I know this is quite a common thing to say but: I love pizza. So much so that If I to build a bunker for the impending Oops-We-Ran-Out-Of-Space-Mayan-Calendar-Apocalypse it would definitely have a pizza oven in it. Maybe two.
So how does Il Focolaio fare against its competitors in Montreal? I'd have to say it more than holds its own. It's hard to say it's the very best because I haven't tried them all, but it is definitely in the top 3.
What I like about the pizza they serve is that it's not pretentious. It's not overpriced. It's a good pie with a good amount of food to stuff in your mouth. It's fresh. The dough is not too thick, not too thin and it's not mushy. These are important points some of the "famous" pizza joints fail on to some degree. Here you'll get your money's worth and I appreciate it when a restaurant doesn't pretend to be what it's not.
Variety is the spice of life and in this case, they brought the whole rack to their menu. If you don't find at least 3 different pizzas I would be surprised. As a vegetarian I found plenty of delicious looking options but I finally settled on La Bomba. Partly because of the name but mostly because of the chilli peppers. (It wasn't spicy enough anyway but you can never forget chilli oil on your pizza!)
Service was adequate. The place was jam packed and we never felt like anything was missing or not on time.
Ambiance is just like the pie and the front of their restaurant: it is what it is. Simple, honest, friendly, warm. There were lots of families eating with their kids. I like that. At some high-end pizza places I always feel like some of the spirit of grubbing out is lost amongst the sea of jackets, hugo boss shoes and pizzas with 2 little pieces of cheese on it for $20. Not here. Just come with a good appetite and enjoy some really good pizza.
Vegetarian food: 4.5 out of 5
Service: 4.5 out of 5
Value: 4.25 out of 5