New Italian restaurants in Toronto have provided us with the comfort and elegance we've been craving this year. Whether it's a humble plate of pasta or a takeout pizza, or something a little more sophisticated, these recently opened places have been there when we needed them.

Here are some new Italian restaurants in Toronto.

Dova

This Cabbagetown restaurant serves some seriously high-end takes on pasta and pizza with toppings like wild boar sausage, but they're also remarkable for their brunch menu and a Caesar made with house Worcestershire and pomodoro water.

Osteria Rialto

Bloorcourt is now home to this Italian restaurant that opened up as part of a refurbished movie theatre. Expect options like house-baked focaccia, marinated octopus and mushroom ravioli.

Gusto 501

Head to Corktown to find this glitzy new multi-storey restaurant that does everything from capuccinos in the morning to cocktails at night, with lots of pizza, pasta, steak and sandwiches in between.

You can't go wrong with a rapini e salsicce pizza from Gusto 501. Photo by Hector Vasquez.

Giovanni's

If you're looking for red and white checkered tablecloths, an extensive menu of antipasti, salads, pizza and pasta, and a selection of grocery staples, look no further than this new restaurant in (where else) Little Italy.

Giovanni's serves textbook bruschetta, antipasti, salads, pizza and pasta. Photo by Hector Vasquez.

Stock TC

This huge complex serving Italian food and retailing Italian groceries is a collaboration between industry giants like Sud Forno, and recently opened this year near Yonge and Eglinton.

Cucina Mauro

Castlefield Design District now has this new caterer that can provide menus of fresh Italian starters, panini, pizza, meat and seafood, and also acts as a market where you can pick up sauces, pantry staples and meal kits.