46 Best Italian Restaurants in San Jose

“It’s the jewel of the east side the food the beer the atmosphere family owned great place to enjoy ❤️“

“Makes me wish I lived in San Jose. Excellent service, great products, and the Chris Combo is indeed amazing. Can't recommend this place enough.“

“Just by luck we found Palermo Italian restaurant. Food was really good. Super nice people made our experience even better. Best Birthday candle ever 😀

There’s a small parking lot across the street - don’t worry about traffic, they have a crosswalk person that stops traffic.“

“I love this place I have been going here for years“

“The food here is very good but even better is the service. The staff was very genuine, attentive and quick. Maybe the best service I've had in my life. I'm not in the area often but would definitely go again“

“We decided spontaneously after a visit to the Lick observatory to dine here. All the staff were super professional, friendly and quick. What I really enjoyed was that our waiter made an extra effort to help my parents (their English is a bit basic). The food was on the table in no time and was delicious and hot. I tried the pasta with steak and gorgonzola and didn’t regret it!“

“What a pleasant dining experience. Was greeted at the door by the owner, staff were very attentive and the foods amazing!“

“..finally had a chance to try the new restaurant, wonderful!!“

“100% recommend, comfort food and great service. Best cannolo I’ve had in San Jose ! The garlic knots are okay, their dough is really nice though. But the chicken with penne was delicious! My fiancé had the veal and he really liked it!“

“One of the best places to have a big party. The banquet rooms are spacious; you can seat up to 160 guests. I’ve hosted 2 events here already - my parents’ 50th anniversary in 2014 and my 50th birthday this year. Easy process to reserve the space & select menu. Great customer service from all staff.“

“Best Italian food and best steaks“

“We had such a great experience at this beautiful new restaurant! From the moment we walked in, we were impressed by the ambiance and thoughtful decor, everything feels warm, inviting, and stylish.
The entire team was amazing, you could genuinely tell everyone enjoys working there. From the friendly hostess to the attentive servers and bartender, the energy was great. We were warmly welcomed by Lisa, and received excellent service from Roy, who was super knowledgeable about the menu and offered great suggestions, as you can see we ordered a lot. Alberto, the bartender, also stood out with his friendly vibe and attention to detail.
We found easy parking in the back, and even though the restaurant has only been open for a month, it was already bustling! Thankfully we had a reservation.“

“Definitely get the garlic shrimp fettuccini Alfredo. It’s the best thing I’ve eaten there!“

“Holy mercy... This place popped up twice today, once when my wife was browsing TikTok (😒) but again in The Downtowner newsletter I receive, so we went for a late lunch. We didn't realize that it was a shared space, so we also got to try a slice of pizza and some fries, both of which came out quickly and very fresh, and I had an Old Fashioned, just because. By the time we finished the pizza and the fries, we didn't even get a chance to try the sandwich, so we took it to-go, a bit disappointed that we didn't try it hot and fresh.

Well. I just tried a bite a bit ago, and even cold and a bit soggy, it. Was. Incredible. My only real reference to an Italian beef sandwich is the few times I've tried Portillo's in the Midwest, and this was head and shoulders above their offerings. My bite turned into me finishing half of the sandwich without even realizing it. Their herb/spice blend is amazing, and I am now counting down the days until we have an excuse to get back out to Little Italy--we don't live far, so hopefully it won't be too long!“

“I discovered the place by accident. I was next door inside Michaels having some art pieces custom framed when I decided to look for a place to stop by to eat. I was starving. I was craving for pasta. And thats how I got to discover this place. I ordered the chicken fettucine alfredo. Love the dish with its chunky chicken pieces and al dente pasta. The complimentary cheese sticks with that cheese pimiento cheese spread was a delightful surprise. Next time Ill check their lasagna and clam chowder. I heard their clam chowder is as good as Boulins in San Francisco. I dont have to make a drive to the city to enjoy a good bowl of chowder. The lasagna looks so rich as well as their chopino. Im definitely comjng back.“

“Delicious! First time there and had a meal on the outside towards the back of restaurant. Had a few different appetizers but I'd say go with the calamari as it's lightly breaded yet had the crunch and the squid soft and easy to eat. Great wine selection. For my main meal was the Filet Mignon dinner special. It was supposed to come with veggies and the meat in truffle sauce. Everything in my order was correct except the sauce on the filet mignon didn't taste nor look like truffle sauce but it looked and tasted more like a balsamic vinegar glaze. It was unique, as it had a vinegar flavor profile which was ok, though I really wanted more of a meaty taste. Dessert was great, had a pistachio cake that was mild in sweetness and more of the nutty flavor. Overall, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for me even with the little hiccup.

Parking: When you get to "Little Italy" one side has free parking but that gets full quickly, and the other side has parking meters that was active until 10PM (Yup, the meters are from 9am to 10pm in Little Italy, the rest of San Jose the meters stop operations at 6pm) which of course the parking space on the meters are available during the late afternoons but these spaces are full by 7/8pm.“

“Excellent take out place. Reasonable prices for the portions.

We ordered through food delivery service and the food came piping hot and nicely packed.

We ordered penne a la vodka with sausage, meat lasagna, caprese salad, and Ceasar salad. Everything was well cooked and tasted delicious. The portions are a good size for the price. The 4 dishes came out to just over $100 with tax, fees, & tip.

Would absolutely order from here again.“

“Very good quality of foods and very friendly personel. I'm often ordering foods from there. One of my favorite take-out kitchens! Recommended

Parking: There is many food delivery restorants and half of parking lots during day were busy by doordashers, but, still many free spots to park.“

“I discovered the place by accident. I was next door inside Michaels having some art pieces custom framed when I decided to look for a place to stop by to eat. I was starving. I was craving for pasta. And thats how I got to discover this place. I ordered the chicken fettucine alfredo. Love the dish with its chunky chicken pieces and al dente pasta. The complimentary cheese sticks with that cheese pimiento cheese spread was a delightful surprise. Next time Ill check their lasagna and clam chowder. I heard their clam chowder is as good as Boulins in San Francisco. I dont have to make a drive to the city to enjoy a good bowl of chowder. The lasagna looks so rich as well as their chopino. Im definitely comjng back.“

“Excellent vibe, nice folks classic cocktails.“

“The best Italian restaurant in the Bay Area! Fresh outstanding delicious food! Never disappointed with whatever I order! The staff are very professional and so kind and enjoyable atmosphere! Love the pear salad!“

“Great meal as usual. Friendly service“

“It really is TRUE that when you're here you're family! Recently, a family member suggested a particular restaurant, where myself, my sister, my grandson and my grand daughter in-law, and my great grand daughter and great grandson could all catch up with each other. But, when I, instead, recommended Olive Garden, it was enthusiastically agreed to, right away.
The healthy comfort food, and the caring and anticipatory homey service, again confirmed to us that this is a good place for families.
My great grand kids' Mom had gone to get something out of the car, and their Dad had taken his 2-year old son to be changed. So, only their 5-year old daughter remained with us at our table. When our Server asked what drinks we wanted, our 5-year old pointed to two different flavor drinks on the kids menu, one by one, and ordered both of them. Our Server wisely said, with a smile, Maybe I'll wait til your Mom and Dad get back. After her Mom and Dad returned, they told us that she was actually not ordering two drinks for herself, but that she usually orders one drink for herself and one for her little brother. If our Server had not asked our 5-year old for her drink order, or meanly refused to bring her what she wanted, she might have been upset, which may have led to a potential scene. But our Server was polite, respectful, smart and friendly. In other words - no problem.
When we were finishing our meal, we were thinking about asking for doggie bags, to not waste the remaining tasty generous portions. But, we didn't need to ask, since our Server, because of apparent good training and valuable experience, asked us first, if we would like some boxes and bags. Of course, we accepted them, and when we left, we left with some tasty reminders, for later, of the good food we'd enjoyed. But, we also remembered the good time we shared with our own family, and the Olive Garden family as well.
No problems. Good times. Happy memories. Grazie and Ciao! Thanks and see you next time!“

“This is a restaurant with a very stylish decoration. The classical decoration makes people feel like they are back in the past era when dining. I think everyone can experience it. At the same time, the food in the restaurant is still very delicious.“

“FOOD
i got the carbonara and i feel like it didnt have much flavor. kinda just tasted like cheese and black pepper. the little meat bits were great though. the pasta just needs some salt.

SERVICE
pretty quick— less than ten minutes. ordered from a kiosk

ATMOSPHERE
cozy and busy. feels really homey“

“We wanted a beautiful place to share dinner before event at the CPA. It was perfect. Nice ambiance and delicious food!!!“

“So Delicious! I will be coming back when going through San Jose.“

“This is a special place, especially in this area. A refreshingly low-key, quasi-quirky, but mostly down-to-earth, welcoming vibe. People were so friendly with my young kids and also seemed to know many returning diners. My and my kids’ pasta dishes were absolutely delicious. One gave it a hearty two thumbs-up and I inhaled my entire warm, flavorful bowl of spaghetti. We will be back as soon as we can!“

“Went at lunchtime because of an ad for a Vietnamese coffee place that came across my FB feed. No idea what to expect. It was in an old office building or warehouse, busy parking lot, and oddly full of older Priuses. Guys standing outside around the door. I went inside into a small undecorated waiting room with more guys standing around waiting, phones out, There was a wall of maybe 40 white lockers on one wall, and a little counter window with a person sitting there. The strangest to-go place I’d ever seen.

Drivers came in, held their phone up to a reader, and if their order was ready, one of the locker doors popped open automatically. The driver would grab their order in a brown paper bag with handles and leave. I just had to ask someone if all these guys in athletic type wear driving Priuses were all Door Dashers. They said yes, mostly everyone was doing delivery.

Where were the kitchens? I could see a hallway of closed doors behind the lady sitting at the counter window. Guess that’s where the magic happens. I wondered if they were separate businesses or just one huge kitchen with chefs that cooked many foods.

I placed my order on the one kiosk they had there for walk-ins. Quite a variety of vendors and cuisines to choose from. No one else used the kiosk during the whole time I was there haha, so it is clearly an on-line business model.

In 20 minutes I had my food, after phone notification came through. Kinda slow. Waiting inside or on the sidewalk among the door dashers was not optimal. Somewhat sterile and impersonal 21st century dining experience. Best to sit in the car to wait i suppose but i parked looking at a large trash bin. Not a garden spot, not a date destination. Definitely grab and go. I did like my Viet coffee and sandwich for $10. Banh Mi was smallish but tasty.“

“Great service and Pizza. Every time I have called, service is always friendly and free delivery over $15 and pizza is great! I was told it would take about 35min for delivery but i almost think they were faster than that! I would definitely recommend over more expensive pizza places. Thank you for you great prices and great pizza!“

“Bona Pizza Review – Large Combination Pizza

I recently ordered a large combination pizza from Bona Pizza, and I must say—it was an absolute delight from start to finish.

Pizza Appearance & Ingredients

As you can see in the photo, the pizza came out looking picture-perfect. It featured a generous amount of toppings, including:

Pepperoni Sausage Mushrooms Black olives Green bell peppers

Everything was evenly distributed, and nothing looked sparse or overly greasy. The crust had a beautiful golden-brown edge and was thin and crispy, offering the perfect base for the loaded toppings.

Taste & Quality

What stood out immediately was how fresh everything tasted. The crust was crisp but not overdone, and the cheese was perfectly melted with no excess oil pooling on top a rare and welcome touch. Each bite was a balance of flavors—the savory sausage and pepperoni paired wonderfully with the umami of mushrooms and the slight crunch from the bell peppers. The olives added a touch of saltiness that tied everything together beautifully.

Price & Service

The pizza was very reasonably priced, especially for the quality and portion size. It easily serves a group, and the value is unbeatable. The service was awesome prompt, friendly, and efficient. Despite being made fresh, the pizza was baked and ready in a flash, without compromising on quality.

Final Verdict:

Bona Pizza nailed it with this combination pizza. From the perfectly baked thin crust to the abundance of fresh toppings and great service, it was an all-around fantastic experience. If you’re in the mood for a classic, well-executed pizza with top-notch ingredients and no greasy mess, this is the place to go.“

“This place is amazing!! A true hidden gem. The food was delicious, the menu was smaller, so you know the food was fresh, and Jessica, our server, was absolutely the best server. She was so kind and attentive and took the time to learn our names. It was a great experience all around, the 4 of us had amazing food for under $80“

“Genuinely the hottest, freshest pizza/pasta I can order by a wide margin. Everything is to order when it comes in and you can tell. Toppings are not stingy, and the bread it comes with is always a great extra.

And a strangely giant selection of individual canned sodas. Cant complain about anything.“

“Small Italian cafe with a casual, friendly atmosphere. They serve an array of Italian and European offerings (paninis, pastries, gelato, coffee). The Fig & Gorgonzola panini is my go-to. Italian speakers will be welcomed because most (maybe all) of the staff seem to speak Italian natively.“

“Went to try this Fast Pizza since the other was was far from where i lived and all I have to say was the experience was one of a kind. Greeted and also met with a smile the man was very welcoming and told us how to order since it was our first time. I decided to get a cheese pizza with tomatoes and basil and we also got the cheesy garlic bread and it was served so fast! (name was actually on point). It all came down to pricing which was 25 bucks but for a medium which isn't too bad but you can get cheaper anywhere else (little ceasers or 7 11) but you definitely get what you pay for! anyways If im in the area again im definitely going to try the pizza skulls next!“

“I like this spot when I need to pop in and out for a quick meal. I particularly love their lunch special of half a pizza and a salad, which for me is just about perfect.

They do a great job on Sicilian style pizza, counter ordering is fast, efficient and sufficiently friendly; the cook level is just about perfect; and they get the food out quickly even on busy nights. The ingredients seem fresh and good quality, and the work area behind the counter seems clean. This is San Pedro Market Square so it's very casual shared seating and bussing with the other businesses.

Google asks if parking is difficult. I usually walk or bike here, each couldn't be easier with the BikeLink lockers in the adjacent parking garage. When I drive, parking is always available in the Market Street when I go. I think it can be more challenging on event nights.“

“I love Bibos and the young lady that helped me and recommended the sour beers is wonderful!“

“Al pastor pizza is pretty dang good. And their wings are absolutely how wings are supposed to be, crispy and breaded and doused in their many sauce flavors. 👌🏽. First time trying this place and I'm NOT Disappointed. Would definitely recommend and consider ordering again. 👍🏽“

“Their housemade sausage is a Christmas eve tradition!“

“This is one of those ikitchens! You walk through the back to the kitchen. The portions are HUGEEEEE, service was quick and everything was incredibly well packed. They kept my dessert and main dish in separate bags, gave me plenty of utensils, napkins, and even a little extra dish of pesto! This was amazing for me as I was staying in a hotel on business.“

“Highly Recommended this Place“

“This was our first time and on Mother’s Day. We were seated right away on the patio (by choice) next to a heater. We ordered and our food came pretty quick and was delicious. I had the California Eggs Benedict and boy did the homemade hollandaise sauce blow my taste buds. It’s was so good.“

“One of the beat if not the beat at all Highly recommended“

“Shame on me for not stopping by this gem of a small family owned business sooner. Finally had a chance to try this place and it was AMAZING! I ordered a simple cheese pizza and I wasn’t disappointed. Something special is going on in the back of the house and I can’t wait to try the rest of the menu.“

“I love Bibos and the young lady that helped me and recommended the sour beers is wonderful!“

“I just want to say I'm really grateful I came to straw hat Pizza it's one of the best it tastes so good and I want to give a shout out to Martha that she's a hard working person and she's the best friendly I'm glad I have her as a server she's the best pizza taste so good made by her Martha thank you for you making our experience the best and the pizza thank you Martha I hope the owner see this and for him or her they have the best worker ever in my experience is so excellent my perspective is the best straw has the best pizza ever“