50 Best Italian Restaurants in St. Louis

“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.“

“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.“

“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“

“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.“

“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.“

“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🌟“

“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!“

“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!!!!!“

“We just left and had an amazing experience!!! From the food, to the server and the young man clearing our plates. Absolutely wonderful!!! Will definitely be back again - very soon!“

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

“Absolutely fantastic!! Highly recommend!“

“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.“

“Fantastic food & incredible service made our 24th wedding anniversary celebration memorable.“

“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“

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

“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!“

“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!“

“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.“

“Thanks for the OVER PRICED BLOODY WINGS! 🤮🤮🤮“

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

“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!“

“I had the Spinach lunch salad which was very large (my husband didn’t think I would finish it). It was supposed to have feta cheese, bacon and candied pecans on top. I was very surprised at the large amounts of these add-ins. I expected about half the amount they gave me. The spinach was perfectly dressed, not too much and not too little dressing, just a silky coating on the greens. My spinach salad looked even better than the photo posted by Carol Boss.
My husband had spaghetti and meatballs. He ordered a dinner portion, which was very large. He admitted that he should have gotten the lunch portion. We brought home one of the two large meatballs with lots of spaghetti. Fifteen years ago, he worked in Webster Groves and would go to this restaurant for special occasions. I asked him if the spaghetti was as good as he remembered and he said yes.
The music was all old time Italian classics with singers like Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole. I knew the words to all of the songs.“

“Great service. Delicious food.“

“My Son and I like to go on Mondays to the Woods Mill location. Alyssa is our regular server. She’s exceptional!! Great service consistently. Food is always exceptional! I’ve been going to this establishment for decades!!“

“One of the best parts of St. Louis food culture, this restaurant exemplifies Italian Pasta at its finest. Well done!“

“First time back in 9 years! Sausage pizza was good, green olive arugula and prosciutto piza was just okay. Cannelloni was decent. Tivoli salad was solid. Inside was dead and it took just over 30 minutes for the pizza and 25 minutes for the pasta.

Overall it's decent, worth a try if you like wood fired pizza.

Original Review - Amazing purely Italian pizza. This place is a little slice of Italy in st.louis. There's an option for anyone and even a gluten free crust. The staff is slightly ineffective but they are also a new company and family owned so they just need a little time. Favorite pizza place in stl by far.“

“Got dinner last night with the family, and our waitress Mariah was fantastic! Our 2 little girls just adored her! Of course we got the fried cheese which is always top tier! The pasta was fantastic and my kids both enjoyed their food. It’s always nice to eat somewhere and the staff treat you like family. Will definitely be back another only because the food was good but because the staff is amazing!“

“Our first time visiting and it was a very memorable experience that we will highly recommend others to see for themselves. The waitress we had was on top of her duties taking care of us in spite of the extra large table that came in after us. Thank you for such amazing food and excellent customer service.“

“I was at Pasta House today with a group. Our server was excellent and greeter was pleasant! My side House Salad was delicious… the way I remember as I haven’t been in a long time and rolls delish as well. However my Chicken Breast was terrible and honestly should be taken off the Menu. I’m actually shocked that they let it go out of the kitchen as were the ladies sitting near me. The chicken breast had obviously been cut in half, so was very thin and dry with burnt pieces on it and was hard to cut and chew. I tried 2 bites and then asked to get another one which my group was about done so I only took one bite and took the rest home. I just tried eating it for dinner and although it was a tiny bit better than the first one, it was still dry and inedible so I made myself a sandwich instead. The side pasta I brought home also wasn’t good. I really do not like to do bad reviews but I spent $15 on this mostly inedible meal and thought others should know Thank you!“

“Very nice ppl. Best pizza ?“

“We stopped by here for dinner after work while in town. The service was so good - the staff was super attentive. The food was delightful!

We got a drink, salad & lobster ravioli. It was soft & filled to perfection. The veggies in the dish matched!

We walked here from our hotel - it’s perfect for the area in Clayton.“

“Pizza was cooked perfect and the crust was delicious!“

“Very,very accommodating on a busy Saturday night. (July 13)“

“Food is amazing, atmosphere is very nice, service staff are wonderful! Recommend the asparagus & prosciutto, pistachio goat cheese, bruschetta, their antipasti plates are all good! Also the house mixed greens is fresh and delicious, and they have amazing pastas and entrees. Our favorites are the Ragu alla Bolognese, fettuccine tres amici, tortellini with cream, the salmon is the best ever, and their steaks are fantastic. And you have to have an espresso martini. Definitely recommend. Sit on the patio if it’s nice out, it’s beautiful.“

“Robin and I ate here Friday night (5/3). We were immediately seated outdoors in the lovely courtyard, flanked by a large, ivy covered wall. Every bite we had from the salad, Brussels Sprouts, Burrata, Wild Mushroom Risotto, and their award winning Amaretto Pie was better than the last. It truly tasted like Italy and has our wholehearted recommendation!“

“Delicious food, huge portions for a great price. Hospitality like none other! We absolutely loved each bite, you can’t go wrong here. Our favorites from our most recent trip were the Nana and the house salad. Make sure to get there early ish to avoid large crowds, but it’s so worth the wait!“

“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.“

“Great food and service“

“We were in St Peter’s Mo. and were going to go to Olive Garden for my Wife’s birthday, when I told our clerk at the hotel she said she would recommend the Pasta House over the Olive Garden. We went and had supper. Everything we had was great better than the other place. We took desert back to the room and it was great. I would recommend to anybody.“

“The food is phenomenal!!!!“

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

“Vangel’s is the most exceptional meal out we have had in a long time. Soft music, soft lighting, great choices for drinks and hearty menu items make for a memorable night out. Louie the owner made us feel at home on our first, but not last visit to Vangels. Thank you for the hospitality and great experience all around. Tracy“

“We love their loaded sub! I raved about it so much that my husband decided to try it, which is completely out of the norm. Now, we travel from about 20 miles away just for these great sandwiches! I should tell you I'm not a huge sandwich fan, so this says a lot. The bagels are fantastic also, and I am a very particular about needing chewy bagels. The carrot cake cheesecake was also excellent, but it truly is not cheesecake. it is simply carrot cake but it's very good!“

“AMAZING FOOD AND SERVICE!!!“