36 Best Italian Restaurants near Essex

“I have had a number of wonderful meals at the restaurant. I go for the food, the individual service and the feel of the beautiful old building.“

“excellent restaurant and bar!…. nice people my issue is the fact when I was leaving this evening I was absolutely eaten alive by mosquitoes… is it just me?� I never in my life been swarmed like that“

“We have been coming to Gloucester for 20+ years and just happened to find this gem. The food was fresh and plentiful and the staff was out of this world. This restaurant has now been added to our yearly list of places we visit. Thank you for a wonderful experience. A+++++++++“

“The food was great, but what really made this dining experience so phenomenal & memorable was our waitress Fabiola. Such a bright personality that made this night with friends one I’ll remember forever.“

“our first lobster here in Massachusetts had the lobster roll and was amazed! price was about 50 a person. would definitely go back!“

“Free parking in the rear! This spot does not disappoint. Great pizza and feet selection on pasta and others. The spaghetti and meatballs don’t disappoint, the lobster ravioli was also exceptional. The best part of this is well the customer service first and foremost. What’s a close second is the complimentary rolls with oil cheese and dried peppers. We were also lucky enough for the staff to bring us ricotta cheese balls on the house! Staff was super friendly with the kids also so that is always a plus.“

“The food is excellent WE HAD CHICKEN AND Stake every thing that we had is excellent“

“Everything about the store is on point! The homemade pastas that you bite into and your teeth feel that little firmness,😃, the flavors that your palate starts taking on, your brain instantly wants MORE! As you savor (and possibly moan a bit to loud lol) the incredible flavors of something as simple as carbonara, w/prosciutto, red onions & Romano cheese. Every visit, including take-out has been 💯% spot on! Mentioning take out, we recently dined outside, and watched the grubbers (grub hub) mad dashes in and out multiple times! We recognized at least 3 drivers, non stop pickup and drop orders, repeatedly! Thank you so much Little Store for your incredible hard work (when no one wants to work and think they should get everything free🤬🤬🤬) You are what America is built on! From the front of the house to last dish washed, you are all a generous team, so it appears from the outside. Great Job! P.S.Your freshness is duly noted!!! There are desserts, lemon mascarpone 🍰 cheesecake (can’t remember if it’s cake or cheesecake…red, red, wine..) Just stupid delicious at the end of a fantastic meal!! And I have had the chocolate torte or something like that…. 😱😱equally as good! I would just ROLL in them if it was acceptable…🤣🤣🤣so yummy!!! Thanks for letting me share my joy of The Little Store… and there legit hardworking staff!!! 👍👍👍“

“excellent thin crust pizza. old school feel to the place. Cant beat it for thin crust.“

“Food is absolutely incredible, my husband and i vend for Haunted Happenings in Salem every weekend in October and we are so happy we found a spot to eat that's delicious and affordable! Everything we've tried from the soup, paninis and rice bowls have been fantastic!“

“Food was prompt, delicious, and most importantly not hard on the bank! The wait staff are friendly and it’s my partner’s and I’s favorite food place in Shelby! I get the wings or Alfredo and he gets their meat calzone or Stuffed shells! (I recommend trying both✨)“

“Loved it we went on a Sunday night they had some live music sat at the bar The food was excellent it was our first visit about tinder was first class The service was great with other servers serving food really neat oven area where you can sit and watch the kitchen we just moved to Gloucester a year ago and had yet been will be back“

“They don’t care about the people working The has the worst people working in the kitchen“

“Caffe Italia is the absolute best!!!Delicious food,wonderful staff,reasonable prices!!I Cannot say enough good things about Caffe Italia Trattoria & Bar! One is made to almost feel like family.Atmosphere is lovely ,friendly & relaxing.I highly recommend!!“

“Amazing atmosphere and delicious food“

“Thanks for all you do to help my husbands veterans project each in year Beverly. Your food is delicious!“

“I love this place! One of my favorite restaurants in the greater Boston area. Super friendly & attentive staff, delicious food, entrees are huge portions, overall great atmosphere, and locally owned and run by an amazing family. Been at least 4x in the last 4-5months and plan to be back often to try the rest of the menu“

“I really enjoy their marinara sauce and fresh fettuccine.“

“This place is awesome and I get it 5 stars all around. The staff and the food are awesome. They are very fairly priced and have a great variety of delicious toppings. They have awesome cheese pepperoni or even ravioli pizza if you're up for it it is heavenly!! I have never had a bad piece of pizza here and I am delighted to write a good review that is the least I can do. Staff is so accommodating and polite very helpful and fast service and for diamond also if needed.I work locally doing HVAC and we come in here a lot and we recommend it to anybody who wants a great slice of pizza. This is one of the best Italian style pizzeria places in the area I highly recommend it to anybody.5 STAR EXPERIENCE, thank you Vesuvius you rock!!!!“

“Fresca makes incredible wood fired pizza and homemade pasta. We always order the Arincini balls as well- absolutely incredible!
It’s a small place and we usually carry out. It’s a casual but comfortable feeling seating area. Recommended!“

“Scott and his crew are a welcome staff to this place. Had an awesome toasted Italian today with some pizza and a few other items to boot. Great service, clean place, excellent food. Can’t wait to go back!! Good luck Scott, you’re going to kill it!!“

“Beyond happy that I found this place. I was able to organize my mom’s birthday party without having to worry about the food thanks to Ellie’s. Everyone loved it and I am sure you will be getting more business from us soon. Every dish we tried was bursting with flavor and cooked to perfection. Thanks so much for helping make our event a huge success.“

“I have tried salads, subs, multiple pizzas, wings & dinners all were fantastic. Reasonably priced, owner super friendly. Easily best pizza in Beverly as well as Best pizza ever. Meatballs are unbeatable size quality I could go on and on.“

“service was great pizza was delicious“

“Dined here recently for the first time, what a hidden gem. Nice cozy atmosphere, Food was top notch, delicious, and huge portions. Waitress was excellent, very friendly and knowledgable. Highly recommend this place if you want real authentic Italian food. We will definitely be back.“

“OMG, The sauce and meatballs and the Stuffed Shells are to die for! Excellent. Chicken Broccoli and Ziti is also Perfection, not too heavy! Scrumptious. I can’t wait to go back and try other dishes also! Such a cute, cozy place, I felt like I was among family. The owner is Beautiful, friendly and doing a Fantastic job along with her 5 sons!! This is my Favorite place 🥰👏❤️“

“The Muffuletta Sandwich is amazing!“

“After living in Salem for a few years, I have no idea how we’ve never been to Bambolina before—but we finally fixed that mistake with Valentine's Day dinner, and wow, were we missing out! This cozy, locally owned spot serves up incredible wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas with a perfectly charred, airy crust. My wife went for the Black Truffle Pizza, an indulgent mix of ricotta, mozzarella, provolone, and pecorino, topped with delicate shavings of black truffle. Decadent, rich, and full of deep, earthy flavor—it was perfection. I had the Salmon Donburi Bowl, which was just as phenomenal. The pan-seared salmon was tender and flavorful, resting on fragrant jasmine rice with seasoned wakame, crisp cucumber, and spicy marinated mushrooms. The sesame ginger mirin gochujang sauce tied it all together beautifully—bold, savory, and just the right amount of heat. And then…dessert...oh my gods... The Chocolate Spuma was an absolute dream—silky dark chocolate mousse topped with cloud-like Chantilly cream. It was light yet intensely chocolatey, the kind of dessert that disappears way too fast but lingers in your memory. To top it all off, the service was next level—attentive, welcoming, and genuinely passionate about the food they serve. I forgot her name (sorry!) but she's one of the best servers we've ever had. Period. We left feeling full, happy, and already planning our next visit.“

“Amazing service! Great food and drinks! Antonio was AMAAAZZZING!!! He’s the best server ever!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️“

“It's a small town shop. Small town recipes, so you know the food is top-notch. Customer service and staff? Mint!But please, bring cash. My God. Bring. Cash. They do not take credit / debit. To all my fellow tourists, consider this a warning! The closest ATM is 2 buildings down the road and requires a debit card to be inserted onto the door of the building to have access. Normally, it's not a problem. But the door did not read my card. Had to try 4 different banks to get to an ATM. bring cash. I can not stress that enough.“

“I love love, love Tony’s Italian restaurant! Being fortunate enough to live across the street from the business, I have thoroughly enjoyed many years of going to Tony’s. Food is totally delicious, and pizza unbelievably delicious! Family owned business, and they are absolutely lovely. I always feel right at home when I visit. I could go on and on, but I just had to say wonderful things about the whole family, and about the wonderful food that I have enjoyed & continue to enjoy ,at Tony’s restaurant. I continue to be fortunate enough to celebrate this great business!??“

“Pretty solid. For the merunga1 review, the store's hours are incorrect. They close at 8:30pm. Odd to leave a 1 star review because of this.“

“If you're searching for the best pizza in Peabody, MA, Frankie Slice is the perfect place to visit. This restaurant has been voted as the best pizzaera in Massachusetts, and it's worth trying. Not only do they have fantastic pizza, their roast beef sandwiches, chicken parmesan dinner, and meatballs with spaghetti are all mouth-watering. And if you have a sweet tooth, try their ice cream and gelato. I highly recommend visiting "Frankie Slice" - you'll not be disappointed! Try the Shrimp Scampi pizza.“

“I recommend the deep dish spinach, garlic, bacon, sauge, feta pizza!!! Cooked to perfection, lots of flavor, my family absolutely devoured it!! I was so pleased I had to share some with my neighbors....and of course they loved it. Keep up the great work Leonardos!!!“

“Got a steak and cheese and it was delicious“

“I really loveee this place!! By my experience this pizza was one of the greatest pizza I tasted in years. I been to different pizza places in Italy and this place is the most accurate place where they serve you pizza like in Italy. The sauce, the cheese and the size are perfect, as you can see by the picture… I ate three slices :).

On the other hand, the owner was one of the sweetest guy I know, he welcomed me with a smile and offered me the best service in the town. I fully recommend if you genuinely want to try Italian pizza!!“