Elena is widely praised for authentic Italian cooking with wood fired dough, standout pizzas, and salads, and pastas such as mafalda al ragù and ragu are frequently noted as well executed; the vibe is described as chic, intimate, and lively with attentive service and a strong wine list, making it a popular spot for date nights, groups, and terrace seating when available. Some visits are described as exceptional with friendly staff and reliable recommendations, while others note inconsistencies such as pizzas arriving burnt or cold, portions that feel small for the price, long waits, and billing miscommunications. Reservations can be tight and seating at the bar or in busy times may be required; the atmosphere can be loud but the overall opinion is that Elena remains one of the top pizza and pasta destinations in Montreal, offering a reliable and memorable experience for many, though not without occasional misses.
We love this place, it's one of the few places we take out of towners when they come to the city. When it's busy, It's very noisy, but otherwise it's a great place to chat & eat with friends.
They always have an alternative or two on the menu that's tasty - but the pizza is why we go. You can get a spicy honey/ pepperoni pizza anywhere in town so don't sleep on the other options. They're the best ones! Big fan
Mar 17, 2026
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2026: nice olives & bread to start, but would be nice if olive oil had a little balsamic. The suppli Al telefono were better than typical arancini. Funguy pizza was overflowing with mushrooms. The lamb pasta was delicious. Tiramisu tres leches was perfect, best of both desserts. My friend enjoyed her chocolate cannolis.
Service was friendly. Suggested wine was great. Été something. Lighting could still be better, it felt dark rather than intimate. Maybe some fake candles?
2024: The Dany pizza was delicious & creative with the sesame spinach honey combo, but I didn't like how wet it was, like all the toppings just slide off as soon as you lift it up.
The Gigi pasta was a interesting bitter mix of flavours with the fennel & arugula, but there was barely any sausage in it.
Olive oil cake was nice but pretty dry compared to other olive cakes I've had. I know the cream+olive oil is there to compensate but it's not the same.
Cannolis were delicious & well presented, available without the pistachios if you have an allergy.
The Barbossa is a smooth young red wine accompaniment
Service was very attentive & efficient. Glasses were never empty. Decor was typical modern industrial. If there was music, it wasn't memorable.
Pizza is excellent as always! However the service was inattentive: our server came by only a few times. More importantly we asked for our leftover slices to be boxed up & they never gave us our pizza! I was looking forward to that but they clearly were trying to turn the table once we paid. That's so bizarre & rude!
Reserved a seat for a small group a week in advance, only to be placed at the bar table right by the entrance door. The pizzas were pretty mediocre, burnt (not leoparding, just burnt & bitter) & the crust was dense & lacked air pockets, I'm quite sure the entire batch was under-proofed that day.
Mar 3, 2026
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Recommandé par des amis habitant dans le quartier, je suis allé en famille un soir de semaine visité l'établissement. Il est discret, j'ai dû regarder deux fois pour être sur que j'étais au bon endroit. On est en semaine, il est encore tôt, quelques clients occupent déjà la salle & à entre leur conversation avec les serveuses, je comprend qu'il y a quelques habitués & des touristes de passage. Le décor a du cachet, élégant, chic en plus d'être lumineux. L'accueil est courtois, le service attentionné. La carte est sobre, entrées, salades, pizzas, pâtes & desserts. La carte des vins & boissons alcoolisées est beaucoup plus fourni, c'est l'endroit idéal pour boire un verre entre amis, collègues & profiter de leur terrasse. Personnellement, j'ai pris la Mozza di bufala, épinards, miel épicé & sésame. J'ai adoré ! La pâte est à la fois tendre, croquante, un peu brûlé (on aime ça). Les pates valent le détour aussi. Les portions sont généreuses, je n'ai pas pris d'entrée, ni de dessert. Il va falloir revenir pour visiter à nouveau la carte !
I really enjoyed the Kale Ceasar Salad & the margarita pizza as well as the ragu pasta. The diavolo pizza I was disappointed by. The pastas are well executed!
ORIGINAL REVIEW: Although most people seem to go for the pizza, I go for the salads. Always fresh, well composed & delicious. They may look like a medium sized salad, but trust me there's a lot in that bowl. Only attempt to eat one yourself if you're super hungry.
UPDATE: The loss of the back terrasse is sad. It was so much more pleasant than sitting in a terrasse in a reclaimed parking spot right next to Notre Dame St. Traffic.
The white shop towels are sure to cover any dark clothing with a pile of white lint balls.
What was a great kale Caesar now has an overly sharp dressing with way too much vinegar.
Waiting 45 minutes for a pizza on a Tuesday night just after 5:00 in an empty restaurant is an unacceptable attempt to run a bar bill.
Nous étions deux, assis au bar. Nous avons été pris en charge rapidement par le barman & notre serveur. Leur service était irréprochable.
Côté repas, tous étaient excellents. Arancini & polpettes en entrée, suivi d'une pizza style napolitaine & d'un plat de pâtes fraîches maison savoureux. Mention spéciale pour le gelato, qui était d'une onctuosité comme je n'en avais jamais gouté.
10/10 atmosphere & food!
The sourdough & kale caesar are unbeatable for kicking off a meal, & we had fun discovering some new wines. The Margherita, Dany, & Passion Patate pizzas were all incredible. Perfect'pizza night' way beyond typical.
I really wanted to like Elena, especially after seeing so many great reviews, but overall it fell a bit short for me.
We started with the kale ceasar salad, which was quite salty, probably from all that Parmesan, so maybe that's just how it's meant to be. For pizzas, we tried two. The Amatriciana wasn't really my thing, I didn't like how the flavours came together, so it might have been a bad choice on my part. On the other hand, the pizza Dany was an expected delicious surprise: the spinach & hot honey were delicious; the sesame seeds a nice touch.
That said, the dough on both pizzas was very good. The spicy oil, however, wasn't spicy at all, which was a bit disappointing. Maybe they have different versions, but the one we got had no heat.
One of us wanted a tea, but they don't offer tea at all. For dessert, I got a decaf latte to have with the cake, but it arrived way later, more than halfway through it. The cake itself, though, the hazelnut with the gelato…very good.
Service was another weak point. The wait for everything was long, & at one point, the waitress came to clean the table, but just quickly wiped around without actually picking any of the pizza crumbs, which felt a bit careless.
The place itself is beautiful, nicely dimmed lights & a great atmosphere visually, but the music felt too loud for this type of restaurant.
All in all, I guess it wasn't that bad of an experience, I definitely expected better given the hype. I might give it another try, but this visit didn't quite live up to expectations.
Pizza pour emporter.
Si vous aimez la pizza à croute très mince avec pratiquement presque rien sur le dessus & bien cette pizza est pour vous.
Très décevant pour le prix mais malgré tout c'était correct sans plus.
On n'y retournera pas.
The minute we stepped in we were greeted & seated. The service was amazing , they really know their menu & are very friendly. The food was wonderful. We had the fried cauliflower with a red pepper coulisses, a pasta dish & a sesame, spinach & hot honey pizza wow !!
Déçue par la taille des pizzas.
Complètement différentes de celles qui sont affichées sur tiktok.
Payer aussi cher pour des pizzas qui sont petites.
Insipide & chargée de sésame & trop salée.
Déçue !
Images trompeuses.
