50 Best Italian Restaurants near Playa Del Rey

“excellent service and the food was absolutely delicious.“

“Absolutely delicious with amazing service and care! Go!!“

“Great food and ambiance , nando is a great host , meatball super good, as well the arancini with ragout and prosciutto, large pizza very tasty… this place is fantastic…..“

“Food was great! Wonderful dessert recommended by our server!!“

“Delicious authentic Roman cuisine …“

“Our family had an excellent meal at Mother Wolf last night. The pasta was out of this world and the Italian wine selection was great. The decor is very nice and conducive to an overall excellent experience.“

“My wife and I went to the Grove in Los Angeles last night and we had dinner at "Sogno Toscana," an it was outstanding. It was perfect in every way; great food, great drinks, outstanding and friendly staff, beautiful location, etc. I love Italian food but I can't think of one Italian restaurant that I like, until "Sogno Toscano." The food was outstanding, and there was so much more we saw go by that we can't wait to go back and try. And the drinks were outstanding. I love martini's and they served the best martini I've ever had. Giacomo was our server and took great care of us. He's from Italy and "Sogno Toscana" brought him to America when they opened their New York restaurant, and now he's in LA for this new restaurant. Although very busy, the entire staff were very fun to be around, and most of them are Italian which is also great.“

“Beyond expectations! Best meal & service in at least 10 years. I’ll be back!“

“The staff is incredibly knowledgeable, attentive without being intrusive, and genuinely passionate about the food they serve👍👍“

“Fantastic meal at Felix! You really can’t go wrong with an Evan Funke restaurant. The pasta was perfectly made, and the flavors were spot on. That said, I do wish the menu felt a little more distinct from his other restaurants. It’s definitely in line with his signature style, so if you’ve been to his other spots, you’ll find a lot of overlap.

The quality and service are definitely there—the staff was knowledgeable, friendly, and attentive without being overbearing. The atmosphere is cozy but lively, with a great energy for date night or a special dinner with friends. Overall, Felix is absolutely worth a visit.“

“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!!“

“Angelini Osteria totally lived up to the hype! We had a great dinner there that night and I can't wait to go back again soon. Let's start with the star of this show: uni pasta. Oh my gosh, it was divine! The uni was so fresh and creamy and the pasta itself was cooked just right. Every bite was an explosion of flavor. We also tried the baked lasagna and it was delightful. The layers were perfectly balanced and each bite was full of rich, savory flavors. Let's not forget dessert! We shared a few different things and they were all great. The tiramisu was fluffy and decadent and the chocolate mousse was rich and smooth. Overall, Angelini Osteria is definitely a must-try for Italian food lovers in Los Angeles. The food is incredible, the service is friendly, and the atmosphere is warm and inviting. We can't wait to come back and try more dishes on the menu!“

“Very good pasta really nice sause we had one dish where the chef came out and poured the sause it was really nice and made it feel super fancy our server ( girl with blackish hair) and the boy seeting us were very nice did a really good job! Food amazing service amazing and the vibe overall super good and chill! It is a first come first serve so you will have to probably wait a bit but it is worth it!“

“Funke does many things right, yet still manages somehow to feel both warm but not inviting at the same time.

It’s odd to me because I recently met Chef Evan Funke and he seemed to be a super nice and warm guy(and clearly very talented), yet his spirit seems to not shine as bright as it could in this particular environment.

A protege of Wolfgang Pucks from back in the day, he himself has become quite a celebrity chef with hundreds of thousands of followers on IG, and all the other things: book, tv appearances, etc…

I believe he’s considered the “Pasta God of California!”

While I have yet to try his other concepts, Mother Wolf (Hollywood) and Felix Trattoria(Venice Beach) Funke is his newest addition to his portfolio of eateries, if not a huge departure in menu from the other two; freshly made authentic Italian pastas and elevated pizzas and animal proteins with a thoughtful bar and wine list. It’s all very good.

The standouts are the squash blossoms and pizza for me, and olive oil infused craft cocktail, but I have yet to try the pastas so cannot comment.

I’m giving this a 4/5 because I can’t help but feel that Funke can’t decide what experience it truly wants to give you. As I said, it’s warm, but not necessarily inviting.

All that said, add it to your list for fine-dining in Beverly Hills. It’s worth going for the open-air rooftop bar and squash blossoms alone.“

“Yummy wine as be delicious food!“

“The food and ambience & wine selection was excellent! We will be back!“

“Delicious food and drinks!“

“Went to Chloe’s birthday party this past weekend and it was my first time trying Sogno Toscano’s food.

The catering was impressive. Everything looked so beautiful… and the flavor of the sandwiches was incredible…

All those cheeses and meat really got me!

I can’t wait to come to the restaurant and experience a full lunch and dining experience!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“Atmosphere was great! Service was fabulous. Drinks were tasty! Margarita Pizza lacked cheese but the Sweet Cheeks was amazing 🤩.“

“amazing! we traveled from Orange County, and were not disappointed! It was a great experience from getting there, being walked through the menu, checked on constantly by multiple workers, and enjoying the explosive flavors of Italian inspired food.“

“I’ve dined here both as a walk-in and with a reservation, and each time I was greeted with the warmest smile. This restaurant is so intentional—from its cozy neighborhood charm to the elevated, seasonal menu and the ambiance set by an amazing record player and vinyl collection. The staff went above and beyond, even sharing local stories that made us feel truly connected to the space. The food was absolutely delicious, and I really appreciated the thoughtful touch of nonalcoholic wine options. Highly recommend!“

“This is a very popular place as it gets crowded even before normal dinner time. The semi-indoor/outdoor seating area is clean and relaxing.“

“best pastas ever!!! And the tiramisu was fabulous“

“Great place and very welcoming staff. Food was delicious and very Italian. Highly recommended.“

“服務員態度親切，讓客人覺得溫馨“

“Hands down the best Italian food I've had in LA. This is the real, east coast Italian food that I've been seeking. The staff, restaurant, and ambiance are top notch. I've been caving it since I had it last week. This is my new place!“

“We catered a Christmas dinner for 8 with Il Moro and all the food was delicious! We especially loved the melt-in-your-mouth short ribs, divine vegetables and pasta with olives dishes. We will definitely be back!“

“Our server Sean was amazing!“

“Food is always delicious. Definitely for special occasions since it can get expensive. My husband was a bit surprised when the waiter refilled his iced tea twice and then we were charged $7 for each refill. We definitely thought it was free refills.“

“Always a great experience and meal at Orto, strongly recommended!“

“Good food and good service“

“Why go 3000 miles away it’s just as good as Pat steaks and they got a roast pork sandwich too“

“Where do I start. Liz and Maggie are amazing. They made my family feel like some type of celebrity. I can’t state in this short paragraph how blown away I was by the service we received. THE BEST SERVICE, I’VE EVER RECEIVED. The drinks were excellent and the food was so good. I recommend the wagyu meatballs. The dessert was so tasty. You really can’t go wrong with anything you order here. The piano bar is a musical nice touch. I really appreciated the attention to detail on the decor of the restaurant when it came to the music. I’m so very excited and satisfied with Osteria Florence and I can’t wait to comeback again. 10 stars ⭐️ thank you Francesco 🙏🏽❤️“

“I love the food and service at this restaurant.“

“Good fare at a fair price...“

“Manager Josh is amazing. I had a bad experience dining at Ospi already in terms of service, so after there were missing items in my order I was about ready to give up. I called in and when he took the phone he didn't hesitate, asked me for my address and drove over the food himself. He also threw in a kale salad for me as well. I will be coming back. Ospi team, you have a good one in Josh!“

“Our food was excellent! We had the Brussels sprouts, Pasta alla Norma, and the Cacio e Pepe. Great service, great food! Just a heads up that it’s very loud inside when it’s crowded. Fun, but not super conducive to conversation without speaking loudly.“

“Delicious food and friendly atmosphere.We had a great time.Thank you.🙏🤗😇😋“

“We had the BEST experience at Sunday Gravy. We were in LA waiting on a flight back to Oklahoma, ventured out, and luckily, stumbled upon this restaurant. The staff is AMAZING! The food was the icing on the cake. Thanks again for great food and great service!“

“Sandwich was hilariously large. This would definitely be good after the beach for 2 people. I chose one that sounded like the stuff would not go together as an experiment. Every ingredient is top of the line, sooooo good. Top tier Sammy for sure. Interior crazy small and crowded, better to order online and take it with u.“

“I took my daughter and we had a really nice dinner. We started with the Caesar - it's not a creamy Caesar dressing, more like a vinaigrette. It was tasty. My daughter ordered the vodka pasta with chicken and she loved it. Just a little bit is spice and great flavor. I ordered a pepperoni pizza. It's not paper thin but it's not thick either. The pepperoni on it was delicious. It was a bit noisy because there were lots of kids as it is sort of a neighborhood spot. As it got later in the evening the kids left and it was quieter for sure. overall great food and service. Will go back.“

“My boyfriend and I went to Lavo for the first time this weekend and absolutely loved it! The service was incredible from start to finish. Tristan and Rodrigo were both attentive, kind, and knowledgeable of the menu. We got the meatball, chicken parm, broccolini, asparagus and garlic bread. All of these items were delicious but I must say the garlic bread was the star of the show. We will definitely be back and loved the experience!“

“Love the California sunshine pizza, the penne pasta with pink sauce and mushrooms, Caesar salad, garlic bread, calamari, shrimp scampi, chef extraordinaire Julie Munn and crew! Food is always delicious whether eat in or takeout. The California sunshine pizza is even better the next day unheated! That's how good it is. All vegan 🌱 and organic greens😋🤤“

“All of the food was incredible! However tables were insanely tight but maybe that was just on NYE. We had to literally get up out of chairs to let other people in and out of their tables. When we mentioned it to our server she said “what do you expect with 160 reservations”.. which was awkward. That said, she warmed up throughout the night and you could tell she was just insanely stressed. There was a gentleman who was incredibly helpful wizzing around and welcoming everyone. Overall we'll be back since the food was so good and hopefully we'll see it less sardines-packed“

“Ottima cucina italiana, atmosfera elegante e accogliente, staff gentilissimo“

“Came in tonite every thing was great Our server was great aswell food excellent will be back“

“Via Veneto in Santa Monica is my go-to spot for a romantic dinner, and it delivers every single time. The service is warm, attentive, and authentically Italian—the kind where the staff remembers you and genuinely cares that your evening is perfect. The food is just as consistent. My staple order is the lobster pasta, which almost every other restaurant gets wrong—it’s overcooked, rubbery, or lost in sauce—but here it’s perfection every time. On a recent visit, I started with burrata and prosciutto, which was fresh, creamy, and balanced, the kind of simple dish that shows off true quality ingredients.

Another favorite is their ravioli of the day. They usually feature three different varieties, and each one is delicate, flavorful, and perfectly cooked—never heavy, always satisfying. The fish soup is another standout; it’s made to order, never sitting in a pot, and you can taste that freshness in every spoonful.

The atmosphere is pure old-world romance. Chandeliers cast a warm glow that makes every guest look like a movie star—fitting, since you’ll often spot real ones dining here. It’s intimate without feeling stuffy, glamorous without being pretentious. A Santa Monica staple for decades, Via Veneto is one of the few highly rated spots that still feels like an underrated gem.“

“great venue. great customer service, excellent appetizers.“

“I took my husband for Father’s Day brunch/lunch at our favorite Italian restaurant here in the Palisades and as always it did not disappoint. It never does. He loved his steak and eggs, steak was Devine and I loved my chick pea soup. Always have the panne cotta and the cherry gelato and an espresso in their delightful patio and you’ve been to Italy!“