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Piola
Category: Restaurants Pizza Pizza [Edit]
1165 Queen Street WToronto, ON M6J 1J6
Neighbourhoods: West Queen West, Beaconsfield Village
(416) 477-4652
- Hours:
Mon-Wed, Sun 11:30 am - 11 pm
Thu-Sat 11:30 am - 1 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Trendy, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
15 reviews for Piola
15 reviews in English
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Review from Lauren M.
3/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
Went here for all you can eat gnocchi night. I didn't, however, have any gnocchi.
I did try a pizza, the Ortomisto, that had "little mozerella", goats cheese, grilled vegetables and cherry tomatoes.
The pizza had too much cheese! I had to scrap some of it off. The cheese amount was more like a fast food style pizza.
The rest of the pizza was absolutely incredible though. It was HUGE and had delicious paper thin crust, probably the thinnest crust pizza I've ever eaten.
I would definitely go back and order the same thing and just ask the waiter that less cheese be put on top.
My friends had the AYCE gnocchi. I couldn't believe how many different kinds there were, probably 8-9 different ones. The servers wander the room with large bowls and serve up as you please.
The decor here is quite eccentric but cool, service was A+++. Even though it's not in my neighbourhood, I'd go back!
My pizza with a glass of wine came to $25 with tax and tip. -
Review from Raymond W.
Toronto, ON
5/25/2012
Piola marks my official first/second Yelp event with fellow yelpers, and when I say fellow yelpers I mean Elites...everyone was an Elite...EXCEPT FOR Meeeeeeee~!
So I showed up to Vivek's 'Community Manager No More' party at Church something Bar, I showed up sometime after 8pm thinking I've arrived early, in fact I was late. As soon as I showed up, I was greeted by a warm and enthusiastic--handshake--by none other than Jennifer K. She whisked me away with her gang of (all male) posse from the party that was winding down to her plan to having bison burgers somewhere uncomfortably West on Queen. Just like that, as soon as I showed up, I was gone. I felt like one of those asshole celebrities, but I don't associate that with a bad thing.
Burger joint was closed, and so our search for an alternative became something rather of an adventure, and our adventure eventually found itself in Piola, an Italian pizzaria. It was one of those thin crust pizza joints, only here everything was thin, including the toppings.
My weight fluxuates between 180-230lb thoughout the year, the only thing that doesn't change is my insatiable appetite. A pizza here is fifteen dollars, and it is the size of a frisbee for midget children. The meer sight of it made me want to hug onto my money as tightly as I can. It should be priced at five dollars and no more! This is robbery!
The décor was unremarkable.
As soon as the food arrived, the cameras came out like a Western gun slinging scene. Snappady snap snap! Nobody seemed to mind, a seriously dedicated Yelp moment.
I had a total of three pathetic slices of pizza which tasted bland, and completely unfulfilling. It took fifteen minutes to cook, and fifteen seconds for me to eat.
If people are willing to pay these prices for such food, then I should open a restaurant. I make amazing Italian food!
(Because it's so damn simple to make)
I was so hungry, I ended up going to another restaurant afterwards, and Jennifer was nice enough to accompany me to...uhh...a restaurant of a certain ethnic background...^__^ hehehe
....it was Chinese. -
Review from Edwin A.
The night was young, we just left Vivek's farewell party at Church Aperitivo and walked W on Queen for about kilometre to find out the burger joint we planned for was closed!! Argh
A little bit distraught, we decided to check out Piola which was nearby for some Italian eats. Not bad for a plan B. We heard that this place was good from friends.
Stepping inside, the resto grabs you, this one beautiful looking restaurant, the decor, paintings on the walls, oven area is tucked and visual for patrons, the colored blown glass light fixtures, upholstery out of shirts, they paid a lot of attention to detail. Really a joy to dine in.
Our party ordered 3 pizzas to share.
MARGHERITA - Mozzarella and basil
SALSICCIA E FUNGHI - Mozzarella, Italian sausage and mushrooms
SPARTA - no sauce, mozzarella, goat cheese, black olives, arugula and cherry tomatoes
The pizzas were razon thin. I found them a bit undercooked and flimsy to hold. After downing 4 slices it was unsatisfying. Maybe together with a pasta it would be better. The pizza on it's own is not enough to fill you.
It was alright. I liked the mushroom sausage pizza the best.
Nice place like I mentioned the decor is fab, I'd be back though to try something else. -
Review from Elvis A.
4/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
After a great UYE we decided to continue the after party (hey its the after you want to be at according to the most interesting man in the world). The first attempt at grabbing some grub was a failure. Nevertheless there is always something around the corner in this neighborhood.
This pizza place has decent reviews so we the group decided to hit it. The setup is very vibrant and one is hit with plethora of color when one walks in.
The menu has a lot of options (including unlimited gnocchi on particular date) but since this place is famous for pizza we decided to stick to main attraction here.
Service was prompt. We decided to go for 3 pizzas (margherita , Sparta and Salsiccia e Funggi)
The pizza's arrived promptly and looked pretty good. The dough is nice and thin, though could use a little bit more salt. Sauce was decent on margherita a pretty good version of this classic. Sparta didn't fare well much and didn't have much of taste.
I didn't have the sausage and mushroom pizza.
We have a decent pizza joint here folks 3.5 stars. -
Review from Tom G.
Toronto, ON
3/12/2012
I first encountered Piola in Playa del Carmen, in Mexico. There, in the north end of the tourist zone it's a great upscale experience for a night out on vacation. So I was pretty excited to see on land down the street there in the new condo-plex on Queen West.
I see that they have garnered some decent reviews so, while I'm also gonna give them some decent stars I'm gonna hammer them here on the things they need to improve to survive here, because I wanna see them stick around.
In no particular order:
Good (but short) wine list. Chose the Aglianico (which is the same one they serve at LIbretto and available at the LCBO--thank god). A decent chianti is also on offer. 'Nuff said. Yay.
Starters: prosciutto -- definitely a superlative. Melts like Velveeta in your mouth. Beats the equivalent at Terroni/Libretto. Take that hipsters! Now, since you and I are both food snobs, how the hell do we know what Velveeta melts like? Good question. But we do.
So much for "hammering" them... but here we go...
Polenta & Ragu starter. The polenta is a superlative... the ragu.. well... it's a bit Chef-boy-R-dee... ... either tune up the Ragu or get rid of it. Parts & Labor do a beautiful polenta appetizer that is/was just polenta. Go with your strength here. (Nothing wrong with the ragu it just ain't worthy of the polenta.)
Pizza: the Lisbona. Worthy and delicious. As good as Terroni but NOT as good as Libretto. Beautiful crust and just a nice combo of flavors. You can't go wrong. But ... somehow, just not the same magic as they're pulling off at Libretto. Don't feel bad, Libretto has strong magic!!
Dessert: the Pana Cotta. Hmmm... too much gelatin. Nice flavor but this could have come out of a Jello plastic cup. Sorry. Tune this up.
Now the challenge ... the ambience... the place is very vibrant and bright. Clearly they have planned and executed a brilliant decor scheme here ... but it's more Starbucks than Dark Horse. Capiche? Your parents will think it's *very* cool. Burn, I know.
There are decorations on the wall made of writing and you can read them ... and it's like ... deep thoughts from suburbanites: "Who invented spaghetti? The chinese or the italians? Best not to think of this before your food goes cold..." or something like that I read on one line. Errrmmm... best not to read the walls.
Maybe dim the lights? Just a bit?
And finally ... our waiter was undeniably super service oriented, a great guy, and good looking to boot, *but* ... tone it down a bit. Don't sell so hard. You think your Terroni waiter gives a **** if you don't like the food. If you don't like it you're an idiot! So maybe a little more of that and little less... mmmm... PIzza Hut rah rah :)
Piola is also fresh and clean on a dirty strip of Queen West. It needs to find its groove. But right now, it needs some love, so if you've just been ejected from Libretto with a two hour wait, or the lineup is out the door at Terroni... cruise down the street to Piola, give your waiter a death glare, and settle in for some great food. -
Review from Devan R.
Updated - 2/28/2012
I still love this resto to death. Tomorrow (February 29th, 2012) will mark their third all you can eat gnocchi day, and you better believe it will also mark my third "lucky gnocchi" visit in a row.
From the food to the service you really can not ask for more. The fact that it's walking distance from my gates is a bonus of epic proportions.
Love.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/26/2011
Just returned from a fantastic meal at Piola and had to share!
Piola (stands for "meeting place") is… Read more »
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Review from Avitania B.
Toronto, ON
If I could give Piola six or seven stars, I would. Not only is the food five-star worthy, but the staff's willingness to go the extra mile is worth an extra gold star and cherry on top of this rating.
First, the food. The pizzas are really freaking delicious. Thin crust cooked just the way I like: just crispy enough to hold up to the delicate toppings, but not so toasty that it tears the roof of the mouth. The Burrata pizza is my favorite (generous on the burrata and high on flavor), but the Piola was delicious too. The pappardelle alfredone I had tonight was stellar, as well -- the pasta was fresh (not dried), perfectly al dente and dressed with just enough cream sauce so not to overpower the pasta, plus ham and mushrooms.
The Cabana salad is also not to be missed, and the staff was nice enough to accomodate my picky palate (not being a fan of arugula, they were happy to sub regular romaine for it, and it was still delicious!). Even the panna cotta I had for dessert was perfect; a light and sweet end to a fantastic meal.
As I mentioned, the staff at Piola is top notch. They were kind enough to let our decently large party of post #tweetgasm revelers in right before closing and stuff our faces with pizza without making us feel like we were keeping them overtime (so sorry!). And tonight, when I returned, they were super attentive and friendly, even though they were stuffed to the gills due to a private party. The service alone has already solidified Piola's place at the forefront of my Italian loving heart.
Piola: I love to stuff their food into my piehole-a. I'll definitely be back again. And again.Listed in: ROTDs
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Review from Jennifer L.
Toronto, ON
3/19/2012
Piola opened on Queen west about three months ago. I love pizza libretto so wasn't sure if this place would be better but thought I would give it a try.
I've been to Piola a couple times now and their pizza is pretty good (not quite as good as libretto) but they are comparable and certainly better than other spots around town. And, there re rarely any lineups at Piola right now. their pastas and deserts on the other hand are fantastic.
The gnocchi Pompei is great, The parppadelle al Ragu Di Carni Bianche is fantastic,
And the fusili al pesto is ok. Prices are average to slightly higher around the $20 mark for a main course.
Staff and service are friendly, great atmosphere and ambiance, worth a try. -
Review from Ashleigh G.
Toronto, ON
1/29/2012
Be careful what you wish for or you just might get it. When I saw the construction for Piola in the front of my building, I hoped it would be good. Unfortunately, it is. The ease of good pizza steps away is definitely not good for the wallet or the waistline.
Their pizzas are great and in the price range you'd find at most TO pizzerias and they have a good selection.
The test of a good pizza is always the margherita, and unfortunately this one isn't that great. A recent order left me with an overcheesed, undersauced, flavourless pie. Luckily, they do have a fantastic burrata pizza. Lots of buttery burrata cheese, with delicious tomato sauce and plenty of fresh basil. I'd recommend spending the few extra dollars for this pizza. -
Review from Vivek S.
1/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
Stopped in to Piola the other night to lend moral support to a friend who had never been on a date before[1]. I showed up early to the reservation and enjoyed a seat at the bar. Piola is an airy space with a casual atmosphere, and much bigger than I expected. It wasn't very busy on a Tuesday night, but there were a few people perched at the bar beside me.
They have precisely eight cocktails on the menu, priced from $8 to $12, and with an unexpected proclivitity toward Caipirinhas and Caipiroskas (which are Caipirinhas with vodka instead of Cachaça). There were some weird options too: the Torched Cherry Pop is Disarrono, Bacardi cherry and root beer. Might be good. I also noticed a modest wine selection also and two, count 'em two, beers on draught. Mill Street Tankhouse and Organic.
Pizza and pasta dominate the card. Because we're not stupid (I assume the sign out front reading "famosi per la pizza" means "we like-a to make the pizza") everyone at the table got a pie. The waitress assured us that "they're twelve inches, they'll fill you up" (really that's what SHE SAID) and even this was an understatement. Three pies would have sated our quartet sufficiently. My selection was the Carbonara which is what it sounds like: panchetta, mozzarella and egg. I was hoping that the egg would be the last thing added, cracked on to the hot pie mere moments before the pizza left the kitchen, but alas it was baked into the sauce.
No biggie. The whole wheat crust was nice and thin, and the pizzas were well made. Now with so many great pizza options in the city, it's hard to place Piola's in even the top five. But it's a solid slice, respectably priced, and they do have a lot of other interesting options on the menu. I shall return.
Obligatory Title Pun: A CRUSTWORTHY addition to the pizza scene.
Menu Readability: Century gothic. Nice descriptions on the cocktails.
Need to mention: All you can eat gnocchi every month!
What this place teaches me about myself: If my name was Pete, I would instantly change my last name to Za.
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[1] A free service. Ask me anytime!Listed in: Queen Street Address, That's Amore!, Pizza Party
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Review from Natalie T.
East York, ON
2/13/2012
So I'm running around during social media week and well, also writing yelp reviews to procrastinate my real work but needed a bite and some wifi before the event at the Gladstone happened so I went to Piola as it was on my list.
VIBE
It's a fun, casual vibe in here. You've got wooden panels on the wall with fresh fruit; a neat black and white photo gallery near the bathroom and colourful paper cloths on top of the wooden tables.
There's a photo mural of a guy on the door and if you're near the front section, you'll see it. It kind of feels like someone is staring at you with this glare and it's a bit creepy to be honest. Otherwise, it's a fun place to come with friends or family.
Great bar too.
Kudos to the staff who were hustling. The bartender was serving tables and he was still attentive and quick on our food. Good job!
WE ATE
Pizza! LOVE that they have $8 pizza from 4-7 p.m. duirng the week. Got there just in time! The Bolognese was gooey and meaty and our favourite. We were recommended the Contadina. It had:
Mozzarella, Italian sausage, grilled Belgian endive and smoked mozzarella.
There was a whole lotta endive on that pizza! It was good but not as satisfying as the Bolognese.
OBLIGATORY CATCHY REMARK
Any place where I can plop down my lap top and have pizza has my business. Sold. Coming back! The pastas looked good too...Listed in: West Queen West, Pizza
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Review from Lauren S.
Toronto, ON
1/5/2012
I stopped in tonight for a quick bite, and was definitely impressed. I like to think of myself as a pizza specialist... and their thin crust, whole wheat pizza's are primo! Bueno!
We started with the prosciutto and parmesano- and the portion size (shared between 2 people) was too large to finish...
We ordered a diovala and margarita; both pizza's were delicious, light, not overly filling and heavy/oily like some of the late night joints in the Queen West area.
A good place to take the fam, bank on good pizza and simple food.
Also- our waiter Micho was hilarious and really on his game- great service!
Overall, I would go back. Not the place you throw back patrone at, but perfect for a good social dinner with friends/family. -
Review from Martin W.
12/5/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I've been walking past this place for the last couple of weeks, trying to figure out when it would finally open so I could give it a go. I live next door so it is a very convenient location to fill my pizza cravings.
Tonight was opening night apparently, and it was pretty slow. They had a lot of bored looking employees pacing about. I was even asked if I worked here by staff.
Cool joint. Apparently its a franchise that started in Italy with locations all over the world. This is the first one in Canada. The chairs are made of recycled clothing or something funky. I sat at the bar and just shot the shit with the bartender and and off duty hostess, both of whom made some solid recommendations. The atmosphere was pretty chill and one of the owners greeted me and thanked me for coming.
I went with the Diavola pizza (mozarella and spicy salami) off of the recommendation from the bartender. It was tops. The mozarella was perfect, the salami just spicy enough to give you that unf, and the thin crust crisped the way I like it. The pizza came out lightning fast, like uncomfortably so. Like, I got my beer, was getting ready to take off my coat, and the pizza arrived, piping hot and fresh.
Pizza's are anywhere between $10-20 and are all 12 inch in size. I crushed mine and probably could have ate another one since it was so tasty. They also have appetizers and pasta. Apparently they have all you can eat gnocchi on the 29th of every month. I can't imagine that's healthy for you but the gnocchi did look and smell delicious.
They also appeared to make some killer looking drinks which I'll have to come back to try, especially their varieties of caipirinhas. Not Italian, I know, but they damn sure looked good. As the saying goes...I'll be back. -
Review from Kent P.
1/5/2012
Space and location is great - came in early evening with a group of 3 friends- was easy to get a reservation and it looked like most people in the restaurant just walked in off the street...so if you're around West Queen West or Parkdale...this may be a safe bet for a place to not worry about getting a seat.
Menu is fairly priced with most pizzas coming in around 13$ or 14$. Wine prices from 34$-70$ and a limited selection (available by the glass also).
The choice and size of the pizzas is quite large - more than 15 types with something for everyone.
Our group of four had a pizza each, but probably could have sufficed with 3. The pizzas were all quite cheesy (maybe too cheesy?) but that's just a style thing, I guess.
Tried the spicy salami, the sausage and mushroom, and the carbonara pizza. They were all OK and made better with their house-chilli oil but these days I'm comparing everything to Libretto, and maybe that's a problem. -
Review from Coy W.
12/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
I dropped into Piola for a quick bite with a friend. After spending time in Italy in October I had developed a soft spot for diovala pizzas which is a spicy salami pizza. This was my baseline for who had the best pizza while I was in Italy.
The place looks pretty slick, it's brand new, very clean and the space looks large.
I ordered the diovala and my friend ordered san danielle. It didn't take to long for the pizza to arrive and it looked almost like the pizzas I was eating 2 months ago! The only major difference I saw was the spicy salami was more of a pepperoni here instead of the salami slices I got on all my orders in Italy but it might be a store by store thing and I just happened to get shaved salami that looked more along the lines of slices of prosciutto. It looked delicious and I couldn't wait to cut in. Yes eat with a knife and fork!
My first bite brought me back to Italy for sure. Thin crust pizza, with a nice sauce and fresh cheese. It was very good. As I ate slice after slice of this thing I knew I would like it. The major test was how the salami was going to be. The first bite of the salami was ok. I prefer the shaved slices more as this salami was slightly more chewy than what I had eaten before and that texture of the shaved spicy salami is a lot nicer however that does not stop the fact that this is a really good pizza! There is a new kid on the block!Listed in: Toronto: Tomato Pies!
