I have been craving pizza lately. Oddly enough, I do not eat much pizza at home in Toronto, but I do a lot when traveling. I did some research and became intrigued by Mangia & Bevi. People rave about their pizzas, and they seem to consistently fall in the lists of the best pizzas in Toronto.

I had a hard time deciding whether to give this restaurant a shot because when choosing a pizzeria, I first confirm that they have a wood burning oven, and Mangia & Bevi does not use one. Yet, I made a reservation here anyway because reviewers consistently pointed out how much these pizzas tasted like or were better than wood oven pizzas. Gasp!

The Good

• Reservations were easy to make. I did not have a problem getting a large group reservation
• The pizzas were good when hot
• Prices were decent and comparable to other pizzerias (e.g., Pizzeria Libretto–my favorite pizza in Toronto)
• The pastas looked delicious, and the one friend that ordered it loved it–but too pricey

The Not-So-Good

• Service was horrendous–we were in a private room and had to go out to the main room to get service. Even after making it known to the manager that no one had taken our orders, or been asked about drinks, we were still ignored and had to get up and search for staff to request for assistance–every time we needed something. It was like the staff pretended that we did not exist
• The pizzas turned into cardboard once they cooled. I ate half of my pizza, and did not bother taking the other half home–could not fathom how it could be saved
• Bread was not included. We had to pay for every basket of bread

In Sum

You are better off going to Pizzeria Libretto or Pizzeria Defina! Don’t waste your time with Mangia & Bevi!