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.
We recently celebrated my spouse Dom's 41st birthday at Marcella, & it was an unforgettable experience. From the moment we arrived, Fred, the manager, & our wonderful waitress Steph made us feel completely at home. Fred went above & beyond by playing Blues music for us & even gifting Dom a glass of his favorite scotch. He checked on us multiple times, ensuring we were enjoying every moment. The ambience at Marcella is always vibrant, with the restaurant full of great vibes that make you feel right at home. Their cocktail & wine list is impressive, adding the perfect touch to an already fantastic dining experience. The food was phenomenal! We highly recommend the Caesar salad, burrata, calamari, bruschetta for appetizers. Cavatelli alla pesto, Agnolotti cacio e pepe, pasta carbonara, lobster raviolis. & for dessert - you truly can't go wrong with any choice; they were all delicious. If you're looking for a warm, welcoming place with incredible food, drinks, & service that feels like family, Marcella is it. We'll definitely be back!
Our meal was delicious, our drinks were excellent, & the service was outstanding. As with most good restaurants in Montreal's old district, Dinette Marcella can get very busy & noisy. For the best experience, make reservations for an early seating.
Booked a reservation for the bar top & ended up literally right infront of the bar mat & bartender. It was a bit awkward as the bartender on duty was training & kept receiving constructive feedback regarding his drink preparation. With a Birds Eye view of our drinks being made, unfortunately I saw short pours happening. The manager was there in the background supporting & serving behind the bar (Andrew I think) & he was lovely. He made amazing cocktails so we asked him to make ours & saw he never short poured. He provided great hospitality, made amazing cocktails & knew what he was doing. The spot right in front of the bar is NOT where you want to sit. It ruined the experience due to over hearing all the chatter from the servers & bartenders. Although we were directly in front of them, our glasses remained empty for 10+ mins & were not offered another drink, so, that was a bit disappointing as we would have ordered more. The food was quick & delicious. The Caesar salad was one of the best, pastas were cooked perfectly & great portions & the tiramisu was lovely . Food 5/5 Overall great experience but would have had a different result at a table or a different spot at the bar.
Dinette Marcella was as great as I remembered it the first time I went. It's a beautiful, calm atmosphere with great service, drinks & food. The mozzarella sticks are top tier. Everything about this place is great. The menu is a bit small but everything is delicious.
Nous avons eu une très belle expérience pour un souper en famille. Michael (notre serveur) a été fantastique. Enthousiaste, attentionné, il a même apporté un petit gâteau à ma fille de 14 ans dont on soulignait l'anniversaire. Les drinks sont exquis, la nourriture délicieuse, dans une ambiance festive. Nous y retournerons c'est certain!
Aug 25, 2024
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
We loved dining at Marcella! Our waitress was so nice & provided excellent drink recommendations. We had to wait awhile for our focaccia due to a mix up & they offered us a complimentary drink which was amazing. We had the truffle gnocchi & the tortellini & both were great.
Visited it recently. Ambience is good, though we were there in July on a hot day & there was no AC so by the end of the meal we were sweating:(. Drinks/cocktails were really good. We had three apps & four pasta dishes, they were good but nothing exceptional & rather small portions size for the price. What I did not like, that for an Italian restaurant, we had to pay separately for bread! Server was enthusiastic, but overall service could be better - we did not get our drinks till we were half way through our appetizers. Overall bill was slightly on the high side including the "tourist trap" premium.
Malo was an exceptional waiter. The noise level was a little too high for our pleasure. The food was great- spaghetti carbonara was great. Drinks- wine selection was just ok.
Jul 27, 2024
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
The place is really cute, beautiful aesthetic & atmosphere. My niece & I had mocktails which were not very good, but drinkable (very sour). The seafood pasta was supposed to be in a lobster bisque sauce, but it was only a tomato sauce that only tasted like tomatoes. The pasta carbona was salty & tasteless.
Absolutely fantastic service, our server Megane was absolutely wonderful! Myself & my family had a wonderful evening with delicious meals & drinks, I would recommend that anyone in the Montreal area or visiting come & dine here!!
This is my all-time favorite Italian restaurant as of yesterday. I'm not exaggerating when I say this is the best carbonara I've ever had in my life. It was generous with pancetta, perfectly balanced, creamy & salty & topped with an egg yolk. Just divine. We also ordered the cacio e pepe which was also insanely good. The sauce was really good & the pasta was pillowy & stuffed with cheese. They offer a great selection of mocktails which I enjoy (I got the strawberry one, can't remember name) & my husband got a drink they light on fire. We didn't have to wait but we got there late on a weekday. The service is so fast. The restaurant is very romantic & charming, great for a date night!
Jul 2, 2024
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
Very good vibe. Amazing food & drinks. Friendly staff. Our server/bartender, Jay, even gave us some great tips for cool bars in the area. We liked it so much we went twice during our 4 day trip!
