Executive Chef Gabrielle Di Marco is serving up his Sicilian roots with a fresh dose of Italian charm at the newest Oretta location. This latest and most ambitious opening invites guests to experience Italy with a few surprises! Think plates that whisk you straight to Milan and cocktails that shimmer with la dolce vita. If your ideal evening includes sipping, mingling, and tasting your way through modern Italian flavours, you’ll want to put this spot on repeat.
Perfectly perched at the corner of Front and Simcoe, Oretta Downtown is an ideal spot for lunch with colleagues, after-work aperitivos, date night, or a pre-theatre dinner. Just steps from Scotiabank Arena, Rogers Centre, Roy Thomson Hall, and the Royal Alexandra Theatre, it’s a refreshing and stylish alternative to the area filled with mediocre tourist traps.
Oretta’s Welcoming Space
Step inside the 8,000-square-foot space and you’ll quickly forget you’re in the heart of the entertainment district. Despite its size, the restaurant manages to feel warm, elegant, and effortlessly welcoming. With a lively main dining room, chic bar area, private upstairs space, and a cozy all-season patio, Oretta Downtown checks every box.
Inspired by the glamour and golden glow of 1970s Milan, this new outpost takes centre stage as one of the most buzzed-about openings in the city’s dining scene. Expect sophistication, a touch of nostalgia, and that effortlessly cool Italian flair.
What’s on the Oretta Downtown Menu
Fans of Oretta King Street and Oretta Midtown will recognize a few beloved classics on the menu, but Oretta Downtown also introduces some head-turning, awe-inspiring dishes you will only find here.
Take the Paccheri alla Vittorio, a deceptively simple yet absolutely divine pasta. Chef Di Marco tells us it’s a labour of love. This dish is crafted with four varieties of tomatoes and large tube-shaped pasta, all presented in a gleaming copper pan. The dish hails from Brusaporto, a charming town just outside Bergamo, and it’s one that embodies Italy’s passion for tradition and detail.
That sense of connection runs through the entire menu. As Chef Di Marco shares the stories behind each dish, you can’t help but feel transported—ready to book your next flight to Italy.
Oretta Downtown’s Tableside Theatrics
In keeping with Oretta’s flair for table-side theatre, the Porchetta Experience is another must-try. The moist, herb-infused pork is roasted to perfection. Then, carved right before your eyes for peak flavour. A sprinkle of crisp, golden rind adds a satisfying crunch, while the house potatoes—let’s just say they’re seriously addictive.
The Cacio e Pepe at Oretta is a signature experience. A large, hollowed wheel of pecorino cheese is rolled right to your table, where warm pasta is swirled and coated in creamy, velvety goodness before being served piping hot.
Then there’s Rigatoni alla Norcina! A pasta dish inspired by the Umbrian classic, a comforting dish, is adored by both young and old in Italy. Oretta’s version features tender pork sausage enveloped in a luxurious truffle mushroom crema, offering a rich and modern twist on tradition. It’s deeply satisfying, beautifully balanced, and without question, my go-to dish here.
There are so many hits on this menu worth trying. Gamberetti Fritti (lightly fried crispy prawns with chilli salt) are can’t wait to pop-in-your mouth morsels of goodness. Pizza Tartare is a hearty starter (but can easily be your entire meal or shared) made with raw steak tartare, arugula, and black truffle.
Save room for dessert!
If you don’t find Tiramisu on a menu, are you even in an Italian restaurant? Thankfully, we already know that Oretta’s is one that lives up to the famous dessert’s hype! Made with Marscapone cream, chocolate sponge cake, espresso, and Frangelico.
Bacio De Pantelleria (from the island of Pantelleria) is chef’s kiss — literally. The name of this delightful dessert translates to “Kiss from Pantelleria”. A pretty flower fritter wheel delicately perched on top of a dreamy, whipped-up sweet ricotta cream.
The Torta Caprese is an almond chocolate cake with vanilla whipped cream is a shareable dessert that was richly satisfying. A great finish to any meal!
Oretta Café
At the same location, just outside the restaurant entrance, is their new Oretta Café. Its casual setting offers Italian espresso coffees, in-house fresh baked goods, focaccias, and paninis. Ideal for daytime office workers in the area who crave a little taste of Italy on the go! We will return to try soon!
Belissima!
Oretta Downtown is located at 160 Front Street in Toronto! Reservations available on OpenTable.
All photos by Sonya Davidson.