The top 5 new Italian restaurants in Toronto

New Italian restaurants across Toronto are delighting diners with their own house-made pasta, sugo, mozzarella, baked goods, and by firing pizzas in wood-burning ovens and cooking proteins on the grill, some the way Nonna would do it, some not so much.

Here are my picks for the top new Italian restaurants in Toronto.

Annabelle

With three pasta specials, a burrata special, and more that change up daily, this quaint multi-level Davenport restaurant is really challenging themselves. Did I mention they’re making their own pasta in a range of shapes and styles that also change every day? Oh yeah, and everything’s cooked on just three burners. No big deal.

Sugo

The shiniest, stretchiest mozzarella and most delicious sugo are both made at this checkered-tablecloth joint in Bloordale. A range of classic Italian sandwiches like veal and assorted deli are given serious upgrades, and there are also awesome mozzarella sticks and stuffed peppers.

La Palma

This place is run by the team behind Campagnolo, so you know the Italian here is on point. On Dundas West, it’s open all day for coffee, baked goods, pizzas, cocktails, and their legendary thousand-layer lasagna. Bonus: the interior design is on fire.

Cano

Tucked away on a sleepy strip of St. Clair West where other Italian spots have long flourished, this new spot offers seafood pizza, fluffy gnudi, a range of martinis, and brunch.

Sud Forno

This new location of Terroni’s bakery offshoot is at Temperance and Yonge. A cafeteria-style space downstairs has pre-made pizzas, salads, baked goods, coffee and cocktails, and a dining room space upstairs features table service and larger dishes.