50 Best Italian Restaurants near East Windsor

“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.“

“Elizabeth's is our favorite restaurant. The food is always good, fresh and large portions. have tried many different entrees and they are always delicious. Especially love their veal parmigiana and the stuffed soule!“

“Excellent food, very consistent“

“Brian is a amazing waiter. I can’t say enough about him. Makes our meal even better. Thank you for your wonderful service!!??“

“Just had a great meal, great service, lovely little cafe, fresh cooked meals. Bread, salad and soup was fantastic. Generous servings and deserts. Will be back“

“I’ve been here countless times and the food is consistently very good. The servers are always friendly too. Tonight I sat at the bar after a class and ordered grinders for takeout. Absolutely THE best grinders we’ve had in forever. My veggie and cheese grinder was LOADED with veggies! My husband’s grinder had so much nest he could have created 2 more grinders. Thank you Soula and staff. You are all top notch!“

“I didn’t think it was possible, but the chicken Milanese grinder is better than ever!! and of course, the tricolor salad, always amazing. The delicious Cosmo, Peroni on draft and our wonderful server Gina made it a great night. Thank you!“

“Food is spectacular The best Italian since I moved to Connecticut Our server was excellent“

“Excellent all around. Great food and atmosphere.“

“5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟! I brought my staff here for a work dinner. Absolutely amazing food very authentic and can accommodate large parties! We will definitely be back soon!“

“I truly enjoyed our dinner, conversation, and the atmosphere. On an evening out to celebrate my husband's birthday with friends and we had the most wonderful meal. The atmosphere was warm and cozy, elegant but extremely comfortable and inviting. The staff friendly and helpful as can be. And omg the food, mmmmmmmmazing. Everything looked amazing, I will tell you I specifically had risotto balls, torched wedge salad, ricotta gnocchi with braisedbeef short rib ragu, and chocolate mousse. I can't look at regular salad the same way ever again and everything else was just amazing on it's own, and as a whole evening experience. Please do yourself a favor and set aside some time to have a meal here.“

“Five stars! From atmosphere to service to food, all exceptional! Deborah is wonderful as is her entire staff. We had the swordfish special and the scallops, so delicious! Stacey is an excellent server, she made helpful recommendations for cocktails and entrees. I highly recommend the restaurant, you will not be disappointed. Looking forward to returning!“

“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.“

“Had a half Eggplant, nice pie! Good crust, great sauce and just the right amount of cheese. Eggplant was tasty too!“

“Love Holiday restaurant!!“

“Love there food and drinks, I can’t get enough.“

“We had dinner at your restaurant for the first time and it was AMAZING! The server, Bridget, was awesome! Our meals were soooooo good ! We will definitely be back!“

“Today was my first time back to Gio’s restaurant since I moved to Connecticut about 11 years ago. My friend and I used to bike here from our childhood homes and get their delicious gourmet grinders. The quality since then has NOT changed. My Red Dragon grinder was fresh and delicious. Just how I remembered it a decade ago. I am happy to confirm that in ten years the quality has not gone down and Gio was upfront with his kind interactions with all customers. The business has only grown and Gio deserves all the success! If you’re looking for delicious grinders and pizza go no further than this amazing establishment!!!“

“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!“

“This has always been a wonderful restaurant. Tonight it was especially good our waiter Alex and the Manager Wilmamarie were incredibly caring when assisting me with ordering and cooking food that I can eat given my food and allergy restrictions! My meal was prepared exactly as needed and was delicious! If there is employee of the month then they both should get it.“

“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 visited Mario’s for the first time on Friday Feb 27th after seeing a Facebook ad for their fish and chips dinner. We were beyond surprised and very pleased with the entire experience. The fish and chips was the best we have had, the waitress was very attentive and friendly. Although the place is small it was super busy with lots of take out orders but that didn’t affect the dining room orders coming out in a timely fashion. We most definitely will be visiting again real soon to see what other delicious choices they have on their menu. Great job Mario see you again soon.“

“the most delicious Italian food in the area. always consistent and has the best chicken parm ever. all the soups are excellent. you will not get a bad meal here.“

“great place delicious food great staff also they have gluten free pizza along with gluten free pasta love it here“

“I’ve always enjoyed Olive Garden and their All You Can Eat soup and salad. My favorite used to be the chicken gnocchi soup. I took a star off my most recent experience because they have begun watering down the liquid base and they’re skimping on the chicken pieces. It was still tasty but seemed as though the restaurant was cutting a few corners to meet the budget.“

“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.“

“Everything on the menu is good. Nothing is half assed. Really good food all around/ amazing pizza/ grinders. I’m very picky about my parm grinders and everything here is spot on.“

“The only pizza we'll eat. family members in MA sometimes as me to grab them a pie on my way when I visit!“

“Season pass holders at six flags. Come from Albany NY. We never make the trip without stopping at Nicky’s!! Delicious food, great prices, and excellent service!! Can’t wait to see you again, this summer!!“

“Took a trip to DiFiore Ravioli shop in Ellington, CT. They make 15 varieties of homemade Ravioli, sauces, oils, amazing desserts, and more. We picked up the TENDERLOIN & BACON ravioli, and the SHRIMP & ROASTED GARLIC ravioli. They were out of the lobster ravioli, but we picked up the homemade Tiramasu. While there we saw they made gourmet sandwiches, which we ordered and ate outside. They were amazing, so big, we could only eat half (pics taken after we started) Great place, staff were fantastic!! Very nice people. We will definitely return!!!“

“Can't wait to try the calzone here from Calzone Kev. He said well worth it. See you soon“

“You might not be able to sit down and eat here like most places, but the food is pretty darn good. First time customers and I am beyond impressed. Staff was kind and friendly. I ordered a meatball sub and it was great! It actually had meatballs and not the smooshed up patte cat food stuff. It had a garlic twang to it and it was still fricken awesome. I'm a VERY picky eater and I'm also not one for garlic. I'm not sure how the food is made, if it was the sauce or the meatballs but i will tell you it was delicious nonetheless. HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT! And for better or worse, they don't salt the French fries either. Even the few flavors of ice cream they had was good (I got the vanilla bean).💕😋 Definitely going back there again.“

“Stopped here on my way from Mass to Bradley (because to hell with expensive airport food, and I like to support local) to grab lunch, and I was not disappointed. Ordered a mini pizza, which at 10" was more than enough for 1. Fresh chicken, bacon and tomatoes, delicious tomato base, overall a very good pizza. I sat at one of the 3 barstools to eat a bit before I headed out, great spot to watch cars/people. Nice little place. Friendly staff.“

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

“A Tale of Two Visits

Thank you to the owner of Square Peg in Vernon. I felt if I took the time to criticize my first experience, it was only fair ,and also important, to show gratitude when things are done right.

To OWNERSHIP,

Thank you for responding to us so quickly when our first experience didn’t go as planned. Your willingness to make things right, brought us back for another try, and the food this time DID NOT DISAPPOINT!

We love a good Chicken Parm sandwich, and this was how you do it right. Excellent chicken, perfectly fried with ample amounts of cheese and terrific red sauce. We enjoyed every bite. We also had the fried mozzarella and these aren’t your run of the mill sticks. Nice large rectangles of fried mozzarella just begging to be dipped in red sauce and devoured.

Although the food was good, I appreciate even more the care to make things right. We believe in staying local for our dining choices and it’s nice to know this option stays on the table.

Thank you again!“

“My favorite spot to hang out. Been around a long time, very consistent.“

“I'm very disappointed. Yesterday, we chose Bond 124 to gather with family after a family members funeral. It was not our first choice, but the other restaurant was closed for vacation. We had remembered attending a grad party at Bond in May that was fabulous, so we thought we would give it a try for lunch. It was about 12:30 p.m. on a Friday. There was one other table occupied and maybe one or two people at the bar. Our waitress was great at first, came right over, brought waters and provided menus. We ordered drinks, which she quickly got confused with, but we thought nothing of it. We placed our order and began our wait. About 20 minutes later, Sam came to the table and asked if we wanted our food orders brought all at once or as they were made because the cheese buger and chicken sandwich ordered was already cooked. We said sure, bring them out as they are made, assuming they would just be a few minutes apart. Nope! First of all, she brought out the cheesebuger and not the chicken sandwich. At least 15 minutes later, the deep dish pizzas ordered came out. At this time, she informed me my soup (which I ordered as my meal) was not available. I asked Sam what soups she did have, and she responded, "I don't know" (Not let me check). When I pushed to know, she huffed off and went to look. Now we had to ask for the chicken sandwich that still hadn't been brought out, at which time she said it was coming soon. We are now at least 30 minutes since the first meal hit the table, and I still didn't have my bowl of soup. Finally, the chicken sandwich came out, and still no soup. When my soup finally came out, everyone else at our table had already finished eating. Due to the sad event that brought us together in the first place, I didn't bother complaining, but to say we will not be back or recommend this restaurant is an understatement. With so few guests, how does this happen. Where was the manager??“

“We had been looking for a place for lunch or dinner that was local and not a chain. Been driving by it for years and finally checked it out. The decor is a little dated so if classier atmosphere is what you're looking for go elsewhere. If you want well prepared italien food, larger portions, reasonable prices, friendly, efficient waitstaff and in a warm, family familiar setting....you have arrived!“

“just ordered 2 large Italian grinders and they were great. fresh bread lots of meat and didn't have to pay extra for lettuce, tomatoes and peppers !“

“They consistently give us great food! One of the local go-tos!“

“We went there for my wife’s birthday lunch…What a great authentic Italian restaurant. Their tomato sauce felt like I was in a small village in Italy and eating fresh out of someone’s farm. Talking about service are waitress Liz who happens to be the owners daughter was so sweet and totally made my wife’s day…..“

“Best Calzone everrrrrrrr!!!!“

“My husband and I have dinner at Lulu's at least twice a week. They have the best drinks, food and staff. The French onion soup is the best in the area (in my opinion.) The wait staff is so friendly and always makes us feel like we're having dinner at a friend's house. We almost always run into old friends there and never feel rushed. They accommodate our "tweaked" meal requests with a smile. Love Lulu's to pieces! 🥰“

“Been there 3 times and every time the pizza was delicious 😋.“

“It's pricey but well worth it. You get tons of food for your order and everything is that home cooked goodness that you've always wanted with the convenience of not having to cook it.

Staff are excellent and takeout is incredibly easy. Only downside is their so popular that trying to get a call in can take a while because the line is almost always busy at peak hours.“

“I got the bourbon steak tips and they were really good! The steak and mashed potatoes were awesome - there were some lumps in the mash so I knew it was real potato and not instant mashed which was nice considering the affordable price point for steak tips. The broccoli was cooked great, it was completely unseasoned, not even any salt or oil, but personally I liked this because the steak and potatoes were so rich and flavorful, it was nice to have a bland component so as to not totally be over-salted. I was impressed! It was so yummy despite the fact that I walked home with it during a colder evening. Thanks chef!“

“On Saturday, August 16, 2025, my husband and I had the pleasure of eating a late lunch/early dinner at this wonderful restaurant. The service was pleasant and prompt, the decor was beautiful, and the food was delicious! Before our entrees, we split the potato skins appetizer. I really liked the crispy skin. (I don't usually eat all of the skin of potato skins, preferring the filling instead, but I ate all of mine from Zanto's!) The Shrimp Scampi Provençal was one of the best versions of shrimp scampi that I've ever had. My husband raved about his dish of Scallops Massimo. I don't know if we'll ever be in that area of CT again, but if we are, we'll go out of our way to eat at Zanto's. 5/5“

“Best pizza in town ! Tried out the new pesto pizza was amazing! Only place that has the best curly fries in Somers“

“While I can't speak to the in restaurant experience, I ordered takeout from here for the first time and I will certainly be ordering again. The chicken and sausage carbonara is so tasty, and the portion size could feed three people. The wings were fried well, and I'm looking forward to trying other flavors. Overall, it's giving the perfect neighborhood takeout spot that will likely be my go to moving forward.“