Italian-Canadian pizza institution — Capricciosa has been serving thick-crust Italian-Canadian style pizza to Yorkville and midtown Toronto for decades. The anchovy-olive-caper pizza is a classic that hasn't changed in 30 years and shouldn't. Old-school, reliable, and genuinely satisfying.
Neighbourhood: Yorkville / Midtown · Address: 1498 Yonge St, Toronto, ON · Hours: Daily 11:30am–10pm · Price Range: $$ · Phone: (416) 322-5000 · Editorial status: Not yet verified
Capricciosa is where you go for pizza exactly how Toronto’s Italians made it back in the day — thick, cheesy, and unapologetically loaded. If anchovies, capers, and old-school charm are your thing, you'll feel right at home.
While many pizzerias in Toronto chase paper-thin crusts and trendy toppings, Capricciosa still does hearty, dinner-sized pies with toppings like anchovy and caper that rarely change. Their unchanged recipes and retro ambiance make it feel like stepping into a pizzeria from pre-condo Yorkville — minus the hipster spin.
La Capricciosa is a Toronto Italian restaurant that takes its name from the Capricciosa pizza — a classic Italian pizza topping combination that varies by region but typically includes ham, mushrooms, artichokes, and olives (and sometimes anchovy), representing a 'capricious' selection of toppings that changes based on whatever was best available that day. The name is both a menu commitment and a philosophy: this kitchen makes decisions based on quality and availability rather than formula.
The anchovy pizza (pizza acciughe) is the order for those who understand Italian food at its most assertive — the salt-cured anchovy filet, applied raw to the pizza surface before baking (not cooked into a sauce), melts partially in the oven heat and distributes its intensely savoury, slightly fishy flavor across the tomato base without becoming fishier. Good anchovies (salt-packed Sicilian anchovies, or Cantabrian anchovies from northern Spain) are different from tinned anchovy fillets in oil: they have more meaty texture, less fishiness, and more pure umami salinity.
The house Chianti by the carafe is the appropriate drink pairing — Chianti (Sangiovese-based, from Tuscany) has the right acidity to cut through anchovy's saltiness and the tannin structure to match tomato's acidity without fighting it. A carafe (250ml or 500ml) rather than a bottle establishes the Italian restaurant tradition of wine as a table staple rather than an occasion.
La Capricciosa's Italian neighbourhood restaurant identity — comfortable, genuinely hospitable, priced for regular visits rather than special occasions — reflects the Italian dining tradition that eating well should be accessible rather than exceptional. The kitchen makes this argument convincingly.
The Capricciosa ('capricious' in Italian) pizza traditionally combines ham, mushrooms, artichokes, olives, and sometimes anchovy — a varied selection of toppings that historically represented using what was best available that day. The combination varies by region and restaurant.
Anchovies on pizza behave differently from raw anchovies — the heat of the oven partially melts them, distributing their savory, slightly salty flavour across the sauce rather than presenting a distinct fishy taste. Many people who dislike raw anchovies enjoy anchovy pizza. Try half an anchovy pizza alongside a plain slice to compare.
Chianti (Sangiovese from Tuscany) has high acidity that matches and cuts through tomato-based pizza sauce, medium tannins that don't overwhelm the pizza, and classic Italian flavours that are complementary to the cuisine. A carafe maintains the Italian tradition of wine as a casual table companion.
Premium anchovies (salt-packed Cantabrian from northern Spain or Sicilian from the Mediterranean) have more meaty texture, richer umami depth, and less of the metallic fishy quality of lower-grade tinned products. They're significantly more expensive but transform dishes that use them.
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