Via Pre Penang Italian Restaurant

I’ve been to Via Pre in Penang a few times now, usually for special occasions — and it never disappoints. If you’re looking for rustic Italian food, this is the place. The service is always top-notch, and the manager is incredibly friendly and helpful with recommendations. The food, atmosphere, and overall experience make it a place I’ll definitely keep coming back to. Highly recommend!

Yes if you’re craving for a true Italian dining experience, then here would be the place to be. From house-made pasta to wood-fired pizzas & premium cold cuts🍕🥩🍖, everything here is crafted with tradition & heart from their chef 🧀 yeah don’t forget bout their great selection of wine & cocktails to pair with all the good food too🍷🥂

Had a wonderful lunch with my partner, the service was great and so was the food. Got a nice bread basket before the meal served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar that was warm and fresh, really nice to have before our mains. We ordered a pasta and risotto, both were delicious and flavourful. The servers were also very attentive and kind, even serving my partner a complimentary honey lemon when they noticed he was sniffling. The only flaw I would note would be that it was a little warm and I couldn’t really feel the airconditioning, though perhaps it was due to the hot day outside. Overall a great experience which I highly recommend.

We celebrated my son's 19th birthday here. The food was awesome and the service was brilliant. We ordered the lasagna and spaghetti carbonara for mains, and had the grappa & berries tiramisu and Panna cotta for dessert. The Panna cotta came with a candle and served with a birthday song too. Definitely one of our favourite Italian restaurants in Penang. Big shout out to the Via Pre team - you guys are awesome!

Good service, authentic taste, nice experience. Definitely will go back for second try on pizza and ravioli!

Overall, we had an amazing experience. Kudos to Naveed, our server, and the rest of the staff at Via Pre. Truly one of the best places to grab authentic Italian food !

We visited this Italian restaurant yesterday and had a lovely experience. The ambiance was warm and inviting, perfect for a relaxed evening. The service was excellent—friendly and attentive staff made us feel welcome. We were pleasantly surprised with complimentary bread from the house, a nice touch! For starters, we had the meatballs, which were incredibly flavorful. We also ordered the fish soup and pizza—both dishes were fresh and satisfying. Overall, a great dining experience with quality food and thoughtful service. Highly recommended for anyone craving authentic Italian cuisine in a cozy setting!

I enjoyed the cozy atmosphere vibe that I get here. The seating is comfortable and table spaced adequately. Menu is easy to navigate and staffs responsive. I stated the meal with the pork polpette or meatball. Even though a little dry, it doesn't break up easily and makes eating it easier. However the mushroom celery soup was interesting. Most of the time, mushroom soup conjures an image of blended mushroom, but here, the mushrooms are in their original shape and piece. The soup itself is 'watery'. The taste is light but adequate, accompanies the bread well. Pumpkin gnocchi however was a little creamy and too light in the taste department for my liking. Perhaps my palate is more attuned to heavier flavours. The pizza however is delicious. Even though light on topping, the bread is tasty and topping fresh. I like it. Rounding up is their rollata porkettata, fancy name for pork. The pork pieces are generous and thick. The gravy is heavy and the flavours combines well with the meat. If I have to nitpick I would say that the meal would be better if the meat was a bit more tender. There are certain parts where it chews tough. In the end, I had a fun meal with a cozy environment.