Balboa in Old Montreal offers Italian fare anchored by wood-fired pizzas with a standout organic sourdough crust, complemented by pasta, antipasti, and desserts that many reviews call delicious. The ambiance is repeatedly described as beautiful and inviting, providing a lively yet intimate backdrop for casual nights out or dates. Service is praised for being attentive and friendly, and the cocktails and wine list receive positive mentions, though several visits note slow or inconsistent service and long waits for drinks or dishes at busy times. The pizza is often the star, with reviewers praising the crust and toppings as among the best in town, while a few say the price is high for the value and some pizzas do not rise above the ordinary. Dishes such as fungi pasta and arancini are highlighted as excellent, whereas some patrons found the bolognese or certain plates underwhelming. Overall the place is seen as a stylish and reliable destination in the area that delivers strong pizza and atmosphere, with many diners planning to return to try more of the menu.
Franchement l'Italie de Montréal avec le meilleur rapport qualité prix service!
Nourriture vraiment excellente! Tout était très bon! Le menu est créatif & classique!
Service vraiment excellent! Notre serveuse était sympathique & extrêmement attentionnée! Le décor est très beau! Un sans faute!
Delicious food the service was great our waiter was attentive & very friendly answering all our questions the restaurant itself was so fun with great decorations & atmosphere & the pizza was some of the best I've had with a homemade sourdough crust & tasty toppings & the rest of my party said the pasta & drinks were also very good quality.
Feb 6, 2026
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Balboa Montreal Review: Great Vibes, Amazing Service...but is the pizza worth the Old Montreal price tag?
Old Montreal is buzzing, & Balboa is the hot new spot everyone's talking about! As a self-proclaimed foodie, I had to check out this June 2025 opening, especially after hearing whispers it has the'best pizza in town.'
The short version? It's gorgeous, the service is flawless, but my wallet is still crying. Here's the breakdown.
The Vibe & Service: 10/10
From the moment you walk in, the place is a stunner. Located right in the heart of tourist-central Old Montreal, Balboa delivers on ambiance. The decor is absolutely beautiful so think exposed brick, warm wood beams, & chic, twinkling lights. It felt festive & intimate, perfect for a Saturday night dinner with friends.
The service was truly the standout of the evening. Our server was amazing, attentive, & incredibly friendly. They made the entire experience feel special, & I genuinely cannot fault the staff at all.
The Food & Value:
We booked a table for four people & started with the pepperoni pizza & a fresh caprese salad (which was delicious, as you can see!).
The wood-fired pizza itself (the one I was told was the best in town) was good. It had a great crust with those nice, charred bubbles & quality toppings. However, was it'the best pizza in town'? Honestly, no. It was solid, but didn't blow me away.
& here's where my'underwhelmed' feeling comes in: the price. Being charged $25 for a pepperoni pizza & $20 for an average cocktail (hello, Espresso Martini!) feels excessive, even for a prime tourist location. The prices definitely reflect the location & the stunning fit-out more than the culinary execution.
Bottom Line: You're paying a premium for the stunning atmosphere, the phenomenal service, & the Old Montreal postcode. If you're looking for mind-blowing pizza value, you might want to look elsewhere. If you're looking for a guaranteed beautiful night out with perfect service, this is it!
Really nice decor, service is impecable, staff was friendly, food was on point. Wood fire to steal my heart. Pasta al dente! Cocktails were amazing. Highly recomend this experience. Cant wait to go again & try something new-- im sure will be delish.
Decor , music , atmospere, ambiance: very much in line with high end pizza resto.
Pizza very very good in fact , exceptional & generous.
The crust is perfect.
The prices are in line with the quality of food & ingredients.
Wish they offered an all dressed pizza on the menu like 90% of pizza restos offer.
Reception & service worth mentioning.
Particularly the gracious & smiling Mathilde who took great care of me & made me laugh on an off day for me.
Merci Mathilde:)
Wow..Im a pizza snob & this was great!! Wood fired crust to perfection. Our guide through the menu was David-Lee …Great job. Loved the decor & authentic Italy pizzas offered.
Très bel endroit dans le vieux Montréal. Parfait pour un repas entre amis ou en famille. Le décor & l'ambiance sont très agréables. Les pizzas sont bonnes mais pas excellente. Le service que nous avons reçu était bon mais manquait d'attention & de professionnalisme. Le prix étaient correct relativement à la qualité de la nourriture & du service.
Appelés par les avis positifs nous nous sommes rendus dans cette nouvelle pizzeria à proximité du vieux port. Je dois dire que nous avons été vraiment déçus. Je commence tout de même par les points positifs :
- le nom de la pizzeria est cool & original
- la décoration est vraiment belle
- les serveurs sont tous excellents
- les toilettes réservent une surprise amusante
- l'emplacement est super
Mais est ce que tout cela suffit ? Malheureusement non puisque le gout n'est pas totalement au rendez vous. La margherita est loin d'être mauvaise je dirais même qu'elle est plutôt bonne bien que loin d'être excellente. La pizza aux champignons est quant à elle très fade, pas mauvaise encore une fois mais pas assez explosive, peu goutu en somme. Cela pourrait convenir si le prix n'était pas élevé mais alors voilà la somme déboursée : 71$ dollar (après taxe & pourboire) pour ces deux pizza & un coke. 71$ !!! pour des pizza moyennes. Avec 71$ nous pouvons faire tellement d'autres choses que manger deux pizza moyenne.
Alors pour éviter cette déception il faut vite penser à baisser les prix ou faire les meilleures pizza en ville.
Jul 11, 2025
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Recently opened in mid May & needed work at that time, but may have sorted things out. Professionally decorated but somehow cold & confused decor. Wait staff attentive to the point of brisk, though there were few customers to serve at the time. Very short menu of standard, uninteresting'Italian' dishes. Stingy wine servings. Prices somewhat high for food this ordinary, which is not surprising in a high tourist area. Gnocchi was cool, stodgy & bland. Pizza was good.
