New Italian restaurants in Toronto are cooking up classic comfort foods with sophistication and flair.
When in doubt, pasta is always the answer. That’s the motto I live by, at least. So, it’s always a delight to learn of the latest Italian joint to open its doors in Toronto, even when the city is brimming with them to begin with.
The latest crop of Italian spots to grace the city with their presence brings their own unique doses of la dolce vita in the form of house-made pasta, sandwiches stacked several inches high, and classic hospitality that never goes out of style.
Here are my picks for the new Italian restaurants in Toronto you need to visit.
This recent addition to the Upper Beaches has already cemented itself as a neighbourhood staple, despite only opening in August of 2025.
A family-run operation through and through, you can taste the love in every bite of their heaping pasta dishes and monstrous panini on freshly baked panuozzo. Who says a neighbourhood restaurant can’t also be gourmet? No one, that’s who!
Aptly named after the famed rival to Italian racecar driver Alberto Ascari, this new Leslieville restaurant has officially moved in where Ascari Enoteca used to be.
A full suite of Italian staples graces the extensive menu here, from droolworthy antipasti (chimmichuri beef carpaccio, anyone?) to whole roasted chickens and pan-seared cod.
The latest venture — or, should I say adventure? — from the team of tiramisu experts behind Nonna Lia Desserts brings a new savoury menu to its Oakwood Village flagship to pair with the sweet.
Here, they serve up a Korean-meets-Italian menu of pastas and sandwiches, all crafted using imported ingredients. Think Korean noodles topped with scallop crudo and tomato basil dashi, and vegetarian pesto lasagna. I’m salivating already.
Though its predecessor didn’t last a year, things are already looking brighter for this sleek cocktail and snack bar in the Financial District.
If you can carve 35 minutes out of your workday, you can dine on their $35, three-course lunch prix fixe, or slow things down after hours with a selection of sophisticated cocktails and small bites, like octopus carpaccio and frutti di mare pasta topped with uni.
This new Entertainment District restaurant is the perfect blend of classic Italian hospitality and a party atmosphere that makes it well-suited to the neighbourhood.
A broad selection of pizzas and pastas join live DJs and a clublike atmosphere for an experience you won’t find anywhere else.
