Y Not Italian

What is Y Not Italian? Occupying the corner of Harbord Street and Manning Avenue in Harbord Village, Y Not Italian is an intimate neighbourhood bistro from veteran restaurateur Peter Catarino (formerly of Yorkville's Spuntini and EVOO). Named in tribute to his father Anthony ("Tony" backwards), the warm dining room features exposed brick, vintage wood details, and an elevated open kitchen where Catarino regularly works the pass. Seating is cozy with roughly two dozen indoor seats alongside a compact, plant-lined sidewalk patio in warmer months.

Y Not Italian Menu & What to Order The kitchen sticks to classic, unpretentious trattoria comfort food executed with decades of seasoned technique. Start with the Polpettini—tender beef and veal meatballs served on crostini with herbed ricotta—or the crispy Melanzane Parmigiana. For mains, the pillow-soft Gnocchi con Formaggio in a four-cheese cream sauce and the Fettuccine al Divo tossed with chicken and sun-dried tomato pesto are reliable crowd-pleasers. Wrap up the meal with a classic house tiramisu alongside an approachable glass of Italian red.

Know Before You Go Given the tight 24-seat dining room, reservations by phone are strongly recommended, especially if you hope to snag a patio table or dine during peak weekend hours. Walk-in diners have the best luck arriving right at the 5:00 p.m. opening or stopping by mid-week. The 94 Wellesley bus stops steps away along Harbord, and Green P street parking is available along adjacent streets.