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.
Thursday evening - table of 4. We arrived for 6pm reservations & I assume this early for the regular clientele as only tow other tables were seated. Was seated a corner table which is large circular table making it a little awkward when your 4 unless you add a chair.
Started with come cocktails which were good. Appetizers: polpete, beet salad, supli & another dish I can't recall were all very tasty. Everyone enjoyed. We then shared two pizzas (Diavolo & Margherita) which were also excellent. A dish of sugo (ragu) was also ok, not great but not bad. I thought it lacked seasoning & was rather bland.
Service was excellent from all of staff were interacted with, friendly & professional. Wine suggestions (by the glass) were spot on. Noise level is high, but we were also seated under a speaker so music was a little loud.
Plenty of parking available out front (free) & the area is quiet & residential. I prefer coming here in the summer when you can sit outside on the terrace which is more quiet.
I had also indicated this was a birthday dinner in the Opentable reservation but this was overlooked or ignored.
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!
Jan 31, 2026
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Restaurant manager Cynthia .. great personality .. noticed her coworkers were a bit overwhelmed & stepped in herself to come take over & help out ..truthfully too many people involved serving our table .. was kind of annoying ..
The Arancini .. AMAZING .. ordered 6 of them
The pizza .. came BURNT .. like really burnt
My pasta dish I ordered the Mafaldine al ragu.. nothing special ..(I'm Italian)
You can get better sauce out of a jar from a grocery store sadly.
My friend Ordered the anchovies as an appetizer ..just comes on top of oil… so of course you have to order bread too right … ($)
The bread comes with a small portion of olives that we didn't ask for but yet was charged to our bill!
Had to ask for napkins, & a spoon, we were a table of 3, our cocktail 🍹 drinks did not arrive at the same time, mine arrived 25 minutes after my friends, they give you RAGS, as'napkins' I had to ask for paper napkins 2/3 times because she had only brought me one… like really ?
Atmosphere: ZERO: extremely DARK & LOUD.. had to use the flashlights on our phone to read the TINY SMALL PRINT ON THE MENU.. we were a table of 3 & we spent all night screaming at each other .. way too loud in there .. is this a club or a restaurant?? Extremely loud will not return because what's the point of going for dinner with people if you cant even hear them ??
Now here is the best part …(being sarcastic)
Someone at our table asked for tea the waitress said we don't have tea, but we can get you a canary, we asked what that was, she said hot water with lemon, oh ok.. guess what ? Yes you guessed it right, hot water, with a tiny piece lemon we were charged 2$ for it !!! For hot water ?? Any resto you go to whether you ask for hot or cold water with a slice of lemon in it is not a charge ! But anyways will not be going back to this place again ..
⭐? :
One ⭐? star for the arancini & for the girls who served us Anthony as well!
Got together with some friends for a meal & one friends had reserved. We were warmly greeted upon entering & were seated at Justin & Anthony's table. They were both excellent. Service was fun, efficient & friendly with excellent recommendations. We started with the Kale Caesar which was good. Then we shared the Amatriciana pizza which I was super surprised to see an actual wood fired oven. Pizza dough was excellent with good hydration & good flavours. Then we shared the Mafalda al ragu which was delicious. What I didn't like was the lack of English menus & the lackluster reason why there weren't any, wasn't a fan of the kale Caesar, place was quite loud & finally, the little sign outside wasn't big enough to see when driving or even walking by. All in all, an excellent place & definitely recommended.
Elena is hands down the best restaurant in Montréal. When I moved back from Italy, I was craving real Italian food & nothing compared… until I found this place. It's the ONLY spot in the city that tastes truly authentic, just like in Italy.
Every dish is consistently delicious, the prices are super reasonable, & the staff are always so sweet & attentive. The décor feels chill & low-key, & if you pay attention you realize how beautiful it actually is. In the summer, the terrace & the park behind the restaurant make it even more special. So cozy! Even the music is always cool too.
Make sure to try the:
Suppli, bread with olive oil, meatballs, mafalda al ragu, agnolotti if you get the chance, margherita pizza & kale salad.
I've been coming here for 6 years straight & it never disappoints. Always my #1 pick in Montréal! Best restaurant ever.
Nice hole-in-the-wall restaurant. The space itself is quite small & despite reservation we were seated at the bar, which wasn't ideal. Food is delicious, especially the ragu, but is somewhat pricey for what you get. Service was excellent.
Très bon. Surtout la salade de kale & le ragoût classique.
La pizza saucisse & scarole est très bonne & équilibrée. Je l'ai préféré aux autres que j'ai goûté, je l'ai trouvé plus subtile. Les classiques sont évidemment très bonnes aussi.
Pour ma part, ce qui fait que je reviens c'est le mafalda al ragu.
Numéro 1. Nous avons pris la pizza rosa extra stracciatella & & les Pasta Ragu & je reviendrais pour manger la même chose tellement c'était bon. Le service était amical & l'ambiance était bien. Merci pour la bonne nourriture
Had the most amazing dinner- Ragu is a must, tonight's special-corn agnolotti in a butter saffron sauce was incredible. Fun, unassuming atmosphere, friendly service-put it on your list!
Really cute ambiance, as much inside as outside. Big terrasse area! The Ragu pasta was DELICIOUS! The pizza was also tasty & fresh. I would definitely come back.
Nice atmosphere & great service. The arancini was excellent. I've had better pizza for cheaper in Montreal. Drinks are very expensive. Ragu was tasty as well.
Mar 6, 2024
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Funguy (mushroom) pizza & ragu pasta were amazing! Perfect balance with the right amount of flavors. The pepperoni pizza had a spicy so look for another pizza if you can't handle it.
Amazing italian spot - The Mafalda al Ragù must be the best pasta dish in Montreal. Also, alot of dishes to share with friends (appetizers, pizza, salads, etc.)
Super wonderful! Loved the kale Caesar & suppli - definitely the highlights of the meal. Pizza was fine a little light on the guanciale for being $26. The ragu was not what I expected a little brothy & a heavy olive oil taste but still quite good. Would definitely come back!
Just sooo good! We ate in the "walk in" part of the resto & the vibe was still really nice, service was amazing & food came insanely fast. We ordered a pizza, the ragu & cannolis - everything was 10/10. I'm def returning for more!
