Impasto's owners, Stefano Faita and Michele Forgione are bringing their culinary skills to their new pizzeria called GEMA (an acronym for their children's names). The establishment serves fresh pizzas and decadent desserts.
Overall, reviews describe Gema Pizzeria as a warm neighborhood spot with a welcoming vibe, solid wine selection, and very good pizza, though experiences vary. The crust is frequently praised as delicious and blistered, while a few visits note undercooked centers or pizzas that feel oily and where the toppings don’t always come together. Pizzas such as Apennine, Ruliano, Capricciosa and Vetri get strong praise for the crust and balance, though some diners find certain toppings or additions like balsamic on fior di latte to be overpowering. The Jean Talon market salad is consistently highlighted for freshness and brightness, with several calls to its standout vinaigrette. Calamari and some antipasti can disappoint when not crispy or sufficiently flavorful, and tiramisu often lacks intensity. The atmosphere is described as casual and convivial, with some reviews noting it can be noisy and the space crowded; service ranges from outstanding to slow or inattentive, and a few readers question tipping defaults on the machine. Still, the consensus leans toward returning for the quality and charm.
Oh, Gema Pizzeria, where do I even begin? It's truly a culinary marvel, especially if your frame of reference for'best pizza' is, shall we say, flexible. They claim to bring a slice of Napoli to Montreal, & by golly, they deliver... something.
The pizza, oh, the pizza! It's easily one of the pizzas I've had that was not in Napoli, Italy. A bold statement, I know, but one I stand by. You can absolutely tell the sauce is homemade - it has that unmistakable'someone made this at home' quality. It's truly a testament to the human spirit of trying.
& the meatballs! Ah, the homemade meatballs. They were so generously endowed with Parmesan cheese, it was almost as if they were trying to achieve a new state of matter: cheeseball.'Cheesy meatballs' is an understatement; they were practically a dairy product with a hint of meat. Just amazing. Truly. If you're looking for an experience that will make you question everything you thought you knew about Italian cuisine, Gema Pizzeria is your destination. Five stars for effort, I suppose.
Right in the hearth of little Italy, one of my favorite pizza I had in Montreal. Fair price for the quality offered, service was great & quick. Restaurant is on the smaller side so there might be to wait during peek hours but definitely worth it.
Apr 21, 2025
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I visited this restaurant with friends during a hot summer day, & we ordered two pizzas to share. While I've never been to Italy, I've heard from others that this place offers the same quality & taste as authentic Italian pizzas. Even the older couple at the next table mentioned how it tasted just like what you'd get in Italy. I loved it! The portions were good, & the service was fast & friendly. I'll definitely return to try more from the menu next time.
Waited 40 minutes for a $24 pizza with "pancetta," which was three slices of what looked like microwave bacon from the grocery store, served by a guy who barely said hello when he took our order & did not check on us afterwards. They were really busy, which I understand, but the price/food quality/service were all lacking. I could forgive one or two (high price, bad service, but good food, for example), but all three were pretty poor.
by far the best pizza in town, the sauce is perfectly acidic yet holds the sweet tomato taste, the crust is crispy yet chewy to the bite. No other pizza in town truly offers this level of high quality product. My recommendations is to try the hawaiian which is unlike any pineapple pizza ive ever tasted, slightly spicy, & follow up with a classic margharita 1889. Also a great selection of wine, & private importation that accompany perfect the meal & mood.
Gema was recommended to me as the best pizza in little Italy, it didn't disappoint... The pizza was delicious & the ingredients were high quality. Recommended for an authentic napolitain pizza
Very disappointing considering the price. 17$ for about 10 small calamaries & 4 shrimps that are less good than frozen store-bought. 23$+ for average pizzas that took more than 45 minutes to arrive. This is the perfect example of the fact that the amount of stars overrall don't always represent the quality of a place.
May 14, 2024
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A little disappointed with their Fior di latte cheese. It was not creamy on the beets salad- dry & lack of dressing. We ordered two pizzas with no meat toppings & the pizzaoilo put prosciutto on one of them. Upon biting on the pizza, we tasted & found the meat which was alarming. On the other side, Staff was willing to change it which is a normal gesture to do since they made the mistake. Service was courteous. Price wise, a little expensive vs quality of the food. All in all, I do not think I would return to this place because I believe there are better good pizza restaurants.
It is one of the best pizza restaurants in Montreal, if not THE best. Bottega Pizzaria is really good, too. Two of my favs. Not the average pizza here, it's how pizza should be. The service is amazing. I gave the atmosphere a 3 because I felt cramped & the music is loud, but after a few drinks, it's fine. It's still worth sitting on uncomfortable chairs & getting stoned from the loud music for the quality of the pizza you are getting. The appetizers are really good but a little stingy on the calamari portion 😄.
Nov 10, 2023
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Quality pizza. Very quality. Absolutely the best crust. We had arancini to start, then him & I shared a pizza & a salad. The salad was very fresh & pizza was perfectly cooked. We asked for a pizza cooked more on the crispy side of things. It was delicious. Most of all, the service was above & beyond what we usually get in restaurants these days. It was a very professional lady brunette that served us Tuesday night. Many thanks.
Borderline pizza quality Sparkling wine served too warm 2 pizzas, 1 bottle of average quality wine, 2 small ice cream dessert, 180$ including service (15%). A TOTAL RIPOFF.
Was there in July 2017, party of 2. Ordered drinks, wine, appetizers & entrees & desserts. Cocktails were the high note. Food is made up of high quality ingredients. There is just not enough of them in every dished. Barely no octopus in the octopus salad. Barely no mozzarella di buffala on our pizza (literally had to look for it). Same for every serving
Was there early in the evening - no rush. The servers didn't even inform us of items not on the regular menu. Seated outside, there was no way to find out.
We like Stefano quite a bit but were very disappointed this time. There are many other "higher" end pizzerias in Montreal. Will not be coming back here
