50 Best Italian Restaurants near San Pablo

“Great food , great people!!“

“Very good food ...everything was really fresh“

“Went to dinner for my birthday! Had a delicious chicken a la parmigiana, a Peroni beer and for dessert, a slice of chocolate cake and some crème brûlée! 😋 Everything was so delicious! 👍🏼🥳“

“They used to have one of these in Hayward. My family was extremely low income growing up but when we had anything extra, we'd get nachos from this place. I drove nearly two hours when I found out a sister restaurant existed after the one in Hayward closed a few years ago. Everything was the same. The menu, the atmosphere, the smell, the food. It was a little pricey, but it is and ever will be the best super nachos I've ever had anywhere. The chips are extra fried so they never get soggy. The meat is tender. The cheese is real mozzarella not that nasty orange canned crap. If you live near here, please support this business, and just know you won't find better nachos anywhere. They also sell HUGE slices of pizza which are delicious. And you just don't find many pizza by the slice spots anymore. Thanks for coming to my Tedtalk.“

“Short wait on a Friday night for 7 of us. Really small place but the wait staff and owner very friendly and everyone was very happy with their meal. If I lived here I would go back.“

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

“The lamb chops were phenomenal!“

“I loved that the menu happened to be all vegetarian when we went. The fact that they have a seasonal rotating menu will also definitely keep us coming back. The mushroom bolognese sauce was so rich and filled with umami. I didn’t take a picture of the saffron poached pears as I took it home to eat but I really enjoyed it - the flavors were very reminiscent of the Indian dessert Srikhand. There’s limited seating so it felt a little loud and crowded inside but I did enjoy the open kitchen concept.“

“Honestly one of the best pizza crusts I've ever had. I had the focaccia spring special pizza - with squash blossoms and burrata. The Pear Basil Gimlet is one of the best mocktails I've ever had. The brussels are dark brown and crispy and melty. Plus - LOTS of gluten free options!

I rarely have a meal where every single part of it is delicious. This place is a treat, I'd highly recommend it.“

“My husband and I were recently recommended to try Dolly’s restaurant and we’re so glad we did. From the moment we walked in, the whole experience felt relaxed and welcoming. The hosts and owners were incredibly warm and friendly.

The food was delicious. We loved the cheese wheel pasta, the bread and tomato salad, and they also had a really good wine selection. As a small business owner myself, I always appreciate supporting local family-owned spots that truly care about good food and good service. Dolly’s is definitely one of those places. We’ll absolutely be back.“

“A wonderful first time experience at Luna Blu with my sisterfriend Betty on Wednesday, June 29th. Excellent, friendly service by Chrissie and she was kind enough to make suggestions since I am a Vegan. THANK YOU Chrissie. The owner took a moment to come to our table and we expressed our satisfaction and delight with her. Plan to visit again. Smiles from Baltimore.“

“Situated on Ark Row, Servino Trattoria is run by Natale Servino, who I would venture to call a proper, old-school restaurateur. He clearly runs a tight ship, but the restaurant still has plenty of soul and personality, which I think is a difficult balance to get right. There’s structure, but it doesn’t feel sterile. The care is there.

Servino gives you a few different ways to experience the place. You can sit outside and keep things casual, grab a seat in the Enoteca bar, or eat in the main dining room, which is very nice and gives you a view into a seriously impressive kitchen.

The quality of the ingredients is obvious. They source local California and San Francisco-caught fish, high-quality meats and produce, and some of the best olive oil I’ve ever had. I’m still trying to figure out exactly what olive oil they use because I genuinely cannot seem to find anything quite like it.

Jennifer was our waitress and an absolute sweetheart. A Bay Area local who gave us great recommendations for both food and drinks and made the whole evening better. The service had that perfect blend of professionalism and freedom that, in my opinion, gives a restaurant soul. You’re taken care of, but nobody is hovering over you.

It’s been a little while since this particular dinner, but I still remember most of it. We started with the Santa Cruz-caught bluefin tuna carpaccio 🫰🏼 and the Crostini con Cucuzza with stracciatella and summer squash, which was absolutely delicious. The crostini in particular was out of this world for being relatively simple.

I had a vermouth cocktail that was excellent as well. When I go back, I’ll try something else.

The standout for me was the house-made squid-ink pasta with uni. They absolutely loaded it with uni, which Natale graciously explained how they’re able to do. There’s a running joke among my friends about being a “uni pasta hog” because most uni pasta gives you like four beautiful pieces of uni and suddenly sharing becomes a moral dilemma.

Not here.

Natale explained that they’re able to source some of the less visually perfect pieces rather than paying a premium exclusively for pristine whole uni tongues. Same ingredient, same flavor, much better economics, and they can actually load the pasta with it. I loved that. It made it possible to share without feeling like you’re either skimping or hogging all the best bites.

We finished with a seasonal fruit crostata, which was also delicious.

Servino felt like a restaurant run by people who genuinely care about the ingredients, the kitchen and the experience. It’s polished without losing its personality. Natale runs a tight ship, Jennifer made us feel at home, the kitchen clearly knows what it’s doing, and the ingredients speak for themselves.

There’s soul in the place. That’s what I appreciate most. I attached the few photos I took. The food was too good to spend my time taking photos.“

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

“Been to Hotel Mac many many times and never ever been disappointed. The menu often varies with excellence across the board. Just celebrated my 70th birthday there. Wonderful evening in a great atmosphere.“

“This Family owned pizza and pasta joint is well worth pulling of of the 80 for!!
The brothers who run it are two of the nicest guys I ever met in a long time.. excellent pizza, very clean establishment and definitely the type of place you would want to return to..“

“Wonderful and friendly staff, great food!“

“We walked in here not expecting anything! We came with an open mind and an empty stomach. Pleasantly surprised by the food, the calamari was crispy with a very delicious spiced batter no oil or grease. The Caesar salad with shrimp was awesome. They did a nice job of preparing and cleaning the shrimp and they grilled them exactly how you should, Cesar dressing needs a little anchovy and pepper. Grated Parmesan on top on request! The pizza was delicious although the way it was fired was a little strange. It could’ve been a little more crispy on the bottom, but the flavor was right and it was an honest bistro style pizza. Ice cream and coffee at the end was great - guys get a nespresso machine for an after dinner coffee shot! Overall it was a fun and honest Italian dinner with quality. I would definitely return and reccomend a visit. The website has some cool stories about the location and chef is doing a great job here.“

“great food. good service.“

“You have to go there from brunch!! The dishes are packed with flavor and love. Fresh wonderful oatmeal, cheese eggs on toast! Omg all so delicious and Donna is an amazing host.“

“If you love Italian 🇮🇹 food this is the spot. I've been going here for years the 🍞 will keep you coming back for more. We had salmon pasta , puttanesca , and meatballs. Let's go back to the 🍞 and butter cold butter hot bread yes it's all you need.“

“Great wine, love the squid, love the pastas and desserts!“

“A “5 ⭐️” Seafood Favorite: Picturesque SF atmosphere, friendly service, unbeatable cuisine. Simply the Best!“

“There's some slight confusion because ordering from "Slice of Hollywood" from Eat24, you get pizza from Pizza Nation, but that's no big deal. The food is GOOD. Best wings I've ever had delivered, and the pizza is really good as well. plenty of toppings, and so far I've only had great experiences with them. Great combo price deals too!“

“food was excellent..service was great...if u want excellent authentic Italian food...this is the place for you ..“

“Great Hamburgers and garlic bread.“

“Had our pastor and wife appreciation luncheon there. Food was great. Servers were great. Had to thank cook myself.“

“Great sandwiches in downtown Berkeley with a lovely patio“

“the ambience and great cuppachino“

“Pizza was fantastic as well as the custom garlic bread pizza. Food is almost as good as the staffs friendliness and customer service.“

“Stopped there for lunch and it was delicious. Lasagna and Cioppino was delicious 😁“

“Great dinning experience Must try“

“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!“

“This is hands down my favorite cozy Italian spot in downtown Berkeley! Service is always quick and fast. My friends and I go to Gypsy's at least once a month, and we never had trouble looking for parking. Food is very affordable, fresh, and delicious.“

“The food and service are really good im a local and me and my family come here a lot whenever we arw hungry. I love the nacho fries because they make them with nacho cheese instead of shredded cheddar. Also ive had breakfast burritos at multiple places in the area and the ones here blow any of those out of the water, the regular burritos are good too. All the food taste fresh and cooked with care not assembled quick and sloppy, the whole menu is solid and i plan to keep coming in the future.“

“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.“

“Friendly, professional and fine cuisine!“

“We made our first visit to Ristorante Due Rose last evening (6/2/2023)--what a amazing dinner we had! I had the Linguine Tutto Mare (thin flat pasta with clams, squid, prawns, scallops and fish, seasoned with tomatoes, crushed red pepper, garlic and white wine.). I think the best Italian dish I have ever had (and I have been to Italy). The pasta was cooked to perfection--none of the flavorless stuff you might find elsewhere, and the sauce was out of this world. My husband had the Grigliata di Mare (Grilled scallops, prawns, calamari, parsley, lemon sauce, roasted potatoes and arugula salad) and also raved about it. Great service and reasonable prices. 💞We will definitely be back!“

“I have been looking for a good Italian deli for awhile now. This was my first time ordering from here and it is great. I got the meatball sandwich, which was great but could have used some more spices, and the roast beef which was wonderful. I highly recommend this place“

“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.“

“Delicious food and wonderful ambiance. Loved by locals and tourists!“

“Very delicious👍👍👍“

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

“Yo, I just went to this place a couple weeks ago and their pizza is on point! We had like a pesto chicken pizza and that shit smacked!! there wasn’t a lot of people so I liked that it was chill. It’s a good place to do karaoke and bring some friends to just eat chill and vibe. Definitely my new favorite pizza spot.“

“This was my first time dining there. Definitely not my last. First class atmosphere, Customer Service and food. I see other items on the menu I want to try. And the best part is the locale. I only live 2.5 miles away from a top notch dining venue on the water. Fantastic!!“

“The restaurant is lovely, it feels like a small small trataria Italy. The service was perfect, very conscious of the customer's needs. The burrata salad was delicious as was the pizza. The pizzas are cooked, as one would expect in a wood fired stove and are absolutely the best in every way. I want to go back and go through the menu and eat every thing.“

“Always enjoy our time!! The best food ever!!!!“

“My daughter and I love the Fried Sage Pizza and the Strozzapreti Bolognese and my twin grandsons love the Pepperoni Piza.“

“Great food and service! Special atmosphere“

“Fantastic food!! Reasonably priced and quick service too. Will definitely eat here any time I'm in the area!“

“Our group of five enjoyed lunch on a quiet afternoon. Their pies are 9' or 12' and offer numerable custom options ~ rare amongst many pizza spots! with that in mind know wait time up to 25 minutes for delivery; we only ordered one starter roasted cauliflower to share. The pies were generous, prepped as ordered and service was relaxed. Fun !“