Venda Ravioli

I would describe my experience as actively mediocre. We stood around for five minutes before anyone approached us to be seated. They forgot my cocktail. The food was tasty, but unmemorable.
I can’t honestly think of a reason to go back.

I just went to Venda this past week They have gone so far down hill; they should be looking up! People go to federal hill to see the old time charm, ambience and ethnic food, Pasquale Square is the center of it all. As soon as walked in I said to my husband «what’s up with this place»? We came for lunch quick in and out! We passed the meat display case on our way to being seated! I instantly decided to stick with something safe. I ordered the Raviolis with Marinara they were good not great! My husband had pasta with a bolognese sauce, his words exactly «nice pasta but what’s up with the sloppy joe topping».
Venda has become so commercialized from the waiters, meat selection and overpriced grocery items. In the past they sold prime meats which were so delicious; now it’s all choice and looked aged in a very bad way. The San Marzano tomatoes were so overpriced; I started laughing. Half of the groceries are offered at the local market for half the price. Really Pastene?
I’m 100% Italian, so maybe some maybe some millenniums will love this place. No real Italian would ever eat or shop here in my opinion. Such a shame, Im actually very disappointed, this was my go to place for Italian provisions.
MI SONO FATTO CAPIRE!!!

I enjoyed this place the first time I went but just tried it again on Sat and was very disappointed. The restaurant space downstairs is very tight and we had the misfortune of being seated adjacent to a table of 20 people consisting of 40 something year olds heavily drinking wine and bellowing to the point that my family and I could not even hear each other during our meal. No other seats available so we suffered through the meal in silence! Our server was great but not able to sway the loudmouths into toning it down. Food was average, not special in any way, wine was expensive for the quality. So chilly in the restaurant so beware of eating there in the winter. Save this place for drinks and apps in the summer when you can sit outside and listen to music. Wish it was better!

Overpriced. Over-​rated. Nothing more than a tourist attraction, like many places on the hill now. Nothing special about the menu. The service was dreadful. I would not return.

Institution
Located in the heart of Providence RI’s Federal Hill, Venda Ravioli is one of the best Italian deli’s around. They offer a huge selection of cheeses, olives, meats, pastas, red sauces, etc. You’re able to do some grocery shopping and eat at the same location. They have limited seating inside along with the outdoor piazza. Some folks choose to get their lunch to go and this deli also offers not only hot entrees but also a wide variety of sandwiches– too many to mention. Check out their menu online or take the ride to Providence and stop in for the experience. You won’t be disappointed.
Thanks

Between all the prepared food and the freshly made pasta, you can’t go wrong here! Great option for catering platters or dinner for two. The counter can get crowed but it’s definitely worth the wait.

Great bar, also great ambiance in the restaurant. All of their pasta is homemade and I was tempted to try it but instead ended up going to a classic margarita pizza. The pizza was good but not as great as I was expecting. The wine selection is extensive which I liked and they also offer some great cocktails. Great place for a date.

The food realistically is maybe a 4, but the attitude is a 2. I’m not from Providence originally, but I understand that this place is some sort of local landmark. That doesn’t mean that if you work there you’re supposed to treat everyone like it’s their pleasure to be waited on by you. Could be a great «neighborhood» type place, if they wanted you in their neighborhood.

Seriously, so wonderful… I made two big mistakes on my most recent visit. I went hungry and ended up stumbling around for a good 30 minutes. I guess there isn’t anything wrong with that since I could spend a good hour in there looking at Everything they have to offer. I also walked in with a Starbucks coffee… what a rookie mistake. They have a café in here and their coffee will blow away anything that a chain has to offer.
Fabulous prepared foods, superior olive oil, fresh raviolis, pasta and sauce… etc…etc…If you want a great cheese and cured meat selection come here and you won’t be disappointed.
When I have business in Providence this is always my last stop before returning home to CT so I can stock up. I most certainly will be back…

Venda is staple in my places to bring people for lunch. Whether out of staters or with friends, Venda has some unbelievable prepare foods as well as a deli that makes some awesome sandwiches. I have tried a majority of the sandwiches and all are worth ordering again… and again. With ravioli in your name, they better be good. Luckily, Venda delivers and then some. They have a variety from smoked mozzarella to lobster ravioli all of which can be covered with their in house sauces; awesome idea for a quick, delicious dinner. They also have Italian candy which I buy everytime I go and can’t find it anywhere else. Go to Venda to experience a great deli on the hill by grabbing an awesome lunch and all the necessary ingredients for a great dinner later on.

Venda is great, huge selection of prepared foods, sandwiches, pasta, cheese and cold cuts. Feels like little Italy in here everyday. Lunch time is insane so come early or you will be waiting in line. Can’t say I’ve ever had a bad meal here.

I’ve been coming here since I was a kid and in my opinion this is the place to get good
Italian food and goods. I’m Italian and my momma taught me how to cook so I’m fussy when it
Comes to purchasing Italian foods. Venda though is a glorious place. First off the staff, everyone we came across was smiling and welcoming. The deli is amazing. They have everything you can want or need. The staff is knowledgable about the product and will answer any questions you may have. We ended up with a plethora of meats and cheeses. They sell a lot of specialty oils candies etc. also. They have a whole wall of in house made fresh pasta. Ravioli, gnocchi, etc. all stuffed with amazing meats and cheeses. I regularly get the butternut squash and the prosciutto ones. If you don’t make your own this is the closest you will get to your own. They have a huge assortment of prepared foods and there is a small seating area to have lunch or dinner if you want. There’s another seating area for coffees and desserts. What a great place. We treated our family to some awesome treats for Christmas Day and I’d highly recommend this place for all your Italian shopping needs.

I’ve been going to Venda’s for many year’s. I go a few times every year but always between Christmas and New Year’s. I must say the overall quality of this place has decreased while the prices have gone up substantially. They have a good select of cold cuts but again, I can go to my local stop and shop and get Boar’s Heads meats. By quality, I mean the consistent availability of the popular items; example the black pepper linguini can be hit or miss. It’s good when it’s available. As for the price, it’s gotten a little steep. $ 8 for 12 prosciutto and provolone ravioli is high. Will definitely be going here less. As I live half way between Providence and Boston, may be time to head to North End for my Italian food.

I love the cheese case!!! It is full of wonderful selections from all over the world, not just Italy, so if you want to make an impressive cheese plate, this is your spot! Also a great spot for olives and marinated vegetables. Otherwise, I’d go elsewhere because the prices are high, the grocery selection is limited, and it’s always very busy. The prepared foods and pastas are good, but since I cook and make my own pasta from scratch, its really all about the cheese for me.

I love this place! Today I went in for fresh mushroom ravioli for a new recipe I was trying. Two dozen were $ 15 and it was plenty for 4 people. If you want a great dinner you need to start with the best ingredients. It doesn’t get much better than this! Venda has consistently great quality food. No special occasion meal would be complete without a trip here!

The restaurant is not big but I really enjoyed the dessert there and their fantastic entrees! Love it.

I’ll definitely be coming back here. Just stopped in at random and had a nummy meal. Was pleasantly surprised at the variety and quality of everything I saw. Excellent meats and a wide variety of cheeses. An espresso bar that looked packed. A restaurant that had both inside and outdoor seating. An entire deli with a variety of items. A fridge section with tons of fresh premade pasta sauces and housemade ravioli. And the thing I’ll definitely be coming back for soon? Fresh uncooked noodles at an affordable price!

This review is strictly for the deli —
The sandwiches are above average, however inconsistent.
The workers preparing your sandwiches have never really been friendly, but not rude either. They just get the job done as fast as they can.
There is just one thing about coming here — feel the stares hard and cold walking into this place more than anywhere else — from workers and customers alike. Actually, this may be the only place that I feel that. There is just something uncomfortable in the air for me being here.

The Italians have to be the world’s greatest marketers of high-​end prepared food. You could build a grand Italian deli (and many have) on imported tins of olive oil, mysterious and enticing condiments, and the olives, pickled vegetables and giant marinated artichokes from the good people at DeLallio.
Which is what makes Venda Ravioli so special. As an out-​of-​towner I barely got to dip my toe, but every single item had its own assertive yet perfectly balanced identity thanks to in-​house preparation. I got and recommend the green bean/​garbanzo salad, marinated mushrooms, «antipasto salad» with chunks of various salumi, white anchovies (even these were different, with a few traces of red pepper flakes), prosciutto and provolone agnolotti and of course the firm, big-​as-​your-​fist meat balls. The deli counter is a magnificent quadrangle in the middle of the store and canned goods around the edges and even a coffe/​gelati bar off in the corner if you are in there so long you need a pick-​me-​up.
There’s also some table seating where you can dine in the middle of the store, Eataly-​style, but I was not tempted. (Even less so after getting back to the room and looking up the menu prices on the web.) Why let them decide what you should eat and in what order when it’s so much fun to do it yourself!
P. S. If you want to pay more you can dine in Venda’s bar, or Venda’s restaurant on the other side of the plaza, as well as the sit-​down in-​store tables. But if you get food to go (most of which does not have signs with the prices) I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the size of your bill.

What can I say? Being a visitor, a local recommended a visit… Awesome Italian deli, supplies, salads, sandwiches, etc, etc, etc. Also have a sit down area for table service. Absolutely nothing not to like here!

Cute local Italian deli style café and market! Freshly made pastas… We had the caprese salad on the restaurant side… Good size mozzarella and tomatoes and fresh basil… Free in house made bread served with olive oil… Tried the gnocchi… Tasty and flavorful and made in house… Raviolis were tasty too! Nothing beats homemade pastas and sauces!
And we bought a bunch of still from the deli… Assorted cheeses by the pound… I love a good blue cheese Brie… Or smoke Gouda. Marinated mushrooms… Speck… Olives… Everything we bought there was
Yummy!

Yes, the food here is 5-​stars in terms of quality and variety.
I can’t add much more about that to the 130+ reviews that came before me.
But unlike some of the previous reviewers, I saw none of the uncooperative rude behavior attributed to the workers here. On the contrary, we had a great customer service experience.
We wanted to get some of their fresh mozzarella to make our own pizza at home, but they sold about 4 different kinds! We asked a guy in the cheese department and he couldn’t have been nicer, going over the qualities of each variety. He really cared about helping us and giving us advice. The guy was terrific.
We bought pizza shells, fresh mozzarella, a container of marinara sauce, prosciutto, capicola, and cups of gelato for the ride home.
Our pizza came out great– check out the pic.
A wonderful, just wonderful place!