50 Best Italian Restaurants near University City

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

“Louie has many amazing dishes to choose from and everyone was very hospitable:) No reservation and went as a party of two at 5:00pm and were sat immediately by the pizza oven, which was so fun to watch! The roman gnocco was amazing ✨ our server Avry was also so nice.“

“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+“

“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.“

“Great food, fair prices, friendly vibes.“

“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🌟“

“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!“

“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“

“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!“

“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.“

“Great restaurant. Great service and food.“

“Dinner was delicious. I could have made a meal from the crab stuffed mushroom appetizer alone! Everyone in our party enjoyed their dinners, which were more than generous portions. We will have multiple meals from the leftovers
As a bonus, it is attached to the Drury Inn at Forest Park, so there is plenty of free parking, more than most places on The Hill.“

“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!“

“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!“

“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“

“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!“

“This place is a hidden gem. People drive by daily and probably don't even think about it. Too bad for them...our table of seven women had a variety of meals and loved everything. The wine list is actually a book of many options of bottles. The atmosphere was lovely. Ed, our waiter, was amazing, he seemed to be close by when we needed him. He was very attentive but not lingering. Great service and great food. It had been a while since many of us had been here. We all vowed not to wait so long to return. By the way, we made reservations, you may want to also.“

“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!“

“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.“

“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“

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

“so insanely good. we visited from kansas city and upon seeing photos we KNEW we had to stop here, and we definitely made the right choice. the food was incredible, the decor and vibe inside were so gorgeous and comfy, and carried lots of deli goods im not able to find at home! our server, Carolyn, was the absolute sweetest ever. she made sure we were well taken care of and had the best recommendations. I would make the four hour drive back just for her!!“

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

“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!“

“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!“

“Cannoli Cake is 🤤😋delicious“

“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.“

“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.“

“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…“

“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.“

“Very nice ppl. Best pizza ?“

“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.“

“This place is pretty good. Service can be hit or miss especially the hostesses can sometimes have an attitude. Love the food and large menu. The patio is a great place to relax and sunbathe.“