Top 5 Italian restaurants in Toronto
Published May 29, 2026 at 4:03 pm
Toronto has a vibrant and large Italian community, so it stands to reason that there are many great Italian restaurants in the city. Everyone has their personal favourites, so choosing just five special ones can be like splitting hairs.
However, there are some spots that are undeniably doing Italian right, all while putting a unique spin on the cuisine that only Canadians can.
Here are some top Italian restaurants in Toronto.
5 – Terroni
With a history that spans around 35 years and several locations dotted across Toronto, this Italian powerhouse is one of the city’s go-to’s that has it all covered from salads, pasta and pizza to steak and seafood. Terroni is well known for its wide range of popular pastas and pizzas, and has a reputation for serving pizza whole, the traditional way. These plates and other options like juicy meatballs smothered in a lip-smacking sugo are ideal for sharing or a meal for one.
4 – Bar Prima
Nestled deep in the heart of West Queen West, this jewel box of a restaurant turns out fancy Italian plates accompanied by martinis served with caviar. While you can expect snazzy takes on classics such as cacio e pepe zeppole to start, this restaurant also serves expertly presented versions of classics like spaghetti all’Ammatriciana.
3 – Gusto 101
Located in the heart of the action at Portland and King, this spacious Italian restaurant is known for having one of Toronto’s best rooftop patios. Whether indoors or outdoors, it’s a buzzy place to enjoy some classic dishes including salads, pastas, pizzas and mains like steak, branzino and veal chops. Gusto 101’s malfalde ai funghi is a star menu item, with lots of meaty portobello, porcini and oyster mushrooms all swimming in a rich truffle cream sauce that’s excellently cradled by the frills of the pasta.
2 – N.L. Ginzburg
Where else to find a great Italian restaurant but Little Italy? The Italian food at this understated gem is infused with Jewish influences, with an emphasis on sharing plates. You might find items on the constantly rotating menu like a silky beef carpaccio is dripping with olive oil, accented by large flakes of pungent parmesan and bright bitter greens, served with shatteringly crispy crackers on the side.
However, you’ll likely never order from the same menu twice when it comes to this place where seasonal ingredients dictate the creative innovations available each night.
1 – Contrada
This self-proclaimed Italian-Canadian restaurant focuses in on local and seasonal ingredients. The menu always consists of a range of typical spuntini such as olives and crostini, primi like gnocchi and tagliatelle, and takes on typical Italian secondi such as whole sea bream and a pork chop Milanese.
Lighter-than-air ricotta gnocchi are paired with seasonal snappy asparagus and spongy morels which soak up a delightfully rich sherry cream accented by a balsamic reduction.
