50 Best Italian Restaurants near Clayton

“I had dinner w friends for my birthday. The waiter, Jordan, was great. Food was great! Sound level at 7 pm was over the top, and the piped in music just made it even harder to talk. I hope they do something for this problem: it’s an acoustic issue, and easily fixed if they consulted someone.“

“Good food and very professional staff“

“The Crossing Restaurant did a remarkable job the other evening when we dined there. We had impeccable service and outstanding food. I loved being able to do the four course meal with some of the specials. It was wonderful to see the dining room full in this well-established restaurant in the heart of Clayton. I remember being wowwed when I first dined at The Crossing 25 years ago and it is still just as fabulous! We cannot wait to return.“

“Returned after a couple of years. I think it's still a good place for a casual meal, certainly we spent a third of normal. The food was good. The bread remains a standout. My Aperol Spritz was awesome! Our server was very attentive with a bright smile and happy attitude. We were seated at the old Sardella side which brought back nostalgic memories. We don't eat nearly as much as we used to, appetizers have to be shared or none, if we're having salad. During our meal a lady came to our table with a bowl of brussels sprouts. She said it was something free from the kitchen for us to try. We found it strange that no other table got one. Brussel sprouts aren't something we eat or ever order. She left before we could speak. We felt bad because it was a very gracious gesture wasted on us. We did taste one. They were very good, if you like them and they don't tear up you GI system.“

“I was in the area looking for a nice meal for lunch at work. I stumbled across Sauce on the Side. I ordered one of the choices of Calzone. Later, after I bit into the sandwich for the first time, I knew it was a hit. Everything about it was perfect. I also ordered a salad. OMG... lettuce and meat everywhere throughout the salad. It was fresh and quite tasty. I was so satisfied after eating my lunch that I know I'll be visiting Sauce on the Side again and again.“

“Pizza and pasta was delicioso!“

“Great food. Awesome appetizers!“

“We ate Imo’s Pizza twice during our stay in St. Louis, and it was excellent each time. We tried the pizza, wings, spaghetti, and cinnamo—everything was great, and the delivery was fast.“

“Homemade pasta, great service!“

“The food is phenomenal!!!!“

“We wanted Italian food and we decided to go on the hill to Zia‘s. We ordered pasta dishes, which was extremely nice portion size. The bread was delicious when you dip it in olive oil. I also had the French martini which was delicious. I think if you have a taste for Italian food pasta, you couldn’t find a better place.“

“I have been wanting to get here for several years, and we finally made it, tonight, to Anthonino's Taverna, a short distance from Rob's place. (Fun fact, this place has been spotlighted twice on Guy Fieri's Food Channel Show. I can now see why. 🥰) Well, I wish I had made it here sooner. But, that's behind us, and tonight was a delicious, and delightful night. Our waitress, Bailee, had the excellent insight to know it takes awhile to decide on a drink, and dinner choices. It doesn't matter if you read the menu online or not. Changes are always added. She gave us the grace to settle in for a few minutes. She gave us enough time to settle in so we could make our choices. Rob had a Kona Wave draft, and I had a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. Bailee brought us bread made, and baked on The Hill with great quality olive oil, and herbs for dipping. Rob ordered the lasagna, and I opted for the Tutti de Mare with seafood, garlic, butter, and olive oil. My dinner was delicious, and made with freshly made pasta, and a perfect mix of perfectly cooked wild caught seafood of mussels,shrimp, clams, and squid. Rob's lasagna also featured freshly made pasta sheets, Anthonino's red sauce, sausage, ricotta, and mozzarella cheese. I tasted it, and it's your pick here if you love lasagna. Homemade taste that brought me back to my grandmother's and my mother's tables. 🥰❤️ I also felt welcomed, and comfortable as soon as I walked through the door. Italian girl here, and I would highly recommend this place for the food, drinks, the customer service, and the ambiance. I am already planning to come back on my next trip here. Anthonino's Taverna“

“We had a party of 6 on Saturday night. Great service. Outstanding food had by everyone. A few in the party ordered the Lasagna after they were out of Ossobuco. They loved the Lasagna, the Chicken Risotto was one of the best I ever had, although I modified it by adding mushrooms. We did start out with appetizers and the Roasted Wild Mushroom app and Toasted Ravoli were incredible. Highly recommend this place.“

“Great food, fair prices, friendly vibes.“

“First time at Failoni’s yesterday. Had pasta and marinara (I know, not very daring). The marinara can stand on its own. Wonderful. Loved the ambiance, neighborhood vibe. We were made to feel welcome right away. Was with two friends and we will be back!!“

“Favazza’s is a well-known and respected Italian spot on “The Hill”, St. Louis’ Italian Neighborhood filled with old delis, charming markets and upscale Italian restaurants. Our extended family is a big fan of Favazza’s, so we go from time to time with them. We went last week with my Aunt & Uncle, and it was great. The dining room(s) are charming, but getting a bit dated, in all honesty. Since it’s on “The Hill”, it’s not necessarily an issue, but in any other neighborhood, I think others would agree with me that it needs some sprucing up. Regardless, the ambiance has a fancy and classy feel to it. The service we had was fine. Everyone is dressed up and respectful, but sometimes the service lacks personality at these places because they’re so worried about being “ritzy”. This is the case we had last week. Regardless, also a fine experience in this category. The food was DELICIOUS last week. We started with the Toasted Ravioli. You can tell it’s the real-deal — the filling is excellent. Our entrees were also phenomenal. I got the Chicken Limone and it was tangy and luscious. Genuinely one of the best Italian dishes I’ve had before. The dinner salads, side pasta and phenomenal garlic bread were an added bonus. Favazza’s may be older and their service may lack personality, but their food is nothing to scoff at. A very solid 4 Stars from me.“

“After visiting the Fox Theater on Saturday we had reservations for 6. Our table was ready and our server Wendy was absolutely delightful. Our drinks, appetizers, dinner(fresh pasta) and desserts did not disappoint. The manager stopped by twice to check on us. Incredible! We wanted to bring Wendy home with us but we had to have her back by Wednesday! We can’t wait to return!!!! 10🌟“

“Top-notch service! They were able to accommodate us on a busy Saturday night, and the food was prepared perfectly. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a great Italian spot in South County.“

“Had a catered lunch brought to work for a special occasion. Everything was perfect. The catering crew out did themselves. Every dish was fresh and the hot food was perfect temperature. Thank you!!!!!“

“Our family opted to eat out for Thanksgiving. I’m so glad we chose Pietros. The staff were so friendly and welcoming— like family! Service was timely and the food was incredible!“

“Guido’s is the best! Every meal I have had there is top notch. It’s our “go to” restaurant!“

“It was a truly spectacular experience from start to finish. While the ambiance is beautiful and the food consistently outstanding, what truly made our evening was our server, Simona. Simona was the definition of professionalism and personalized care. She greeted us with a warm, genuine smile and was incredibly knowledgeable about the entire menu and the excellent wine list. Her recommendations were spot-on! What impressed us most was Simona's attention to detail. Our water glasses were always full, courses were timed perfectly. It's this level of thoughtful service that elevates a great meal into a truly memorable event. Simona went above and beyond to ensure we felt like VIPs. We can't recommend Il Bel Lago enough. We will certainly be back!“

“We went to Trattorias yesterday and the waitress and her staff helping her were just incredibly amazing! Leslie our waitress was phenomenal!! She told us about the specials and made them sound delicious and well worth our minimal wait - I would highly recommend you go here for all your special occasions!! The food was served hot and fresh!! We felt so glad we chose Trattorias for our special Valentine's evening. The restaurant and everything was very clean and the environment was very beautiful!! Many Thanks to the owners and staff!! A special Thank to the Chef and his work of art with the tasty Valentine's dinner!!“

“Last night was our second time to Lorenzo’s Trattoria and again it was amazing. Our waiter, Jose, was energetic and friendly, always with a true smile on his face, wait staff kept our drinks full and used dishes cleared, but the best part was the food. Absolutely delicious! We will be back many times!“

“great food and hearty portions 👍definitely recommend“

“Went there for the first time Sunday and it was a great place. The food was delicious and the owner came out and greeted every table and was super nice.“

“Most come to the Hill for Italian at the usual places, Zia's, Dominic's and Charlie Gitto's. Most will pass this gem up due to it being in the Drury Plaza hotel, you SHOULDN'T DO THAT. The food is made fresh to order and it clearly shows! The decor is very upscale and perfect for a business lunch or dinner and at $30 per person, a good deal. If you add wine the price will go up but would still be worthwhile due to the quality in evidence.“

“Great restaurant. Great service and food.“

“The food is phenomenal!!!!“

“We recently moved “locally” and Our trying out new restaurants. I was pleasantly surprised with “A’mis” Took Our four kids there for lunch today. The ENTIRE dining area was full, yet the short staffed staff did not miss a beat. Drinks filled, food brought out, they did forget silverware but They were SO busy and also so on top of it! Truly impressed as a former server and hostess back in the day. My kids finished the cheese sticks in less than 5 minutes. The fettuccini was amazing, and so was the New York style pizza. The house dressing is good as well. On top of that the wait staff was so friendly and kind to Us. You sometimes sadly get dirty looks bringing 4 kids under 13 into a restaurants alone, even if they are well behaved! We will be back!!! Thank-You!“

“Best dinner we’ve had in a long time. The “trio” appetizer was awesome, salads were great and our main courses were incredible. Will definitely come back again!“

“Pasta con Broccoli sauce was like water, no flavor! Moved the noodles to my wife’s dish and took it home. Service was good. Stuffed Mushrooms were ok. Won’t go back“

“I work in Clayton which is within striking distance of the hill... So I decided to try out what the hill has to offer for lunch. I saw on Reddit that Adriana's had a good Italian beef sandwich... It wasn't just good it was great. Now I want to try everything there.“

“Gioia’s Winghaven is our go to for sandwiches! Always get the order correct, always timely service, always wonderful customer service, always delicious! The only complaint is I can’t have them on Sunday! :( We’ve tried to go back to other sandwich shops on a Sunday and it never compares to Gioia’s. You’ve raised the bar so much, now everyone else is a disappointment.“

“DELICIOUS 🤤 we will be back in town next month and SO excited to dine here again!!“

“Absolutely fantastic!! Highly recommend!“

“Bartolinos South is our favorite nice restaurant. Not only is the food consistently wonderful but they always work to please you. We celebrate all special occasions there. Recently we reserved their front room which holds a max of 16, I believe. They went out of their way to make the setting perfect (even bringing in a small table for our use). Our waiter, Karen, was discreet in providing us perfect service without interrupting our shared conversation/memories as we were toasting a dear friend on her birthday. I can’t say enough about how flawless they made our luncheon. Bartolinos will remain our favorite not only for the quality of the food but for their personal attention.“

“One of my top three restaurants in all of St. Louis with the best fettuccine in the world. From the old world style, Italian atmosphere to the delicious food, the great wait staff and Dominic himself going around to all the tables carrying on conversation making sure everyone is having a nice time. And if you are lucky, you might get a chance to listen to his beautiful voice from time to time. We also enjoy the valet parking. It is a top-notch restaurant with the kind of feeling that you just don’t get in this world anymore. We go because it feels like for a few hours we’ve got to escape into a small part of Italy. 🇮🇹 It has what a lot of restaurants just don’t have anymore no matter how fancy the decor. Dominics is class and history with great food all in one place. We are fortunate to have such a place in St. Louis.“

“We had carryout catering from Vincenzo’s for an event we hosted, and it was amazing! The customer service truly elevated the entire experience. We can’t thank them enough for taking care of us and providing such a delicious meal!“

“The food is phenomenal!!!!“

“This Restaurant is a 10 star being the best...Sue was so polite and very courteous....she greeted us on entering waited on us and brought our food out.....She is an asset to your company ..will be back tons of times“

“In from out of town and had dinner at bar. 10 regulars filed in and I was suddenly a “regular”. I had delicious wine, Caesar salad and pasta with grilled chicken. I chose safe (again delicious) but the specials of the night included elk sausage and catfish.“

“Best food and kindest people!“

“The food is delicious and consistent. I love the calzones and the salad.“

“AMAZING FOOD AND SERVICE!!!“

“It was such a great time! Food excellent, wine even better and the atmosphere was so awesome. Low lighting just a great vibe“

“Cannoli Cake is 🤤😋delicious“

“Beth was the most amazing waitress I've ever had in an establishment! She went above and beyond for everything. I never had to ask for any refills or anything. Very attentive and she actually enjoyed serving us. Such a lovely lady and made our night perfect! Thank you so much for this wonderful experience Beth! I recommend asking for Beth if you come here on weekends!“

“We ate lunch here Sunday after church October 16, 2022 and had the most attentive and delightful waiter named Chandler! Our food was great and took enough home for two more meals! Really love Joey B’s thanks n the Hill!“

“We love Viviano’s, great for lunch or dinner, great happy hours! The mushroom Brie soup is wonderful! And the workers are super sweet ❤️“