Fiorellino (International District)

Fiorellino opened in 2016 on rue De la Gauchetière in Montreal’s Quartier International, bringing an Italian snack bar–style restaurant to a stretch of downtown better known for office towers than long lunches. The project comes from the Buonanotte Group—Massimo Lecas, Lino Lozza, Angelo Leone, and Robbie Pesut—who built the room around a wood-fired oven that anchors both the space and the menu.

Designed by Jean-Guy Chabauty of Atelier Moderno, the interior blends mid-century touches with Italian cues: tiled surfaces, warm lighting, and a counter displaying desserts that pulls the room somewhere between neighbourhood trattoria and lively downtown bar.

The menu focuses on straightforward Italian cooking. Wood-fired pizzas remain the centrepiece, alongside house-made pastas like gnocchi with bolognese ragù and bucatini with broccoli pesto and guanciale. Antipasti and salads—think burrata with seasonal vegetables or fritto misto with lemon-oregano aioli—round out the table. Between business lunches, after-work drinks, and late dinners over pizza and wine, Fiorellino has settled into its role as a dependable downtown standby.