Impasto

Best authentic Italian cuisine place in Montréal. It feels like the kind of food you would eat in an Italian family but with an extra care to the details. The chef will experiment months to get the perfect result. The food is really well done and the attention that goes into the ingredients can be tasted. The service is extremely professional without being impersonal. The private imported wine selection is exceptionally well chosen and the recommendations are always spot on. If you have the chance to go to their special evenings with wine producers, you won’t regret it. That place became my favorite spot in Montréal.

Loved this place. Amazing food. Amazing service. Amazing wine list. Amazing experience. Will definitely go back.

Situated in little Italy, this place serves market oriented authentic Italian cuisine. From roasting their own porchetta, to hand made pasta and privately imported Italian wine, this place brought me back to Tuscany without the airfare.
The décor is casual trendy; think rustic wood with modern lines. The ambiance is jovial as it hosts quite a diverse and entertaining crowd. From families to couples and some (I’m pretty sure) Italian mafia… it’s your typical little Italy spot! ;)
The food is however what really makes this place shine.
We started with the venison carpaccio served with arugula, roasted peppers and shavings of provolone. The venison was insanely tender and paired perfectly with the salty provolone cheese. Cleanse the palate in between bites with a sip of Nebbiolo wine and it was heavenly bliss!
We continued the tasting with an entrée sized portion of their home made gnocchis, which were served with a stracchino cheese sauce and braised cabbage. This dish is definitely on the heavier side but worth all the calories. The gnocchis were perfectly cooked as they were fluffy in texture and just melted in your mouth.
For mains we ordered the Nonno’s porchetta as well as the lamb shank. The porchetta is not the usually thin slice meat you’d get in a sandwich, but a thick piece of juicy pork roast prepared with tender, love and care. The meat inside was moist and bursting with herb flavour while the skin outside was crispy with a hint of sweet on savoury. Definitely the best I’ve ever had!
The lamb, although very decent, fell short compared to the pork roast. It was well prepared as the meat was fall off the bone, but didn’t standout in taste.
As for price, it’s in the mid to higher bracket. However, servings are generous and the food is so good that you’ll feel like it’s money well spent.
In summary, this place is ‘ça coche’! Just go! But make sure to reserve in advance as the word is getting out and this place is becoming increasingly popular.

Absolutely fantastic. The setting is intimate but big enough for a group (we were 6). The pastas and meats are stellar. Don’t skip dessert either. The apps were tiny, but equally delicious.

The appetizers were the best part of the evening. We had the Quebec Mozarella and the Octopus. So goooood. Since it’s kinda fine dining, the portions were really small but I feel that was important in enhancing thw taste of each dish. You could feel each element of the mozzarella and the sweet potato burst into joy in your tastebuds. The octopus was pan fried with lentils and had a sweet and sour kinda taste. Such a graceful dish.
For maincourse, I had the lamb shanks which was so perfect at first but slowly lost its charm by the end of the meal. The meat was tender, almost falling off its bone and was paired with a side of spinach (i think), chickpeas and cream cheese. I loved that pairing and the gravy also had a bit of tomato. It was great! But i don’t know why it didn’t feel the best at the end, could be because the dish wasn’t as hot and I don’t like eating cold-​ish lamb.
My sister took gnocchi and it tasted amazing. However, we also tried the cod pasta which wasn’t all that great.
I feel part of why my experience wasn’t as fantastic was because the waiter was not too welcoming. He was friendly, yeah, but he seemed reluctant to explain things on the menu. The entire menu was in italian and we were barely understanding what to order. But he gave me an impression that I ‘should’ be able to understand it. But he had great wine recommendation!

We had an absolutely sublime meal at Impasto during our first trip to Montréal. Our waiter was friendly, charming and made perfect suggestions for us. The pasta with lemon was incredible and just the right size and the porchetta with pear and greens was unforgettable. Would return in a heartbeat and recommend to others. Great spot!

Amazing! This restaurant has it all: a great space, excellent service, delicious wine by the glass, and incredible food. A friend and I split 4 items and the waitress kindly brought them out one by one with small plates for each of us. This well-​paced way of eating is my favorite! Each course seemed better than the previous one– all were delicious. The salad is lovely– fresh vegetables served with fresh mozzarella and bread. We followed it with house made duck prosciutto served with melon– simply divine! Next came a pasta in lemon crème fraîche with arugula that may be the most delicious thing I’ve eaten in months. We finished with pasta and seafood in a red sauce– simple, fresh, and delicious. Can’t recommend this place enough.

The truffles in the summer truffle pasta were overwhelmed by lemon. All other dishes were so-​so. Service was a bit slow and not especially warm.
Pretty mediocre.

Je suis allée dans ce petit restaurant au coeur de la Petite-​Italie pour une soirée en amoureux avec mon copain. N’y étant jamais allée, je né savais pas trop à quoi m’attendre. Nous avions réservé une table à 21h. Le resto était plein, l’ambiance était effervescente, mais pas trop bruyante non plus. Le décor était super: de grandes fenêtres, une cuisine ouverte sur la salle à manger, un espace comptoir qui avait l’air vraiment invitant (je l’essayerais volontiers lors d’une prochaine visite).
Le menu était simple: 4 à 5 choix d’antipasti, 4 choix de pâtes, 4 choix de viandes. La serveuse a pris le temps de bien nous expliquer les différents plats, qui avaient tous l’air aussi alléchants les uns que les autres. On a d’abord partagé l’entrée de tartare de boeuf. Personnellement, je suis une «fan finie» des tartares et celui-​ci était vraiment différent de tous ceux que j’ai pu goûter dans le passé. J’ai l’habitude des tartares de boeuf classiques vinaigrés, mais celui d’Impasto, avec sa mayonnaise à la moelle, était tout simplement délicieux: on goûtait bien le boeuf et la saveur délicate de la moelle. Un dosage parfait, bien équilibré.
Mon copain a ensuite opté pour le confit de canard, servi avec des prunes grillées et une polenta crémeuse. Pour ma part, j’ai pris la spécialité de la maison: la porchetta del nonno. Servie avec un poire pochée à la vanille et des rapinis sautés, c’était tout simplement sublime. J’irais même jusqu’à dire que c’est la meilleure viande que j’aie goûtée de toute ma vie. Ça fondait littéralement dans la bouche. La peau était croustillante, la viande était tendre et juteuse, la farce était savoureuse. Magnifique. Et la poire ajoutait une douceur et une fraîcheur subtiles au plat.
On a finalement partagé un lemone au dessert: une meringue italienne nappée de crème au citron. Une belle touché de fraîcheur pour terminer ce copieux repas.
En somme, j’ai adoré l’endroit. Tout au long de la soirée, on a eu droit à un service attentionné, discret et rapide. L’ambiance était vraiment cool et le repas était authentique et savoureux. Prévoir toutefois un bon 50 $ par personne + vin + pourboire pour la soirée. En somme, Impasto est un resto que je garderai décidément en tête pour les occasions spéciales.

Bad quality/​price rate
I had the pasta alla carbonara, the portion was small and somehow very little sauce. I’m not exaggerating (I was tasting the hot water from where the pasta has been cooked in) I couldn’t believe it especially for a pasta plate close to the 30 $.
I asked the waiter if it was possible to have a bit more sauce.
After 4 – 5 min he came back telling me the «Chef» insisted in serving the plate like I received it, they would be pleased to make something else… Basically he refused to give me more sauce… Anyways…
I had the beef tartare as an antipasto and it was pretty decent. Don’t take the salad it was very small amount of it with a bit of dressing for 18 $. However it looks like everybody agreed on the porcetta dish to say it was good and tasty.
Service was great and the waiter was very nice and diplomat considering the «chef» exigences…
Wines menu is impressive with good bottles.
Nice Environnement, bar, tables, open kitchen concept.
I went, I saw, I won’t come back ;(

I loved the service, the pasta was very nice and overall ambiance was nice. Great spot.

I haven’t been to all of them yet, but I’m reasonably sure this is one of the best Italian restaurants in the city. A nice décor and excellent service make it a great place to take your girlfriend/​wife on a date if she likes Italian food, she’s hungry (your typical meal includes an appetizer, pasta course, meat course and dessert) and you have some spare cash (your bill will be in the 2s).

Wow what to say. If we could give this joint 10 stars we would. Felt like I was back in Italy. Just awesome can’t wait to go back!

Our Impasto experience was like a good expensive wine, end to end joy and complex flavours. The restaurant has an opened kitchen and we were offered seats at the counter in front of it. I think this kind of made the dinner complete, it is so much fun to eat well and watch how the same food is mastered in front of you.
Impasto had a brand new menu when we came for dinner and our careful reading of reviews all over the social media, as to pick dishes in advance, was in vain. The menu definitely has seasonal orientation and I love surprises. My appetizer was an amazing beet salad, so carefully presented that I felt bad eating it, the scallops of my partner in crime were pretty good too.
If I could I would have tried all the four pasta dishes, it was difficult to choose between the ink linguini, squash and quince options. My friend ordered the cavatelli with spicy sausage, heavenly! I went with the quince, partridge and mushroom dish as recommended by our host. I love quince and the flavour in the pasta was pretty amazing, but the entire dish somehow didn’t come fully together. The pasta was cooked really al dente. If a manage to come back, my next choice would be definitely the ink linguini with clams, they looked so attractive when delivered over the counter for other customers. We also like to share our adoration for the pasta chef, he was a madman when it got crazy busy in the kitchen.
The main corse was amazing, the porchetta is a must try dish. We did wise to share, it is heavy, but don’t you even think of not eating the fat. My first bite is the reason I will come back to Impasto, so full of flavours and spices. Dessert comes in little jars, the tiramisu is five stras, the white chocolate panna cotta was ok.
Wine list is long. We were in for a treat and my date ordered an expensive bottle of red, which was just perfect with the food. We also finished with dessert wine, private import from Italy with peach flavor, so good and again recommended by the wonderful hosts that took care of us. Yes, service is actually six stars.
Back to our counter top seats with special view of the kitchen. This is a brave decision of the owners, the kitchen should be impeccably clean, the cooks have enough pressure to deliver, when curious eyes are staring at them. I would always pick the same spot when coming back to Impasto, as I loved to watch how the rhythm picks up and how it slows down as the first round of servings is done. Was it an expensive dinner, yes it was, because we chose so, we took the full package of this restaurant and without regret. Yum!

Simply the best meal I’ve had in years … Excellent food, great service
Sting Bean salad, Burrata and tomatoes (5 different kind of tomatoes that were the tastiest I’ve ever tasted), Lobster pasta and the Swordfish. All were just one word: Wow
To top it off; we went for some delicious frozen custard across the street at their other restaurant Gema
I am writing this review at 12:30 am 3 days after I ate at Impasto since I am still thinking of this great meal!!! i And also because the whole team there really deserves all the praise possible for the great evening

Amazing fresh made pastas!!! It’s like eating in a chic trattoria in Milan, except it’s in Little Italy off of Saint Laurent. We got bar seats where we could watch the proficient 24 burner kitchen put out delicious and beautifully presented food made of the best ingredients. Had the octopus starter that was so good. The winning dish was the pasta dish made with green almond pesto. Four dessert the panne cotta drizzled with browned pear vinegar was a perfect creamy way to finish the dinner.

Great food, excellent service, nice décor. I went with my entire family (Step mom, dad, sister, brother, brother in law), and they are incredibly critical restaurant eaters, but luckily for me generous and polite to wait staff so regardless of how they felt, I was quite pleased with the meal.
I wanted a variety of things, so I shared a lobster pasta with my brother that was definitely one of the better lobster pastas I’ve had. That whet my appetite for the next course which was a cold octopus salad… DELICIOUS. I’ve only had octopus salad a few times but this was definitely the tastiest and most generous portion I’ve had.
At this point I was getting full but I still ate my carpaccio which was very good. I tasted my brother’s sous-​vide crispy pork shoulder… if you like your pork and are hungry this is the dish for you. My sister had Swordfish that was cooked so it was raw in the middle so it almost was like eating seared tuna.
I had a double espresso as well and my brother liked it so much he drank 2. The waitress was friendly and patient and let us try different wines before ordering. It was a little loud but had a friendly atmosphere.

Location: Little Italy — on Dante, right off of St. Laurent. Street parking only — look out for the resident-​only parking zones!
The place: Loved the simple but modern décor, with its large windows that offer up perfect lighting. What can I say, you notice light when you’re into photography! The restaurant isn’t huge by any means, but they do make good use of the floor space. That said, you’ll need reservations if you want a table, and you’ll want to book well in advance. I was unsuccessful in getting reservations when I tried to book 1 – 2 weeks ahead of time (twice) so… you’ve been warned.
The food: OK — I think my expectations were set excessively high due to the reviews, and as such, I felt a little disappointed. Don’t panic — this isn’t a crappy review. My date and I started with the buratta and tomato, which was both fresh and delicious. It’s not very heavy either, so is the perfect starter because it won’t fill you up before you receive your main. We decided to share the appetizer and from my perspective, it was perfect for two people. Now, if you’re a 200-​pound male, you might want to get your own appetizer.
My main was pasta with lobster. Do I remember the name of the pasta? Nope, but it’s very similar to Strozzapreti, which is a short, thick noodle that has a bit of a twist. The pasta was al dente and perfectly cooked. Personally, I felt that there was enough lobster in my plate, BUT others may not feel the same for the price point. The lobster was fresh but I found it to be somewhat chewy. In terms of overall flavor, it pains me to say that the dish was underwhelming. I was expecting the dish to burst with flavor but sadly, it did not. Flavor was almost non-​existent. My date on the other hand, really enjoyed the Casarecce so maybe I just ordered the wrong dish or the chef was having an off-​night.
I ended with the Tiramisu, which was delicious. Perfect balance of coffee and cream — I would have bought several jars of these to bring home, had they been for sale =-D
Service: Great. Our waiter was friendly, took the time to explain the menu, made suggestions on what to eat and drink, and patiently waited while we decided on what to order.
Price point: A little painful. Considering the size of the portions (small), and also taking into consideration the quality of the food (great), I feel that the menu is a little overpriced. For a glass of wine, appetizer, main and dessert, it cost me $ 73 (excluding tip). At this price point, I would perhaps expect complimentary Prosecco or something.
Verdict: I enjoyed my overall experience so I’ll give these guys a redo.

After a few months of waiting, I finally had the chance to check out the Italian restaurant everyone is talking about right now — Impasto. This small space, located in the heart of Little Italy and only a short walk from the Jean Talon Market, was born of the collaboration between Michele Forgione (formerly of Osteria Venti) and Stefano Faita, host of CBC’s In the Kitchen. Impasto aims to provide great Italian food with no shortcuts — almost everything is made in house. Walking into the space, that level of craft permeates even the décor. Beautiful open kitchen with wood panel walls, leather banquettes, terrazzo floors, Pelligrino bottles lining the ceiling and just enough lighting to really brighten up the room. I sat down with a Negrini in hand, ready to enjoy a wonderful meal with a group of friends.
First up, we have the Insalada di Moscardini — baby octopus, fennel, potato and red onion salad. A beautifully balanced salad. The freshness of the fennel combined nicely with the bite of the red onion, the starch of the potatoes and the fatty octopus. Add a little olive oil and some herbs and you had a great starter to the meal.
The other starter I got to try was the housemade Apulia style sausage with pan seared rapini and apple vinegar. Great texture to the sausage as well as great flavour. The combination of the rapini and the apple vinegar adds some nice acidity to the fatty sausage. I know rapini isn’t everyone’s thing but I personally love it so that worked for me.
The next course was the pasta course. I went for the ricotta gnocchi with basil infused tomato sauce. This dish is probably Chef Forgione’s speciality and I had heard so much about it that I wasn’t sure it could meet my expectations. Well… it blew them out of the water. The slow pillowy texture of each morsel. The rich ricotta flavour. I have never had gnocchi that literally melt in your mouth like these ones did. Lightly tossed with a simple but very flavourful tomato sauce, this was pretty much the best pasta dish I have had all year almost without saying. Bravo Chef!
I also got to try another pasta dish — the mafalde with rabbit ragu, chicory and olives. The mafalde pasta itself was wonderful — great texture, indicative of people who know how to make great in-​house pasta. The combination of the rabbit ragu with the chicory made for very earthy notes — a nice contrast to the richness of the ricotta gnocchi I had previously.
For the next course, I went with Nonno’s porchetta roast served with a vanilla pear, pan seared rapini and some candied fruits. This was an amazing roast — deliciously rich and fatty pork meat with crispy skin. The skin wasn’t the crispest I’ve ever had but still wonderful. The inclusion of the vanilla pear and the candied fruits provided some sweetness to balance with the inherent saltiness and fattiness of the roast itself. I love porchetta and Impasto’s take just reinforced my love.
For dessert, we went with the Tiramisu and the chocolate tort cake. I’m not a big fan of Tiramisu due to my hatred of coffee but this one was milder in terms of the coffee taste and had a wonderfully smooth texture. The chocolate cake had more of a brownie texture — very dense but still moist. Very well executed.
This was a great meal all around. Impasto aims for great Italian food and they hit on all the notes. As a party, we did find the service to be slightly slow in terms of bringing water and taking wine orders but it is a minor quibble. Now, the menu changes seasonly and ironically enough, they just changed the menu for the fall so you won’t be able to try the dishes I described above. However, that should not stop you from going menu unseen. I have no doubts you will be as satisfied as I was. Now, I just want to go back to see what Chef Forgione and company have in mind for the current season.
Cheers!

Went to Impasto on a late Wednesday evening (our reservation was for 8:30pm) and the place was absolutely packed. Crazy busy so make sure you reserve in advance. We sat at the bar and had great seats of the chefs working their magic. Our server was fantastic — explained the menu thoroughly and made a few suggestions on what to order.
We decided to share a couple of dishes between the two of us:
— Homemade Apuglia style sausage ($ 13) — came with rapini in an apple vinegar. Sausage was tender and full of flavour. Rapini gave a nice contrast to the sausage.
— Mafalde pasta ($ 20 for full size) with rabbit ragu, chicory and olives. Pasta was cooked perfectly al dante. This is deliciousness on a plate.
— Nonno’s porchetta roast ($ 26) — a massive portion of perfectly cooked porchetta. Just the right amount of fattiness to it. Nice crispiness on the outside and super tender on the inside (you could break it with your fork!). Came with rapini and poached pears.
— Tiramisu ($ 7) — small portion but you can taste the cream/​liquor in the tiramisu. Perfect way to end our meal.
— Glass of pinot grigio ($ 10)
Everything was amazing — full of flavour and cooked perfectly. Wish we had ordered more so I could have tasted more of the menu. If I lived in Montréal still, I would be back! Especially for their lunch menu which I believe is very reasonable (2 for $ 19, 3 for $ 25).
Great spot in Little Italy. Go go go.

We were there this saturday and really enjoyed our evening there. Our server was awesome; kind, profesionnal, knew his wines. Very very good service which is already enough to have me say we’ll be back.
The appetizers were very good. There was a special dish inspired by the market, therefore we enjoyed a great veal carpaccio (YUM!) and a classic yet flawless burrata mozzarella appetizer (double YUM!)
I was expecting to be really impressed by the pasta. Homemade, and all of them were shapes that we don’t eat too often, so that was fun ! Surprisingly though, it was good yet not as much as I had hoped so. My boyfriend had the full plate of the pasta of the day and felt like it was a small portion. I had tons of seafood in mine which made up for the sauce which I felt was a little underwhelming. However, don’t get me wrong, it was still really tasty. You can tell how fresh their food is. Really.
The cheese plate was a bit of a bummer. We didn’t get how and why a cheese platter could include a huge portion of parmesan. BUT the caciocavallo and the gorgonzala themselves were more than enough. The servings were huge and the price really reasonable !
Desert was PER-​FECT. And so was the wine !!
It’s a place to try. Nice ambiance, awesome service and very cute décor.
Around 50 $ per person, before wine + tips.
You should go !