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!“

“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“

“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!“

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

“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!“

“Amazing nice place and food delicious 🤤“

“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.“

“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!!!!“

“Great food and so clean!!“

“Excellent all around. Great food and atmosphere.“

“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!“

“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.“

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

“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 😍🤗“

“Excellent Food! Excellent Service Excellent Atmosphere Excellent Drinks highly recommend,“

“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 🙏🏻😊“

“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!“

“Love Holiday restaurant!!“

“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“

“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.“

“Excellent food, very consistent“

“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!“

“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!“

“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.“

“I highly recommend Mario’s! Over the weekend we hosted a birthday party at a park near by the restaurant. We enjoyed delicious pizza & and antipasto from Mario’s. They were extremely friendly & helpful through the whole process from helping with ordering answering a million questions lol to the day of with delivery right to the party! All the hostess’s, the delivery man, & Niko were all exceptional. Not only that but the food was great and at a fair price for the amount we ordered!! Thank you so much for making this an easy great experience so I could focus on enjoying the party!“

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

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

“Nick was an excellent server. He was very attentive and provided excellent customer service to our party of 20. And he did so all by himself. I was very impressed with his attention to details and patience. We booked our party in advance and they had the table preset when we arrived. I would recommend this location to anyone looking to book a large party.“

“Absolutely loved our meal at Pietro’s Pizza. We ordered the classic cheese pizza, and it was perfectly baked with a crispy crust, great balance of sauce and cheese, and excellent flavor. The garden salad was fresh and crisp, with quality ingredients that made it more than just a side. The spicy Cajun wings were a standout—well cooked, flavorful, and with just the right amount of heat.

Great food, solid portions, and friendly service. We’ll definitely be back and would highly recommend Pietro’s to anyone looking for good pizza and wings in Hartford.“

“The pasta could be cooked a little bit longer and the drinks could use more ice but ultimately it was a good experience! This restaurant gets the award “most likely to leave you in a food coma” because, if you’ve ever been to an Olive Garden, you’d understand. They feed you until you’re about to pop, then at the end of your meal they give you free chocolate and who doesn’t love that?? 🤤“

“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.“

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

“best beef cutlet hands down“

“Everything I order has always been top notch quality. Mac and cheese bites are to die for. And I haven’t had a bad pizza yet. I travel 20 minutes just to come here. Best pizza around for sure.“

“I hope everyone try’s this place out just so they get to meet and talk to Maria. The most sweet welcoming lady ever. It was my first time ordering from there and she herself alone will make sure I go back again and again. Food is great too! It’ll make you come back but Maria makes you want to even more!“

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

“Thus far the best breakfast joint I have experienced in Hartford County. Great food, friendly service, huge portions, reasonable prices and zero pretentiousness. The Italian bread they serve you, as opposed to the lame little bread triangles most other places offer, hands down seals the deal. Just remember to bring cash.“

“I was visiting from out of state. This is one of the best pizzas I have ever eaten. The area is lucky to have Gino’s. I did try to talk the owner into moving to my state.“

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

“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!“

“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.“

“Been several times! While the burger left much to be desired, the pizza is spectacular! As well as the wings. We sit at the bar every time and the bartenders are always amazing“

“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??“