Italian restaurants in Canada
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Pagliacci’s
At Pagliacci’s, unlimited baskets of fresh focaccia bread are delivered to the marble-topped tables. Generous pasta servings from the cinema-themed menu almost defy devouring; try the Hemingway Short Story (beef-stuffed tortellini).
reviewed
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Conti Caffe
Set on busy Rue St-Louis, the handsome Conti Caffe features an impressive selection of flavorful Italian classics. Start off with prosciutto and melon or the house antipasto, before moving on to penne with gorgonzola, apples and walnuts or the grilled halibut with mango salsa. The dining room is a warmly lit retreat, with exposed brick walls trimmed with art and big windows overlooking the street.
reviewed
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C
Italian Kitchen
Forget terra-cotta tiles and Tuscan color schemes, this is a swish, lounge-style Italian restaurant with a difference. Sit upstairs by the window – open in summer – and tuck into a hearty, well-priced menu of gourmet Mediterranean comfort food. The pastas (crab ravioli is recommended) are perfect, but the antipasto sharing platter – a large dish of delectable finger foods such as tiger prawns, prosciutto-wrapped asparagus and dangerously addictive cheese-filled zucchini flowers – will have you singing an aria or two on your way out the door.
reviewed
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D
Cincin
A favored haunt of Hollywood types, casual yet elegant CinCin is the restaurant where you’re most likely to find yourself standing next to Robin Williams at the urinal. Don’t let that put you off, though. The Tuscan-brushed seasonal menu often includes delectable Salt Spring Island mussels and tender Fraser Valley duck, while gourmet alder-smoked pizzas are another favorite – the wild salmon variety is recommended. There’s also a tempting 800-bottle wine menu to keep you merry.
reviewed
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Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill
Not your standard Italian joint, this fine-dining Mediterranean eatery deploys the cucina naturale approach to cooking, which aims to reveal the delicate natural flavors of a range of regionally sourced ingredients. The warm wood and terra-cotta interior is the perfect setting in which to dip into West Coast dishes tweaked with Italian flourishes – try the lobster and crab cannelloni or spit-roasted duck breast – while the international wine list should keep you jolly all evening.
reviewed
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Il Nido
Hidden in the courtyard of an old-school apartment building, this good-value Italian gem has a warm and casual ambience, a secret little patio and a menu of well-prepared Italian comfort foods. A great respite from the Robson St shops at lunchtime – check the daily pizza or pasta specials – it becomes a romantic, mood-lit nook at night, when the chatty patio is the place to be. Menu highlights include the house-made polpettine bison meatballs and the delectable lobster-stuffed ravioli.
reviewed
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Gusto di Quattro
A smart-casual but never ostentatious family-run Italian eatery, this welcoming, warm-hued restaurant covers all the pasta classics as well as any other restaurant in town – but the prices make this a better deal than most. More adventurous diners should make for the duck fusilli or tiger prawn linguini. The wine selection is good and some international tipples have started to infiltrate the mostly Italian selection in recent years.
reviewed
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Misto
Misto was one of the first ‘see-and-be-seen’ restaurants to open on Ave du Mont-Royal. It’s set with exposed brick walls and polished wood details, with a sleek curved bar, while electronic music plays overhead. Like moths to the flame, a fashion-conscious crowd dines here, eyeing one another over organic pastas, thin-crust pizzas, grilled salmon and other tasty but unsurprising fare. Sidewalk dining in the summer.
reviewed
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I
Pizza Libretto
A bit north of Queen West in Portugal Village, Pizza Libretto crafts what is arguably the best pizza in town. The secret? A wood-fired oven built by a third-generation pizza-oven builder with stones shipped from Italy. Besides certified Neapolitan pizza and other Naples staples, the menu also includes a prix fixe lunch (salad, pizza and gelato for $15) and an all-Italian wine list. Make sure you reserve your table for weekends.
reviewed
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J
Euro Deli
One of the lower Main’s gems, for people-watching and its fresh pastas. Students and punks flop on the outside steps with pizza slices, inside regulars shoo away newcomers from ‘their’ tables. This bustling eatery is cafeteria-style and food changes daily – just go up and choose your pasta from the counter. If chocolate cake is on offer when you visit, pounce! It’s pure decadence.
reviewed
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K
Da Enrico
A well-loved local trattoria, Da Enrico has a loyal following who come for freshly made pizzas and pastas, followed by tiramisu and good cappuccino. It’s a small, unpretentious BYOB place, set with red-and-white checked tablecloths and old photos, where families, old-timers and the odd Plateau couple fill the air with chatter. While the menu offers no surprises, it’s decent quality for the price.
reviewed
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Respect is Burning
This self-proclaimed ‘supperclub’ is reason enough to visit Sudbury. Rustic Tuscan cuisine is the local specialty, and the chefs aren’t shy about mixing in some experimental ingredients. Dish recommendations are virtually impossible as the ever-shifting menu promises bursting flavors with every bite. Weekend evenings are a must – delectable sample platters are on offer with late-night drinks.
reviewed
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Serra
Serra is an unassuming neighborhood joint with funky retro lighting and cute staff, managing to be hip without straying too far from classic Italian stylings (on the walls and on the plates). Try a wood-oven pizza with grilled tiger prawns, scallops, artichoke hearts and ricotta ($14) or a herb-rubbed free-range chicken breast with sweet potato, spinach and mustard jus. Perfecto !
reviewed
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Usine de Spaghetti Parisienne
Near the circuslike Pl Jacques-Cartier, this restaurant attracts loads of tourists who come for satisfying standard dishes like fettuccini with baby clams and grilled filet mignon. Although the crowds can be a bit much, the setting is congenial (stone walls and wood details, with an open hearth) and the price-to-quality ratio is decent. Mains include all the bread and salad you can eat.
reviewed
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Kit Kat
A saving grace near the Theatre Block is Kit Kat, where the vibe manages to stay low-key (dare we say, bohemian) despite the surrounding glitz. It's a cute Italian shopfront restaurant, complete with red-and-white checked tablecloths, serving traditional southern Italian pasta and meat dishes like osso bucoMilanese ($22) and spaghetti pescatore ($20).
reviewed
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Pizzeria Napoletana
Homemade pasta sauces and thick-sauced pizzas (over 30 different types of each) draw Italian-loving crowds here all year long. The pizza crust – nice and crunchy – is the secret to Napoletana’s success. The dining room is simple with neat wood tables and chairs. Lines can be long, particularly in summer, so avoid peak hours. Bring your own wine.
reviewed
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Amelio’s
Smack in the middle of the McGill student ghetto, this well-known joint has fed generations of students with generous portions of pizza and pasta. A medium pizza (always crisp and heaped with toppings) is enough to stuff two people. And the pasta dishes come with sumptuous bread and crisp salads. Lineups outside the plain flat-top structure are common around 6pm.
reviewed
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Terroni
Terroni is a traditional Southern Italian grocer and deli. Wood-fired pizzas, wines by the glass and fresh panini all approach perfection, served in a busy and upbeat environment. The Adelaide St location is best; it’s in an old courthouse with marble throughout. Don’t bother trying to order a diet Coke at either location, though: these folks are cola purists.
reviewed
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Q
Café International
The name may be generic, but the food is far from canned at this lively eatery on Little Italy’s main drag. Carefully prepared but unfussy dishes draw in the crowds to feast on homemade pastas, thin-crust pizzas, satisfying sandwiches, calamari salad and superb cappuccinos. In the summer, try to snag a sidewalk table for prime people-watching.
reviewed
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Il Fornello
One of five Il Fornellos in Toronto, this insider’s favorite is popular not only for its seafood-favoring menu but also its 200-seat patio overlooking Lake Ontario. If you’re not fancying fish, there are plenty of other options, including gourmet pizza. We like the fig pizza: mascarpone, figs, honey and prosciutto are a few of the ingredients. Delightful.
reviewed
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65 Degrees
This relatively new kid on the Little Italy block seems to be making good, serving grilled steaks, lamb, chicken and seafood, along with classically hewn pasta and risotto dishes. We can recommend the gnocchi with Alaskan lobster, mixed peppers, baby spinach and cherry tomatoes in a zingy lemon saffron sauce ($16). The interior design is downright sexy.
reviewed
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Le Postino
Prime people-watching coupled with friendly, unpretentious waitstaff make this place a popular low-key option in St-Roch. There are plenty of classic pasta dishes on the menu for around $10 to $12 as well as a fantastic choice of risottos with genius combinations such as rabbit, roasted parsnips, caramelized shallots and wild mushrooms.
reviewed
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Spiaggia
A contemporary Italian bistro lifting the tone of far Queen St E, Spaggio delivers its fare in a homely interior or on the front patio, perfect on a balmy summer eve. Starters include simply prepared mussels and calamari plates and light salads moving on to grilled meat, chicken and fish mains. The wine selection takes some beating.
reviewed
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Da Emma
The old stone walls and beamed ceiling of this atmospheric place – a former women’s prison – today provide the backdrop to delicious Italian cooking. Osso buco, fresh grilled fish, agnolotti with stuffed veal and satisfying homemade pastas are top picks from the changing menu. Reservations recommended.
reviewed
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Spago Trattoria e Pizzeria
Windsor has a reputation for its Italian, and this is the place to dip your tongue in some. If you’re not in the mood for delicious pasta, the clean-shaven staff also deliver outstanding pizzas from the wood-fired oven. Upstairs, the Spago Ristorante Italiano has a similar menu and a bar that stays open late.
reviewed
