17 of the Best Things to Do in Little Italy

Italian pastries are some of the best, and the best in Montreal can, to no surprise, be found in Little Italy. La Cornetteria is an Italian pasticceria from the minds of Stefano Cicali and Cinzia Persechino. With flavours reminiscent of Cicali’s native Florence, their specialty is an Italian croissant called the cornetto, though they also sell other classic pastries, like cannoli, sfogliatella, cookies, and cakes.

Also worth visiting is Paticceria Alati-Caserta, another Italian bakery, and Boulangerie Marguerita, a bakery specializing in Italian breads. If you’re in the neighbourhood, but prefer French pastries, Louise is the place to go.

Each neighbourhood has its own special quirks—the things that add charm, whether architecturally, culturally, or otherwise. While Montreal’s Little Italy is perhaps best known for its simultaneous Italian influence and international cuisine, one of its lesser-known attractions? Sukūn. At this studio, they offer a variety of yogas and pilates classes, including those spent in aerial silks, stretching and strengthening from your own personal hammock. If you’re in the vicinity and enjoy switching up your workouts, there are plenty of classes to choose from.

Open for over 90 years, Jean Talon is one of the biggest open-air markets in North America, offering an array of local produce and artisan fare, with restaurants and food stands interspersed. While it’s open year round, the market truly comes alive in the summer, as the breeze rolls through, merchants and customers exchange lively bargaining, and the scent of fresh vegetables and flowers permeates the air. Whether you’re looking for a specific ingredient for tonight’s dinner, want to browse the options, or are in search of a quick lunch, there’s something at the market to satisfy every need—as long as it’s food-related.

Mimi Nori is a self-service ramen bar and konbini (Japanese convenience store) on Saint-Laurent. Step inside, and you’re greeted with a wall of packaged ramen to choose from, alongside tall tables painted to look like cup noodle, and shelves of imported Japanese goods. They also offer prepared foods, like onigiri and handrolls.

Once you’ve satisfied your konbini cravings, head over to Alambika for wine, beer, and spirit-related products, including bitters, syrups, and bartending supplies. Al Khair, a butcher shop, with meat sourced from Quebec farms and ready-to-eat dishes, is also worth a visit.

Galerie ERGA is a multipurpose exhibition space, where artists and collectives can exhibit their work. Because it’s more a flexible rental and event space than a traditional gallery, their exhibitions reflect local Montreal artists in way that many other spaces cannot, and rotate frequently so that visitors may walk through time after time, with new art to explore.

Other art destinations in the area include Galerie C.O.A. and Produit Rien. C.O.A. is a contemporary art gallery that’s home to both Canadian and international artists, and aims to exhibit the work of disabled artists. Produit Rien supports artistic production and exhibitions, spanning visual arts, experimental music, poetry, and more.

Le Palais Bulles is the knick-knack lover’s dream. A colourful array of home goods, accessories, jewelry, and more fill the store, and draw your eye every which way. Charming and carefully curated by the shop’s owner, Margaux Nadeau, Les Palais Bulles is the perfect place to find gifts made both locally and beyond. If you walk down Saint-Zotique for just five minutes, and turn left onto Beaubien, you’ll come across Centre de Musique Diplomate, an expert guitar shop, and the city’s only Fender Custom Shop Showcase Dealer.

For more miscellany, check out Tah-dah!; for second-hand clothing go to Empire Exchange and Inedit.e; and for quality kitchenware, Quincaillerie Dante.

The doughnut takes many forms and flavours—France has beignets, Portugal has malassadas, India has jalebi, and Italy has bombolone. The Tuscan doughnuts, filled with cream, jam, or nutella, in many cases, is tossed in sugar and pairs perfectly with espresso. The place to get them in Little Italy? San Gennaro, a Roman pizza, dessert, and coffee spot in the heart of the neighbourhood, where you can choose between a vanilla, nutella, or pistachio bombolone.

If you want more of a specialty, secular, doughnut, try out Beigne Habitude, which sells fun flavours of crullers, brioches, filled brioches, and more.

Death of Vinyl is a hub for physical media in Little Italy, buying, selling, and trading used vinyl, tapes, CDs, stereos, and turntables. The smell is just as you’d imagine it, the sound fluctuating between the flipping of albums, crate by crate, and the creaking of steps as patrons quietly peruse. The staff is knowledgable, listing off music facts and history at the snap of a finger, and the store’s listening stations lend themselves to helping customers select their newest LP. Whether you’re just starting your collection, adding to an already extensive library, or looking to get rid of some you no longer listen to, they’ve got you covered.

Les Faiseurs is a cafe, boutique, and pottery studio that offers workshops and pottery courses to ceramicists of all levels. Whether you want to paint pottery, create a specific piece (think travel mug or vase), or take an 8-week course, Les Faiseurs has you covered. Every drink you purchase from their cafe comes in a locally handmade ceramics, as do their homemade pastries, sandwiches, and salads. Grab lunch and learn wheel-throwing, or just sip a coffee while watching the pros at work.

In the midst of the pandemic came N’était-Ce Pas L’été, Mélanie Guillemette’s bookstore of feminist essays, Quebec novels, and fanzines. Since then, the shop’s collection has expanded—as did its place in the neighbourhood. Head there to do the typical bookstore walk through, or attend one of their many events, including book launches, discussions, readings, improv nights, and open mics.

If you’d rather a more casual read, or prefer a more diverse reading selection, Multimags, a Montreal staple for more than 30 years, is the spot to get magazines, books, gifts, and more.

Wine is ubiquitous in Italy. In Montreal’s Little Italy, one could argue the same. At Bar Mamie, wine is a centrepiece for all else—bottles line the wall, glasses perch at every table. Try an exceptional red, white, or rosé from their rotating chalkboard menu, and pair it with a few of their many small plates.

Pompette, a Spanish-inspired wine bar, offers affordable glasses and bottles from all over Europe and Canada, alongside a carefully curated tapas menu. Buvette Beaubien pours out imports and natural wines for brunch, lunch, and dinner and dishes up shared plates.

There are few things more Italian than the aperitivo—combining light drinks and snacks to make the perfect pre-dinner ritual. While many bars in Little Italy are as much restaurants as they are drinking digs, toting extensive, oft-rotating menus, Bar Bello does things differently. The first dedicated aperitivo bar in Montreal, Bello’s drinks menu is longer than its food. Alongside wine, cocktails, beer and non-alcoholic options, they serve a modest selection of antipasti, pizzas, piattini (shareables), and dessert.

There’s no better place for a classic Italian espresso (freshly pulled, in a small cup and saucer) than Caffè Italia. Sit among the neighbourhood’s nonni, add a whole pack of sugar, and enjoy the rare cafe where friendly conversation reigns over computers. If you’re on Saint-Zotique, try Café San Gennaro (they’ve also got Roman pizza and dessert). And on Dante street, Café Conca d’Oro will do the trick.

Parc Dante is Little Italy’s resident people-watching spot. Spanning the corners of Gaspé Avenue and Alma Street, this one-block city park is situated in the centre of the neighbourhood with all the hustle and bustle revolving around. Located near amazing restaurants, bakeries, bars, and more, it’s the perfect pass through nature on your way to enjoy a meal, and a great place to stop for a game of bocce.

After opening in March 2025, Pasta Pooks, from Luca Vinci (ex-Mano Cornuto/Impasto) and Victor Petrenko, has asserted itself as one of the finest restaurants for pasta in the city. They’ve got a rotating menu, typically featuring 4-5 pasta dishes—all perfectly al dente—and an incredible array of appetizers and desserts to round it out. With both a takeout counter and dining room, it’s the perfect place for a slow date night or a quick but incredibly satisfying lunch.

Also known for their pasta is Impasto, a cornerstone of Little Italy from Stefano Faita and Michele Forgione, and Lucca, where they use fresh, local ingredients, in their pastas of the day and beloved seafood linguine.

Bottega’s Neapolitan style pizza has been gracing Little Italy for around 20 years. In that time, it’s become a local favourite—known for affordable prices and quality ingredients. They use organic salumi, buffalo mozzarella imported from Caserta, and hand-picked San Marzano tomatoes, all coming together in a 900 degree wood-fired oven.

Pizzeria Napoletana serves up thin-crust pizza, from their almost 80-year-old home on Dante street, Gema Pizzeria (sibling to Impasto) offers a range of classic and inventive Neapolitan pies, and Pizza Bouquet takes New York-inspired pizza to new levels.

Little Italy is home to some of the finest restaurants in the city, including the internationally renowned Mon Lapin, a Saint-Zotique situated natural wine bar that’s earned spots on the Michelin Guide and the number 2 spot on Canada’s 100 best restaurants. With a menu comprised of shared plates, made with quality ingredients, and a wine cellar spotlighting small producers, it’s Montreal’s not-to-be-missed culinary destination.

If you’re unable to secure a spot at Mon Lapin, or want something a bit different, some other esteemed restaurants in the neighbourhood include Rôtisserie La Lune (from Mon Lapin’s founders), Limbo, Salle Climatisée, and Parapluie.