Elena centers its culinary focus on expertly prepared thin crust pizzas and authentic Italian pasta dishes crafted with high quality seasonal ingredients. The kitchen utilizes traditional techniques to achieve the perfect blistered crust on every pie while maintaining a commitment to regional Italian flavors. Guests encounter a spacious environment designed for casual interaction characterized by minimalist aesthetics and industrial design elements. The menu emphasizes fresh, locally sourced produce alongside imported specialty goods to ensure consistency across every plate. Beyond the classic sourdough pies, the selection includes rotating pasta offerings that showcase seasonal vegetables and artisanal grains. This establishment prioritizes a focused culinary vision, delivering a distinct experience through its precise handling of dough and carefully curated flavor profiles that define its approach to modern Italian cuisine.
Elena is widely regarded as a standout destination in Montreal, praised for its authentic Italian cuisine, particularly its sourdough pizza, kale Caesar salad, and flavorful pasta dishes. Many guests highlight the vibrant atmosphere, stylish design, and attentive service as key components of a memorable dining experience. While the majority of visitors leave with high praise for the food quality and professional staff, some feedback points to inconsistencies in service timing, noise levels, and occasional issues with seating arrangements or temperature comfort. Despite a few mixed reviews regarding portion sizes and pricing, the restaurant remains a popular choice for both casual outings and special occasions, with many patrons expressing a strong desire to return.
Excellent!
My daughter surprised me with a birthday dinner at Elena. When we arrived, our table was not ready & our host Olivier sat us at the bar & suggested a glass of bubbly wine while we waited. Once seated at our table, our server was very friendly & attentive. We started with the olives & the salumi - both very good quality. We then shared a Caesar Salad & the Supplì. The salad was tasty & you could tell that the dressing was made in house. The supplì were just as good as the ones I had in Rome. We then had the pasta special, triangular ravioli with ricotta & artichokes, with a very light sauce made with mint, lemon zest & Parmesan … what a surprise!! It was delicious & refreshing & very well designed. We also had the AP style pizza which was amazing. We had gelato for dessert, the pistachio was to die for ! During the meal the service was great, & Olivier was knowledgeable & great at suggesting wine pairings.
We will definitely be back!
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.
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
Decent pizza, well cooked - only the edges were a bit burnt. The dough was the best part, the topping for me were so so. Yes they were tasty, but overall not quite Italian. We had the Diavolo, the funghi e taleggio & the marinara con stracciatella & anchovies. Chill environment, attentive service.
Really good food, & fast friendly service. I wouldn't say it's the best pizza I've ever had & it was a bit on the pricey side, but it was fresh & tasty. They had a large wine list, but the wine selection for individual glasses was not my favourite.
The food was satisfactory, although not as reasonably priced as expected. Everything was decent, though nothing was particularly exceptional; the pasta dishes shown in online photos were largely unavailable. The Diavola 2.0 (Pepperoni) pizza was enjoyable, & the meatballs were quite delicious. The "carbonara" pasta was classic & flavorful. The flanc for the dessert was smokey & tasty. However, the restaurant is rather expensive, & superior options for pizza & pasta can be found in Montreal. The service was excellent.
Pleasant night out in a vibrant eatery. The service was top notch - multiple staff attentive to our table & needs, prompt without feeling rushed. The food was very tasty. The kale salad & malfada pasta were the highlights. Recommend sharing a variety of dishes among your table rather than everyone on their own menu, as the menu & service is perfected for this communal experience.
