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.“

“I celebrated my graduation dinner and everything was great. The service was outstanding, food was delicious and the manager was very attentive to make sure my guests and I very having a good time. I definitely will be back. I highly recommend!!!! Thank you!“

“Sfogliatelle! They offer it frozen! Get it, pop it in your air fryer until golden brown and enjoy feeling like you are in heaven. It’s filled fully with great quality cheese and orange peel. It’s frozen so you can keep it on hand and feel free to lie to your friends that you made it. Best enjoyed alone with a cup of coffee on a quiet morning.“

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

“Hands down best lunch I've ever had !! I celebrated my 60th birthday with my bff today ! I can't wait to go back... service: impeccable food: Outstanding cocktails: super fun and delicious ! This restaurant is not just a 10... is above and beyond !! Thank you Sabrina for a wonderful afternoon in your beautifully decorated restaurant. You and your husband have a winner in my book ❤️“

“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!“

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

“food was amazing and big portions. waitress was nice and did not interupt every five mins...i have been going to the one i middletown over 20 yrs. do yourself a favor and try this place out. going back for lunch today“

“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!“

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

“great food great people great atmosphere.. thank you Jo and George“

“This was our 2nd time going to Favio’s Trattoria for dinner. The food, atmosphere and service is great. The new owner David is very attentive and is an amazing chef.. Food was prepared to perfection.“

“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! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟“

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

“Passing through stopped in..thinking golf course off season?? So happy we stopped. The food was excellent and pricing good for entrees. Relaxing upscale atmosphere..perfect! Three of us=Veal Marsala, lasagna and stuffed shrimp soup lobster bisque. Delicious.
Soup or salad included too.“

“Always delicious and the staff is so nice! A ++“

“Great food perfect place for a family reunion“

“My favorite restaurant of all time“

“Great place, friendly staff and food was great“

“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“

“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 ordered catering for my daughter’s graduation from the S Main St location. The food was exceptional. We ordered chicken parm, chicken marsala & eggplant parm. Everything was amazing and the eggplant was by far the best I’ve ever had! Thank you!!!“

“A wonderful find with a real Italian waitress. Appetizers of cold antipasto and friend mozzarella were excellent. Our group had: eggplant paremigiana, veal Francaise (which my companion said was the best she's had), and I had Calamari over linguini with a wonderful red sauce. Gelato for dessert, which was totally old-world. Excellent and friendly service. Good wine list. This is a winner.“

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

“Impressive venue for any special occasion from elegant bar, accommodating outdoor seating to private function rooms.“

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

“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!“

“My experience was awesome one. The food was awesome. The new management is great. The staff is awesome“

“Amazing food and friendly staff!“

“I have made a few purchases and the doughnuts are so amazing! We had a very large purchase for our School today, we were greeted with kindness, respect and a great deal of professionalism. I highly recommend you give them a try. The gentlemen working are very kind and put their customers needs first.“

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

“The chicken Cobb salad is the best at Illiano’s. It is my favorite and I make certain I order it several times a month. It is a huge salad, all ingredients are fresh and loaded with everything. No other restaurant can compare. Thank you for offering a great salad.“

“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.“

“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.“

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

“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!“

“We held our wedding rehearsal brunch at Esca Wine Bar, and it was wonderful. The staff were so accommodating when we realized we hadn’t counted ourselves (the bride and groom) in the guest count and needed 2 more seats, quickly making the adjustments to the tables and to the food. They were able to accommodate a variety of dietary restrictions, as well as providing both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages to everyone. Our host even took a group photo for us at the end of the event. We absolutely recommend having an event here at Esca!“

“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“

“Swung by here while in the area for lunch with coworkers.

The diner is tastefully appointed, reminds me of a NJ diner.

The menu is big, with so many options. I had the sausage and peppers grinder. My coworkers had a steak and cheese and a chicken parm grinders. Everything was great.

Service was prompt and friendly, with no waiting at all from start to finish. A great experience overall. I’ll be back.“

“We ordered catering for my daughter’s graduation from the S Main St location. The food was exceptional. We ordered chicken parm, chicken marsala & eggplant parm. Everything was amazing and the eggplant was by far the best I’ve ever had! Thank you!!!“

“First time getting pizza here. We always drive to New Haven to Modern which is not always possible. We were pleasantly surprised how good this was. We will definitely be back. Pizza was very good. Not New Haven style but VERY good. We are excited to find a good pizza place close by!“

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

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

“I am like a nardelli's super fan! I'm originally from Connecticut but live in the west coast now and every time I come to Connecticut our nardelli's is my first stop! My favorite sandwiches is their eggplant parmesan. It's amazing. Now they have a lot of awesome vegan options which are also extremely tasty. Definitely a must try“

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

“My husband and I ordered a pizza to go from Carini’s for the first time under their new management. We ordered the Smog pizza. It had sausage, mushrooms, peppers and onions as toppings. The pizza was absolutely delicious! It had just the right amount of mozzarella. The sausage was so tasty and the mushrooms, onions, and peppers were fresh and cooked perfectly. Having grown up in New Haven, I loved that the crust was on the thinner side. I highly recommend Carini’s! We look forward to ordering more pizza or stopping in for dinner some night!“

“Vero's never dissapoints! Best broccoli rabe pizza, amazing local farmed sausage, delicious dinners & oh my god the bread! Fabulous!“

“We always have a great meal & the staff is exceptional. It’s our first choice when eating out.“

“Amazing food, everything I've tried from here has been delicious. I absolutely recommend the clam chowder!“