50 Best Italian Restaurants near East Hartford

“Hosted our Holiday Party here, amazing atmosphere, food & music!! Holly & Carmine are the best! Check them out ♥️“

“I hope everyone try’s this place out just so they get to meet and talk to Maria. The most sweet welcoming lady ever. It was my first time ordering from there and she herself alone will make sure I go back again and again. Food is great too! It’ll make you come back but Maria makes you want to even more!“

“I was visiting from out of state. This is one of the best pizzas I have ever eaten. The area is lucky to have Gino’s. I did try to talk the owner into moving to my state.“

“food is always excellent“

“Burnside Roma had fantastic service from Liz, very friendly! Food prices are reasonable and great special combos. Inside has a great old school feel. Chicken Parm grinder was pretty good with a good amount of chicken, provolone, pepper and sauce were a great mix.“

“Anything vegan is definitely delicious 😋“

“Always delicious food with great service!“

“Awesome service, food, atmosphere, and hospitality. Classy and comfortable place to eat top notch Italian. The cheesy garlic bread is incredible. Can’t wait to visit again! Owner is so kind!“

“Fantastic Italian restaurant with a warm, welcoming atmosphere and excellent service. The pasta is fresh and full of flavor. Everything tastes authentic and carefully prepared. A great spot for both a casual dinner and a special night out. Highly recommended.“

“I attended a baby shower there and it was delicious and the the staff and the manager couldn't have been nicer . The garlic cheese bread was delicious and the sweet potato ravioli was second to none. The whole meal was 5 star worthy. Can't wait to go back !“

“food was delicious waitress seemed a bit out of it.“

“Stuffed mushrooms are to die for piazza also chicken wings a bit overcooked sauce was great tho also our driver was so concerned that something had happened to our order (he had gone over some speed bumps) that he would not leave until we checked the order we love this place and would definitely order again“

“Amazing food and friendly and attentive service! Anything we have tried here has been amazing. Always support local!“

“What a great restaurant with top notch service and amazing Italian food! perfect for a date night , we both enjoyed everything about Bricco! Can't wait to come back! Exceptional! 👌🏻“

“It Is My opinion that this is the best Italian Food in Connecticut. if you love Italian food you will love this restaurant.“

“Great service and awesome food!“

“Ordered a meatball sub with hot peppers and mozzarella. The meatball were delicious! The best! I can not day one bad thing about this place. This was our first time here and we will be back! And the staff were great and treated us like family. They hit it out of the ballpark ! Mangia!“

“Amazing nice place and food delicious 🤤“

“Initially visited about 10 years ago. Hadn’t been back for. O particular reason. Recently decided to go back and we’ve been going there every couple of weeks since. Prices are very good and the food is excellent. Jason does a great job. Highly recommend.“

“Best pizza, customer service is amazing. The owner is amazing very personable. I’ve been going here for over 13 years and still The only pizza place to brings home to my heart coming from NY!!!! Plus all the other options Are freaking amazing!!!!“

“Great food and so clean!!“

“Last night was my first time at Portobello Restaurant and as a local HS Culinary teacher, this spot is INCREDIBLE. Although small, the atmosphere is cozy with top tier hospitality. And the food? SO flavorful and FRESH! My Chicken Alla Casa was everything I wanted and more! Looking forward to going back soon!“

“Carmela’s ravioli, pasta and sauce are amazing. It’s just the homemade flavor you’re craving. We get her pastas every year for Christmas dinner and buy it all year long as well. Once you eat from her shop you will surely be back for more!“

“Excellent all around. Great food and atmosphere.“

“I love this restaurant. The food is always good and the female wait staff is great. The males, are on the rude side....one time throwing steak knives across the table when we requested them to cut our steaks. Every time we dine here, I am so annoyed with the lighting. Fluorescent lighting in a fine dining establishment is the worst. Please...please ...please put in recessed lighting that can be dimmed to make for a romantic dining experience.“

“Great food and cocktails with excellent service 😍🤗“

“We went for an early dinner Saturday afternoon our anniversary. Our server was Lance and he was fantastic. We really enjoyed our meals including the rum cake for dessert we go again in a heartbeat.“

“10/10 Recommend! Best calamari I’ve ever had - we had the yummiest dinner and the sweetest server. Every dish was delicious - zero complaints!“

“First time experience the other day; was seated promptly and tended to immediately, despite the restaurant being crowded. Food and drinks were served quickly, and everything in my order was hot and delicious. Highly recommended.“

“I was there last night with my family I came from Florida a few days ago and went to ct to see my brother that goes there all the time with his wife and I may say it was amazing service and all 🙏🏻😊“

“Love this place, perfect lunch spot while working on the road. The steak sandwich.It is quite different from most places. This is not shaved steak, but cut very thinly. They roast your own peppers, which are excellent. There veal cutlet is also very good. They offer hot plates throughout the week that changes every day. It's a very authentic italian deli“

“Nice staff and easy location“

“Hosted my daughter's baby shower here, and I only have praise and respect for the whole staff. They were easy to work with, and the service and food were exceptional. All the guests complimented the amazing food, and the staff was very responsive and attentive. I highly recommend Elizabeth's.“

“We have had food from the new location in Preston Connecticut three times now. They had only been two days, a few weeks, and now a few months when we are here. First impression was the cheese pizza had no taste but the deep dish pep was good. Second impression was similar. Now a few months into establishing, the cheese is delicious. Great sauce and cheese flavor and ratios. Crust is just right. We did have a few pieces of the Detroit/deep dish pep but not all of our deep dish tasted “Smokey.” The best way to explain it is like the smokiness of mezcal tequila. Most of the pep was charred so we suspect it was over cooked or was adjacent to something else in the oven that burnt. Overall, positive experience and in time, we think this restaurant will continue to strive and adjust recipes and cooking techniques to meet or exceed expectations.“

“We had my sons graduation dinner at Lena’s and it was fantastic! The food was delicious (as it always is) and the staff was great (as they always are)! Everyone had a great time! Thank you Lena and staff!“

“We had such a wonderful experience at Joey’s Garlic! The food was absolutely delicious. We ordered the penne a la vodka, shrimp scampi, and fried calamari, and every dish was full of flavor. The portions were huge—definitely family-style! Honestly, one plate would have been enough for both of us, and we still had plenty of leftovers to enjoy at home. The restaurant itself has a beautiful setting with an industrial hipster vibe, warm lighting, and a fun flare that makes the atmosphere really inviting. Service was excellent—our server was both fast and friendly, which made the evening even better. For the quality and size of the portions, the pricing was amazing and very affordable. We truly felt like we got more than our money’s worth. We’re already looking forward to coming back and trying more of the menu next time!“

“We had a great dinner at the OC Kitchen Bar tonight. Asked our server if they could make a dish that was not on the menu and they nailed it for us! Exactly what we wanted. Very friendly staff and great food! Glad to have them in RH.“

“Yummy delicious and totally worth a visit to the truck 🛻“

“Love this place. They never mess my order up and always great service. I've been coming here for years. They let you breath and relax there. Nothing crazy. Their pizza and Grinders are exelent and the only pizza my family will even wanna order or go to. Here is a photo of my Tuna grinder with extra lettuce that was requested. Again, When in Vernon Ct. Type pauls pizza into your GPS.“

“The bolognese was the best! The service was wonderful also. Had a lovely time.“

“Food is amazing, everything on the menu is delicious“

“Wow !!! A group of 4 of us were traveling through the area and needed a good place for Dinner …We called and made a reservation , the owner Al was very personable on the phone .We arrived for dinner and he had our name on table , and he introduced himself …We had a couple of beers while he explained the menu to us ….we Decided on a couple of appetizers and also a small pizza to sample before ordering our dinner . The appetizers arrived and were very good, but the star of the show was definitely the pizza , so much flavor … the crust was to die for light and airy and so much crunch in the crust !!!! Next was the Dinner - Chicken Francaise , Chicken Parm , Chicken Marsala , Fettuccini Carbonaro .All meals arrived hot and were Delicious …We also got to meets Al’s Daughter who was very personable just like her Father ….We wished we had this Restaurant in our community . Give this Restaurant a shot , you won’t regret it . Thank you“

“Nick was an excellent server. He was very attentive and provided excellent customer service to our party of 20. And he did so all by himself. I was very impressed with his attention to details and patience. We booked our party in advance and they had the table preset when we arrived. I would recommend this location to anyone looking to book a large party.“

“Absolutely loved our meal at Pietro’s Pizza. We ordered the classic cheese pizza, and it was perfectly baked with a crispy crust, great balance of sauce and cheese, and excellent flavor. The garden salad was fresh and crisp, with quality ingredients that made it more than just a side. The spicy Cajun wings were a standout—well cooked, flavorful, and with just the right amount of heat.

Great food, solid portions, and friendly service. We’ll definitely be back and would highly recommend Pietro’s to anyone looking for good pizza and wings in Hartford.“

“Great food and incredible portions! Our server Christina was outstanding! Highly recommend!!“

“The pizza is fantastic! I rank it right up with the big 3 in New Haven. So good that I would have to sit down and compare it directly to let's say Pepe's to determine which is better. It's inside a fantastic, and quite large sportsy bar with plenty of room for families.
Service was sub par, the young lady at the front was watching something on her phone and did not even acknowledge our presence. Thankfully the young man who was cooking came over and took our order.
If this was my place, she would be fired. But it's not, so I won't hurt their rating due to her poor judgement.
Again pizza is better than anything within several towns.
It's a Friday evening dinner time and this place is steady but not crowded.“

“Wonderful family and delicious house made Italian dishes.“

“best beef cutlet hands down“

“It took a little bit to get the food, but it was worth the wait!“

“We celebrated Thanksgiving 2025 at Casa Mia. The ambience was lovely. The food offered was a family style four course meal. I ate so many yummy warm rolls, I barely had room for dinner for dinner. The staff had a lot of customers to serve for the seating and the provided outstanding service. The restaurant manager was personally greeting customers and ensuring they were happy with their meals. Keep up the good work!“