14 Best Italian Restaurants near Shalimar

“As an Italian, I am incredibly particular about where I eat, and I can wholeheartedly vouch for La Famiglia. The food here is traditionally made, truly authentic, and crafted with outstanding ingredients. They don’t cut corners, and you can taste that it is cooked exactly the way we cook at home in Italy.The atmosphere immediately takes me back home, giving me a wonderful sense of nostalgia. Being from a hometown in Southern Italy along the Adriatic Sea, I am very picky about seafood—but their mixed fried seafood (fritto misto) is absolute perfection. It is beautifully crispy, incredibly flavorful, and tastes just like home.Beyond the phenomenal food, the staff is exceptionally welcoming and friendly. The addition of live music, talented singers, and excellent drinks makes every visit feel like a celebration. We come here very often and highly recommend it as the absolute best Italian restaurant in the panhandle!“

“Great Italy like experience. Food is served hot and taste amazing. There is a large selection of food with a kids menu that has real food! Service is good and very family friendly.“

“We had an absolute blast! The food was awesome! Great portions, great taste, even better waiter!!“

“There were 13 of us from the Kennel Club eating tonight 8/20/2025. The food was great and our waitress was the best waitress I have ever experienced. She was so polite and attentive to our needs and wants. She knew who the food went to when our order was served, for 13 people! This is my new favorite restaurant. I would love to know this waitress’s name and we want to request her every time we come. The food and people are out of this world! Great job everyone!“

“Food was excellent and our server Ashlee was amazing. Atmosphere is warm and inviting. We felt like familia.“

“The garlic dipping oil is amazing. We took some home and put it on sandwiches and in a crab omelet. We have been talking about it for days. The lasagna is remarkable and the ribeye steak I ordered was enough for three meals. Cooked perfectly medium rare. Friends had the lobster ravioli and shrimp with vodka sauce which was good. Calamari was outstanding, very tender. Our waitress was Lauren L., very professional and pleasant. We will definitely go back there again next year when we visit.“

“Loved everything about this quaint Italian cafe. Coffee, sandwiches, crepes and frittatas are absolutely delicious. Also loved getting to know Marco, who owns the Cafe. 10/10“

“Experience the best pizza in town—absolutely unbeatable! The staff is also fantastic, making your dining experience truly memorable. Combine that quality pizza with exceptional service, and you have a perfect place for a wonderful meal!“

“I cannot recommend Nonna's enough! The environment inside is upscale with a touch of cozy. The patio has a phenomenal view of Destin Harbor. The service was fantastic. The food, though......wow. Just wow! Everything we had was outstanding. I am still thinking about the Gulf Shrimp Saute. The Snapper was incredible. The salads were all fresh and balanced. Chef Taylor did an amazing job accommodating some food allergies in our party! From arrival to departure, the entire experience at Nonna's left us feeling satisfied and excited to return!“

“Best authentic Italian restaurant in Destin . Been there dozens of times and always completely satisfied“

“Our experience at Olive Garden was a bit of a mixed bag. Unfortunately, the food was overcooked. The Chicken Parmesan was noticeably overdone, and the lasagna was also cooked past the point where it should have been. For that reason, I had to give the food 3 stars.

That said, the service was actually very good. Our server got triple sat, which is enough to make anyone’s shift interesting, but he handled all of his tables really well. He was attentive, kept our drinks filled, and never made us feel forgotten despite being pulled in several directions.

The salad was probably the highlight of the meal. It was delicious and came out quickly, which was definitely appreciated.

So, it wasn't all bad. The service was solid, our server did a great job under what was clearly a pretty hectic situation, and the salad was on point. I just wish the kitchen had shown the same attention to detail because the overcooked Chicken Parmesan and lasagna really brought the overall experience down. Hopefully it was just an off night, because with better-prepared food, this could have easily been a much better visit.“

“Best food in Fort walton bch by far well worth the price I love the Place !“

“Absolutely deeeelicious chicken parmigiana sandwich - again! Great job Niceville Hungry Howies!“

“I love Hungry Howies. They have a large menu and the quality is superb. Im always happy with my order. The consistency is spectacular.“