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 se présente comme une adresse italienne chaleureuse et intime au cœur du vieux Montréal, où une ambiance cosy, un décor élégant et un service attentif soutiennent des plats riches en saveurs et en fraîcheur. La cuisine est globalement saluée pour son authenticité et ses textures soignées, avec des gnocchi, tortellini et ravioli souvent loués pour leur cuisson, et des antipasti comme bruschetta et arancini qui reviennent comme des incontournables; burrata et tiramisu ou cannoli reçoivent aussi des eloges, même si certains plats manquent parfois d'assaisonnement ou paraissent un peu chers. Le cadre est prisé pour des repas romantiques, entre amis ou des occasions festives, mais le volume sonore peut être élevé lors des soirs bondés et quelques plats peuvent arriver tièdes ou trop salés. Le service est décrit comme chaleureux et efficace, avec une attention constante même en salle comble, tandis que la carte des vins et les cocktails font souvent leurs preuves et les desserts renforcent l impression positive. Réservations recommandées; globalement, c est une expérience italienne qui se distingue à Montréal, malgré quelques bémols sur l acoustique, le chauffage et le rapport qualité prix.
First time in Montreal & came across this Italian restaurant, they allowed us to walk-in & gave us window seats. Unfortunately we had to split our group into two. Pasta (I had the Gnocchi Bolognese) was great, saucy & a good portion size. I was stuffed. There were a variety of appetizers, we order Calamari & Tuna Crudo, both fresh & enjoyable. I would recommend this place & hopefully come again whenever I visit Montreal.
31 janv. 2026
sur Google
🍽️
Sachez où manger à Montréal avant tout le monde.
Découvrez en primeur les ouvertures les plus branchées, des menus secrets et les coups de cœur de RestoMontreal.ca. Rejoignez plus de 50 000 foodies.
Food was absolutely amazing & reasonably priced.
Staff was super friendly & attentive & service from the bar & kitchen was very quick.
It was my partner & I's first time visiting & without a doubt we'll be back next time we're in the city!
A great place/atmosphere with even greater food. 10/10 on everything . One of the best Italian restaurants we've ever been. Keep up the good work guys.
I was on a trip with my friends & we were extremely excited to spend our last night in Montreal at this restaurant. We called them at 11:50AM to get a reservation where the phone said that they had availability at 5, 5:30, & 9PM. We made a reservation at 9PM for a table of eight. After we hung up, I received a text at 11:58AM to complete the reservation & send an email with all the required information. This email was sent at 12:01PM & we had no further contact with the restaurant. At 8:50 PM, we showed up to our reservation & were turned away because a confirmation email was not received. This confirmation email was not mentioned in the phone call & we were extremely disappointed. The staff was not able to do anything although we had done everything on our part & said that we made the mistake of not getting the confirmation email. Overall, terrible service & I would not suggest coming here.
We shared a beautiful bottle of Chianti & bruschetta that was incredible. Sitting at the bar we had the most amazing service & experience with the bartender Michael. He is authentic as is this gorgeous, quaint little restaurant that we happened to stumble upon as a tourist in Old town. Thank you Michael for your recommendations.
24 janv. 2026
sur Google
🍽️
Sachez où manger à Montréal avant tout le monde.
Découvrez en primeur les ouvertures les plus branchées, des menus secrets et les coups de cœur de RestoMontreal.ca. Rejoignez plus de 50 000 foodies.
The restaurant is nice but the food is TERRIBLE & overpriced for what you get. 1000% tourist trap. Anyone on here taking about it being as good as pasta in Italy is lying. Also the waitress was super bizarre. They also never answer their phone. Skip it. We went to Garage Beirut - HUGE DIFFERENCE. Skip this place & go there instead.
Edit response to the owner: I was being restrained in my original review. To be specific: our server ignored us for long stretches, took an unusually long time to take our order, made no effort to engage, & was unhelpful when we asked basic questions about the menu. That is not standard or acceptable service, which is why I described the experience as bizarre.
What's more concerning is the defensiveness in your response. When a customer shares a negative experience, professionalism looks like curiosity & accountability, not dismissal. Suggesting that a bad review must be dishonest simply because others enjoyed their visit says more about how feedback is handled than about the feedback itself.
I had a poor experience & shared it. Readers can draw their own conclusions.
I visited this local pasta restaurant as a walk-in & was seated at the bar, which was much appreciated as a solo traveler. Not needing a reservation & still being accommodated made the experience feel welcoming & relaxed.
The food was absolutely delicious, with very generous portions, I left feeling extremely satisfied. The service was attentive & friendly throughout. A great spot with excellent pasta & a comfortable atmosphere, I would definitely recommend it to groups & solo travelers alike.
Absolutely loved this restaurant. Arrived around 5pm on a Saturday night & was able to get a table immediately. Got the buratta & the tortellini & a side of focaccia bread & it was all amazing! Best Italian I have had in a really long time. The server was also great as they never let your water lower than halfway in your glass. If I'm ever back in Montreal I will definitely come here again.
Cute spot for lunch on a Friday & was my 1st time here. The decor brings Old Montreal to life & the service was very professional, but also warm & friendly.
I had the Tuna Crudo, a green salad & focaccia. Very delicious & the leftover focaccia had to come home with me, it was that good. My companion had a Caesar salad & arancini, which was served in a creamy, truffle-y, garlicky sauce that was oh so delicious.
Shout out also to the coffee cherry martini.... really enjoyed that :)
17 janv. 2026
sur Google
🍽️
Sachez où manger à Montréal avant tout le monde.
Découvrez en primeur les ouvertures les plus branchées, des menus secrets et les coups de cœur de RestoMontreal.ca. Rejoignez plus de 50 000 foodies.
Notre première soirée à Montréal ce fut littéralement magique l accueil le service mais surtout les plats … nous étions 7 & tous le monde étais enchanté. Nous avons promis de faire la dernière soirée ici … merci a clément de nous avoir aussi bien reçu & conseille
Amazing spot. Both dinners we ordered gluten free & were fantastic. I loved the cannolis! Michael was a great bartender & very knowledgeable. Highly recommend & will be back!
Food was solid. Great portions, reasonably priced & tasty all around. Had a Cesar salad & tortellini. Caesar was garlicky like it should be. Tortellini was really nice. It's a smallish restaurant with plenty of bar seating & was incredibly busy for a Thursday night. It does get a little loud. Nitpick: bartender uses his hands on occasion to put ice in drinks.
La déco est magnifique, on se sent très bien dans ce restaurant, l'endroit est assez petit mais pas du tout bruyant malgré la présence de nombreux jeunes enfants quand on y est allé. La nourriture & les cocktails sont très bons, les prix sont similaires aux autres restos du quartier.
Par contre notre serveuse n'était pas super souriante ou aimable c'est un peu dommage. Mais le serveur français était très sympa par contre!
I ate at this place a year & a half ago & I am still thinking about it. Just put it down as one of our most memorable meals on our wedding website tidbits :)
