7 of the best Italian restaurants in Toronto that'll satisfy all your pasta cravings
Let's be real: Is there anything better in the whole wide world than a heaping plate of rich, saucy pasta?
Toronto certainly has its fair share of Italian restaurants — many of them excellent — but there are some particularly strong standouts in the pasta department, whether you're looking for simple, Italian-American-style spaghetti and meatballs or something more sophisticated and unique.
With a mix of modern fare and time-honoured classics, here are some of the best Italian restaurants in Toronto whipping up drool-worthy pasta dishes built to send you straight to carb heaven!
Sugo
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: Italian American
Address: 1281 Bloor St. W., Toronto, ON
Why You Need To Go: Traditional, no-nonsense Italian-American cuisine is treated with the respect it deserves at this bustling Bloor Street favourite for pastas, parm sandwiches and other comfort dishes that are all about the sauce.
Sugo can set you up with some hearty appetizers like mozzarella sticks, burrata bruschetta, fresh salads and calamari to prime you for the main event: large portions of pastas like spaghetti, rigatoni and gnocchi smothered in fresh homemade sauces like sugo, rosé, pesto cream and ragu. If you fall in love with Sugo's incredible sauces, you're in luck: They sell their red sauce in jars to take home!
Gusto 101
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: Southern Italian
Address: 101 Portland St., Toronto, ON
Why You Need To Go: Although '101' is right there in the name, this Portland Street Italian eatery's food is the farthest thing from rudimentary.
Gusto 101 focuses its menu on Southern Italian recipes, making the most of familiar dishes like Margherita pizza, risotto and branzino with thoughtful accompaniments. But the pastas here readily catch the eye, offering modern takes on traditional dishes like cacio e pepe, rigatoni all'amatriciana, and cavatelli alla calabrese, all made with high-quality, authentic ingredients.
Make sure you also save room for dessert — house-made tiramisu and cannoli make for the sweetest of finales.
Enoteca Sociale
Price: 💸💸💸
Cuisine: Roman Italian
Address: 1288 Dundas St. W., Toronto, ON
Why You Need To Go: Cozy, hip vibes and a menu of passionately crafted Italian cuisine make this Michelin Guide-recognized restaurant on Dundas West a must-visit.
First opened in 2010, Enoteca Sociale has remained a local favourite for over a decade, bolstered by Chef Kyle Rindinella's focus on rustic Roman cuisine that maintains simplicity with traditional recipes and quality ingredients — just the way good Italian food should be.
With many starters including antipasti, burrata and chicken liver mousse to whet the appetite, take your pick of pasta plates like gnocchi pomodoro with smoked ricotta; tagliatelle smothered in beef short rib ragu; or paccheri with corn, chillies, cherry tomatoes and mint.
Famiglia Baldassarre
Price: 💸
Cuisine: Italian Lunch
Address: 122 Geary Ave., Toronto, ON
Why You Need To Go: Thanks to the influence of social media, this no-frills pasta joint — which first opened in 2010 primarily to supply local restaurants with small batches of fresh pasta — has gained a fevered popularity and nearly cult-like status since opening their Geary Avenue outpost in 2017, which is open to the public at lunch hour Wednesday through Friday only.
Lengthy lunchtime lineups are almost certain, and the reason becomes apparent as soon as you shove a forkful of Baldassarre's handmade pasta into your mouth. It's hard to imagine eating fresher noodles. They're made right there at the source, boiled, tossed in luscious homemade sauces and served to you, with a different enticing blackboard menu each week.
Skeptics, listen up: This is one of those rare hyped spots in Toronto that completely lives up to that hype.
Annabelle Pasta Bar
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: Pasta Bar
Address: 909 Davenport Rd., Toronto, ON
Why You Need To Go: Any restaurant that straight-up calls itself a pasta bar had better bring the goods. Luckily, Annabelle Pasta Bar does just that.
This two-storey eatery on Davenport is one of Toronto's most creative pasta spots, and that's out of necessity: Annabelle churns out three attractive pasta dishes every day that combine fresh noodles with inventive sauces and ingredients. As I write this, the restaurant is serving ricotta ravioli with guanciale, peach and chive; fusilli with pistachio pesto and ricotta; and conchiglie with five-spice chicken, confit mushroom and furikake.
By the time you read this, those pastas will be totally different. That's the beauty of Annabelle Pasta Bar: You never know what you're gonna get!
Bar Vendetta
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: Modern Italian
Address: 928 Dundas St. W., Toronto, ON
Why You Need To Go: A sleek yet warm wine bar and restaurant on Dundas West, Bar Vendetta makes the most of its compact and considered menu of modern pastas and other Italian fare.
Lovely sharing plates kick things off nicely with choices like beef tartare, bruschetta, tuna crudo and burrata with strawberries and pistachio. Then, a focused selection of five homemade pasta dishes puts judicious twists on classics, like the crown cacio e pepe that implements lemon and ricotta; trecce with lamb pancetta, sweet peas, mint and Pecorino Romano; or rigatoni verde with artichokes, nettles and Moroccan olives.
Pair those plates with a glass of wine from their well-curated list, and you're in business.
Trattoria Nervosa
Price: 💸💸💸
Cuisine: Southern Italian
Address: 75 Yorkville Ave., Toronto, ON
Why You Need To Go: Situated in a charming old house with a sweet rooftop patio, Trattoria Nervosa favours fresh, seasonal ingredients in its menu of simple and authentic Southern Italian cuisine.
Pizzas, salads and shareables offer a rich selection on their own, but the classic pastas here stand out. Rigatoni bolognese is finished in a rich, hearty beef and veal ragu, and the mafalde al funghi is a mushroom lover's dream with its umami blend of portobello, porcini, oyster and cremini mushrooms with Parmigiano Reggiano and truffle paste in a light cream sauce. They've also got an indulgent lasagna you shouldn't skip!
