Autostrada Ristorante

OK… let me start off by saying that the food is excellent. On my most recent visit I had the potato gnocchi in a gorgonzola cream sauce, with toasted hazelnuts on top. It was divine.
Service was excellent this visit… our waiter was AMAZING.
Here’s what went wrong:
1) The lighting… they kept flickering off on, going bright, then dimming, during our entire visit. It was though someone was playing with the lights. It was VERY off-​putting. It was so bad we asked out waiter about it and he provided some lame excuse about how its an «electrical issue» with the owner of the building and that its been that way «for quite some time». He also said it acts up in bad weather (although the weather the night we were there was fine). First… being told that there’s an electrical issue in a building I’m dining in doesn’t instill safety… and two… get it fixed !
2) A friend ordered the Cornish hens… only to have the waiter return a few moments later to ask him to make another selection as they were «out». He ordered the veal scaloppini and said it was excellent… but its not what he ordered.
3) We ordered the Miso plate… meats, cheeses (not cheap at $ 45). It used to be a great combination of various meats and cheeses, but they’ve obviously gone with cheaper meat cuts and cheaper cheeses. We used to love this dish, but I won’t order it again.
4) The wine we selected wasn’t the wine that was brought to the table. Our waiter explained that they were out of what we ordered (a Pinot) but he selected another brand (without advising us) and brought it instead. We should have been advised and asked if we wanted to order something different, even though the wine he brought out was fantastic and was an excellent choice.
Unfortunately, this place is rapidly falling off my radar. Too bad.

Came here because have no idea what to eat but was just around the corner. When we walk in, there was nobody there greeting you, gotta wait for maybe 10minutes then another 5 minutes to finally they are ready for us. Inside are pretty vacated. Then another 15minutes for another server to find our server to take our order. At this point, my date and I were super hungry. Order a calamari with greens. The calamari was just okay, a bit on the salty side, maybe it’s the seafood. Then there’s the seafood pasta (don’t recall what it’s called) it was soaked in so much olive oil… Literally every bite is oil. Pizza was just disappointing… To top it off, order tiramisu, taste bland. Definitely never coming back again.

I just got back from an evening out for a friends birthday at this restaurant and I, nor anyone else, was pleased despite this restaurants above average rating. Upon entering the restaurant and being brought to our reserved table by our hostess, the party realized that we were assigned the most uncomfortable seating arrangement imaginable. Not only was the reservation for five individuals and they gave us six place settings, but we were placed to sit at an oversized, circular table that definitely did not offer a cozy and intimate environment equipped for over-​dinner chitchat. The tables circular shape offered for a cumbersome dining experience once the appetizers, (which sadly were the best part), were brought out as we all had to lean significantly over in order to nibble on our food. The table is just a complete eyesore from a décor perspective and that space could be utilized in a much more useful and efficient way, instead of having such a large and overwhelmingly prominent piece in the place. It’s very awkward and should be something that’s looked into being removed and replaced with something else.
The waiter was also somewhat of an experience as he failed to mention that the bottles of water he kept offering to bring to our table and fill our glasses with were not free of charge, but rather $ 6 each… Now it is one thing to charge for water but it is another to devoid the customer the right of information… especially when they are going to have to be paying for it in the end… Especially when that end costs almost $ 20 for just water… I found that to be very sneaky and something done in completely ill-​taste, earning this restaurant another tick in the bad books.
However, as previously mentioned, the appetizers were the best part of the dining experience. Our party ordered the «A4 Torino –Trieste» pizza and the «Fritto Misto» to share, along with complimentary rolls that came with a little dish of hummus on the side, which, for an Italian restaurant was a nice unique touch, something quite unexpected. Thus, as we got to ordering our mains, I was excited. Glancing at the menu a couple times all seemed well and each thing looked like it could be a definite winner… But that was until my food arrived… I ordered the «A1 Burger» which was said to be a: 10 oz Angus burger, tomato, mixed greens, sautéed mushrooms and onions, provolone and pancetta, served with home fries, which was plated nicer than it tasted. My friend, whom ordered the same thing asked for some things to be taken off her burger, mainly the mushrooms and when her food arrived they had completely disregarded her wishes, leaving them on for her to evidently pick out. The bread of the burger was also very, very toasted to the point that when we picked up the burger to take a bite it crumbled into a multitude of flaky pieces getting everywhere, from the plate to the table to my lap to the chair… Just a mess all around. Another friend ordered the «Gnocchi di Patate al Gorgonzola» and was appalled, describing it as the equivalent to a cream soup, thus, she would not recommend. The other two people in the party ordered «Casarecce con Cime di Rapa e Salsicca» and thought it was lacklustre, claiming the pasta to have been overcooked and better if it had been more al dente, considering it was casarecce and it’s best when it has a bit of bite.
Afterward upon arriving home a majority of the party did not feel well. We all felt bloated, ill and nauseous… Which is definitely not a good sign!
To add, the menu lacked an even slight range of vegetarian options for a friend of mine who was vegetarian, and she found the wall of hanging hams and prosscuito’s to be offensive. As well, the drinks menu consisted of only different types of wines, which inhibits the customer when trying to decide on their drinks. A drinks menu with a little more variety would have been golden and very much appreciated and would invite another demographic into having a drink or two over dinner.
All in all, I would not recommend this restaurant. It is overpriced for the quality and type of food that you receive and it is not even very good Italian food. I would recommend that if you’re looking for good quality Italian food done right to hit up Marcello’s which is just within the same plaza across the way.

The food was incredible and very reasonably priced. Unfortunately I’m giving it a rating of ³⁄₅ because of lackluster service. As one person in our party was ordering, our waiter told them «okay, you’re done» and moved on to take the next order. We were all extremely shocked that he’d say something so rude. He said that he asked «how do you like your steak done», but all 5 of us heard what he truly said. But to be fair, they seem extremely understaffed and the servers are very overworked and stressed out. On the bright side, once we voiced our concerns, our server was very attentive to us which was nice because we felt quite unwanted prior. We also have dietary restrictions to gluten in our party, and we asked that the chef please only grill the meat and please ensure the meal is gluten free, but unfortunately we felt like they did not cater to our request because we had a typical reaction that we would to gluten. Very unfortunate but the food was extremely delicious nonetheless.

Last night we had a small gathering to celebrate my brother in laws engagement!
The night was just not coming together with our plans, from cars breaking down and so on… Basically, last
Minute, We ended up here.
The first impression was nice, the décor is very beautiful and unique. It’s tall ceilings, light fixtures and décor selections really make this place stand out! The loud voices though, should have been hushed with music, but oddly there was NONE on a Saturday night! The place was a bit bright and the seating was a bit too open and close to everyone else, not my preference,
We were finally seated (in a more or less private area, which my hubby firmly requested) and had to wait for our server, and wait for our server, and then wait some more, oh yes… And wait for our server!
Finally my husband found someone and asked if we can order something, anything, with anyone! It’s been a long night, 5 hungry people and we were SUPPOSED to be celebrating! Not waiting and waiting! With no hi hello, please excuse me, be with you In a moment, excuse my MIA or anything!
They finally got our appetizer yes ONE to share amongs 5 ppl! (thanks to my hubby we at least had something) but wait did I mention we still had to wait for our server? We had not ordered our drinks, our wine, our own apps or even dinner!
Long story short; our server was busy serving the rest of the restaurant, which is probably Not his fault, BUT when he would appear he was rude, drained
And just not
Pleasant! at One point I said’ I’m sorry, did I upset you? You seem very upset!’ (More like RUDE) for example I got the steak which was supposed
To be gluten free, he says to me DONE?!? I reply excuse me, did you just say done?!?, and I look at my husband… The server replays, ‘yeh, the steak, how do you want it done!!’ UMM… Medium, thank you…
So he gave me a free glass of wine… For being rude and my putting him on the spot, the only lady with 4 other man at the table. Ok that was nice, free wine
but let’s get to what really sucked, more then 1hour after our arrival and being seated we ordered dinner:
I was very firm and specific withy my ALLERGY!
I CANNOT eat gluten, my meal MUST be GLUTEN FREE!!! (I called a head made sure it’s doable, I also confirmed with 2of the servers) Although everyone’s food was absolutely delicious including mine, I cannot explain how sick I was by the time the bill arrived!
****Somewhere, Somehow my food MUST have gotten in contact with a gluten product, I was still Sick most Of today as well!
I must say although this place is beautiful, the food is delicious and the wine is amazing and even the prices were very reasonable and attractive…
*** our server was such a miserable,
Careless human being, that not only did he nearly ruin our night with his sour attitude,
His careless order taking, by not catering to an ‘allergy alert situation’. What would happen if someone with a peanut allergy ate peanuts? …
That’s why I can only give this place 3 starts and not 5.
HIRE MORE and BETTER staff Please! And play some
Music pleaseeee!

most exemplary
pasta was tasty
good spot for kids too
we had a big group which had a private room
we had pizza– wood oven very good

This was my first time at Autostrada and it was a great experience. The restaurant is gorgeous and SO well designed! Our server was very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu, and the food was amazing. I will definitely return next time I’m in town and highly recommend Autostrada.

Service was excellent!!! Pizza was great, my daughter had the Bambino, who would have thought Pizza and Fries went together! It was very good. We will return

So I’ve been here a few times and my previous visits were amazing. I really enjoy the food and its all very reasonably priced.
First star for good staff
2^nd star is for location and being close to home (Vaughan)
3^rd star is for having a very trendy décor
4^th is for delicious food!
I’ve had the rabbit ragu, its very good.
The gnocchi with pistachio sauce is absolutely delicious! I love it!
We also went there for new years, I had the lobster ravioli with rose cream sauce. It was stuffed with meat and it was really yummy! I wish it were something regular on the menu, as I took leftovers home and on new years day, it was my first meal… Yes!
So on a Friday night, we went again. We got the pizza stefania to share. It has garlic spread, prosciutto and argula on top! Really really good… Sprinkled with the hot oil… It was on point! I’ve tried the margarita pizza with French fries on top too, that was good too. I want to try the other pizzas especially the one with pears and walnuts. For entre I got the ricotta and kale ravioli.
It was bland and not as good as the other dishes I’ve bad. Dave had the Cornish hen, and he didn’t think it was anything special either. The entrees were a complete miss this time around.
I will be back again and stick to the pasta dishes that I know and enjoy. I’ll try the other pizzas as well.
PS– Best to make a reservation on the weekends.

Just moved to Woodbridge and decided to try this restaurant. I was surprised but it was delicious. We started with the octopus salad and the warm funghi salad. Really enjoyed the dressing on the octopus said but don’t think that I would order the warm mushroom salad again, it just wasn’t anything special. Then we had a pizza and a plate of pasta that the waiter suggested because we couldn’t make up our minds. I can’t remember the name of the pizza that we ordered but the pasta was the one with the Italian sausage, rapini and tomatoes. DELICIOUS with some peperoncini. 2 very good choices. The waiter was great we had amazing service maybe cause it was a quiet Thursday night. Will definitely have to go here again, maybe during the weekend.

Got tricked again. Heard good things about the pizza at this place but, was pretty disappointed tonight. Was not even a bit impressed about the pasta too.
Only 2 things i liked here, the little pieces of bread and the garlic butter that came with it. Everything else was very disappointing.
1 pizza 1 pasta 1 order of app = $ 65, came out hungry and craving for pizza pizza (yes, even pizza pizza tastes better to me than this place).
Will i come back… probably not.

The food is very good. I had one of the many specials which was lamb chops and sausage. We ordered a bunch of apps for the table and really liked the grilled calamari and the Arincini. While the food was awesome the service is another story. The server seemed like he never has gone through formal training. He was friendly enough but nothing special. The menu on the website is somewhat different from the one in the restaurant. Perhaps the on line menu is out of date.

I’m giving This place 3.5 stars. The food was very good. We had the octopus and the pizza with pears and blue cheese. This is a beautiful restaurant. The rest rooms need updating and don’t match the décor.

I went to Autostrada with friends on a Saturday night and was seated rather quickly considering it was busy. The atmosphere is busy but still enjoyable. The noise level doesn’t affect your ability to hear others at you table talking. The food was great! I ordered the Genovese pizza which costs $ 17.00 and was surprised by the generous portion size. I really loved the food, however I originally wanted to order the Gnocchi Verdi but was told they had ran out of Gnocchi that night. I was slightly disappointed as I bet it is delicious at Autostrada since their food holds a homemade type quality to it. Only compliant I have is the service was somewhat lacking. Our waitress was very nice but could have been more attentive to the table as she disappeared for most of our visit. Still I would go back for the food and will be trying the Gnocchi next time.

The reviews are mixed on this restaurant, most of the bad ones related to service complaints. Maybe I have been lucky in the half dozen times I’ve been, since my experiences have always been top notch.
I would give it a 4.5 which I would usually round down, but here I believe they deserve the extra credit.
There are an abundance of Italian restaurants in the area, but this is one of the few that remind me of eating in Italy. The menu is not the typical lasagna and veal parm. They have dishes like pappardelle with rabbit, which I’ve had twice and would highly recommend. They also have a long list of specials which I end up asking the waiter to repeat a few of to make sure I get the best. Every time I’ve been, one of the specials has been a while fish, such as Spigola. I’ve had it before and recommend trying it at least once.
This time I ordered two items off the list of specials. First was the buratta. I’ve been ordering this from Italian restaurants since it became all the craze a few years back. I can safely say this was the best I’ve had. Very fresh with perfect textures, slightly firm exterior with cream like centre. We got a second order for the table and everyone wolfed it back. I could have done a third but let’s not wear it out.
Next I ordered the double pork chop. Unique presentation on a wide wooden board. Perfect cooked, pink in the centre not overdone like most pork. Accompanied by Parmesan potatoes and a a mix of heirloom vegetables. If you hear this on the list of specials, jump on it.
They take things seriously here. There is an advanced system of storing wine in various types and temperatures of fridges, some of which is on display. The meats are aging behind glass high up on display. I always start up a conversation with the staff. They are all knowledgable on the food and wine, and in some cases are from or knowledgable about Italy.
If you have had a bad experience, give it a second try.

I’m usually never in Vaughan unless I have a reason to be there. I just had dinner at Autostrada and I have to say considering I’m an enthusiastic urbanite I was mildly impressed with the menu and the wine selection. However, I’m a foodie and where’s there’s good food, I’m there!
Our waitstaff was attentive and provided an alternative when the bottle of wine we wanted wasn’t available. He went over the specials in detail and it ranged from roasted rabbit to cod stew with potatoes to orange roughy.
I ended up having the Casareccia Pasta with rapini and sausage. It was good although I found the sausage a little too salty for my liking. Keep on mind I hardly use salt when I cook at home. Other dishes at our table included pan seared quail and steak with frites and salad.
The venue itself is very modern and circular in design. A lot of textured white walls with hits if colour and stainless steel. The space is able to accommodate large groups and and a room in the back for private functions that can seat 25 – 35 people comfortably
If I’m in Vaughan I would stop in again.

Autostrada is a really cool concept and the food is definitely ‘molto buona’! The atmosphere and interior decoration is worth a visit alone but when you taste their food you will want to go back again for sure. We ordered a half dozen oysters, which were HUGE, the biggest I’ve seen in a while. Then we had the lamb speducci, which was served on skewers with an aioli sauce to dip. The grilled octopus or the ‘polipo scoglio’ was very large & seasoned just right. Then the T-​Bone steak came out and it was MASSIVE, no joke. This thing was exactly what the doctor ordered and I love the fact that they pre-​cut it, otherwise it would have taken me half the night to carve the damn thing. They served it with beets (red & yellow), carrots, kale, broccoli, tomatoes, and mixed greens… OH my Gawd this dish was Yumface McGee. I love the fact that when the waiter came out with my huge steak knife he said, «your weapon sir». Very fitting indeed.

Just had drinks there. The barmaid was very friendly to us and mean to the other waiters. She likes her power over them. Made for a fun interaction to watch. My guy friend ordered red wine so she called us girls for the rest of the night. I like that sort of humour so it was all good but a fear some others might not.
The rest of the place looks pretty expensive and a bit snobby but I could be wrong about that.

I gave Autostrada another chance, this time as a date restaurant. First time I was underwhelmed by the main (the pizza) and the ham platter. The décor (I love the black tile) and the service were memorable. I was looking for a laid back but not cheap Date #2 with Paralegal. Autostrada and a movie at the Vaughan Colossus seemed a nice blend.
I passed on the pizza and went for the gnocchi. Paralegal had the rabbit pasta. Both were quite passable. Prices are reasonable for finer dining. Service was a touch off. Great to start but we spent a long time looking for our mains and water refills. They kept wanting to take our cured meat appetizer plate. We can work on both? I dunno. The cured meat appetizer was a disappointment. The meat was dry.

Autostrada Ristorante is located right across from Vaughan Mills so it is convenient if you come here for dinner after a whole day of shopping or a whole day of exciting fun at Wonderland.
The interior is nicely decorated. I love the display cabinet with all those ham hanging there. There are quite a few booth seatings. those are so comfy looking! The tables are set quite far apart so you do have a lot of privacy but I cannot even see what other tables eating though: P!
The menu is traditional Italian with Antipasto, pasta, pizza and main course. The Large Prosciutto ($ 25) consisted of (Parma) Italian, (Jamon)Spanish and (Niagara) Canadian prosciutto nicely presented with antipasto. I like the Parma one the best because I find it not too salty and have the melt in the mouth texture. The Jamon one is a little salty for my taste. The Niagara one is a little too piggy taste (ok ok it is real pork)
I am disappointed with the Roma pizza ($ 16) and the Rapini Salsicia ($ 15). The pizza is really burnt on the side and it is a little dry. The pasta is worse, though the pasta is the freshly made type. I do love the chewy and bite of the pasta but Rapini has this overwhelming bitter taste and it is a little dry.
The wine list here is extensive! A whole booklet even more choices than the food menu! There are quite a few selections of $ 200+ bottle of wine! Yes I see the wine cabinet which is all the way up to the ceiling!
The services here is nice and friendly. Autostrada is a nice place to hang out with friends or have a romantic dinner with someone special! ^0^
They accepts all credit cards!