Overall Pasta Pooks is widely praised for fresh handmade pasta and bold flavors, with standout dishes such as ravioli, gnocchi and casoncelli mantovani, and desserts like tiramisu and panna cotta earning high marks. Many reviews note that portions are small for the price and the overall cost can feel steep, especially given limited seating and a busy, sometimes loud, intimate setting. Service is often described as friendly and attentive with good wine knowledge, though a few visits mention slower or inconsistent service and occasional reservation hiccups. Taken together, Pasta Pooks is regarded as one of the top spots for pasta in the city and a must try for pasta lovers, albeit with the caveat that the hype comes with premium pricing and potentially cramped space.
Finally checked out Pasta Pooks & it's a really solid spot. The handmade pasta is fantastic & the restaurant has a super fun, lively energy.
That said, it is definitely on the pricier side for the portion sizes, & the space is tiny so it gets pretty loud. Overall, it's amazing food & a cool atmosphere-just expect a premium price tag for a casual meal. Definitely worth checking out!
The food is delicious. Pasta as it would be in a very good trattoria in Italy. What does not work at all is the price, that is outrageous. 55 dollars (with taxtes & tip) for a bowl of ricotta-spinach ravioli & a tiny glass of natural wine, you know the one that looks like pineapple juice & tastes worse. In fact the wine list is insanely priced & utterly hip, as if this was a Michelin-starred joint, run by a dude fom Williamsburg. In fact you just ate at the bar, perched on a stool, & looking at the wall. Avoid the place, save some money & try to visit Bologna instead.
Hidden in little Italy , with an inconspicuous signboard, this tiny restaurant is incredibly popular! Online reservations & credit card guarantees are required to get a table; it's a popular Italian handmade pasta restaurant that demands a bit of patience to enjoy.
The pasta is perfectly cooked, springy & chewy, & infused with flavorful Italian meat sauce.
We were six people celebrating a couple of birthdays the pasta here is fantastic.we as Italians really appreciate the art of homemade pasta. The appetizers are also very good. My only critic is the portion size. I understand the pasta size being what it is, however the portion size of the appetizers could be a bit bigger. We needed eight appetizers so we can all have a bit of each otherwise we love everything else about this restaurant.
The pasta is exquisite, but the overall experience was disappointing. The place feels neglected & extremely loud, with people acting as if they're in their own living room with no consideration for others. It might work as a chaotic family spot, but it's definitely not a place for a cozy or romantic dinner.
On adore le Pasta Pooks. Notre petite place chouchou pour se gâter. Les pâtes sont divines des yeux au palais. C'est notre endroit préféré pour manger des pâtes fraîches, des frais. C'est aussi le seul endroit où j'ai envie de lécher le beurre dans mon assiette tellement c'est bon! On est chanceux d'avoir des petits joyaux comme vous.
Mar 15, 2026
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The pasta is truly delicious, but we were disappointed with how understaffed they were. The prices would be more fair if the service was even half decent. We were two people with a reservation & it took 1.5 hours to receive our pasta…
For the entire dining room there were only two waitresses (both working very hard, our waitress was lovely!) & one guy just standing around texting on his phone. Sad vibe for a neighbourhood spot!! I hope they hire more people.
We went yesterday to try Pasta Pooks out after seeing all the social media hype, & we can confirm that it's just that, hype. Quite expensive for the portion size whether it be the appetizers or the pasta. We ordered 2 appetizers (very tiny portions, 20$ minuscule strachiatela with veggies), 1 pasta, which was actually good, just quite small, & its pasta... which is very cheap, & still the portion served was disappointing.
The very small glass of wine was $17 dollars (plus tax) & we finished the night hungry, definitely it was more hype & snd did not live to our expectations.
It feels like they're trying to live off the hype, & not have any returning customers. 3 stars because the pasta was actually good.
You cannot justify those prices when the portions are minuscule, there's not even a nice view, or you're not in a highly touristy area.
This is the first bad review I have had to write, which says a lot
Pâtes somptueuses & authentiques. Gnocchi alla ricotta comme un nuage en bouche. N'hésitez pas à essayer les autres plats comme les entrées, très originales. Beau choix de vins aussi. Pasta Pooks, à découvrir absolument!
We've been hard pressed to find this kind of spot! Super delicious food, comfortable space & vibe. Every plate was delicious (ordered 2 pastas & 3 entrees). We realized my brother was in town at last minute, & they found a way to work out the reservation to include an extra person - really personal touch. Service was great & each dish hit the mark. Looking forward to coming back!
Feb 20, 2026
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Fine but not nearly what I was expecting. It's overhyped & overpriced in my opinion. Expensive, small portions, few options, mid service, & the pasta was definitely not mind blowing. Personally I would go elsewhere in the neighbourhood if you just want pasta & a glass of wine.
We had a excellent lunch here. The service was so professional, every single staff was so amazing! I will dream of the pasta till the next visit.
One of the owners served us & was extremely helpful & kind.
Definitely one of our favs in MTL!
I mean we didn't have reservation so we sat at the place where everyone's order to go which is ok but since a lot of people was in & out of the place it gets cold while you are eating. But it's totally worth it because the food is amazing, the sausage & the bread as an entry are great, the pasta is amazing so good that I'm wanna go back for sure but the very very best is the tiramisu at the end wow the best one in Montreal & trust I had try so many already 😋. Next time we will reserve so we can enjoy more on the resto side
Feb 7, 2026
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This is the pasta restaurant I've been dreaming of & that comes closest to the authentic homemade pasta that I had in Italy. We skipped the appetizers so that we could try all three of the daily pastas: spaghettoni al ragù d'anatra (thicker spaghetti with a ground duck sauce), casoncelli mantovani (pasta stuffed with squash & coated in a brown butter sage sauce), & ricotta gnocchis in a parmesan & pomodoro sauce (they were like little pillows!). Each pasta dish was cooked to perfection with the right texture & the right balance of flavours. I debated reordering the casoncelli mantovani but refrained since I was trying to be responsible!
We finished the meal with the tiramisu, which we agreed was the best we had ever eaten.
Beautiful wine selection & the service was also really great. The atmosphere in the restaurant was really vibrant, maybe a little too loud for our tastes but totally acceptable given the excellent experience overall. The prices were VERY reasonable for the quality of the meal. I can't wait to return.
3 rotating handmade pastas, a few antipasti, & a really good cheese steak. Unparalleled hipster mullets & a pretty decent soundtrack of indie hits. Unbelievably delicuous.
Pasta Pooks in Montréal is absolutely delicious. The food is first rate & well worth the visit. The space is small, though they are expanding, which will be welcome given how popular it is.
We shared the fried zucchini flower to start, followed by the bean salad, pesto gnocchi, & spinach ricotta ravioli. Every dish was excellent. We sat at the counter , staff was really friendly .We waited about thirty minutes for a spot, but it was absolutely worth it for such outstanding food.
