Queen Margherita Pizza
Queen Margherita Pizza (QMP) is one of my favorite pizzerias to visit. I often recommend it to friends and colleagues, so I wanted to share it as my first restaurant review.
You know a restaurant is that good when you’ve been to it more times than you can count, especially when living in a food vibrant city like Toronto. We have such an overwhelming selection of restaurants, which is why my husband and I only have a handful that we’ve been to more than three times.
QMP has three Toronto locations. They are in Leslieville, Baby Point and Dundas West. While each location has its own unique decor, all three have a similar overall look. I’ve visited all locations on numerous occasions, and can confidently say the dining experience is consistent across the board. They are located on both the East and West end, which we all know the importance of when living in the city.
Their Story
On their website, they share the following:
Queen Margherita Pizza started like every great recipe: with passion.
A passion for Neapolitan pizza and dishes made with only the best, ethically sourced ingredients. From Italy and our own backyard. A passion for the city we live in and the places we eat. And a passion we’re happy to share with you.
From Toronto, with love.
As a passionate person, I loved reading this, and can tell you that their passion for what they do shines through in every single dish I’ve had.
The ethically sourced ingredients is also important to me, as I believe in quality, local (when appropriate) products. I truly believe they make a world of a difference in food, as you can taste the difference quality makes.
The Atmosphere
From the moment we walk into QMP, we immediately immerse ourselves in the relaxed and rustic ambience of the restaurant. The level of noise is perfect for me, as I can still have a conversation with my dining companions without having to yell, but there are the usual bustlings of a busy restaurant, which is welcome during any lulls in conversation.
All three restaurants have a big and open space, so tables are comfortably spaced out, which is a luxury in the city.
The wood burning pizza oven is partially exposed, which adds to the authenticity of visiting a pizzeria, which I am certain will bring you back to any time spent in Europe.
The decor is modern with a twist of rustic. This is highlighted with the exposed bricks, wooden tables and wood neatly stacked in shelves for the pizza oven.
I adore the flat rectangular plates used for the appetizers. They are perfect when ordering multiple plates, as they easily fit on the table. Great for sharing!
The staff are wonderful by being there as often or as little as you need them, and continuously offering exceptional service. They are also very happy to help make suggestions if you have any trouble deciding.
The Menu
Now let’s get to the main attraction, the food. Their menu is well laid out, and not overwhelming, so you can pick what you’re having without taking 20 minutes to decide.
We typically start off with a carafe of the red house wine. From my experience, ordering house wine outside of Europe proves to be very risky, but the risk pays off at QMP, as their house red tastes great, and does not give me a headache after (which is a huge selling feature for me). There’s just something so authentic about ordering a house wine, I immediately feel like I’m in Europe when it’s brought to the table.
Their menu highlights appetizers, shareables, pasta, and pizza. The pizza is divided into two sections, Rosso (meaning red) and Bianco (meaning white), referring to the type of pizza sauce used.
QMP offers a Prix Fixe menu which includes an appetizer, pizza and dessert. My husband and I usually order this, and add a 2nd pizza. The pro move here is to order one rosso and one bianco to share.
If you’re not interested in the prix fixe menu but would still like to have some appetizers along with your pizza, I would recommend ordering from the shareables section. If we go this route (usually when there are more than 2 of us dining), our favorites are the tuscan fries, meatballs and fried calamari.
Although I’ve had all of their appetizers at some point, our go-to appetizer is the grilled kale salad, which includes whipped ricotta, fried chili, grana padano and pine nuts. The kale is served warm, which works perfectly with the whipped ricotta and pine nuts. The fried chili and grana padano are extra touches, taking this salad to the next level. I crave this salad often, it’s that good.
QMP’s pizza are all made with Tipo “00” flour, and their tomato sauce is made with 100% Italian tomatoes because, as their website says, authenticity matters. It matters, and it definitely shows in these pizzas. I don’t think I can pick my top two favorites, but we rotate between the Diavola, Gio Oldschool, Birdman and Cinque Stagione. QMP makes a traditional Neapolitan pizza (Naples style), meaning the pizza has a thin crust at the base, but the dough puffs up around the sides, resulting in a very airy crust.
There is something for everybody at QMP, and it’s worth mentioning that their gluten-free crust is one of the best I’ve tried. The pizza comes out slightly smaller than the regular pizzas, but the flavor and texture do not disappoint. QMP also serves a chili oil with their pizzas, and it brings them to the next level. I always look forward to dipping my crust in it. I am not sure if the chili oil is included with every type of pizza, but if you’d like some, kindly ask the servers and they’ll take care of you.
Despite having been to QMP more times than I can count, I’ve never been able to have a proper dessert there, since I’m always too full. Luckily, QMP has me covered and offers affogato, which is vanilla ice cream with a shot of espresso poured over it. Sharing this with my husband is the perfect way to end a wonderful experience.
If you’re wondering why I haven’t mentioned the pasta, it’s because I have yet to make it to that part of the menu, although I have no doubt they’re also delicious. Their pizzas are all so good, I can’t bring myself to order anything else when I visit.
I can confidently say that I am not alone in my experience with QMP, as it is bustling with happy patrons of all ages each time we are there. Weekends are more busy, so expect to wait a little bit if you don’t have reservations, but they are very accommodating and will ensure you are taken care of, even while waiting. While we are not able to dine indoors these days, visiting QMP is one of the things I miss the most, and cannot wait until I can fully experience this restaurant again.
Restaurant Details:
Website: Queen Margherita Pizza
Leslieville:
1402 Queen St E.
Toronto, ON M4L 1C9
(416) 466–6555
Baby Point:
785 Annette St.
Toronto, ON M6S 2E4
(647) 345–4466
Dundas West:
772 Dundas St. W.
Toronto, ON M6J 1V1
(647) 748–4666
