50 Best Italian Restaurants near Orange

“The best, delicious entrees. Wide variety of delicious appetizers and salads. Everything is cooked to order and can be personalized. Delicious cocktails with Melissa. Perfect dining experience with Arturo and Michael in the dining room. 10+. Our favorite Friday night spot, where we are family.“

“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“

“This was my second time here & this time, it was a large group of us… Our server, Anthony, took care of all 15 of us very well without huffing & puffing like some other places! Not only did he match our vibe but was very polite & friendly!“

“Awesome food!! Highly recommended“

“Very good spot to eat highly recommended“

“As always this is our favorite night out in New Haven. The food is always amazing and the service is the best. From the time we parked we were greeted with a smile and a friendly conversation. Love the patio on a beautiful summer night. Now better place to be .“

“Today was my first time eating there. The food was amazing and delicious. Jen our server was awesome gracious pleasant and very welcoming. Thank you for your Hospitality.“

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

“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“

“This is my second time going. Highly recommend. The food and the owner are both authentic Italian. You can't go wrong.“

“The food is absolutely delicious and the help is extraordinarily polite and helpful. Our new favorite Italian restaurant!“

“Every bite was delicious!“

“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“

“This place is great! my wife and I recently moved into the area and have been looking for a good deli, we were lucky enough to find Mattei's and this is now our go to place. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for great food, great service and a great customer experience.“

“This place is fantastic! We stopped in for dinner by chance with no reservations on a Saturday and were given a great table. The cocktails are amazing and they have a great wine selection, the food was delicious the service was great and the prices were not bad at all. This place is a definite yes.“

“Delicious meals - we had the shrimp & scallops penne in cream sauce“

“First things first; Please understand that this is Strega’s fine dining experience. It’s a different vibe than the Milford location. A bright and modern aesthetic, no pizza, a few speciality mixed drinks and the restaurant holds 6 tables with 24 people max. Please don’t let the stark difference deter! It’s very intentional. The experience for us was truly special. The staff were top notch, and the food absolutely delivered on taste, presentation, quality and intrigue.

We did the chefs tasting menu. We were pleasantly surprised with plates we would have never ordered otherwise. An experimental dive into Italian cuisine, the chef plays with interesting pairings and bountiful ingredients, but absolutely sticks the landing.
Fettuccina Di Seppia - Cuttlefish Linguini, Orzo Alle Erbe Di Campo - Barley Risotto, and Trofie Al Pesto with Shrimp Tartare were among some of the offerings we enjoyed.

A few specialty cocktails were available. We were delighted with a Grapefruit and Rose libation, but all sounded tasty. I went with a wine - a couple wines-by-the-glass are available. I asked for a dealers choice, and it delivered. Tons of wines available by the bottle.

We wrapped it up with 2 small deserts; tiramisu and cannoli with freshly made cocoa whipped cream.

All and all, Strega New Haven did not disappoint. We knew the experience would be different compared to its Milford location, and we embraced it tenfold. Thank you to the chefs and staff - we’ll be back!

EDIT: 6/18/25 - We went back. It didn’t disappoint. More photos added!“

“Delicious!! Excellent food. Service is wonderful.“

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

“Absolutely loved our meal and the service at the outside bar was excellent!! Totally will come here again on our way back from MA. Come check it out! Trevor G at the outside bar was terrific!“

“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.“

“Been looking for a good pizza since we moved here. definitely going to be our place for italian.“

“Great restaurant. We just celebrated my wife's birthday in their private area. We had 21 guests and the food and service was excellent. The staff was very attentive and everything was served timely, hot and delicious.“

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

“Excellent dinner and very friendly staff“

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

“The food was absolutely delicious! I would definitely recommend!“

“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.“

“Ho conosciuto Villa Pizzeria insieme degli amici. Tutto perfetto. ho aquistato cari amici.“

“food was amazing i would recommend this place anytime“

“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 plant based Italian combo was good ! I think y’all should start writing down the orders because I had to stand there and watch them making sure they put enough of everything . Other than that it was good . A lot of veggie and vegan options“

“I've been there many times in the first years of the restaurant opening. Not since after covid im gou gvto try it again in December when i visit Milford. The food is delicious. I like that it is a small family owned restaurant. Eerything on the menu is prepared fresh and always great!“

“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.“

“Slices is great and you can’t beat the prices. The owner is one of the nicest people I have ever met. Support this small business!!!!“

“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!!“

“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“

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

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

“Awesome foods, staffs very friendly and accomodating.“

“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!“

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

“Absolutely delicious food, very friendly and wonderful staff, very accommodating we did not have a reservation. Definitely will be back😊😊“

“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.“

“Very tasty food, real Italian cuisine, nice atmosphere, I will definitely come back here 😊 I recommend 👍🏼😊“

“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!!“

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

“Great squid among other foods“

“We just hosted a baby shower at Cafe Amici and can’t rave enough about them! The staff was exceptional, helpful and so kind. The food was also outstanding! Our event was buffet style and they made sure we never ran out of any options while keeping the food hot and delicious. Lindsay was especially lovely and cheerful, you’d think she was just as excited to be there as we were! We will absolutely be back!“