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.“

“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“

“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.“

“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.“

“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.“

“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!!“

“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!“

“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!!!!!“

“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.“

“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.“

“Great restaurant. Great service and food.“

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

“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“

“Good food and very professional staff“

“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!“

“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!“

“Absolutely fantastic!! Highly recommend!“

“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!“

“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 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!“

“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“

“Cannoli Cake is 🤤😋delicious“

“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!“

“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!“

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

“Pastaria is one of favorite Niche properties. It’s approachable, fun, easy to get a rez at, and a great place to take clients, friends, or significant others. The bread service is great, the appetizers are delicious, and the birthday cake dessert is one of my favorites.“

“I arrived here around 2:50pm with my sons to grab some lunch. We are visiting STL from out of state. It wasn’t busy and we were the only ones there. I ordered around 3pm. We got the feliz navidad calzone, 5 piece pepperoni basil bites, and the taste two (calzone and buffalo chicken bites).

All the food came at 3:15pm. I was expecting the bites to come out first. This was the experience at a different location we tried 2 days prior.

Nonetheless, the food was just as delicious! It was made fresh. The mini is the perfect size. I got a regular size last time and I only ate half and took the other half home. My teen son (big appetite) couldn’t even finish the regular sized one. We ate at this establishment twice during our vacation, so that should tell you how good it was! If it was up to my teen, we would’ve eaten there a 3rd time! The food is great.

As a side note, After ordering and bringing the food, interaction with staff was very limited.“

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

“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!“

“We ordered this pizza through doordash and received the wrong pizza. We went back to the store because doordash was entirely unhelpful and the owner replaced our pizza for the correct one for no charge. He was very kind and helpful as well!“

“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…“

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

“Been going to Lou and Joe. Baccardis for 40 years. Lou and Joe are brothers. Lou had the place on Magnolia Avenue on the hill called Lou Baccardis. Joe had the rest of the Resteraunt.
Lou would sit in the front of the resteraunt at a table and smoke a great big cigar. While greeting patrons.
Lou died his dayghter took the resteraunt over. After sometime sho sold to her uncle Joe.
Great pizza, homemade crust extra thin.
Salads , pasta, sandwiches,everything on menue fresh made to order. First class Five Star! !“

“Amazing food and food service (Amy) was amazing. Only negative and one significant that I wouldn't return was the person in charge of valet service. He was rude when I arrived & parked and when I left. I'm 71 and traveled the world and lived in NYC yet never received so rude of service.“

“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.“