The Best Italian Restaurants in Toronto

Bevi Birra

Originally opened as a lockdown project to sell craft beer you wouldn’t find at the LCBO, Bevi Birria soon added a crucial missing component: sandwiches. Served on focaccia bread that’s baked in-house daily, Bevi Birria’s sandwiches are each named for a different owner’s grandmother. The Giovanna is a hot salami sandwich with ricotta, spicy pepperoncini paste, and arugula. The Anna Rosia lifts provolone and prosciutto with a rosemary aioli and olive tapenade. There’s also a vegetarian option: creamy fior di latte paired with a pea pesto and balsamic reduction. All you need to add is a good craft brew.

Cafe Diplomatico

Affectionately known across the city as “The Dip,” Cafe Diplomatico is a Toronto mainstay, famous for its World Cup celebrations as well as its patio, perfect for lazy afternoons. The food here is hearty and homestyle. Chicken parmigiana with a side of spaghetti is ideal at the end of a long week. So too are Panzerotti, fried pockets filled with a mix of pepperoni, mushroom, and green pepper or, if you’re feeling fancier, bocconcini and spicy eggplant. If you need something lighter, a panzanella salad with tomato, cucumber, avocado, onion, and croutons might be just the thing.

California Sandwiches

Since 1967, California Sandwiches has been slinging hearty Italian sammies, first in Little Italy, then across the city. The classic veal or chicken parm is the move, and will leave you satisfied. Order it hot or extra hot if you like the heat. It’s hard to go wrong with any option: The eggplant sandwich offers fried slices of aubergine in tomato sauce, while the steak sandwich gets a sweet bite from the addition of onions. See all locations >>

Cibo Wine Bar

You can tell a lot about Cibo simply from where its two locations are for delivery near you, one in swanky Yorkville, the other right in the middle of King West, another upscale neighbourhood. Starting with the house-made focaccia is a must. For a luxurious treat, either the lobster ravioli or gnocchi with gorgonzola are worth savouring. And for a different but no less rich indulgence, Chianti-braised short ribs atop polenta might best be described as luscious. See all locations >>

Defina Wood Fired

Lots of places claim to have the best pizza, maybe with a sign in the window or a line on their website. Defina, on the other hand, has an actual, real-life award: “Best Traditional Pizza” at the Las Vegas International Pizza Expo. Who am I to disagree with the experts? The pizza, actually called “The Winner,” is cooked in a wood-fired oven and topped with a couple of things you would expect (tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, basil) and a few things you might not: ‘nduja, hen of the woods mushrooms, and tarragon. Mushrooms are a theme, as the Wild Mushroom includes just what the name suggests as well as truffle oil, gorgonzola, and balsamic red onions. Innovation and deliciousness is a hard combination to beat. This is a Most Loved Restaurant on DoorDash, which means it is one of the top-rated and most reliable restaurants on DoorDash.

Donatelli’s Pizza

Sometimes the vibe of a restaurant comes through in unexpected ways: the writing on a menu, say, or the music they play. In the case of Donatelli’s, it’s the retro fonts and colours on their social media. They convey a simple message: this is old-school pizza and wings with no fuss, similar to what you (or your parents) used to order after renting a DVD from Blockbuster (before the internet, DVDs were discs that contained movies!). The Meat Lovers pie is a sensible choice, but so too are more modern options like the Hot Honey Pepperoni. An order of wings rounds out an order here. Be brave and order them hot. This is a Most Loved Restaurant on DoorDash.

Eataly

When people talk about how much they love Eataly, it isn’t usually any one thing that they mention; it’s that Eataly is a kind of cathedral to the purity and simplicity of Italian cuisine. One clear example is how much thought and detail has gone into the spaghetti pomodoro. Così Com’è tomatoes from Fianagricola, Italy, form the sauce — and have their own web page on Eataly’s site! The dish is finished with DOP-certified extra virgin olive oil and, if you’d like, buffalo mozzarella. Pizzas are also available, both Neapolitan-style (thin, blistered) or Roman (thick, chewy). With such a focus on purity, the Margherita, with its unadulterated blend of tomato, cheese, and basil, is the obvious choice.

FBI Pizza

This pizza, while tasty, will solve no major crimes. Here, the FBI stands for “full blooded Italian,” with a focus on quality ingredients in both classic and unusual pies. In that former camp are a straight-ahead, no-fuss, New York-style cheese pizza, and the spicy Diavola with hot soppressata and black olives. But there’s inventiveness too, such as the Canadese, which gets its name by adding a touch of maple syrup to a sauceless pizza with crispy pancetta, goat cheese, and caramelised onions.

Ferraro 502

Southern Italian cuisine centred on the restaurant’s wood burning oven is the name of the game at Ferraro 502. That oven means there’s a focus on pizza, simply adorned with an emphasis on quality ingredients. The Prima is just tomato sauce, mozzarella, and fresh herbs, while the Romagna amps up the savoury umami flavours by putting parmesan and gorgonzola atop both tomato sauce and pesto. There’s also an extensive pasta menu. A favourite for sharing is Jonathan and Jesse’s Pasta Special, which is half gnocchi in cream sauce and half penne in tomato cream sauce. Looking for a more health-conscious option? The Doctor’s Special is whole-wheat penne with sausage and mushroom, and is still delicious.

Ferro

At this top Italian restaurant in Toronto, the featured appetiser is named Magic Mushrooms, and it’s not even much of an exaggeration. The crostini topped with portobello and wild mushrooms, and then baked with a caramelised garlic sauce is so good, it’s almost impossible to have just one, so order accordingly! Beyond starters, an array of seafood, pastas, and pizzas form the base of the southern-Italian menu. Seafood is a specialty: Grilled octopus served with spicy bomba, rice, kale and potato is a go-to, as are mussels with your choice of tomato basil or white wine lemon sauces. The classics are all here, but so too are interesting twists: Meatball Bianco Pizza adds heat and bite by including pickled jalapeños and white onion.

Fusaro’s Italian Kitchen

One of the most enduring images surrounding Italian cuisine is of a generous Nonna serving up generous heaps of pasta. Such is the vibe at Fusaro’s, a downtown go-to for years now. Their Siciliana pasta coats toothy penne with a velvety and spicy pink sauce and then studs it with slices of hot Italian sausage. For vegetarians, fusilli comes with an array of vegetables, and a side of risotto and cheese-filled arancini certainly won’t hurt. The elegant Linguini di Mare is a luxurious pasta dish with clams, mussels, scallops, and shrimp, all bathed in a garlicky tomato white wine sauce.

Gio Rana’s Really Really Nice Restaurant

Known by locals as “The Nose”  — so named because there’s literally a giant nose outside its front door —  Gio Rana’s is the kind of red-sauce Italian joint that wouldn’t be out of place in a movie by Scorcese or Coppola. Regulars rave about the aptly named Giant Meatball that arrives in a tomato ragu. Also popular for good reason? The House-Made Butternut Squash-Stuffed Crespelle, crepes topped with sage butter. This place proves that just because a place is traditional, doesn’t mean it can’t be inventive. The Involitini, for example, is pulled pork inside cigars made of thin slices of beef tenderloin, topped with goat cheese and a red wine jus. This is a Most Loved Restaurant on DoorDash.

Il Fornello

Il Fornello’s claim to fame is that in the 1980s it was the first restaurant to introduce wood-fired-oven pizzas to Toronto. So, order a pizza for delivery near you! The Margherita, the platonic ideal of a wood-fired pizza, is among the restaurant’s most popular dishes. Meanwhile, the Pizza Fichi matches rich prosciutto and mascarpone with sweet figs and honey. Despite a lot of cheese and meat, however, Il Fornello is also friendly to those seeking plant-based foods. Order orecchiette with cashew cream sauce, spinach, and plant-based parmesan. There’s even a meat- and dairy-free lasagna. This is a Most Loved Restaurant on DoorDash.

La Veranda Osteria

As a name, La Veranda Osteria conjures up images of relaxed al fresco dining in the Italian countryside. The menu matches its evocative name. Stuffed pasta and gnocchi feature heavily, and the latter can be had with pesto or a spiced bolognese. Manicotti Gratinate is both stuffed with cheese (ricotta) and topped with it (mozzarella), adhering to the rule that when it comes to cheese, more is always better. The menu is brimming with seafood, steak, pizza, and pasta — and you can’t go wrong with any of it.

Morso Me

Maria Strazzanti and Mario Giorgio’s path to opening Morso Me in their neighbourhood was not easy, which perhaps explains the defiant name: “morso” means “bite” in Italian, hence “bite me.” Ha. But the family-run joint is now a local favourite for pasta and sandwiches; Mario bakes the bread, and Maria handles much of the rest. Pasta Alfredo and Chicken Rosé (a pasta with a creamy tomato sauce) are customer favourites, as are chicken and veal parm sandwiches. Despite all the carbs, there are also a few keto-friendly dishes, like a ground beef stir-fry with veggies and basil. Maria’s desserts include cannoli which come in both traditional flavours like pistachio as well as cherry and orange.

Nova Ristorante

In Toronto, if you see the word “Nova,” one thing likely comes to mind: Pizza Nova. But some years ago, the Primucci family who run the ubiquitous pizza chain decided they needed a place to return to their dining roots. Hence, Nova Ristorante was born. Now, it serves traditional Italian cooking because as CEO Domenic Primucci puts it: “Italy, the place where this all started, is never far from our hearts and kitchens.” That’s clear in dishes like meat lasagna with fresh pasta sheets, or a rigatoni alla vodka with pancetta. Pesto pizzas rather than tomato-based ones are a signature dish. A Tuscan version features goat cheese, chicken, and red pepper atop its pesto for a fitting colour trio of white, red, and green.

Oretta

The weather can be a lot in Toronto, and sometimes you need a hearty meal to fend off the snow and grey. Enter Oretta’s Porchetta Pizza. Not only does the name have a catchy ring to it, but it’s also delicious: The white pie is studded with hunks of fatty porchetta, thinly sliced potato, and both mozzarella and fontina cheeses. It’s flavourful and filling, yet the richness is lifted by fragrant rosemary. When the weather is warmer, summery options abound, such as a burrata salad sweetened by grapes and figs. While tiramisu is a classic way to end an Italian meal, consider the cannoli. The traditional desserts are elegantly bookended by crushed pistachio on one side and shavings of dark chocolate on the other.

Paisano’s

Italian for countryman or compatriot, Paisano’s has been the kind of food that reminds expats of their home country for more than 50 years. Robust, meaty dishes like a traditional lasagna or the spaghetti bolognese are among customers’ favourites. Conversely, chicken carbonara might not be traditional, but adding poultry to a rich bacon-y cream sauce produces a result that’s tasty enough to buck tradition. To start, the antipasto platter, replete with salami, grilled eggplant and zucchini, bocconcini cheese and olives, hits the spot. This is a Most Loved Restaurant on DoorDash.

Papamio’s

While its west-end storefront isn’t much to look at, the boast on the sign above it — “The best Italian sandwiches in town” — might be true. Sure, you should probably get the usual chicken or veal with red sauce because it’s done so well. But the Tuscany pork loin sandwich’s garlicky heat is a pleasant surprise, as is the all-day breakfast sandwich, which tops back bacon with two eggs, and both tomato and hot sauce.

Pastucci’s

At the top of Pastucci’s website is a proclamation: “At Pastucci's we cook your paste ‘All Dente.’” It’s a not-so-subtle message that tells you that the focus here is on pasta, done right. An order from Pastucci’s is a choose-your-own-adventure. Instead of set dishes, choose a pasta, then pick a sauce, and decide what you want in it: proteins like chicken or shrimp, additions like olives or sliced fried onions, and extras like hot peppers or garlic powder. Dessert options abound, including both banana and coconut cream pies. This is a Most Loved Restaurant on DoorDash.

Remezzo

Around since 1978, Remezzo is a Scarborough institution. It’s easy to see why. Its expansive menu covers steaks as well and pasta and pizza, for one thing. Butternut squash ravioli is doused in a cream sauce with caramelised onion, spinach, and mushroom. Lots of seafood is available, whether that’s crab cakes for an appetiser or a shrimp and scallop dish tossed in garlic butter. For a bit of a splurge, Steak Tuscany finishes a New York striploin with peppers, onions, and mushrooms, all in a velvety Chianti wine sauce.

Rosa’s Pasta Express

Some Italian restaurants take the purist route: It’s either our way or the highway. Rosa’s is the opposite. Pick a pasta, and let your imagination run wild. Choose a noodle and your sauce: It could be plain ol’ marinara, or it could be butter chicken sauce. Add in veggies, whether that be spinach, mushrooms, or spicy jalapeños. Then, if you want, pick a protein, all of it halal. You can mix sauces or ask for the sauce to be made “very spicy.” It’s not traditional, and nonnas the world over might be horrified, but it’s delicious nonetheless.

San Francesco

Here’s a simple rule in life I like to follow: When a sandwich shop has a dish called “The OG,” that’s the sandwich to get. At San Francesco, which has been around since the ’50s, that rule applies. The OG is a classic veal cutlet sandwich topped with sauce. Choose if you want sweet or hot peppers or go wild and add mushrooms or crispy eggplant. If you want something a little different, go for the Spicy Bomba Fried Chicken, which combines the traditional with a kick of spice.

Spaccio

Spaccio is another part of the sprawling Toronto Terroni empire. It’s the factory hub that distributes much of Terroni’s goods and handmade pasta around the city. It cranks out good food all its own, though. That artisanal focus comes through in the traditional tagliatelle bolognese. Tonarelli is a thicker, more square-shaped spaghetti and forms a toothsome base for the well-known Tonarelli Cacio e Pepe, which balances the heat of black pepper with the sharp savouriness of Pecorino Romano. You can also cook for yourself: Handmade pastas and jarred sauces are also available.

Sud Forno

At Sud Forno, Baby Bomboloni, or miniature Italian doughnuts, come in boxes of six and can be filled with nutella or crema (like a chantilly cream). So too can their regular size counterparts, Bombolone. Before those sweet treats, though, Sud Forno’s artistry with dough is worth sampling. The sandwiches are a downtown work-crowd staple. The Rosetta con la Mortadella puts creamy burrata and pistachio on top of shavings of mortadella. Pizza is served Roman-style,  with a thick, chewy crust and cut by the square. The Matta, for example, rounds out sausage and peppers with salty black olives. See all locations >>

Sorsi e Morsi

Sorsi e Morsi translates into “sips and bites,” and the thoughtful menu represents the ideal progression of an Italian meal from appetiser to pasta course to main. Start with grilled calamari in a warm olive caper salsa. Then move on to Penne Alla Boscaila — the pink sauce gets extra depth from crumbled sausage and mushroom. As a main, order the Scaloppina Al Marsala, veal smothered in red marsala sauce. Pour yourself a glass of wine (or two) and while away your evening.

Terroni

Terroni is a Toronto institution, a place to which you bring both out-of-towners and family when you want to showcase the best of the city’s Italian. Like most institutions, it has its rules: Olives have pits, pizzas arrive uncut, and don’t you dare think of asking for parm on top of your seafood pasta. This is Italian at its most pure.The classic Margherita pizza is the move here, its famous trio of tomato sauce, fior di latte, and basil needing nothing beyond those simple ingredients to make it work. Don’t overlook the Smendozzata, though, which adds funky gorgonzola to spicy sausage and red onions. Frittura di Calamari are served unadorned, and are an ideal appetiser before, say, an indulgent pasta like the Tonnarelli alla Norcina, which layers on luxury by shaving black truffle over spicy sausage and pecorino. Want to substitute an ingredient? You are kindly asked to respect the menu as is. (Another rule!) Some things aren’t meant to be messed with. See all locations >>

Tutto Pronto

If I were writing a slogan for Tutto Pronto, it might be “Southern Italian in north Toronto.” Or perhaps I shouldn’t quit my day job? Either way, Tutto Pronto is all about authentic cooking from the south of Italy. That means that in addition to more usual offerings like spaghetti and meatballs or a meat lasagna, you’ll also find some unique dishes like short rib agnolotti, braised beef stuffed into little pockets of pasta and topped with parmesan. The slow-cooked lamb ragu over pappardelle is an ideal cold-weather dish.

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