pizzeria libretto

pizzaria libretto is my favourite pizza place! i tried the danforth location for the first time last night. it definitely has some aspects that distinguish it from the ossington location. we were welcomed at the entrance and promptly taken to our table, which we had reserved. i had the white anchovy pizza and my wife ordered the prosciutto and arugula pizza. they forgot the arugula on my wife's pizza (we didn't mention it to the server), but nonetheless, both pizzas were delicious. how do they get such chewy dough? wonderful. the moretti beer went well with my pizza. libretto on the danforth is agreatplace for pizza.

business meeting

the pizza was really gourmet- the sauce was fresh, authentic taste- they hadgreatdessert too- the environment was pleasant in the meeting room at the back and staff did their utmost best to keep us well taken care of.

now i can say i've been to all the libretto locations in the city. this one is just as good as the others. i tried the arincini for the first time, comes with a dill salad instead of tomato sauce but surprisingly was good and i would order it again. we tried the eggplant pizza and the ontario prosciutto pizza. both weregreatbut personally enjoyed the prosciutto one more.

my second time here & it was just as good as the first. this time there were 9 of us for dinner. we ending up ordering a few appetizers & 5 pizzas to share.

i also tried the bellini fiori...loved it!greatbalance of flavours & sweetness. will be ordering that again next time.

the service was also great! our server was attentive, friendly & had a good understanding of the menu.

can't wait to go back again when i'm in the area.

so now i can finally say i have been to all three locations, each has it's own flare.  all have the samegreatmenu.  this time around we decided to stay closer to home.  we were celebrating the completion of our house guests time here learning english and we wanted to send her off right.  with the idea of sharing we ordered the arancini, the meatballs, and the gnocchi.  (side note: the gnocchi was fried and had a delicious sauce for dipping.) we ordered the libretto margherita pizza, the classic red white and green my husband would say.  the crust was perfection, and the toppings tasted so fresh.  
i ordered a glass of the riesling from colaneri estate winery, which is one of my favourites from this region. tiramisu for dessert. 
the service was friendly and efficient. of course i will be returning.

i've been to pizza libretto many times and this time also did not disappoint. service and food is always top notch here. they have an awesome lunch prefix menu. this place gets packed easily so i would call and make a reservation. if you wantgreatitalian style pizza in toronto this is the place to go.

as a former greek towner, i am the first to admit that it took me way too long to make it to the popular pizzeria libretto on the danforth.  i had tried a few slices (take out) from the ossington location back when they opened up shop, and was thrilled when i heard they would be opening up close to home.  even better was the news that this location would be taking reservations (which for me, increases the likelihood of me visiting a restaurant like 10 fold).  it was sunday, and we were planning on a late evening movie in the beach, so i thought it was agreatexcuse for an east end meal.
even on a sunday at 8 pm, the restaurant was roudy and full.  there was a really positive vibe going on in there, and the servers and hostesses were friendly and helpful. my only complaint about the environment was that it was pretty chilly in there, and with the weather we've been having lately, the last thing i wanted was to sit down to a meal feeling cold.  regardless, i got over it enough to enjoy our meal.

 
 

 

it was a sunday so we took it easy with the drinks, one glass of wine for him, and a sfocato (peach puree, basil and proscecco) for me.  easy to drink, and not too sweet.
we let our server know that we were in a bit of a rush as we had a move to get to in about 1 1/2 hours.  our server assured us that food would be out very promptly, and for the record, he really didn't lie (we were through three courses in less then an hour).
knowing how large those pizzas are, we opted to share one appetizer, two pizzas and a dessert. this is what we tried:

ricotta gnocchi fritti (house-made crema fresca, lemon, chives, rosemary)

 

this was tasty, but not asgreatas i was hoping. being of the ricotta variety, the gnocchi themselves were a little heavy, which made the contrast with the crispy fried exterior a little less satisfying.  the herbs were a nice touch, but i found the crema pretty bland.  actually, the entire dish was a bit spotty on the seasoning, with some bites being pretty salty, and some having little to no seasoning.

nduja sausage (tomato, garlic, oregano, basil, mozzarella, stracciatella)
 

 

this was the better of the two pizzas, but both were delicious. first up, i love libretto's crust, because it's chewy, slightly charred in some places, and has a gentle sweetness. i also loved the combination of salty, spicy sausage with sweet aromatic sauce, and a deliciously creamy mild cheese.  it may look large, but it's very easy to eat the whole pie.  i was also pleased that unlike a lot of thin crust pizzas in toronto, pl's crust didn't get soggy or wet.

duck confit (bosc pear, mozzarella)
 
 
 
i loved the flavours going on here, but i just wished it had a bit more meat and pear, because 70% of the time, all i could taste was cheese on bread.  regardless, the bites i did have with the rich savoury duck, and the sweet caramelized pear, were really solid.
 
 sfingi (italian-style doughnuts) (lemon curd, caramel sauce & strawberry couli)
 

now, i am a huge fan of pretty much any doughnut, but these were super delicious.  the sfingi had a wicked golden crust, but a soft and pillowy interior that seemed to almost melt once it hit my mouth.  i always feel somewhat confused when i see lemon and caramel paired up, but in this case, it totally worked where the bright citrus flavours could be balanced out by the rich caramel. i was also pretty grateful that the accompaniments were all plentiful, so that i didn't have to worry too much about rationing and running out by the time i reached the last sfingi.

so for 2 cocktails, sparkling water, 1 app, 2 pizzas, 1 dessert and 2 (very very good) cappuccinos, the bill came to about $100 including tax and tip.  pretty reasonable for dinner, and while it wasn't anything extravagant or innovative, the food was all very food.  i wish they would deliver, but then again, i think you lose a lot of the appeal of thin crust when you put it in a box for an hour and let it steam itself soggy.  i guess that just means i will have to be back to indulge my frequent pizza cravings.

food photos @abbeyskitchen.com

bad service. i've been to the other two pizza libretto locations and have hadgreatservice. as soon as we walked in the hostess told us we only had until 6:30 to be seated and we didn't really understand why-was there a booking? she replied yes. the entire reataurant was empty at this time. then we requested a table and she said no it's already set - meanwhile it was set for the same amount of people that were in our party. then she said oh you can have that table until 7 let me go ask my manager. in the end we sat at the 630 table and were greeted by our waiter who didn't pay much attention to us after we ordered - our water wasn't filled, 15 minutes after our food was done our waiter circulated the other tables but didn't come see us. it was to the point where we had to call another waiter to serve us. never returning to this location again!

this is the best pizza restaurants in toronto. the pizza is always delicious. i highly recommend their home-made sausage pizza, arugula salad and gnocchi fritte. i have been here for both lunch and dinner and enjoyed myself. this place is in agreatneighbourhood to walk around in and they take reservations unlike their other locations. if you love pizza, you must give pizza liberto a try.

you might be surprised to hear that pizzeria libretto is one of my favourite restaurants in the city given that i’ve never posted about them before. it’s our go-to when we’ve got a hankering for pizza or if we just can’t decide where to eat.

i can’t even count the number of times we’ve been to libretto.

this particular post is about the danforth location, the sister restaurant to the original ossington location. the space is significantly larger with a basement for extra seating. they’ve also made some tweaks to this location to fit into the neighborhood including allowing reservations to accommodate the families.

pizzeria libretto specializes in neapolitan pizza…not just any neapolitan pizza, but vpn certified pizza. according to their website, “pizzeria libretto makes vpn certified pizza,using the guidelines set out by the verace pizza napoletana association and as set out by the italian government and the european union.” pretty serious stuff, eh? chef rocco agostino knows what he’s doing here. 

while their core menu is pizza, they also offer salads andgreatsharing appetizers. we usually start with the libretto meatballs – spicy bomba tomato sauce, grilled crostino, grana padano ($10) if we’re feeling extra hungry. an order comes with three juicy meatballs which are quite tasty on their own. but the star of the show is definitely the accompanying tomato sauce. we always lick that plate clean – ask for extra bread to soak up every bit of that sauce.

whenever i come to libretto, i always order the nduja sausage pizza – tomato, garlic, oregano, basil, mozzarella, straciatella ($17). one bite and you’ll understand why it’s my favourite. the delicious kick from the nduja, strong garlic flavour and tomato sauce… it’s just consistently so good! the pizzas here are only blistered in their 900 degree wood burning oven for 90 seconds which gives the crust a nice char. the crusts are quite thin which makes it a little messy to eat. i normally take a quarter a fold it in half. 

a fan favourite is always the ontario prosciutto & arugula pizza – garlic, tomato, basil, oregano, shaved grana padano ($16) which mike often orders. it’s a classic combination with an intense saltiness from the prosciutto and bitterness from the arugula. there’s lots to love about this pizza as well. it’s always a crowd pleaser. 

if you want to stick to a true classic, there’s always the margherita d.o.p. – tomato, basil, mozzarella ($14) which is as basic as it comes here. the simplicity of it all showcases the fantastic ingredients used in building their pizzas. so don’t be fooled. while it’s a simple pizza, it still makes for an incredibly satisfying bite. 

what we love about libretto is their friendly service and the fact that their food is consistently delicious. i often get asked what my favourite restaurants are in toronto, so now you know one of ‘em. enjoy! 

at a glance:

• specializing in vpn-certified neapolitan pizza

• 2 locations (ossington and the danforth) with a third on its way to the financial district

• the danforth location takes reservations; family friendly

• take-out available

• one of my go-to restaurants

• favourites: meatballs and nduja sausage pizza

ratings (out of 5):

• food: 4.5 stars

• service: 4 stars

• atmosphere: 4 stars

oh pizza libretto, how do i love thee? let me count how many times i have eaten in your hallowed halls in the last month...

okay, maybe i don't really want to see an actual count seeing that i have just come from enjoying a wonderful lunch at this establishment. we can start with the fact that my pants are presently all too tight and go from there. i have finally wised up and now i don't order myself a pizza every time anymore. i share a pizza with the boys or they each get one and i have a little slice of each and then i indulge in something else. sometimes it's the spicy meatballs - all velvet textured and covered in a spicy bomba that actually gives the prerequisite kick that allows it to call itself spicy. i hate ordering something that claims to be spicy only to find myself asking for a bowl of chili flakes after the first bite but these little balls of meaty love deliver.

sometimes it's the arugula salad with pear and walnuts in all of it's refreshing, peppery deliciousness. if i feel like i need a bit more heft, i might go with the porchetta that sits on a nice little toast that is covered in chinotto bbq sauce that i would happily brush my teeth with, more peppery arugula, some little pickled onions and some chili for my always appreciated kick of heat. if i am feeling like i really need to go light, i go for the carpaccio - sliced so thin that the first time i saw it i thought they were beet slices cut on a mandolin - it was dark and it was a couple seats over and i am old and i don't always see all that well. the meat is tender and buttery and melts in your mouth and i really love the pesto like herby oil. its weird to say that raw beef is the lightest dish to choose but it really is.
the kid likes the calamari and luckily, he usually shares.

don't get me started on the pizzas. oh okay, i will start on the pizzas.
their crust is so chewy and thin, with little burnt bits here and there and so much flavour. too many thin crust pizzas are either soggy or almost like matzo crackers or , in the worst case, cardboard but this crust manages to stay real soft withgreatchew - it helps that they cook it at 800f for only 90 seconds i guess.

they could serve up just the naked crust like a naan and i would eat it dipped in their addictive flavoured chili oil as an app but all of the toppings are so fabulous, why would you do that? you know what? you are right. forget i ever suggested it.

between the three of us we have ate our way through the pizza menu. the first time we went , shack and i split a margherita d.o.p because, to me anyway, that is the base line. it's like going for dim sum and not starting with har gow and sui mai - if they can't do those two things well, there is no point ordering more treats frankly. clearly, we were thrilled with our margherita or i wouldn't be writing this little review. 

my next favourite has to the ontario proscuitto and arugula - are you getting the idea that i love arugula? when it comes to the table, piled ten feet high with greens you wonder how you are going to eat this thing and then you fold it in half and start eating or you cut the whole thing in half and then fold half of it in half and start eating. the heat from the pizza starts to steam the arugula just enough that it squishes down but not so much that it totally loses it's fresh crunch. perfection i tell you.
my next favourite is the nudja sausage with this spicy sausage, garlic, oregano, basil, mozzarella and stracciatella cheese. again, the advertised spicy sausage is spicy and everything just works. i have also had the house made sausage pizza and although tasty, i much prefer the nudja, although nobody seems to really know how to pronounce it and each server has put his or her own spin on the word. i am happy to just point and grunt. 

shack seems to favour the cremeni mushroom pizza and the kid sticks with the margherita dop because he doesn't see the need to mess with simple perfection and he does have a point. the only pizza i wouldn't order again was the eggplant pizza. it had no tomato sauce and the eggplant itself was kind of dry so the overall effect was a dry pizza without a ton of zip or flavour.
all of the other pizzas on the list are delicious and i would happily eat any of them.

the wine list is nice and not too expensive and i have enjoyed the different house cocktails i have tried. a really nice touch is the bottomless glass bottle of carbonated water for a few dollars. it's so nice to be able to drink as much as i want without the sting of seeing 3 bottles of mineral water at $7 bucks a pop and realizing that i could have paid for my entire lunch with the money we spent on fizzy water.

yes, if you go in the evening between, say, 7 to 9:30, you are going to wait a while for a table. the good news is that pizza libretto now takes reservations so if you plan ahead a bit, you can still eat there at a good time on a good night. it's never all that crowded at lunch as long as you don't go right at noon and with thegreat$15 special for salad, a margherita dop and a bit of dessert, it's almost a better time to try it out anyway. we have had reallygreatservice every time and it got us through a very tough couple of weeks when my father in law was dying and we just didn't have the energy to think about food - it was one of the only places we all felt like eating at during that time as well, which says a lot about the quality of the food, the atmosphere and general comfort level of a place which manages to be hip and trendy and cosy and neighbourhoody all at the same time.

now, if only the restaurant would also provide me with a few new pairs of pants to tide me over while i attempt to adapt my new, ramped up exercise regime to accommodate all of this pizza.

my favourite pizza. best sauce, thin crust,greatchili oil. they have the best lunch prix fixe: $15 for a simple arugula pear salad, pizza of your choice and gelato.

the food here is excellent. i have tried a handful of their pizzas, the only one that has disappointed me was the grilled eggplant. the house-made sausage is to die for, but i have a friend who swears by the maragrita with mushrooms. the arugula salad is agreatstarter, and if you're into seafood, try the calamari. for drinks my choice is always wine or a peroni. i've tried a cocktail here and was not wowed.
service can be a bit slow. libretto offers amazing prix fixe meals that are more than worth it, but be prepared to wait a bit between courses. i have gotten into the habit of asking for the bill with dessert to eliminate at least one wait period. that said, it is certainly worth it. the food isgreathere. and though a bit slow, the staff have never been unfriendly.
this place is always busy, a good sign, and likely is part of the reason why the wait can be so long between courses. eating in empty restaurants makes me a little uncomfortable, and i have never experienced that here. the decor is nice. a wall full of pictures hung in cute frames almost makes you feel like you are dining in someone else's house.
recommended!

sunday night was our spot for pizza so good service amazing we love coming here for our pizzagreatspot to relax enjoy a salad and pizza cold beer

great pizzas... but are they the best?. pizzeria libretto definitely has a ton ofgreatselection with pizzas. and with a traditional oven - it will sure please the traditional pizza connoisseur.

however, is it the greatest pizza in the city? that's hard to say. i would say its slightly overpriced - and there are better experiences that can be had in the city. but with that said, the ambiance and the restaurant itself is very popular and you may need reservations.