Situé dans un cadre enchanteur aux abords du canal Lachine, le restaurant Il Fornetto est une adresse parfaite pour s’offrir un petit moment de détente et de dépaysement sans pour autant quitter la ville. L’intérieur, au décor d’inspiration rustique quoique plutôt moderne, est des plus agréable. Mais c’est particulièrement pour sa superbe terrasse sur deux étages, donnant directement sur le canal, que l’on aime s’y arrêter. Ouverte tôt au printemps et jusqu’en automne, cette dernière accueille autant les jeunes familles du coin que les amoureux venus profiter du coucher de soleil.
Le menu du Il Fornetto prend des allures d’encyclopédie de la cuisine italienne. La sélection est impressionnante et propose tous les incontournables du genre : pâtes qui sont offertes en assiette ou demi-portion, ce qui est plutôt pratique pour les entrées, antipasti variés et veau, sans oublier l’incontournable pizza cuite au four à bois, particulièrement réussie, croustillante à souhait et garnie des produits les plus frais. Pas surprenant que la maison, ouverte depuis maintenant plus de vingt ans, ne démontre aucun signe d’essoufflement. À découvrir ou redécouvrir.
Il Fornetto est régulièrement salué pour sa délicieuse cuisine italienne authentique, notamment ses pizzas au four à bois et ses pâtes fraîches, le tout dans un cadre magnifique au bord du canal de Lachine. De nombreux clients soulignent la qualité du service, décrit comme accueillant, professionnel et attentionné, ce qui contribue à une atmosphère chaleureuse que ce soit pour des repas d'affaires, des rendez-vous romantiques ou des sorties en famille. Bien que certains convives notent que la salle à manger principale peut parfois être bruyante ou que les prix sont assez élevés, la majorité des visiteurs apprécient la constance des plats, les vues imprenables depuis la terrasse et la grande disponibilité du personnel, faisant de cet établissement une destination incontournable où beaucoup retournent avec plaisir depuis des années.
I liked the food & the beautiful view from the balcony. The dishes are quite pricey, though, so I'm not sure I'd go back.
The seafood pasta was good. It came with 2 shrimp, along with calamari, mussels, & small pieces of scallops i guess. Since we had already ordered calamari as an appetizer, I would have preferred more shrimp instead of so much calamari on pasta.
The pizza was delicious-very flavorful with a great crust. I actually regretted not ordering it instead!
Overall, it was a nice experience, but I found the prices a bit too high.
The atmosphere & vibe is good but that's the only thing nice about the place. We weren't offered the focaccia they usually serve to the guests. The portion size is very small compared to the prices. No match between the price, taste, portion & service. You are only paying for the view in front of Lachine channel. Wouldn't go again.
28 juin 2026
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The food was quite good & plentiful (m'lady had to order a take-home-box for her salad), despite the odd passing truck (we did choose the terrace) the atmosphere was excellent, the park & river across the street lent to the view & the noise level was low enough that a quite conversation was kept up throughout the meal..
The main point of enjoyment was the service. The welcome & seating was gracious & accommodating, the table service was as good as it gets, social, worked with us to make the lunch out as good as it possibly could get..
Went for dinner with friends, the view & atmosphere was great but the pasta I ordered was not great, raw garlic & oily pasta wasn't really what I wanted. I also found a 2 hairs in my dish & my friend later found one on her pizza.
Il Fornetto: A Waterfront Mirage of Mediocrity
If your primary dietary requirement is a spectacular view of the Lachine Canal to distract you from the contents of your plate, Il Fornetto is your holy grail. It's a lovely spot-the kind of place where the atmosphere is doing 95% of the heavy lifting while the kitchen staff wanders around, seemingly confused by the concept of portion control.
The service, I must admit, is shockingly friendly. The staff is delightful, which is a real shame because it makes it much harder to be as grumpy as the kitchen deserves.
We kicked things off with'Nona's Meatballs.' Now, either Nona has been severely rationing ingredients lately, or she's lost her depth perception, because these were tasty enough but arrived in a portion size that suggests they were meant for a very hungry toddler. Moving on, my companion's penne arrabbiata was a masterclass in false advertising.'Arrabbiata' implies anger; this dish was more like a mild disagreement. It lacked any real heat &, again, looked like it had been portioned for someone currently on a strict calorie-restricted space mission.
The bread? It was… okay. A rarity in this city, it wasn't that nuked, rubbery sponge that most middle-of-the-road Italian joints try to pass off as artisanal. It actually had a crust. Miracles do happen.
Then came my spaghetti bolognese. The pasta itself was cooked correctly, which I suppose counts as a win these days. However, the chef's plating technique was baffling: they simply plopped the meat sauce on top of the mound like an afterthought. The result? Once you inevitably finished the small crater of meat at the summit, you were left excavating a dry mountain of plain noodles from the depths. It felt less like an Italian meal & more like a game of culinary Jenga.
Is the view worth the bill? Absolutely not. You are paying a premium for the privilege of staring at the water while you contemplate the price-to-portion ratio. It is, quite frankly, expensive enough that I expected the food to actually be plated into the pasta, rather than just resting comfortably on top of it.
Would I return? No. There are plenty of places in Montreal where the food actually matches the price point, & I prefer my pasta with the sauce distributed by someone who understands basic mixing. Three stars for the view & the staff, but the kitchen needs to wake up.
Absolutely lovely meal at Il Fornetto!
Pizza was excellent & my friends both had the linguini vongole (ask for the white wine sauce!) & both said it was excellent.
Price was reasonable given the proximity to the water & lovely view from our table.
The waiter was professional, funny & efficient. Nothing but smiles! Would definitely visit again.
