Every year, the Grand Prix transforms Montréal into one big celebration. Terraces fill up, the streets come alive, and the city takes on a holiday atmosphere. But if there’s one neighbourhood where you can truly feel this festive energy and passion for the mechanics of race cars, it’s Little Italy.
On May 22, during La Petite Italie en fête for Grand Prix, Saint-Laurent Boulevard will welcome the Ferraris of the Scuderia Ferrari Club Montreal, making the neighbourhood a must-visit destination for anyone passionate about race cars.
Between the Ferraris displayed along Saint-Laurent Boulevard, the packed terraces buzzing at all hours of the day, and the glasses of wine and generous plates being passed around from table to table, the neighbourhood becomes the perfect setting to celebrate the Grand Prix Montréal-style, with a touch of dolce vita.
Because beyond the race cars that thrill F1 fans, Italian culture is above all about pleasure. The pleasure of eating well, taking your time, sharing a meal with friends, and extending the evening on a lively terrace or over an espresso after dessert.
And that’s exactly what you’ll find here, in incomparable Little Italy: that Italian art of living that makes all the difference.
It’s impossible to talk about the neighbourhood without mentioning the iconic institutions that have kept its spirit alive for decades. Since 1948, Pizzeria Napoletana has carried on the tradition of Neapolitan pizza in a warm and lively atmosphere, while Corneli has been serving comforting Italian classics to the neighbourhood since 1960.
For those with a sweet tooth, it’s hard to resist the cannoli and zeppole from Alati-Caserta. Its retro charm evokes another nostalgic and emblematic era of the neighbourhood.
Little Italy also knows how to reinvent Italian gastronomy with more contemporary spots like Bottega, Mucca, and Primo e Secondo, where refined cuisine rooted in local ingredients takes centre stage. Or restaurants like Lucca and Piatto Pieno, where you’ll find all the warmth and conviviality of long Italian evenings shared around a delicious meal.
And then there are those spontaneous little stops that give the neighbourhood all its charm. At Casa di Toto, you simply settle onto the terrace with a good slice of pizza and an ice-cold Brio, watching the lively atmosphere of Jean-Talon Market go by under the summer afternoon sun. A warm and authentic simplicity that perfectly captures the Italian spirit.
That’s the dolce vita in Little Italy. You slow down, gather around the table with friends over good food and endless conversations, carried away by the music, the wine, and the vibrant atmosphere of the neighbourhood, unlike anywhere else.