Montréal’s best Italian restaurants
Gastronomy Italy
The love affair between Montrealers and Italian food has been burning hot for decades and shows no sign of simmering down. In this article, we are concentrating on restaurants that specialize in pasta and other Italian dishes. If it’s pizza you’re looking for, check out our ultimate Montréal pizza guide.
Luciano Trattoria
Chef Luciano D'Orazio’s menu is market driven. His “cucina semplice” is simple, certainly, yet everything on the short menu is the epitome of excellence. A pasta dish is a must since his homemade pasta are probably the best in Montréal.
1212 Saint-Zotique Street East
Impasto
From the salumi (charcuteries) to the handmade pasta and the famous cannoli, everything at Little Italy’s Impasto restaurant is made in house. Inspired by neighbouring Jean Talon Market and rooted in traditional Italian cuisine, Impasto’s menu changed with the seasons but is always excellent. The gorgeous dining room was conceived by star designer Zébulon Perron and is a beautiful space to linger in.
48 Dante Street
Il Miglio
What started out as an artisanal pasta shop in the Mile End has now expanded to three locations around the city, including one at the Time Out Market. Their fresh pasta is absolutely glorious and comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Il Miglio also makes ready-to-eat meals.
Several locations
Restaurant Graziella
Chef Graziella Battista’s Old Montréal restaurant is a beautiful and elegant place to gather for a meal. The cuisine here is contemporary Italian yet rooted in tradition. There’s a finesse to every dish and an elegance in the way they’re presented that make diners feel at ease.
116 McGill Street
Mano Cornuto
Open 7 days a week from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Mano Cornuto is an Italian snack bar serving focaccia sandwiches, fresh pasta and coffee and a more elaborate menu that includes a few meat and fish dishes for dinner. The ambiance is relaxed and trendy, so order a Spritz or a glass of natural wine and chill out.
988 Ottawa Street
Moccione
Moccionne is a sweet and cozy neighbourhood restaurant located in Villeray a few blocks from the Jean-Talon Market. The “italo-montrealer” menu is market-driven and features the very best seasonal ingredients. The antipasti are all excellent and a pasta dish is a must. You can’t go wrong with a signature cocktail or a bottle from their mostly low-intervention list.
7495 St-Denis Street
Lucca
An institution in Montréal’s Little Italy neighbourhood, Lucca is a cozy yet elegant restaurant that has garnered a great reputation. Their daily lunch menu is inspired by the nearby Jean Talon Market and their evening one offers some of their beloved classics such as the Linguine frutti di mare alla marinara (seafood linguine in their homemade tomato sauce).
12 Dante Street
Antonietta
Antonietta is a cool and casual Italian osteria (tavern) in the trendy Rosemont neighbourhood. Fresh pasta and great appetizers are on the menu at this charming restaurant where modern and seasonal Italian cuisine shines.
6672 Papineau Avenue
Il Pagliaccio
Located on chic Laurier Avenue behind an unassuming façade, Il Pagliaccio is one of the best Italian restaurants in Montréal. Their cuisine is authentic Italian using the very best quality products, whether local or imported. Wine lovers will find their match in their list that counts over 800 labels!
365 Laurier Avenue West
Ristorante Da Emma
On the west side of Old Montréal is where you’ll find Da Emma, an institution frequented by locals and tourists alike. The basement restaurant is surrounded by thick grey stone walls typical of that part of town. The cuisine here focuses on Roman specialties and recipes passed down at this family-run establishment.
777 De La Commune Street West
Nora Gray
Nora Gray is surely one of the best-known Italian restaurants in Montréal. The sleek yet cozy dining room is welcoming and romantic. The menu is rooted in traditional Italian cuisine spanning the entire country but it’s also seasonal and features the very best local ingredients found in Québec.
1391 St-Jacques Street
Café Gentile Westmount
This family-run business has been fueled by passion for great food and excellent coffee since the original Café Gentile opened in 1959. The more recent Westmount location operates all day-long and offers the same top-quality Sicilian-inspired specialties such as their famous chicken cutlet sandwich, a variety of handmade pasta, or the grilled branzino.
4126 St-Catherine Street West
La Panzeria
La Panzeria specializes in street food from Puglia (the “heel” of the Italian boot), and more specifically, focaccias, orecchiette (a pasta shape from the region) and panzerotti, or savoury stuffed pastries that resemble small calzones. They also offer an amazing “panino polignano”, an overfilled sandwich filled with octopus, burrata and all the trimmings.
4084 St-Denis Street
BarBara
BarBara is a neighbourhood wine bar, restaurant, grocery store and café all rolled into one. It’s a casual place to hang out, have some pastries and a caffe latte in the morning, a sandwich and salad for lunch and perhaps some antipasti and fresh pasta for dinner with a nice bottle of natural wine. La vita è bella at BarBara.
4450 Notre-Dame West
Il Bazzali
If you enjoy some music with your Italian food, then head to Il Bazzali where the chef doubles as an opera singer between courses. The tenor chef’s menu is made up of classical dishes such as seasonal risotto, a linguini alla carbonara or a marsala semifreddo.
285 Beaubien East
Gia Vin & Grill
Gia Vin & Grill is the latest addition to the Nora Gray and Elena family. Located in a historical building in Saint-Henri, the dining room is flooded with light while the trendy décor highlights the space’s heritage accents. The cuisine focuses on the grill starring seafood, fish, and meats as well as fresh pasta and other specialties.
1025 Lenoir Street
Ristorante Quattro
Located in Old Montréal, Quattro is a chic yet trendy restaurant serving classic Italian specialties. The Italian-from-Italy chef uses the very best products in his cuisine and adds a contemporary twist to all the traditional dishes such as the pappardelle al ragu, the seafood risotto or the Milanese-style veal scallop.
17 Notre-Dame Street West
Beatrice Ristorante
In the heart of downtown Montréal’s Golden Square Mile, you’ll find Beatrice Ristorante, a gorgeous restaurant with a stunning dining room and a year-round secret garden-terrasse. The menu is refined Italian cuisine with a special focus on fresh, local, high-quality ingredients.
1504 Sherbrooke Street West
Knuckles
Knuckles is a small Villeray restaurant with an intimate ambiance and great service. The menu may be compact but it’s full of great dishes such as fresh appetizers and homemade pastas. Don’t skip the eponymous “knuckles”, a tasty version of pizza fritta with tomato and cheese.
241 Jarry Street East
Barcola Bistro Audio
Barcola opened its door about a decade ago on Parc Avenue and has since garnered a solid reputation as one of the best Italian restaurants in Montréal. Run by a husband-and-wife team, Barcola serves a set menu that includes an appetizer, a pasta dish and a meat or fish main. Dinner at Barcola is done in a warm musical atmosphere courtesy of the owners’ great collection of vinyl records and vintage audio equipment (which you can browse around the restaurant).
5607 Parc Avenue
Cabaret L'Enfer
After stints at Daniel Boulud, NOMA and Le Mousso when the restaurant was listed among the ten best restaurants in Canada (Canada’s 100 Best 2019), chef Massimo Piedimonte is now at the helm of Cabaret L’Enfer, one of Montréal’s best fine dining establishments. Dinner here is an exquisite experience to be enjoyed with all the senses and the dishes are all works of art.
4094 Saint-Denis Street
Mucca
Mucca is a bisteccheria specializing in homemade bread and pasta as well as Prime Canadian grass-fed beef aged on site. Expect dishes such as artisanal charcuterie, great pastas, and a choice of meat dishes for 2. Mucca also has a great list of natural wines.
236 Saint-Zotique Street East
Mercuri 109
Chef Joe Mercuri is back with this intimate restaurant located in the heart of downtown Montréal. The space boasts a couple of tables and a long bar so that most guests can enjoy watching the chefs cook. Mercuri 109 is open for lunch and dinner from Monday to Friday.
1115 Cypress Street
Lulu’s Pasta Bar
Lulu’s Pasta Bar has quickly become an Instagram sensation thanks to their overflowing and oversized cups of luscious pasta. Their semolina pasta is freshly made daily and so are a variety of sauces. You choose a pasta shape, a sauce and enjoy your fresh portion of pasta in their signature containers.
1346 Notre-Dame Street West & 365 Ontario Street East
Bona Fide
This new, 30-seat Villeray restaurant specializes in “antipasti, fresh pasta, vino and other treats”. Bona Fide means “in good faith” and it is with that friendly spirit that the team welcomes diners into their intimate and a touch nostalgic space to enjoy their own brand of Italian cuisine.
8521 Saint-Laurent Boulevard
Miracolo
Just like its older siblings Le Majestique or Darling, Miracolo is a little kitsch, a little dazzling and a lot delicious. Designed by the same team of maximalist creators, this Mile-End Italian eatery adorned with watchful Madonna statues leaves an indelible impression on diners who flock to this temple of Italian gastronomy to enjoy flawless pasta dishes and luscious burrata, among many other delicacies.
3891 Saint-Laurent Boulevard
Birbante
Emulating the aperitivo scene of Milan circa the 70s, Birbante is the Mile End’s answer to savouring la dolce vita. Enjoy one of their many Campari-based drinks, their specialty, and dive into a variety of great antipasti, pasta and secondi such as grilled veal or swordfish.
5386 Saint-Laurent Boulevard
La Spada
Roman cuisine shines bright at Griffintown’s La Spada restaurant. Classic pastas such as carbonara and amatriciana share the menu with other specialties from Italy’s capital. Don’t miss out on the cacio e pepe Brussels sprouts or the burrata with heirloom tomatoes and seasonal vegetables.
3580 Notre Dame Street West
Bossa
Over the top, filled to the brim, Italian sandwiches filled with all your favourite salumi (cold cuts), cheeses and toppings are the name of the game at Bossa, a panini institution that has gathered a loyal following. Will it be the hot, pressed chicken parm or the cold mortadella sandwich? Pick one of the dozen or so choices on the menu, you can’t go wrong with any of them!
Several locations
For more Italian restaurants, try one of these:
Mayssam Samaha
Mayssam Samaha is a food and travel writer and blogger and the founder behind the blog Will Travel for Food. She travels the world in search of the next culinary discovery. From Iceland to South Africa, she’s already visited over 36 countries and there’s nothing she enjoys more than wandering around a farmers’ market in a foreign city. She is also the founder of the SAISONS intimate dinner series highlighting Québec products and chefs.