This Opinion article is part of a Narcity Media series. The views expressed are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.

A little while back, Blake Lively shouted out four of her favourite places in the entire world and this Vancouver restaurant made the list.

Not only is this quaint Italian restaurant loved by Lively, but her hubby, Ryan Reynolds, has also given this spot in his hometown some praise.

I really had no idea what to expect, but when I heard that this iconic Hollywood duo loved to dine there, I immediately grabbed my phone to book the next available reservation at Ask For Luigi.

Trying to get a reso

The restaurant uses a great online reservation system that is super user-friendly, although, don't expect to see a table open the same night you're planning on going.

You could tell this was a busy place because prime-time dinner reservations were booked up weeks in advance.

Luckily, I was able to snag a late dinner spot at 8:45 p.m. and thought to myself, "okay cool, it's so late, it won't be busy and we'll have the place basically to ourselves."

Nope!

We went on a Tuesday evening, and the restaurant was packed. I was surprised to see how busy it was this late on a week night, which only meant one thing — people must really love it.

Ask For Luigi.Ashley Harris | Narcity

The atmosphere

Ask For Luigi is a hidden gem located in East Vancouver that literally looks like it could have been plucked out of Italy.

The cozy little restaurant caught me by surprise because whenever I hear about a celebrity loving a certain space, I immediately think about how fancy it must be.

Let me tell you, this place was anything but that.

It was a super cozy corner spot that had very few tables and gave off such a romantic atmosphere. I could completely imagine Lively and Reynolds having a date night there, probably with a few people staring at them, of course.

(Psst... I would be one of those people.)

Ask For Luigi.Ashley Harris | Narcity

The service

The service was absolutely amazing.

All of the staff were super quick and helpful to explain any questions I had about the menu. Plus, you could tell they were passionate about the food served at the restaurant.

Our main server helped us sort through the menu to figure out what we should order and when it came to dessert, he couldn't help but mention his own favourite dish, the panna cotta, which we, of course, went with.

Another server realized we liked grappa and immediately came out with a sample of her favourite one to try for ourselves. It made us feel like we were hanging out with friends and enjoying Italian cuisine, which was so great.

Ask For Luigi.Ashley Harris | Narcity

The food

Ask For Luigi.Ashley Harris | Narcity

Ask For Luigi.Ashley Harris | Narcity

Ask For Luigi.Ashley Harris | Narcity

The drinks

Ask For Luigi.Ashley Harris | Narcity

Ask For Luigi.Ashley Harris | Narcity

Ask For Luigi.Ashley Harris | Narcity

The prices

Ask For Luigi.Ashley Harris | Narcity

Overall, I had a great experience. It was such a fun time and I truly felt like I got to have a one-night taste of Italy in my own city!

Thanks for the recommendation Blake and Ryan!

These prices are confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.