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!“

“Always great dinners, salads, and of course Apizza! Tony and the guys are the best!“

“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“

“This is by far the highest quality food in west haven. I bet even with 30 miles. The owners are fabulous and the food is amazing. Great outdoor entertainment during the season Not only do I love to have a great sit down meal the cater all our family’s gatherings. When a family member was down and out Linda the owner delivered the food personally and made sure we had the whole experience even though we couldn’t make it there she brought the restaurant to us. Amazing people and food. What’s worse than going out to dinner and still being hungry…WELL NOT HAPPENING HERE.

I joke”I don’t go to Biaggetti’s for the food, I go for the leftovers! You will leave more than Thanksgiving stuffed with plenty of leftovers!!“

“Very good spot to eat highly recommended“

“First time. Visiting friends who came up from North Carolina to visit their kids in New Haven. A good friend familiar with NH recommended Consiglios. Awesome restaurant on all metrics. We live in West Simsbury but will make the trip again for special occasions as it was that good.“

“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.“

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

“Fabulous food and amazing staff“

“Every bite was delicious!“

“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 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.“

“My fiancé and I absolutely love Casanova! As someone who is a bit of a picky eater at times, I can confidently say that the food here is delicious and well balanced.

The ambience is great - classy, elegant, and not overwhelmingly packed on most nights, meaning that you can enjoy conversation with your meal and take a break from New Haven’s bustling energy.

And, to top it off, all the staff here are lovely and attentive! 10/10 recommend stopping by!“

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

“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“

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

“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“

“Excellent food, good service.“

“I've been here four times, and it has been an Excellent experience every time I go. The Atmosphere, food, drinks, and service were GREAT. I usually have stomach sensitives when I eat out but never at Strega. They have Real gluten, not chemically processed, and low bakers yeast in their bread and pasta. Highly recommend!“

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

“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.“

“Excellent dinner and very friendly staff“

“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!!“

“Had a great meal, the crab cakes were delicious! Love the ambiance! Waitress was fantastic with great service. For such an elegant charming restaurant, was disappointed the hostess was dressed in leggings and crop top …. took away from our first impressions unfortunately.“

“Excellent menu, food, staff and ambience!“

“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.“

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

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

“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!“

“This place is the best restaurant outside of Naples Italy. My wife and I have been to Naples many times and Zenelli’d reminds us so much of the restaurants in Naples.“

“FABULOUS FAMILY ITALY ALWAYS“

“Each visit to Shoreline Cafe is a great one. Whether I'm picking up take-out or eating in the restaurant with family I know I'm in for a great meal. I've consistently had great service and food here to the point where I bring all my out of town friends in when they come visit.

As it relates to the menu, there is a ton of different options including a salad bar and even some of the best and biggest cookies around.“

“Awesome foods, staffs very friendly and accomodating.“

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

“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.“

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

“The food and atmosphere were outstanding. The service was alright. It was fascinating to me that certain tables got better service than others. For example, a party of 3 or 5 seemed to be treated more attentively than the parties of 1 or 2. I don't mean to come off as high maintenance or superior, but when I'm paying the prices they charge I expect high quality service. I will be back because the food was so good, but I hope the service improves.“

“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!“

“Great squid among other foods“

“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 !“

“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“

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

“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!!“

“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 .“

“Ordered La.Luna from Slice app Food came very fast and it was delicious. Would recommend this restaurant and order from there again.“