50 Best Italian Restaurants near South Windsor

“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!“

“Best Calzone everrrrrrrr!!!!“

“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!“

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

“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!“

“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“

“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!!!!“

“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!“

“Great food and so clean!!“

“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.“

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

“Amazing nice place and food delicious 🤤“

“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.“

“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.“

“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!“

“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!“

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

“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.“

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

“Great food and cocktails with excellent service 😍🤗“

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

“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 Holiday restaurant!!“

“At this point- I owe Pietro’s a review. We get Pietro’s catered for our office get together all of the time. Typically we get pizza and salad and it’s really decent. Delivery is always easy and great. This time we got Al vodka pasta and garlic knots and holy moly…. Delish! The office was raving about the pasta in the break room even hours after the event. Highly recommend! We will be remembering this for our winter event for the whole company!“

“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.“

“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.“

“Excellent food, very consistent“

“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!“

“best beef cutlet hands down“

“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“

“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!!!“

“Wonderful family and delicious house made Italian dishes.“

“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!“

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

“This is an old school greasy spoon diner literally hidden on Franklin Ave. This is cooking from your favorite uncle or granddad. Home style cooking for those who don't want to cook at home. Short order cook on the grill happens to be the owner. The menu is the stuff diner legends are based on. It has nothing gourmet. It isn't long. There's nothing promising to be a new twist on am ole favorite. It is the old favorite, just the way you fell in love with it: with pork, full fat, salty, and all the calories.
Cute place. Aged and tidy. Pleasant wait staff. Quick and good cook.
They only take cash. The entire antique experience is only heightened by that limitation.“

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

“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??“

“Unassuming Italian joint in a strip mall but DO NOT sleep on this place. Been a few times tried a few different pizzas and a few different pasta dishes and appetizers and they were all winners. The staff is friendly and attentive. The portions are generous, the atmosphere warm. Fantastic spot!“

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

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

“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.“

“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.“

“Phenomenal Italian food and amazing service. All three people in my group had different pasta dishes that were all awesome and the desserts were to die for - the peanut butter pie was perfection. Our server was so kind and attentive. Highly recommend!!“

“Eclectic menu. While not extensive, there is variety with daily specials. We started with the dumplings and chili with beans. Dumplings and sauce for dipping quite flavorful in the best way. The chili was not too hot, and a hot sauce offered we we wanted more heat. The pasta and red was plentiful and delicious.“

“This Olive Garden was convenient to our hotel and these weary travelers were looking forward to a nice Italian meal. It turned out to be even better than we'd hoped. Our server, Lillianne, was so friendly and professional. She went out of her way to make sure everything about our visit was perfect. The food was excellent, even better than usual, if that's possible. Kudos, Olive Garden and Lillianne.“

“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.“

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

“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!“