Trattoria Nervosa

Trattoria Nervosa is the little yellow house at the corner of Yorkville Avenue and Bellair Street, opened by restaurateur Janet Zuccarini in 1996 and marking 30 years in 2026. Streets of Toronto described an inviting, homey room that trades Yorkville showiness for comfort, with a flower-lined wraparound patio and a rooftop above, and the restaurant still frames itself as a neighbourhood table for everyday meals and long conversations.

The cooking, recognized with one Forchetta in Gambero Rosso's Top Italian Restaurants 2026, is southern Italian and drawn from the recipes Zuccarini grew up eating with her family. Pizzas run from a classic margherita to nduja with smoked provolone and wildflower honey, and the pastas include duck ragù pappardelle, spaghettoni cacio e pepe and mafalde with mushroom and truffle, best eaten on that patio in summer.