17 Best Italian Restaurants in Berkeley

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

“The lamb chops were phenomenal!“

“The food was really good. The standouts were the Calamari Fritti, Caponatta, and the Cosacca. The Ruccola was the only dish that felt flat, but tasted fresh. Service was good and we luckily did not need a reservation. Would definitely return and it's recommended!“

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

“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!“

“Great sandwiches in downtown Berkeley with a lovely patio“

“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.“

“On January 2nd, I visited Gypsy’s Trattoria Italiana in Berkeley with a friend, and let me tell you, this place is a hidden gem.

I ordered Special #2: a huge plate of pasta in a rich, creamy pesto-style sauce with veggies, topped with tender, well-seasoned steak strips and served with hot, steamy garlic bread slathered in freshly made smashed garlic butter. It came out piping hot and smelled incredible. My friend had a different pasta dish and could only finish half—the portions are no joke. I definitely overate, in the best way.

The vibe is casual, the service is quick, and the staff are friendly and warm. For the price, the food honestly rivals what you’d get at some high-end Italian restaurants, which makes it an easy yes for me.

I highly recommend not only visiting Gypsy’s, but specifically ordering Special #2 if you see it. I’d love for them to cement this as a permanent menu item. It deserves a permanent spot! I’ll absolutely be back and plan to bring family from all over the world here when they visit Berkeley.“

“Great Hamburgers and garlic bread.“

“Friendly, professional and fine cuisine!“

“Delicious food - really Italian style Will go back & recommend to fam & friends“

“Great dining experience and great service“

“Wonderful food and friendly service; indoor/outdoor dining“

“North Beach Pizza has the best GF pizza in the bay area. It's even better than my homemade GF pizza, and you can't beat the service. North Beach Pizza is great for family dinners with gluten free pizza and salads.“

“Enjoying the ambiance in front of the fire place, We had such an amazing experience at three.one four pizzeria! The food was absolutely delicious — the pasta was perfectly creamy and full of flavor, and the meatballs with the dough were SO good! Everything came out fresh and beautifully presented. I also couldn’t believe how smooth and tasty my $7 glass of wine was — such a great value for the quality! The cozy fireplace setting made the whole evening feel intimate and relaxing after such a long, emotional week. Definitely recommend this spot for a comforting, romantic night out. 🍝🔥🍷 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“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 realized that over the years I had accumulated over 7,000 points and decided to see what I got get and to my surprise I was eligible for a large spealty pizza of my choice for 4,500 points and I got a couple of ice cream deserts too for 1,000 points each however when I tried to put the order through a little pop up sign comes up and says I need to spend at least $14 or $15 to have my order go through. This got me upset because why have all these points for if you are going to charge me anyways so instead I wrote out some feedback and left the site. To my surprise a staff memeber called me back and made things right all I did was pay for the delivey service at $7.50 which was totally understandable and I got all the stuff I wanted. Cheers to the manager and the staff who took care and made me feel like I was important so now even more so I will continue to be a regular customer and of course their pizza is great! Good Job Guys at the pizza guys Berkeley CA store! p.s. I check marked $1-$10 only because of what I paid for the delivery service thats all“