Dinette Marcella specializes in the preparation of artisanal Italian pasta dishes that prioritize traditional techniques and high-quality raw ingredients. Each plate features house-made noodles paired with balanced, classic sauces that reflect a commitment to regional culinary heritage. The kitchen maintains a focus on consistency, ensuring that each portion adheres to specific flavor profiles rooted in authentic Mediterranean traditions. A compact, functional dining area supports the delivery of these fresh, starch-forward meals to patrons seeking substantial and direct nourishment. The menu relies on the simplicity of high-grade durum wheat and carefully sourced accompaniments to define the character of the establishment. This focus on fundamental Italian staples creates a direct, no-nonsense approach to service that emphasizes the quality of the primary ingredients in every prepared dish.
Dinette Marcella is a widely celebrated Italian destination in Old Montreal, consistently praised for its warm, cozy atmosphere, authentic decor, and high-quality cuisine. Many visitors highlight the exceptional pasta dishes, standout arancini, and fresh salads as menu highlights, often pairing them with expertly crafted cocktails. While the service is frequently described as attentive, professional, and welcoming, contributing to a memorable dining experience for many, some guests have noted occasional inconsistencies regarding portion sizes, noise levels, and pacing during peak hours. Despite these varied experiences, the majority of patrons highly recommend this restaurant for its unique energy and professional hospitality, making it a frequently revisited favorite for special occasions and casual dining alike.
Everything was good, till the pasta came out. CARBONARA came out . The pasta was cooked in unsalted water. The Guanciale was burned ,so the pasta tasted bitter. It was not the correct way of making this dish. $200 for 2 drinks 2 antipasti. BRUSCHETTA is just tomatoes & olive oil & basil. You guys throw everything on top of yours. & 2 plates of pasta. Its pasta very cheap to make.
An amazing dinner! Vasili was excellent with a great sense of humor & paced our meal perfectly. We had the tuna crudo & it was fabulous. Next up was an order of meatballs that melted in your mouth. We also shared the carbonara, which was so fresh. Drinks were delicious as well. Went with the pistachio espresso martini for dessert. A fantastic experience & if visiting again, I would definitely return.
Stopped in today for lunch as I was craving carbonara & I wasn't disappointed! Really cute spot right in the Old Port that was warm & welcoming. The service was excellent & the carbonara was fantastic. Perfectly portioned, too-especially because I was looking for something small.
Jul 4, 2026
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The service at Marcella was disappointing from the moment we walked in. We had to wait 5 minutes just for a server to show up & seat us. While our appetizer salad did arrive quickly after ordering, everything fell apart afterward. We waited 45 minutes for our mains (Carbonara di Spaghettini & Ravioli Cacio e Pepe) while watching every other table around us get served.
When we finally had to flag someone down to ask about our food, the plates were brought out immediately, but the quality was shockingly bad. The $31 Ravioli was totally average, 6-7 pieces, bland nothing out of regular, but the Carbonara was unacceptable. It arrived cold & completely tasteless. Instead of a proper emulsion of egg, guanciale, & pecorino romano, they lazily dropped a raw egg yolk on top to make it look'fancy.' Anyone who knows Italian food knows that is not a real carbonara.
To their credit, when we complained, they offered to change the plate & removed the carbonara from the bill. However, we still ended up paying $92 CAD for just two drinks, one salad, & one mediocre pasta dish. For a well-located restaurant at this price point, the food & kitchen management need to be vastly better. Very disappointed.
Very crowded & packed, we kept bumping into other people & tables no matter where we sat. we were a big group but even walking in between for staff was very close.
The food took a while, a moderate wait time.
The aesthetic of the place is truly beautiful to look at, & dim lighting , though not great for taking food pictures.
I got the tortellini, totally recommend! The waiter was very kind & generous with the cheese.
The pesto was a little too sour & salty.
The burrata was lovely, as well as the carbonara.
Very cozy restaurant with friendly staff & a good variety of mixed drinks.
Unfortunately I'll have to give it 3 star on the food. The appetizers were very good. I can't complain about them.
But I ordered the NY 14oz steak medium rare, & when it came it was more medium then rare. Parts of it tasted burnt. It wasnt very enjoyable.
My wife got the carbonara, that looked like a good portion, but seemed light on pancetta & tasted like al dente pasta mixed with plain egg yolk. Very underwhelming.
We left without trying a dessert, which is rare for us.
On a adoré la burrata en entrée & le plat de pâtes au boeuf braisé en repas principal. Par contre, le carbonara était composé seulement des jaunes d'oeufs complètement cru & de pancetta. Pas de parmesan ni d'eau de cuisson pour faire la belle sauce traditionnelle carbonara, donc on a été malade :(
Very charming restaurant with great decor. Service was good. I had the carbonara & my wife had one of the specials which was a cacio e pepe dish. Unfortunately, the cacio e pepe was inedible as it was extremely salty. The Carbonara looked beautiful, but ended up being a bit underwhelming on taste.
Another note is to balance out the portion sizes. My carbonara was more than enough, but the cacio e pepe was way too little.
Overall, I believe this is a great spot, but the dishes weren't to our likeing.
C'est notre restaurant préférée pour touyes les occasions à célébrer 😍
Nous avons pris comme entrée la burrata & tomates en plat la carbonara & en dessert le tiramisu à partager !
On s'est régalé !
