50 Best Italian Restaurants near Durham

“So on my way home and I’m starving but I’m in Durham and it’s almost 9:00 pm so I pull into Carmines and the guys r outside. I walk up and they say r u picking up and I’m like no I wanted one of the frozen pies in the case. Sorry register is all closed. Ok thanks anyway I said and one of the chefs hands me one of his pies and says enjoy. Love you guys at Carmines.“

“Worst dinner I've had in years. The lettuce was OLD and Sandy. The cola was flat. The service was slow.“

“Great place excellent food owner was fantastic and my wife and I went on valentines Day fantastic job they did and great service definitely will make this our family dinner night thank you everyone that took care of us on valentines Day“

“Food was very good! Garlic knots were delicious!“

“We did some shopping then we're going to check out the Duham Fair. but we were late and didn't want to take the bus ride for 30 minutes left of the Fair. so we looked for somewhere to eat. what luck! We had a fabulous experience! A couple great drinks. Some delicious garlic bread. Then dinner came. my eggplant rolatini was amazing! my wife dish was as well. we had the pistachio Gelato for dessert. and I had a delicious espresso. The service? it was a delight! Made our day. loved everything about this accidental dinner! well be back for sure! thank you all!“

“I can believe we didn’t try this amazing restaurant until tonight. I can’t say enough about the excellent service and attention paid to our party. Top notch recommendations made for the best tasting meal I have had in a long time. We will enjoy this fantastic place many times in the future as our staple for high quality and superb food. Thank you for the exceptional evening and we look forward to joining you again in the very near future!“

“Planned a buffet for thirty people. Owner was great to work with. Food was delicious. Dining room was set up nicely. Perfect family affair.“

“One of the things that I was so happy to see was a restaurant that took acoustics into account when designing their decor. With an abundance of sound absorbing panels neatly placed on the ceiling, La Piazza is a very quiet, comfortable, and non fatiguing environment in which to dine. Bravo! And of course... the food, service and atmosphere is exceptional as well! 👍“

“Pizza is fantastic and the rest of the menu is equally as such. AMAZING food all around. Angelo is also awesome. Whole place is great. Everything about it.“

“Cozy, delightful service and absolutely delicious food. High quality, fresh and amazing flavor.“

“When on a recommendation from a friend. Food and service were fantastic. Portions over the top. We will be back.“

“Delicious seafood and steaks! Excellent martini's!!“

“The pizza is the greatest! George & Joann are very nice people. Try them out you will love it too!!!“

“They did a very nice job with our catering order. We got the penne al vodka, chicken marsala, caesar salad, and chocolate chip cannolis. Everyone was very happy with all of the food! This was my first time ever ordering catering, and I’m so happy it was such a pleasant experience. Easily 5 out of 5 stars for this business!“

“The Mahi Mahi, and Pork Chops specials were so delicious that we literally wiped the plates clean! Fratelli’s has the best bread, great service, absolutely delicious food and a wonderful family atmosphere. What are you waiting for? The best food in town is at Fratelli’s! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟“

“Excellent Excellent!!!! My 1st time yesterday,, crust not thin just right,,, friendly people, atmosphere, had my 2 dirty martinis. Also good selection,,,, I will be back!!!!! & my husband ate it,, he like meat but he didn't complain,, servers are wonderdul,, I like Lunas,, I walked in there first, I enjoy Lunas to,,, but they both have 35 address,, enjoy!!“

“We had my husband's 90th birthday party on September 14th with 21 people in attendance. The food was great and as usual up to par, service was great and the day was beautiful. We got to see the shotgun tournament that began at 1:00 where all the carts went out to their respective holes. Impressive sight. My only only complaint was we were told another event for 40 people was to begin at 1:00 pm and we could not have the space used for that number of people. On the day of my event, there was no other party and we were not offered the space. Therefore, my family was spaced out and not able to socialize with one another. Small complaint I know but it did make a big difference.“

“Delicious garlic knots, food and wonderful service. reasonable prices. wonderful atmosphere.“

“Great food perfect place for a family reunion“

“Great place, friendly staff and food was great“

“We host a ton and usually cook, but we decided around the holidays it would be easier to cater. We used Jon’s and they did a phenomenal job. Everything was hot when we picked it up, and our guests raved about the food. Reasonably priced and great to work with! Definitely will be catering from them again.“

“First time trying this place.Went there craving beef tips in marsala sauce, but they didn't have tips (not their fault, they were just opening for the day and the meat shipment was running late), so we substituted with a regular steak with the same sauce.The interior is small but more beautiful than I expected with a nice atmosphere.My server was a lovely woman, the table bread was excellent, my steak was a bit thin, but cooked perfectly and the sauce more than made up for it (soooooo good), and for the price I was pleased.I'll definitely be going back in the future.“

“We've used Illianos for catering for our last few parties. The food is reasonable and our guests rave about the food. Everything is always delicious. Tonight I tested positive for Covid and had to cancel a party last minute. Illianos was so gracious and allowed me to cancel 2 hours before pick up without charging me a thing. They were so very nice when I called. They won a customer FOR LIFE! I will never hesitate to recommend them. I am grateful to them for taking care of me!“

“I. just herd from friend of mine that Nardellis reopened in middletown so we take a ride to see what they got I was very impress by how much verity they have in there deli case stuff where very friendly I got stake and cheese grinder and potato salad wow stake was amazing bread was very fresh potato salad was delicious it taste so fresh I will differently go back again“

“My favorite restaurant of all time“

“Server was great and accommodating. Food was great! Will definitely visit again!“

“Great pizza, awesome bar with plenty of local beers to choose from. Don't expect a quiet sit-down though, the tables are right next to the pickleball court.

Parking: Big lot

Kid-friendliness: Yeah it's a bar, but it's very chill, and most people are cool with kids being there.“

“the owners did a fantastic job renovating this old bar that once was popular amongst the biker community. i ordered the lasagna and had enough to bring to work the next day for lunch. the portions we got were honestly HUGE. great waitstaff, friendly busser’s, and the employees all looked like they got along quite well and displayed great teamwork. i’ll be back!“

“Had the Shrimp and NY Strip and it was excellent!“

“A reliable source for yummy fresh pizza or meals!! I love the pizza by the slice, garlic knots and desserts.“

“yes, highly recommend. pizza is really great, we ordered ahead to go for my mom's 81st. enjoyed by everyone!“

“Great pizza , and waitress is the best !❤️“

“Great service and a staple for great pizza. They know what they're doing in that place. My wife and I order from Gino's once a week for date night. The wings are the truth! Best in Ct!“

“First time trying today. wonderful crust and the sauce is very good. Also has great staff. Highly recommend!“

“love this place. excellent food. ordered gnocci with sauteed zucchini and onions in red sauce, and side of sausage. it is out of this world good.“

“Cannot thank the staff, especially Debbie, Cheryl, and Christine for their amazing efforts in coordinating a dinner at Gaetano's following a funeral for our treasured family member. We could not have been more pleased with the accommodations, the food, and especially the service. We received many positive compliments from our family and friends. We could not have picked a better spot to gather. We are so grateful for the comfortable, supportive and positive experience we had during such a difficult time we were all going through.“

“The owner was amazing. Talk to us the whole time we were there. Inside was immaculate. No crumbs no dirt. Everything was super clean even self serv coffee station. Food was bomb. Only one thing to improve was filling in my apple pie donut wasn’t enough for my liking. But the flavor was amazing. Will def be going back.“

“Our fave pizza spot!! My husband loves the buffalo chicken pizza and I love the mac & cheese pizza! Their egg drop soup is also the perfect warm comfort food for a rainy day. Always friendly staff, quick service, and reliable food with great portions.“

“Wonderful evening at La Foresta. Had a large dinner party for moms birthday party. Service and food were excellent. Highly recommend.“

“Celebrated my birthday great service“

“This place never disappoints awesome people great, Pizza for any occasion no I was not paid to say that lol try it guys I promise is good“

“I can’t decide what’s better.. the food or the customer service.“

“Such good food!! My son and I really enjoyed our pizza! He got pepperoni, and my tastebuds were immensely pleased to have the flavors of the Buffalo chicken AND Mac and cheese pizza dancing around. Absolutely delicious mixture.“

“The best service and food hands down. Andrea is truly the best 💜“

“best pizza in Wallingford hands down!!“

“Ravioli was very good. Homemade Tasty sauce but I do like a little more pepper in my sauce“

“We are so lucky to live near Dino's! The food is great, and Dino even makes carbonara for my husband even though it is not on the menu.“

“Hats off to Nardellis of Wallingford crew. Made 2 trays of sandwiches, pasta and macaroni salad for our get together yesterday, absolutely fantastic.!👍👌“

“Great experience! Yummy food! We had uber pick up a meal for 30+ people and delivered to a local baseball field after a game. Well/received by the players and family. Food was delicious! Napoli team was easy to work with and very accommodating. Highly tecommend.“

“I returned today 2 months after leaving a negative review. I took a chance by purchasing a small cheese pie. I was very happy with the pizza today. I will come back again to my favorite pizzeria.“