Stellina focuses on the foundational elements of Italian culinary traditions through a meticulously curated menu centered on artisanal pasta production. Every plate highlights the interplay between high-quality semolina and seasonal ingredients sourced to maintain authentic flavor profiles. The kitchen emphasizes traditional shaping techniques that ensure the perfect texture for various regional sauces. Patrons encounter a direct approach to preparation where the natural characteristics of ingredients dictate the outcome of each dish. The interior environment prioritizes functional simplicity, allowing the focus to remain entirely on the culinary output served at the tables. This commitment to standardized preparation methods creates a consistent experience that respects the historical roots of Italian cooking while maintaining a clear and accessible format for every visitor who chooses to experience these regional specialties.
Stellina is widely celebrated for its exceptional Italian cuisine, featuring fresh, house-made pasta that many guests describe as the best they have ever tasted. The restaurant offers a warm, inviting atmosphere and a professional, friendly service team that consistently makes patrons feel welcomed and well-attended. Highlights from the menu often include the creative agnolotti, flavorful carbonara, and signature desserts like the tiramisu, all complemented by a thoughtful wine selection. While the popularity of the space can sometimes lead to a lively or loud environment, many diners find the high quality of the food and the professional, attentive staff make for a memorable and highly recommended dining experience.
Awesome restaurant, incredible staff, best Italian food I've had in my life. Highly recommend the agnolotti. Just delicious not a bad dish there. Definitely go.
We visited here for lunch before checking in at the InterContinental, choosing it on the spot via Google Maps.
Although the 4.3 rating made us hesitate briefly, we decided to go in because the exterior looked trustworthy & reliable.
The building exterior has a classic Old Montreal charm, & the interior is cozy & beautifully designed, creating a wonderful atmosphere. They also have an outdoor patio space, which looks great for dining during nice weather.
The lunch menu was reasonably priced & the portions were satisfying. The appetizers were pleasant, & the fusilli pasta course was a bit salty, but still delicious. The main filet mignon steak felt like finding the best tenderloin steak of my life. It was cooked to a perfect medium-rare, & the meat was incredibly tender & pillowy soft.
The service from the staff was welcoming & polite. It is recommended Italian spot near the hotel.
What an amazing dining experience! The food was absolutely delicious from start to finish, with every dish prepared perfectly & full of authentic Italian flavor. The ingredients were fresh, the presentation was beautiful, & every bite was memorable.
The service was equally impressive-friendly, attentive, & genuinely welcoming without ever feeling rushed. The staff went above & beyond to ensure we had a wonderful evening. Highly recommend!
-Insanely small portions for the exorbitant price of each dish. It's almost insulting to hard working people who enjoy going out.
- Calamari appetizer had a total of literally 8 calamari with the batter falling off them, mixed in a plateful of roasted green peppers, to hide the lack of calamari. Why serve them if they're too expensive for you?
- Burrata is not a whole ball of burrata at all- served on a few grilled peaches, with no bread ( 8$ Extra for a microscopic piece of'Focaccia' that is smaller than a McDonald's cheeseburger bun.) It's simply embarrassing. & Who does one think they are charging 50$ for a plate of pasta?
For Italians who know good homemade, authentic food from Nonna, for young people that go out to restaurants often, it's definitely disappointing all in all. Crazy prices for pasta & extremely mediocre appetizer/mains portions. The 5 star reviews are severely exaggerating. Please don't take people for granted with abusive prices & portions thinking we don't notice these things. Based on the responses by the owner to other well-deserved bad reviews, it's clear his ego's larger than caring about what people actually say in their honest reviews.
We were in Montreal for the weekend & booked Stellina at the last minute. The atmosphere & service were excellent. But the food was the star of the show. We had the crostone with anchovies, the calamari & the fungi saltimbocca. The crostone was a standout we loved it. Very simple ingredients but with all excellent Italian food it's the quality that makes it amazing. For primi we had the angolotti with bone marrow which was like a very creative pasta version of osso bucco…amazing, the carbonara was classic & delicious & the rapini pasta with sausage ragu was a creative spin on a classic. Wine list was great & good choices by the glass. Will definitely come back next time we're in town.
I visited with a friend who was in town, & we were craving Italian food. It was my first time here. The restaurant looks cute & chic, reservations were easy to make (likely helped by it being Super Bowl night), & the atmosphere was calm with great Italian music. There's also a coat check, which is always appreciated.
The staff were genuinely very kind & attentive throughout the evening. The menu is small but seasonal. I started with the winter melon salad, which was excellent - fresh, creamy, & surprisingly filling.
Unfortunately, the crab risotto was disappointing. It was undercooked, which was a letdown as risotto is one of my favorite dishes & something you expect an Italian restaurant to master. That said, the manager handled the situation very professionally: they removed the dish, apologized, & invited me to choose something else. I opted for the tuna crudo, which was great.
They also offered us dessert. I was hesitant about the tiramisu (in Montréal, not all places get it right), but it turned out to be very good. I did suggest serving it in a different cup so the flavors could be more evenly enjoyed.
Overall, the experience was positive thanks to the excellent service & atmosphere, even though some dishes were uneven. I'm not in a rush to return, but I would be open to trying the menu again in a different season.
I am writing this review quite late, as my visit was about a year & a half ago, so things may have changed since then. Based on my experience, however, this was one of the worst restaurants I have been to in Montreal.
The pasta was not properly cooked, & our orders were mixed up. I asked for no bacon, yet my husband received the bacon free dish instead. We were also charged for bread, which is almost unheard of in an Italian restaurant.
Prices were extremely high for what was offered. With two pasta dishes & one or two appetizers, the bill was easily around 200 dollars. The only reason I am giving two stars is the location. The Old Port is beautiful, but I would recommend trying other restaurants instead.
A consistently excellent Italian restaurant in the heart of Old Montreal. The food is always delicious, the service is friendly & professional, & the atmosphere makes it an easy choice for a great evening out.
