50 Best Italian Restaurants near Lexington

“I have been coming here for fifty years even when I have lived far away. High quality food, reasonable prices, friendly staff. It is a vestige of the Lexington of my childhood.“

“Stopped on a whim on the way home from the airport with a family member. Ordered the garlic bread, chicken broccoli alfredo, eggplant parm w/ alfredo sauce and tiramisu. The food was amazing! I can’t remember having a better tiramisu anywhere else. I wish I lived closer I would definitely be there on a regular basis. Set up is not typical, you order at the counter and they bring you the food. But you get your own drink from a cooler or iced water, silverware, napkins and bus your own dishes. So I was a little off put that I tipped 20% to do all the service myself. Staff was friendly and did give us to-go boxes when we asked for them. Would definitely recommend!“

“nice place, good meal and quick service“

“The pizza wasn’t amazing, but the dessert (apparently from Lizzie’s in Waltham, as this is owned by the same person), was FANTASTIC. It tasted just like its snickers name.

Formally and fast service. A slice is $3. The crust is just…crumbly. The texture is off.“

“I hadn't been to Giulia since before COVID, mainly due to the extreme difficulty in getting a reservation during a desirable timeframe. Parking has become much more challenging in that interim. Still, enjoyed a great pasta dish and dessert with my out-of-town guest. Very generous wine pour as well.“

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

“Fantastic dinner & dining experience at the Concord MA location. Wonderful service across the board - from making reservations, to host to server. Staff went above beyond. Very attentive, offered great suggestions and were very friendly. Special shout outs to Sheridan & Rick! Fabulous vibe, delicious meal, great time! We’ll be back.“

“Very hyped up restaurant so we expected to be blown away. Overall, the food was tasty, especially the sugar snap salad, eggplant pizza, and meatball special. The tallegio pasta was good but definitely more for cheese lovers, and the bucatini was great as well but neither were super outstanding. The clams were a bit disappointing. Friendly service and great atmosphere“

“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.“

“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!“

“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 best meal- great service- Beautiful atmosphere And warm friendly hostess“

“We previously been to the Concord location 3 times for pre theater dinner. We liked it very much. But it is LOUD. The Newton location is very close and convenient to our home. We finally scored a reservation. The food was the same excellence we were expecting. The service was better. Our server was the perfect amount of attentive. The noise level was much more manageable. It is a small and crowed space. It is noisy. The noise level in Concord is almost overwhelming. This was no where that loud. Clientele ranged from families with small children to the very elderly. The only negative was we found the valey attendant to be rather rude. Waving his arms and shooing us away. That's fine. I don't allow valet to touch my car.
You need to plan ahead of time if you wasn't to have dinner here. Same day reservations for dinner time are hard to come by.“

“Just ordered some yummy chicken bowl AMAZING! Hands down the best food I’ve had in a while!“

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

“DELICIOUS food & wine, good service“

“The woman who waited on me and my family was incredibly kind. We have a wheelchair bound daughter and I just hope the know how come the made us feel plus the food was amazing. Save room for a cappuccino and tiramisu!“

“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.“

“One of my favorite restaurants in the area for a night out with friends, especially when we are meeting partway between Boston and western suburbs. The food is really delicious, the drinks are great, and the service is attentive. It can get a little loud, but you can definitely still have a conversation. Don’t miss the focaccia and ricotta, but the pizza and pasta are also always outstanding. So are the salads. This place is just really solid.“

“Being 100% Italian also the food was amazing! They started us off with real EVOO to dip Our bread in with salt & pepper you can tell the EVOO was straight from Italy. I started with the arancini special which was sausage and saffron sitting in a white creamy sauce that was absolutely delicious. Then it was a toss up on my pasta dish between lobster raviolis and wild mushroom pappardelle I went with the lobster raviolis in a pink sauce. I never finish my food and I ate ever single ravioli. The portion was good enough for me and the proper way to eat a pasta dish so you don’t have left overs or waste. The pink sauce was creamy and delicious (I even dipped my bread in it at the end). Then I went straight for the dessert and ordered affogato (gelato with espresso) wow amazing not too sweet and not too bitter from the espresso perfect blend. Then my friend and I still were not ready to leave so I ordered a espresso martini and again amazing only advice I would give them is shake the martini more to make it foamy And that was my first experience at Gusto’s I give it a 10/10 Oh and the pizza looked really good that will be my next outing.“

“Great place, great staff and amazing food. Their pizza is as good as it gets.. But it’s tough to decide with so many great offerings.“

“Just fantastic.

My party ordered quite a lot and everything was just cooked and seasoned perfectly... We enjoyed every dish. Absolutely get the snap pea cesar salad, duck bacon pizza, and any of the pasta dishes.

I get the feeling their menu rotates a bit, so if these items are not there, order whatever. I am confident it will be delicious!

The service is really great. Very timely and kind. Offered excellent recs.“

“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! :)“

“Molto bene! The decor was bright & cheerful, with yellows and whites. The owner’s daughter was friendly, fun, upbeat and managed a very busy & very loud restaurant with grace and patience. She was our server. The food was exceptional. I got meatballs (homemade) and spaghetti. I’m a homemade meatball chef at home and these were delicious! My husband’s braised beef and mashed was delicious, too. Looking forward to coming again!“

“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!“

“Best meal of the year there last night, and we were in Paris for a week in March! The charred broccolini with tonnato sauce appetizer is to die for, I may have to order three portions next time. But the scallops, the sole, and the fig tart were also delicious, making it hard to choose a fave. Once again, this restaurant earned its place as our go-to for special occasions.“

“Spiga is our absolute favorite restaurant!! We've come a dozen times and it is always the best meal! This particular time, I made a reservation for Father's Day but I accidentally booked it for a week prior - the manager was so incredible and could hear the desperation in my voice, so squeezed us in and made it work by his own kindness, even though the restaurant was fully booked. Our waiter was amazing - the service was incredible from beginning to end and our meal was absolutely delicious and so freshly homemade as always! We cannot wait to come back, thank you Spiga!!“

“Food and atmosphere wonderful!! Just went for 3 rd time in few mos. I read another woman s email re: our server 'Alejandro'( on 2 nd visit) he was efficient, social and engaging. Couldn't get him this 3 rd time!?!( came in later). Would highly recommend this space; we plan to come frequently as meeting place for ' Friends Birthdays!' Thank you..... Tina Lisien“

“Went in for my birthday dinner. Service was great and the food was fantastic. Will definitely be back again.“

“Su buen servicio y la comida es deliciosa.“

“Josephine is a solidly good Italian restaurant. The location, vibes, and service were perfect. The space is massive which feels incredible rare for a restaurant in Boston nowadays.

Came here at 5:45 before a 7pm show and our server, Alexis, was really accommodating and friendly about making sure things came out in a timely manner without it feeling rushed. He even dropped off the check at 7pm on the dot.

Now the food is where I have my complaints. At a baseline, it’s all good but it could’ve been better with just minor tweaks. The mozzarella sticks for example, the batter was too thick, reduce that by like 50%. The pizza needed to be cooked just a smidge longer because the crust fell through immediately. Then the chicken parm which is the size of a Ford F150 needed to pounded much thinner. The hashbrowns needed more of the cacio e Pepe sauce.“

“Excellent food and cocktails! Service was wonderful. The bartender, Bernie, is wonderful! She makes the best Old Fashion I have ever had. It’s a small neighborhood “hole in the wall” vibe. Definitely worth trying.“

“Best Italian pasta I ever tried!!!“

“Beautiful interior and food was amazing. The staff and bartenders were very attentive as well.“

“Thank you for a nice chicken parm dinner. It was very good and a nice portion. I'll be back!“

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

“Great service and delicious food“

“One of our favorites! Delicious authentic Italian dishes! Awesome mixed cocktails!“

“This was our first visit. The restaurant has plenty of natural light, space and free parking in back. Our meals were delicious and the portions are very generous! I especially enjoyed the peach panzanela salad and chicken marsala. The service was on point. We will be back!“

“always excellent food and service!“

“It was our first time at Mario’s on Saturday and you all did not disappoint! From the moment we walked in, the place was warm and festive. Christmas music was playing. Our appetizers were so good. The wedding soup was perfect! My husband had the meatballs with pasta and he loved it. The cannoli’s were delicious. Our server, David, was personable and fun. He knew the menu very well. We definitely will be back!“

“excellent friendly service, delicious food, awesome date place.“

“Best place,great food.Highly recommend 🥰🥰🥰🥰“

“Enjoyed a delicious brunch here today - they also serve their regular menu all day. Staff was friendly, beautiful space.“

“I lived in Italy and did culinary school there. I've eaten at hundreds of authentic Italian restaurants. No restaurant in USA has really ever scratched the itch of those places like Trattoria Nina. I last ate here 6 years ago and I'm happy to report this place still scratches that itch. It really feels like you've been invited into someones home off the street in Firenze or Bologna and you're eating nonna's cooking.
The music was charming and it's such a great vibe. Excited to come back soon.

ʕ⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴥ⁠ꈍ⁠ʔ“

“Excellent food and service!!!“

“Superb restaurant, one of my Top Three Favorites.“

“Absolutely amazing experience! This is a must try for all.“

“One of my favorite local Italian restaurants! Their homemade pasta is delicious. Their service is fast and their portions are gigantic!“

“Was there for the first time for Valentine's Day. Food was delicious and our waitress was very attentive. We look forward to returning again soon!“