Italian / Griffintown
Mano Cornuto
CAESAR, BURRATA, PASTA. REPEAT.
Griffintown's all-day Italian: focaccia sandwiches at lunch, house-made pasta and natural-leaning wine at night, in our own neighbourhood.
- From home
- 4 min walk
- Spend
- $$$$
- Our dates
- Open Tue-Thu. Mon holiday hours unconfirmed
The verdict
Go, and treat it as our neighbourhood default rather than a big-night splurge. At lunch, get a schiacciata and the Caesar at the bar. At dinner, get the pistachio-pesto burrata, a pasta each and a negroni. Recent diners are mostly warm about the food and the staff, with one catch: it gets loud and busy, so book dinner on Resy.
- From Alessia's list
- In Griffintown, the same neighbourhood as our base
- Regular hours cover all four trip days (Thanksgiving Monday still to confirm)
- The Caesar, pistachio-pesto burrata and house-made pasta keep getting praised
Order this
Tap the circle to want it. Tap again once it's eaten.
Mano Cornuto, the short list
Must order
Mano Cornuto Caesar
$17Gem lettuce and romaine with white anchovies, pancetta, lemon oil, capers and taralli.
The house signature. Tourisme Montréal names it, and recent diners keep calling it out as a Caesar unlike the usual one.
Must order
Burrata
$20125g burrata with artichoke and pistachio pesto, served with focaccia.
The starter diners mention most. It's built for sharing, and it gets you the house focaccia too.
Must order
Schiacciata Classico
$14Focaccia sandwich with mortadella, pancetta, arugula, truffle honey and artichoke spread.
Focaccia sandwiches are the backbone of the daytime menu, and this is the one Tourisme Montréal names. It's the lunch order.
Crudo di Branzino
$17Raw bass (bar rayé on the French menu) with pecorino aïoli, bomba purée, pine nuts, lemon and prosecco.
The lighter opener to balance the burrata. Diner reviews regularly praise the crudo.
Campanelle alla Bolognese
$25Pork and beef bolognese with San Marzano tomatoes, pecorino and basil.
The safe, satisfying pasta and a recent diner favourite. The Infatuation (2023) notes the pastas are extruded in-house.
Tonarelli al Pesto
$26Tonarelli with a basil, arugula and pistachio pesto and pecorino.
Pistachio pesto is a house theme, and this is the pasta version. Expect it punchy: one recent diner found it firm, spicy and very garlicky.
Mezze Maniche alla Monzese
$29Italian sausage, saffron cream, raisins and anisetta on the night menu; the day version lists golden raisins and grana padano.
The least obvious pasta on the list, with sausage, saffron and a sweet note. Get it as the second pasta if you're sharing.
Risotto alla Milanese
$33Saffron risotto with pecorino and bone marrow.
A rich, saffron-gold main for a cold October dinner. It's only on the night menu.
What people actually say
Recurring themes, not cherry-picked quotes.
Love
- The house Caesar: diners keep naming this different take on the classic as a standout
- The pistachio-pesto burrata, the starter that comes up most
- Fresh, house-made pasta, with the bolognese a recent favourite
- Focaccia sandwiches as the dependable lunch order
- Warm, energetic staff: recent diners single out bar and floor staff for good recommendations on busy shifts
- The room itself: diners like the lighting, the music and the lively neighbourhood energy, which suits friends or a casual date
Know before you go
- It gets loud and busy, and waits happen without a reservation
- A recent diner found the wine and cocktails pricey
- One recent diner was told on arrival that an early table had a two-hour limit, so ask when you book
- The pesto pasta is punchy: one recent diner found it firm, spicy and too garlicky
- Comments on portion size and seasoning are mixed
- Lunch menu runs 11am-3pm and dinner menu 5-11pm; nothing is listed for 3-5pm
- Book dinner on Resy or by phone; it gets loud and busy
Dishes that keep coming up
Caesar salad, pistachio burrata, bolognese, pesto pasta, focaccia sandwiches, crudo, Italian iced tea
- Room
- Tastet describes a narrow, bright room with a long bar running back to an open kitchen. The Infatuation (2023) found it lively and busy, with condo neighbours and film crews in the mix. Cult MTL (2025) covers it as a Griffintown neighbourhood restaurant.
- Service
- Recent reviews mostly praise friendly, quick staff who handle a packed room well and make good recommendations. One recent diner complained about a curt exchange at payment.
- Value
- Food prices are fair for the quality: pastas are $25-29 and schiacciate $12-14 on the March 2026 menus. Drinks are where the bill climbs, with glasses of wine at $13-20 and cocktails at $11-17, and a recent diner flagged them as pricey.
Vibe check
lively/casual/loud/wine heavy
Best foran easy Griffintown lunch, a low-stakes weeknight pasta dinner, aperitivo and snacks at the bar
How much we'll spend
Night menu (March 2026): pastas $25-29, mains $33-37, antipasti and primi $8-22. Wine by the glass $13-20, cocktails $11-17, beers $8-12. One pasta or main, one drink and half a shared starter comes to about $35-65 per person before tax and tip. Lunch is cheaper: schiacciate $12-14 on the day menu.
On our dates
Daily 11am-11pm (lunch menu 11am-3pm, dinner menu 5-11pm)
- Mon 12Maybe
- Tue 13Open
- Wed 14Open
- Thu 15Open
Thanksgiving MondayThe official site lists 7 days, 11am-11pm, with no holiday exception, and its news page has no 2026 notice. English and French searches found no statement about Thanksgiving Monday, Oct 12, 2026, as of Oct 8. The regular schedule makes it likely open, but this is unconfirmed: call or check Resy for Oct 12 slots.
Full week
| Mon | 11am to 11pm |
|---|---|
| Tue | 11am to 11pm |
| Wed | 11am to 11pm |
| Thu | 11am to 11pm |
| Fri | 11am to 11pm |
| Sat | 11am to 11pm |
| Sun | 11am to 11pm |
Make a night of it
Dinner, drinks, late night. Real walking times between.
Pair it with
- Mano Figa, the team's café counter at the same address (daily 7am-6pm per the official site), for espresso and a pastry before the restaurant opens at 11
- A Lachine Canal walk after lunch, since the canal path borders Griffintown
- Brasseur de Montréal, also on Rue Ottawa (1485), for a pint after dinner; confirm its current hours
Where
988 Rue Ottawa, Montréal, QC H3C 1S3
The official site links to Resy and also takes bookings by phone at (514) 868-8451 or by email at reservations@manocornuto.com. Recent diners report waits without a booking. One diner (Oct 2026) was told on arrival that a 5pm table had to be returned by 7pm. Verified Oct 9: the official Book now buttons use the resy.com/cities/mtl/mano-cornuto link; the older montreal-qc/venues link also appears on the page. Venue page itself could not be rendered, so Oct 12 availability is unchecked.
While you're there
The receipt
Where every fact on this page comes from.
Fact-checkedResearched and independently re-checked Oct 8, 2026, 2 details corrected. Confidence: high.
Details to confirm
- Is it open on Thanksgiving Monday, Oct 12, 2026, and on regular 11am-11pm hours? Call (514) 868-8451 or check Resy for Oct 12 slots.
- Has the menu changed for fall since the March 2026 menus posted online?
- What is served between 3pm and 5pm, between the day and night menus?
- What is the correct postal code? The official contact page says H3C 1S3, the homepage says H3C 1S9 and The Main says H3C 0T2.
- Desserts are not on the posted menus; what is on offer?
- Are bar seats held for walk-ins, and do early dinner bookings carry a table time limit?
- OfficialOfficial website: Mano Cornuto home: hours, address, day/night menus, wine list, reservations
- OfficialOfficial website: Mano Cornuto Menu (NIGHT), online version dated 25/03/26 (PDF)
- OfficialOfficial website: Mano Cornuto Menu (DAY), online version dated 25/03/26 (PDF)
- OfficialOfficial website: Wine list dated 25/3/26 (PDF): glasses $13-20
- OfficialOfficial website: Contact (988 rue Ottawa, H3C 1S3; reservations line)
- OfficialOfficial website: Gruppo Amuleto: about the group, 7 days a week from morning to night
- OfficialOfficial website: Mano Figa café page (7 days, 7am-6pm, same address)
- OfficialOfficial website: News page (no 2026 holiday notice; posts are from earlier years)
- EditorialCult MTL: Mano Cornuto: Cult MTL Restaurant Guide review (Jun 30, 2025)
- EditorialThe Infatuation: Mano Cornuto review (Apr 28, 2023)
- EditorialTastet: Mano Cornuto: Convivial Italian café in Griffintown (2019 review; page updated Apr 24, 2026)
- TourismTourisme Montréal (mtl.org): Food itinerary: Griffintown (updated Nov 7, 2025)
- EditorialThe Main: A (mostly) spoken history of Mano Cornuto, Griffintown's unexpected Italian institution (Oct 8, 2025)
- EditorialThe Main: Mano Cornuto listing, Griffintown (updated Jan 14, 2026)
- CommunityRestoMontreal: Mano Cornuto page with syndicated diner reviews dated Sep 25 to early Oct 2026
- From usAlessia's list (traveller-supplied screenshot): Friend's restaurant recommendations