Top Italian restaurants in Canada

Liverpool House ★ 4.7 · Montreal

little-burgundy · 2501 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montreal, QC H3J 1N6

Liverpool House is Joe Beef's brighter sibling in Little Burgundy, Montreal, pouring natural wine over Italian-leaning plates and lobster spaghetti.

Tip: It is a touch easier to book than Joe Beef and just as good; go for the same kitchen, lighter room.

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.

Nora Gray ★ 4.5 · Montreal

griffintown · 1391 Rue Saint-Jacques, Montreal, QC H3C 4J4

Nora Gray is Emma Cardarelli's dim, clubby southern-Italian room on Saint-Jacques in Montreal, pouring amaro over hand-cut pasta and a cult wine list.

Tip: The bar seats are first-come and the easiest way in on a busy weekend.

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.

Elena ★ 4.3 · Montreal

saint-henri · 5090 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montreal, QC H4C 1T3

Elena is the Nora Gray team's sunny coffee, pizza and wine room in Saint-Henri, Montreal, spinning sourdough pizza and Italian small plates off Notre-Dame.

Tip: Daytime is coffee and pastries; the pizza and wine crowd arrives after five.

Impasto ★ 4.3 · Montreal

little-italy · 48 Rue Dante, Montreal, QC H2S 1J5

Impasto is the rustic Italian room on Rue Dante in Montreal's Little Italy, cooking market-driven pasta and salumi a short walk from the Jean-Talon Market.

Tip: Lunch is quieter and cheaper; the same kitchen, fewer crowds than dinner.

Moccione ★ 4.3 · Montreal

villeray · 7495 Rue Saint-Denis, Montreal, QC H2R 2E5

Moccione is a tiny, charming Italian trattoria on Saint-Denis in Villeray, Montreal, hand-rolling pasta and pouring Italian wine in a snug neighbourhood room.

Tip: It seats barely thirty; book ahead or aim for an early weeknight table.

Le Serpent ★ 4.1 · Montreal

old-montreal · 257 Rue Prince, Montreal, QC H3C 2N4

Le Serpent is a sleek Italian-leaning bistro in a converted foundry in Old Montreal, plating confident pasta and grilled mains near the Fonderie Darling.

Tip: The concrete room is loud and fun; book the early seating for a slightly calmer meal.

Pizzeria Napoletana ★ 4.1 · Montreal

little-italy · 189 Rue Dante, Montreal, QC H2S 1K1

Pizzeria Napoletana has fed Montreal's Little Italy since 1948, a cash-only, BYOB institution on Rue Dante turning out thin-crust pizza and hearty pasta.

Tip: It is cash-only and bring-your-own-wine, with no reservations; arrive early to beat the queue.

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.