27 Best Italian Restaurants near Waterford

“We would like to extend our gratitude and appreciation to Mike and Sara for hosting our Work party. The food was delicious and the service was excellent. Thank you again for working with us as we had a few dietary restrictions in the group. Everyone had a great time. We look forward to coming back.“

“We had a wonderful experience at Olive Garden in Waterford, CT. We had nine people in our party including several children. Dezi and Dayana were our servers and they did an excellent job. They were very friendly and helpful. The food was very tasty and well prepared. We called ahead of time with the size of our party and Olive Garden had our table all prepared when we showed up. Thank Olive Garden for the tasty food and wonderful service.“

“Pizza is great they are very friendly“

“I love PP and Chicken Diablo is my FAV!“

“If you’re going to have a drink, have it before you go. We went there last night and had two glasses of house wine each and they were literally as much as our entrees. We eat out all the time and have never seen anything like that anywhere.“

“Ninos provides amazing food and customer service. We are regulars when it comes to their pizza, grinders and pasta. Last night they catered for our gender reveal party and we had assorted pizzas, a 3 foot long steak and cheese grinder, garlic knots and focaccia bread. Everything was great and our guests really enjoyed the food!“

“01.03.25 Can you find Healing at The Recovery Room in the ❤️City of New London, CT❤️ This place earned two 💣💣!! My Hunger was healed and tamed at The Recovery Room Restaurant located at: 445 Ocean Ave. New London, CT ❤️ 'Big Al's Reel Reviews' Keeping it Real to Reel! ☝🏾❤️ -Big Al Mayo“

“Ate here a few days ago! Everything was excellent! The Pomodoro Caprese Salad was good and the Veal Parmesan was excellent! Would definitely order it again! Raspberry Sorbet was amazing!!!! Staff is very friendly and wonderful! Definitely will eat here again! Great first time experience! ❤️❤️❤️“

“Ordered a couple pizzas and enjoyed a beer at the bar while waiting. Staff was great, and the pizza is the best. Will go back often!“

“Not much to look at from the outside, but very deceiving. Our dinner was excellent. My husbands muscles were served perfectly. And, I had the best and most unusual salad. And our server, Adam, was by far the best ever. Olio is lucky to have him.“

“They’re plenty of good things to say about Fireside. The service, the food, even the music! Fireside easily became one of my favorite places to dine at. It’s such a beautiful establishment with amazing owners. Even the servers are amazing. The days i’ve been I was served by 2 amazing ladies. Patricia and Chloe. Extraordinary servers and their patience was amazing. Truly a great experience all around. The food is exactly what you’d want. In my opinion the crisp is the New Haven staple. Great restaurant.“

“the best italian grinder in SE CT“

“Highly recommend!! Best Italian food around! Waitstaff is amazing as well, which makes for an even better dining experience! You won’t be disappointed!!“

“great food, great staff! Only pizza we ever get!“

“Love Ballo but really disappointed with how much the menu keeps changing. They charge now for house bread and took off the garlic bread. Got rid of shrimp scampi. Now got rid of chicken francaise which was Amazing there and our go to. Also used to have an amazing cheese and meat platter appetizer and that was removed. Wish some of those would be put back on. With so much change there really isn’t anything appealing to me now. This was our spot for anniversaries, birthdays, and lots of date nights.“

“Our family loves going to celebrate after games, report cards, etc and our son usually picks The Plum Tomato, East Lyme. Great pizza by the slice - old school pizza shop with limited dine-in seating.

Kid-friendliness: Great place for kids! Small birthday party location too“

“07.26.25 *WRITTEN REVIEW Big Al’s Reel Reviews – EP.143 Sapore Pizzeria Town of Old Lyme, CT This morning, I dropped a post asking if any restaurants wanted to invite Big Al’s Reel Reviews to their spot—and guess who hit me up? Sapore Pizzeria in Old Lyme. So I pulled up—and let me tell you right now… this one felt special the minute I walked through that door. The welcome? Warm. The vibe? Bustling. The atmosphere? Absolutely amazing—families dining, good conversation, and a team that made me feel like I’d been coming there for years. My server, Sarah, was top notch—attentive, kind, and on point from the jump. The owners were there as well, and you could feel the pride in the place. Turns out, the owner is originally from Naples, Italy and used to work for Illiano’s before opening this place six years ago. That Naples-to-Old-Lyme pizza lineage is real. And then something beautiful happened… A true B.A.R.R.fan—Troy Gaston—saw I was at Sapore and drove over just to show love. So I invited him to sit down and have dinner with me. That’s what this is all about: community, connection, and real support from real people. Troy’s a solid dude and a subscriber, and I appreciated him being part of this experience. Here’s what I ordered: 1. Meatballs in Vodka Sauce – $11 Served with toasted ciabatta. These were tender and flavorful, and the vodka sauce was creamy and smooth. A perfect starter. 💣 2. New York-Style Cheese Pizza (17”) – $20.50 This right here was the star of the show. Thin, crispy, cheesy, and cooked just right. I gave this a DOUBLE 💣💣 — one of the best I’ve had on the shoreline. 3. Chicken Parmigiana Bolognese – $24 Served over penne pasta with rich, meaty bolognese. This was another 💣. Classic flavor, hearty sauce, and that perfect comfort-food bite. And then… out came a complimentary tiramisu—a gift from the kitchen. That kind of gesture speaks volumes. The tiramisu was absolutely delicious, a smooth and sweet way to end an already dope meal. The food was fire. The service was flawless. The atmosphere was family-friendly and full of good energy. And the fact that they reached out and invited me in? That means something. Especially after what happened yesterday. Sapore didn’t just pass the test— They’re officially a Big Al’s 💎 Gem Spot. It’s worth checking out—and if you go, make sure you tell ‘em, Big Al sent you! ☝🏾❤️ - Big Al Mayo “See you on the Rebound, Peace✌🏾out”“

“We had a two delicious meals. The duck was crisp and not fatty. I had the special with roasted potatoes and spiraled veggies with a delicious sauce. My husband thought his paella was very good. This new restaurant’s staff and owners try very hard to please their customers. We will definitely be back!“

“The ratings for La Luna's should be a five. The food is delicious and visually appealing. The staff is excellent. The meals are freshly made . There are not that many Italian restaurants without having to drive a distance, that can live up to the quality of their meals. The owner , chefs and staff are very accommodating.“

“We've always loved this place. They are known for the best prime rib.
Clean. Family oriented. Food is always tasty and always feel full after. Sometimes too full ??.
Waitresses are always kind and patient.
You won't be disappointed.“

“I had bunny chow and my best friend had Jollof rice and egusi soup. We didn´t have anything to say besides that the food was amazing!!!!!? Also the staff was PERFECT MOSTLY THE OWNERS KID JULLIAN MATEO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!“

“Have been a customer of Golden Pizza for over 20 years. It's hard to see that it's even there if you don't know it. They are great people, and the food is delicious. They always have special's on the board and great soup!“

“Salt and pepper shakers were sticky and nasty to touch. Food is good otherwise. They need waitresses or waiters. Not the dude with a hoodie on all the time.“

“Ate there recently and had a great meal! And our server Lisa was so sweet and the service was perfect.“

“This was an anniversary dinner. Several staff members wish us a happy anniversary. We have dine in this restaurant before, the make over and name change. The new renovations improve the ambiance. The food was excellent as was the service. Or waiter Jeff was excellent and made our anniversary special.“

“We went there before a Sun basketball game. Made a 5:15 reservation for a 7:00 PM start. They seated us at 5 PM, and the waiter schooled us on quick things to order. We got a giant and wonderful charcuterie, a wonderful flatbread, and duck ravioli. Everything was delicious, the service was terrific, and the people watching, out by the waterfall, was fantastic. And we were at the game in plenty of time. So if you are looking to eat on a trip to see the Sun, try the Tuscany! And order mostly appetizers, because you can't take leftovers into the game.“

“We ordered for delivery while staying in a nearby hotel. The delivery man was very friendly and polite and the extras were delivered in a large reusable bag--helpful when traveling. The pizza was amazing--some of the best I've had with a unique flavor to the crust. Well done Gus's. Thanks for making our fun night in the hotel memorable and delicious.“