La Panzeria
Italian restaurant · Saint-Louis ·
Apulian specialties: focaccia, panzerotti, octopus panini
Apulian specialties: focaccia, panzerotti, octopus panini
"This unassuming Saint-Denis cafe is the closest you’ll get to an Apulian meal without leaving Montreal. Follow the steps into the basement, where the atmosphere is chatty and Southern Italian specialties are done right. Consider the focaccia topped with burrata, mortadella, and chopped pistachios; a panzerotto (fried turnover) oozing with melted cheese; the panino Polignano (fried octopus sandwich); or a plate of orecchiette, the concave-shaped pasta typical of the region. While La Panzeria is a leader in Italian lunches, coffees, and snacks, it also does aperitivo on Thursday and Friday evenings, and recently welcomed sibling dinner spot Birbante. Know before you go: It’s a small space with a big following, so expect to wait at peak times." - Valerie Silva
"This Saint-Denis cafe is the closest you’ll get to an Apulian food experience without leaving Montreal. Follow the unassuming steps into this basement haunt, where the atmosphere is chatty and Southern Italian regional specialties are done right. Consider the focaccia Barese (gloriously topped with burrata, mortadella, and chopped pistachios), the panzerotto (small fried turnovers typical of the city of Bari), and the panino Polignano (a fried octopus sandwich), or ask about off-menu specials. A leader in Italian lunches, coffees, and snacks, La Panzeria also serves evening aperitivi on Thursdays and Fridays." - Valerie Silva
"The Plateau’s stretch of Saint-Denis already goes overlooked when it comes to dining out in Montreal, and it’s hard for small hole-in-the-walls like this Italian spotto get noticed. It’s a shame, too, as their fried panzerotti and sandwiches of focaccia and mortadella or fried octopus, arugula. and lime mayo are all well-kept secrets by those who know them." - JP Karwacki
"There’s no scarcity of top-notch Italian eats on the island, but cuisine from the country’s Apulian region is hardly well-represented. Not so at La Panzeria, a daytime spot in a basement locale on St-Denis. Here, diners will find regional specialties like orecchiette (the signature ear-shaped pasta of Apulia), focaccia Barese (dimpled bread with cherry tomatoes), panzerotti (glorious pockets of melted cheese and tomato), and the panino Polignano (a sandwich filled with fried octopus and burrata)." - Joel Balsam
"This St-Denis spot, an expert in Apulian food traditions, is committed to “selling zeppole in the classic way, exactly like in Italy,” owner Pierpaolo Sansone says. They are filled with a Chantilly cream, topped with an Amarena cherry, and available daily until the end of March." - Valerie Silva