Looking for some Italian comfort food worthy of a nonna’s home cooking? Marcella is a charming new Italian diner in Old Montreal at the corner of Saint Francois Xavier and Saint Paul streets. Open every day for lunch and dinner, locals and tourists can enjoy Italian-style pasta, such as the classic carbonara dish, in a cozy atmosphere.
Dinette Marcella is described as a charming intimate Italian spot in Old Montreal with a warm cozy atmosphere and a touch of old world charm that makes it suitable for date nights or casual dinners. Reviews praise fresh, flavorful pasta, gnocchi and tortellini, bruschetta and arancini, burrata and focaccia, along with a strong wine list and craft cocktails, with many calling the food excellent and among the best Italian in the area, though a few dishes are noted as too salty, not hot enough, or lacking seasoning and some visits feel rushed or louder than desired due to crowds. The service is frequently described as attentive friendly and knowledgeable, making guests feel welcome, but pace can vary on busy nights and timing can be inconsistent. Reservations are advised because the space is compact and the ambiance can be loud, especially at peak hours, yet the overall sentiment remains highly positive with many expressing plans to return. All in all, Dinette Marcella is regarded as one of the top Italian spots in Montreal by many reviewers.
Tried Dinette Marcella for the first time. Absolutely recommend the meatballs & the bruschetta!! Great cocktails too! Above all loved the service, Melissa was amazing! 10/10 will recommend.
Fantastic food, service & atmosphere. Shout out to Michael, Fred, Max & Louie for taking such great care of me!! I am already looking forward to my return visit. The food is so fresh & tasty. I had one of the best Caesar salads ever & followed that with the Icelandic cod special that was over the top delicious! Sincere thanks to the entire Marcella team!!
Was visiting Montreal for a bachelorette & we had the pleasure of being served by Sandy! She was so lovely, had excellent knowledge of everything on the menu & was a fun addition to our night!!
Such a cute restaurant! The food was amazing, & the vibe is so cozy. Our server Sandy was the absolute best! She was so attentive & helpful. Everyone is so sweet!! Definitely recommend (:
Un superbe restaurant italien ! Un charme authentique, une cuisine de qualité remplie de saveurs & un service chaleureux ! Essayez l'arancino & le tiramisu en dessert vous ne serez pas déçu ! À très vite !
What a great spot! The staff were fantastic & very sweet. The food was excellent - highly recommend the tuna credo - it was amazing! Great small intimate restaurant with an incredible vibe!
This place is phenomenal I absolutely loved the ambiance & overall scenery of the restaurant on first glance. We came pretty late as they were near closing, but they were still very attentive in getting us our food & the waiter was very kind & helpful. I ordered the Cavatelli Alla Pesto & the pasta was perfectly cooked & I loved the balance of the crispy pine nuts & the tomatoes added so much flavor. I also got the focaccia which was delicious as well. I will definitely be back next time I'm in Canada!
Mar 20, 2026
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So glad we stopped by for a quick bite while in the city. It was delicious. The staff was great! & they seemed to tolerate my daughter's unique pasta eating style.
Came here for lunch & was in a bit of a rush. The waitress took our order promptly & we had asked for everything to come out as it's cooked so we didn't waste time.
I swear we ate within 15mins of seating, the food was so fresh, delicious & well prepared.
The app we ordered was the calamari, which I feel is always a good option, not too heavy & not too oily.
We ordered the rosé tortellini stuffed with Italian sausage & ricotta, which I believe has a slice of smoked caciocavallo on the top as a garnish, a tasty combination for sure! My fav dish, would come back just for this.
The other main we ordered was the carbonara, added some freshly grated Parmesan on top & it was perfect, maybe a bit too much on our end haha but always a great dish.
Lastly was the tiramisu, which we saw was prepared on a massive sheet pan & divided up for guests. This one in particular, had chocolate chips on top which I've never had, wasn't too bad but could do without haha.
We came here during the week around lunch & it was not busy, definitely nice if you're visiting or have a day off.
We had a reservation at the bar as there were no tables left within 90 minutes of our preferred time. Unfortunately, our seats were the two directly in front of the bartender & it wasn't ideal. Our server had to talk to us from the side since he couldn't stand in front & the bartender was busy so it was constant drinks being prepared right in front of us. Our bottle of water (that the waiter placed down) was apparently in the bartender's way so he moved it directly between our two plates? It was all just a bit weird & awkward. I would recommend the restaurant not make those two seats a place for eating. There were lots of other seats at the bar which looked fine, just these two kinda spoil the atmosphere. Food was good, the Bailey's pudding for dessert was yummy.
