Montreal’s Best Italian Restaurants: Our suggestions
The list of the best Italian restaurants in Montreal was one of our favorite ones to create!
Ahhh, Italy—a country with a millennia-old history and refined Mediterranean gastronomy—is one of our favorite places. With its rich culture, historical sites, and breathtaking landscapes, it has everything to enchant! Its generous climate provides fresh and flavorful ingredients, beautifully highlighted through a diverse regional cuisine. Each region boasts its own specialties, showcasing local ingredients and unique traditions. Lombardy and its creamy risottos, Veneto and its delicate seafood dishes, Piedmont and its refined stuffed pasta… Tuscany, a land of simplicity, offers hearty soups and meats, while Rome and Lazio delight us with Italian culinary classics. Further south, Campania shines with its Neapolitan pizza and generous dishes. Finally, Sicily captivates with specialties influenced by Mediterranean and Oriental flavors. Many of these iconic dishes can be enjoyed at some of the best Italian restaurants, where chefs bring the authentic flavors of Italy to life with passion and precision.
From aromatic herbs to olive oil, Parmesan to prosciutto, the excellence of Italian ingredients elevates this cuisine worldwide. Whether you’re craving pasta, pizza, cannoli, or gnocchi, the best Italian restaurants offer an unforgettable taste of Italy, transporting diners on a culinary journey with every bite.
Italian Cuisine in Montreal
No need to hop on a plane! The community first found its way to Montreal by the end of the 19th century when many Italians immigrated to the Americas in search of work. As the third largest ethnic group in Montreal, the Italian community has established their roots in the neighbourhood of Little Italy. Neighbouring the Mile End, Little Italy is a colourful and festive region of the city that we love to visit when we’re in the mood for good food and drinks. (Check out our favourite spots in Little Italy over here!)
In our eyes, one of the most important impacts that the Italian community has had on Montreal is the imprint they have left on the city’s culinary landscape! Montreal is home to some incredible Italian restaurants, including some of the best Italian restaurants, that serve this classic cuisine, showcasing authentic Italian culture in a way that both locals and visitors can enjoy.Whether it’s a small bistro along the streets of Little Italy or a classic Italian restaurant tucked away in another neighborhood, there are countless ways to indulge in the rich flavors of Italy. For those seeking the best Italian restaurants, Montreal offers a variety of spots where tradition meets excellence, delivering unforgettable culinary experiences.
If Italian food is not the cuisine for you, check out our list of the best French restaurants in Montreal or our list of the best Korean restaurants in Montreal. If you are looking for something a little more specific but still on theme, you can consult our list of the best places to enjoy pasta in Montreal, the best pizza in Montreal, or the best Italian cafés in the city.
Restaurant L'osso
In the heart of Little Italy, L’Osso celebrates Mediterranean flavors with an elegant yet generous approach. Named after osso buco, its philosophy is to elevate high-quality ingredients with passion and precision. At the helm, Chef Renato Ferrante, in collaboration with the Ruvo family, presents a refined menu blending antipasti, pasta, risottos, and meats, including standout dishes like braised veal shank ravioli and seafood tagliolini. The space combines noble materials with contemporary touches, and in summer, a welcoming terrace enhances the experience. Additionally, the wine list highlights natural and artisanal selections, while attentive service ensures a seamless and memorable dining experience.
Montréal
Stellina
The owners of Stellina also founded Fiorellino and the former Buonanotte. Chef Jonathan Agnello meticulously researches recipes to craft menus inspired by seasonal changes. In summer, the menu features Southern Italian pasta, while colder months highlight dishes from the North. Most of the wine selection, curated by sommelier Victor Colette, is Italian, sourced through private import agencies to introduce diners to unique and rare finds.
Montréal
Siamo Noi
The Siamo Noi menu is designed to be simple yet timeless. Signature dishes include fresh house-made pasta and tableside service, where guests can watch a tiramisu assembled on the spot, crispy Milanese cutlet, creamy fettuccine Alfredo, or salt-crusted fish expertly opened right before them. The wine list, curated by Antonio Salvi, highlights great Italian wines, alongside French and American treasures. On the cocktail side, the bar reinvents classic recipes, staying true to Italian traditions.
Montréal
Miracolo
Miracolo celebrates Italian cuisine with a refined yet welcoming approach. The elegant decor, featuring gold chandeliers and classic wooden furnishings, is enhanced by industrial accents, reminiscent of Wes Anderson’s cinematic style. Diners enjoy expertly crafted dishes, highlighting premium ingredients by chefs Alejandro Vega and Pierre Morneau. The selection includes fresh pasta, generous sharing plates, and an expertly chosen wine list. With its warm ambiance and striking decor, Miracolo is an essential stop for lovers of Italian cuisine with a local twist.
Montréal
Pasta Pooks
One of Montreal’s top new spots for pasta, Pasta Pooks is the first restaurant by Luca Vinci, former pastaiolo at Impasto and Manu Cornuto. Whether dining in or taking out, you can enjoy five daily fresh pasta dishes and three types of sandwiches. The restaurant also offers a carefully selected list of natural wines, perfectly paired with the menu. A must-visit for pasta lovers seeking authentic and generous flavours!
Montréal
Gino’s Negroni & Lasagna
At Gino’s, house-made lasagna takes center stage. Served generously and quickly, it comes in variations from classic three-meat to vegan and gluten-free. Before diving into these comforting dishes, start with house-made focaccia, salmon carpaccio, tuna tartare, or creamy burrata. For dessert, indulge in white chocolate bavarese with negroni gelée or semifreddo with pistachio and limoncello. Drink options include a menu of reinvented negronis, featuring twists like the Sbagliato with prosecco or the Svegliato with coffee, paired with a selection of imported Sicilian wines. A destination where quality, generosity, and efficiency come together for a memorable meal.
Montréal
ETNA PASTIFICIO
With ancestral expertise in fresh pasta making, Claudia and Sergio offer delicious traditional dishes to enjoy on-site. You can also purchase fresh pasta, sauces, wines, ciders, and beers to take home. Additionally, at ETNA Pastificio, you can learn the art of pastaiolo to impress your friends at your next gathering.
Montréal
BOSSA Prêt à manger
At BOSSA, a passion for Italian flavors shines through its generous sandwiches, made with carefully selected ingredients. Each bite is a perfect balance of tradition and creativity, featuring marinated meats, melted cheeses, and crispy bread. In charge of the kitchen, Fabio Sperduti brings his expertise to create authentic and flavorful recipes. The grocery section also offers a curated selection of canned goods, pastries, and Italian products, perfect for extending the experience at home.
Montréal
PREZZE MOLLO
Born from a clear need in the east Mile-End, where offices and workers abound, PREZZE MOLLO quickly became a go-to destination for a quick lunch or a relaxed aperitivo in a casual and welcoming setting. Everything is made in-house, from fresh pasta to sauces and focaccia. Ingredients are always fresh and carefully chosen, ensuring authentic flavors and impeccable quality.
Montréal
Marci Café - Restaurant
At Marci, food, wine, and music are inseparable. This Plaza St-Hubert gem, created by a team of restaurant and music industry veterans, offers a bold and vibrant culinary experience. Chef Alex Geoffrion serves a New Jersey-inspired menu featuring pizzas, casino clams, and a reimagined Caesar salad. The drink list includes privately imported natural wines, negronis and martinis, and a wine bar with selections handwritten on a mirror. But Marci is more than just great food—its eclectic decor, designed for optimal acoustics, hosts some of the city’s best DJs, ensuring an electric atmosphere without overshadowing conversation.
Montréal
Restaurant Moccione
Moccione opened its doors at the end of 2018. The address has quickly become a favourite for lovers of good pasta and honest cuisine. Moccione’s cuisine is fresh and flavourful, with no gimmicks. We love it!
Montréal
Restaurant Lucca
For over 25 years, this small restaurant has welcomed its loyal patrons, confident that they will find delicious dishes here. A truly Italian cuisine featuring antipasto classico, costata di vitello con polenta, linguini frutti di mare, and other delights. Enthusiasts can even enjoy flavorful rapini as an appetizer. The carefully curated wine selection is both well-researched and highly relevant.
Montréal
Mano Cornuto
Mano Cornuto is a popular Italian café in Griffintown, known for its lively atmosphere and cuisine inspired by Italian cafés. The menu highlights local and Italian products, with options for all times of the day, and the bar offers a variety of drinks, including cocktails and wines. At lunchtime, the place is often very crowded, so feel free to grab a sandwich at Mano Figa next door.
Montréal
La Spada
Helmed by chef Steve Marcone (Bistro Amerigo) and food photographer Scott Usheroff (aka Craving Curator), La Spada is a “shabby chic” Saint-Henri eatery offering generous and tasty Roman Italian classics in a swanky, art-filled interior.
Montréal
Antonietta
You will discover a refined Italian cuisine. Located in Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie, Antonietta is an elegant neighbourhood address that has everything to charm you.
Montréal
Le Serpent
Even the location of Le Serpent in the former Darling Foundry is a reason to include this on our list. The space is beautiful with a simple but extraordinary decor. Le Serpent is where the dishes are shared with friends and family and every visit is a warm one. The linguini with Speck is a real treat but the lobster risotto, veal shank, foie gras orzotto are all quite remarkable. Tough decisions but do save some space for dessert – they are quite decadent.
Montréal
Bottega
Bottega restaurant is one of the best Neapolitan pizzerias and Italian restaurants in Montreal! The establishment is run by the Covone family, a renowned family of restaurateurs. Bottega offers artisanal cuisine with homemade products. In addition to delicious pizzas, the menu features daily specials and succulent pasta dishes, all accompanied by a selection of Italian wines. The atmosphere is chic yet relaxed, perfect for any occasion.
Montréal
Primo & Secondo
Nestled in the heart of Montreal’s Little Italy district, Primo et Secondo is a true culinary institution. Offering an authentic gastronomic experience, the talented chef Roberto Stabile showcases the richness of Italian cuisine. With a calm and friendly ambiance in a welcoming setting, Primo et Secondo offers a diverse menu highlighting traditional dishes and particularly appetizing creations. Whether you’re indulging in homemade fresh pasta or savouring delicious Italian specialties, this place promises a memorable culinary experience that will delight Italian cuisine enthusiasts and foodies seeking new flavours. It’s a quiet haven where you can see that the clientele is there to enjoy and indeed enjoys.
Montréal
Restaurant Da Emma
When a Montreal restaurant has been open for many years, offering the same menu, ambience and impeccable service, you pay attention. Da Emma is one of these with a simple but delicious Italian menu in a space steeped in history and memories but with contemporary Rome accents. Several international stars have passed through Da Emma’s doors and tasted the succulent pasta, meat and fish as only Signora Emma knows how to prepare.
Montréal
Nora Gray
This intimate restaurant on Saint Jacques St may be quiet, but Nora Gray certainly knows how to attract attention. Here at Nora Gray, it is all about the atmosphere – tranquil, warm and comfortable. The menu may appear simple but it is also exquisite and the ingredients are local and seasonal, with seemingly simple recipes that are perfectly executed. Unlike other restaurants in our list, the Nora Grey menu does change according to seasonal availability and regardless, the dining is superb. Add to this, an efficient, attentive and savvy service and you have Nora Gray.
Montréal
Luciano Trattoria
Luciano Trattoria offers Italian delicacies just like la nonna. Indeed, the brief menu proposes nonna’s family Italian cuisine, simply prepared using fresh ingredients. Chef Luciano D’Orazio proposes five appetizers and two or three homemade pasta choices plus a few meat and fish dishes. Don’t be fooled by the lack of choices because what is available is simply delicious! Everyone knows that it is better to do less but do it well. This typifies Luciano Trattoria, and then bring in the Italian passion you taste with every bite and your dining experience is complete. We have a weakness for the pasta and enjoy eating at either the counter or the bar. The dining room is bright and because the kitchen is open, there can be an echo during conversations. Luciano Trattoria is open from Wednesday to Saturday evening.
Montréal
Impasto
This is how success works – designer Zébulon Perron creates an uncluttered, unique and elegant space; star Stéfano Faita optimally markets Impasto and assures that the dining room is full; head waiter Pascal Arsenault is attentive of customers’ wishes; and chef Michele Forgione prepares her beautiful creations. Everything here is made in-house, smells and tastes good. And their meat – Oh my! Sauces, textures, memorable pairings; everything on Impasto’s menu is delicious and every food lover leaves here having fallen under the Impasto charm. If you have a sweet tooth, think about saving a little room for desserts.
Montréal
Il Miglio
Il Miglio is an excellent restaurant in Mile-End, more in the style of an Italian cafeteria. The antipasti make excellent appetizers full of Italian flavours, and come hot or cold, best served with an aperitif or with the meal. If making pasta at home, all the needed ingredients are available here as well. But when eating at Il Miglio, choose from three appetizers, three pasta and a few dishes with sauces, including lasagna, meatballs and stuffed pasta. These are all perfectly cooked and the delicious sauces sweep you off your feet.
Montréal
Restaurant Graziella
Ah Graziella! Graziella Battista is one of the best chefs in Montreal. Since 2008, Graziella has been running her wonderful restaurant in Vieux Montréal. Graziella’s Italian cooking is considered one of the best in Montreal, served in somewhat voluminous and impressive surroundings. The dishes surprise by their simplicity, respect for tradition, freshness of the produce but also by how the food is arranged on the plates. Classic pasta and exceptional classic dishes. Osso buco — mouthwatering! Graziella, ti amiamo!
Montréal
Fiorellino
After opening on rue de la Gauchetière Ouest, between Montreal center and Old Montreal, Fiorellino quickly became one of the best Italian restaurants. Upon entering, it is the impressive contemporary and original decor that attracts attention – designed by the talented Jean-Guy Chabauty of Atelier Moderno. Choose from pasta, pizzas, starters and salads. The dishes stand out for their simplicity, the use of fresh produce, many flavours and authenticity. The atmosphere of the restaurant is warm, festive and romantic, and added together, Fiorellino is perfect for any occasion. Please note that Fiorellino has a bar license.
Montréal
Il Pagliaccio
This small restaurant on ave Laurier Ouest is as discreet as it is delicious. It gives you exactly what you would want from an excellent Italian cuisine. The variety of pasta choices are all well prepared and the numerous meat, fish and seafood suggestions are certainly worth stopping by to savour. Classic desserts top off what will undoubtedly be an enjoyable dining experience. For discerning connoisseurs, this is a restaurant that still uses white tablecloths!
Montréal
Barcola Bistro Audio - Italian Restaurant - Tasting Menu - Listening bar
And as can happen when putting together lists, one or two places are forgotten – voluntarily or not. When someone suggested « What about Barcola? » Jean-Philippe replied that this was a restaurant not to bring up because « We like to keep Barcola to ourselves ». Needless to say, we went and discovered chef Fabrizio Caprioli busy in the kitchen with Danielle, his wife and Francesca, mia favorita Romana, busy in the bistro. All new customers end up discovering how wonderful the cuisine and atmosphere is at Barcola Bistro on Park Ave . Viva Barcola!
Montréal
Elena
Opened in February 2018, the Elena restaurant has become one of the best Italian restaurants in Montreal, offering a warm and romantic atmosphere. With a collaborative menu between Janice Tiefenbach and Emma Cardarelli, the restaurant offers antipasti, homemade salads, homemade pasta, and pizzas, all in a unique and elegant setting.
Montréal
La Panzeria
Located in the heart of Plateau Mont-Royal, La Panzeria is an authentic Italian café serving traditional cuisine from Puglia. Owners and chefs, brothers Pierpaolo and Davide Sansone, offer homemade dishes, from fresh pasta to well-stuffed focaccias, in a cozy space.
Montréal
Birbante
Nestled on Montreal’s Saint-Laurent Boulevard, Birbante invites guests to immerse themselves in an Italian experience where tradition meets modernity. Spearheaded by brothers Pierpaolo and Davide Sansone from La Panzeria, the project continues their mission: to share the culinary heritage of Puglia with a contemporary twist while celebrating the northern Italian lifestyle.
Montréal
Cafe Gentile Westmount
Café Gentile Westmount, opened in 2016, is an extension of the Montreal institution Café Gentile. Offering a chic and modern decor, it serves the house classics as well as new additions, with recipes from southern Italy and excellent house coffee.
Westmount
BarBara
BarBara aims to be a wine bar where good wine flows abundantly at affordable prices, complemented by a dispensa (mini-grocery store in Italian) and café for early risers. During happy hour (5 to 7), the place offers delicious Italian dishes, shareable appetizers, and good bottles of wine, mainly from private imports. The address is one of our favourites – the service is attentive, the décor is inviting, and their menu is delightful.
Montréal
Restaurant Bona Fide
Opened in October 2024, Bonafide restaurant has taken over the former Paloma location on Saint-Laurent Boulevard. An ideal spot to discover, perfect for sharing good times with loved ones in a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
Montréal
Bistro Amerigo
Since 2014, Bistro Amerigo has established itself as a true institution in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. The restaurant was born out of a deep love for traditional Italian family cuisine.
Montréal
Gia Vin & Grill
Gia vin & grill, the latest addition to the Elena family, offers a delightful Italian culinary experience in Montreal. Located in a historic building, this restaurant serves traditional grills from the Abruzzo region, exquisite wines, and an interior design that transports you to Italy.
Montréal
Rita
Opened on September 22, 2018, Rita delights its guests with delicious Italian cuisine inspired by local traditions. Rita successfully creates a warm, familiar atmosphere, welcoming guests into a beautiful space while serving thoughtfully crafted dishes that embrace simplicity with great success.
Montréal
