There was a long line to get in, but it moved fast. And someone from the restaurant came out to check in and ask how many people in each party. So they're clearly planning ahead and know how to move tables without making you feel rushed. Everything was absolutely delicious and fresh. Pizzas are hot and come out so fast, and the salads are HUGE (Caesar was a BIT overdressed). Pizzas look small but are filling. White sangria was a very generous pour and delicious. read more

Il Focolaio - Caesar Salad - Pizza Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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Absolutely bonkers amount of pizzas on this menu lol. They're open to substitutions if you're not a fan of one item on a particular pizza. Pizza was good and came out super hot and fresh from the oven. The two of us split one and got a couple of cannolis for dessert and it was the perfect amount of food for us! Service was quick and very on it despite how busy they were! read more

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Found this nice little pizza place around the corner from our hotel. The restaurant was a bit small, and it was busy, but the service was still very good and attentive. We ordered the Suprema (7/10) and the Carré Phillips (8/10). The pizzas we ordered were decent. They came out fresh out of the brick oven. The pizza dough at the center was just a bit soft making the dough a bit soggy. Other than that, I enjoyed the pizzas and our waiter also recommended some other entrees to try when we come back. Overall, it was a great dinner here! read more

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Great pizza spot! Came here for dinner, and although they close a bit early for me, we didn't feel rushed at all. Lucky to secure a table right away, and while we were a bit close to the couple next to us, it wasn't terrible. Got our own customized pizza, which was lighter than we thought it would be. I wanted there to be a bit more dough, and it seemed to be more in the background, but still a delicious pizza, and all their toppings are appreciated. The cannoli for dessert was delicious and you can tell the freshness. Cute spot in the city, great for date night. read more

Il Focolaio - Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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We had a great experience. The pizza was delicious with a thin, authentic Italian-style crust and fresh ingredients. The service was friendly. Even though we arrived close to closing time, they were happy to accommodate us and never made us feel rushed. The restaurant was still pleasantly busy for a weekday around 8:30 PM, which says a lot and has a nice ambiance. We'd recommend it and would happily come back. read more

As an American, I was surprised to be handed silverware for pizza haha. I loved the unique pizza box design and large variety of pizza options. I selected #71 out of 80 pizzas. The crust was not too thick and the vegetables paired nicely with the balsamic vinaigrette. read more

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We have tried to come here many times before, but there seems to always be a line - so it took a snow storm on a Monday to finally pass by and see tables - so we did The Hawaiian pizza was the best medicine after climbing thru the snow today but the San Francisco calzone was the all time favorite. So split a pizza and a calzone and you can check them out if your first time here. Service was very friendly and excellent. From Dennis to the young man who brought out the food to the young woman who brought our salad And while we got a table tonight - this casual Italian pizzeria still had a good crowd for a very snowy winter Monday in Montreal! We had no room but next time have to try the Dulce de leche cake they had on dessert menu read more

The best pizza in town. Whatever you get, it will be delicious and surprisingly filling, even the salads! The service is amazing and the food never takes long to arrive. The space may seem a little crammed but the food will make you forget about it! Also, the sangria is perfect ;) read more

Il Focolaio - #27 Carré Phillips pizza with escargots and blue cheese - Pizza Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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This is my second time at this little Italian pizza place and I have only one regret, that I didn't came back earlier. The pizza here is very good. The menu have over 80 different pizza from which you can choose. You can substitute some ingredients or add extra. There's also calzoni, beer, wine, softdrinks and deserts. You can replace the cheese for no lactose bio cheese or even vegetalien cheese. The crust can be switch for a biologic whole wheat or gluten sensible (but still contain wheat/gluten). All the pizza are single person serving but can easily but shared with someone. It is thin crust style pizza baked in stone oven. This time, I took the carré Philips pizza. It is a pizza made with tomato sauce, capiccolo, pepperoni, spiced Italian sausage, ham, mushroom, mozzarella and green bell pepper. It was very good. Hit the spot perfectly for a good lunch. My friends took the suprema splitter between them. It arrived already splitter in half in each plate which is very nice. It consist of tomato sauce, smoked meat, beef salami, mushroom, mozzarella, green bell pepper and peperonni. They took it without the green bell pepper and they really like it. The service is very friendly and fast. There is an outside terrace in front of the square Phillips. read more

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We ate her twice, we are from New Jersey, so we have high pizza standards, this place did not disappoint! The staff were very friendly, one waiter was older and grumpy, the menu is very vast and the wine by the glass was very good. Quick service, we both had the margarita pizza, it was fantastic! read more

This place frequently has lineups and I understand why. They have such a wide variety of pizza's to choose from and so far, the ones I've tried, have all been excellent. They also accommodate most modifications so there is something for everyone. Generous portion, warm and fresh, with crunchy crust. Although it is busy, I find their service very fast and they are very friendly. Over lunch, it's best in the summer since they open the outside terrace so more chances to get seated quickly. Takeout is also a great option and it only takes around 15 minutes. read more

Il Focolaio - #13 - Pizza Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

Place was delicious. The pizza was great and well-cooked. The space was clean, crowded, and organized, which made for a nice tight-knit city feel. The service was perfect as our waiter was very attentive to our every need. Overall, very pleasant experience. read more

Il Focolaio - Margherita Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

I had been here multiple times with friends and colleagues - food was really good pre-pandemic! Service, however, has been very disappointing and infuriating to be honest - my most recent visit will explain why: I went last winter during lunch hour with my kids (1 month old and a 2.5 year old toddler) and mom. Since I know lunchtime is busy, I had called before hand - specifying that I have a toddler and an infant. I was told by a lady that I need not reserve because it's very likely that I will get a table if I arrive before noon. We arrived by 11h30 (opening hour) and seeing a couple of empty tables, we were looking forward to enjoying some pizza. Especially, my toddler.  But the snub we got was unforeseen and unimaginable. I felt humiliated by the guy assigning tables.  1. He arbitrarily gave me a wait time of over an hour knowing well enough that it was impossible for me to wait with a toddler and an infant.  2. He then kept on side-eyeing me with a disgusted look as if our very existence was an eyesore for him.  3. As I was explaining the situation to my mom, he interrupted and demanded that I tell him that I won't be waiting so I don't hold up the queue.  People kindly waiting in the crowd watching, helped me get in and out of the restaurant with stroller etc.  I have never been so embarrassed in my entire life. I was almost in tears by the time we left. Had to pick myself up quickly for my kids and find a place to have toddler friendly lunch. Never again are we going to this place, where they hire such toxic people. read more

Great spot to get off the street and enjoy a mid day slice of pizza. Service was super fast and I liked the interior design with the Italian car in the wall. read more

Il Focolaio - Hawaiian Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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I was recommended this restaurant by the people in my hotel for just a quick bite. I got it to go and it was really yummy especially since I was hungry. I didn't eat inside but my family did, the ambiance could improve, nothing special not bad tho. The people were nice. read more

Looking though reviews trying to find a good gluten free pizza I haven't tried yet, I stumbled upon this pizza place. Browsed through their extensive menu (77 choice of toppings) to finally pick the seafood And the mushroom pizza. Since they are very far I decided to take 2 to make the most of the experience. The driver met me at the end of their delivery limit which is about half way from my place to the restaurant. The pizza in amazing could hardly believe it was gluten free. Although they have a disclaimer on their website they do take precautions using separate utensils to cut the pizza and wash the surfaces. I am highly reactive to cross contamination i did not get sick. This is the best GF pizza i have tried yet. The service from ordering to delivery was incredible. I highly recommend this place and can hardly wait to try some more pizzas!!! 2 down, 75 to go... read more

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When it comes to food, besides maple syrup, which is ubiquitous, Montreal is famous for poutine (doesn't appeal to me), bagels (terrible), and pizza. I think this is one of the more established pizzarias in the city, they've been in operation at this location for forty years. We had lunch here. The place was bustling, but operates like a well-oiled machine. Service was friendly and fast. The menu of 77 different pizza variations is redundant, but impressive. I ordered #17, the Montreale, a 12" individual pie topped with green peppers, fresh mushrooms, pepperoni (which was more like salami), mozzarella, and tomato sauce. It was very good. Best pizza I've ever had? No, that was in Rome, but I did enjoy it very much, and eating here was fun. read more

Rachid , est très serviable et très orienté vers le client.Il nous a offert un service 5*

Huge variety in menu, we liked the spicy oil provided as a dip, had the 2) margherita 20) marinara with shrimp & clams 44) volcano calzone & extra side of snails. All are good. Calzone was somewhat spicy, warning. Busy at the time so water refill wasn't great for my party of 7. Convenient location. read more

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There were many choices of pizza and a few salad choices. The food was pretty good, the salad and pizza really went together. When we got there, there was a really long wait line so we were really excited to see the hype. Coming from Boston, the crust was good and the sauce was perfectly light. The service was amazing! They offered to separate the pizza and our salad into two plates which makes it really convenient for sharing. The ambiance was nice outside. It was a perfect day to enjoy outdoor seating. Our table was small but it was just enough for us. read more

Il Focolaio - Pizza pazza (#60) and s4 - Pizza Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

Our first time here. I enjoy good pizza . The best was in Florence ,Italy. I've had pizza throughout Italy, but Florence has been the best. I had an outstanding zucchini pizza in NYC earlier this year. We ordered the Italian salad , Zucchini pizza, and the Primavera pizza. The salad was good and large enough that the three of us were able to get our fill of it. The zucchini pizza was exceptionally good. I thought the primavera was good , however my wife like the primavera more than the zucchini. Nevertheless they both were good.. I live in California, this is my 4th trip to Montreal , but the first time we've been able to dine outside. The weather was pleasant ( mid June) . The service was pretty good, a waiter and waitress worked together to cover the outside seating. They check in with us from time to time; service was prompt. read more

With over 70 variations, there's something for everyone. They have gluten-free crust and vegan cheese. The crust is thin and crispy. A bit charred on the bottom. Spicy oil or chili flakes can be added. Across from Phillips Square, they have outdoor seating during summer. For delicious pizzas and a beautiful view, I can't wait to come again! read more

Il Focolaio - Di carciofi - Pizza Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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I had high hopes for Il Focolaio considering the restaurant's prevalence and history in Montreal (since 1984). Plus, it had a great rating and large number of reviews on Yelp. We ordered delivery. Service was good, but the pizzas, unfortunately, were just not that good. They also got one of our orders wrong. Don't get me wrong. The pizzas weren't bad. I was just expecting better. Our group, which was staying in some apartments near McGill University, wanted pizza to be delivered for dinner. I searched Yelp and Il Focolaio seemed like the best choice. They had a clean, professional-looking website with a detailed, up-to-date menu. My friends and I could easily choose what we wanted before I called in the order. Il Focolaio had nearly 80 different kinds of pizza to choose from, most priced in the $15-17 range, each (Canadian dollars). All of Il Focolaio's pizzas are "individual" size at 10-11 inches each. They have pizzas to fit various taste preferences, allergies, and dietary restrictions including ingredients like omega-3 (vegan) whole wheat pizza dough, gluten-free vegan crust, and organic lactose-free cheese. In addition, they sell calzones, salads, subs, sausage plates, and desserts. They also offer a full bar with beer, wine, and cocktails. We took advantage of their "order 3 and get the 4th one free" delivery special. For every 4 pizzas you order, the cheapest pizza of the 4 is free. We ordered on a Saturday night and there were no weekend restrictions for this special. Here's what we got (with menu numbers): 5. Sicilienne ($15.75) - sauce, ham, mushrooms, mozzarella, green peppers; this one had no mushrooms at our request 28. Peperonata (free from the buy 3, get one 1 free deal; regularly $15.50) - sauce, pepperoni, mozzarella 34. Hawaiian ($17.75, includes $2 addition for vegan cheese) - sauce, ham, pineapple, mozzarella, black olives, sub in vegan cheese; we requested no olives 68. A La Griglia ($16.50) - fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, grilled vegetables (zucchini, eggplant, onions, artichokes, mushrooms, green and red peppers), fresh garlic, Italian herbs, olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano 74. Tartufo ($16.50) - mozzarella, goat cheese, black truffles (mixed with anchovies, olives, fresh garlic, wine, corn oil), cherry tomatoes (with fresh garlic, oregano, basil, olive oil), Parmigiano-Reggiano These fives pizzas sufficed for the seven of us. My favorites were the Peperonata and Sicilienne in that order. The other pizzas were disappointing. I specifically requested no olives on the Hawaiian and our receipt confirmed this. However, they still included lots of olives on the pizza. I understand mistakes happen, but this was a pretty simple request and they messed it up. The pizza was okay otherwise. The Peperonata was standard and the Sicilienne was okay too. Il Focolaio makes everything from scratch, in house, including their dough and sauce. I liked the crust. Nice and chewy with a little bit of crispiness and a decent amount of char. The pizzas are cooked in wood-fired ovens which gave the crusts an appetizing, subtly smoky flavor. I was especially looking forward to trying the A La Griglia and Tartufo pizzas, but both let me down. The A La Griglia, which is a veggie pizza, was fine. It was just a little boring and didn't really have me craving more like a good pizza should. I did appreciate the amount and variety of vegetables, however. There were so many veggie toppings, they were falling off, left and right. The veggies were fresh too. The Tartufo sounded delicious and mouth-watering. I love truffles and anchovies, but this one had a way-too-salty and funky taste to it. The sauce just wasn't what I was expecting and, combined with the goat cheese, was not very pleasant. The Tartufo is definitely designed for certain palates and I do not recommend it for most people. Delivery was fast. On a Saturday night, I called and placed my order at 9:32pm. I received a call from the restaurant less than 30 minutes later, at 10:01pm, to let me know the driver was outside. The speed was impressive. We were staying in Milton Park (a.k.a. the McGill Ghetto). Il Focolaio is located in downtown Montreal, less than 10 blocks away, almost a straight shot down Aylmer, so it was somewhat nearby. TPS and TVQ taxes brought our total to $76.46 before tip for the driver. A reasonable price. I'd be willing to give these guys another try. Il Focolaio means fireplace in Italian. read more

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Where do I even begin? My husband and I stumbled across this place because it was our last day in Montreal and we were definitely craving pizza. I'm so glad we found this place because when I tell you this is one of the best pizzas I've ever had, I mean that! And I'm from NY, that's a big thing for a New Yorker to say (haha). They have an EXTENSIVE menu with all different kinds of toppings. I, of course opted for the simple margherita pie and it was phenomenal. It was my first meal of the day and normally I'm not a heavy eater that early, but I definitely devoured most of the pie myself! My husband opted for one of their house specials, had pepperoni, sausage & peppers. That too was so delicious! I HIGHLY recommend this place if you're in downtown Montreal. You will not be disappointed. They have a great wine menu as well! I had a house white sangria & my husband had a beer. Service was great too, our waiter was very helpful when we were choosing our pizza selections and was attentive. All in all, will def be returning. 10/10 food 10/10 service 10/10 drinks read more

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Well the gluten free crust was fine but the tomato sauce really ruined the pizza for me. I am assuming they don't make their own sauce. Nothing really special about the service or the ambiance. We started sitting outside but the bee's chased us inside. read more

Does this place get busy or what? After a 15 minute wait, four of us were seated on a busy October night. Tables are tight. Server brings an English menu as needed. Lots of pizzas to choose from. We went with Renaissance, while the other two chose Pepperoni. Pizza comes out fast. They divide it up when you share. Each of us got two pieces. Perfect. Not a place for leisurely dining. But definitely a good place for good quick pizza! read more

Il Focolaio - Pepperoni - Pizza Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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Our party house had a pizza festival at ail Focolaio tonight. We had a blast! We stood outside in a line that moved fast, and we got inside, and struggled with a menu in French. We ordered healthy salad and lots and lots of pizza. The pizzas were terrific, thin crispy crust, loads of toppings like mushrooms, spicy sausage, and pepperoni, one with arugula. They were delicious. The service was really good. The party never ends! read more

I've wanted to eat here for years now and for one reason or another it's never come to pass. If they took reservations, I'd be a regular, but given they don't ,the long lineups outside are discouraging I finally had the opportunity to sit down at 5pm on a Monday night when most of Montreal's eating establishments are dark or empty. Il Focolaio was already almost 75% full. There's obviously a good reason for that as I quickly found out. I got right down to business and ordered a Renaissance pizza with extra cheese and extra meatballs. I also asked for a caesar salad and a beer. Although the menu doesn't mention it, they make half portions of the meal sized salads. I gladly downsized to the half caesar for 7$ when the waiter offered it to me. The salad was nice are garlicky with very crunchy croutons which I'm sure are homemade. Excellent vibes so far. When the pizza came, I took a peek at the crust underneath. It was perfectly crispy and browned because they cook in a wood fired oven. I really hope restaurants that use this indispensable cooking technique are allowed to continue in the face of overzealous environmental laws. Obviously, we need to change the ways we live in order to stop doing harm to the planet. That said, our environment crisis is not due to good pizza and bagels. The impairment to the environment is beyond minimal given industrial pollution. Let us poor souls keep a few dozen wood burning ovens in this great city. How about giving out a limited number of licenses to cook with wood fire. Pizza, bagels, and Portuguese chicken are not the same without burning some wood, but I digress. The pizza was absolutely delicious. Most of their pizzas include fresh garlic which has an unmistakable and comforting taste and aroma. Mine was a bit heavy with the extra cheese and meatballs which were overkill on my part. I hadn't eaten all day and went a bit overboard with my ordering as I tend to do. The last thing I'll say is that in a city where old school family run restaurants are quickly dying off in favour of overpriced and overhyped spots, Il Focolaio is truly an oasis in downtown Montreal. The staff is friendly and fully bilingual. It's everything that's right with our city. read more

Il Focolaio - Half caesar salad - Pizza Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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Came here for dinner and saw that they serve pizzas with a gluten free crust and lactose free cheese for an added cost. This was just pizza heaven for me and they serve a gluten free beer.. everything I've been looking for this entire time! I love that everywhere in Montreal they check for your vaccination certificate before they let you dine in. read more

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My top pizza place in Montreal, without competition. The pizza is cooked to perfection in a wood fire oven. There are few pizza places in Montreal that do wood fire, and I have to say that Il focolaio does it the best. My friend and I shared our pies, and we got the danisi with extra cheese for the heavy meal, and tartufo for that extra ophmf. The tartufo became my all time favorite pizza now and I will get it everytime I go back to this restaurant. read more

Il Focolaio - Tartufo (left), Danisi (right) with extra cheese - Pizza Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

The Service was quick and food was good and tasty with a nice ambiance at the restaurant

Walk up only; no reservations accepted. Impeccable service by the staff. We were able to secure a table for 3, and were treated to an amazing meal. The Italian salad to start was lights out! That was followed by 3 amazing pizza offering: we chose the Greek, Smoked salmon, and Arugula. They were all excellent! read more

I don't usually like to go to places I can at home on vacation. Theirs a million pizza joints in Southern California. But this place was close and had great reviews so tried it. First the service here is exceptional. Our server was knowledgeable, quick and gave great recommendations. The menu has almost a hundred pizza choices on it. But they're all probably delicious as their made in a brick oven. The ambiance on the street was nice. With views of statues and monuments. An absolute winner. You can't go wrong for the service and quality of food. read more

Il Focolaio - Some of their delicious pizza made in a brick oven. - Pizza Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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I was able to squeeze in Il Focolaio on their last night for 2020 and so glad I did. Despite the fact that my last experience wasn't as expected, this time around it definitely met my expectations. I indulged in their Phillip Square and Tartufo pizza along with their Italian salad. Pizzas were so different yet extremely tasty and satisfying without that heavy feeling. One was like an all-dressed with a variety of meats and the other more cheesy drizzled with black truffle. No wonder they are listed as their most popular pizzas. As for the Italian salad, it was fresh just like a summer day. Perfect mix to accompany the meal. Staff was extremely kind and helpful. If you're craving pizza and in the area, drop by! read more

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Really good food! Be prepared to wait, the line can be long and no reservations taken. But definitely worth it!

Magnificent! We had it to go. Best pizza. Can't say anything about service but it is a nice place to eat. Looks cozy. Next time.

Vegan pizza alert! Although many reviews for Il Focolaio from the past reflect on vegan options, most also mention that your option is to leave off cheese and/or order a tofu pizza. I'm happy to report that vegan cheese is in fact available here and it's sinfully divine (you wanna hate yourself but don't). Don't get me wrong. Tofu pizza is cool and all but when you are surrounded by pie upon glorious pie, Neapolitan style, thin crust "wet" pies (sauce *and* cheese), you kinda want... cheese. Have you had vegan cheese these days? Suffering plastic textures and stringy goopy flavorless messes are a distant memory. Il Focolaio's may (?) be made in house because I don't recognize it, unless it's a Canadian commercial brand that isn't available in the states. It's not Daiya (most commonly found in pizzerias these days). It's very similar to Miyoko's fine cashew VeganMozz in fact, super creamy and so good that it feels bad. The Il Carciofi has just the right amount of toppings (my favorite on pizza: mushrooms, artichokes and black olives). I had ordered up the whole grain Omega 3 vegan crust. While it was tasty, I would have much preferred a typical crust made with white flour (I'm a traditionalist). I'm not sure if that crust is vegan, however, as only the gluten free and Omega 3 crust was marked as vegan. Can I mention, too, that our waitress was awesome? I feel like she might have been an owner or connected to the business in some way, because she genuinely was interested in my opinion of the vegan pizza. Blonde, super sweet lady, worked the insanely packed and loud room like a pro. They had run out of wine glasses and she was kind enough to come over to me and promise that my wine was on the way. Typically in packed situations like this, you're going to be ignored, especially seeing as we were at the end of a long row of people. And man, do people love this place (with good reason). It was too hot, crowded and loud as can be (hot because of the open kitchen and beautifully displayed pizza oven, but I'm also not sure the AC was working). A date place, this isn't. Also not sure how larger people would ever be able to navigate to tables along the wall. I note all of this because atmosphere is pretty important to me and I think I'd be more inclined to take out from here (proof of how good the pizza is, as I rarely do takeout). The menu is impressive. So. Many. Varieties. So little stomach capacity. Had my crust been traditional, I would rate the Di Carciofi pizza in my top five vegan pizza experiences, along with Pauly Gee's in Greenpoint and Da Michele in Naples. read more

Il Focolaio - Vegan Di carciofi - Pizza Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

Before anything - the dulce de leche cheesecake...Get it. Make room. Share it whatever, don't miss the opportunity. There are over 70 pizzas! Also salads, calzones, and more. Pizzas are wood oven and each person gets an individual pizza. If you're sharing a pizza and salad they will split both (half salad, half pizza) on a plate already for you - thoughtful! Wines are great- I suggest the chianti reserve. Bathrooms downstairs. 2 stalls in each. Entire restaurant clean. Service friendly and fast! No mistakes with a large group and very pleasant. read more

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Maybe it was an off day but my experience here was not like the good reviews. We ordered the Montreale and Tartufo pizzas, both were starred as some of their best sellers and both were extremely underwhelming. I love truffle and all of the components on the Tartufo so was excited to try this... unfortunately the pizza was extremely cheesy with a funky overpowering truffle flavor that masked everything else. There was no subtlety or nuance to this pizza and I wouldn't order it again. The Montreale was also covered in a thick layer of cheese and in general lacked flavor. Maybe we just ordered poorly but again these were popular items so I'm a bit confused by our experience. The crust was fine, the wood fire cooking is a nice touch. We also had good drinks and service was friendly. Personally I wouldn't return here but at minimum I would suggest ordering pizzas with reduced cheese... read more

I might have had too high expectations, after seeing all the positive feedback for this place. We went there for a birthday and left happy and full. But not overall too impressed. The place was super busy, which resulted in a rather long waiting time before ordering, and to get the bill. The server was very cordial and attentive though. We browsed the dizzying menu before settling for the Sotto Mare and Alle Verdure pizzas. The pizzas were quite good! The crust was my favorite part: it was thin and crisp, but retained a great softness/chewyness at the same time. Both the dough and the cheese had great flavor. But the seafood toppings were rather ordinary, and seemed to come from those frozen seafood mixes. We also felt that the vegetables on the Alle Verdure could have been cooked a tiny bit more. A good place :) read more

Il Focolaio - Sotto Mare - Pizza Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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