Food is consistent and amazing! Must try their tiramisu :) super friendly service, casual ambiance…read morepairs perfectly with delicious Italian comfort foods!

This rating is based on a casual dining restaurant experience…read more 3 of us came in for dinner on a Thursday night. I made the reservation in advance and wasn't sure what to expect. The place has been here for years but this was my first visit. It's located in a plaza on the south side of Hwy 7 so there's private parking. As you come in, there's the bar and the entrances to both the main and private party dining rooms. We were quickly greeted and given our choice of seating in either room, as the private party room had only a small birthday party in a little section. We could enjoy a colder temperature in the private room, or average room temperature in the main room where it would be less noisy. We chose the main room and it wasn't uncomfortable. Our host provided our menus and gave a choice of bottled, mineral, or tap water. Tap water in stemmed glasses with ice was fine with us. To my surprise, it came with a full basket of complimentary bread, butter and spicy oil. I have not seen this for years and we appreciated it. We ordered a rice balls (4 pcs) appetizer which came with marinara. They were a good size and had some cheese pull. Our entrees were a Ricky pizza (one of their 20 specialty pizzas); chicken parmigiana; and home made pappardelle with chicken and pesto cream sauce. Our orders were served within a few minutes of each other, all huge, and piping hot. We were offered additional grated cheese tableside. Besides our host, the owner (I assume) came round to serve my husband's Montecristo cocktail and wish him a happy birthday. He continued to check in along the way as well. This restaurant reminds me of being in Calabria at eateries just like this, meaning, the Italian equivalent of the British neighbourhood pub experience. There are families with children who may roam, groups of ladies getting together for a meal, singles having their pizza and beer after work, all in a space that somehow makes you aware of being connected in your mealtime. The food is what you may remember enjoying as a kid at your Italian friend's house: nonna's home made everything, from the bread and oil to the pasta and tomato sauce. It's not fancy, it's plentiful and hearty home food. The tomato sauce is fresh, exactly what all my family produces from their own jarred tomatoes. My chicken was cooked through without being dry. The pizza was nicely crisp and charred, straight from their wood oven. The pesto cream pappardelle was delicious, with plentiful pieces of grilled chicken. Both my daughter and I had half our meals left to enjoy later. You can order half portions for half the price. My husband managed to devour his whole pizza. He even ate the crust - which he never does. We didn't order wine or dessert as that was waiting at home. I didn't think to check if they offer any prosecco besides the basic wine list but their website is very well done, so I will look again, because I would definitely return. It will be like being back in my family town in Italy.

One of the hottest places to check out is Cafe Roma, a cozy restaurant on St…read more Clair Ave. West that serves authentic Italian food and was featured in the magazine @streetsoftoronto Their menu is inspired by Italy's diverse cuisine. With fresh seafood, Italian pizza, delicious appetizers, daily specials, classic pasta dishes, and desserts, they have something for everyone! If you're searching for a good Italian restaurant in the Hillcrest Village neighbourhood, this is the place to go! They have good food, nice ambiance and friendly staff.

We had dinner here with my boyfriend and my mom and honestly felt like we were transported straight…read moreto Italy. We actually found this place because it was featured in Streets of Toronto as one of the new restaurants to visit and see. It definitely lived up to the hype. We started with the calamari fritti. It was light, crispy, and tender, exactly what we wanted. We also got the burrata salad, basically a fresh tomato salad with a big ball of creamy burrata in the middle. It was simple but so good. My boyfriend and mom both ordered the daily special, a 14oz steak. It was super tender and well seasoned, though we all thought the cut was a bit on the fattier side. I went for the risotto al mare, which was packed with seafood and cooked perfectly. It was rich, comforting, and full of flavour. We wrapped up the meal with their classic tiramisu. It wasn't too sweet, which was absolutely perfect for us. We did run into some trouble with parking. There were limited paid street spots and a GreenP lot nearby that didn't even have a working ticket machine. Pretty sure it took our money without printing the ticket. There was some street parking in the nearby residential area but good luck finding one if you're coming on a busy night. We still found the service warm and attentive the whole time. Overall, we thought this was a solid spot if you're craving classic Italian food in a cozy, no-fuss setting. We'd definitely come back, though next time we might just Uber.

Food was delicious. Service was impeccable. Ambience was lovely…read more Because of its size, it felt like you were in Nonna's kitchen eating dinner. Small enough to be intimate but large enough that you barely noticed the others around you. I highly recommend this restaurant and will definitely be back. Thank you Johnny for treating our family so wonderfully. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening spent at your restaurant.

Loved this place! Brought me back to Italy, didn't even feel like I was in Toronto…read more Ambiance: From the old school, but fancy, decor, to the oil paintings, to the tiny bar and the mom & pop feel, I loved the ambiance of this place. It honestly felt so European and I loved it - made me forget about my life for a bit and took me away. Food: 4.5/5 - I asked for a recommendation and got the house made gnocchi with the meat (veal) sauce. It was fantastic and will definitely be back again one day when I'm in the area for this. It truly was a delicious meal. A little on the pricier side, but worth it. Service: 5/5 - very kind and attentive waitress, who I assume might be the owner! Overall, loved it and looking forward to having this again one day.

We have been to Parola a few times, and every occasion has been wonderful. The service is quick,…read moreefficient and very warm, so we always feel welcome. The food is amazing! I highly recommend the brurrata or the calamari fritto as appetizers. For mains, the branzino is always great, and I also love the steaks and the rack of lamb. Even though I'm usually full by the end, I always enjoy their desserts. When I was there last Friday, I tried the lemon sorbet, which was perfect after the big meal: light and tart. I highly recommend Parola and can't wait to go back!

We recently dined at Paola. They have an outstanding wine selection. To be honest we weren't a fan…read moreof the bruschetta. It was a little burnt and didn't have the taste we would have expected. The Gorgonzola gnocchi was incredible. The penne spa vodka was very nice. The cream sauce was simply perfect. Risotto Frutti Di Mare was very well cooked and all the seafood was fresh and delicious The Fettuccini Pomodoro was good but not up to the standards of the other dishes we had. The service was good as we had two serves during the evening. The ambiance was very nice.

This place is fantastic. The food, service and drinks are all top quality. The place is…read moreunpretentious and feels very warm and cozy inside. The portion sizes are huge and there seems to be many repeat patrons which is always a good sign. Looking forward to coming back here for another special occasion soon.

B'Day celebration. 8 Guests. All the food was fresh, delicious, served hot and the service was…read moreexcellent! It was tough for many of us to order just one entree. The appetizers got us primed. Garlic shrimp and Bruschetta, followed by the entrees which arrived simultaneously. That we all appreciated. Desserts were just as tough to choose from as they all sounded delicious. In the end Tiramisu, Creme Caramel, Raspberry Tartufo, Chocolate Fudge cake with Truffle Mousse and Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake arrived to our table. No disappointments there. Will return again.

We went with another couple. It's a nice restaurant where the tables are one on top of the other…read more It was nice to not be sitting so close to someone else like in many other restaurants today. The menu is quite varied. We had a Caesar salad and a mixed salad to start. The Caesar needed more dressing as it was a little dry. The citrus salad dressing on the mixed salad was one of the best I've ever had. I would return to Osteria Gente for the mixed alone. For the main, my wife selected the Gnocchi Lobster and I got the Paccheri Con Gamberi. The gnocchi was good and there was a small lobster tail cut in half. If there was crab meat, it was hidden as it wasn't obvious. The Paccheri was green? and it tasted ok, but not great. There was some cut up pieces of shrimp at the bottom of the plate and 3 good-sized shrimp on top. The portions were a good size. For dessert, we got the homemade Italian donuts. This, too, was a good portion. It was good but could use more flavour. The cappuccino and lattes were nicely served. Overall, I'd consider returning as they have a good menu. Perhaps pizza next time? It looked good.

Had a birthday dinner here several days ago and it was amazing !…read more Service was great! Staff were friendly as always! Food was hot, tasty and delicious! Atmosphere was amazing! Will definitely go back and higher recommend this place!

Ate here last night with my extended family. If you are looking for some wholesome Italian cooking…read morein a pleasant lively atmosphere this is your place. It's busy and frequented by many local families, a large and helpful staff, and a busy kitchen. I had some Bruschetta to start, some Calamari as an antipasti, a Stracciatella soup (egg drop), and Veal Marsala for the main course. I skipped the desert because I was so full then by the generous portions. Food was tasty and what you would expect from a wholesome home cooked meal, maybe not a gastronomical delight, but definitely a pleasant meal.

Came here for lunch with my mom having spotted the sign from the road. Upon entering the restaurant…read moreI was blown away by how open and spacious the area was, the bar and the private areas available for events and bookings. We ordered a mushroom risotto and penne with pancetta bacon in a rose sauce. Both came out piping hot and perfectly cooked. The risotto was the perfect balance of creaminess and so umami. The pasta was perfectly Al dente and I couldn't get enough of the sauce it was so delicious. Id recommend this place to any pasta lover and would happily go back again to try all the other dishes.

I stumbled upon this restaurant thanks to Google. I was looking for a nice restaurant for my…read morebirthday with a good friend. We had a reservation for 8 pm and the restaurant was full. It did take them 40 minutes to take our orders. There was only 1 server and the owners working so it was understandable. I had great company and a delicious Aperol spritz to keep us company. The food was delicious. We got the arugula salad, grilled calamari, and seafood linguine. I got a tiramisu for my birthday dessert and it was delicious. The owner and server sang Happy Birthday and sent very sweet birthday wishes. I'll be back to try other dishes. Thank you for your warm hospitality and great food.

We came here with a big party of 8, including two kids, and they handled it flawlessly. The staff…read morewere so patient and accommodating, which isn't always easy with a larger group. The menu has something for everyone - from picky eaters to more adventurous diners. The portions are generous, so we ended up sharing a few things. The kids' menu was actually decent quality, not just nuggets and fries (though they had those too!). There's plenty of space, the noise level is manageable, and they didn't rush us out even though we lingered for ages. A great choice if you're organising a get-together.