Located in the historic area of downtown and steps from the Inner Harbour, Il Covo Trattoria is a memorable and unique Italian dining experience. Being a Trattoria, we're the perfect spot for any occasion where you can enjoy casual, rustic Italian cuisine in a warm old world Tuscan ambience. We also offer a beautiful garden patio for outdoor eating in an al fresco Italian style during the summer season. Come and enjoy a taste of Italy!

PRICE RANGE

US$7 - US$26

Special Diets

Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options

Meals

Dinner

CUISINES

Italian, Tuscan, Central-Italian

FEATURES

Takeout, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Street Parking, Free off-street parking, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Accepts Mastercard, Accepts Visa, Free Wifi, Reservations, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service

Reviews (933)

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Erika T

1 review

Reviewed 1 week ago

Il covo a big disappointment

My family who lives on Victoria and my husband and I who live in Vancouver always dine at il covo when we're in Victoria. This weekend was no exception. Last evening with our usual excitement we dined there. It began rather awkwardly when our entrees...arrived shortly after our cocktails were served, leaving us feeling rushed. What we experienced in the food was nothing short of a very big disappointment. Two of us had the seared ahi tuna which was very dry and extremely salty. Another entree was a pasta dish where the pasta was very dry. The 4th entree in our group was very good, risotto with bay scallops. The replacement dishes to our ahi tuna were also very disappointing. My prawns were not hot and were dry. This dining experience has completely turned us off this restaurant. What a shame. Has something changed here?More

Date of visit: November 2023

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Mike C

5 reviews

Reviewed August 18, 2023

YOU CAN'T GO WRONG HAVING DINNER HERE.

I shouldn't really reveal the gem that this Italian restaurant is. They certainly don't need more business and reservation are necessary and getting harder to obtain. Ambience, food, wine list, service are all excellent. Besure toleave room for their desserts.

Date of visit: August 2023

Helpful?2

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

kimmysue42

761 reviews

Reviewed August 13, 2023 via mobile

Quaint Italian Delight!

We enjoyed our dinner at Il Covo. Located on a quiet street with a patio. The interior decor is romantic with an Italian eatery feel. We ate at the bar.had a nice glass of wine and some bread & olive tapenade to start. The server...talked me into the chefs’s homemade lasagna. It was delicious. My friends had the gnocchi and the polpette (meatballs topped with carmelized onions, cranberries & almonds). A filling and classic Italian meal. Thank you!More

Date of visit: July 2023

Helpful?1

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

779kend

21 reviews

Reviewed August 13, 2023 via mobile

Worth the Experience!!

First time here but will definitely be back. The food and service were outstanding. Very friendly and efficient staff. I enjoyed the experience very much!

Date of visit: August 2023

Helpful?1

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sandy F

1 review

Reviewed August 11, 2023

Beware! Heavily salted food!

I usually add salt to my food—I like salt, but every part of our meals (scallopings Marsala & gnocchi with beef) were over salted—even the complimentary focaccia bread. I could have made this meal better myself and I’m not a chef! Big disappointment. To top...it off, the waiter had alcohol on his breath!More

Date of visit: August 2023

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Frolander

92 reviews

Reviewed August 5, 2023 via mobile

Wish they were in Vancouver

Our go to in Victoria for any special occasion especially Anniversary. Ambience is wonderful, staff are tremendous, food is amazing. Reservations a must.

Date of visit: August 2023

Helpful?1

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

VictoriaCoffee

4 reviews

Reviewed July 29, 2023

Best of Italian cuisine.

After 50 visits to Il Covo, I can honestly say… they’ve never let us down - Italian cuisine that’s reliable as gravity - genuine, well presented by professionals. Pretense? Never experienced this. It’s like dining with family. Perhaps we are too well known now. We’re...always treated like royalty. They are popular — and now you need to book well in advance.More

Date of visit: May 2023

Helpful?1

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

hawaiihound

23 reviews

Reviewed July 27, 2023

Never disappoints!

If you are looking for a wonderful Italian meal, check out Il Covo Trattoria. All the staff are fabulous. Service was superb and not too rushed. The food was fantastic! Make reservations, as it gets busy and it is hard to get in if you...just walk-in.More

Date of visit: July 2023

Helpful?1

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

nancymhoule

3 reviews

Reviewed July 9, 2023

Smothered in marinara!

Beautiful restaurant but underwhelmed by my entre. Cioppino Lovornese was smothered in a marinara sauce that was too bold for me to taste the seafood that I was looking forward to. Also it further cooked the seafood by the time it made it to our...table.More

Date of visit: July 2023

Helpful?1

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Laura M

1 review

Reviewed July 9, 2023

Il Covo Trattoria is amazing!!

Il Covo Trattoria is absolutely our favorite restaurant in Victoria! We visited Il Covo tonight with friends and as always, it was fabulous. We were seated in the garden which offers a beautiful background of lush greenery and blooming flowers. We started with the Prosciutto...D Melone, it was delicious!! I had the Pappardelle ai funghi, it's always a favorite and I highly recommend. My husband had the lasagne alla bolognese ( I stole a few bites and it was delish! ) For dessert, the Dolce for 2 is a must! Tonight's Dolce consisted of Cannoli, Creme Brulee and Chocolate mousse. All three were fabulous. Our waiter John was delightful and did a wonderful job. If you're looking for great service, amazing food and beautiful surroundings Il Covo Trattoria is the place to go, highly recommend 👌More

Date of visit: July 2023

Helpful?2

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Fincba1

79 reviews

Reviewed July 7, 2023

Great food and ambiance

We stopped by on a busy night without. Reservation and we’re lucky to find there was a cancellation. The focassia bread with dipping sauce was fragrant and delicious. We had pasta and the biopic O and both were very tasty. Service was attentive and friendly....Have been here before and will return!More

Date of visit: July 2023

Helpful?2

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HSBwastheBest

96 reviews

Reviewed July 6, 2023

Underrated lovely restaurant but book ahead!

Wow - this was a lovely surprise considering it is only ranked 18 on here, should be higher - went there on the off chance on Canada Day and managed to get a late booking. Staff and food were fabulous. Prices not too bad either,...not cheap - around $30 - $38 for a main. Sat outside and although a chilly evening, the heaters made it very comfortable So many choices on the menu was hard to select but more than happy with what we had. (Tagliatelle and Cioppino Livornese (Fish stew sort of!) If we hadn't already booked another restaurant for the next day we would have gone back here. Highly recommend but book aheadMore

Date of visit: July 2023

Helpful?2

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Mel P

1 review

Reviewed July 5, 2023 via mobile

Halibut overdone

We were taken to this lovely restaurant by friends. It was our first time there. The ambiance was perfect, and the service impeccable. Three of the four of us chose the fresh halibut special. We paired this with an expensive but excellent white wine. Imagine...our frustration when the halibut arrived dry and overcooked. It is sacrilege to overcook halibut fish. In retrospect we should have sent it all back and reordered, but were too polite. We went on to have dessert and coffee in order to visit with our friends who we hadn’t seen for a long time. Our bill for two was $235, which included a generous tip, since our server was excellent. I just hope the chef didn’t get to share.More

Date of visit: June 2023

Helpful?2

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Zwheeler11

48 reviews

Reviewed June 22, 2023 via mobile

Excellent!

Everything was excellent- food, service, and environment! We went to celebrate my daughter’s graduation and were very pleased.

Date of visit: June 2023

Helpful?2

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Josephliyen

331 reviews

Reviewed June 21, 2023 via mobile

Decent but not amazing

Decent but not amazing. The food is good, but didn't wow me. It is relatively expensive. The bread was nice and so was the veal pasta. I thought the cheese platter was soso. None of the meat and cheese tasted amazing and it was really...expensive at $35.More

Date of visit: June 2023

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