Toronto treats Italian like oxygen. We bicker over the holy trinity of pasta, pizza, and sauce. We don’t settle for polite or safe.
This list isn’t a travel brochure or a safe starter pack. It’s a curated scrum of places that pull no punches.
Fancy, homey, trendy, shockingly brilliant. These are where the sauce punches through, the pasta crunches, and the mood happens. Buckle up. This is your list.
The 17 Best Italian Restaurants in Toronto
Here are the established heavy-hitters you trust. Plus two new names that pack the kind of promise you only get once.
1. Terroni
Signature Dish: Spaghetti al Limone
Vibe Check: No-BS Southern Italian chaos.
Address: Multiple spots (Queen West, Summerhill, Adelaide)
Why It Made the Cut: They serve classics designed to shut you up and fill you up.
2. Sotto Sotto
Signature Dish: Black-Truffle Tagliolini
Vibe Check: Moody, romantic, worth the hype.
Address: 120 Avenue Rd.
Why It Made the Cut: For when you need to drop jaws more than calories.
3. Piano Piano
Signature Dish: Rigatoni alla Vodka
Vibe Check: Bold-coloured comfort with a playful spin.
Address: 88 Harbord St.
Why It Made the Cut: It’s comfort food with ego. Rich, designed, and unapologetic.
4. Giulietta
Signature Dish: Rabbit-Ragu Mafalde
Vibe Check: Cool-curated, upscale without the snoot.
Address: 972 College St.
Why It Made the Cut: Michelin polish without Michelin pretension.
5. Trattoria Nervosa
Signature Dish: Mafalde ai Funghi
Vibe Check: Buzzing Yorkville patio scene.
Address: 75 Yorkville Ave.
Why It Made the Cut: Pasta that holds up while you people-watch.
6. Enoteca Sociale
Signature Dish: Cacio e Pepe
Vibe Check: Tucked-in Roman simplicity.
Address: 1288 Dundas St. W.
Why It Made the Cut: Only the essentials, executed with precision.
7. Pizzeria Libretto
Signature Dish: Margherita Pizza
Vibe Check: Casual Neapolitan shrine.
Address: Multiple branches.
Why It Made the Cut: Crusts blistered just how Naples intended.
8. Famiglia Baldassarre
Signature Dish: Fresh-made Lunch Pasta
Vibe Check: Lunch service only. Pack your patience.
Address: 122 Geary Ave.
Why It Made the Cut: Handmade pasta, no clap, no compromise.
9. Osteria Giulia
Signature Dish: Ligurian-coast seafood pasta
Vibe Check: Polished, seafood-centric fine dining.
Address: 134 Avenue Rd.
Why It Made the Cut: Coastal Italian aesthetic, plated sharply.
10. Tutti Matti
Signature Dish: Wild Boar Pappardelle
Vibe Check: Tuscan-hearty, rough-around-the-edges warmth.
Address: 364 Adelaide St. W.
Why It Made the Cut: Feels like you’re crashing at your Tuscan uncle’s.
11. Gusto 101
Signature Dish: Mega-portion Mafalde Funghi
Vibe Check: Industrial, loud, trendy.
Address: 101 Portland St.
Why It Made the Cut: Wine on tap, vibe on full; pasta muscles through.
12. Buca
Signature Dish: Smoked Duck Bigoli
Vibe Check: Dark, edgy, adventurous.
Address: 604 King St. W.
Why It Made the Cut: Italian crossed with “bold, not polite.”
13. Occhiolino
Signature Dish: Radiatore alla Norcina (sausage cream sauce)
Vibe Check: Raw, tight, pasta-focused.
Address: 499 Bathurst St.
Why It Made the Cut: Chef Manzone stripped everything down to the noodle. Tonnarelli with breadcrumbs is minimalist perfection.
14. Florin Trattoria
Signature Dish: Taunt-tight Gnudi & Bistecca Fiorentina
Vibe Check: Elegant, polished, Florentine sensibility meets Toronto.
Address: 80 Richmond St.
Why It Made the Cut: Chef pedigree (DaNico, Don Alfonso lineages) + Tuscan soul in the Financial District
15. Spaccio
Signature Dish: Lasagna al Forno
Vibe Check: Terroni’s fast-casual shadow.
Address: 22 Sackville St.
Why It Made the Cut: Same DNA, quicker, and delivery-ready.
16. Dal Moro’s Fresh Pasta To Go
Signature Dish: Alfredo in a Box
Vibe Check: Fast, drunkmate fuel.
Address: 605 Yonge St.
Why It Made the Cut: Fresh pasta in minutes. Perfect for hunger emergencies.
17. Don Alfonso 1890
Signature Dish: White-glove tasting menu
Vibe Check: Museum-quiet, high-stakes.
Address: 1 Harbour Sq.
Why It Made the Cut: If you want Italian stairs-to-the-skies, this is your final boss.
Craving carbs yet? Bookmark this list. Your future self will thank you.
Italian Food Questions, Answered Without the BS
Where can I find the best pasta in Toronto?
Terroni for classic smashers. Sotto Sotto when you need it pretty. Piano Piano when you want the comfort food to feel fresh. Add Occhiolino for stripped-down noodle worship.
What’s the best Italian restaurant for a date?
Sotto Sotto wins on atmosphere and charm. Giulietta follows. Polished but neighborhood-hinted. Florin brings class with Tuscan gravitas.
Are there authentic pizza spots in Toronto?
Pizzeria Libretto for true Neapolitan. North of Brooklyn for pin-style urban slices that snap. Toronto has some of the best authentic pizza in Canada.
Do any Toronto Italian restaurants offer delivery?
Yes. Terroni, Libretto, Spaccio, and many pizza places deliver via UberEats, DoorDash. Or you show up.
When’s the best time to go out for Italian?
Weeknights. Weekends are padding-fests; lines kill the vibe and the texture of your pasta.
Last Call for Sauce.
The Toronto Italian restaurant scene is about lineage, grit, and that first forkful that makes chain restaurant life forever a thing of the past.
From hidden trattorias to elegant windows and power-lunch rooms, this city feeds hard.
So go: dip, twirl, sop, and out-eat everything that tried to tell you carbs can’t be cool. Your fork — and your inner critic — will thank you.
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