The most legendary Italian restaurant in Toronto — a subterranean grotto carved beneath a Yorkville townhouse, with stone arches, candlelight, and 30 years of history feeding celebrities (Mick Jagger, celebrities during TIFF) and locals who return obsessively. The pasta is made in-house, the osso buco is perfect, and the room is unlike anything else in the city.
Neighbourhood: Yorkville (116A Avenue Rd) · Address: 116A Avenue Rd, Toronto, ON M5R 2H4 · Hours: Mon–Thu 5PM–11PM | Fri–Sat 5PM–12AM | Sun 5PM–11PM · Price Range: $$$ · Phone: (416) 962-0011 · Website: https://sottosotto.ca · Editorial status: Not yet verified
If you want classic Italian food in a setting that feels simultaneously secretive and electric, Sotto Sotto has the atmosphere you simply can’t fake. It's especially electric during TIFF when stars and locals cram in shoulder to shoulder.
No other Toronto Italian joint operates in a candle-lit underground grotto where genuine 1990s Yorkville energy still lingers. The dining room manages to feel cozy and exclusive at once, and nearly every wall is scrawled with recognizable names from decades of film festivals. The restaurant’s staying power comes from both its carefully unfussy Italian cooking and the sense that you might catch a glimpse of someone famous—or just eat very, very well.
Sotto Sotto has held court as Yorkville’s go-to Italian grotto since the 1990s, tucked below street level in candlelit arches of stone. Chef and owner Marisa Rocca presides over a menu of classic Roman and Tuscan dishes—house-made pastas, tender osso buco, perfectly charred calamari. The walls are full of celebrity autographs, but on any night, you’ll find old-money locals alongside headline-seeking film folk, all tucking into plates meant for sharing. Tables in the secluded back room feel private—even when the place is packed.
Reservations are strongly recommended, especially during weekends and TIFF—walk-ins are rarely lucky here.
The pappardelle bolognese is legendary, but don’t skip the osso buco if you’re hungry.
It works best for couples and small groups up to six; the vibe is intimate rather than rowdy.
Expect $35–$50 mains, with appetizers and pastas generally $20–$35 each.
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