What we like about Trattoria Fieramosca is that it’s an upscale Italian restaurant in Toronto, far away from all the noise. It’s tucked away along the tree-lined streets of Prince Arthur Avenue.

Now, although we like the serene ambience of Trattoria Fieramosca, what we didn’t like is the limited parking space. And with other restaurants nearby, finding a spot can be a pain.

The silver lining is that it’s the place we like to go for a quiet dinner. It’s open six days a week, and we like that besides dining in, they offer take-outs and deliveries via Uber Eats.

Upon entering the restaurant, the old-fashioned style will greet your eyes. Frankly, we love the vibe of this place as it has an Italian home feel—complete with paintings and a vintage wine collection.

The second floor is even open for private dining, which is convenient for events. Some customers book it for special occasions, as it can serve up to 40 guests.

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But the best part? Their menu, of course! With various selections of meat and veggie-based pasta and pizza, it was nice to have so many choices with every visit.

Furthermore, any of the veal scaloppini is a must-try for us, along with their pasta menu due to the variations and the daily specials for some surprise dishes. But their lemon meringue pie for dessert, which is yummy, is only available on weekends.

Still, we were glad there’s a wide selection of vintage wines, such as reds, whites, and rosé. We do appreciate that many are from Italian wineries as well to complete your dining experience.

Chef Rob Rossi, a runner-up on Top Chef Canada’s first season, opened Giulietta on College Street. For us, that speaks about the food’s deliciousness.

We like the overall vibe of the place; it’s sleek and modern and has an upscale feel. It does feel especially relaxing at night with the restaurant’s ambient lighting.

It’s also located within Little Italy in Toronto. There’s plenty of street parking in and around the area, and it’s commuter-friendly.

We found the menu especially delicious, with plenty of choices for meat and veggie lovers. We particularly love their wood-fired pizza, complete with charred spots that add to the flavour.

In addition, the wine list is long, with plenty of options to pair with your dish. We also really like the restaurant’s bar for sipping wine and eating light meals.

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But here’s a minor inconvenience: Giulietta gets booked fast. We highly suggest getting a reservation, or else you won’t get a table. And if you’re celebrating a special occasion, book at least two weeks in advance for a surefire table.

If you’re celebrating an event, it’s unfortunate you can only book up to ten guests. It was also saddening that you can’t bring even small decor or cakes into the restaurant for occasions, so we found this Italian restaurant ideal only for simple celebrations.

With a convenient location on Spadina Avenue, which stretches from downtown, Fusaro’s Italian Kitchen became one of our picks. They’re also accessible via various delivery services in Toronto, perfect for at-home Italian dining.

It does have another location on Richmond Avenue, but the thing is, it’s closed on weekends. While that’s a limitation, the Spadina restaurant is open on Saturdays.

What we found unique about this Italian eatery, which is open for lunch and dinner, is the cafeteria-style dining. The atmosphere is very laid-back, which we found ideal for quick pop-ins as there’s no need for reservations.

Additionally, we appreciate the patio dining. It’s a favourite feature among many customers since it’s perfect for sunny days.

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The all-day menu is a plus, too. But what makes them stand out is their creamy, fresh, and flavourful pasta sauces, particularly their tomato sauce—which you can also purchase in a huge bottle.

Because of their yummy sauce, we really like their bolognese pasta. And with good portions and reasonably priced Italian dishes, we think this restaurant offers good value for money.

It’s also nice that they’re open for catering, available for pickups at their two locations or by delivery. However, they only deliver within downtown Toronto.

Nonetheless, there’s only a 24-hour notice for catering orders. That’s pretty helpful for last-minute parties!

7 Numbers in Danforth is our go-to for a cozy Italian dining experience. The interior design and the candles on each table give the place a romantic touch, in our opinion.

We also like that there are two locations in Toronto: Danforth and Eglinton. There’s not a lot of parking on both, though, so the best way to get to 7 Numbers is through public transportation.

Still, getting there is pretty worth it for us. They’re famous for their tender lamb shank, and their agnello brasatto (braised lamb) is a bestselling dish, which you can also get for takeout or delivery.

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Although we really like their food selection, they don’t serve pizza. It was actually surprising for an Italian restaurant in Toronto.

They compensate for that in their drinks menu, though. We like the list of cocktails, beer, wines, coffee, tea, and Italian soda.

It’s worth noting that they are open for private events, and they’re also conveniently available for off-site catering. It’s also a nice touch that they have wine tastings.

But what makes them stand out is their private cooking classes every Monday. The best part is it’s not a simple class, but rather a fun dinner party where you are welcome to participate in the cooking if you want—or just sit by and watch!

One of the best authentic Italian restaurants in Toronto on our list is Ristorante Sotto Sotto. For us, it’s the place to go for an upscale dining experience.

Now, when we say upscale, we mean there’s a dress code. You need to come here in your best fine dining gear, which we found adds to the luxury dining experience—ideal for anniversaries and romantic dates, no?

Located along Avenue Road, it’s quite accessible. We like the exterior as well because it’s a brick house, and it’s hard to miss.

There’s dine-in, patio dining, takeout, and delivery—pretty convenient for cravings. Plus, they offer catering for up to 250 guests.

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What’s even better is their catering service is available for sit-down and buffet styles. But we like that they also offer pick up and delivery— convenient options, no?

Another thing we like about Ristorante Sotto Sotto is they specialize in delicious pasta and meat dishes. And a little tip: ask for their secret menu for a surprise dish.

But for an Italian restaurant in Toronto, it was surprising they don’t offer many pizza dishes. You can get some from their Oakville location, but it’s a 30-minute drive from downtown, depending on traffic.

Despite that, we found their large menu variety to be quite incredible–there are tonnes of options! In particular, their grilled octopus is a must-try because it’s cooked well, tender, and not chewy or tough to eat.