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 wood fired, thin crust pizzas with a vast range of toppings and a menu that balances classic Italian staples with inventive options, all baked to perfection in a real Italian oven. The crust is consistently crisp and flavorful, the ingredients are fresh, and gluten free crust and lactose free cheese options are appreciated by many diners. The service is repeatedly described as fast, friendly and attentive, with staff making guests feel welcome and cared for even during busy periods. The atmosphere is lively yet cozy, making it a great spot for casual dinners, family nights or a quick bite after visiting nearby sights, and the location downtown Montreal adds to its appeal. Desserts like tiramisu and cannoli are frequently praised, and the wine and beer selection complements the meals well. Overall, this spot is widely regarded as one of the best pizza places in town, a must visit for pizza lovers, with many guests planning to return.
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.
Excellente pizza, avec une pâte vraiment remarquable - bien cuite, savoureuse & parfaitement équilibrée. Le restaurant était très occupé, mais l'atmosphère demeure sans prétention & conviviale, ce qui contribue beaucoup au charme de l'endroit.
Le service était bon & efficace, surtout considérant l'action & l'achalandage constant dans le resto.
L'ambiance rappelle un peu les pizzerias de New York : animée, décontractée, & centrée sur l'essentiel - une bonne pizza bien faite. Une très bonne adresse à Square Phillips pour manger rapidement & bien, sans flafla.
Jan 17, 2026
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Bonne pizzéria souvent bondée, ce qui est bon signe. Les tables sont rapprochées & c'est souvent plein, donc il y a beaucoup d'ambiance & de bruit. La pizza est excellente & il y a énormément de choix de garnitures.
Une pizzeria absolument géniale ! La pâte est parfaite, bien moelleuse & cuite à la perfection. Les ingrédients sont frais & de qualité, & la variété des pizzas est impressionnante.
Pizzeria de renommée
Les pizzas sont délicieuses
J'ai seulement été déçue de la pizza au fromage de chèvre, qui ne goûtait rien
Je ne la reprendrai plus
Mais toutes les autres sont habituellement délicieuses!
Ottima pizzeria , notevole la varietà e assortimento. Offre anche gustose alternative in un locale informale, dove personale gentile e veloce vi assiste. Buona l'offerta di bevande, birra e vino, ok anche i dolci. Prezzo nella norma. Consigliato.
Aug 11, 2025
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Franchement! Trop bonnes pizzas! Il y a beaucoup de choix. La pâte est délicieuse, la sauce tomate est délicieuse & les aliments extrêmement frais. Une des meilleurs pizzeria à Montréal selon moi. Loin des coins fancy mais le line-up témoignage de la réputation de ce lieu. Peut être bruyant si vous mange à l'intérieur par contre. Je termine en mentionnant les cannolis qui sont un pur moment de bonheur. Photo à l'appui
Très bonne pizzeria en plein centre ville à côté de la cathédrale. Le service a été très rapide. Le serveur Rachid nous a très bien accueilli.
Nous avons pris 4 pizzas :
La montreale : une valeur sur !
La carré philips : très bonne.
& La milanaise avec des artichauts.
N'hésiter pas à y aller vous ne serez pas déçu.
Feb 14, 2025
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I had heard that this place serves the best pizza in town, so my expectations were high. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed-it was just an average pizza, nothing extraordinary. That said, it was still delicious, but I believe there are likely better pizzerias in town.
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 Montréal
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!)
I live in the USA & fly to Montréal twice a year at least or more & center my vacation around this pizzeria. That's how much I LOVE IT. I call to make sure their open & not on their family vacation before finalizing my travel plans. I ❤️ the Margherita pizza, customer service, & atmosphere. I place my order over the phone, & walk across the courtyard to pick it up. I usually stay at the Renaissance. It's a simple but delicious get away that I do for myself. 😁
This is a long review but worth the read. I lived in NYC for a long time & visited all over the world & frequently eat at the best pizza places like lucalli Brooklyn, original prince street, sallys ct, spago smoke salmon pizza, Savoy Tokyo etc. Having experienced all these venues, I would say this place is fantastic. Obviously for global pizza fans its still not quite at the global top level like the one mentioned above but this place without question the best in Canada. I am very impressed by consistency as well as its very hard to find good chefs willing to make just pizzas in Canada. This is why Prince Street in Toronto tastes absolutely terrible & does not even taste 5 percent of original one in NYC. I recommend everyone checking out this place in Montreal to come here. Try their truffle pizza & their cold jar of sangria. I have respect for the owner family as I know how hard its run a pizzeria in Canada.
Si je pouvais donner 6 étoiles, je l'aurai absolument fait ! Rien à dire à part que c'est l'un des meilleurs endroits pour manger une vraie pizza italienne. On a eu un excellent service, la variété était au rendez-vous & surtout la qualité ! Je ne peux que féliciter toute l'équipe de la Pizzeria
Nous sommes assez déçus ! De passage à Montréal, nous avons choisi cette pizzeria sur base de son rating & de son nombre de commentaires... or il s'est avéré que notre pizza était de l'ordre de celles que l'on trouve dans les supermarchés « à réchauffer au four » & ce malgré la cuisson au feu de bois... Malheureusement la qualité du vin n'a pas rehaussé cette expérience... Bref, bien que le service ait été bon, nous n'avons pas passé le meilleur moment.
