The top Italian restaurants in Toronto are essential to the city’s dining scene – what’s a city without some Italian mainstays? Whether they’re new or old institutions, these restaurants are the place to go for the tastiest spaghetti and gnocchi around.
Here are my picks for the top Italian restaurants in Toronto.
Baby Point
As the second of three locations in the city, Queen Margherita Pizza on Annette Street is the area’s best option for traditional Neopolitan-style wood-fire pizza with blistered crusts.
Bloordale
Decked out in checkered prints, Sugo is a hip little place for simple but delicious Italian bites like ricotta gnocchi and spicy rigatoni.
Cabbagetown
A beautiful spot, especially in the summertime, F’Amelia has all the Italian essentials and then some: cold cut platters, beet and blue cheese risotto plus beautiful panna cottas are all on the menu.
Castlefield Design District
Part butcher, part restaurant, Speducci Mercatto has communal eating tables next to deli counters where you can grab salumi boards, lasagnas and veal osso buco to eat in-restaurant or to go.
Corso Italia
Pizza e Pazzi is certified by the Associazone Verace Pizza Napoletana, which basically means it serves some of the most legit Neopolitan pizzas in the city – enough said.
Danforth
This area is flush with Italian restaurants, but Pizzeria Libretto takes the cake. Its original location on Ossington took the city by storm when it first opened years ago, and its Danforth location is equally as good.
Head to Amano at Union Station for some Italian before catching the next train. Photo by Hector Vasquez.
Don Mills
Fabbrica’s made-to-order Roman pizzas have been satisfying people at the Shops at Don Mills for years. They also have a menu of tasty antipasti and desserts.
Dundas West
Truly one of the best Italian spots in Toronto, Enoteca Sociale is best known for its huge wine list and sharing plates – piatti socials – of beef crudo and vitello tonnato.
Eglinton West
Head to 7 Numbers for a home cooked Italian meal feel. This restaurant serves the best that South Italy has to offer, with traditional pasta and huge veal meatballs.
Entertainment District
For years, Tutti Matti has been the go-to spot for quality Italian. Ever-classy, it boasts an incredibly extensive wine list, plus in-house made dishes like gnudi and tagliatelle and seasonal goods like wild boar.
Cellar Door does gnocchi and other Italian classics in South Etobicoke.
Etobicoke
Cocktails, wood-fired pizza and Canadian-Italian food are on the menu at Cellar Door, a comfy spot with a cellar-like vibe that’s
Harbord Village
Pretty both on the inside and the outside, Piano Piano is a charming spot to get your Italian food fix, with charcuterie boards and delicious pastas served up in a spacious dining hall area.
Financial District
You’d never think an Italian spot in Union Station would be a winner, but Amano has all the points for accessibility and simply-plated portions of delectable pasta.
Junction
For something casual but simultaneously high end, hit Nodo and try their personal-sized pizzas and massive list of wine in a super comfy environment. They’ve also got a pretty handmade cannoli with pistachios and orange rinds that are a must try.
Beautifully presented dishes are good for sharing at Piano Piano on Harbord. Photo by Hector Vasquez.
Junction Triangle
Mattachioni is a humble spot that is both a bakery and a dine-in restaurant. There’s not a lot of wine here, and the menu is a simple read of pizzas, sandwiches and salads.
King East
Sicilian eats are the main draw at Ardo, especially their fresh seafood dishes. Polpo plates of beautiful octopus and pastas with shellfish are must-trys, along with their selections of long pizzas.
King West
Head to the modern Italian restaurant Buca for a wine list compiled by four sommeliers and rich shareable dishes. They’ve also got coffee and phenomenal ricotta for dessert.
Leslieville
As its full name implies, Gio Rana’s is indeed “really, really nice”, in a fun, kitschy way. If you’re looking for a place with a happy, loud atmosphere and gargantuan meatballs.
Little India
You wouldn’t expect a great Italian spot in an area known for Indian, but Pizzeria Via Mercanti breaks the mould with a successful third location that serves the same delicious pizzas as all its other spots.
There's more than pizza on the menu at Pizzeria Via Mercanti in Little Italy.
Little Italy
Il Covo is one of those places that offers a really exceptional dining experience. Off of presentation alone, this restaurant is unlike any other. Specializing in Venetian dishes, the handmade pasta here is to die for.
Mount Pleasant
The massive oven at Viva Napoli is the key to the success of their pizzas. Just a minute in there turns this restaurant’s doughy creations in to award-winning Margherita pizzas.
Ossington
Neither a dive nor a high-end joint, Superpoint is a neon-lit spot to pair wine with portions of house-made pasta and whole pizzas – perfect for a casual nighttime date.
Parkdale
A homey-feeling spot with limited seating, Local Kitchen prides itself in antipasti, crudi and pastas like wild boar ragu with veggies mostly sourced from their garden in King, Ontario.
Il Covo is a Venetian spot serving up beautiful plates of fresh handmade pasta. Photo by Hector Vasquez.
Roncesvalles
Pizzeria Defina serves up wood-fired Italian pies on Neopolitan or Roma crust in a cozy atmosphere. Drawing inspiration from the Polish population on Roncey, it also serves a pizza with potatoes and pancetta.
Scarborough
An institution on Old Kingston Road for over 15 years, Fratelli’s is a family-run venture of wood-fired pizzas made in their wood oven. They even serve an unreal dessert pizza topped with chocolate or hazelnut, strawberries, and gelato.
St. Clair West
It’s all traditional at Ferro: their menu has all the caprese salads and bolognese you could want, plus paninis that are only available from Sunday to Thursday and calzones with their signature Mamma’s roma sauce.
Queen West
With a minimalist design, Stelvio's sleek decor is all an ode to cuisine from Lombardia, Italy. Explore the valley of Valtellina with cuisine like Valtellinese spaghetti and a huge grilled beef skewer called Zigeuner, both authentic dishes to the area.
Terroni is among the most famous names in the local Italian restaurant scene. Photo by Jesse Milns.
West Queen West
Terroni – because obviously. Since 1992, this restaurant has been packed with locals and tourists who visit to try their huge selection of pizzas and pastas – all handmade in their bakery Sud Forno next door.
Yonge and Eg
A popular spot right by the Eglinton subway station, Grazie almost always has a lineup around dinner time. Ambiance here is key – with a bustling interior, you really feel like you’re dining at a cantina in South Italy.
Yorkville
Head to Drake's second home, an atmospheric two-floored Italian staple you've probably heard of. Sotto Sotto is all about ambience, and has very successfully resuscitated itself since its previous location burned down in 2014.
by Tanya Mok via blogTO
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