17 Best Italian Restaurants in Berkeley

“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!!“

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

“The lamb chops were phenomenal!“

“So so yummy and worth all the hype! This place made me miss home in the best way ever. Their Godfather dish is off the charts. The crisped pancetta and goldenly crisped chicken was everything and more! The pure roasted garlic is so smooth and delectable when spread on the bread. I will say, it's a very humble establishment. The service is quick, the workers are respectable in many ways, and it's simple. It's a place for food without all the extreme over the top stuff you see at restaurants today, while also still bringing you what feels like a piece of home at restaurant level.

Ambiance was chill, many tables inside the restaurant and they definitely do fill up fast!“

“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.“

“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“

“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.“

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

“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. 🍝🔥🍷 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“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“

“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!“