Moretti has their first ever location outside of Montreal's Griffintown right here in Toronto.

The modern contemporary Italian restaurant serves classics like pasta and pizza alongside more general upscale fare like tuna tartare.

The splashy space is actually divided into a daytime cafe area and a high-ceilinged dining room with a full view of pizza ovens and the kitchen.

Polpette di Carne ($18) are melt-in-your-mouth spheres of veal and pork, smothered in sweet pomodoro San Marzano and topped with parmigiano reggiano and basil.

Costolette d'Agnello alla Griglia ($22) is an order of three lamb chops grilled to perfection and served with sun-dried tomato, creme fraiche, black olive and mint. The contrast of flavours pairs well with the smoky meat.

Tartare di Tonno ($22) is part of a range of crudos that provide fresher options amongst many heavy selections. A yellowfin tuna tartare is topped with sesame, ribbons of cucumber and crispy taro chips, and ringed with a sambal-soy vinaigrette.

By contrast, Fritto Misto ($22) is traditional and deep-fried. Calamari, shrimp and white fish with a crispy coating are paired with a lemon pepper aioli and a tomato marmalade.

Mac & Cheese ($30) is taken to the ultimate level here. Sturdy pasta tubes are smothered in a sharp yet creamy mix of Mimolette, Fontina, aged cheddar, parmigiano reggiano, finished off with pangrattato (i.e. breadcrumbs) and a hit of truffle paste.

Pizzas are slightly thinner and larger than Neapolitan standards, square Roman-style pizza sold solely at the cafe.

A Burrata pizza ($29) is topped with San Marzano tomato sauce, big dollops of creamy burrata and squidgy wild mushrooms that add more meatiness than you might expect from typical burrata pizza toppings.

Patate e Cipolle is more typically priced at $21, a white pie topped with fior di latte, Yukon potato, shallots, gorgonzola, crispy Italian pancetta and lots of bold fresh rosemary.

Tonno in Crosta ($42) provides a tuna main that's rather similar to the tuna tartare crudo dish. A rice cake is topped with creamy crab wrapped in cucumber and ringed with encrusted seared tuna.

Bomboloni alla Nutella ($10) are donuts thickly coated in sugar and absolutely stuffed with warm, ooey-gooey Nutella.

A Torta al Limone ($9) is an absolute classic, basically a lemon pie with a wild berry compote, Italian meringue and pine nuts.

Tiramisu cheesecake ($9) fuses the richness of cheesecake with the flavour of coffee, topped with a delicate coffee tuile and paired with a chocolate sauce.

There's an extensive list of wines from Italy and California, but you can't go wrong with an Aperol Spritz with Italian food when craving a cocktail.

Moretti replaces Luckee at the base of the SoHo Metropolitan.