50 Best Italian Restaurants near Albany

“Chicken momo was 🔥 likely one of the finest momos I've experienced in the East Bay. The pizza was excellent, and both the service and atmosphere received a perfect 5/5 rating. It is certainly worth a visit and is set to become my go-to spot for lunch or dinner.“

“I love this pizza spot. Food, cocktails and atmosphere are all great.

The crust on their pizza really sets them apart. It is a corn meal crust and gives a great crunch.

I recommend coming here for date night or as a casual catch-up with friends. They also have a wonderful lunch and happy hour menu.“

“Amazing service and food!!!!“

“Food was very tasty and well prepared, staff attentive and responsive, ambience is perfect“

“Great leisurely lunch with girlfriends. Staff was friendly attentive. The butternut squash ravioli was to die for! Nice ambiance (we sat outside). Enjoyed!“

“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!“

“Excellent meal! The Zuni Café feels like a 'local joint' where folks come back again and again. My salad of heirloom tomatoes, roasted nectarines, gooseberries with goat cheese and dill was outstanding, as was my pasta with cherry tomatoes. My husband' had the always terrific and his salmon was perfectly cooked and delicious. The dessert of berry passion fruit sorbet with ginger cookies was amazing - so good!“

“Amazing service and food!!!!“

“Excellent service and great food!“

“Wonderful restaurant with terrific food and service. We share the seasonal salad and the stuffed calamari to start. Both were excellent. My wife had a wonderful pasta stuffed with pea puree and in a pea sauce. I had a stuffed pasta with cheese. Both were exceptional. The olive oil cake finished the night. Fine wine list with many affordable offerings. We had a bottle of Arnie's and it was just right. The service is very attentive from the reception to the goodby.“

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

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

“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.“

“Every time we go to Che Fico, our experience seems to get even better. Food and service is fantastic (even brand new employees!). Highly recommend the heirloom tomato appetizer, focaccia, and any of the pasta dishes (freshly made daily). We also love the ambience with the live plants and decor. Thank you, Che Fico, for always providing for a great time!“

“Lovely friendly Italian wine bar and delicious restaurant. Fresh innovative salads, pastas and main courses. Highly recommended.“

“Food is incredible and the service is second to none. Best place in the marina.“

“Loved the wine cellar seating, though no bartender that bar mid-week. Service was great, only slowed by the staff needing to go upstairs for everything. Veal was too salty; calamari and prosciutto with melon excellent. House pasta also excellent. Very fun.“

“It was our first time and the service was amazing. Our dinner was more than excellent, the grilled pork chops with sweet potato puree best ever tasted. Great selection in red wine and great atmosphere! Owners were there and were very welcoming and down to earth! 100% recommended“

“Excellent food and service. My friends from NYC enjoyed their dinners as well. Will definitely be back!“

“Food was amazing! Great atmosphere and friendly attentive staff!“

“From start to finish, the service was stellar. Everyone had warm smiles and welcomed us in. Food was incredible. We sat at the bar and witnessed all the food being prepared. We got the papperadelle and red snapper special. DELICIOUS! The team is hard working. Great local place to support.“

“Had a luncheon @ Perbacco with my 9 coworkers and Manager to say “goodbye & farewell” to a retiring coworker and “welcome” to a new coworker. Started with a round of hors d'oeuvre’s. The thin sliced veal with a sauce and capers was delicious! The fried shrimp, veggies and olives/anchovies…also with a sauce was awesome as well. For my main, I had CRESTE DI GALLO - semolina pasta - wild mushroom ragu - spinach - ricotta salata. Our waiter was the best! I saved one of the sugar cookies from my deserts…Burnt Carmel Gelato. Mentioned it to our waiter and as we were leaving, I heard “Sir! Sir!” He brought me one of their meringue cookies to also share with my partner! I thought that was just awesome! Top notch food and customer service. We’ll be back!“

“The food is absolutely stunning. Everything is fresh and the flavors mix amazingly“

“My favorite thing here is the linguine with mussels. I never order anything else, so I can't really comment on the rest of the menu. My husband had the burger, which he thought was fine, and the couple behind us had the skirt steak which he wished he'd ordered. Wine and beer list is great.“

“Awesome yummy food with a friendly atmosphere and Great Service“

“The lamb chops were phenomenal!“

“I’m here for business from Canada. Was taken here for supper by a coworker. The quaintest little restaurant, the owner and his wife are just awesome. The food is gorgeous! And his limoncello is the best I’ve ever had. Will be going back before I head home. ❤️❤️❤️“

“From the moment we walked in everyone was so kind and attentive. We had the beet salad: light but delicious and fresh,
Pappernelle Pasta with Oxtail was simply pneominail (melted.in my mouth), sausage pizza (very flavorful)
Worth the visit and loved chit chatting with Chantel!!“

“Non-American pizza and pasta with very reasonable pricing;

Since we just waked over from the farmers market at the ferry building we ordered margarita and calamari as a light lunch for 3. The pizza dough was perfectly light and puffy with a thin crispy crust + hint of firewood and paired perfectly with the freshness of the tomato basil and mozzarella. The calamari was slightly tough in texture but the dish in general was still excellent. Really loved the vegetables since they carried so much flavor and umami from the olive oil and calamari!

We were seated outdoors and the server very kindly rearranged the tables so we’d be in the shade (tysmm!) the people indoors were watching football and it was so cheerful to see them cheering (and singing) after Real Madrid scored a goal;

Loved the atmosphere loved the food and it’s a place we’d definitely come back to visit again!“

“Excellent espresso coffee, friendly service and a lovely brunch menu. I look forward to returning sometime for dinner. The chef’s were prepping a range of fresh looking ingredients and the smells emanating from the kitchen were beautiful!“

“Finally went here! Was a solid 4/5. We were walk ins, which is great that we could get seated - but the communal table felt really tight. Not very romantic. Vibe was a little sterile, and we felt rushed at the end (got our check as soon as we ordered coffee and half way through dessert). The pizza was decent but a very chewy crust. Pasta was delicious - a corn flavor. Could come again but not a must!“

“One of the best tasting pizza I’ve tasted I highly recommend this place.“

“Great food!! Service was fantastic. Consistently good!“

“My wife and I went here for a Italian supper and wow was it good! Only good things to say about this place, and the best service we have had In years. We were very impressed!“

“Fantastic red sauce, great eggplant parmesan special, good selection of wines at reasonable prices. A great addition to the neighborhood.“

“Very nice portions and very friendly! Enjoyed the people and the food!“

“Great atmosphere, impeccable service, friendly & welcoming staff. Most of all, great food. This is our second time and it didn’t disappoint. We’re visiting from SoCal in Orange County. Thank you!“

“Fresh, delicious. Some of the best brown butter & sage sauce I’ve had in a while.“

“Everything was perfect: good wine, good food and great service. We loved their linguine vongole with the pasta cooked to the right al dente texture and the clams were fresh. We also enjoyed amazing service by their passionate staff. Just be prepared for a queue even on a weekday night.“

“Delicious food, great drinks and amazing service.“

“While visiting San Francisco for work, I had the pleasure of dining at Cafe Tiramisu, and it quickly became a highlight of my trip! From the moment I walked in, the staff was incredibly welcoming – Giuseppe and Christian went above and beyond to make me feel right at home. Christian, my server, recommended the lobster escargot, and I have to say, it’s one of the best dishes I’ve ever had! The Spaghetti Nero with house-made pasta and local seafood was equally outstanding. This family-owned restaurant prides itself on creating as much as possible in-house, and it truly shows in the quality and freshness of the food. As the name would suggest, the tiramisu was also top notch. The ambiance is warm and inviting, with both cozy indoor and charming outdoor seating. Whether you're looking for an intimate meal or a great spot to relax after a long day, Cafe Tiramisu is a must-visit. You won’t be disappointed! I will absolutely return anytime I’m in San Francisco.“

“(Make a reservation)
We arrived at Capo’s around 7:20 pm on a Saturday and were told we would have to wait 40 minutes for a table.
As hungry travelers, we said thank you and as we were about to leave, the hostess finds a nook and sat us down outside. I appreciate the fact that she did us that favor.
There were no patio heaters, so if sitting outside or walking in during busy hours, expect to dine outside in the cold with no heat (during winter).

(The Staff)
It was a very busy night, but the staff did a spectacular job in checking in on us.

(The Food)
The appetizers come in a reasonably sized portion, we ordered the garlic bread with mozzarella and was given a complimentary dish of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
My partner ordered the meat lasagne and I ordered the rigatoni alla vodka with smoked pancetta. The food was really good, it’s unlike anything I have ever had.
Take in mind that the dishes do serve up to 2 people, on busy nights it make take a bit to get your food, and regular pizzas take up to 20 minutes to bake, deep dish pizzas take up to 45 minutes to bake (but they look like they are worth the time!)

(Conclusion)
I would have loved to sit inside, the vibe is really nice. If you are looking for authentic Italian food with a nice atmosphere and friendly staff, book a reservation at Capo’s.“

“Awesome food and outstanding service“

“There need to be more people working here.. it is quite popular but there is not enough staff. And not all of the waitstaff is friendly. One person in particular is a bit gruff. Overall I can recommend it with a few notes. it was a busy place. Every table was full. The food was good, although each piece of the rack of lamb seemed to be cooked to a different temperature. It was tasty though. But our large party had to wait a long time for drinks, a long time to give our order, a long time for our first course, a long time for dessert. We were sitting with dirty plates in front of us for quite a while. I will say that we had a large party (10), but if a restaurant can’t handle a large party then they shouldn’t take the reservation.“

“Great fun!!! Hosts and servers were super nice!!! Cocktails: YUM!!!“

“The best pasta and sauces in San Francisco. Authentic Italian cuisine! Highly recommend. Father and son team are amazingly warm hosts!“

“The food was amazing, home cooking at its best! My whole family, including my picky eaters, loved the food!😋“

“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!“

“Been to Hotel Mac many many times and never ever been disappointed. The menu often varies with excellence across the board. Just celebrated my 70th birthday there. Wonderful evening in a great atmosphere.“

“My SweetHeart and I chose Cafe Fiore for our anniversary dinner. We were delighted with every dish! I am a vegetarian, my girlfriend a very picky omnivore. The music was pleasant, the vibe low key. The waiter was attentive without being intrusive. We were able to fully relax, and enjoy the remarkable and beautifully presented food. Shhhh! Don't tell anyone else about this wonderful place!“