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.
Il Focolaio offers a lively wood-fired Italian pizza experience with a broad menu of toppings and creative combos, a crisp flavorful crust, and fresh ingredients that make many pies stand out in Montreal's pizza scene. The dining room feels welcoming and bustling, and the service is consistently friendly and efficient even when crowded, with easy options for takeout or patio seating. The menu includes vegetarian, gluten free and lactose free choices, and cannolis and tiramisu pair nicely with the pizzas. While lines and close tables are common during peak hours, guests repeatedly praise generous portions, fair prices and the overall authentic, satisfying taste that keeps them coming back.
We eat here every time we're in Montreal! Very popular & delicious spot. They have such original, yummy pizza, plus you can get lactose free cheese, which I did. Nice to have the option! Service is friendly, but does not hover. Tight quarters - get there early so you can get in, but if you can't I feel like the wait is worth it.
Delicious! My wife loves them all. As for me, their gluten-sensitive dough & their vegan cheese are just perfect... one of the best pizzas I can have. & the outside deck is lovely in the summer.
Apr 11, 2026
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
Probably one of the best pizzeria in Montreal. They offer a wide variety of pizzas, all cooked in a wood-fired oven. The four-cheese pizza with blue cheese is especially outstanding. The place itself doesn't look like much - it's small, not particularly attractive, & there isn't much space - but the pizza more than makes up for it.
My favourite pizza in Montreal. Thank you so much for having lactose free cheese! It makes the world of a difference for our family. The margherita is also consistently one of the tastiest pizzas I've ever had!
Their pizza menu is wildly extensive. They have this note on their menu saying they make their own tomato sauce, cheese & pizza dough , which sounds fantastic. Really tasty pizza to be honest.
Amazing pizza every time! Consistent, always fresh, & not shy with toppings. Plus they have delicious gluten free crust available & lactose free cheese for people with dietary restrictions! The servers are also very knowledgeable & friendly. Highly recommend!
Jun 26, 2025
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
Maybe I came at an'off moment', maybe it's just a matter of taste, but this pizza was so lackluster for the price & I left confused by the overwhelming amount of positive reviews this place has.
I'm surprised not a single reviewer has mentioned the tomato sauce here, either as a positive or a negative. Because that was my biggest issue. The crust was amazing. Classic thin crust Italian baked in a super hot oven. Exactly what I want. But the sauce was like battery acid. Just pure acid & salt & zero sweetness, no fresh tomato taste. Tasted like it was poured out of a store brand jar. The cheese was also cooked pretty dark & pulled off in large chunks which was disappointing.
Great service. Nice views of the square. But overall I wouldn't subject myself to a pizza this pricey & this mediocre again.
I would expect this quality if I was ordering late n
Absolutely loved this pizza shop! The pizza was genuinely tasty - fresh ingredients, perfectly cooked crust, & just the right amount of cheese & toppings. The price was very fair for the quality & portion size, which is always a plus. What really stood out, though, was the staff - they were incredibly nice, welcoming, & made the whole experience even better. You can tell they care about their customers & take pride in their service. Whether you're grabbing a quick bite or dining in, this place is worth a visit. I'll definitely be coming back. Highly recommend it!
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!
Apr 2, 2025
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
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!
I don't know, this place is changed. They used to be one of the best Italian pizzerias in town. I used to go often in 2018-2021, used to have amazing pizza. We went yesterday their menu was changed. Tomatoes on the pizza were tasteless orange grocery store tomatoes, mediocre cheese, the dough looked fine. It wasn't the same authentic Italian pizzeria anymore. New management maybe? They had also removed their delicious sub sandwiches from the menu. Super disappointed ( also no Italian pizzeria has pineapple pizza on the menu!)
While the pizza tasted fine, it seemed more like a regular cheese pizza. Nothing about it said it was the MARGHERITA pizza. No fresh basil, seems like they baked it with the basil leaves on it, no mozzetta, the way it should look like.
My partner & I ordered the Calzoni Volcano (No. 44) & the Pizza Carré Phillips (No. 27), & we both thoroughly enjoyed the Volcano Calzoni. It was incredibly flavorful, with a filling that had a gentle, spicy kick that blended perfectly with the cheese & mushrooms. The Pizza Carré Phillips was more of a classic all-dressed pizza on a thin crust-not bad, but I found myself wishing I'd tried something different, as I can get an all-dressed pizza anywhere. The Cannolis are so delicious too! The waiter was exceptionally friendly & made us feel very welcome. I would definitely come back!
Oct 27, 2024
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
This place has over 73 different types of pizza, & you can have it with vegan cheese & a vegan crust ! They have tofu & vegan pepperoni as well. This fungi pizza had pleurotte mushrooms & spicy peppers, it was excellent
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!
Based on all the positive comments I'd like to think that my experience here was just an anomaly. The pizza was bland. The sauce was pretty much non existent & everything just tasted like bread & cheese. The toppings were decent but the dough overpowered every other flavour. One of the pizzas we ordered was undercooked & doughy. I'll be giving it another try to see if the hype is warranted, otherwise I much rather order some dominos.
I had a waiter that deliberately delayed my service, from getting my food to getting my bill. I stormed out of there in anger & didn't get his name. Everything else was perfect from the other staff & waiters smiling & greeting you to the food, I had number 77 & it was perfect & also I had a cheese cake, paid around 40$
