50 Best Italian Restaurants near East Haven

“I have been ordering from Minervini's since I moved to Branford and I never had any issues! Always a great service and delicious food!“

“The Pane Cotto was delicious, and the Chicken Barsi was out of this world. Highly recommend.“

“We had a picnic wedding celebration for our daughter and son-in law at our home. They had gotten married in Italy a few months before. The pizza choices were amazing and delicious, never a line. Salad, gelato and expresso were all a hit with our guests. I would recommend using them. Luigi is wonderful and easy to work with.“

“I honestly am ashamed to say that I’ve lived in East Haven for 22 years and have never had Tollis pizza. Some friends and I were getting together and we were talking about restaurants to go to, and I had mentioned that I had never tried Tollis. We decided to give it a go. And I have never been happier with a decision ever! We had the white clam pizza, we had the Amalfi pizza. And I couldn’t decide which was my favorite. My friends had the Bolognese sauce, which the waitress brought a little bowl so they could try it with some bread before they ordered their entrée! Nice touch! It was fantastic! Our waitress was super attentive, very friendly, we were near where they were making the pizzas and it was fun to watch. An all-around great experience highly highly recommend.!!!!!“

“My wife and I lived in New Haven for 4 years and ordered many a delicious pizza from Anthony and his great crew. We retired to Florida and I returned for a visit and ordered two pies. How lovely that they comped me, and the pies were amazing! Thank you ! Vange and Lori“

“The food is out of this world!!!!!!“

“Consiglio's is a New Haven staple. Went for our anniversary. We got a beet salad from the special menu, fried mozzarella, two drinks each, and two entrees (spicy Gorgonzola chicken, and Rosa chicken) all of which was phenomenal, plus two servings of bread, an an affogato for inside of $200. Servers were friendly, kind, and gave us time to enjoy our meal! Excited to come back again in the future.“

“Fabulous food and amazing staff“

“Awesome hospitality - great people - excellent food and fantastic family!“

“Every bite was delicious!“

“This is our favorite reataurant in Ct ..the pasta fagioli is the best anywhere just like eating in Italy..they have live music Fri and Saturday and we sit outside eat ? drink and ? ?..it is hard to get in make sure u reserve in advance

Parking: right by the restaurant or across the street plenty of parking“

“2024. Still stop here when i can. Still amazing. Still delicious!

WOW. I just moved to Branford and a local friend took me here. Everything Italian! Prepacked dinners of various sizes. Cookies, AMAZING gelato, arancini, donuts, squid, meatballs, cappuccino...and more! I'll be back for more.“

“It is such a cozy friendly vibe♥️♥️Tge staff are so friendly . the food is so good♥️♥️Our favorite spot in New England ♥️♥️♥️“

“I have been ordering takeouts at Il Forno for the past seven. I started with bacon and onions pizza which was great. I then changed to eggplant pizza and it has to be the best I have ever had. Now I have moved on to shrimp marinara with linguine and I can't tell you how great this dish is. The shrimp are so large and fresh and the sauce is excellent. The filet of sole must weigh at least 2 pounds and my husband gets it every week. The filet is enough for two meals and so is the shrimp. Thank you Il Forno for making our Friday takeout a special treat.“

“We had a fantastic meal at Caffe Bravo! We ordered the arancini and buratta for appetizers. The arancini reminded me of what you get from an authentic, local Napolitan eatery in Italy. The buratta was creamy and super fresh. For dinner we had freshly made gnocchi , the linguine and vongole, and the grigliata di mare. The gnocchi were like fluffy pillows that were made moments before getting to our table. The homemade linguine was perfectly cooked with plenty of clams. And the seafood was grilled to perfection with a tasty farro rice as a side. And then for dessert we had the homemade tiramisu and chocolate lava cake that put us over the edge. Can’t wait to go back and bring friends so they can experience for themselves. 💯 🇮🇹 #caffebravo #forzanapoli“

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

“Modern Apizza is our favorite pizza restaurant. Always a must when we are in New Haven. Nothing comes close in Florida“

“We stopped in for some stuffed breads and tried some italian pastry.They where all excellant and be back for sure.“

“This is REAL NEOPOLITAN PIZZA. I went there recently with my cousins, who are from Naples, and they said it was as if they were back in Italy. Forget the cardboard Americanized pizza. This pizzeria is authentic and the owner is genuine. Cannot recommend enough.“

“Excellent food, good service.“

“I have dined in and gotten take out… never have I had a bad experience either or. So glad to have a great establishment right down the street. Cocktails and craft beer selections are great too. Kudos to whoever does the cocktails. That watermelon one is on point.“

“We dined in last night (10/12/23) we had a party of 5. Our server was top notch, our meals were extremely delicious and outstanding in their presentations. The photos do not do any justice. I had Shrimp Fra Diavolo, Pinot Grigio White and my wife and I shared the Carrot Cake.“

“Always an amazing meal. Fresh. Hot. Delicious.“

“I give Villa Lulu a solid 4, bordering on 5, but I'm so fussy, it's probably a 5. I save 5's for something so amazing I just can't describe it. After a brief snafu with who our waiter was, the staff was super accomodating with everything. They kept their promise to get us to the show on time. So, service ended up a 5 but started as a 2 or 3. Food, we had a variety of salads and appetizers, two main courses for 4 of us. All were very good., to excellent Atmosphere, 4, and I only detract because we had to walk up a steep flight of stairs to the dining room, so if you are physically unable to make the stairs, your options will be limited. There is al fresco dining but it was too cold. I am sincerely looking forward to returning and trying more options at a more leisurely pace because it's the type of place where you can actually carry on a conversation without the clatter of dishes and the intrusion of others' conversations. It's very warm and cozy and would be good for a romantic dinner. Reminds me of "The Big Night" kind of vibe.“

“I came from Virginia to visit my sister and kept hearing about it and wanted to try it. The Fresh Tomatoes Pizza was excellent! The staff was very friendly. Loved it!!“

“Excellent dinner and very friendly staff“

“FABULOUS FAMILY ITALY ALWAYS“

“Great atmosphere, great wait staff and fantastic food. The portions are large too!“

“Awesome foods, staffs very friendly and accomodating.“

“fried mozzarella r banging, get garlic bread with it to start off, after that whatever u feel like having, it the oldest spot around with one of best food in west haven“

“Came here on a quiet weeknight and was amazed by the authentic Italian cuisine. Started off with a wonderful Burrata then I had the Rigatoni Bolgenese with was really good. We also bought a loaf of the Italian Bread to bring home. That bread with some Cabot butter and you are on to something!! Would visit again.“

“The best Restaurant in CT. A combination of good food, price, and attention, among other things, the kindness of its Staff. A great experience. I recommend it, you won't regret it!!“

“On Saturday, June 11th after my Mom’s Memorial service I brought 35 people to lunch. The waitstaff was well organized, very attentive, not to mention the food was OUTSTANDING!! Everyone ordered off the menu, drinks were served along with appetizers and dessert. We all ate at the same time which is hard to do with that many people. I would highly recommend Cafe Fiore in Branford, CT to anyone who is looking to have an event or just a nice lunch or dinner. They staff worked so well together that I gave them a 30% gratuity. WELL DONE CAFE FIORE!“

“The staff and owners are awesome. And the dessert was amazing.“

“Gabrieles was the venue for my son and daughter in laws rehearsal dinner and it was fabulous, the food was delicious and the staff friendly and accommodating highly recommend“

“I dream about their eggplant parm. & pasta fagioli. Simply the best. Lou & Lorenzo Coletta make the best food ever. Everything is fresh and handmade. Great people.“

“I absolutely love this salad bar. It's always fresh. The food is outstanding and I NEVER buy premade meals. However, this is my go-to. Anything I've ordered here is delicious and made with good ingredients. I highly recommend. Staff is always friendly and helpful!“

“Excellent menu, food, staff and ambience!“

“Amazing authentic Italian food; cozy & classy ambiance, private back room for parties & outdoor seating.“

“Yesterday, they were at ShopRite in Clinton. I’m so glad they were as it was truly the best Italian sausage I’ve ever had! Top notch ingredients and no corn syrup or preservatives like the others. The best!“

“incredible sandwich and service. super fresh ingredients and maybe the best bread I've ever had. highly recommend.“

“Ordered the blackened salmon. It was cooked perfectly. The onion rings were great. My salad was cold and crisp and the garlic bread was very tasty. The veggies that came with it were reminiscent of the frozen mix my mother used, and the dull part of the meal. My Server was attentive and on top of everything.“

“We have been dining at La Lupa for a few years and love it! The food is delicious, but what truly makes La Lupa special are the people. It is a friendly family atmosphere. From the owners, to the servers, bartenders, and bussers, everyone is so pleasant. We consistently leave with a smile on our face, which is pretty special.“

“I’ve gone here a few times but every single time was great! The food is always delicious and very interesting my bf has an extreme shellfish allergy but they’re very accommodating to it. The dining room echos conversations a bit but everything else about this place is amazing lol we’ll def be monthly regulars☺️“

“Every single time we go to Encore the experience is impeccable. The food the service and the ambiance. Chef Gerry and Andrea thank you for your hospitality and always making the experience amazing .“

“Great squid among other foods“

“Best restaurant ever. Every visit was great! Food Great! Service great! Atmosphere great ! This is our go-to restaurant. Highly recommend !“

“We had dinner tonight at Nikki and Frankie's on Route 80 on the recommendation of a friend.. the eggplant was fantastic and made the right way the good old-fashioned Italian way.. the meatballs were legit the sauce was delish and couldn't be any fresher... we were welcomed like we were walking into aunties dining room and the place was clean as a whistle.. A must go to !“

“It’s bright and so clean and there are white linen tablecloths. Food was steaming hot when brought to our table and delicious too. Not expensive and everyone was pleasant. Other diners looked very happy too! This is our new “go to” restaurant. They serve those delicious warm garlic knots and homemade bread and olives before meals. We had chicken contadina, and linguine with bolognese sauce.

Parking: We did see spaces marked for disabled.“