Old-school Italian-Canadian red sauce joints, modern trattorias on College Street, and the fine dining spots — Toronto's best Italian restaurants for every occasion.
Toronto has one of the largest Italian-Canadian communities in North America, and a century of Italian immigration means the restaurant scene has real depth — not just red-checkered-tablecloth classics, but proper regional Italian cooking that can compete with anything you'd find in a Canadian or American city.
Giulietta on College Street has become the benchmark for modern Italian fine dining in Toronto. The pasta is made daily, the wine list leans deeply Italian, and the room has the right combination of noise and intimacy. The cacio e pepe is the standard-bearer. Book well ahead.
Multiple locations, consistently excellent. Buca does rustic Italian with serious technique — house-made charcuterie, handmade pasta, and a wine list that knows Italian regions. The King West basement location has the best room; the Yorkville location has better accessibility.
Giancarlo has been on College Street for over 30 years and represents the best of old-school Italian Toronto. The room is warm, the service remembers regulars, and the pasta tastes like it was made by someone's nonna. Go on a Tuesday — less busy, same food.
The College Street strip between Bathurst and Shaw is Toronto's Little Italy. The density of Italian restaurants — trattorias, wine bars, espresso bars — is excellent. Bar Diplomatico for espresso and a grappa, Riviera for the room and the pasta, and La Palma for a more modern take.
Toronto's pizza scene has improved significantly in the past five years. Libretto (multiple locations) does Neapolitan pizza with proper 00 flour and a wood-fired oven. Descendant (Leslieville) does Detroit-style and has a fanatic following. For old-school Toronto pizza, Pizzeria Libretto and North of Brooklyn are both excellent.
Little Italy tip Bar Diplomatico on College Street has been a Little Italy institution since 1968. The espresso is excellent, the grappa selection is exceptional, and the patio in summer is one of the most distinctly Italian-Canadian experiences in the city. Don't skip it.
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