27 Best Italian Restaurants in Charleston

“Wonderful meal prior to our show! I had the clams with house made linguine and the pasta, buttery seasoned sauce was delish. My husband had a lamb meal and it was excellent. My daughter had a small plate as her meal and her girlfriend had a Cesar salad! Drinks were phenomenal and so was the service. Our waiter was very attentive and we even got a visit from the Maitre d! We will definitely be back.“

“We would come back here even if not staying at the hotel. Excellent pizza and rigatoni, beer selection and custom drinks. Dress code is high-end fashion to tee shirt and jeans. Prices are very reasonable for food, drinks and service. Great bar to dine and drink alone at(and meet someone new?). Outdoor indoor or hybrid of that for dining. Many patrons looked like models. Hidden barroom in back an oasis(opens at 5pm). Any issues? The manager is great!“

“Enjoyed a flavorful meal at Chez Nous. The menu of the day included 2 apps, 2 entrees and dessert options - all hand written by the chef. Highly suggest making a reservation as it’s a smaller restaurant. Also, there is no parking, so ride share or garage/street parking will be necessary.“

“We had an amazing birthday dinner at Melfi's tonight. The service was excellent. Donnie, our waiter, was fantastic..... pleasant, courteous, and great recommendations. We ordered snapper tartare, sweet peppers, Caesar salad, Paccheri duck ragu and cacio e pepe. All were delicious and recommendations of Donnie's. Wine recommendation was perfect. The atmosphere was relaxed and inviting.“

“Truly one of my favorite restaurants in Charleston. I've been twice and have loved every bite while there. It's a smaller space so if you have a larger group not a bad idea to get a reservation. Also do not sleep on their happy hour - it's a great deal with food and drink. Their Caesar salad is unique and has the best crunch with the seeds addition. We also tried the Korean chicken which was a great share item for the table and packed with flavor. All the pizzas are great but the tiramisu was one of the best I've ever had. I tried to get my husband to go back the next night just to get me one to go. Also - the house ranch and hot honey?! You really cannot go wrong with either. Love everything about Renzo.“

“Excellent service, excellent food! This restaurant was one of the few that is able to handle a large reservation (for us 13 people). We were split into two tables and had to order family style (meaning they serve a variety of dishes, you are able to tell your waiter if you have any specific requests though). The food was so amazing, for the first course they gave my table of 6 two pizzas, meatballs and a caesar salad. The second course they served a roasted chicken with gnocchi and asparagus. It came with 2 pastas (a red sauce and a carbonara) as well as brussel sprouts. The dessert was a tiramisu. The caesar salad was SO good, it was well dressed and had the right amount of parm! A person in our group has a celiac allergy and the staff here were so so accommodating. It was impressive how knowledgable they were in ensuring there was no cross contamination (asking questions such as if it was ok to fire the gluten free pizza in the same oven as the others). They were able to create gluten free versions of the pizza, pasta, and dessert. In addition in each course they clearly communicated which dishes were specially made as well as which of the normal dishes were safe as well. Overall super impressed!“

“I could not write this review fast enough. We had the pleasure of having Eric as our server last night. What an incredible guy. He greeted us by name, went over the entire menu page by page, offered recommendations for food and drink. We did the chef’s experience tasting menu and it was incredible. Eric went over each course and explained how it was prepared. Our bill after some drinks and tip was a bit over $400 but truly the best money I have ever spent for food and experience. Again, thank you to Eric for making our time in Charleston so memorable and if we are ever back we will be requesting him by name, he was truly wonderful. -The Fees“

“My husband and I really enjoyed the entirety of our evening at Muse. Great bartender and cocktails, great wine recommendation, and great service and meal. We were visiting from out of town and thought this place was fantastic. All the staff go above and beyond.“

“spectacular.Let me preface that I grew up eating my nonna’s porchetta and it’s one of my favorite things in the world. This sandwich is right on par with it. On every level, bread is fresh, olive oil is high quality, and the pork is perfectly seasoned- just like nonnas. A MUST if you’re visiting Charleston.I also got a chocolate chip cookie to go because they looked so insanely good- it delivered as well.“

“A HUGE thank you to Travis and Chef Doug for making a dinner party I was hosting a true success. They provided the delicious chicken picata over linguine, grilled asparagus, and lemoncello cake. Travis was able to accommodate for my ten guest to my exact budget with an over abundance of food. Thank you to Chef Doug for preparing and delivering to my location at the end of Clements Ferry at Hwy 41 during peak traffic hour. You guys took the stress out of entertaining. I definitely will call on Ristorante LIDI for future dinner parties.“

“The food was excellent, starting with meatballs and marinara sauce. My wife doesn't normally do meatballs but found them very good. The bread was not the normal oven baked but an Albania roll that was excellent, had them in Italy, and once again, my wife was happy because Italian oven has the hard crust which I like, but it's a personal taste. What can I say, but the overall dinner was excellent.“

“How do you describe great pizza in 4 words? "Pizza A Modo Mio"My wife and I were in town for a convention and stopped into this little gem for some take out. First of all, when you walk in the aromas in that room are amazing. We placed our order (although it was hard to pick just 1 or 2 things, everything looked so dang good).I ordered the pizza (18 inch) with pepperoni & onions. My wife ordered some different slices of pizza and an order of garlic knots. Everyone working behind the counter were pleasant and personable. I got to talk to the owner (Mike) and his manager (Pete). Boy, you could tell these guys were from New York lol. We grabbed our food, paid the cashier and we were off to the hotel to dive in.The pizza was traditional New York style. Thin slices that were full of flavor even with just 2 toppings. The sauce was amazing and the pizza crust...mmmmm. The garlic knots - well....let's just say they didn't last long. Buttery, garlicy and soft. Sooooo goodWhen we are back in town, we will definitely be stopping here again. Do yourself a favor and give these guys a try, you will thank meWheelchair accessibility: Easy in and easy out“

“There were 6 of us and everyone loved their dinner. Favorites were veal piccata, chicken marsala and the fish special. Even the Caesar salad got rave reviews. Our server, Lexi, was great. She was professional and warm and friendly. All in all, a great evening.“

“excited to say we finally have REAL italian-american food in charleston! citadel mall food court ambiance not-withstanding; this place is 100000% legit.we had chicken parm over spaghetti and manicotti with bolognese sauce, and they were both absolutely delicious.representative of all of the flavors i grew up eating in my italian-american household, and have been missing so much here. my meal was literally like a trip down memory lane.the pasta (at least in the case of the manicotti shells) was made fresh in house, the sauce is absolutely on point, portions are ridiculously large, prices are reasonable, and the owners super friendly. although we didn't try any, the desserts looked fantastic.. as well as the deep fried calzones.we will be regulars here for sure.“

“Very tasty Italian restaurant! It was packed like sardines on a Tuesday night, which is a good sign of great food. Was a bit crowded and loud for my typical liking, but it was well worthwhile. The service was about as good as the food, but the food certainly was the star of the show!“

“Stopped by here for take-out lunch this weekend and can't wait to go back! I got the porchetta broccoli rabe sandwich. I'm not the biggest seitan fan most of the time, but this was very impressive - it was tender and very well-seasoned. The bread was PERFECT.We also grabbed some of the mozzarella balls from the deli and I'm already planning on making this a regular purchase. Haven't tried them on pizza yet, but even plain from the container, they are the closest vegan version to "real" mozz I've ever tried.It's a little pricey, but you can tell they put a lot of care into their food - everything is prepared super fresh right there and is very very high quality. Plus, my sandwich was so big I saved half for the next day!“

“Came here with a couple friends on a weekday for dinner and was so happy with this find. I got the 10inch pizza for myself (perfect for one person) and got half bacon Gorgonzola and half Orlando's special. Both were very delicious. Loved the sweet peppers on the Orlando's special. But the bacon Gorgonzola was definitely the one for me - if you like strong tasting cheesy pizza this is for you. The pizza was brought together by a perfectly chewy crust.“

“I pride myself on finding the best pizza places- this one is a hidden gem. The pizza is super fresh and the crust is awesome. They have lots of different options and we’ve never had a bad meal here. Their happy hour is great and most of the staff is great too. It’s a casual place- a good change in pace from the downtown dining scene. The pesto, pepperoni, and mushroom are our top favorites!!“

“They have a huge menu. You can buy pizza fresh and by the slice. They also have salads, pastas, stromboli, calzones, and rolls. We got several things and they were all good. The only thing I was a little unsure about was the fact that the pizza by the slice was sitting out on the counter and they warmed it up before serving it. It seemed like it should have been under a warmer. I didn't know how long it was sitting out like that. They are open late. There's a small dining area, but it's more of a takeout place.“

“I love love this place first time here is when they did the Christmas tree lighting an I’ve been going ever since!!! I have taken a pic yet but trust it’s good next time I’ll take a pic but the lamb an chicken over rice burgers an wraps must try I haven’t tried a pizza yet but it’s next thx y’all for good “

“I am so upset that we’ve never ordered from here before!! It was the best pizza and pasta we’ve ever gotten in the Charleston area. I would even compare it to the food we got in Little Italy in NY. The pizza is superb with the best crust, sauce and mozzarella!! The spaghetti with marinara and the Lasagna were AMAZING as well. It’s our new go to for pizza and pasta!!“

“I love this pizza, best in town, and impressive for the south! The slice is massive. Thin crust, quality sauce and cheese. It is not greasy and made fresh. There is indoor and outdoor seating but we opted to take ours in a box and eat it by the waterfront. This pizza hits the spot!!! The service is great. Cash payment is preferred, but they do accept credit cards.“

“OMG! I have not written any reviews in a while. I have NOT had any good pizza in a long time. We usually order pizza delivered. The one that starts with P and H and has been around since I was a kid. Well, it pretty much sucks now. I have tried The B that ends in 's and it was horrible. Papa M- its acceptable if hungry. However, tonight we ordered Famulari's . It was so good. Got The Meats pizza and a Calzone. They were both so fresh and delicious. I'm not Italian. I'm not from NY. I am NOT a pizza expert but I do know that Famulari's was delicious. Thank you so much! Now, I know what restaurant we will order our pizzas in the future~“

“We ended up choosing this pizza spot after our 6 mile 10K Cooper River Bridge Run in Charleston, SC. The quaint old school pizza joint feel has so many options to choose and not just pizza , pastas sandwiches, salads, and more. The specialty pizzas offered are unique and you can create your own but the topping selections include butternut squash , kale , a variety of cheeses and protein. I chose the crustacean with spicy shrimp and it lived up to its name. Whew hottt !! Yet very tasty and fresh with a pesto base. All pizzas are 12" making it the perfect size and enough for a leftover snack. The staff was very nice and managed all of our orders with efficiency. They also offer vegetarian and gluten free options as well. I love pizza and sometimes you don't know what you may get when trying something new but this was a great choice !!“

“Third time at Coastal Crust on James Island, and can't wait for the fourth. The staff is always friendly, and we haven't had a pie that we did not like. I keep it pretty simple when it comes to pizza, but I enjoy the variety of elevated pizzas that this establishment has. Also tried the wings and was surprised with their crispiness and overall great flavor.“

“This little pizzeria has the best food! Every ingredient is so fresh and cooked to perfection. We had the black and bleu salad and margherita pizza. The pizza is big enough to split with 2 people. Each person gets 3 medium size slices. We were very happy with the service we had and it's a nice relaxing place to eat outside in the shade under some oak trees.“

“My wife and I were prompyly at our reservation time by a very friendly hostess. Our server, Lizzie, was attentive without making us feel rushed. We shared the stuffed mushrooms as a starter and they were spiced just right and had a very good taste. My wife ordered a house salad with the green goddess dressing along with a starter portion of seared scallops. She really loves scallops and saud these were the BEST she evef ate. I ordered veal marsala served with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans. All were very, very tasty and cooked perfectly. Great experience and definitely a place we will return to.“