Best Italian Restaurants In Montreal With The 40 Places
If you’re visiting Montreal for the first time, or if you’re looking to eat at some of the city’s most delicious Italian restaurants, then you’re sure to find something for every palate.
The food is amazing. I was a little surprised to discover that the number one restaurant on this list was called “Ristorante Bistrot”—not the place I expected it to be.
But, the restaurant is well respected among locals in Montreal, and is the perfect place to enjoy authentic Italian cuisine. In this article, I’ll provide the readers with the list of the 40 best Italian restaurants in Montreal.
40 Top Italian Restaurants in Montreal
1. Antonietta
Address: 6672 Av. Papineau, Montréal
QC H2G 2X2, Canada
Phone: (514) 729-2633
Website: Visit Website
The food at this new Papineau Street restaurant is heavily influenced by the region’s bounty. Expect a seasonal menu that includes a wide variety of pastas and pizzas, as well as a few surprises.
2. Knuckles Cantine & Vins
Address: 241 Rue Jarry E, Montréal
QC H2P 1T6, Canada
Phone: (438) 380-3858
Website: Visit Website
The design of the portable pockets of cheesy delight that inspired its name may not sound Italian, but the name surely does. As a prelude to a supper full of fresh seasonal vegetables, panzerotti are a must-have for the table to get things started.
3. Luciano Trattoria
Address: 1212 Rue Saint-Zotique E, Montréal
QC H2S 1N5, Canada
Phone: (514) 303-1204
Website: Visit Website
At Trattoria Luciano D’Orazio, diners may enjoy rustic-meets-modern cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere.
Classic Italian dishes like cacio e pepe spaghetti and ricotta gnocchi, as well as beef carpaccio and bufallo mozzarella, provide for an enthusiastic start to the meal.
4. Restaurant Moccione
Address: 7495 R. Saint-Denis, Montréal
QC H2R 2E5, Canada
Phone: (514) 270-4441
Website: Visit Website
While twisting pasta Since moving to St. Denis Street from the original location on Moccione, proprietors Luca Cianciulli and Maxime Landry have unveiled a new takeaway location that serves up some of the same mouthwatering pizzas and other favorites from the old location.
For dessert, try the pistachio-orange-ricotta cannoli or the arancini stuffed with asiago.
5. Impasto
Address: 48 Rue Dante, Montréal
QC H2S 1J6, Canada
Phone: (514) 508-6508
Website: Visit Website
They are two of Montreal’s most prominent restaurateurs, Michele Forgione and Stefano Faita, and their combined experience provides for a delectable menu.
If you’re in the mood for some ricotta gnocchi, fresh salads, and house-cured charcuterie, this is the place for you. Impasto is now closed due to an exposure to COVID-19; follow the company’s Instagram feed for updates on when it will reopen.)
6. Barcola Bistro
Address: 5607 Av du Parc, Montréal
QC H2V 4H2, Canada
Phone: (438) 384-1112
Website: Visit Website
A shrimp tagliatelle that tastes like you’ve taken a journey to the Adriatic is on the menu at Fabrizio Caprioli’s restaurant.
There are daily specials, meals that feel like they cost a lot more than they actually do, and a large vinyl collection at this trendy Mile End restaurant.
7. La Panzeria
Address: 4084 R. Saint-Denis, Montréal
QC H2W 2M5, Canada
Phone: (514) 219-1110
Website: Visit Website
La Panzeria, on the other hand, is a standout choice for lunch rather than dinner.
Apulian cuisine is alive and well in Montreal thanks to the informal St-Denis Street restaurant and coffee shop’s Focaccia Barese (dough sprinkled with cherry tomatoes and olives) and panzerotto (a crispy pocket of melted cheese and tomato sauce).
8. Ristorante Quattro
Address: 17 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montréal
QC H2Y 1S5, Canada
Phone: (514) 903-2909
Website: Visit Website
Located in the heart of Old Montreal, this restaurant is a great choice for a special night out.
Speck and porcini mushroom cavatelli and braised rabbit are among the pasta and meat entrees on the menu, as are grilled calamari salads and arancini. A cappuccino and a traditional Italian dessert round up the meal.
9. Un Po’ Di Piu
Address: 3 Rue de la Commune E, Montréal
QC H2Y 0B1, Canada
Phone: (514) 861-8686
Website: Visit Website
Olive & Gourmando’s proprietors built their stunning restaurant on Old Montreal’s popular strip in 2018.
Even though Un Po’ di Piu is a lighter option than some of the other restaurants featured in our book, it nevertheless manages to be a standout in terms of desserts and a few bigger items.
10. Graziella
Address: 116 Rue McGill, Montréal
QC H2Y 2E5, Canada
Phone: (514) 876-0116
Website: Visit Website
Graziella Battista, the restaurant’s chef and owner, drew inspiration from her Italian upbringing and background for the establishment’s name.
The pastas, meats, and sweets here are some of the best in town, and they’re all bursting with flavor. Le 116, a private event area with a capacity of up to 80 people, is also located within the restaurant.
11. Beatrice
Address: 1504 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montréal
QC H3G 1L3, Canada
Phone: (514) 937-6009
Website: Visit Website
As a “urban sanctuary,” Beatrice features a well-shaded terrace where you may sip wine and savor Mediterranean cuisine. Also, the cuisine is refined and well-executed, using a few non-Italian elements such as wasabi and hummus as well as harissa.
12. Trattoria Trestevere
Address: 1237 Rue Crescent, Montréal
QC H3G 2B2, Canada
Phone: (514) 866-3226
Website: Visit Website
In the heart of the city’s financial district, the Trestevere restaurant, which first opened its doors in 1973, is a downtown icon.
It’s in an area more known for garish clubs than great dining, but that doesn’t mean you can’t expect a long menu of classics like spaghetti carbonara and mushroom risotto.
There’s also cassata, an Italian dessert composed of sponge cake and ricotta cheese covered with candied fruit from Sicily.
13. Da Emma
Address: 777 Rue de la Commune O, Montréal
QC H3C 1Y1, Canada
Phone: (514) 392-1568
Website: Visit Website
One may not expect a beautiful Italian supper in a former women’s jail, but that’s just one of the many pleasant surprises this restaurant has in store.
For almost three decades, the restaurant has been run by Lorenzo Aureli and Emma Riso, both of Roman descent.
14. Mano Cornuto
Address: 988 Rue Ottawa, Montréal
QC H3C 1S3, Canada
Phone: (514) 868-8451
Website: Visit Website
High-rise condo buildings in Griffintown, New York, are home to this Italian staple and excellent all-arounder.
Come for lunch with schiacciatta sandwiches, stay for happy hour with negronis or sprtiz cocktails, or stay for dinner for the flavorful pastas and superb natural wines.
15. Nora Gray
Address: 1391 Rue Saint-Jacques, Montréal
QC H3C 1H2, Canada
Phone: (514) 419-6672
Website: Visit Websit
Since its debut in 2011, Nora Gray in Griffintown has been hailed as one of Montreal’s greatest Italian restaurants.
It’s a cuisine that takes a simple approach to complex, imaginative food, with the owners Ryan Gray, Lisa McConnell and Emma Carderelli behind it. Many of the dishes may be shared, and half-servings are available for those who aren’t quite that hungry.
16. Café Gentile (multiple locations)
Address: 4126 Rue Sainte-Catherine, Westmount
QC H3Z 1P4, Canada
Phone: (514) 925-8686
Website: Visit Website
One of the few Italian restaurants in town that serves breakfast is this pleasant and casual eatery, which offers a wide variety of pastries and grilled cheese sandwiches.
Westmount’s location boasts a lovely tiled décor, an evening menu, and also serves a Sunday brunch, putting an Italian spin on the weekend staple.
You may also go to the original location in the Garment District, which has been operational since 1959 and serves a broad variety of sandwiches, including traditional chicken and eggplant parm.
17. BarBara
Address: 4450 Rue Notre Dame O, Montréal
QC H4C 1S1, Canada
Phone: (438) 375-7209
Website: Visit Website
Expect bruschetta, arancini, pasta with cacio e pepe, pesto, and bolognese, as well as tiramisu or a limoncello-flavored dessert at this new St-Henri hotspot.
BarBara provides it all – and does it exceptionally well — whether you want it for breakfast, lunch, supper, takeout, or in.
18. Bistro Amerigo
Address: 6127 Av de Monkland, Montréal
QC H4A 1H5, Canada
Phone: (514) 507-6121
Website: Visit Website
Monkland Village’s neighborhood bistro is a favorite of locals who crave a taste of Italy without all the hoopla. Whether you go for the calamari, pasta puttanesca, or the braised veal shank, presented here with rigatoni, you can’t go wrong.
19. Elena
Address: 5090 Rue Notre Dame O, Montréal
QC H4C 1T1, Canada
Phone: (514) 379-4883
Website: Visit Website
St-most Henri’s popular hangout doesn’t need much of an introduction: You can’t go wrong with its stunning design, fascinating natural wine range and the best wood-fired Neapolitan pizza in New York City.
Elena’s mafalda pasta, smothered in a rosemary-scented beef and pork ragu, is a must-have for each trip to the restaurant.
20. Rita
Address: 3681 Rue Wellington, Verdun
QC H4G 1V1, Canada
Phone: (514) 419-1942
Website: Visit Website
If you’re looking for authentic Italian cuisine, you don’t have to leave Verdun. When it comes to Rita’s cuisine, you can expect to find anything from beef tartare on focaccia to fried Brussel sprouts with parmesan and pecorino cream to vegan pizzas and desserts.
21. Moccione
Luca Cianciulli and Maxime Landry, co-owners of this Italian restaurant in Villeray, bring delicacy and exquisite dining experience to the table.
You can anticipate a lot of expertise and experience in both the kitchen and the wine cellar from those who have worked at Toqué!
Cavatelli pasta with sausage and rapini and Quebec buffalo mozzarella with roasted peppers are among the classics on the menu at this restaurant.
Despite the fact that it merely opened in 2019, we’re already referring to it as: NOW is the time to get your hands on this soon-to-be-neighbourhood favorite.
22. Il Pagliaccio
It’s not uncommon for a top-notch eatery to go under the radar. If you’re looking for one of the best Italian restaurants in Montreal, go no further than this eatery on Laurier West.
There are no celebrity chefs here, and the interior architecture is nothing to write home about; this is a modest restaurant with nothing to brag about save its consistently excellent food.
The greatest veal Milanese in town may be found if you are willing to go off-the-beaten-path.
23. Le Serpent
Le Serpent, the Italian fine dining equivalent of Le Club Chasse et Peche in Old Montreal, occupies the former Darling Foundry location in Griffintown.
With a space that seats 75 people and a beautiful and slightly intimidating 12-seat marble bar in the middle, the industrial chic design is the ideal blend of informal and polished.
It’s a modern Italian cuisine with a wide variety of crudos (seafood starters) and antipasti. Pasta options include braised beef ravioli with squash and chestnuts and linguine with speck, almonds, and truffle. They’re smart and intelligent.
24. Bossa
It didn’t take long for this Verdun, Brooklyn, lunch counter and grocery store serving Calabrian fare to become popular among the locals.
Everything from oyster pails of gnocchi to chicken parm and meatball sandwiches are available at this informal eatery.
A visit here will satisfy more than one craving: fresh caciocavallo, salads of orzo, pastas for tomorrow night, and much more.
25. San Gennaro
The al taglio pizza counter of La Bottega is the center of its neighborhood, the younger brother of the famed pizzeria. Neighbors pop by at any time of day to get a bite to eat, and you’ll hear a mix of French, English, and Italian.
It’s well known for its Roman-style pizza, but it also serves excellent gelato in the summer and a delicious bombolone.
The star of the show is the potato and caciocavallo pizza, so don’t miss out on a piece or two accompanied with a superb cup of coffee, a glass of sparkling water on tap, or a bitter Crodino soda.
26. Lucca
Chef Lucca has been blending Quebec products with Italian methods since 1999, resulting in much attention.
The menu changes with the seasons and is based on foods sourced from the nearby Jean-Talon Market, which ensures that they are always of the finest quality and freshest possible.
Lucca’s food is great, but it’s the service and atmosphere that make this eatery stand out. Your server will take care of you, resulting in a very memorable dining experience.
27. Etna
A newcomer to Villeray, Etna mixes the drinking and dining traditions of Spain and Italy.
The proprietors, a couple coming from Malaga and Sardinia respectively, grew up in restaurants and bonded over their enthusiasm for the Mediterranean approach to informal eating.
It’s only natural that their restaurant is a pleasant neighbourhood haunt serving bite-sized meals influenced by the tapas of Andalusia and the aperitivo of southern Italy.
28. Mucca
Mucca, an Italian steakhouse, has opened in the former Hostaria premises in Little Italy, which was a treasured institution for decades.
The steakhouse, which goes by the Italian name of “Mucca,” is a shrine to beef, serving only grass-fed, ethically bred cattle that have been dry aged in the restaurant’s own kitchen. You can also get good handmade pasta here if you’re not a meat eater.
29. Il Bazzali
Il Bazzali is Montreal’s only restaurant where you may reserve a seat for an opera dinner, in which chef Davide Bazzali performs as the lead role of the tenor.
Take advantage of the “Table d’hôte Opera” on Wednesdays through Saturdays for an enjoyable and delectable evening of fresh filled pasta and antipasti.
When you consider how close Little Italy and Marché Jean-Talon are, you can see how well-prepared the cuisine is, especially when it comes to locally sourced ingredients.
30. Café Gentile
Café Gentile, one of Montreal’s oldest Italian restaurants, was founded in 1954.
As a daytime eatery and a nighttime eatery for dinner, this Westmount outpost of the original café, located farther north, is one of downtown’s best standbys.
If you go for dinner, the fried calamari and the bucatini Cacio e Pepe are must-haves, but if you go for lunch, the espressos and the chicken cutlet sandwich will demonstrate why this place is so famous.
31. Pizzeria Napoletana
Napoletana is recognized as a quintessential Little Italy pizza shop, but it’s so much more than that, as you’ll soon discover.
In 1948, a pub and pool hall for Italian immigrants opened in Little Italy, and through the years, it has become a welcome place for both Italians and non-Italians alike.
It’s hard to go wrong with any of the pasta or antipasti options, but the pizza takes center stage. Bring your own wine option is available at the restaurant, so don’t forget to bring a bottle with you.
32. Heirloom Pizzeria
Heirloom, a wood-fired pizza joint in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve neighborhood of Montreal’s Old Port, offers a tiny glass of natural wine to go along with your meal.
You may dine alone or with a partner or with your family at the restaurant because of its flexible layout and wide-ranging cuisine.
33. Gema
In addition to their other restaurants, Stefano Faita and Michele Forgione own Gema, a pizzeria with a focus on fresh pasta, as well as the snack bar Chez Tousignant.
Gema’s Neapolitan-style pizzas are simply topped, but they’re always made with high-quality toppings and thin, perfectly scorched dough that’s devoured all too quickly.
Pizza, salad, and some extras are all you need here. You may also bring a bottle or two of wine if you’d like.
34. Drogheria Fine
A Mile End mainstay and one of the greatest affordable lunches in town, this little service window was formerly a pharmacy store counter. Gnocchi with tomato sauce is all that Drogheria’s staff specializes in.
Every afternoon, you’ll see the distinctive Chinese takeout boxes stained with brilliant red tomato sauce that have become a defining feature of the community. There may not be a better value to be had in town at $5 per person.
35. Farine
What you’re getting: The Roman-style pizza
Mile End
Farine, a new Italian bakery in the Mile End neighborhood, offers freshly baked breads, chocolates, Roman-style pizza, and piattini, among other things (Italian for “small plate”).
Farine has swiftly established itself as a neighborhood favorite for its use of fresh ingredients and the creation of creative pizzas, salads, and sandwiches with imaginative flavor profiles. The restaurant even makes its own pasta and charcuterie.
36. Salumi Vino
What you’re getting: Short rib
Old Montreal
Salumi Vino, an Italian restaurant in the Champ-de-Mars neighborhood that uses only traditional Italian recipes, is just a short walk away. As the name implies, there’s also wine.
If rabbit with parmesan mashed potatoes is on the menu, go for it. Otherwise, the short ribs, which have been cooked in red wine for eight hours, are just as wonderful.
Those looking for a late-night snack can consider Salumi Vino’s Salumi di Casa e Fromaggio, a platter of the restaurant’s house-cured meats and cheeses. The restaurant is open until 2am.
37. Primo & Secondo
What you’re getting: Any kind of risotto
Little Italy
As a result, Primo doesn’t have a regular menu and instead follows the “cucina stagionale” (seasonal cooking) path, with all the available cuisine listed on its enormous blackboards.
It’s tough to pick a single dish from the restaurant’s ever-changing menu, although it’s famous for its risotto.
38. Restaurant Inferno
What you’re getting: Trippa Della Nonna
Little Italy
They don’t stray far from what their family has been making for generations at certain Italian restaurants. Inferno is not your average Italian restaurant.
The menu changes seasonally and features a mix of classic Italian meals and inventive new ideas. Trippa Della Nonna, a tripe dish served in tomato sauce, has been a staple of the Inferno menu since its inception.
Tripe may make some people uncomfortable, but that should not deter you from trying the Trippa Dell’Nonna, which is a regular on the Inferno menu for a reason: it’s excellent.
39. Ristorante Tartufo d’Oro
What you’re getting: Gelato d’Oro
Little Italy
From the pasta and calzones to the gelato, at Tartufo d’Oro, the food feels fresh and the menu has a wide variety of unforgettable meals to choose from.
A charcuterie and cheese plate, served with the restaurant’s handmade focaccia (which is the star of the dish), is a great way to start your dinner.
For your main course, try the herbed goat cheese ravioli and the braised lamb bolognese pasta.
40. Hostaria
What you’re getting: Petite-Nation Bison rib eye
Little Italy
Since 2012, Hostaria, a pseudo-reincarnation of the renowned Italian restaurant Il Mulino, has been serving delicious Italian fare in a homey setting.
With a wine cellar situated directly in the centre of the restaurant, Hostaria is known for its pleasant and attentive service as well as its cuisine and drink offerings.
The Petite-Nation Bison rib eye, a great accomplishment for red meat lovers everywhere, is a must-order from the restaurant’s diverse menu.
Conclusion
There are so many incredible restaurants to choose from. This list contains my personal favorites. From traditional Italian fare to modern takes on the classic flavors, these are the 40 best Italian restaurants in Montreal.
Each of these restaurants have one thing in common: each was chosen because it offers a truly delicious Italian dining experience. Don’t let the number of options overwhelm you—just go to your favorite restaurant.
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