Montreal Pizza Guide: Here's Where To Get The Best Pies & Slices
History, availability and where to get the best slices and pies 🍕
Two pizzas and other dishes made at Pizza Napoletana. Right: A pizza made at Pizzeria No.900.
Pizza wasn't created in our city — or even on our continent — but damn do we have some good ones. Since its humble Montreal debut in Little Italy, the cheese, tomato and bread pie has burst across the culinary landscape, with dozens of restaurants vying for the title of best pizza in Montreal.
From classic thin-crust pies to gourmet pizza creations with bold toppings, Montreal's pizza scene has something for every preference. Whether you're in the mood for pizza by the slice, a cozy dine-in experience, or pizza delivery straight to your doorstep, Montreal's pizzerias, counters and restaurants will provide.
Is Montreal known for pizza?
The history of pizza is intertwined with the history of the Italian community.
The first wave of Italian immigration to Montreal began in the early 20th century, according to the Canadian Encyclopedia.
Many of them opened cafés and restaurants in the neighbourhood that would become Little Italy, so residents were able to carry on their traditional cuisine — and Montrealers could finally try the cheesy European dish.
Open since 1948, Pizzeria Napoletana claims to be Montreal's first-ever pizzeria. Others followed. And, as in other cities in North America, pizza would soon become a phenomenon.
Today, pizza is ubiquitous in Canada, from Montreal restaurants advertising authentic Italian cuisine and carb-loaded goodness to national pizza chains, such as Boston Pizza, Domino’s and Pizza Pizza, offering convenient home delivery and drunken late-night eats.
You'll also find regional variations resulting from the influences of Canadian folk cuisine and other immigrant communities.
Canadians can even participate in the annual Pizza Week, for which restaurants craft unique, often bizarre pizza creations and compete for national titles.
Where can you order pizza in Montreal?
Everywhere! No, seriously you have WAY TOO MANY options.
Thanks to apps like Uber Eats, you don't even have to leave your house to get the pizza of your dreams. The dish is now 100% incorporated into Quebec cuisine and pretty much on every casse-croûte menu.
In Montreal, you can decide to buy cheap pies from the nearest corner diner, or opt for a high-end pizza prepared by a chef in a gourmet restaurant… It's up to you!
What is the most popular pizza shop in Montreal?
Here's a list of some of the essential, most highly-rated on Google pizzerias in Montreal. But once you've checked these spots off your foodie list, there's a multitude of other great pizza places across the island, waiting for you to check them out.
- Pizzeria Napoletana
- Address: 189, rue Dante
- Why You Should Go: This landmark eatery in Little Italy is supposedly the oldest pizzeria in Montreal.
- Website
- Gema Pizzeria
- Address: 6827, rue Saint Dominique
- Why You Should Go: This family-run pizzeria serves appetizers and pizzas made from local products found at the Jean-Talon Market.
- Website
- Bottega
- Address: 65, rue Saint-Zotique E.
- Why You Should Go: This place serves Neapolitan-style pizza and calzones. It's ideal for a wine-fueled romantic dinner. There's also a Laval outpost at 2059, boulevard St-Martin Ouest.
- Website
- Moleskine
- Address: 705, rue Saint-Catherine O.
- Why You Should Go: This is a popular food counter at Time Out Market Montreal, so you can pair your delicious pizza with other cuisines.
- Website
- Pizzeria NO.900
- Address: several locations in Montreal
- Why You Should Go: In 2022, this Montreal-born pizza chain received AVPN certification (Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana), an international distinction granted exclusively to restaurants that follow the rules and traditions of classic Neapolitan pizza from Italy. Pizzeria No.900 is now the only pizzeria in the provincewith the prestigious title.
- Website
- Alto
- Address: 3469, av. du Parc
- Why You Should Go: This pizza place is a late-night staple for the university crowd and won the title of "Best In Canada" for a creation made for Pizza Week 2022 competition.
- Website
- Pizza Bouquet
- Address: 45, rue Beaubien E.
- Why You Should Go: This small shop serves delicious New York–style pizza at a reasonable price.
- Website
- Michel-Ange Pizzeria
- Address: 1565, rue Jean-Talon E.
- Why You Should Go: This pizza joint doesn't look so fancy, but it has a five-star rating on Google.
- Website
- Pizza Il Focolaio
- Address: 1223, Place Phillips
- Why You Should Go: This restaurant facing Square Phillips serves delicious thin-crust, wood-fired pizzas.
- Website
- Adamo Pizza
- Address: 4629, rue Notre-Dame O.
- Why You Should Go: Here's another counter-service joint selling cheap but tasty New York-style pies.
- Website
What is Montreal-style pizza?
If there's such a thing as a Montreal-style pizza, it's probably pizzaghetti. A uniquely Quebec creation, pizzaghetti is a staple of greasy-spoon menus, though there's no verified origin story for the carb-rich dish.
It's a messy combination meal made of a pan pizza, usually split down in the middle and separated by a saucy portion of spaghetti. Sometimes, the pasta is cooked on the pie, as a topping under the cheese.
If you're not on a gluten-free diet and dare to try this incredibly filling creation, you can check out these local restaurants.
