Seeing as you can find more than 100 pizzerias around the city, catering to all pallets and wallet sizes, the best pizza in Montreal has always been a heated debate.

In the heart of Little Italy you will find, in my opinion, the perfect pizzeria. Bottega offers a rugged but refined typical Italian pizza. Here you won’t find the thick crusted pizzas that resemble what you find in the frozen food section of your grocery store. Bottega isn’t reinventing anything; it sticks to the traditional way of doing things, no frills. Bottega proudly adheres to the Verace Pizza Napoletana Artigianale (VPNA) protocol and you can taste it! We go there for the excellent pizza but also for the warm ambiance and impeccable yet discreet service.

Chef Fabrizio Covone ensures that the sauce is made exclusively with San Marzano tomatoes giving it hte perfect acidity level to go with the thin crusted pizzas. What we liked ? La Caprese, with soft Buffalo Mozzarella or, for something a little manlier, try La Nolana (16$), with homemade sausage. On the side, go for the Insalata di Rucola con Scaglie di Grana (10$), a simple arugula salad with a splash of excellent olive oil. To wash everything down, Bottega offers an exhaustive list of Italian wines with a nice selection of wines by the glass for around 12$. To finish the night on a sweet note, if you still have any room left, go for the Nutella pizza.

For people on the run, Bottega also offers a various array of take out options. And for those of you who want to eat at European hours, Bottega is open until midnight, Tuesday through Sunday.

Fun Fact : The secret is not only in the sauce, rumour has it that Bottega imports tap water directly from Naples to use in the making of the pizza dough...!

Prices : Very reasonable. Appetizers, or Sfizi (Typical neapolitan hors d’oeuvres) go from 3$ to 15$ while the pizzas vary between 12$ and 30$ (if you’re going for the one with black truffles!)

Perfect for : A romantic evening or a night out with friends