50 Best Italian Restaurants near New Brighton

“Excellent manicotti and the best homemade bread! Service was great!!“

“Phenomenal dining experience!!\nDifficult to choose from so many choices!! Quality is amazing, portions are generous, and scrumptious!!\nWe enjoyed the octopus, bruschetta with ricotta and tomatoes, mushroom confit, branzino and pasta with tuna. \nOur served, Sidney, was professional, kind, and very careful with our food allergies. She’s an incredible asset to your restaurant!!\nWho would have thought you could get such an incredible Italian meal in Minneapolis? This place is a must!!“

“I truly can’t name a better restaurant in the twin cities. The food is amazing of course but the customer service knocks it out of the park for me every time. Thank you thank you thank you“

“If you need your party catered, this is the place to go. Staff: Easy to work with, on time, good prices, friendly and very accommodating. Food: Gorgeous/amazing presentation , fresh, hot, professionally packed. I ordered from Red Rabbit in Saint Paul for my work holiday party. Everyone LOVED the food and the portions are generous. I was able to easily and beautifully display it. The timing was perfect and everything went smoother than I had hoped. This is your one stop shop for all of your party food needs. Hats off to the chefs and management for making our party wonderful.“

“If you need your party catered, this is the place to go. Staff: Easy to work with, on time, good prices, friendly and very accommodating. Food: Gorgeous/amazing presentation , fresh, hot, professionally packed. I ordered from Red Rabbit in Saint Paul for my work holiday party. Everyone LOVED the food and the portions are generous. I was able to easily and beautifully display it. The timing was perfect and everything went smoother than I had hoped. This is your one stop shop for all of your party food needs. Hats off to the chefs and management for making our party wonderful.“

“Everything we had was great! Normally we enjoy steak but this was a great change that he and I both enjoyed! Friendly staff also at the bar!“

“Great service and food!!!!“

“We went to Cossetta's in St. Paul, one of our favorites. You walk up to a good line and decide between fresh made salads, sandwiches or incredible Italian entrees and pizza slices. There is extra seating upstairs. Don't miss the dessert shop with delicious Gelato, cannolis, cookies and more. There is also a deli onsite.“

“Hyacinth is a keeper. Creative food, well prepared, small but extremely well chosen wines. Portions were large, a bit too large in my view. Hyacinth is one of the few restaurants in the post Covid dining world that is daring to show us how innovative dining can be done.“

“The meals are consistently fantastic. I’ve never had a bad meal at this restaurant over the last few years. The ingredients are high quality, fresh, and well prepared. The dishes come out delicious every time. It makes dining incredibly easy when I know I can choose anything on the menu and it will be great. The service is also incredible. Knowledgeable, prompt, and friendly staff. The dining and bar areas are equally beautiful in distinctive ways. Very pleasing to the eye. Zelo is a must try downtown, and if you do, it will become one of your go to restaurants for a nice night out.“

“Excellent food and staff!!“

“Food, atmosphere, and drinks were all fantastic. The Owner/Chef Joel has created something special at this gem nestled in a Minneapolis neighborhood. We had a large party for a friends pre-wedding dinner and the staff handled it great. From the apps to the desert, you can’t go wrong with anything you pick off the menu. We were all tasting each others food by the end of the night wanting to try EVERYTHING! Some have stated a smaller menu and prices, but then say the food blew them away…I for one like to pay to keep amazing food and ingredients an option. Can’t wait to bring my wife and other family members in the Twin Cities to do it again.“

“They support their community. Real American values.“

“Our server was phenomenal! When asked for recommendations on dishes, she was honest and provided great detail on how dishes are prepared. We had an issue with the credit card surcharge of 4% . She listened attentively and was very professional in explaining the process and reasoning . She actually wanted to help and do something about it . Although not her issue, she treated it as if it was . A surcharge is ridiculous. She was absolutely incredible and made our dinner very special.“

“Amazing in every way!!! Delicious food was had by all. While they don't have a separate GF menu, they were very accommodating to adjust for several gluten free options to choose from. Shannon L was a delight. Loved the ambiance. Will be back!!“

“We had a great dinner last week with our family of eight! Bethany was our server and she was fabulous!!“

“What a wonderful place. My boys took me here for dinner last night and it was fantastic. Great atmosphere, friendly staff and the food was incredible. I will be back again and again. Thank you!“

“🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥place & love the area I recommend everybody to get the experience“

“Great food. Homemade taste. Locally sourced. Affordable. Friendly, efficient service.“

“Food was very delicious, service was top notch. Would definitely go back to try more of the options. Our Waiter was great and very informative.“

“Great dinner tonight. Salad and the short rib, deliciously flavored and tender. Great red wine. Followed by tiramisu. They never disappoint.“

“I have only eaten one thing repeatedly and it is excellent, their burger. I can’t speak to anything else on the menu. Service is fine, but sometimes laid back to the point of indifference. Atmosphere might be a little too trendy and hip for some people, but the space is attractive and well situated especially when going to see a show at Latte Da.“

“5 🌟 Best red sauce in town. I wish they still had the manicotti and stuffed peppers mmmmm“

“Incredible homemade italian and such an incredible, incredible value for the price. Best italian food I have had in a long time!“

“Serves was unbelievably fantastic the server Troy was amazing!!!. He accommodated us perfectly and made our night brighter. I will be coming back as soon as possible!! The food was outstanding and we had too many left overs. We were able to have so much food for our group of five. If you want a special night out this is the place to go!!“

“Date night. Food was good. Wine was good. The waiter could be more attentive. He did not even ask us once how the food was and if we needed anything. Had to get extra sauce from the girl who brought out our food.“

“First time here and what a fantastic experience. I came with my daughter and we both loved everything about it—the atmosphere was warm and inviting, the meals were absolutely fantastic, and the wine menu was excellent. I can’t remember our server’s name, but she’s been serving for 40 years and it showed in the best way possible—professional, friendly, attentive, and made us feel genuinely welcome. This was one of those meals where nothing felt rushed and everything just worked. We’ll definitely be back. Highly recommend.“

“A really nice place to eat. The lasagna was excellent. I'll be back.“

“Outstanding as usual!! Fabulous!“

“Best cheese bread on the planet and make sure to order double crust pizza you won’t be disappointed!“

“Had a very special celebrations here recently and it was amazing. Staff was awesome, food was delicious and ambiance was top notch. Every person in our party commented on what a great find this place was and how they couldn’t wait to come back. Thank you to the Luci Ancora team for making our celebration so wonderful.“

“Friendly staff, even holding the door while their arms are full, felt a little bad! Food was served quickly and was delicious. Waitress was attentive, but not smothering. A lovely evening and dining experience. The salad and soup was top notch as always.“

“Same good service. I had the same delicious burger, but THIS time there was a $4 up charge for a small salad—subbed for chips. (I must have lucked out 3 days earlier.) The check came and it included a large bottle of plain water (not ordered) that was apparently placed on my arrival; then a lady (not my server) filled 2 glasses with the water. (I dined alone.) A manager took the $12 off my bill.“

“Stopped for dinner before a show at the Orpheum. The bartender made the drinks to perfection and recommended some great food choices for us. Will definitely be back to try some more off the menu. Friendly service!“

“wife and I drove 6 hours to eat here. we have made the trip multiple times over the years. came in Wednesday early afternoon and got great service. I wish I could remember her name, I would give her 5 stars. love coal fired pizza.“

“@punchpizza is one of my go to comfort foods. For the good times and the tough times, grabbing a pizza from Punch always does the trick.

Obviously folks know about this place but I still want to highlight them because longtime fan. Fun fact, each location has hidden cat figurines in their restaurants. Generally in the ceilings. My stop tonight was at my local St. Paul location. They have a whopping 12 locations in MN all listed in one of the last photos.

My go to order that won my heart:
Toto (no crushed red pepper, add roasted red pepper)
side of olive oil

Honorable mentions
Punch Salad
Bruni (meat and onion featured in post)
Gorgonzola Salad

When in doubt of what to get, go to Punch. For more awesome food spots check out the account mallorymademetryitmn on Instagram!“

“Great pizza napoletana and a lovely staff. We have been patrons for over 20 years. Our family is from Campania and having Punch is a wonderful reminder of home. Grazie mille!!!“

“This is a great casual place to grab a drink…..or have some really great food.…or take a gab with your friends (or strangers)… they do have a beautiful community table!“

“The BEST pizza!! Always delivered fresh and hot from the oven!!“

“Great service provided today by server Deja. She was very attentive yet left us alone to visit. When she found out we were celebrating a birthday, she was very sweet and offered a free desert and her crewmembers to sing. We declined the singing but the dessert was fabulous. We actually tried both the Chocolate Lasagne and the Black Tie Mousse cake and both were great. Also a manager did come by to say hello and see how everything was. I hadn't been to this location for probably 10 years so we were very happy with this experience. Thank you for making our birthday celebration so very special!“

“This is literally one of the best places I have ever eaten, that I have to write a review more than one place 😂 Absolutely everything is amazing, and I always get it when I have guests in town, to blow their mind 🤯 I am amazed at their quality, especially with delivery. You guys are beyond impressive!! ❤️“

“Base price for pasta no longer includes SAUCE! I ordered pasta with three veggies, chicken and Alfredo. I paid $10.99 for the pasta (a price increase) PLUS $2.99 for the SAUCE! Total over $15.00. Deceptive pricing practice. I normally order the spicy rosa (now $1.99) with sausage, which is delicious and recommend. This time I opted for the alfredo. It tastes suspiciously like jarred alfredo. Not worth the price.“

“pizza was ok, very reminiscent of 5dollar pizza. not saying it wasn't good or bad, Jjust ok. will try their thin crust next and see how that goes.“

“Dang. I'm gonna have to come back, like, immediately. Their french onion dip, wet martini, lemon drop cocktail, and egg sandwich (yes, you're reading that correctly) were all so freaking good! They get pretty crowded on a weekday after 6:30, so maybe plan to get there a little early.“

“If there is better Italian food around I haven't found it.“

“Best pizza ever, hands down. Service is always good here and good location and good parking, nice patio.“

“Always delicious! A real treat.“

“we had Sandy's grill and Italian ice food truck at our corporate event. they served about 135 meals within 2 hours. amazing service food was beyond excellent. I would recommend them to cater any event. we're hoping to have them back next year. Thank you Sandy's for all the great work you did for us.“

“Very good pizza, 4 stars due to the prices. I'm not afraid to pay for higher quality, but Luce is a few bucks more than it's worth. My wife loves their pizza, so we get it semi-regularly. I usually go pep/sausage/green olive. This time I tried the Elote. Pretty solid but I'll go back to my usual next time. My wife raves about the Athena.“

“First time!! Discovered in the skyway downtown Minneapolis. IT IS SO GOOD!!! 😋“