38 Best Italian Restaurants near Alameda

“The food was great, the service was excellent, I was very satisfied“

“I'm from Italy (have lived in Philadelphia for 20 years), and I was in Alameda in 2015 for a friend's wedding. I happened upon this place, and what a joy! Not only is the owner (who ended up at our table, where we had a lovely conversation) Livornese (I'm from Tirrenia, a province of Pisa), but the food was incredible, AND he knew a number of people that I knew! It's been five years, and I really want to go back some day. BOIA! CHE GIOIA!“

“They have a guest dock. Good food.“

“Good food, friendly server.“

“The service was great! The coffee here is also good.“

“Excellent Food and service !“

“I love this place, best meatball sandwich I have had in years. Thanks Brian.👍“

“My daughter took me and the hubby here for our Thanksgiving celebration since she couldn't come home (Sac) for actual Thanksgiving, we went to her. This was a night I won't soon forget! Having a nice meal with our daughter was a treat, the service was amazing and the food....OMG! Every bite of every dish I tasted was so so delicious! I can't get the butternut soup out of my head it was THAT good! We all ordered different food & shared bites with one another. This night was so enjoyable! Thank you, Sis & Thank you Mama Oakland!“

“Great atmosphere and delicious food! Outdoor dining, too!“

“Short wait on a Friday night for 7 of us. Really small place but the wait staff and owner very friendly and everyone was very happy with their meal. If I lived here I would go back.“

“The lamb chops were phenomenal!“

“Very tasty and carefully seasoned. All dishes were perfection“

“the margherita pizza is so delicious. i literally only order it everytime, to the point that they know my name with my order HAHA.
super authentic, delicious, and the staff are really friendly as well. I'm lucky to be able to go as often as I do, and i love the food here so much!!“

“You have to go there from brunch!! The dishes are packed with flavor and love. Fresh wonderful oatmeal, cheese eggs on toast! Omg all so delicious and Donna is an amazing host.“

“Deliciousness for value and warmth for atmosphere. The host is always welcoming and service accommodating. New favorite place for life. 🤓“

“We are new to the area/California from NY we were delighted to find pizza as amazing as home! Friendly owner and staff.“

“great food, ambiance and service and wine list.“

“Food: The pasta was fantastic! Tasted fresh and we enjoyed the mushrooms. The appetizers were just okay in my opinion- the grilled halloumi was not crisp and didn't taste fresh off the grill. If I were to go back, I would probably just stick to the pastas.

Service: waiting in line for a bit was understandable, but I agree with other reviewers that they felt understaffed. They didn't really check in on us after seating us, and they timed all the dishes to come out at the same time, which was difficult due to the small table (not everything fit easily on the table). They also charge a 4% fee to provide better wages and/or healthcare to the staff. However, all of the staff was courteous and friendly.

Atmosphere: we ate outside in their parklet, which was nice, although I wish their heaters were a bit stronger. The tables were very close together as well. I felt like I was a part of the conversations on either side of me because they were so close.“

“We went today for Mother's Day lunch. We were served very promptly but never rushed. Both the food and service were great. I had the Ravioli Ai Gamberoni, son had Sausage & Peppers Panini, and hubby had one of the specials, braised lamb shanks w/mashed potatoes and roasted veggies. All were delicious.“

“Great ambiance, service, and cuisine!“

“Recently enjoyed a fabulous dinner at Postino's The food was wonderful, and the service excellent. It was a perfect al fresco dining experience“

“Great wine, love the squid, love the pastas and desserts!“

“great food. good service.“

“Oh all the varieties of Pizza and Pasta! You must come back and try it all! Went there on a weekday dinner without reservations, and got seated instantly, thanks to the sweet staff. While ordering, fresh focaccia was served in a easy pull apart form. The staff was nice enough to tell us all the specials and recommendations. We decided to order a Pizza (Guido), Eggplant Parmiagania, and Pappardelle Bolognese. Each dish was uniquely delicious, couldn't pick a favorite. Portions were perfect for three people. Super tasty and flavorful. They sell Mole Cola, the Coke-cola of Italy, only much better. The staff and service couldn't be any more outstanding. You can also tell the food was good when they're constantly getting Uber/ Door dash orders. Love the restaurant/ Italian store look. This place could be easily crowded during weekend dinner, but still great for parties more than 2. Try also their cocktails and dessert. Their canoli was a chocolate kind! Definitely will come back and try their different pizza and pasta flavors. Street parking only. Memorable dinner.“

“My experience at Passione Caffè in their gorgeous two-story, well-decorated café at 91 Shattuck Square was simply marvelous. The staff was friendly, quick, and accommodating and the food, drinks, and desserts were delicious! I highly recommend Passione Caffè to those looking for a quick and yummy lunch (or breakfast/brunch everyday), to snack and study, or for an authentic Italian coffee. Don’t miss out on the great happy hour/aperativo deals between 4-7PM! It almost goes without mentioning, but Passione Caffè is absolutely true to its slogan: “A corner of Italy in Berkeley.” From the food and drink to the atmosphere and the service, this is the only truly Italian café I have found in Berkeley! And that comes from over a year of experience living and traveling in Italy! Besides the beautiful architecture and interior design of Passione Caffè—not to mention its convenient location next to Downtown Berkeley BART—I would like to point out some highlights on the menu. The pastas are all made with homemade, organic noodles and made-to-order sauces. The pasta dishes are so fresh and authentic! The spaghetti with meatballs, their only Americanized dish, is to die for! The pizzas also are also made with home-made dough and gluten-free options are offered. Try one with fresh prosciutto, mozzarella, and arugula! The fresh panini with Italian meats and cheeses round out the lunch menu. It is possible to have a filling lunch for $7-15, which is definitely reasonably priced by Berkeley standards! A serious final highlight was the artisanal gelato, made in-house by the Italian co-owner, Eleanora Cercatore. There are 12 flavors, weekly made with gluten-free options, that are displayed on a beautiful rotating wheel. The gelato is spectacularly tasty—I cannot recommend it highly enough! For your time, money, and fine Italian bites and drinks, I cannot recommend a Berkeley café more highly than Passione Caffè! Please pay them a visit soon—you won’t be disappointed!“

“This restaurant is no doubt one of the most attractive place in the region. Anytime I visit this place I am so glad. They always keep their high standard service and the highest level of food they offer. You definitely will enjoy this this restaurant. Highly recommended.“

“Excellent food, and the patio dining offered perfect weather. Plenty of excellent wines available to accompany the meal. And the staff- wonderful as always“

“I ordered the make-your-own-pasta bowl with fettuccine and marinara sauce. The breadsticks were amazing and the pasta was pretty good. Our waitress was really nice and we got our soups in about 3 minutes. Even though they didn’t have fettuccine on their make-your-own-pasta bowl, she made sure I got it free of charge. The main course came about 5 minutes later. Overall it was a nice experience.“

“Great sandwiches in downtown Berkeley with a lovely patio“

“Took my friend here for a Mother’s Day lunch. She was feeling blue because her kids didn’t show up. Panini’s was the closest and most convenient since I had to go back to work. I hoped it wouldn’t disappoint and it didn’t. She had a turkey avocado and she said it was just right. The service was spot on&she cheered up a bit. Thanks for that Panini crew.“

“This was our first time. Food was authentic Northern Italian. My family are from Le Marche’. The pizza & polla Parmagano was loved by our teenagers. And the Gnocchi was cooked to order per my request. Definitely adding this to my top 3 restaurants“

“Great Hamburgers and garlic bread.“

“I was introduced to this restaurant by my other “foodie” friend Maria Vargas. I have been there about 4 times now. I appreciate the fresh pasta, the fresh veggies and the excellent service. Will be back again soon.“

“Good pizza !!! Also affiliated with Haddon Hill Cafe. Nice local businesses“

“Food was alright and not as good as usual. both Calzones seemed a bit burnt on the outside. And we had to wait quite sometime for the cashier to be done taking orders on the phone. Maybe the owner should hire more people to help out and dont have few people do multiple tasks all at once.“

“Been Shopping here for 33 years. Amy Smolens and I recently enjoyed their frozen spinach ravioli with my homemade meat sauce. Like to stock the freezer with John's homemade meatballs. Always have a variety of affordable Italian wines. I like the Sicilian Nero D'Avola reds when available. Our LOCAL Italian Albany Deli.“

“Staff was very friendly and I enjoyed the format for a simple and fast ordering.
Prices were reasonable with proper sized portions and the bread bar was simple option if you need a little more food with a simple meal.
The meat ravioli was amazing and the best I have had in Hayward and was perfectly complemented by the Cesar salad.“

“Great food and service! Special atmosphere“