50 Best Italian Restaurants near Arlington

“We all had something different and everything was equally delicious. We started with a Caprese salad (amazing) and then each had a different pasta dish - including spaghetti with mussels. The sauce was slightly spicey (as advertised) and SO GOOD! The chef’s specials were perfect.

We enjoyed the relaxed interior and could comfortably converse in the cozy and authentic space. The chef checked in on us multiple times and the waiter was friendly and attentive.

We HIGHLY recommend this local gem!“

“The delivery is always speedy and the steak tips NEVER disappoint. So good🤤🤤🤤“

“Love Arlington Cafe, got delivery , ordered through Amazon Grub Hub, Great pizza with out cheese, garlic bread, Baklava.“

“This place is both so comfortable and so classy at the same time! Service is wonderful, the staff members are so very friendly, and the food is delicious! Ava and Kathy made the evening so enjoyable! This is definitely a place for us to visit again!“

“First time yesterday, very kind employees,fast service, wonderful meatball sub, french fries.“

“Chipotle chicken Melt on a wrap“

“Always a great place, amazing staff and the food never disappoints once you can get a table. That is the only problem, because they are so good, they are always busy.. Make sure to ook your reservation early, at least a week or two inadavnce.“

“Pazza is AMAZING! Great service and the food is incredible. Highly recommend!“

“This place is amazing!! The customer service was top notch!!“

“Stopped in on a Thursday night with the family, no reservations, and waited about 35 minutes for a table. Totally worth it.

We ordered two pizzas, the burrata salad, and a charcuterie board, and everything hit the mark. The pizzas were perfectly cooked, great crust and flavor, the burrata was fresh and creamy, and the charcuterie board was exactly what you’d hope for—quality meats and cheeses done right.

Food came out quick, service was friendly and efficient, and the overall vibe was casual but lively.

Bottom line: food was mad good, everyone left happy, and I’d absolutely come back.“

“First time in the city and this was an amazing dinner for us. The food is delicious.“

“Ciao…I love them so much. Their food never fails to amaze me. Owners are amazing, shout out *Edson and Marvin*. Will be eating here again!!🙌🏽“

“By far the best, authentic Italian food in the North End. We have dined at several restaurants but the service, ambience and food is the best! They make their own pasta and sauces daily. I cannot recommend Casarecce enough. Delicioso.“

“Perfect place for Mothers Day when Valet is a must!“

“We accidentally met Chef Lester earlier in the day; ironically, we already made a reservation for my birthday dinner later that day, before this introduction. He mentioned the Pumpkin Risotto special and said when we returned to ask for him. The food was excellent and he personally came to our table to check on us. He then had our server bring us a beautiful platter of desserts, topping off an outstanding experience and birthday celebration! I will definitely be back!“

“My husband and I went to Il Ponte in Woburn for the first time tonight. Let’s just say it will not be the last. From the moment we walked in right up until we walked out the door it was an incredible experience. We both had cocktails: a Cabernet and falling for you and both were amazing. The bread/focaccia with garlic and oil was a fantastic start to the meal. We got the octopus and a bruschetta to start and they were flavorful and cooked perfectly. My husband had the braised short rib over saffron risotto and he said it was delicious and fork tender. He said the flavor was like nothing he’s ever had and the saffron risotto was incredible and cooked perfectly. I got the special which was a crusted swordfish with asparagus risotto and it was, hands down, the best swordfish I have ever eaten. It was crusted so lightly and the swordfish was cooked to perfection. The portion was so big that I took half home. We don’t usually order dessert but when the server said “pistachio gelato” they reeled me in. My husband got bomboloni and couldn’t stop making all the faces and sounds…it was to die for. Before we finished the owner was making rounds at the tables thanking everyone and making sure we enjoyed our meals. I would give Il Ponte a 20/10 rating. We will absolutely be back again. If you get the opportunity….do not sleep on Il Ponte.“

“I attended an event yesterday at this amazing Restaurant. The atmosphere is so inviting, the drinks were delicious. Food was absolutely scrumptious. And the staff all so kind and friendly. I highly recommend stopping in for a cocktail or dinner, you won’t be disappointed!!!“

“Arya is a GEM, the owner and staff are phenomenal and wonderful people. The menu is FANTASTIC. I booked a reservation for 6 on a Saturday night for a special occasion. I am a total moron and somehow thought it was for 6:30 - showed up and obviously the table was no longer available. Met Mossimo and explained it was our fault, and in particular MY dummy mistake. He was so kind and found us seating, the staff was incredible, the food was amazing, and this place has loyal customers for life. Could not recommend more strongly and emphatically!“

“What I meal. Would love to go back and try more options. The best I thought was this porchetta flatbread with heirloom tomatoes and pesto. The meat melted in your mouth basically. Everything else was great including the seafood pasta special, mushroom pasta and roasted veggies. Couldn't pass up on the roasted fig ice cream either which was also spectacular.“

“I had an amazing experience and can’t wait to go back🥰“

“Outstanding menu that changes seasonally and with specials. Service is superb! Especially Christina. We love to visit and eat here with goid friends. Never a bad meal. A plus! 10 stars! All quality food! Worth every penny. Love pans cota too!“

“10/10–same rating I would give Sarma! The mortadella app was fantastic (honestly I didn’t think I liked mortadella but this stuff melted in your mouth!!), and the cappelletti was unlike anything I have had before! The panna cotta was so special (we ordered all three desserts and they all were amazing!)! Everything was great!“

“Amazing food and service with authentic Italian hospitality!“

“Always delicious food, sophisticated atmosphere and friendly service. Appetizers and entrees are large enough to share and all are executed superbly. The two bars are fun to eat at although there are quieter tables as well. The staff couldn't be friendlier and if you go more than a few times, they will know your name! This is my neighborhood "go to" for upscale mediterranean food.“

“My husband and I had dinner last Sunday night. It was a beautiful experience with impeccable service. I am going to remember my quail dish for a very long time. Highly recommend“

“This is the best Italian restaurant around and it is hard to find something more authentic. Love this place! The atmosphere is classy yet fun and the food is absolutely fantastic! Also the cocktails and wine selection are wonderful. You really can't go wrong. The owner, Mario, is so nice and he has a great staff. They also do wine dinners every few months, which are so much fun!“

“My favorite restaurant we live in Southern NH I will only go there to eat in Boston just there yesterday for Lunch , Food and Service is outstanding we also had our daughters wedding there. Staff and food was amazing service is very professional no other place I rather be while visiting Boston will always come back“

“The second we walked in we were met with amazing service. The staff is super pleasant, and helpful. They were able to accommodate a dietary restriction in my party with ease and enthusiasm. Every single dish in the chef’s tasting was fantastic. The food was full of flavor and the portions were a good size. I would come here any time any day, Chef/Owner Jen came to check in on us and chatted with us and was super nice. Love this place. Come here for a great time.“

“What amazing food! Salvo took such good care of us. Recommended fabulous dinners and made us a specialty cocktail. Highly recommend!“

“Su buen servicio y la comida es deliciosa.“

“Grilled Clams make it so worthwhile“

“Wow, wow, and wow again! What a treat that my dear friend and I happened upon this GEM! At first glance it doesn’t look like much from the outside, but when you step inside it’s like entering a whole new world. It is elegant and beautiful, a fantastic combination of fine dining with an atmosphere like coming home. Such a quaint spot with the best quality Italian food I have ever had. Cristiano was the kindest server on the planet, so attentive, and so welcoming! As a worker in the food service industry, I was blown away! First off, drinks. To our surprise, Arancini has a BYOB policy (SO COOL! People had brought their own bottles of wine, which Cristiano offered to open and put on ice). Other than that, they offer your typical sodas, some juice, and a variety of sparkling and still water options. Let’s talk food. Right away, they bring fresh, warm, house-made bread, with fantastically seasoned dipping oil. Other than that, we started off with the Caesar salad and the friend mozzarella appetizer. The Caesar salad (despite it being just about the most basic thing that someone can order) was so well put together. It had just the right amount of dressing, and fresh grated, high quality parmesan cheese! The mozzarella app was quite possible the tastiest thing I have ever put in my mouth. Oh my god, it just about dissolved in my mouth. Imagine the best mozzarella sticks you’ve ever had in your life, but the cheese is so high quality and it is freshly battered and friend minutes before it is brought to your table. Never frozen - just made hot and fresh for you to eat. Don’t even get me started on the marinara sauce. Again, clearly house-made and so fresh. I could’ve had it as a soup! For a main meal I had the most delicious fettuccini Alfredo. The sauce was TO DIE FOR. The pasta was perfectly cooked (I didn’t know pasta could even taste like that ). I asked for chicken in the pasta and… oh. my. god. I have no words. I mean I can attempt to describe it but I won’t do it justice. Tender, JUICY, and you KNOW it’s authentic because the chicken was battered in egg. I was drooling before I took a single bite. I also added broccoli and it was SO PERFECT. The whole meal, it was just the best food I have ever had I swear. PLEASE give this place a shot! You’ll probably want a reservation because I don’t think there are more than 10 tables there! It’s small but mighty. Thank you Cristiano for making this experience incredible!“

“Excellent food and service“

“By far the best food and atmosphere! Cheryl was our server and was simply outstanding! The portions are huge and the food is fresh and inspired!“

“Delicious food. The bread/dough for the panini and pizzas is light and airy and very delicious. Plenty of toppings on the pizza with large potions for the price. Also have gelato with lots of authentic flavors. Best pistachio gelato I've ever had.“

“Went here on a friday evening and place was absolutely packed - highly recommend reservations because you'll be lucky to get a table otherwise.

Ambiance was better than expected. You wouldn't be able to tell by looking from the outside but the inside is a classy well lit spot with tons of seating a spacious bar area. Great spot for dates, friends, and family.

Service was so-so. Could tell they were busy and trying their best. Maybe hire more servers?

Food - pizza was alright. Not amazing like others raving on here but it wasn't bad either. One of them was lacking flavor and the other was undercooked.“

“Do yourself a favor - skip over the Boston restaurants and head straight here. I’ve been coming for years and the food never disappoints. The service is great. And there’s gluten free on Monday - what more could you want!? Fabulous.“

“Great atmosphere. Excellent service. Delicious tiramisu & raspberry cheesecake. Very tasty watermelon strawberry sangria. & the absolute BEST chicken limone with fresh pasta!“

“Very nice staff and delicious food“

“Amazing food and great customer service! Put this place on your To Go list in Boston!“

“Another wonderful family lunch today! Thank you Chris and the Carlo’s Cucina family. My second visit in three weeks. We’ll definitely be back! My new favorite dining spot on my visits to Allston, from the Cape. 👍🍽️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Mark N.“

“Hands down the best in Davis. Don't think twice about going to eat here! 10/10 atmosphere 10/10 staff 10/10 food 10/10 drinks Don't believe me? Go and see for yourselves! :)“

“Great food and great service! I even got gluten free chicken parm and spaghetti which was excellent! They have a wonderful food and drink menu. Our server Jess was was excellent as well. The manager Nick greeted us when we came in and found us a great table by the window. So the bottom line is, this is a great restaurant and I'm so happy we found this little gem! We will be back!“

“The restaurant was very accommodating seeing as we were quite early for our reservation and it was raining outside so they graciously welcomed us. Our waiter was excellent, friendly, informative and gave great suggestions. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was warm and comfortable with a low noise level so we could hear each other over dinner. A great experience that I highly recommend.“

“Love coming to gigi’s for italian food in the south end!
Recommend the rigatoni alla vodka & arancini !!
Cannot mix and match dishes, (but i wish you could get the chicken parm with the vodka sauce, the vodka sauce from the rigatoni alla vodka is delicious :) )“

“went for first time today so good I am sure it will be the first of many visits“

“This is a hidden gem! We stopped here randomly while traveling home from Boston. We got zucchini pillows and beet salad for appetizers. They were fabulous and flavorful! For dinner we got gnocchi and chicken parm. Probably the best we have ever had! Delicious and good size portions. We had tiramisu for dessert. It was excellent! Great meal start to finish. Our waitress, the owner's daughter was personable , sweet, efficient and great to talk to. We will DEFINITELY be back!!!!“

“First time trying their food, went with my food group to try out their menu and was not disappointed! Recently came back from Italy and had told my friends I missed the food, one said this place might help and it did not disappoint! I found the gnocchi to be amazing, even when I didn't finish it completely, it was still amazing the next day which is very unusual in my experience, but a happy surprise! The sauce they used was unreal, the chicken was on par, and honestly had a really good time. Will be going back again, definitely want to taste test a few other items next time around.“

“The quality and presentation of the food was top notch. We were incredibly impressed by the dining room layout and staff. If you are looking for a place to propose to your significant other… this is NOT the appropriate place. As I mentioned the food was the finest I’ve ever had; however, the music was terrible. We felt like we were in a 1990’s discotheque. The music was loud, very heavy beat and not remotely romantic. We did mention to our waitstaff and they attempted to get it turned down to no avail. No coffee or dessert available either. I understand space is limited; however you have two of the finest dessert businesses well within walking distance. Even if you only carry two desserts. I would still go back there for the food with the hopes of different music…even soft jazz would be acceptable.“