced this food and family style of service… Your missing out.
Go now, ask for ROSA. Give her a hug and say Grazi. She’s one of a kind.

By far the best Italian place in the lower mainland. Been here lots and will never stop. Meet balls are to die for. Huge portions with enough to bring home for the next day

Super, super good.
I always get the gnocchi with cream sauce or veggie primavera. My friend usually gets the meat lasagna.
Good portions, worth the price.
The younger girl that works there is always really nice. They all seem nice, but she’s the only one I’ve ever had serve me.
Yes, there usually is a lineup, so I make sure to get there right when they open, or about an hour/​hour and a half before they close. I’ve never had to wait during those times.
I’ve been to restaurants where I’ve had to wait hours to get in, and have been disappointed every time, so I’m over the whole waiting in line thing… But, I’d probably reconsider for some of Rosa’s pasta.

Delicious!!!
What a wonderful little dining room. Quaint quintessential Italian vibe plus walls plastered with headshots of famous visitors. The hosts are friendly, attentive and sincere.
You must try the caesar salad. The quality olive oil and anchovies are definitely the stars, but the blend of ingredients is so balanced.
I recently had a special of the day — seafood channeling. It was the BEST pasta dish I have eaten outside of Rome or Venice. The pasta was packed full of crab and lobster meat, with a delicious creamy sauce.
Not usually dessert people, but this visit we decided we had to try the cheesecake. Again, WOW! Incredibly light and fluffy.
Who cares about the wait? It’s part of the experience and a great way to weed out the less faithful. :-)

Really great food. But the wait!!! Just knowing that it’s there keep me from going back often.

Rosa’s is my favourite local pasta place. I ALWAYS order the mussels on special with pasta! The staff know my order when I come in! The atmosphere is cozy. It is a small restaurant and be prepared to wait if you arrive during dinner hour. I usually arrive for a later dinner and don’t have to wait too long. I also love the meatballs. They are really big and so tender! The desserts are great too. The cheesecake is a light, whipped, no bake kind. It isn’t heavy at all.

My first time at Rosa’s and it was very good. The restaurant was packed and we managed to snag the last available table.
An older gentleman told us about the daily specials and joked with us a little bit. Always nice when you can share a laugh :)
We both ordered the cannelloni special and a glass of house red.
The complimentary bread was very good and helped to tide us over until our meals arrived. Portions were decent, although we finished every bit of it so nothing to pack up for later.
Would definitely return to try some other dishes.