50 Best Italian Restaurants near Highland Park

“Best east coast style sandwiches in LA no one comes close.“

“The food was very tasty, will be back next time“

“The little plates are yummy. I love the pita bread that came with the hummus (Salatim plate). The other plates were good also. I loved the bread pudding (I think it's better than the best cake). What I like the most about Bacari, besides the beautiful ambiance, is the friendliest staff.“

“Food was better than I expected!! We ordered tuna belly, sooo delicious😋 I was looking forward the Foccacia, it did not disappoint. The bread was so air and light. The pizza was exceptional. Their Italian beer was crisp. I will be definitely returning.“

“Went here last night with some friends who raved about this place, and it did not disappoint! We asked our server, Mickey, to bring us her favorites, with wines chosen by Rachel, our sommelier. The quality of the food, wine pairings and service rank among the best I've experienced -- and I say that having dined at Central in Lima, Peru (#1 restaurant in South America and #2 in the world) in 2022. An amazing meal!!“

“Are you kidding me it’s always good“

“myself & wife called in without a reservation Sunday evening, Had a beautiful meal in a very busy and friendly place our waitress Tamera was absolutely awesome friendly and gave great recommendations for us being from England helping with menus information highly recommended 5 star June 2025“

“What a discovery!!! Trattoria Daly is great! In fact it's a real "find" in Lincoln Heights-- just east of downtown but totally convenient. So nice to be in a non-corporate friendly setting in a restaurant run by great people who care about their customers and are proud of what they offer. This neighborhood gem will attract foodies and friends and harkens the beginning of a mini-restaurant row near downtown, Keck Hospital, Dodger Stadium, among other neighborhoods in various directions. The owners were for many years part of the team at Pacific Dining Car-- these guys are well acquainted with high end service and food. What they've established in the past six months, is a friendly local spot with top quality food and service-- for unbelievably reasonable prices. The bill of fare is Italian-- excellent starters, super pastas, and entree's like rib-eye steak, salmon. You can also do a simple pizza night-- or make it a special occasion. I've spent a LOT of time in Italy, and I'm picky about Italian food. This is an excellent kitchen! The general atmosphere is like a "discovery" of that little off the beaten track gem. But word must have gotten out-- when we dined there on a Sunday night, the place was hopping! The visible to the house skilled kitchen was keeping up with the crowd of happy diners. Two decades of Pacific Dining Car (which didn't survive covid) made these guys the pros they are. You shouldn't have to "sell a kidney" to eat well-- and this place is proof. They are in process and waiting for their liquor license -- but you can bring your own vino-- (or pick up something at the Smart & Final down the street.) It's great to see professionals who are really good guys stir up the right ingredients-- warmth, welcome, excellent food, and outstanding service, and ample evidence that the American dream is still alive. Can't wait to go back!“

“ottimo posto ho portato degli amici ieri sera ed anche loro sono rimasti molto soddisfatti lo consiglio personale molto molto gentile disponibile e le schiacciate favolose riempite Bene e buonissime 🤩“

“It's delicious. The price is also right.“

“Amazing delicious food and love the ambiance. The servers were awesome!!“

“Every single thing is delicious. Trying to hit the whole bingo card 🤩 Also Micheal, best server 🥇“

“My Daughter & I had dinner here tonight… the food was PHENOMENAL!!! Great Friendly Service too!! What a treat to sit at the bar & watch everything looking delicious coming out of the kitchen window!!! Thank you for such a great Saturday night treat for an out of town Momma visiting her daughter!! I’ll beg her to come everytime I’m in town, and be very Jealous that she gets to come whenever she wants!!! EVERYTHING was BEYOND DELICIOUS!! Bravo!!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻“

“Friendly Comfortable neighborhood spot“

“Amazing Avocado roast poached egg Amazing staff manager follow up to make sure meal was perfect amazing ambiance great location natural light“

“Lost my keys somewhere along Sunset and checked in with Ceci’s to see if anyone turned them in. They didn’t but ownership was so kind and empathetic that they handed over a fresh and delicious piece of tomato focaccia for my troubles. That’s what’s called unreasonable hospitality. Thank you guys, that was incredibly sweet of you and it brightened my day.“

“100% recommend. thank you“

“Went before attending a show at the Orpheum since it was within walking distance. Wasn't sure what to expect, but once inside and has the place got crowded. It was a nice vibe and food was good. Not a big fan of sitting on stools as the limited amount of tables were taken. Highly recommended however as it's far better value than going to some overpriced restaurant in downtown LA. Servers were nice.“

“I visited The Cicada Club last night with a friend, and it absolutely lived up to its reputation. The website describes the experience perfectly, but I'll admit, I was a little hesitant after reading some recent reviews, and I'm so glad I didn't let that deter me. From the moment we arrived, the atmosphere transported us. Many guests were dressed in beautiful period-inspired outfits, which made the whole experience feel immersive and special. We arrived early, and they had lovely background music playing that really set the tone for the evening. The service was exceptional, our server and secondary server were both attentive, polite, and completely on point. Our three-course dinner was paced perfectly, and every dish was thoughtfully prepared, delicious, well presented, and absolutely worth the value. The live music was stunning, the band brought incredible energy, and the crowd responded in kind. The dance floor stayed packed nearly the entire night, with people dancing as couples and individually, and the joy in the room was contagious. The vibe truly matched what you would hope to expect from that era, elegant, lively, and full of charm. This is a fantastic venue for any occasion, a simple date night, time with the girls, birthday parties, really anything. Parking was also incredibly easy, valet is right up front, which made the entire experience feel seamless from start to finish.“

“Stumbled on this place while I was sucked into the reel vortex in the middle of the night on my 11-year Veganversary. The next day, we drove 40+ miles into LA and had the most amazing vegan meal, from appetizers to dessert. They have a full traditional menu as well as a full vegan menu. Welcoming and energetic vibe. Outstanding fun and friendly service (ask for Aria!) Food was highest quality and INSANELY delicious. Even parking is easy in the lot next door. Can’t wait to go back. It is a pleasure to support these guys. Highly recommended.“

“The best old-school southern Italian food right in Los Feliz/Los Angeles. Wonderful staff and Tony will always say hi and sometimes give you a free dessert. 🤩 ❤️“

“Few places in Los Angeles have friendly
top notch service and great food. This place has both. The staff is incredibly great from front of house to back of house. I’ve been twice and both times have been top tier. The pasta is some of the best the city has to offer. This is my new favorite Italian joint. Great wine, pasta and an impeccable staff. I love Spina!“

“Try to stop by every time we stay in Glendale. Good food and very reasonable prices. Service is beyond excellent.“

“I've never been there but i have to say i love what they doing and hopefully we'll get to know each other and taste the beautiful pasta dishes“

“Had to stop by my favorite Italian grubbin in the heart of Old Town Pasadena all the way from Boise. This was my 3rd time and each time just keeps getting better; definitely the bigger the party, the better. We paid $225 for 4 pasta entrees, 3 appetizers, & 2 glasses of wine for a party of 6. I’ve learned to like my pastas al dente after having them here. The meatballs are banging, the wine-pairing was delightful. Our service was attentive and pleasant; the vibe is always vibrant and homey. Highly recommended.“

“They treat you like family. The food is incredibly great.“

“One of the best I’ve had “out” in a very long time.“

“Great food Great service will visit again“

“First time and it will be many more visits! The ambiance, divine food & amazing service surpassed my expectations! My friend recommended we go and from appetizers, main course and the dessert 😘❤️😁“

“Future brides looking for a wedding venue in LA -- DO IT!!!

I got married here on May 3rd, 2025, and I truly cannot rave enough about De La Nonna and The Let's Go Disco. We had a 120-person wedding and used both spaces -- De La Nonna for our ceremony and reception, and The Let's Go Disco for the after-party.

From the very beginning, the team was incredibly accommodating to all of our (many) creative requests. My husband is an illustrator and designer, so we created a fully custom escort wall where every guest was drawn by hand with their table number on the back. The team happily stored away and rearranged furniture to give us space between the two venues to make it happen.

In addition to the escort wall, we brought in some rentals like a photobooth, a heart-shaped arch, larger tables and chairs -- not because we needed to (they already had great options), but because we wanted big tables. They accommodated everything with no issues and no hidden charges, truly allowing us to transform the space into exactly what we envisioned.

We also wanted a champagne tower, and they had no problem letting us bring in a vendor -- they even helped serve champagne pre-ceremony so guests had drinks while they waited.

They provided two DJs, both of whom were amazing -- and if you can request DJ Seano, DO IT. He was truly incredible and MC'd our ceremony moments and wedding speeches flawlessly, collaborating with us to make sure the vibes were exactly what we wanted and that our favorite songs were played all night long.

The food was INCREDIBLE and this is another reason we wanted to do it here. Literally every single guest came up to us to tell us how incredible it was - the salads, the pizza, the oysters - everything was PERFECTION.

Our day flowed seamlessly from pre-ceremony champagne service, to ceremony, to cocktail hour with amazing hors d'oeuvres, to our dinner reception (complete with speeches and a family tradition game of bingo), and then into The Let's Go Disco for our first dance, cake cutting, and an unforgettable party.

We were a little nervous about getting married in DTLA, especially for out-of-town guests unfamiliar with the area, but between the Arts District's private security and the two dedicated security guards provided by De La Nonna/The Let's Go Disco, everyone felt completely safe and taken care of and we had zero issues!!!

What truly made this experience exceptional, beyond the food and the chic, beautiful space, was the staff. From planning through the wedding day itself, they were thoughtful, attentive, and genuinely invested in making sure everything felt special and seamless. As I was walking down the aisle, I made eye contact with one of the staff members -- and she was crying!! That moment says everything.

I truly cannot imagine a better place to get married in Los Angeles. Thank you to everyone -- and especially Jose, Mia, and Patrick -- for making all of our wedding dreams come true.“

“Great Food, Great Service...“

“All around great experience! Good food, great service, good music! If only I lived closer…“

“Love love love this place. We’ve been coming here for 19 years and highly recommend. Great food, wine and ambiance.“

“Pizza was fantastic!!! Rivaled Chicago!“

“Great food at good prices“

“We are so lucky to have this cafe here in Pasadena! I've tried the carbonara, puttanesca, sandwiches, foccacia, and fried zucchini blossom, and it's all been delicious. Their homemade bread is incredible and is the star of their amazing sandwiches. For fellow lovers of bittersweet Italian sodas, they stock chinotto here, as well a couple small bitter sodas! On top of how good the food is, the service is very warm and friendly. You can tell it's a family business run with a lot of love. Can't recommend it highly enough, and I'm looking forward to going back and trying even more of the menu.“

“We had an amazing experience at Good Clean Fun! We reserved the patio for a small work event. The space was so nice. The food was delicious. I loved the pizzas, honestly some of the best I've had. Their wine selection is great, and they make a great Hugo Spritz.

Also, I have to shoutout Hunter! She was an incredible server. She was so kind, attentive, and flexible when our plans changed.

I wish I lived in LA just to be able to come here regularly! I'm looking forward to coming back whenever I visit.“

“😋Delicious Italian Homemade Food“

“Excellent customer service and food!“

“Great food in a sketchy area. Between people yelling at me out of cars, aggressive barking dogs, and semi trucks blowing through stop signs, I didn’t feel particularly safe.

However, the pasta at Barrio is incredible. The vodka rigatoni with ground sausage was absolutely perfect and adding burrata only made it more so. You get a ton of burrata for the $5 add-on price and it was probably the best I’ve ever tasted. The pesto pasta was okay, I’m not the biggest pesto fan and it tasted like a mouthful of grass to me. The bread appetizer wasn’t worth it, the bread wasn’t warm and didn’t appear to be freshly baked.“

“Pssing through. Hilton Hotel in Montebello said tgey had the best pizza around. Very true. Loved the New York.“

“It is not often that I dream about sandwiches, but this place changed all that. Literally the best I have had in my life.

Last week I had the Paradiso, and the combination of the creams and meat were a heaven I didn't know existed. There is only a small area to sit, but it is clean.

I could not stop thinking about that sandwich, so this weekend I ordered the Broadway, and something between tge perfect bread, tangy sundried tomatoes and pistachio cream sent me back to the clouds.

Now I have to try all the rest.“

“Today was the first time I ordered anything from here I have been wanting to for awhile and I just found my new favorite place to eat chicken Alfredo it was bomb and I’m picking when it come to Alfredo dishes,great portions too.“

“Excellent restaurant italien authentique au cœur de LA downtown. Délicieux !!!“

“The food is INCREDIBLE and the products are beyond amazing!!!“

“Old-school charm and service, elegant dining, live jazz piano at the bar. Been coming here for years and it’s still a super treat. 👍🏼👍🏼“

“Muy buen servicio Comida deliciosa…“

“Curbside pickup First time“

“Amazing smoothies and bowls! Yummmmy! Cute shop with food and gift items as well!“

“Food was amazing, spot on. Great comfortable service. Really nice experience!“