If you have been following my blog, or any of my social media channels, you will already know that I love Pizzeria Libretto and Chef Rocco Agostino. We started eating at their original Ossington location (review from 2009), then switched to enjoying the Danforth (one review from 2011, and another from 2012) because they take reservations, and Ossington started getting popular and lined up out the door, then most recently we have enjoyed the beautiful University location (review here), and now, this past week, they opened their fourth location on King Street West, so, naturally, I had to go right away and check out the new space and the menu.
When you first arrive at the address, 545 King Street West, you might not see the restaurant right away, and this is because it is down an alleyway. Just look for a neon pig sign, which belongs to their neighbours, Porchetta and Co, and Libretto is just west of it – you’ll find the entrance by looking for a vibrant red vestibule down that alleyway. Once you walk inside, no matter how grey or cold it is outside, you will immediately be greeted by a rush of warmth from the friendliness of their team as well as from two large authentic Italian pizza ovens.
Although the space is a similar colour scheme as their other locations, it’s a bit funkier, with a bigger bar and communal table. What is definitely the same is the kindness of the entire team and the goodness of the food off the classic menu. We happened to have a family of friends in town from Chicago, and they were excited to try one of our favourite restaurants. All nine of us thoroughly enjoyed our meals, which is hardly surprising as their food is consistently excellent.
This location is especially good for larger groups, as they have many tables for larger parties. It’s open from 11am until 11pm, so I think you should try to get there for lunch and dinner soon.
My favourite pizza ordering tips for Libretto: always ask what their feature pizza is before deciding off the menu, make sure to get the spelt crust (it’s delicious and healthier), and request a mound of arugula on top of your pizza (always a great fresh addition, piled on after it’s cooked, and morphs your entree into a combo salad/pizza as one awesmazing meal).
