Montibello

The Verdict

If you're at a point where you can’t quite afford to trek around Sicily to taste their traditional dishes, then you should introduce yourself to Montmorency’s newest pizza and pasta bar, Montibello.

The venue opened in late 2018 and is run by the same crew behind popular Montmorency cafe Espresso 3094, Alex and Cathy Kamvissis, who wanted to do what Mediterranean people do best—feed others.

Cathy is Sicilian Italian and so is head chef Franco Italia, so you can be sure they’re only dishing out the most authentic Sicilian cuisine you can get this side of the equator.

The menu is exactly what you would hope for, with carby favourites like lasagne made from fresh pasta sheets, carbonara made the traditional way (no cream, thank you) and homemade gnocchi.

While we love those things to death, our sights are set on starters like the pork and veal meatballs served in a rich tomato sugo, and the rockmelon wrapped in prosciutto—the salty, sweet and fruity combo is a match made in heaven if you haven’t tried it already.

For something a little bigger, we recommend the penne alla norma, aka penne served with eggplant, cherry tomatoes, basil, Napoli sauce and pecorino cheese. And while you’re at it, you may as well go for a Salumi board to share—think cured meats, quince, grissini sticks and focaccia bread. Holy yum.

Finish off the night with sweet ricotta-filled cannoli or go a little harder with a serve of the semifreddo, which is the best kind of cherry and chocolate ice cream cake, topped with a Pandoro crumb.

This place is definitely one to come back to again and again, if only so you can make your way through the whole menu.

Image credit: supplied