50 Best Italian Restaurants near Maplewood

“I had dinner here and it's the best ITALIAN FOOD I've had in a long time,SERVICE was great as well.“

“We have been regulars for years!“

“We love Porta Rossa - without question the best pasta and sandwiches in town (and surrounding towns too tbh). Love that there's some seating now too and it's become my go-to spot to meet a friend for lunch and then bring home some supplies for dinner.“

“OMG!!!!!! THE BEST PIZZA I'VE EVER HAD!!!!!!
This is not an exaggeration. They have cracked the code to the perfect crust/sauce/ topping ratio. The crust is crispy and fluffy and buttery without being greasy. The toppings are FRESH! It's light and hearty at the same time. I got the zucchini and buffalo slices and my sister got the Upside Down and the massive garlic knot. INCREDIBLE!!!!! I'm not usually a buffalo sauce person because it can be acidic and too spicy...........THIS IS PERFECT. The zucchini slice tasted like they picked everything from the garden. If you love a more saucy pizza the upside down is LEGIT.!!

Adam was so incredibly kind and welcoming. He explained everything to us and has the best energy!!

The bathroom is so ICONIC!!!! Just go in and if you know....you know.

This was our first time going my sister showed me a video from instagram and it surpassed the hype!!! It was worth every penny and will be our main pizza place!!!“

“This is a great place for lunch or dinner. No reservations taken so you have to wait. This place knows how to make bread. Their pizza was amazing! The prosciutto sandwich was more like a panini however great also! Their pastries are so flaky and fresh. The meatball appie with a dab of ricotta was outstanding. Will definitely return to try more!“

“First time I've tried Roman
Had a slice of Sicilian.
It was one of the best Sicilian slices ever.
Light and soft as a feather
You rarely find someone who can make a square slice like that
Can't wait to return“

“I Love, Love Love Sabatino. He makes great pizza and makes sure my California bambina eats great food while at Seton Hall. I highly recommend this pizzeria. Fantastic customer service and great food. Grazie Taste! Dio ti Benedici sempre!“

“I eat at Maplewood Pizzeria occasionally. My food is always good and service has always been friendly. Last week, my job order zeppole from there, but they gave the wrong time for pickup. The event would have started before the pick-up time. We'll, I went there and explained the situation to the young man behind the counter. He told me he would start the order for me, and I had two pans of freshly made zeppole in 20 minutes. They were delicious. The service was impeccable and above and beyond anything that we could have hoped. BTW, the zeppoles were delicious, and the trays were overflowing. They were delicious, and everyone asked where we purchased them. Maplewood Pizzeria saved the day.“

“Can I please give it 6 stars? I recently went there with a group of five family members while visiting New Jersey and we had a truly extraordinary night! As an investor in restaurants I'm very critical when visiting any restaurant and not often impressed even with well known critically acclaimed restaurants. It's very rare when a place has truly incredible food with every appetizer and entree as well as first class VIP vibes for service. You could literally taste the passion and care put into every plate with beautifully prepared flavorful abundant meals. In fact, it was the first time in almost a decade I brought home leftovers as the meal was delicious and easily sufficient for two people. Our entire table raved about their meals and the attentive but not obtrusive service was always there to refill our wine and assist without any of us having to look up for service. The food alone would have made for a great night but what truly made it memorable besides the great waitstaff was the manager, Eli. When was the last time a manager, GM or owner greated you at your table to share a polite, interesting and passionate conversation about the food and why they love sharing this experience with their valued customers? He made our entire table feel like VIPs and made perfect recommendations for wine and dessert. It felt more like we were in someone's home as we were there for close to 3-1/2 hours talking, eating, drinking and laughing. The ambiance is warm and unpretentious and the memories of a great experience will certainly bring us back again.“

“Wonderful food. Nice attentive service!“

“Highly recommend supporting our local dinning. In fact, a party of seven was just booked after sharing a night of Fundraising at Giorgio's.“

“Chose this place based on the menu one Sunday when a friend and I decided to meet last minute, and I'm very happy that I did.
The inside is nice and bright & very cozy. The staff are wonderfully attentive and pleasant.
The Lemon curd pancakes were scrumptious- even my 10-months-old daughter loved them. The Challah bread French Toast was delicious. Both dishes are shareable, and I'll do that next time. I will definitely be back! Of course the parking is precarious because of the restaurant's location but it's worth it.“

“I love food. I love to eat it. I love to cook it. But food to me has always been more than just something to eat. I like to study process. Fun to me is to be able to be in a restaurant kitchen and talk to the chef while he’s making a dish. I want to be able to see what he’s doing and ask about it. Why are you taking the dish off the fire so quickly? Why are you using canned peeled tomatoes rather than fresh? I want to know everything. To me, process can be just as exciting as being presented with the beautiful and delicious final product. This evening, I stopped at an unusual pasta restaurant - All' Assassina. https://www.allassassina.com/ They call themselves the killer pasta project. It’s different. It has an open kitchen. The small dining room is colorful – eye catching. You go up to the front and order your pasta. You decide what will be added in – mushrooms, capers, tomatoes, chicken, olives and more. And then the chef makes it right in front of you. The owner told me that not everybody watches. They’re missing out. This restaurant is offering dinner and a show. And the cooking here is a performance. You get to see what goes into your food and how it is made. It gives you an additional appreciation for what you are about to savor. All the senses go on alert. You could see it. You could hear it in the pan and you could smell it. If you are anywhere near Union, New Jersey, check out All' Assassina. But do not just order and walk away. Look. Listen. And learn. Not everybody likes to cook. But everyone should like to learn. The more you know about what’s in your food and how it is prepared, the more you’ll appreciate good food. The tastes, the textures. Wow. There was an avalanche of different flavors hitting my mouth all at once. It’s worth a trip. Go for the meal. Stay for the show.“

“Overall a WONDERFUL experience...They never disappoint. Whether it's with their friendly, attentive service or specials which are culinary delights, they hit the mark! The staff is almost psychic in their attention. The chef makes this a local gem. Over time, I've become a 'regular'. I HIGHLY recommend. Frankly, the best in Union county..“

“The atmosphere and food is always 5 ⭐️. Met Mario the chef fantastic !“

“We love this place and have eaten several times for lunch. Food is consistently good and inventive.

My only warning is - if you come for dinner, especially on a weekend, be ready to wait. It's free seating so there's lots of groups standing around waiting for a table to open up. The real bottleneck seems to be their pizza oven. We got our meal almost immediately except for the pizza - had to awkwardly wait for 20 additional minutes as people eyed our table.“

“We had my 80th birthday party there with the whole family. It was wonderful. Everyone loved the food. We’ve been there a few other times too….we’ll go back!“

“very attentive service without being intrusive. Our meals were absolutely delicious, so fresh and hot. Dessert was heavenly. Thank you for making our wedding anniversary perfect“

“Matthew 's Restaurant is 1 of the best restaurants in North NJ if NOT The Best. The food is always Delicious & Service is excellent. Beyond that, the atmosphere or aviance is excellent. The vibe & energy is first rate positive fun & culinary enjoyment. I believe that this fine dining experience is also driven by the owner Matthew who is usually in the restaurant greeting guests & helping out. When you visit Matthew's you'll have a great time and it'll feel like you're on mini-vacation from the stress of every day life while seemingly enjoying the warmth of family. It may be a cliche but it's definitely true. 10 stars ⭐ out of 10.“

“We had an intimate Repast at Farington's Cafe after the sudden death of my nephew. We were all so impressed with the food... a delicious salad and one of the best penne vodka dishes ever. These were followed by the main course...choice of lemon sole, flank steak or chicken parm. Each and every dish was superb! Beyond this, the compassion shown by the staff was so consoling. I recommend this restaurant to all. You will thank me!“

“My Step Dad Recently had went for his birthday dinner, with my mom and my step family and wanted to share they recommend this place(they don’t have social media). They had a big party of like 20 people. Food was delicious, servers and service were amazing. Everyone got their food at the same time. They were extremely happy with the restaurant.“

“The best pizza in NJ“

“We went just before closing time and the service was phenomenal! We have a person with autism and they were so patient; when we asked him how he liked his food his response was “the food is so good I feel like I am in Italy.” Thank you for a memorable evening.“

“We are thrilled to offer our highest praise. The opening of this establishment in Nutley is a valuable asset to the community, and our first visit exceeded expectations. The atmosphere is elegant. The service was impeccable, and the food was delectable. The Caesar salad was unparalleled. We will certainly return. Cheryl, the hostess, is outstanding!“

“We are Never disappointed eating at La Campagnola~ the Food is Amazing ~ the Service is always impeccable ~ love the Ambiance ! We Wish you were in Monmouth County ~ but the distance won’t stop us from returning again ~ We’ll be back Brian 🍝🍷👍☺️“

“Seasonal dishes fresh and beautifully presented! Friendly and helpful team with excellent dish recommendations :)“

“New ownership and some of the BEST pizza in NJ you have to come try this place“

“One of the best Italian dinners I've ever enjoyed! Silvio is a great owner, host, chef. The food, including the appetizers were spot-on delicious. The bread was spectacular. We celebrated our daughter's engagement and my 74th birthday and it was excellent. Silvio, Mateo will definitely be back! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“Excellent service and food. Accommodating for dietary needs. They even took our group earlier than our reservation which was much appreciated as we were all from out of town and heading home immediately following lunch. Roasted potatoes, chicken francese, eggplant parm and sausage with peppers all got rave reviews.“

“Delicious food with great service!!“

“I am from Maryland, was passing thru on the way home. The food was excellent. The Tony salad was so good, got a meatball pizza that was delicious also. Got two pasta entrees, chicken Marsala and one other I can’t remember the name of. Both were delicious. Price was good especially for the area.“

“Hosted my 30th high school class reunion and it was a blast! Great food & staff. Many thanks to Sal for accommodating all our needs.“

“Delicious pizza! Needs a little more crunch though.“

“Delicious food and great service!“

“Had a company holiday dinner ! Matt our server was great ! The dinner was family style . Matt took the time to make everyone leftovers ! Will definitely be back.“

“Excellent service , cozy atmosphere. Place is second to none !“

“Excellent food, excellent service and reasonably priced!“

“Food is awesome, along with service .“

“everything !!! rice balls can’t be beat. vodka sauce the best“

“Very fun social vibe, special Birthday ritual, food was excellent, I practically licked my plate, service was attentive and the manager very active.“

“We had our daughters 18th Birthday Bash here at the Appian Way on: February 5th, 2022. We dealt with Bob throughout the whole process. And he was just great! Alot is included in the price you receive. And many other venues don't compare when it comes to price. Helping to save you some money along the way. The rooms are beautiful and my guest were amazed. The workers were accommodating and helped get our room together way before time. This helped us tremendously with getting most of the setup being done the night before. The lighting is awesome. The food was absolutely delicious. My guests are still raving about the food. It really was better than I expected. I will definitely be back to celebrate more gatherings. Thank you Bob and your staff for your get service.“

“Just delicious and the service for our large group was fantastic“

“I have used catering from Mazzella's several times now and never disappoints! Food is always fresh and abundant. Guests always ask where I got the food. 👍👍“

“ALWAYS.. fantastic Italian food. The very best!! Been going there every Saturday night since they opened. Unbelievable Italian cuisine, great service & Frankie and Jen are concerned & attentive to their customers.“

“Had some errands to do in Newark, me and friend stopped in for a cocktail and lunch 10/10. great atmosphere, awesome staff. If I didn't live so far I would be a regular“

“I have always loved Bella Mamas,, and now it's has gotten even better, with the grilled pizzas , the new menu, the portion are huge and you are definitely taking left overs. very inviting atmosphere.“

“Fantastic!! So glad we came, by far the best Italian we’ve had….ever! Service from the outset was 1st class, very attentive team, could not do enough for you. Food quality was outstanding. Definitely worth the price tag.“

“The hot dog & hot sausage combo with the works is the best!“

“The food was delicious!!!“

“Our family celebrated my son’s and future daughter’s engagement party here and it was amazing. The food was great and staff took care of us very well. You have got to get there for dinner yourself.“