Pane E Vino
Providence, RI 02903
Phone: (401) 223-2230
- Price:
- $$
- Hours:
- Mon-Thu 5pm-10pm , Fri-Sat 5pm-11pm , Sun 4pm-10pm
Editorial Description for Pane E Vino
Italian cuisine is the specialty at the romantic restaurant that caters to locals and offers fresh bread and an extensive wine list.
User Reviews for Pane E Vino
05/26/2008 Posted by phantomgourmand
I don't usually complain about restaurants, and I've never before written a negative restaurant review on the internet. However, my experience at Pane e Vino the other night was so bad that I can't keep quiet. We had a reservation, and showed up right on time. The hostess, who seemed nice enough but slightly overwhelmed, assured us that we would be seated promptly. After waiting half an hour, I asked for a status update. The hostess rudely replied that she would tell us when there was an opening. At the same time, the crowd at the front of the restaurant continued to grow. After about 45 minutes, I was able to speak with the manager of the restaurant. Rather than apologizing for the delay, she criticized me for my impatience. When I asked if I could get some food to tide me over during the wait, she said that the most she was willing to give was a single piece of bread. When my party and I decided to leave, we had waited for an hour and not received any food. With all of the good options on Federal Hill (or in Providence generally), there is absolutely no reason to waste money at this ineptly run restaurant.
07/20/2007 Posted by aaronmc
Until a few days ago, I was totally unaware of Pane e Vino's existence. I'm glad I wandered in. Everything about my evening was excellent. Entering, I was pleased with the decor and ambiance. It wasn't pretentious or fake. It was cozy, romantic, and all the other good adjectives I could use. The tan color scheme makes me feel as though I'm sitting in a villa in the Italian countryside. We were seated immediately. The table dress was very good if not too formal. The floor is slippery, so it's easy to move your chair around. I liked that a lot. Service was excellent. Our water glasses were always full, and we never went more than five minutes without a check-up. Our appetizers were, across the board, very good. The sweet, lemon flavor in the mozarella en carozza was a nice touch. There were too many of us to list all the entrees we got, so I'll mention the standouts. The hanger steak was spicy and tender and went perfectly with the decent mashed potatoes. A cheese and rotini special had some flawless cheese and cream sauce in it. Their bracioli was good, but wasn't very well prepared. It was the odd man out, since everything else was perfect or near-perfect. For desserts, the lemon sorbet came in a beautifully frosted glass. The presentation was matched by deep lemon flavor. The chocolate cake was decent, but lacked power to the flavor. The molten chocolate cake was excellent. Hot and gooey, and presented beautifully, it was the star of the dessert menu. The coffee's a little weak, if you ask me, but was still a fine finish to an excellent meal. I don't bestow the fifth star since the menu isn't the most inventive one I've seen, and much of it relies on well-prepared, traditional favorites. To say something is 5-star, I feel, requires incredible inventiveness or absolute perfection. While Pane e Vino doesn't do it all, what it does do, it does wonderfully. I will certainly be going back again and again.
Pros: Excellent food and service. Very good prices.
Cons: A few snafus in preparation. Nothing too inventive.
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