Reviews Marcello's Pizzeria

I miss some of the items on the old menu, but the food still stands up. I lived in the area for almost 35 years, and I end up here a good percentage of the times that I’m back in the area. Still one of my favourite Italian places in the city. That being said, the kitchen staff does change shifts day to day, and I no longer know who is working when, so there are days that are better than others, especially for pizza.

This place has been an institution for as long as I've known. I was introduced here by a bunch of colleagues at an Italian radio station I used to work at in the late 90's. I used to dine her quite regularly but haven't lately due to so many other options always popping up.
Last night's visit was the first in about 6 yrs and I'm happy to say that it's still as awesome as it was back when I remembered.
The quality, the huge portions, the friendly service. You can tell there are a ton of regulars and that's usually a very good sign.
Do save room for their homemade tiramisu. You won't be disappointed. I'm putting this place back on rotation. I'll definitely be back again soon.

I'm a regular and Corso Italia is not the same without it. I love everything about the place. Food is great every time!

Good food. Delicious food, relaxed atmosphere. Even when it's full your able to have a conversation with the other people sitting at your table without feeling the need to yell. Even on a weeknight there can be a bit of a wait but once seated they don't rush you.

This is our family's favorite no nonsense Italian family restaurant. They have the usual fare which includes homemade thin pizzas, gnocchi , veal Parm etc. Also have some great salads and various appetizers including calamari and mussels. My favorite is their giant shrimp in a spicy tomato sauce. Ymm! The service is rapid and the prices are reasonable. They don't take reservations and the place is so popular that if you don't want to wait, you'll have to get there before 6pm.

My family and I are Italian and have been going to Marcello's for years! The pizza IS traditional and everything we've eaten and ordered is delicious. If a place were so 'average' as a previous review had stated, it wouldn't be full every night of the week. Thumbs up.

I live in Hamilton, and recently decided to take a trip into the city to visit my cousin Anna for dinner.During my time on the streetcar, my nose caught all the different scents coming from the many nearby restaurants and that’s when I realized that St. Clair isn’t just another street in Toronto.

Marcello’s Pizzeria was just one of the many restaurants along the strip that caught my eye, and immediately I knew from the fresh ingredients that I would be back!

After what seemed like a long and draining commute, I finally arrived at my “Toronto home” and had worked up quite the appetite. I was in the mood for Italian and luckily so was Anna, who suggested we go to Marcello’s Pizzeria, which is located just up the street from her at 1163 St Clair Ave West.

We got to try a variety of the menu, choosing our appetizers first: the Calamari alla Griglia ($11.95), and the Arancini con Pomodoro, balls of fried cheese in a rich tomato sauce ($7.95). We then split the Terra Pizza topped with pancetta, spinach, roasted potato, & red onion (13.50). The Strawberries and Crème Wafer Cake ($6.50) was the perfect finish to our delicious dinner!

The Good

The food was not only delectable and fabulous, but the service was also outstanding. The pizza was without a doubt one of the highlights of our meal, and every ingredient–even the blend of mozzarella & parmigiano cheese–stood out. The risotto balls stuffed with mozzarella and the grilled calamari accompanied with a traditional Italian wine were luxurious additions to our sophisticated Italian dinner, and the wafer cake was to die for!

 The Bad

The only complaint about the food that I had was that the calamari was extremely hard to cut through, given that it was grilled & not fried, but everything else was truthfully delightful.

Overall

Marcello’s Pizzeria was everything that I expected from an Italian restaurant. It was classy, the food was great, and everything was brought out in a timely fashion. In case you were wondering, all the ingredients were really fresh and yes, the pancetta on the Terra pizza was real, unlike so many restaurants that use that fake, microwave bacon. I strongly advise everyone to head down to the St. Clair area and try this place out!

The Crowd: Sophisticated and upscale.

Pricing: $10-20 per dish

Hours: Mon-Thurs 11:30am-10:30pm, Fri-Sat 11:30am-11:00pm, Sun 1:00pm-10pm

1163 St Clair Ave West
(416) 656 6159