22 Best Italian Restaurants in Portland

“Just finished one of the BEST Italian meals ive ever had in my restaurant going life in a place id never have expected to and thats saying something being a 1st Generation Italian coming from NY ! ViA VECCHiA is Portland, Maine was absolutely 10/10 on everything they did! We started with Meatballs, Whipped Ricotta & Grilled Octopus. The meatballs reminded me of my mothers, the ricotta was tremendous with truffle honey & sesame breadsticks and the octopus was grilled perfectly. One dish was better than the next. We shared ravioli with as an entree and we never felt gross like we ate too much. The portion sizes were PERFECT. Wrapped the night off with a espresso infused cheesecake over salted caramel. Wow. Staff was incredibly accommodating, professional and polite. Service was excellent! If youre ever in Portland, ME you must go get a meal here!“

“Excellent all around. I would describe the menu as Italian-inspired, given that their big thing is their homemade pasta, but it’s more of a modern menu as opposed to one of traditional Italian dishes.

For the starters: the gnocco fritto are a MUST-have. The roasted black salsify root was also fantastic - salsify root being a root veggie that’s something between a parsnip and a potato. That plate was practically licked clean.

For the mains: we went all pasta, though they do have a few larger “secondi” type plates. We had the sunchoke & goat cheese agnolotti (stuffed pasta), and the rigatoni with beef & pork ragù bolognese.

They had a good drink menu with a nice array of wines and cocktails, as well as nice mocktails.

For dessert, we had the plum sorbetto, as well as the best-dressed carrot cake I’ve ever had (topped with candied pecans, fresh blood orange, candied ginger, candied zest, rosemary).

We sat at the chef’s counter, which was amazing, because we got to see all of our food being prepared. We observed a super well-run kitchen, with staff seeming to be enjoying themselves, which made the food taste even better, as we were able to appreciate the effort put into it. It was also fun to see the other dishes on the menu being prepared and plated, plus being able to see what the most popular dishes were (the gnocco fritto was a common one, and for good reason).

The atmosphere and service were both great - our server was Molly.

Be prepared to spend (after tax & tip) upwards of $100 per person - note though that we ordered starters, mains, drinks, and desserts though, so quite a full sampling.“

“Good food, good service, lovely“

“Cozy and inviting dining rooms. The food was delicious, every plate from chicory salad, bread asparagus and the entrees! All were absolutely delicious. Just as important were the staff. So so friendly and happy. You can tell they all really like working here and value every detail. Would highly recommend this place for date night!“

“Thank you for providing pizzas for King Middle School’s Winter Dance last Friday! The students appreciated it so much!“

“Amazing place, amazing food, and friendly service!!! Casual dining experience, we had the Italian wedding soup which was amazing! Cannolis better than anywhere. I’m definitely going back!“

“Five diners in our party--aged six to sixty-five--all left stuffed and happy! Fantastic pizza, playful and delicious garlic bread, wonderful pasta, fabulous service. Highly recommend!

Kid-friendliness: A pizza option and a spaghetti option... what more could a kiddo want?“

“we had a very nice dinner“

“Solid Neapolitan pizza with both traditional and more creative toppings. The location is a bit bland with no distinct feeling or character. Food is great though perhaps a bit over-hyped to say it's the best in Portland as some claim. Overall a worthy addition to Portland's pizza scene.“

“My favorite go to in portland. Always consistent and delicious!“

“Wonderful environment excellent service and impeccable food! What an amazing experience in such a historic home. Matt was our server and he did not disappoint! Every thing we ordered was so flavourful and the wine suggested was spot on! Coming all the way from Coral springs Florida this was a wonderful dinner experience south Florida could learn a thing or two!!“

“a fantastic time was had by all. Thank you Steve for the swag.“

“Great atmosphere and great food.❤️“

“Couldn't have been a better meal. The service was a 10...ask for Cassi as a server. The support staff was so helpful. Our food couldn't have been better. Great portions with a great price. My girlfriend's birthday was celebrated that night. The whole restaurant sang her Happy Birthday. Best meal we have had in Portland. The owners deserve a pat on the back.“

“The staff at Hilltop Superette have turned the little neighborhood convenience store at the top of Munjoy Hill into a destination spot for incredible food, beverages, and a personable experience. For lunch today, I ordered their grilled chicken pesto sandwich and I have to say, I haven't had better anywhere else in this city. The bread was warm, soft, and fresh, the meat was whole chunks of white meat, and the sandwich was stuffed full with onions, tomatoes and pesto. I ordered a large and now have half the sandwich left over for lunch tomorrow as well. Basically two meals for $10. You can't get that deal anywhere else. They have food ready to go (pizza slices, chicken and burger baskets with fries), and tons of local sweets. And that's just the lunch selection. The breakfast offerings are equally impressive. They also have an incredible wine, spirits, and beer selection too.

I highly recommend Hilltop Superette for anyone on the go and wanting to grab some amazing food at a price that will not break the bank. Sam Patel and his crew truly have a gem at the top of Munjoy Hill.“

“The food is awesome and for those that are not willing to wait if they are making it fresh you are going to miss out The best Italians ever“

“I am sure Councilman Dion and Mrs Dion were just having an off night - my wife and Granddaughter and I had dinner on Friday night and my veal parmigiana was awesome and my wife’s asparagus and Gorgonzola ravioli was as great ! Jim our waiter must have lit the table candle 50 times for my granddaughter to keep blowing it out ! Brunos rocks !“

“Bittersweet to be writing this review as I will not be able to go here again due to them closing. Glad I was able to make one more stop here once we saw they announced the closure. Fond memories of slab from great beer events held during Maine Beer Week years ago. Along those lines, you could always count on a great taplist with beers from Maine and further. This was a favorite spot of my wife and I to grab some slab style pizza with a brew. Their thin crust pizzas were solid as well, but my favorite food option here has always been the meatball sandwich. It seems to be tough times for many Portland restaurants so if you have favorites spots go out and support them! Thanks for all the memories slab!“

“a fantastic time was had by all. Thank you Steve for the swag.“

“Just had a Large BLT and it was great: everything was fresh tasting. Just had their Sesame noodle salad last evening and it was great as well - bought more for this evening, Butterscotch pudding just right - not overly sweet. Customer service very good. Thank you.

Parking: Lot is small, but adjust your arrival to slower times and you are fine. They share the lot with Republic Cash.

Wheelchair accessibility: Not an issue.“

“Give this place a shot! There are a lot of good spots for pizza in Portland... these guys make a great pie! I had the "Old World Pepperoni." It was awesome! Exactly what I was hoping for. Delivery was fast and friendly. Will definitely order from them again.

Update...
Just had delivery again. Fast & friendly! The food? Only the best calzone I've ever had! ("Meatza" + jalapeños)
Seriously... blown away!“

“We stayed at the Westin Hotel in Portland, ME. The pizza was amazing and the service was great! It was cooked perfectly and had a nice crunch to it! No fork/knife needed.“