Martello Restaurant in Hamilton

The food was amazing and the server was fantastic. Super professional ! Thanks again Eric!

Great food and amazing service

Delicious pasta, nice ambience.

Do not hesitate. Hurry over to Martellos restaurant on James St. North in Hamilton, ON. The food is wonderful and the service is personal and considerate. Pasta is made right on the premises and pizza cooked in the oven at the other end of the room. I connected with Gaby by email and she arranged for our party of 20, including children, easily and efficiently. Hats off to Aaron, our server, and to the other pleasant waiter whose name I have forgotten but not his wooly toque. We dont live in Hamilton, but I can imagine us returning to Martellos in the future. Ciao bella!

Thank you to the staff that helped me to accommodate my Italian friend and his group last minute. My friend is always searching for a pizza stop, he is vegetarian and he was very impressed with the food and the atmosphere of the place.

The meal was nice but it was expensive.

The appetizer were better than the main course and they charge for pop refill sad after we paid for a family of 7 ! some of us didn t care for the main course and the server was less than hospitable I won t recommend nor return sad part was that it was recommended by a friend

I went to Martello yesterday. The Popo E Capperi octopus was absolutely fantastic! Some of the best I ve ever had! The meatballs were to die for. The arugula and prosciutto pizza was cooked to perfection. Buttery crust contrasted with the balsamic glaze made this pizza absolutely delicious. The Fungi & Fontina pasta was rich and delicious. Perfect execution. The service was excellent, and the wine selection paired perfectly with every dish. Thank you Martello for an incredible culinary experience. I will be back!

Great place to eat, food was fresh and delicious. Service was great also! Will definitely go back.

Been a few times for dinner. Always had a great experience. The food and service have always been great. The servers are really friendly and knowledgeable. Solid casual atmosphere to enjoy with friends and family

Italian food well done.

The server Lisa we had this evening will destroy this business if she is kept on... I see someone else reviewed the restaurant and said they would never come back because of her. The best word to describe her would be sullen..she only spoke when necessary..looked like she did not want to be there.. And when I told her my pizza was stone cold... instead of apologizing she shot back that it had just come out of an 800 degree oven... I put my hand on the bottom of the metal pizza pan and it was cold... Clearly this pizza had been sitting around after it came out of the oven.. She could not have cared less... The young man behind the bar was also a piece of work...miserable... Too bad Because if my pizza had been hot and had been served by somebody who was customer -friendly I think it might have been good ..despite the inflated prices. The pizza Was taken off my bill.. But my friends and I agreed we wont go back. Be warned about the half price wine wednesdays... They dont post their wine list.. We went on wednesday and when we looked at the wine list we were shocked... The least Expensive bottle was $80.. And the wine selection was definitely not vintage...a real rip off. The other restaurants on James North were packed.This one was empty.. hmmmm wonder why

We recently celebrated our engagement at Martello and the party went off without a hitch! The food was outstanding and the service was amazing. I would recommend this resturant 1000 times over to anyone who just wants a nice dinner out or to rent out the resturant for an event. Aaron, Zac and Eric as servers and bartenders were fabulous, friendly and accomdating. A special thanks to Gaby, the owner, who was caring and attentive throughout the entire event planning stage.

Love the focaccia, the drinks, and the vibe

Great pizza, amazing atmosphere, friendly stuff.

The pizza base was burnt, and please come if you want to get a very IMPATIENT, RUDE service, the waitress looked impatient all the time, after paying a tip, we wanted to get some tissue, the waiter directly asked us to get them by ourselves, the man at the front desk is totally MEAN, said that they did not need to provide service, just tell us to leave after the rude lecture.

First time there....very nice....food very good....very nice and quiet atmosphere...

The servers are a big problem at this restaurant. They all look like they hate working with each other. There s a ton of attitude that gets served with your food. I told the one server that I like their jewelry and I got the most deadpan thanks in return. Food was just okay. Portions are small for how much they charge. My artichoke pizza was really bitter and a little burnt.

Great place. The thin crust pizza tasted amazing. A bit thin for me but that could just be that I dont know proper thin crust

One of my favourite wine lists in the city. Very cool bottle list, tempting bottle shop, and fantastic choices btg. All with one of the cutest coziest comfiest most aesthetically great vibe ever. Thank you every time, Aaron.

The food here was amazing, the atmosphere was great, and our waiter was knowledgeable/extremely attentive. The best service I ve had in a long time. I will be back for sure.

Their Ragu Pappardelle is amazing. And Ive only had it about a dozen times, so do take my word for it. Service is always on point, too. Wine list could be more extensive and a tad cheaper, though. But half-priced bottles on Wednesday make up for it.

The food, DELICIOUS; the service, FAST; the atmosphere, PERFECT! I always enjoy my time at Martello, and Im always suprised by how fast they bring out the food. The pizza is sooo delicious and the drinks are soo good! Will be visiting again!

Awesome service and wickedly good pizza! Our Uber eats order had a small mistake, and they immediately corrected it at no extra charge. Definitely would reccomend!

Italian flair with a modern influence. Great patio out back, lots of pasta and pizza selections.

Food was so very awesome! Service was fantastic. Keep up the great work. The atmosphere and decor is perfect and we will return.

Absolutely wonderful atmosphere. Service was outstanding from initial greeting to sendoff when finished. Food from pizza, meatballs and pasta cooked to perfection and plated beautifully. Thank you for a great Moms Day dinner!

It s been my go to pasta place lately!

If Martello was closer to home I would go there every week, but its worth driving from Toronto every so often to get my fix! Whether youre looking for a delicious cocktail to start the night, a bottle of natural wine you cant find anywhere else, or the best homemade pasta or Neopolitan-style pizza, Martello has you covered. In the summer I love sitting out on the patio for an afternoon drink with some appetizers and their fresh bread, and when its cooler out their dining room is the best to cozy up in and soak in all the thoughtful design details of the space. Its also fun to sit at the bar, too, and chat with the kindest, coolest staff while they whip up your cocktails. Next time youre in Hamilton, Martello is a must!

Amazing!! The best Italian food Ive had in Hamilton. Always fresh and great service.

Great food, music and atmosphere

Such a memorable experience at Martello for brunch! First off, I had no idea they did an Italian style brunch. While I was initially a bit skeptic, they proved to be great twists on some brunch classics. The hollandaise sauce on my Salumi Hash was incredible. I tried someone elses Muffaletta and I was jealous of that too. Even the Insalata di Rucola was great. Bravo. Our server (I forgot his name) was great. He was attentive, upbeat, and quick. He even anticipated our needs before we had to ask. For example, we were with my young daughter and older parents, and they sat us right next to a speaker playing some loud emo punk music. While I love all music, it happened to a bit loud for our group (and as an aside, it didnt quite fit the vibe of the place). All that to say, I wasnt even going to say anything but he offered to turn it down for us to make a more enjoyable experience. He even gave us recommendations on where to buy some of the dinnerware that we admired. Martello is already one of our go-to restaurants for take out pizza in the North End, but now they have earned a new brunch fan!

Ill start with a review of the food (3/5). Weve been a few times and normally enjoy their pizzas. Our Margherita was yummy as they use tasty crushed tomatoes. The mushroom and fontina was very bland: very few toppings that just didnt pack a lot of punch, so what I mostly tasted was the smokeyness from the pizza oven. With several other restaurants on James that offer similar menu items at the same price, I would generally opt for elsewhere. What has always brought us there was the very large patio - very helpful if you are dining with kids, which we do regularly. However, after our interaction with staff yesterday, we wont go back and would recommend anyone with small kids avoid this restaurant. Its difficult to explain the situation without sounding like the kind of parents who think their kid can do no wrong. So Ill just say that our kid was doing something we didnt think was a huge deal, on a completely empty patio, but can also see why staff had an issue with it (quietly making a pile of pebbles on the corner of an unused picnic table). One staff member scolded our daughter ( could you not? in a snotty tone), then came up to me with an extremely condescending and judgemental tone and told me to do something about my child. The next staffer continued to defend the actions of the first because our daughter was misbehaving from their POV. We dont have an issue with wanting her to stop, its how they went about it. We dine out almost on a weekly basis downtown with our kids and have never been met with that kind of hostility. In fact, we often comment about what makes so many of the trendy restaurants so great is that they welcome kids. We got the distinct message that children arent welcome and so we wont be back. If you want to go somewhere with better food, and that is welcoming to families, we can recommend the following places weve been recently (with kids) instead: Rapscallion (immediately gave us a list of ways they could accommodate a toddlers pickiness), Aberdeen Tavern (had crayons and activity books waiting at the table), The Diplomat (really attentive to the kids and making sure their food came quickly), The Mule (asked what our daughter liked to watch and changed the TV to something more kid-appropriate), Claudios (took her on a tour of the kitchen), Gastro Market (kitchen tour, got to taste a sauce they were working on), Salt Lick (small mac and cheese brought right away for her) ... honestly the list just goes on and on because weve never encountered such an anti-child attitude even though we almost never dine at child-focused restaurants. They want to be a kid-free place, thats fine, but given how empty the restaurant was (there were only two other customers inside), Im not sure they should be so picky. And its ridiculous to claim to be authentic Italian when families are so clearly unwelcome.

Had a wonderful dinner here. Ricky was our server. He was fantastic. Very knowledgeable about everything on the menu including the wines. Super attentive too. Excellent service. We tried 3 pizzas and they were all great with a beautiful thin crispy crust. The clear winner for me though was the mortadella and stracciatella. It was like no pizza I ever had before but it was DELICIOUS and perfectly balanced. I would definitely recommend this place!

As a connoisseur of haute cuisine from the esteemed echelons of Toronto (the gastronomic centre of our country), my standards are as lofty as the towers of our iconic skyline. Needless to say, I was apprehensive about dining anywhere west of Roncesvalles suburban restaurants are, as a rule, underwhelming in their fare and overwhelmed with the din of the hoi polloi. Martello, however, proved itself a culinary oasis amid the gritty environs of this hard-luck town. From the moment one crosses the threshold, Martello envelops its guests in an ambiance of refined elegance, a symphony of sophistication that resonates with each delectable bite. The attentive staff, headed by their fearless commandant Gaby, guided my journey through a medley of flavors, each dish an opus composed with the finest ingredients and executed with unparalleled precision. I was unaware that such a verdant wellspring of good taste could exist outside The Core. The menu, a veritable sonnet to culinary innovation, seamlessly marries old-world tradition with avant-garde flair, offering a tantalizing array of gastronomic delights that excite the palate and elevate the dining experience to transcendent heights. Each dish, a masterpiece in its own right, pays homage to the rich tapestry of Italian cuisine while infusing a distinctly local charm a testament to Martellos unwavering commitment to culinary excellence, on par with the finest Yorkville institutions. In a city often synonymous with blue-collar ethos, Martello stands as a beacon of gastronomic excellence, a testament to the notion that culinary brilliance can exist and indeed, thrive in the 905. So to my fellow urban epicureans, I implore you cast aside your preconceptions and make the journey into the hinterlands of Hamilton. The experience at Martello is so refined that it s as if you never left Toronto at all.

Do yourself a favour and get the agnolotti di funghi with focaccia!

Amazing food and the staff are amazing. Everyone is so nice and attentive. Between myself and my friend, we ordered 6 different dishes on the menu and each one was fantastic. Would highly recommend this place!

Had a late brunch and it was amazing! Not too busy on a Saturday afternoon but we ll worth it. Food was a good portion for the price and delicious. Server was very friendly and the atmosphere was chill and homey. Would love to come again for their pizza!

I dont understand why people dont go here for brunch. The dinners are amazing, and the breakfast is equally great. Photo is Breakfast Sandwich with side salad added. Vegetarian options: My only suggestion would be to have a meatless Benny option.

What a great, hidden gem. Every restaurant experience starts with the people. Staff here was great. Food is exceptional.

Nice place

The food is way over salted, almost can t taste anything there is so much. It s a small portion and not that good. The wine pours are not generous and the calamari seemed undercooked. Didn t have the pizza but it looked and smelled burned. Had two pastas, the calamari and two glasses of wine and paid $140. It would have been fine at half that price. For what they are charging go literally anywhere else for better food and better value.

Martello is my favourite restaurant in Hamilton. They always accommodate our needs, whether we re a last minute walk in of 2 or a large party on a busy night. The menu is fantastic for sharing. Everything is made in house, bread pasta, even the limoncello, and it is all fantastic. The staff are real hospitality professionals. They were great with the children in our group, offering simple dishes that appealed to them. To sum it up, Martello is the perfect setting for any occasion!

Dinner was delish!! Service was amazing but the food really hit the spot. Fresh pasta and amazing pizza. Thanks for a great time....we will be back

Our table shared many of the menu items. All of them were delicious. We had great service. Our server was very accommodating to the tables needs.

Great pizza.

Had a wonderful dinner for New Years eve. Went for the first time with 3 couples. Atmosphere was great with eclectic art work and burning candles. Ordered a variety of cocktails all delish (once we got them.) Octopus appetizer was spicy and cooked perfectly. Had the honey pizza with garlic aoli and mushrooms pasta, both were absolutely delicious. Others had pizza and pasta and again all the food was spot on, so good we all tasted everything and everyone raved about the food. Only small issue was getting drinks. Its new years so we were all in need of drinks and once ordered took forever to arrive which was the only disappointment. We would still go back as we really enjoyed the food. Highlights were the mushroom pasta, and pizzas.

Warning: These people are scammers! Be careful!! the management seems to be in on it as well. They will try to double or triple charge your credit card. If you end up here only pay cash/ check your statements right away. Not worth the average pizza and horrendous customer service.

I am very disappointed with this restaurant. Was told I was being charged a certain amount of money and I trusted that the manager was telling me the truth about the amount. Come to find out later that they over charged my credit card. Proceed with caution and ask for receipts.

Visited here with friends and received bad service the whole time. Won t go back.

We were 4 friends here for dinner. The food is good but the service was horribly slow. Once we sat down, it took 40 minutes for our drinks to even arrive, after flagging someone down to order. As the first round was delivered, the second round was ordered and yet the first drinks still sat empty for a bit before the next drinks came. I was also ready to order a second glass of wine but never got the chance as no one followed up. This place has potential but they need some major improvements.

We are coming back to this place over and over again. Pizza is simply delicious, with napoli dough style. Atmosphere is cozy and servers are always very pleasant. We are coming all the way from Oakville so that tells a lot. See you again soon!

I love the vibe and their gnocchi!

This is a spectacular little restaurant/bar.... Every stage of our dinner was excellent from appetizers to our pizzas... I will be back and I will highly recommend Martello to my friends

We had some red wine, a brussel sprout appetizer, pizza (arugula prosciutto and the honey hot), and tiramisu. Everything was delicious... although the hot honey pizza was the best :) Our server was friendly, and let us enjoy our meal without overcrowding. Perfect spot for date night.

Impromptu meeting at this swanky little gem! Espresso martini, audio visual draft and the most amazing margarita pizza ever eaten. Will definitely return, breakfast, lunch, dinner? We can t decide!

I am not from the area but popped in off the street while my wife was out with her friend. I didnt have a reservation but the super welcoming staff sat me at the bar. Bartender was a lovely chap. Good wine! had the Margherita pizza it was beautiful, nice and light. Great cocktails. Perfect way to start off my evening in Hamilton.

Great Pizza, amazing fresh pasta and such incredible staff! we had such a great night and the atmosphere is great!

The absolute best place for thin crust pizza in Hamilton. We have tried many other places but keep coming back to Martello. They make you welcome from the first time you walk through the door.

I absolutely loved everything at Martellos!! The daily pizza special was literally the best pizza i ve ever had! (forgot to take a picture) I loved the aesthetics and the staff. Would definitely come back!

We have gone to Martellos patio several times in the summer with friends and have always loved it. We decided to go for our anniversary dinner, as wed never eaten there, and it was fantastic - food was bang on, great cocktails/wine and attentive service. The atmosphere was lovely and we were really so happy with the meal. My only issue: these chairs without an actual back are really, really uncomfortable and I noticed absolutely no one was sitting properly in their chairs for the whole night. I know, I know, this might be a dorky comment and I understand that outfitting a restaurant isnt easy - but maybe something to consider in the long-run.

I ordered a Pizza Margarita for takeout, It was honestly the best pizza I have had outside of Italy. Definitely coming back to dine in! PS: the tomato sauce could use less salt but everything else was perfect.

Delicious and great service! Loved the decor/atmosphere.

Great Birthday Dinner! Tasty food and the staff were super friendly. Delicious mocktails and cocktails. Definitely going back when the patio is open! Thanks for being so accommodating with our toddler. Kid-friendliness: High chair and accommodated a small pasta request for our toddler.

Cute spot, nice drinks, good food! Parking is a little tough but manageable. The Taylor Swift drag brunch looked amazing (we didnt go but sat at the bar) Id check them out again if Im in Hamilton another time!

The food and service was really nice here, would definitely go back. I loved the hash I had for brunch, perfectly cooked and good flavour.

Delicious food, cool atmosphere, and attentive, friendly service (thank you Aaron)! We will definitely be back!

Great spot for brunch or lunch. Really enjoy their menu

Had an amazing dinner with my family on Friday March 17/23 after we attended the disney on ice show . The food was spectacular and service even better. Shout out to Aaron who was so pleasant and helpful - service was top notch. Well definitely be back to dine in when we are in hamilton next time in a few weeks for monster jam!

An authentic experience at this hidden gem! Super high quality food with a lovely interior. Servers are so friendly! Ill be back!!

It was an alright place good service but I find the portions are two smallfor the price it s a very expensive place too eat plus not much of a selection I probably wouldn t go back for the food part maybe on the patio for drinks Parking: Street parking limits Wheelchair accessibility: Yes to enter

Food was good but for the price didnt get much..pizza is very good Vegetarian options: So so Dietary restrictions: Good Parking: Good Kid-friendliness: Good Wheelchair accessibility: Good

Cozy spot with a post-Roman Catholic vibe. Cocktails were good. Friendly staff.

Ok. Martello - whoever you are. You cook the best food!!! I have two enemies in this world, the sun and gluten. I was super impressed with how diverse your menu is! Lots of gluten free options. Everything I had tasted awesome too :)

Very tasty food! A little bit pricey though.

Had the carbonara! Yummm! And I got to bring my dog on the patio! Great vibe, service and delicious food! I ll be back!

Despite all of the new restaurants that have opened on James North, I always seem to find myself back at Martello. I had the carbonara last night and it was delicious! I was significantly impressed as it was really busy (art crawl) and although I was told at first I probably wouldn t get a spot on the patio, the owner Gabby made moves quickly and got us a spot. I was really impressed w the patio set up seeing as the weather over the last few days came out of no where- I m not sure any restaurant could predict a full patio seating during this time of the year yet they absolutely nailed it. If you haven t been - I highly suggest checking this spot out - amazing atmosphere, and I love that you can dress up or dress casual. The patio at night is legit magical. Ive also been to a few Drag events last year and they were an absolute time... Thanks to Gabby and her staff for another sweet experience!

Food was very good but was overpriced, octopus especially Vegetarian options: Excellent

The pizza is really tasty yummy & fresh & come on down here and try throw pizza !

I was there for my birthday with some friends on Friday April 21 and we got there at 7:10pm ( we were 10 min late because we drove around the city blocks about 5x before we were able to find parking) not the restaurants fault in any way so my friend just dropped me off so I could get the table while they looked for parking . We ordered our food and by 8:15 the waitress came and told us we have a party coming in after us so we have 15 min and will give us boxes to pack up our food we were literally in the middle of chewing our food that was a first, I have never been kicked out of my table in the middle of eating if I knew the reservation were that extremely strict we would have considered another restaurant food wise the artichoke app is amazing pizza was good, but the carbonara wasn t great. It was mostly oil and fried pork with Chinese style thick noodles wasn t my fave but I can t speak for the rest of the food we have been to this restaurant before and had a great experience just make sure to call and make sure you re not on a sure strict time frame so yuu oh can enjoy your meal

Excellent dinner spot for both traditional Pizza, Pasta and Italian cuisine, and modern twists on classics that provide an elevated dining experience for those looking for well executed and delicious menu to explore. Staff is very accommodating and courteous, with an online reservation system to better plan out evenings. Wonderful surrounding area and well situated with options for cozy interior seating, bar and window seating, as well as a patio in the warmer weather. Cant recommend Martellos enough and recommend asking for the days specials, since they always end up being a hit!

We went in for drinks. We were seated quickly and our drink order was taken and water was brought to our table. That was unfortunately the last good part of our service. We were brought a round of drinks. At no point in the almost 1.5 hours we were there did anybody come back and ask if we needed more drinks or, better yet if we would like a menu or to order food. It smelled really good, but sadly we had our one round and that was it. I finally got tired of waiting for someone to come to the table so I went to the bar to pay for my drink. The bartender began to ring me up when the host came up and said hed take care of it and directed me back to the table and was going to bring machines. It took him quite a while to return with the machines which was really annoying when the bartender had already almost had me completely done. I hate leaving bad reviews but this really was terrible service, which is really too bad because the space is cool, the music was good, the staff all looked like they were having a good time and the food smelled great. I think the worst part was that we werent like seated far out of sight or something we were right near the bar and host station. They could see us and still never came over. Doubt Id try here again. Edit in response to Martello: We were here April 14th, 2023.

Went in tonight during art crawl and we were seated in the patio, the gentleman who seated us seemed to give myself, and friends a weird look. We came in coughing because there was a bear spray incident that had just occurred on James st. As the evening went on, our server brought us our pizzas ( main dish) . My friend, asked if we re still getting the appetizers and the server said I ONLY HAVE TWO HANDS and walked away. My friend was polite when she asked. Which we did order appetizers. Regardless, the server was not friendly at all, upon arrival of the restaurant, and throughout the service. His attitude was not pleasant. Shall I return to Martello, I would hope to not encounter this server again as his attitude did not make our night out enjoyable.

Fantastic date night or friends dinner spot. Delicious food, great cocktail selection, moody indoor environment for winter and a very hip back patio for warmer weather.

Had an absolutely lovely experience at a community table on the Martello patio. Great food, good company, and the spritz were to die for.

Great food and cocktails

Hidden gem for sure. Fungi and margarita were both excellent. Back patio was a great vibe and inside looks killer. On the expensive side but very much worth it

Great food, good vibes!

My girlfriend and I dined here (May 31) at around 8pm. We have had dinner here multiple times and had no issues. We ordered a pizza and each a pasta dish. It was delicious. Our server Lisa was not pleasant at all. She didn t check on our table once - my girlfriend waved her hand politely when she walked by to get her attention but she did not take one look at us and said ya one second. Even though we wanted to order the tiramisu we settled our bill early due to the service we were receiving. We still decided to tip Lisa 12%. The transaction was completed and she proceeded to ignore us. Zero communication and tosses the receipt on the table. Not even a have a good night. With that kind of service it would have deserved no tip. Overall the experience here was terrible. No complaints on the quality of food. Unfortunately due to Martello s customer service we are so disgusted by the way we were treated. We won t be returning customers. Please retrain Lisa to learn customer service skills & common manners.

Since food has become so expensive, the bar has become pretty high to justify eating out. Martello is absolutely worth it! They have a small, thoughtfully curated menu with a mix of familiar items done really well (calamari, margarita pizza, Tiramisu) and more novel fare like the squash fritters that were the daily special when I ate there, soppressata and hot honey pizza, and gnocchi with roasted corn, prosciutto and scallions. The food is beautifully presented, delicious and reasonably priced. Awesome patio, great service and ambience. Highly recommended!

I spent time on their back patio taking in some great music from several Ontario artists. It was a great atmosphere, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. I did not have a chance to sample the food, but others who were present said it was delicious.

If you want to experience racism and terrible customer service come to Martello! contacted Martellos management to receive a pretty generic apology Will never be returning here.

One of the best Italian restaurants in Hamilton simply the best

We LOVED this place! the back patio was so cute and the pizza and drinks were outstanding. Will be back no question! Service was friendly and the price was resonable. Vegetarian options: Many veggie options avail. Fresh & tasty Kid-friendliness: Really fun spot for kids and dogs.

Went for a drag brunch on the back patio - amazing time! Great food, excellent service from the restaurant staff. Would highly recommend.

Very disappointing. And $10 for a coke and a sparkling water?! Things got no better after that. Shame really, could be quite nice, but all a bit off for our visit

Love this restaurant. Good vibe, & great food.

Nice place to have food off a busy street.

I rarely go 5 stars on every category but I truely enjoyed beyond words. Staff were INCREDIBLE. RICKY IS AN ABSOLUTE GEM OF A HUMAN AND WAS TOP KNOTCH FOOD WAS GOOD. DRINKS WERE NICE. AND THE DINING ROOM WAS BEAUTIFUL AND THE PATIO IS ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC AND INSTAGRAMABLE

Theres always something with this place. Today they told us they were closing at 930 (a half hour early) and not to bother sitting down and being rushed for a glass of wine. Often the patio is closed because it might rain. Once we had to practically beg to be seated without a reservation and ultimately got led to a patio where there wasnt a single occupied table (?!) I dont know why its always no with them. Anyways, my advice is call ahead and make sure they are in the mood to be a restaurant before wasting time going there in person and being told no.

Love Martello, the atmosphere, service, staff, and food is always great. Had the feature pizza of ndjua, corn and pecorino. It was delicious!!! Loved it!!! We also had 2 other pizzas, pasta with carbonara and a couple of apps. Everything was excellent!!

Front of house is a bit combative. Food is excellent. Really need to work on making guests feel welcome. So odd feeling like a burden while dining. Asked to be re-seated in a sunny spot (60% of tables were empty at this time) and was met with an odd amount of resistance? Yikes. PS - well done on the octopus. Really need to work on that hospitality.

The only positive was the host who sat us but literally everything else was terrible the service was super slow the food was extremely bland and or burnt. we had maybe 2-3 bites and couldn t eat anymore for how bad it was and they still charged us for it all and pretty much just said sorry you didn t like it . Other guests who sat 15minutes after us got their food and drinks before us. All round terrible time and a waste of money to step foot into this place I wouldn t even call it a restaurant

Food and atmosphere was great, unfortunately due to the poor service I will likely not return. Our female server who I do not remember her name, was very snippy and seemed mad at us. Its not worth returning if you feel like a bother, especially considering our high bill. We were forced to tip 20% which is fine considering we were in a group although was not worth it.

Excellent service and super friendly and attentive people and the food my congratulations the best

This was our first time at this Italian restaurant, tucked away on the vibrant James St N. It came highly recommended by friends and we can see why! Amazing service, good, quality, and attention to detail. The gnocchi was to die for, everyone wanted a bite! The carbonara is also delicious and they make a mean negroni and cappuccino. Would definitely suggest eating here. The atmosphere is great too and they played awesome music. Very hip, but good for all ages. My sister and I are in our 40 s and our mum is in her 80 s and we all loved it. Will definitely be back.

I was so excited to go here but was so disappointed. Firstly the whole restaurant smelt like chemicals, secondly the wait staff were rude and cold to our whole group while we were trying to be kind the whole time, thirdly the food was not good at all especially for the price I had the carbonara which consisted of 6 pieces of bacon and very bland spaghetti with sauce that tasted store brought, then when the bill came they added a large tip with no option to remove it, with the tip and the taxes it was almost double the original price. Maybe it was an off night though and they are great normally?

The staff is friendly and the service is good. Really liked the pizza and the pasta. Its right in the heart of the city! Love the ambience; they have a huge patio with benches in the back and the wood oven pizza is in the indoor dining area which adds to the homely feeling. Burning candles with wax melted over, exposed brick walls is the look they are going for. Food is decently priced; just didnt like that they charge for chili oil as must Italian restaurants Ive frequented dont do so. Ive been to Italy and I wasnt even charged there. Just a suggestion for the restaurant to consider.

Fun spot downtown with a cool aesthetic, great pizza, and a good cocktail menu. Definitely recommend.

Sat at the bar during supercrawl. The drinks and pizza were the highlights. House made limoncello, yummy espresso martinis, and freshly cooked pizza with authentic sauce.

Excellent pizza, thin crust and well done. good service and cold beer. We will be back.

Such a great patio, the service was amazing and food was delicious! If you like a good pizza place, look no further.

dinner with family food .. was okay.waiter are rude made us feel uncomfortable. & discomfort atmosphere.

Amazing hospitality and care. Comfortable dining within their hidden hip patio in the back thats decorated playfully. I have felt spoiled by the staff both times that I have gone. Delicious truffle dishes entirely from scratch with all fresh and flavourful ingredients. Nice ambience inside as well. I am updating this review because a dish the wait staff told me was vegetarian last year is not when I went to order it this summer and they confirmed that it never was. It has a poultry stock. Very disappointing. Restaurants need to school their staff one what is vegetarian vs vegan vs pescatarian. I would hope this day and age that any food establishment would be considerate, honest and careful of peoples diet choices and restrictions. Creating innovative healthy balanced options for all diet types does well for any establishment.

Was there for a private event yesterday and the food was spectacular !! Obvious pride taken by the owner gabby, the service at the bar was incredible, great staff , great vibe to the place . I look forward to coming back !

The host/general manager Aaron was the least hospitable representative for a restaurant Ive ever been in. We also witnessed him tell two women they had to leave the more than empty restaurant just because they had a service dog.

Absolutely terrible experience. The manager was rude and judgemental from the moment we walked in. We will not be back based on how poorly we were treated from the manager (Aaron). Food

Avoid this spot. The food is fine and atmosphere is cozy but the host guy is miserable. There are too many better options to go for pizza and pasta on James North without the petty attitude. There s a common theme in most of these reviews of the poor customer service, aka Aaron. Save your money and go somewhere else. Also I would have never gone if I knew the owner co-owned Nique.

The food was fine but the service was bad. We went there with friends whom we met after a long time. But as soon as we finished our dinner the waiter told us to leave as they needed the table. The restaurant was not even crowded. That is not one expects after paying $200 for dinner of 4. We were hardly there for an hour and half. Kid-friendliness: Not kid friendly.

food was great service was absolutely terrible from the bartender

I loved this place! The food was perfect, the drinks were a work of art, the atmosphere is amazing and the staff were beyond friendly. This spot is the very definition of a local gem. I would recommend it to anyone and I am guaranteed to be back.

The rapini awakened feelings I didnt know I could feel anymore, but not as much as the soundtrack. Lisas impeccable playlist truly brought me to another plane of existence. I will come back again, and with very high expectations about the music.

We decided to come in by chance while walking down the street. The atmosphere was just our speed; very low-key. The food was lovely - the sausage and pepper pizza was absolutely delicious. Awesome and friendly staff. Also, the playlist that Lisa put on was fire! Would definitely come back again and again!

Loved the food and drinks and our server Lisa!

A good choice for an Italian craving night! Food is tasty! I have been going to Martello s in many occasions and I will for sure visit again! Food : 4/5

Loved the pizza and bar experience.

I was hoping for a warm, sincere and and friendly approach in service. My mind in dinning in changed quickly, unfortuntaley.

We recently hosted my niece and sister s joint birthday party at Martello and it was fabulous!! The staff was so friendly and accommodating for a 30 person party, the food was absolutely delicious (everyone agreed!) and the atmosphere was fantastic (music especially!) Special thank you to Gaby for her help planning this special event. I look forward to hosting future events at Martello and dining with you soon :) Kid-friendliness: My niece is 3 and we had 6 other kids there. Wheelchair accessibility: There was a ramp at the door for ease of access

A few times I have experienced poor service both taking away and eating in. The pizza is good but not special the gnocchi was divine I highly recommend it. Also the pastries are incredible!

Great experience from beginning to end. Food was top notch, service was great & the vibe inside the restaurant was nice (perfect for date night or a nice dinner with friends). Cant wait to come back & sit out on the patio. Highly recommend

Great place for drinks and food. Decor is nice.

Both times I ve been to Martello have been great! The atmosphere is so relaxing, exactly the kind of thing I missed after almost 2 years of not eating in restaurants! The menu is small and everything I ve tried so far has been amazing! My husband and I loved the artichokes. All the pastas are delicious and indulgent! We loved splitting everything we ordered so we could try more things. I don t really drink but the cocktail abs wine menu looked amazing and the cocktails I saw were so darn pretty I wished I was more of a drinker to enjoy one! And of course the service, perfection! All the servers and hosts were so kind and caring and really took great care of us. I m excited to come back and try brunch next.

Hamiltons best vibe and dough based eats

An absolutely incredible place with warm and groovy decor, sweet wait staff and elegant food! A must try in downtown Hamilton!

Martello is hands the best pizza place in Hamilton, and their other food items are also excellent (the osso buco is to die for). If you re looking for yummy cocktails, craft beer, and funky wines, this place is also for you. The atmosphere is great inside and out back when the patio is open. Staff is kind and the service is great. What more can you ask for? Also, make sure to check out the baked goods (Thursday to Saturday) and other products they sell near the entrance.

From beginning to end an amazing experience. The food: 10/10 Cocktails: 10/10 Staff: 10/10 Atmosphere: 10/10 Honestly you can not go wrong choosing this as your next date night location. My husband and I have gone several times and every single time we leave with a full and happy belly. Can not wait to go back and eat those delicious pizzas, the oxtail gnocchi and the squid. My mouth is drooling just thinking about it. Did I mention that everything is made in house.

Food was excellent but service was very poor. We never saw our server after ordering until it was time to pay. One of the 3 items we ordered never arrived.

Beautiful, cozy space and great service. We came for brunch and wasnt disappointed. Loved all the dishes we ordered, decent portions too. Pizza is a must-try!!

We were in the area this evening and decided to check this place out as it had so many positive reviews. This certainly wasnt the case for us. It had a relaxed atmosphere, not overly busy and greeted promptly. We were able to get a table on the patio to enjoy the evening. It took over 20 minutes for us to have a waitress ask us if we wanted water. She never returned. Instead another waitress came with water and took our order. The waitresses appeared not to be communicating between themselves as we noticed food going to wrong tables. Another watress brought us our drinks, I received a canned beer even though I asked for a draft. Our food, a wood oven pizza and pasta took another 40-45 minutes to arrive, at no point did any of the staff check up on us. The food was good, as expected, however staff never followed up with us until until we finished eating. We aksked for the bill, waitress said shed be back with the machine. Another 10 minutes we decided to go inside and pay. Overall extremely disappointed in the service, appears to have a lack of leadership/management.

Best brunch in Hamilton and Ive tried many. The flavors are lovely and portions generous. Just the right amount of salmon and spinach in eggs florentine. The service is top flight. The only improvement I would suggest is that the poached eggs be a little less done. Otherwise excellent.

We had the pleasure of visiting Martello again to celebrate my gfs birthday. Weve always enjoyed our visits to this restaurant, however, their team made it an extra special night! Upon being greeted by the hostess, we were seated at our table and surprised with 2 complimentary glasses of sparkling wine! In addition to excellent service throughout the evening, we really enjoyed our meal! Special thank you to Gaby and her team! If youre visiting Hamilton, make sure you check out Martello! Tips: 1) Order the Parpadelle Al Ragu, its fantastic! 2) If youre visiting during the warmer months, make sure you check out their patio!

Unfortunately we had a terrible experience on Mother s Day. When we showed up for our reservation and ordered water, we were told that Pizza was sold out. After deciding to stay anyway, even if is not easy to convince 3 kids to order something else, we decided to order them some eggs cooked in tomato sauce. ( Uova in purgatorio on the menu). After few minutes we placed the order, the server come back telling us that the eggs in tomato sauce are sold out as well and she offer bacon and eggs (remember this is an Italian restaurant). At that moment I informed the server we were leaving and try to find a place where to feed the kids. Not only I was treated unkindly after that, but I was also charged for the sparkling water. I suggest, then, to the server that next time almost everything is sold out they should call the reservations and let them know, especially being a Pizza restaurant sold out of Pizza dough. The server told me it had been a busy day, almost like it was my fault. I worked in the industry for 20 years, and if was me, telling a family with 3 kids, on Mother s Day, that there was not much available on the menu, I would have feel embarrassed and apologized. Instead I was treated rudely. Anyway, brought the kids to Beertown and the kids had a great time. All is well.

Great food, better back patio. They even have blankets for people who need em! Definitely coming back here

Cute atmosphere, slow service, tiny portions, and extremely overpriced. We paid $69 (with tip) for two pasta dishes and nothing else. I dont mind paying a bit more for quality food, but this missed the mark for me. The gnocchi was terribly bland and definitely not worth the price. I was pretty disappointed that we were leaving hungry...

Amazing food! Great service. The space has a really relaxed vibe. Can t wait to go back again soon!

Best Italian!! The atmosphere, service, and vibe was lovely. But the food? Oh, the food!! It was MAGNIFICENT!! Thank you for taking the care to make things in house. It s getting harder to find restaurants that want to curate all the pieces of the meal, not just pull it out of a box. The pizza dough, sauce, pasta, boar, wine *drool* just wow. Thank you for an amazing meal.

Best modern, authentic Italian food I ve had in a long time. The hostess is super friendly and has a cool vibe. The servers were prompt and also friendly. Welcoming atmosphere and beautifully decorated. Interesting people watching, too. But the food absolutely fantastic! I recommend the Aperol Spritz on a hot day on the patio.

Food was great! Everyone raved about their various dishes - pizza, gnocchi, and pasta dishes.

Really....8am reso, Been here for an hour only got my snack of fried rice and cheese balls which had zero taste. Still waiting on my appetizers which is a salad... mains...who knows.. maybe hour 2...or 3... Man.. dont take a reservation if you cannot accommodate guest. Fin

Absolute Worst! Sadly, we were gifted this highly recommended experience, so we drove all the way out to Hamilton on a Friday for an 8pm reservation. When we arrived the host and the manager were occupied discussing the scheduling - didnt even acknowledge us. It took 30 mins for a 6oz glass of wine and beer to be served and within our first hour all they served us were dry, arancini balls fried in old oil. We canceled our salad because they couldnt get that out in the first hour and our mains arrived by 9:15 - luke warm. The manager told us the pasta was fired at 8:45. She comped our dinner and we took home bottles of wine and a gift card that we gave away to a young couple because we will never return and would not send any of our loved ones there either.

Came for drag brunch. Benedict was killer. Stuffed Brioche, just meh if Im honest. Cocktails were delightful. But if you dont stop everything to go try their croissants, courtesy of their General bakery. Go, run, Im serious. Ill wait. Then tell me if I was wrong.

Great spot! Staff are lovely and food is delicious!

We went for Brunch and the food is good and staff there are nice. The breakfast pizza was not a traditional pizza, which was made on order with eggs, potato, beacon. My 3 year old is not a fun of the pizza, however, the stuffed brioche was a hit (just do not eat too much ;))

Great Italian fare. Nice atmosphere Food was on point , Higher end Italian & wood fired pizza, Beyond delicious

Superb food

Pizza was really good, service was great, cocktails good too

I would return for their big patio and nice atmosphere inside but the food and service were not great. The food was expensive and not high quality. We ordered the $16 heirloom tomato salad and it was probably half a red tomato that tasted like it had been stored in the fridge. The mussels were okay and the ravioli was good. Maybe our server was just having a bad day but she seemed very annoyed with having to serve our table. Overall, I would not recommend eating here, but I would go back for a drink on the patio and hope we get a different server.

The food was amazing, specially the Pizza but the server was so racist. I would not prefer to go to such a place again

We eat her every two weeks. Ragu is perfect

Great atmosphere. Nice patio. Service was okay a bit disorganized at times. We ordered the Prosciutto & Arugula pizza which was amazing, definitely will be coming back. I only wish I was told that Id be charged $9 for sparkling water when most places its free or half the price.

One of the most beautiful restaurants Ive ever eaten at!!! Great location with an authentic, simple, yet well executed menu. Doesnt try too hard, and doesnt need to, the food drinks and service speak for themselves

The food taste good. But the price is higher. A waiter serves us doesnt have a good mood .

Nice atmosphere, lovely pizza but chairs were terribly uncomfortable. We paid $25 for a pasta dish and when asked for some parm they said it would be a $1.00 up charge and no table bread. Sadly we wouldn t recommend this place and won t be back.

The best service I have had in a very long time. The staff was so friendly and thoughtful, checking several times on the foods restrictions requirements of our party. The decor inside is very welcoming and the food is as delicious as it looks.

This is one of our absolute fave spots. Great ambience, friendly staff and incredible food. The Hot Honey Soppressata is the best pizza I have ever had. Hand made noodles and a great wine list. What s not to love?? I d give them six stars if I could

Did not like the Pizza/Scallop Starter. The service was OK & there were delays. The Tiramisu & the decor was the good part.

This is our first visit to Martello but we will be back. The patio was great. The inside looked like a cool space as well. We all had pizza and they were delicious. All the employees we passed were friendly and said hello. The wait staff was friendly, didnt leave us too long but also not overbearing.

Firstly the restaurant was very cute and matched the name of looking like an upscale restaurant with high prices. The patio however was less italian and up market and felt like a cheap pub back yard, uncomfortable chairs loud noisy bikers club next door. Ordered the salad with pizza. Firstly the salad at $16.00 was the size of a side salad although was tasty was extremely over priced and the most expensive salad I have had. The pizza was equivalent to a extra large pita bread toss on Arugula and five strips of prosciutto and drizzle of balsamic syrup and pay 20.00. The weight in this was like a paper plate over cooked base. This is more like an appetizer at an expensive price. If your looking for a satisfying meal where you dont leave hungry and happy to pay a lot for little. We wont return unfortunately. Pizza a salad not big enough for one person and 1 drink wasb around 70.00 with tip.

Great pizza, friendly staff, cozy and interesting restaurant, good prices. I will be visiting again

Went to dinner with a few friends, sat on the adorable patio, had lots of good food. Service was great, food was amazing. Interior and exterior decor is fantastic.

Cool vibe, nice staff and good food. The charcuterie board was good with excellent bread. We had 3 pastas and a pizza. The carbonara was good. I didnt get to try the pizza, but it looked great. I would split pasta and pizza next time. Tiramisu for dessert was unique with strawberries in it. Dietary restrictions: Gluten-free pasta options are really nice. Just note the form may be different than the non gluten version.

Stopped by for a bite during supercrawl, delicious food and funky atmosphere. Thank you

Came hear and had some drinks and grub after night market. It was a nice little spot with a backyard patio that had a different vibe--needed someone on a guitar and woulda felt like Texas or something. I had the blueberry gin spritz. Good first date vibes as it was well let and could see it being cozy with a fire going

Nice atmosphere. But definitely overpriced for what youre getting.

Great place. Awesome patio. Drinks were really good !

Delicious food and great atmosphere. Hamilton has many wood fire pizza joints and this is one of my favourite -- the soppressata and honey pizza is a treat. The polpo (octopus) is a must every time I go as an appetizer. The pasta dishes are also good but I will say that the serving size is not as big as other places so be prepared to leave content, not full to the brim, if thats all youre getting!

Amazing service and food. Just disappointed we didnt come here sooner!

Very expensive and the food was overly salted, gnocchi was rubbery. Our appetizer of cherry tomato confit was just cold marinated cherry tomatoes that I could do at home. The focaccia was outstanding. The bison paperadelle ragu was too salty. The horseradish creama didnt taste like horseradish at all. The staff was too casual for the prices. Wearing belly shirts and sweatshirts and our 75 dollar bottle of wine was plunked down on the table and opened without consideration. Wont be back.

Service was good! Portions were on the smaller side. We didn t understand why the fried artichokes only came with half of them fried. Food was good.

Great food, soppressata pizza and truffle pasta were delicious

Good food and service, wine is quite expensive so I would recommend going on half priced wine night.

Pizza was okay at best. Floppy and saggy. Not recommending this restaurant to people as it was noticably poor service and food isnt that great. Seems like since covid started people just dont care about food quality anymore..

In my opinion one of the best restaurants in Hamilton...the pasta is so fresh and flavourful and service is always incredible. They know what theyre doing here for sure. They have all the vibes you want...late night romantic vibes...or brunch time patio for Aperol spritz with your friends! The rating for this place should be WAY higher!

Great place. Cozy and comfy. Great food (and take out). The pizza is fantastic ?

Some of the best pasta I have ever had! The Agnolotti was decadent but not overpowering, the fresh foccacia was lovely and although they didnt have some of the wines I wanted, the option the server suggested was amazing. Definitely go back. A tad expensive but worth it now and again.