Osteria Povera has quietly become Port Moody’s go-to for honest, Italian cooking since opening in 2016, known for seasonal small plates and a natural wine list that changes every few weeks. Walk in and you’ll feel like you’ve been let in on a neighbourhood secret: rustic food made with local B.C. ingredients, served in a light-filled 40-seat dining room with an open kitchen and a 10-seat chef’s counter.

Their menu focuses on hand-made pasta, wood-fired vegetables and whole fish when available. Try the pappardelle with slow-braised beef shin, the house ricotta on grilled sourdough, or the seasonal crudo plate featuring fish from Burrard Inlet. The wine list favours low-intervention producers from Italy, France and British Columbia, and bottles are rotated regularly so there is always something new to discover by the glass. They also run prix fixe weekend menus for groups of six or more, and host monthly wine dinners with visiting importers.

The team is led by chef-owner with more than a decade of kitchen experience, and the servers know the menu intimately, able to recommend a wine pairing or explain why a particular local farm’s produce is being featured that week. Service is unpretentious, attentive and fast when you need it, relaxed when you want to linger. The open kitchen means you can watch pasta being rolled and sauces reduced, and the staff are happy to accommodate dietary needs with advance notice.

Port Moody residents choose Osteria Povera for its combination of reliable quality and neighbourhood warmth. It’s where couples celebrate anniversaries, friends meet before a show at the neighbourhood theatre, and families enjoy Sunday dinners. For reservations or takeout call 604-262-6644 or visit www.povera.ca.