Great pasta at Il Miglio in Montreal's Mile End

il miglio italian restaurant montreal © Will Travel for Food

Peas and prosciutto orechiette at Il Miglio in Montreal’s Mile End

I was supposed to go to Italy this summer but had to postpone because of personal reasons so I find myself spending the whole summer in Montreal, which I haven’t done in a few years. I am working and not really taking any long holidays but I’ve decided to make the most of it and slow down my rhythm, especially on sunny days. On such a sunny afternoon last week, I found myself running around the Mile End for some appointments. It was 4pm and I still hadn’t had lunch so I headed to Il Miglio for a quick bite.

Il Miglio (the “Mile” for Mile End, get it?) is the newest addition to the Club Chasse et Pêche family. Claude Pelletier and Hubert Marsolais are behind the popular and outstanding Le Filet, Le Serpent and Le Club Chasse et Pêche restaurants. They have teamed up with Le Serpent chef Michele Mercuri and Le Serpent cook Giovanni Rasile to open Il Miglio, which has been in business for a couple of weeks. The casual establishment is Italian in nature and serves a short menu of antipasti and fresh and cooked pasta dishes that change every week. The design is simple yet very pleasant and welcoming. I especially liked the light fixtures along one of the walls with decals of different pasta shapes on them and the dark finish of the central communal table.

All the pasta at Il Miglio is made fresh on site and cooked à la minute when ordered. The week I was there, there was an orecchiette with peas and prosciutto dish on the menu, which reinforced my desire to teleport to Italy and specifically, Puglia, where I was a couple of years ago, since orechiette (or “little ears”) are a Pugliese speciality. I also ordered a fresh tomato, watermelon, basil and mozzarella di buffala salad. Everything was incredibly fresh and the pasta was cooked to perfection. Treat yourself to one of their great and affordable wines by the glass and you’ve got yourself an unbeatable lunch in the Mile End!

There are several vegetarian options on the menu and if you ask, they will make you a vegan pasta dish. Il Miglio also sells ready-to-eat dishes as well as their fresh and dried pasta and sauces for you to cook at home but I do recommend you eat on site if you can, it’s absolutely delicious!