37 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!“

“You gotta love an elevated neighborhood pasta place. Their staff has always been nice and helpful. their menu (although it changes pretty frequently) is always good. It's also nice to have a pasta place actually offer gluten free pasta that is as good as their other pasta!“

“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!!“

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

“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.“

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

“Special restaurant in an unassuming strip mall in El Cerrito. Well worth the trip. Food was delicious. We’ve been three times, and last two we were served by Dolly’s husband, a truly hospitable and knowledgeable restaurateur. Dolly is the chef and equally delightful. The cheese wheel pasta is fantastic. I’ve tried a few other menu items, and have never been disappointed.“

“Great ambiance, service, and cuisine!“

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

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

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

“We came in on a Sunday, just in time to catch the live piano music, and it absolutely set the tone for the evening. Rodney (aka “Uncle Rod”), who was standing in that night, was incredibly warm and engaging—so personable and happy to take requests. It felt like we were part of something cozy and communal, not just dining out.

I had the filet mignon special, served with pillowy raviolis and topped with sautéed mushrooms. Every bite was buttery, savory heaven. We brought our own bottle of Nottingham wine, which paired perfectly—thank you to the staff for being so gracious about it.

Between the welcoming service, amazing food, and live music, it made for the kind of night I wish I could bottle up and replay. Highly recommend for anyone craving something special without leaving town (or in my case living in Alamo it was off our beaten path and worth the drive)“

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

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

“We loved Lo Coco’s. I think that if you like a doughy crust with a good crunch, this is the place for you. The toppings aren’t just american normal toppings, but seem to be seriously sicilian inspired. We got the half weekly special and half combination pizza! I have never liked artichokes more. And the PASTA??? The clam linguine I have had at many restaurants and I think this sauce is my #1 clam linguine of all time. Lemony, creamy, garlic and clam. I’m usually a salad hater, but the salad was light, flavorful, and just enough.“

“great food. good service.“

“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!“

“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.“

“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.“

“Great sandwiches in downtown Berkeley with a lovely patio“

“Great Hamburgers and garlic bread.“

“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“

“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.“

“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.“

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

“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.“

“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.“