Spinelli’s Bar Italia

I stopped by for a quick lunch today before heading to work and was delighted to see that one of their specials was arancini with marina sauce. They put these 3 delightful balls on my plate and smiled at me when I asked for extra sauce. The portions were huge so good bang for your buck. The inside was filled with moist and gooey rice filling and the crust was nice crispy on the outside. I did find that the marinara was a bit on the salty side but this girl wasn’t complaining. Yum yum!

Usually this is my go to in Little Italy, but recent visits haven’t been particularly positive in terms of their new payment/​station specific practices and how it affects customer service. The customer is less important than the duties behind the bar. One cash register smack in the middle of the counter space.
It’s causing suffocating line ups at times. Yesterday with 6 staff behind the bar, only one choose to travel from station to station assisting customers. I get they all seem to have stations or duties but it can leave this lingering line of customers feeling uncared for. Staff is sorting spoons but could care less about the food being delivered. Cleaning the bakery cooler is more important than us folks.
We customers stand Bored. Impatient. Irrelevant. NOT GOOD in this business.
One gentleman was told there wasn’t clean cutlery and sent to the end of the bar for plastic. It was a «fend for yourself, we are really busy» message. Ick.
Layout and service needs a rethink, and the only reason it’s a 2 star and not a one is because I’ve had so many years of pleasant, relaxing times here. And the quality remains the same, the fare is pretty wonderful. There are a few staff who treat me like a queen. The quieter weekdays seem much better.
It’s never really been about falling over the customer, it’s a coffee bar not a restaurant, but it’s never been so unfriendly, bordering on resentful service in the past. Too much emphasis on doing stuff, rather than serving people. I’m going there less and less.

It is with a heavy heart I feel impelled to write a negative review on my once favourite lunch/​breakfast spot. Located perfectly for my son and I to meet once or twice a week for lunch, friends for coffee often and with great food, alas all of this is nothing with out service. The usually surly barista (which I can understand and accept I mean, I couldn’t do that job) was, this day down right rude, snapping at me because it was somehow my fault he had made me the wrong latte. Insisting that I go back through the long line up to pay an extra $.50 for the vanilla shot that I had very clearly ordered but they had somehow missed charging me for. This was just the tip of the iceberg. Meanwhile the remainder of my party were having challenges of their own with their pizza order. Being not familiar with «traditional Italian pizza» they assumed their pizza would be as most would assume their pizza would be… hot, cheesy, spicy tomato sauce… I don’t know pretty straight forward and an easy assumption. Their «pizza“was none of the above, which they were prepared to accept, except for the horrific embarrassing treatment they recieved when asking for a side of tomato sauce to put on their cold flatbread with cold lettuce and and 6 cherry tomato halves and a tiny topping of cold Italian meat (basically a sandwich, which again we were prepared to accept) This woman, who throughout our discussion revealed she had been working there since she was 14, was without a doubt the rudest person, let alone waitress I have ever met. Clearly she has spent enough time in the service industry and as I suggested to her at the end of our conversation, it might be time she moved on. She had absolutely no interest in satisfying the customer. Refused to bring tomato sauce (for which I paid another $.50 cents) until we were packing up to leave. Neither her nor the barista made any attempt what so ever to apologize for any of the mix ups and in fact made us feel terrible and embarrassed for even asking for the coffee we paid for or the sauce we paid for. Throughout her performance which of course became noticed by other patrons we learned that we were not the only ones who had suffered from the wrath of these staff and one table actually thanked us for speaking up.
The sad part in all of this, is that I had recommended this restaurant for my daughters first outing with her brand new week old baby and after a very difficult and stressful time and now with great joy we came to celebrate with friends. This experience was so disappointing and appalling and with out a doubt the worst service I have ever encountered I can only recommend that you do not go to this restaurant unless you have some sadistic type need to be berated, belittled and embarrassed.

Definitely one of the best cappuccinos in town, creamy and perfect bitterness. Also had a panini that was really good. Not a lot of variety but what they sell is excellent.
Have not being there in a while and they have now expanded the sitting by taking some of the supermarket space. I’m not thrill by the new space as it looks out of place like a temporarily fix but at least you don’t have to wait for someone to stand up to sit at a table.

The food is generally good but the staff are rude and come across as annoyed, particularly in the last two years. Years ago, when they first opened, I would very often walk down to get a snack for my son and a latté for myself, then head over to Giovanni Caboto park across the street. We would also often walk down as a family to get our dinner there, eat in the restaurant, then take the kids to the park. In the last 2 years however, we have had so many rude encounters with the staff, including the elderly lady telling us that our children were too messy (they don’t provide highchairs so littles have to sit on your lap), while she was sweeping under our feet as we were just finishing up our meal (we hadn’t even started to get up or get ready to leave). My husband now refuses to go there and I rarely do now too. I don’t want to spend my money only to be treated like we shouldn’t be there. I know I am not the only one that feels the same. Many parents in the area have stopped going. Such a disappointment! It could have been an amazing spot to bring people in the neighbourhood together but instead it has pushed people away.

Spinelli’s is good in theory but is, unfortunately, hit and miss. Today’s visit for me was a definite miss.
I arrived at 10:30 am, a slow time of the day but was hustled through by staff as though it was the height of the lunch rush. They seemed irritated that I was hesitant with my order and when I changed my mind about getting my salad to go you could just see the annoyance on the staff’s face.
Speaking of the salad, it tasted good but I found the soggy lettuce unappetizing. A marinated vegetable salad should not have lettuce in it as it gets soggy. And considering that it was still early in the day, one does not want to imagine how it will be come lunch time. I also ordered a croissant sandwich. When I was asked if I wanted it put in the press to heat it, I said yes but asked if the lettuce and tomato could be taken off as they would get soggy (I know this because I have ordered the same thing in the past). As it was heating the staff asked if I wanted the veggies still and I said yes. Once the sandwich was heated she gave it to me without the veggies. I asked for the veggies, to which she replied «you wanted them taken off and now you want them put back on?», I said yes because they would be soggy otherwise. She turned around and put them on the plate beside the sandwich. I then asked if she could put them in the sandwich, which she did without care and with annoyance. This whole interaction obviously frustrated her although it was a simple request that should not have been met with such annoyance and as though it was such an inconvenience. And after all that the sandwich wasn’t even warm!
I also used the bathroom which reeked like urine, something you really don’t want to experience as you are dining and enjoying your coffee! There was a pool of liquid on the floor and it looked sticky everywhere else. I have used this bathroom before and this is not the first time it was in such a state.
Another issue I have with Spinelli’s is that they tend to run out of their items. I have come in the late afternoon and they had only a few pastries and sandwich/​salad selections left. After going out of my way to visit Spinelli’s to arrive and be disappointed with the selection, it’s really inconvenient (especially when making a trip to get a selection of pastries for an event, which I have done before only to have to go to Save On Foods instead due to a lack of selection). I realize this is a busy place but they should plan accordingly! After expanding the café I wonder how they can keep up.
Being the centre of Little Italy and a popular gathering place it is such a shame that the food and service of Spinelli’s are inconsistent. Honestly, I would love to love Spinelli’s but the often unfriendly staff who treat you as an inconvenient body to be moved along in order to serve the next person (regardless of the length of the line), and the at times subpar food, combined with the cleanliness leave much to be desired.

Basically an italian starbucks. The atmosphere is a classic espresso/​bakery shop. However, the tables weren’t very clean. The food and beverages were really good; but they had no selection of baked goods. That might have been because i came there on a sunday afternoon/​evening. As for coffee, the menu lacked specificity. In other words, they had no details of what you could put in your coffee (flavour shots). When ordering, the process was annoying. I had to order food at one counter and coffee at another. The service was friendly enough. Summary below:
Quality of edibles– 4 stars
Selection and menu details– negative 1 star
Environment– negative 1 star

A Busy Café in the Heart of Italy,
On occasion I drop by for the niche picks offered at Spinelli’s
The (freshly made) pizza is the highlight pick. Italian inspired thin crust with quality cheese and toppings make it a delectable bite. The spinach roll and gelato are also two favourites of mine.
A great location, a variety of items, and reasonable prices can attract a lot of attention. Yet too much attention often has Spinelli with a «plate full». The small shop often has a line-​up, seats are full, and employees seem rushed.
Worth checking out, but Spinelli’s is due for expansion.

Came here on a very bustling Sunday afternoon around lunch time with my boyfriend. We waited patiently in line beside the dessert display, for someone to take our order. The lady behind the display doesn’t give you any time to order, pushing people through so quick your head will spin. There is no menu board up for people to review, with only what you can pick up in your immediate view. She took my boyfriend’s order (a piece of focaccia), while I was undecided still. By the time we got to the til to pay, I was ready to order, and at the annoyance of the man at the til I may add. I ordered a turkey panini and a small tomato boconccini salad. He begrudgingly and rather rudely gathered the items for me (the salad on a plate and the sandwich into a panini press) like I was throwing off his mojo or something.
In the meantime, we found an empty table on one side of the restaurant (which as rare to get I might add). The table still hadn’t been cleaned and there were dishes and glasses and crumbs left over from the previous patrons. And not once, I might add, did I see any employees come out to clean any of the tables as people left.
We weren’t sure how the process worked for my panini as it was being heated up. After several minutes, my boyfriend got up to see if they were bringing it out to us, when he returned with the sandwich in hand. Talk about hard crusty bread! I know for sure that the sandwich was left to «panini» WAY too long which was why the bread was practically unedible. I actually ended up removing the top layer of bread just so I could bite through the sandwich without it cutting my mouth.
So I would not recommend this place after this poor experience. No one was friendly, no one cleans the tables, and the food is very mediocre.

Le détour parfait pour se sentir un peu italien après avoir traversé le quartier chinois. Bons desserts frais, pizza de qualité à prix raisonnable. Mais surtout un authentique café ! On aime! On reviendra.

If there is one problem with Spinelli’s, it’s that it is way too difficult to pick what you want to eat. From their paninos to their pizza to their baked treats to their soups and salads, the charming café attached to the excellent Italian Centre has a deliciously dizzying selection.
After much internal back-​and forth I settled for two slices of the vegetarian pizza. Each piece of the thin crust pizza was absolutely enormous and smothered in olives, artichokes, onion, and cheese. It was incredibly delicious and though the slices extended far beyond the edges of the plate, I was able to eat them faster than you could say «ciao.»
My most recent visit was on a busy Sunday afternoon so the tables were mostly packed and somewhat poorly cleared, but I’m going to chalk that up to a busy day more than habitual poor service. The staff at Spinelli’s were kind and patient as each person in line overcame the difficulty of choosing between so many tasty options. Little Italy is one of Edmonton’s underrated areas and Spinelli’s and the Italian Centre are two gems at the center of a very endearing community.

Attached to Little Italy’s Italian Centre, this little café is a great place to get a sandwich and a pastry on a summer day, and enjoy it on the sidewalk patio.
The food I’ve had here is hit-​and-​miss. Sometimes it’s absolutely delicious, and other times, it’s merely OK. Their pizza by the slice is consistently good, as are their salads.
Customer service varies, too. I’ve had really wonderful and chatty servers, but I’ve also had surly ones.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the Italian Centre and Little Italy in general, but have found a lack of consistency in the product and service at Spinelli’s. It’s still a good spot to visit, though.

Very delicious cappuccino. After you are done with a yummy coffee you can shop at the awesome Italian store in the same building.

Leave the calorie counting at home, take the cannoli.
Oh how I love sitting in Spinelli’s: Sipping a cappuccino, chatting with a friend, watching the comings and goings of this quintessential Italian café. And all the while, in my head, planning the glorious meats, cheeses and such that I will procure from the Italian Market next door!
All of the staff is so friendly, the sandwiches, soups and slices of pie (the kind with meat and cheese, this is Spinelli’s!) are always fresh, made in store daily and have that added special flavour that you can only get when something is truly authentic. And then you are faced with the question… Do I get a cannoli? Yes! For the love of food, yes! Always, whether it is to go or enjoy in the café, always get the cannoli!
My work here is done.

I am embarrassed to admit this, but I have never been to Edmonton’s little Italy. And as sacrilegious as it sounds, never thought to go there for a good cappuccino or espresso or anything else ending with an O. Thankfully, on advice from Karlie, decided to head out to Spinelli’s for quick cap.
The atmosphere is wonderful. And though it was mad packed and I could not get a table to soak up the atmosphere, the cappuccino I ordered was wonderful and a large one will cost you a mere $ 3. So if I didn’t complain about price of drinks at high end caffes before, this experience will certainly make me look harder to justify higher price points.

My first experience here was good, I had the cannoli. And although it was my first cannoli, and I cannot verify how authentic it was, it was thoroughly enjoyable, and not too steeply priced.
I cannot say as many nice things about any of the visits I have made here since. I have tried the apple danish, croissants (which are more steeply priced than the ones at the bakery right next door at the Italian Centre Shop), the chocolate croissant (which was simply a croissant filled with nutella — I did not enjoy this at all), and another pastry I cannot recall. All were more expensive than they were worth. And all were horrible quality. They were all so gross, I wanted to throw them out.
My impression of Spinelli’s was further ruined by the quality of their gelato. I went on a cold day, because I was really craving gelato. Somehow, despite the cold weather outside, the gelato was melting enough to be quite soupy. For the price (it was $ 8 or $ 9 for 3 scoops), I cannot believe the woman behind the counter would even sell it to me when it was melted! Just like ice cream, it doesn’t really taste proper when it’s melted, so I can’t say I was even impressed with the flavor. And I won’t be giving them another try. I’ll stick to Famoso’s gelato bar, or other far superior places when I have my next hankering for gelato.
Based off the other reviews, I will hope that their beverages are superior in quality to most of their pastries. However, most of my experiences have been so bad that I will be steering clear of Spinelli’s from now on!

After a hard day of grocery shopping at the Italian Centre, I like to treat myself to an espresso and a cannoli here. I haven’t ventured out to try anything else they offer yet, but it all looks delicious.
The atmosphere here is nice too, and if you close your eyes, this is the best place in town to pretend you’re in Italy.

You know you’re getting a good cappuccino when the old men at the table near the cash register are arguing politics in Italian. In my opinion, it’s the best cappuccino in Edmonton.

Spinelli’s is a true-​to Italian style coffee shop with great coffees, snacks and desserts. I really like the gelato here and am quite sure that it supersedes various other places in gelato. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but when I come here I often end up getting one of their awesome tarts or even biscotti with a cup of macchiato.
It’s a great coffee stop-​over after a tiring ordeal of grocery shopping at the Italian Centre shop and/​or the other ethnic store — Lucky 97. Spinelli’s just adds to the experience of spending a weekend afternoon in this part of town.
The croissants here are pretty decent but not the best in town. I’m not being too judegmental, but I guess I’ve had a handful of better croissants! Their coffee is great and their treats do justice to the service, atmosphere and flavor that this café exhibits.
I’ve had a panini here just once and enjoyed it thoroughly. Great food, great service, great coffee, great weekend afternoon stop.

Love love love this place. Great ambiance, excellent selection of hot and cold drinks, great prices, tasty sandwiches. Mmmm…

Spinelli’s Bar Italia is a coffee shop attached to the Italian Centre Shop (or Spinelli’s) on 95 St. in Little Italy. Before it’s current incarnation it was another café called Tra Amici, which was essentially the same but a little bit better. No matter, I still enjoy Bar Italia a lot. It is now owned by the same family that own the store. I generally dislike going to the chain coffee shops to meet up with a friend ($ 4.50 for a medium hot chocolate — no thanks!), so Bar Italia is my go-​to place. It’s also only a 5 minute drive from my house, so that’s a bonus.
Bar Italia is a fair size, with about 10 or so tables. They also put a few tables outside in the summer. There are some paintings on the walls of Italy, as well as your standard World Cup/​football memorabilia. It is pretty basic as far as décor goes. The thing I love about it here are the prices! Cheap! I don’t usually drink coffee, but they have a big selection of coffee, cappucino, esspresso, etc. I usually get tea when I go which is very reasonable at $ 1.50. A bowl of soup is $ 3.95, a pannini for $ 5 or $ 6 (depending on the size you get), and awesome pastries all around $ 2ish. The canoli are my favorite, yum! Oh, and don’t forget the gelato.
I’ve been in here at all times of the day — daytime on the weekend, 8pm on a Tuesday, and it’s always busy, sometimes surprisingly so. They have a few TVs up that are always playing soccer (usually on the weekend) or some other sports. I was here a few weekends ago for a few hours and in that time they played a Serie A game, a La Liga game, and one other game. Try to go here during the World Cup or some other big tournament, but get there early! The customers are always varied and interesting — older Italian folks, young folks, families, people taking a break from their shopping. All in all, a very relaxed, inexpensive place to spend some time and catch up with friends or family.