Il Focolaio
Info & Location
About us
Since 1984 clients have been coming to Il Focolaio to get that authentic Italian taste that is reminiscent of their grandmother’s cooking. Il Focolaio, in fact means fireplace in Italian. The name depicts the maple wood burning oven where each and every one of our pizzas and roasted ingredients are cooked. Our fireplace, as in the old country, not only brings forth the food but also becomes the gathering place for our clients who always feel welcomed and right at home. Our recipe for success is simple, serving up pizza using ingredients that only a true pizzaiolo would use, such as extra virgin olive oil, top quality tomatoes and only the freshest ingredients, all prepared with passion and a love for cooking to bring you the end result that you will never forget. We invite you to come and enjoy the taste of Italy with a nice glass of wine from our wine list. Enjoy it all on our terrace in the middle of downtown during the summer months.
Our Specialties
Wood oven pizza.
Amenities, services & more
Capacity: 128 We accept: Master Card, Visa, AMEX, InteracPhotos (19) More
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Events Nearby
Pride 2025 at Place Ville Marie
Aug 10, 2025
Fantasia International Film Festival Montreal 2025
Jul 17, 2025 to Aug 3, 2025
Reviews often mention
Display Allpizza(555) salad(35) recommend(34) crust(29) options(26) italian(23) rapide(22) pizzeria(22) topping(20)Page 1 of 1 - 30 Reviews
Tyra
This is one of my favourite pizza places in Montreal! There are so many varieties that you can have, & I haven't even tried the calzonis or the salads. Last time I went, we were able to get a reservation for 11am & were immediately seated when we got in. This time, I got a Campagnola, without olives, & it was absolutely delicious. I devoured the whole pizza. I noticed it was slightly smaller than it was when I visited in past years, but it was no less delicious! I highly recommend this place for lunch or dinneView more
Doug
We looked for a pizza place on our last night in Montreal this trip & this one had amazing reviews & didn't disappoint. We ate outside & even though rain was imminent had a great time. Delicious salad & really good pizzas. Best we had in Montreal.View more
Fabian
Honestly my favorite pizza in MTL, it's always delicious
The salads are great to share tooView more
Freddy
Great food, reasonable portion with friendly staff. The only disappointment is the tiny little table space . You definitely have no place to put two pizza & a salad on a table for two & I don't even mention the drinks.View more
Sean
This spot seriously delivered some of the best thin-crust pizza I've ever had! The crust was perfectly crisp with just the right amount of char, & the toppings were fresh & flavorful. We tried a variety-one with pineapple & blue cheese that was unexpectedly amazing, & another loaded with sausage, pepperoni, & green peppers that was packed with flavor. The Caesar salads were also generous & creamy-definitely a solid starter.
Service was excellent-super friendly & attentive. The only downside? It was surprisingly crowded for a Tuesday lunch. That said, it's clearly popular for a reason. Would absolutely come back!View more
Ali
Delicious oven-baked pizzas with plenty of options, including a great selection of vegetarian & vegan choices, thanks to tasty vegan cheese & dough alternatives.
We shared a half-&-half pizza with a salad & really enjoyed the combination. Overall, highly recommended!View more
Ross
Awesome experience, my wife & I brought our two little kids to enjoy some pizza & it did not disappoint. The kids split a pizza & we split another with a caesar salad & they brought everything out with individual plates & ready to go as if they knew exactly what we were hoping for. We will be back for sure as the pizza was delicious! Excellent job by all!View more
Greysuitcase
Ended up at this place because of my friend's recommendation. She's been to this pizzeria before & thought their pizza is amazing so she took me here during our Montréal trip. The place was busy when we went for a visit during peak lunch hour rush on a Thursday. There was even quite a long line forming outside the restaurant of people waiting for a table. We ended up waiting for about 15 minutes or so before getting a table. The waiting time wasn't too bad to be honest. & if you don't want to wait, you can always order to go & eat it at the park across the street. What we ordered: Caesar Salad 8.5/10 The salad was fresh & nicely seasoned. Not too salty or peppery or cheesy. Very balanced. The portion was quite generous too. No.23 Campagnola 9.5/10 Sauce, mushrooms, onions, spicy pancetta (Italian bacon), mozzarella, black olives. I have to say this was probably one of the best pizza I've ever had in recent times. The pizza was cooked really well with that wood burning aroma whiffing off of the crust that's slightly charred on different spots. The texture was nice, chewy & there's a slight bounce to the bite. All the toppings were also evenly cooked & sitting nicely on top of the gooey mozzarella & the portion is quite big & generous. No.68 A La Griglia 9/10 Fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, grilled vegetables (zucchini, eggplant, onions, artichokes, mushrooms, green & red peppers), fresh garlic, Italian herbs, olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano. My friend actually ordered this one & I have the same comment about the overall pizza like the Campagnola. I think their pizza is really solid & you can just order whichever pizza that have the toppings that you like & I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy it. Definitely will go back again the next time I'm in MontréalView more
Vishal
I recently dined at Pizza Focolaio in downtown Montreal & was thoroughly impressed! I ordered the vegetarian pizza ratatouille & the Giardino salad, & both dishes were fantastic. The pizza was stone-baked to perfection, with a crisp crust on the outside & a soft, chewy interior. The ratatouille toppings were generous & beautifully seasoned, creating a delightful medley of flavors. The Giardino salad was fresh & well-composed, providing a refreshing contrast to the pizza. Pizza Focolaio offers a wide variety of pizzas, both vegetarian & non-vegetarian, catering to diverse tastes. Each pizza is stone-baked, enhancing the flavors & giving it an authentic, rustic touch. The ambiance is cozy & welcoming, & the attentive service made the experience even better. I'd highly recommend this spot for anyone craving delicious, high-quality pizza in Montreal!View more
Christine
Pizza & salade César très bon! Je vais recommander à nouveau assurément!View more
Sylvie
Il y a moins de tables donc beaucoup plus agréable, plus d'espace & surtout moins de bruit. La pizza & la salade César sont excellentes. Le serveur qui s'est occupé de nous était très attentionné & gentil ! Belle expérience client. À ne pas manquer !View more
Mayuri
Awesome veg pizza & salad. Would definitely recommend to allView more
Denis
Nice & fast service - very good pizzas & salads... Many customers, so come early or wait in the queue 😉. Starting 6pm there are already lots of guests.View more
Ali
The option of half salad half pizza is amazing really & I don't think I have seen it anywhere. Portion was good & both the salad & pizza were actually really good. Gets busy during lunch houView more
Michel
The place was busy but the service was fast, get there early if you don't want to wait! The salad was huge but perfect to share, & the pizza was great. Crust was nice & lots of cheese!View more
Shannon
Though relatively unassuming from the outside, Pizza Il Focolaio was a great lunch spot for our family (kids ages 7, 9, 16, 17). There was plenty of space inside. (Outside seating is also available.) The staff was kind, welcoming & accommodating. The menu is available in English, which was very helpful. The pizzas were delicious & came out quickly. The Caesar salad was large enough to be shared by 4 of us. We ordered 3 pizzas for a total of 6 people. Paired with the salad, that was a perfect portion.View more
Patrick
tres bonne adresse pour gouter a une bonne pizza,il faut aussi essayer la salade Giardino (légumes grillés) une tuerie dommage que les pizza soit un peut petiteView more
Israa
If you want pizza, this is the right place to go to. They have a wide range on variety (more than 50 options). We tried the margarita & malenzan pizzas. The dough was amazing however both pizzas were a little salty to my liking so I would rate it 8/10. We also got a Caesar salad which was refreshing & tasty & the serving was very generous. Lastly, the service was excellent.View more
Craig
Great pizza & salad, tables are a little close together, but needed to be as it was packed for lunch. Service was still very prompt & friendly.View more
Kristine
Delicious 🤤 their pizza is amazing along with the salad 🥗 I got too hungry so I forgot to take a picture but it was delicious 😋 & it made great breakfast ✨View more
Pierre
On a Tuesday night, 8pm this place is packed, waited 30 minutes to get a table, by myself as I am out of town & my hotel is straight across the street-2minute walk. Had a salad & a pizza which was fantastic (carre phillips)- they have 77 different pies to choose from. Rachid (waiter) was amazing, helped to narrow the choice down & was extremely attentive to provide best service. Looking forward of going back & asking to be in Rashid section.View more
Haley
Great food! Mom & I split a pizza & salad. They kindly split it before serving to us. Everyone was very kind. Sangria & cannoli was also good. Great spot!View more
Fang
Best pizza & salad EVER!!! Authentic Italian food 👌 But disappointed of the delivery people....gave the guy tip & he was unsatisfied with the amount giving me attitude so from now on I am not giving any more tip at all since clearly they don't appreciate it. He had a very disgraceful & inconsiderate attitude.View more
Derin
Very large selection of toppings, easy to cover dietary needs & desires for large groups. Fast & friendly service, will split pizzas & salads for you.View more
Alyssa
The Pizza & Salad was amazing! The service was great we went on a busy night & our waiter Denis was absolutely amazing! Probably one of the best service I ever had at a restaurantView more
AngelaBr-490
2 Reviews
We went to Il Focalio terrific, best pizza in Montreal. We all loved it & the salads are really terrific. I had the grilled vegetables salad with pizza with tomatoe sauce & seafood, to die for....Everybody loved it & the beer very good, Russe...Very welcoming our waiter, Costa very nice & service very fast. I would give it 10 starts..Great job guys...
GourmetGal
6 Reviews
Best pizza downtown, many choices of combinations , including Pesto Olives & Brocoli , Caesar salads best fresh parmesan cheese ,
good litle spot for meeting a friend for dinner , fun spot , busy bustling & lots of people usually . Ask for Sergio
Katch
10 Reviews
Le décor du restaurant n'est pas génial, ça fait un peu cafétéria & bien que le restaurant n'était pas du tout plein quand nous y sommes allées, ça devient effectivement vite bruyant. Bref, ce n'est pas l'endroit pour un rendez-vous romantique. Malgré ça, le détour au Il Focolaio vaut la peine!
Les pizzas sont absolument délicieuses & le choix est incroyable. Il est certain que chacun y trouvera son compte. Il y a également moyen de demander d'enlever ou d'ajouter des garnitures. Les garnitures sont généreuses & les portions sont grosses, si bien que nous avons partagé deux pizzas & une demi salade césar à trois.
Quant au service, il est adéquat. Nous n'avons manqué de rien.
Il Focolaio est l'endroit idéal pour un repas rapide, succulent & abordable (entre 13$ & 15$ par pizza) au centre-ville.
gnamian
41 Reviews
C'est par hasard qu'on s'est arrêté à ce resto cet après-midi; & comme le soleil brillait & l'atmosphère était sympa, on a decide d'y s'asseoir dehors. On a opté pour les nos 63 & 64, les sandwichs "submarine" avec des saucisses. Les plats étaient énormes & généreux, avec salade garnie fraîche, 3 grandes saucisses & deux moitiés de focaccia garnies aux tomates. Le service était impeccable quoiqu'au début les saucisses étaient froides & le garçon de table nous les a rechauffé vite tout en s'excusant.
Nous allons y retourner, c'est certain!
Foodie
7 Reviews
Focalaio on Phillips Square, just in front of the Bay store, is probably the best little Pizza place for thin crusted, any topping you can imagine pizza , with great tasting cheeses .
They also have the best Caesar salad downtown . No pasta just pizza
but delicious , go after 8pm its quieter , or go early betw 130 & 530pm .