Costantino's Venda Bar & Ristorante

I’ve been here before for lunch and the pasta was great. For this review we just had drinks and dessert. I wish I remembered the names of these but the one with the pistachio topping was delicious. It didn’t resemble the consistency of a pudding, more of a custard. I thought it was the perfect amount of sweet. There was someone that did come around for campaigning outside to the tables which I found odd for a dining experience. Nonetheless it was still good.

The maitre d’ today with black tattoo on her left back was rude. We felt like she doesn’t want us to eat here. She must be anti asian cuz she’s nice to other races coming in too. The waiters are VERY NICE and PROFESSIONAL on the other hand. Food taste just so so..

Not my favorite pasta I’ve ever had- I had to add salt and seasoning. The mushroom appetizer was fine. But the atmosphere is wonderful outside by the fountain. Really enjoyed the wine as well. We got a bottle of Barolo.

Lets be clear about one thing, this is a good Rhode Island restaurant. But my wife and I are plant based diners so I am reviewing their vegan and plant based options. The location is great and based on the family I was with, 8 of us in all, they liked the food. Service was good and the outdoor music a bonus. We knew in advance there was not a lot of plant based options but we figured that we could make a go of it. It's 2021 and certainly they would have a plan for plant based diners like us. Not really. They offered nothing. The bread had milk in it, all the pasta had egg. A $10+ salad could be striped down to all lettuce. (after removing cheeses, bacon, etc) all the salad dressing had dairy in it. We settled on a cheese-less Marinara pizza. Tomatoes, olive oil, basil, oregano and garlic. I added mushrooms and caramelized onions. It was good, but not what I choose to eat when I go out to dinner. So keep in mind that this is a good Italian restaurant that just needs to provide a few option for plant based diners. It's not hard, just needs a little thought.

The overall experience was subpar. I would suggest going to one of the many other restaurants in Federal Hill. Came here with my family for dinner and made a reservation online beforehand. Note that the hostess stand is outside, and the other entrance for Constantina Venda Ravioli is for their Italian marketplace, where you can purchase goods. Limited street parking or you can try your luck in the residential neighborhoods. Credit cards are accepted. There’s one single occupant restroom inside to the left. Inside and patio seating with umbrellas is available. Service The waiter was inattentive and did not check in on us. When asked to turn on the heating lamps as it was getting chilly, he only replied by saying that’s only possible “if” there’s propane. He didn’t bother checking nor did he provide a bread basket I saw multiple other tables had. Later on in the evening, I noticed a different waiter carrying out a propane tank, so it’s evident he didn’t want to deal with turning on the lamp. Food I will give credit to the pasta, as it has a nice texture and tastes very fresh. Unfortunately, the sauces were all bland. The cavatelli’s sauce was brothy while the tagliatelle’s sauce tasted like nothing. The pork ragu did have some fresh ricotta to help with the taste. The calamari we got was a bit cold note that it’s not breaded and fried as other restaurants do.