13 italian rooms worth the trip across Canada, editor-ranked. All cuisines in Canada.
Kissa Tanto ★ 4.7 · Vancouver
chinatown · 263 East Pender Street, Vancouver, BC V6A 1T8
Kissa Tanto on East Pender from chef Joel Watanabe and Tannis Ling is a Japanese-Italian room with a 1960s Tokyo jazz cafe feel, Michelin-starred 2022.
Tip: Reservations open 30 days out on Resy; Tuesday is the harder seat. The bar takes walk-ins for spaghettini and a Negroni.
Kissa Tanto ★ 4.7 · Vancouver
chinatown · 263 East Pender Street, Vancouver, BC V6A 1T8
Kissa Tanto on East Pender from chef Joel Watanabe and Tannis Ling is a Japanese-Italian room with a 1960s Tokyo jazz cafe feel, Michelin-starred 2022.
Ask for Luigi ★ 4.6 · Vancouver
strathcona · 305 Alexander Street, Vancouver, BC V6A 1C4
Ask for Luigi in Railtown since 2013 is J-C Poirier's Italian handmade-pasta room, the same kitchen behind St Lawrence, Michelin Bib Gourmand 2022.
Tip: No reservations; walk-in line from 17:00. The bar opens 30 minutes earlier.
Savio Volpe ★ 4.6 · Vancouver
mount-pleasant · 615 Kingsway, Vancouver, BC V5T 3K5
Savio Volpe on Kingsway from chefs Mark Perrier and Paul Grunberg since 2016 is a Roman trattoria with a wood-fired grill, Michelin recommended 2022.
Tip: Reservations on OpenTable open 30 days out; the bar walks in for grilled antipasti.
Savio Volpe ★ 4.6 · Vancouver
mount-pleasant · 615 Kingsway, Vancouver, BC V5T 3K5
Savio Volpe on Kingsway from chefs Mark Perrier and Paul Grunberg since 2016 is a Roman trattoria with a wood-fired grill, Michelin recommended 2022.
Tip: Reservations on OpenTable open 30 days out; the bar walks in for grilled antipasti.
Ask for Luigi ★ 4.6 · Vancouver
strathcona · 305 Alexander Street, Vancouver, BC V6A 1C4
Ask for Luigi in Railtown since 2013 is J-C Poirier's Italian handmade-pasta room, the same kitchen behind St Lawrence, Michelin Bib Gourmand 2022.
Tip: No reservations; walk-in line from 17:00. The bar opens 30 minutes earlier.
Buca King West ★ 4.5 · Toronto
king-west · 604 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V 1M6
Buca King West has run modern Italian on the King strip since 2009, chef Rob Gentile's pastas and house-cured salumi in a converted laneway warehouse.
Tip: Sister Bar Buca next door at 604 King is the walk-in spritz counter. The full dining room books well ahead Friday and Saturday.
Sotto Sotto ★ 4.5 · Toronto
yorkville · 120 Avenue Road, Toronto, ON M5R 2H4
Sotto Sotto on Avenue Road has run Roman-style Italian below street level in Yorkville since 1993, chef Massimo Renzi's fresh pasta in an exposed-brick room.
Tip: Drake's photo hangs on the wall and he eats here. Book ahead; the room seats 50 tightly.
Osteria Giulia ★ 4.5 · Toronto
yorkville · 134 Avenue Road, Toronto, ON M5R 2H6
Osteria Giulia on Avenue Road is chef Rob Rossi's Ligurian-leaning pasta and seafood room, Michelin star 2022 through 2025, Canada's 100 Best #17.
Buca Yorkville ★ 4.4 · Toronto
yorkville · 53 Scollard Street, Toronto, ON M5R 0A1
Buca Yorkville in the Four Seasons hotel is the King Street Food Co.'s northern outpost since 2014, chef Rob Gentile's pasta and crudo plus a wine bar.
Tip: Sister to Buca King West. Reservations on OpenTable; the courtyard entry on Yorkville Avenue.
Don Alfonso 1890 ★ 4.4 · Toronto
financial-district · 1 Harbour Square, 38th Floor, Westin Harbour Castle, Toronto, ON M5J 1A6
Don Alfonso 1890 atop the Westin Harbour Castle is the North American outpost of the Iaccarino family's Amalfi restaurant, Michelin one-star since 2022.
Lupo ★ 4.4 · Vancouver
downtown · 869 Hamilton Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 2R7
Lupo on Hamilton Street since 2008 in the heritage Mansion House is a Northern Italian dining room under chef Julio Gonzalez Perini, OpenTable Top 100 Canada.
Tip: Reservations on OpenTable open 30 days out; the bar walks in for the antipasti menu.
Cafe Diplomatico ★ 4.0 · Toronto
little-italy · 594 College Street, Toronto, ON M6G 1B3
Cafe Diplomatico on College Street is Little Italy's reference patio room since 1968, wood-fired pizza and veal sandwiches with the city's longest-running.
Tip: Patio seats fill by 18:00 in summer. Inside booths take walk-ins year-round; the espresso bar opens at 09:00.