Pizzeria Libretto - University — Restaurant in Toronto

The "Funghi Di Bosco" pizza is worth the visit. every time!

I was first introduced to the Ossignton location in 2012; that location is busier because of the higher hipster population density, but i have truly loved having the University location nearby over the last 5 years.

If you visit on a weeknight, ask for Natalie. Trust me on this one. She is truly incredible. The best service I have ever recieved in my life. She is honest, attentive, generous with requests, always goes above and beyond my expectations, and doesn't put on a fake show. She is the kind of server I wish I could have been when I worked in the restaurant industry. Natalie provides an experience that I can only describe as what HOME feels like in a restaurant setting.

The bread is probably one of the main reasons i go here. It's that perfect airy and doughy centre which makes me wonder why do i ever eat any other bread.

Now back to the pizza, the dough - actually the crust, is what makes it. I have mentioned this before in other reviews, but i am a firm believer that you know the quality of food by how they prepare and present the most underrated item or part of a recipe. Too often, pizzerias and pizza shops will aim to impress the masses with the toppings or an outrageous new crust style. And far too often, they will try to offer dips and oils to mask the low quality crust. But not libretto! The crust is rarely mentioned, but she's the star. Yes, the toppings work harmoniously, and you can tell thought and time has gone into creating the pizza recipes. But as i slowly bite through the mushroom, rosemary, garlic, and cheese, i find myself getting excited to get to the end. The crust itself is an experience; with its soft centre the crispy outside. I often skip the chili oil (which is fabulous) just to enjoy the crust in its entirety.

Historically, i have not been a big fan of their desserts, but i absolutely LOVED the chocolate 'bundino' (i think?) from the prix fixe menu. We did upgrade the pizza which i think is well worth it, because i know i will enjoy it the most after years of trying different pizzas on their menu.

The caprese salad was good (small, and tomatoes are cold). I have tried their arancini before, but am not the biggest fan.

The price is very reasonable for the quality of food and the service that they provide. I have taken all of my close friends and family members here.

The service is usually excellent; they are friendly, calm, and will quickly clear up any miscommunications in an honest and genuine way.

We tried a vegan daily special in April (2019). I wasn't expecting much but was blown away by how good it was.

I also love collecting their post cards 🧡

Pizzeria Libretto management and staff really show what they are made of with the work they do in the community. I recommend everyone to watch how hard and how happily they work to help local charitable organizations (for example the Pizza in the Park events in the summer in collaboration with the David Suzuki Foundation). A big thank you to Hilary and Rocco for always being so warm and generous in all of their interactions.

Update: Excellent Tiramisu; Generous portion. went super well with the Americano...

A Memorable Dinner at Pizzeria Libretto - University

Following a later afternoon at the TSO, we had such a fantastic dining experience at Libretto. From the food to the service, everything exceeded expectations in the best way possible. Starters:

We began with the Meatballs – a mix of beef, pork, and veal in a rich house sugo, topped with shaved pecorino and served with Neapolitan pizza points. While they were enjoyable, I’ll admit they didn’t quite hit the same note as they did when we first tried them back in 2019.

Mains: The pizzas were the real stars of the evening:

Funghi – A white pizza loaded with cremini mushrooms, gorgonzola crema, garlic, thyme, rosemary, fior di latte mozzarella, and pecorino. The combination was rich, earthy, and absolutely perfect.

Housemade Sausage – Another white pizza featuring panna, fennel sausage, caramelized onions, fior di latte mozzarella, parmigiano-reggiano, chili oil, and fresh basil. It had just the right kick from the chili oil, and the sausage was packed with flavor.

Both pizzas were spot-on and lived up to Libretto’s reputation for incredible Neapolitan-style pies.

Drinks & Dessert: We paired our meal with a Negroni on draft and a glass of red wine recommended by our server, Jenna, which complemented the meal perfectly. For dessert, we treated ourselves to two tiramisus, and they did not disappoint. Creamy, light, and so satisfying, they were the perfect way to end the evening.

Service: Jenna made the entire experience unforgettable. From the moment we walked in, she showed what professional service looks like. Despite being busy prepping tables when we arrived, she immediately paused to greet us with a warm smile and get us seated.

Throughout the evening, she struck the perfect balance of attentiveness—never hovering or being overly fake. We never had to look for her when we needed something, whether it was a drink refill or a question about the menu. She took my allergies seriously, promised to double-check with the kitchen, and followed through seamlessly.

Jenna’s professionalism and genuine care truly stood out. She knew the menu inside and out, offered thoughtful recommendations (her wine suggestion was spot-on), and managed to keep an eye on all her tables with what seemed like a sixth sense. A simple glance for a drink refill was all it took, and she was there.

Beyond Jenna, the entire team at Libretto was equally impressive. The manager and staff worked in perfect unison—clearing plates, serving dishes, and making everything flow effortlessly. They were professional yet discreet, which added to the overall atmosphere of the evening.

Final Thoughts: Libretto is more than just great food; it’s a full experience. The pizzas and tiramisu are a must, but the service, at least for us, is what made it truly special. Finding great staff, who are overbearingly ‘fake’ is challenging to find nowadays.

That said, Jenna, in particular, along with the collaborative team, deserves a shoutout for her incredible attention to detail and genuine...

So as a restaurant and as a brick and morter concept, this restaurant is fantastic. As a frozen food at your local high end grocer...not so much.

Picked up a frozen margahrita (12$) from Greco's @ Oak Ridges.

Packaging and appeal of the frozen pizza were quite good. Attractive looking ingredients on top of a well vacuumed sealed pizza. Everything was clear so you could see the pizza 🍕 you will bake.

Once came cooking time though, my curiosity got the best of me...

My main issues were as follows:

Looked at the ingredients and found that they use vegan cheese. Not only did the cheese have no stretch after the initial bake, it was overly salty when consumed.

The overall salt level of the pizza as advertised is incredibly high at 2480 grams per 12" pie. I was left thirsty AF after just eating one slice (or 1/4) of the pizza.

As for their 'DOP' sauce and '00' flour ingredients; there is no way of confirming this as there are no certifications on the packaging. I don't doubt it, but there is just no way of confirming their claims.

The 'DOP' sauce was a bit too acidic in my opinion.

Cooking instructions were not accurate for my oven, but thankfully I know how to navigate an oven to get a crispy pizza. Hopefully you do too. I baked at the maximum recommended baking range (5-7 min) and then baked it for an extra 3 mins and broiled for 3 more minutes on top of that to melt the fake cheese.

I guess the genius of having a restaurant is that you don't really have to publish your full list of ingredients or nutrition facts on your menu - but when you start distributing widely across the GTA, your customers must see what goes into their pizzas.

If I hadn't know my way around a pizza and oven and just wanted to shove my pizza in an oven and have it perfectly made as per instructions, I would have been highly disappointed. But thankfully I was able to save the pie and converted it from a 1 to a 3.

Overall, 3/5.

As a disclaimer after writing this review, I looked at the picture I was posting, after the pizza was baked and plated, only to realize the packaging reads Vegan (in the bottom left hand corner of the package). I wish it was more prominently displayed, as this was an impulse buy. Had it been more obvious that this was vegan, I would have selected a non-vegan option (should I exist).

As such. I feel like I need to publicly give them an extra star after this review for feeling bad, but I genuinely still believe in my heart that this pizza is no...