50 Best Italian Restaurants in Raleigh

“Pasta me this, Pasta me that! this pasta focused restaurant is the place to go for an excellent pasta dinner in Raleigh.

The green and white checkered tile floor and the large pasta where all of their pasta is made fresh just scream authentic Italian. Although the menu has an awesome selection, the Tagliatelle is outstanding, and the fresh pasta is very refreshing.

Great food, great drinks and friendly staff, you just can't go wrong here. Cheers!“

“Amazing ambience and food great location loved it“

“I absolutely cannot get enough of their penne al a vodka!!! It is perfect, chefs kiss!!“

“We recently went to Brodeto to discover what all of the hype was about. From the minute we walked into the restaurant until the moment we walked out, I have nothing but great things to say about this restaurant. i honestly believe it was one of the best dining experiences I have ever had. The food is awesome and the staff was spot on in every aspect. I can only hope that everyone has the same experience that I was able to witness.“

“We had a wedding rehearsal dinner there this past weekend. Delicious food, good sized portions, excellent service! Thank you so much for making it a wonderful occasion.“

“Great New York style pizza. Sandwiches and desserts are great too.“

“I really love this restaurant and the Italian food is outstanding. Very nice management and staff too with outstanding service.“

“Most times when I go here Jamal is working. He is a great employee and really needs to be promoted to manager. He is always very kind and has great customer service skills. Even if you have to wait a little bit for the food he will talk to you of He is not super busy. He has all the qualities to be a great manager. I wish more people like Jamal worked in food service!! Promote him. Like yesterday please“

“This place!!! It's hard to say what's best. Special shout out to sliced Italian sausage...not crumbled. Antipasto salad with Blue and anchovies!!!!!!

Vegetarian options: Buratta w.. garlic honey black peper toast“

“They don't have a kids' menu, but they have a lot of food that kids will like. spaghetti and meatballs for kids and adults they also have a really good calamari they have salads, and the desserts are amazing. 10/10 definitely recommended“

“Nothing beats the comfort and quality of Bella Monica food! I first dined here in college when I was looking for some eggplant parmesan - since that day 20 years later it’s still my favorite Italian restaurant in Raleigh! Btw their eggplant parmesan uses in house ROASTED eggplant not fried and I cannot explain how delicious it is. I’ve likely tried everything on the menu by this point and not once have I been disappointed.“

“Just had one of the best Philly cheese steak subs ever! Definitely would recommend.“

“I found a recommendation for Farina on a Reddit post about Italian restaurants in Raleigh and I am so glad I decided to try it! The food was beyond wonderful with amazing portions and our server, Rachel I. was just as splendid. I can’t say enough about how much we enjoyed our experience and I will definitely recommend Farina to everyone!“

“Such a great place. So yummy and friendly :)“

“As always, it was excellent. We found this place during covid, now we drive 90 miles for Dr. appts. at Durham and make sure we get to eat here before we leave. Excellent! Excellant! Excellant!“

“Just ate here for the first time. I had the Dijon Chicken and shrimp and my wife had a penne pasta dish. We both were super impressed especially after moving back to Raleigh after many years so many other restaurants have not been very good.“

“Ate dinner here last night! Food was great and our waitress, Hannah, was the best!“

“Great authentic Italian cuisine! Great friendly staff!!“

“it was ,by far, one of the best restaurants for authentic Italian food that I for one grew up eating in New York. we came for dinner on 8/29/2024 to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. it looks like the restaurant has changed hands, as all of the staff with the exception of one of server has been replaced. and, the quality of the food has gone down quite a lot. there's no where near the consistency and portions, yet they have new menus with higher prices. we sure won't be going back. this is a shame, as we've been going there for quite a long time.“

“We discovered this restaurant during restaurant week and we are so glad that we did! We went in about an hour before closing and sometimes that can be a hit or miss, but not for this restaurant! Our food came out hot and perfectly prepared! Everything was delicious and I definitely did not expect these type of dishes at this restaurant! I’m so excited to come back in a try an array of different entrees. The ambience was also great in the restaurant and it definitely can accommodate any type of gathering or small birthday party as well.“

“Came in around 8p and ordered a small pepperoni (hand-tossed) with spinach (spinach recommended by cashier) and he told me 10 minutes. I sat in my car for 8 as I was walking in I was met at the door with a steaming hot pizza & may I add it was quite delicious. Don’t think I’ll be getting my pizza elsewhere!!“

“Some of THE best pizza I've ever had! We drive an hour just to come eat this pizza. The cheese is my absolute favorite but the chicken bacon ranch is awesome too!! Can't go wrong with any choice!“

“Love the service and food! 10/10 recommend!!“

“If you are looking for amazing authentic Italian food (especially the pasta) look no further. I also love the whole atmosphere - it was wonderful to sit outside in a place that doesn’t feel like it is in the city and genuinely has a beautiful view.“

“Our entire family celebrated my daughter’s birthday on a busy Friday night, but we felt like we were the only ones in the restaurant! Personal service, great wine, and the food makes you want to go back every day for something new!!! Thanks to the Longp family for a spectacular and fun celebration! Will be back soon!!!!“

“My waitress Alexis was the best! I ordered the Salmon entree and it was so delicious! The bread and oil were the best I’ve ever tasted! This was my first visit and I’ll go back!“

“La Piazza catered my daughter's wedding this past Saturday and OMG, it was the best EXPERIENCE ever!!!! The food was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS, the amount of food was incredible. Guests were coming up to me all night and the next day asking who catered the wedding, because the food was so delicious. I HIGHLY recommend Anthony for all your catering needs. If you are looking for delicious authentic Italian food then he is your guy to go to. He was absolutely the best to work with. He stayed in constant communication with us the entire time. We also had him make 20 pizzas for the rehearsal dinner and EVERYONE loved the pizza's. He helped make our daughter's dream wedding come true. His staff was AMAZING. Anthony, WE APPRECIATE YOU!!!!THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!!!!“

“Love coming back to this place for our corporate parties. Delicious food, great service, beautiful design and warm atmosphere.“

“Share a great Italian meal with great friends last evening! The atmosphere, the sweet waitress and most of all great Italian food made our experience over the top! Oh, did I mention the wine? 🥰🍷 I highly recommend Dante’s for a great dining experience! 🥰🍝“

“Really solid local Italian place. My family has been here a few times now and it's always been great.

Most times we have been here in the past, my honest opinion is that the food has consistently been a 4/5 and service 5/5 - but tonight, both the service and food were 5/5 and I felt compelled to leave this review.

I had the Rigatoni Fiorentino (hopefully I'm spelling that right!) and will definitely be ordering it again in the future.“

“Doug was an incredible server. They were short staffed, but Doug was very attentive and we couldn’t tell. He recommended a great wine 🍷 and dish. Please tip well!“

“I get pizza from here every Wednesday night. The pizza is always outstanding! They also give military discount on Wednesdays. Highly recommended! 🍕“

“Although we live near this restaurant, we had never visited. The closest we had come was to go to the Poppyseed Market, which is closeby in the same shopping center.

There is no outdoor seating. We actually inquired about this, they plan on possibly adding a couple of tables outside in the near future. Anyhow, the inside of the restaurant is nice, but nothing special. We ordered a salmon dish, penne vodka, and insalata gorgonzola. We also got the chocolate cake for dessert, which was delicious. The food was overall good. The service was friendly. We had arrived close to closing time, but they allowed us to stay without hurrying us to finish our dinner. Prices are moderate to high.“

“I had a great meal tonight consisting of veal parm and pasta, bread and salad. The veal and pasta were very flavorful. The rolls were very tasty.“

“First time trying them and the piece of pizza was huge. I need to go back and try their entree’s. So far I would say check them out.“

“My family enjoys our local 3 Olives ( New Hope) regularly. Prices are reasonable, food is always excellent and customer service is ??. They’ve earned this review - six plus months and we have enjoyed each dish. Please know we appreciate you!“

“Excellent food, service and atmosphere.“

“Good food but wish they put more tomatoes and things in their lettuce salad.

Wheelchair accessibility: Very easy to go in and out of entrance. Isles are wide enough for a wheelchair or rolling cart assistant to maneuver through.“

“Excellent food and service in a cool and chic setting. Calamari is especially tasty with lemon aoli and hot honey sauce. Focaccia bread is amazing too. save room for dessert“

“Excellent pizza! We ordered 2 pies and a gluten free. All were excellent and piping hot. We will definitely be back.“

“My son decided to take us out to this Absolutely delightful restaurant on the ninth floor we sat on the out door balcony just after dark ,the views were stunning all the downtown buildings were lit up .the light though out the restaurant gave off an Enchanting mellow atmospheric jib, which gave you the feeling of being in a kind of Exotic location ,the excellence of the service, the absolutely Exquisite food presentation Coupled
with the atmosphere really added to the experience. I highly recommend this beautifully located restaurant and we had the best server in the entire restaurant that was Melissa. She was right on point. Always thinking ahead to make sure we had everything we needed for an enhanced amazing dining experience. .

Parking: The views from the waiting area restaurant. Are absolutely spectacular.

Wheelchair accessibility: They do have wheelchair accessibility Play parking garage there is An elevator to the ninth floor and right straight into the restaurant Waiting area and then straight into the restaurant itself. All is very accessible.“

“Despite the late hour , the staff was very accommodating. Our waitress, Brook was awesome and so we’re the drinks and pizza.“

“Great experience Food was GREAT. Leona and Hampton are the best.“

“The atmosphere was romantic and the food was absolutely amazing! My husband had one of the best filets that he has ever had and the homemade pasta was as close as I’ve found to true Italian pasta. Highly recommend for a romantic date night ❤️“

“Great experience Food was GREAT. Leona and Hampton are the best.“

“The Chicago pizza is AWESOME!!! Stopped in on a trip too get it to go. The manager (assuming he was) and/or at least bartender made great LIT’s and was a cool guy to talk to while waiting! I’ll be making the hour drive there often!“

“So delicious!!! Ravioli and chicken cacciatore.Yum!“

“Food was delicious! Family run business was a plus!“

“Food was great...Service was not so good. I was with my family that consisted of 10 people, we dined in a private area..The waitress was polite, but she was rushed and she forgot to bring refills..I think they were shorthanded because it was like she wanted us to hurry and place our orders...and once we did that, we barely saw her..On a couple of occasions we went to find her because we needed refills for our beverages..But the food was very good, and we will dine in again..Oh, and it was my sister's Birthday and she never got her free dessert nor did they recognize her even after they were informed that we were there to celebrate her big day...“

“As a hairstylist with my salon suite, Little Shop of Hairdos, at Phenix Salon Suites, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the opening of the restaurant side of this establishment. I’m a frequent visitor to their pizza side and have watched the restaurant’s progress with growing excitement. Let me tell you, it was worth the wait! The food was spectacular, the service was excellent, and the atmosphere struck a perfect balance — fancy yet casual, with a fine-dining vibe and a great bar experience. My husband and I started with the Meatballs and Ciabatta (San Marzano, Parmigiano Reggiano), which were tender, flavorful, and paired with an incredible marinara sauce. My husband declared them “some of the best meatballs I’ve ever had.” For our mains, my husband ordered the Chicken Parmigiana (spaghetti, tomato sugo, bufala mozzarella), which was crispy on the outside, juicy inside, topped with a delicious cheese and homemade marinara. He said it beats Olive Garden any day — a huge compliment for a small business Italian restaurant! Raleigh desperately needed a place like this and now we have it. I had the Vongole (capellini, clams, garlic crumbs, wine cream), and it was divine — perfectly portioned, flavorful without being too rich, with clams cooked to perfection. Our sides were equally impressive. The Brussels Sprouts (colatura gastrique, guanciale) were a standout, with guanciale and a balsamic-like sauce that was to die for. The Roasted Broccolini (white wine, Calabrian chiles) had just the right kick — not too spicy, but full of flavor. Next time, we’re trying the Crispy Potatoes (pecorino, rosemary, +3 truffle add-on) because they sound amazing! For dessert, we enjoyed a layered chocolate cake with a rich, ganache-like texture. We also ordered hand-battered chicken tenders and buttered noodles with Parmesan for our two-year-old. He devoured the tenders (which were delicious — I snuck a bite!), and even ate the in-house made noodles, which he usually refuses. We’re already planning our next visit to try the Seared Salmon (broccolini, confit tomato, lemon butter) and Branzino (orzo risotto, sundried tomato, caramelized fennel), while my husband is eyeing the Lasagna (béchamel, ricotta, pork and beef, tomato sugo). This place is our new date night spot, and we’ll be back without a doubt!“