50 Best Italian Restaurants near University City

“True NY style pizza right here in STL. Yay!“

“I'm from NY and live in Seattle. This little restaurant in St. Louis was the best meal of my life. Negroni, House Made Pasta, pork chop. Sat at the bar and the two ladies there were so sweet and on point. I may visit the city again just to go back! Thx for the meal/service!“

“Homemade pasta, great service!“

“THE BEST dinner we’ve had in the past three years! The cauliflower appetizer, the romaine salad, and sea bass main course were outstanding! The service was perfect, and the ambiance and decor were terrific. Congrats to Michael and his team. A+“

“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.“

“Great food, fair prices, friendly vibes.“

“Delish! Great place to eat for the whole family!“

“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!!“

“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pictured below is the Gonzo calzone- Salami, dates, spinach, garlic herb cheese, mozzarella, mascarpone-ricotta blend, and garlic oil with garlic butter on the side. My husband looked at me like I was crazy when I read off dates but the slight sweetness against all of that savory is what made it!! We also tried the Fatty B, Meat me in St Louie, Magic Carpet Ride, and the Gyro. They were all amazing but the Gonzo and the Gyro were my favorites. The Magic Carpet Ride is also a must try if you're into mushrooms.“

“Peyton was a wonderful waitress. The food was the best. Lunch could not have been any better.“

“My husband and I had visited family at SLU hospital and were in the mood for Italian food. Found this restaurant on Google and am so happy we did! Wonderful food, great service and a great atmosphere. This will certainly be our to go to restaurant from now on!“

“Delicious food. Friendly atmosphere. Great service. Great happy hour menu! Great little local gem. Everyone is so kind. Shannon was great!“

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

“We were celebrating our daughter receiving her Ph D. This place was highly recommended. Had a WONDERFUL experience. The food was fabulous. The staff extremely friendly. Nice wide open space. Being in the business. I was watching the other staffs interaction with guests and other co workers. EXCELLENT VIBE in the house. HIGHLY recommend. All in All. Guests Staff. Food. Cleanliness. Home Run. Great Job 👊👊👍👍“

“We had dinner last night and William our server was fantastic! delicious food and amazing service! romantic atmosphere 💖“

“THIS POST IS ABOUT THE HOLLYWOOD CASINO LOCATION.... I SAW NO OPTION TO REVIEW ON THAT PAGE. HOLLYWOOD CASINO CHARLIE GITTO's.... MELISSA IS AN AMBASSADOR TO YOUR BRAND!!!! After taking our Grandchildren for pics with Santa, we stopped at Charlie Gitto's and were WOWED by Melissa and her teammates. Our four grandkids; ages 13 to 1, were all treated with respect, acknowledged and included, and able to see for themselves what kind of great service they should both provide in their future careers and expect from the providers they choose. The food was great, (veal, steak, seafood pasta, calamari, mocktails and cocktails, apps to dessert all was wow.) The table was perfect for our needs. The kids weren't trapped in a booth so if they needed they could have gone to restroom... but they were never bored or impatient. Everything was timed perfectly. Our Middle fella could watch the kitchen while he anticipated his dessert. Melissa coordinated the food runners, bussers etc all while making sure we had all we needed for a wow evening. Seriously.. management... listen.. I don't know her but If I thought I could hire Melissa away... I'd try. Do what you need to keep her and people will keep coming back. My wife and our grandchildren were all very happy to have a dinner we won't forget. Bottom line... the kids talked more about dinner than they did about Santa. Thank you Melissa and thank you Charlie Gitto's.“

“great food and hearty portions 👍definitely recommend“

“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!“

“Cannoli Cake is 🤤😋delicious“

“We just stumbled across the restaurant yesterday. Amanda and I had a delightful meal, she, the Baked Rigatoni and I, the Seafood Cannelloni. Service was attentive and quick. We will be back!“

“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!“

“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!“

“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!“

“Good food and very professional staff“

“We had a great anniversary dinner!“

“Best food and kindest people!“

“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pictured below is the Gonzo calzone- Salami, dates, spinach, garlic herb cheese, mozzarella, mascarpone-ricotta blend, and garlic oil with garlic butter on the side. My husband looked at me like I was crazy when I read off dates but the slight sweetness against all of that savory is what made it!! We also tried the Fatty B, Meat me in St Louie, Magic Carpet Ride, and the Gyro. They were all amazing but the Gonzo and the Gyro were my favorites. The Magic Carpet Ride is also a must try if you're into mushrooms.“

“Overall amazing experience with our family here. Food was spot on - cooked perfectly - authentic flavors with an amazing wait staff!“

“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“

“One of the best restaurants on the hill which is known for their Italian cuisine. You won’t be disappointed. White tablecloth, excellent service. The Rolls served hot in a basket with butter is easy to overindulge in. The calamari was cooked perfectly. If you like risotto, try the risotto with lobster. Veal Parmesan is excellent. If you’re lucky, you may hear Dominic sing at one of the tables for a birthday or anniversary! This is the real deal folks.“

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

“My partner and I were impressed with the friendliness of service and amazing food. We will definitely go back. 5-star place, for sure.“

“We reserved the big room for a family party of 24. Our servers, Rachel and Harrison did a fabulous job! They were patient (we're a loud bunch!), checked on us without being a nuisance, and accommodated some late-comers with adding onto the end of one of the big tables. The food was fresh, delicious and brought out hot (not lukewarm)! Some of our party even ordered dessert! Xavier did a great job of bussing the table and grabbing extra drinks, etc. Considering how many people we had, I felt like it was a good deal price-wise as well.
Thank you, Bartolino's for making our family celebration that much more special!!“

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

“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!“

“Great restaurant. Great service and food.“

“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“

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

“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!“

“Great place to entertain friends! Food and service were excellent. Love seeing Mary Rose in the restaurant ❤️“

“I was recently in the Clayton, MO area for a work trip and decided to try this place out for lunch with a colleague since it was walking distance from my company’s corporate office… I was definitely not disappointed. The food was excellent!

The two very good things that this place gets it right with their calzones are that their crusts are just perfect (not to thick, not thin, not too bread like) and just has the right amount of cheese. A lot of places tend to over do it with the amount of cheese they stick in the calzone to the point that all you really taste is just the cheese and no longer the crust or the other fillings.

The entire staff was friendly and the service was quick. They also have a wide selection of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The place was also very clean which is always a very big plus. They also had a good selection of salads which I will definitely try when I’m back in the area.“

“I would say that this place has the true St. Louis style Pizza that are you looking for it's the best I have ever had. I've been here in St. Louis for 50 years and Joe bacardy's fire. Bricked oven Pizza is 10 above all, the rest. I am a lifer and I will get no Pizza unless it's from there. I'd rather spend a couple extra bucks and get what I really love. Hats off to James Bacardi at the Watson location..“

“We ate there 2 nights ago. All dishes the three of us had were exceptional. Even the simple dishes were spectacular. I don’t think I’ve had a better meal in my life. Chef Adam came to our table of number of times and got us just what we wanted. The portions were huge. Everyone should go here and keep going back.“

“This was my first time eating here. The food was amazing and the staff was super friendly and helpful! Just an all around wonderful experience!“

“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!“

“We celebrated our 40 th anniversary last week. We also celebrated our 1 st anniversary at their restaurant on the hill. Wow how time flies. To manage a consistent product every evening over a long time period is a credit to Dominic, Jackie and the entire crew. It's so hard to be good every night. The food is original recipe.... not all the fad items. Quality ingredients prepared with care by people you enjoy their careers. Appetizers were delicious....salads were chilled an looked terrific on the plates....dinners were served hot from the kitchen..... the servers knew where the correct item was to be served. No need to ask... who gets this item. Plates were removed when finished by an attentive assistant and water glasses were filled several times. Server knew the menu well and made solid recommendations. What could have been better..... well after dinner the owner stopped by the table to say hello and check on our experience.... that made it perfect! We also got to say hello to his wife Jackie. Treat yourself to an original Italian meal in Clayton. Thank you Amy and Marvin for a wonderful evening.“

“Our first time here and we will be back ASAP! Excellent service from Gretchen! She was amazing! Burrata was incredible. We split the aglilo de olio and the roman pizza and both were fantastic! All wine we had was top notch! Fantastic place!!“

“Late dinner - we were in the mood for something Italian - food is fabulous - we choose lasagna and risotto - both dishes were yummy and plenty left over for lunch tomorrow - FYI: Their salad are the best!! Kayla and the house staff were fabulous as well… we will be back soon…“

“Haven't been back to St. Louis for awhile and knew we needed to go to The Crossing for dinner. Jim Fiala and his team hits it out of the park in every way. 3 courses paired with wine and each spot on. Last time there we brought our own wine as it was a special bottle. No problem as long as it wasn't on their list and the wine cellar is extensive. If you want an extraordinary dining experience please go.“

“Last night we hosted my friend’s 70th BD party at the ‘Old’ Place Massa’s in Bridgeton with 12 of his family and best childhood friends. It was SO special as they all grew up near and had great memories here. Well, it was the most delightful evening ever! Mike (manager), MaryAnn (I hope I have the right name) and ALL the wait staff were so kind, friendly, and helpful … we felt like they became family too! AND THE FOOD! Never disappoints! We all ordered a variety but my pizza rocked. The drinks and appetizers didn’t disappoint-LOVE the spinach dip. Someone got their steak specialty dish and we all were jealous… it melted in your mouth. From beginning to end, it was the perfect night! And the staff and food made it GREAT! Thank you all so much!!“