50 Best Italian Restaurants near South Orange

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

“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.“

“great food. friendly atmosphere“

“Great service and fresh delicious food at a good price. 5 stars“

“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!“

“We recently took my wife to celebrate her birthday here. We absolutely loved the environment, the staff, the food, the drinks, etc. They make my favorite Carbonara out of any other restaurant in this area. The owners and the GM are all wonderful people. I’d recommend it!!!“

“Always a delicious meal and great service at Matthew’s.“

“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.“

“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“

“Vinnie’s Mootz are the best food for authentic Italian food. Their food are amazing. if you are looking for Authentic Italian food for day to day and catering Vinnie’s Mootz the place you need to visit. Great job as always 5 stars 🌟 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️“

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

“As always, dining at DB is a wonderful experience. Seasoned wait staff, considerate service and excellent cuisine is the cornerstone of this restaurant. It is nice to see that their famous Berkshire pork chop is now on the regular menu. We no longer have to wait to enjoy this fabulous entree.“

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

“excellent, outstanding food and very nice atmosphere.“

“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.“

“First time having dinner tonight. Absolutely fantastic. service, food and atmosphere. cant wait to go back.“

“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“

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

“Had a great dinner! Always great service too!“

“Always A+++! Best Vodka sauce! Best staff!“

“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.“

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

“Delicious food with great service!!“

“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.“

“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. 👍👍“

“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.“

“Excellent food, excellent service and reasonably priced!“

“Delicious food. Great birthday celebration.“

“Back in October, we had a surprise 30th birthday dinner for my daughter with a party of 22 people. The waitress was spectacular. The staff and owners were veryaccommodating and the food was delicious. They allowed us to come ahead of time to decorate. The event turned out wonderful!!!“

“Excellent food and service always an enjoyable evening at Michael Angelo’s in Fairfield“

“Food is awesome, along with service .“

“I must say this 1st, that I was treated very well at Italian Village. There was a mishap with my order. I called and the owner Kristin listen to what had happened. She said that it would be fixed that very moment. So with that being said, I was told to come back to Italian Village to pick up my Chicken cheese steak. The way I like it, so this A is for satisfying a customer. Another A for the taste of the sandwich. At the end of all this, giving someone the benefit of the doubt is important. My sandwich was really good 👍.Don't forget to try that Grand Ma pizza.“

“A lovely traditional Italian dining experience, this restaurant definitely tickled this Italian girls fancy! From the olive oil and warm bread to dip, to miniature lemon gelato as a pallet cleanser before our entrée, I was repeatedly impressed with our experience. I highly recommend.“

“The BEST Italian food I have ever had. Truly indescribable“

“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.“

“Been going to Mediterranean Grill for years. First time since they did the place over. Looks very nice. Crisp and clean and very warm and friendly atmosphere. Food is always on point, staff friendly and attentive enough to not be overbearing. Wish we would have sat outside on the patio, it was a great night for it, but the entertainment indoors made us glad we did not ask to be moved. Always a pleasure to see Tom. Spent many a night with friends at the bar chatting and enjoying whatever special drink he would make us.. Great host !!“

“I work locally and went to Tino's for the first time and I know it will not be my last time. The Balsamico sandwich was delicious. Bread was crispy and perfect and the roasted peppers were amazing. Kaya who took my order was friendly and welcoming. A wonderful experience as you walk in. I hope Tino's becomes a Montclair staple for the community. Kevin Lester. ?“

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

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

“Amazing food and the service is top notch the best around 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“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.“

“We came here spontaneously and we were pleasantly surprised. Staff was professional, well mannered and welcoming. Atmosphere was romantic and classy. The food was absolutely great. A contender for the best lasagna I have ever had(and I have eaten at some great places in Manhattan), and the crab cake and shrimp were extraordinary as well. I had the chocolate mousse cake and my fiancee had the tiramisu, both were great for our individual palates. I like intense chocolate flavor, so it was perfect for me. The tiramisu was light and had a great balance of flavor. All in all, we had a great experience. We'll be back next time we are in the area, and we already recommended Primavera Ristorante to our friends.“

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

“Food, ambience and service were all fine. Background music was a bit loud and disruptive at times, at least in the bar/lounge area. Value was good for their bar menu and 30% off on certain things. Though my credit card fee was charged on the gross amount before the discount AND I was taxed on the credit card fee as well. Simply should be taxed on the food and beverage only, otherwise taking advantage of the patron.“

“This is our 2nd time there and the food is great i enjoyed eating there, great vibe staff awesome and the price hands up.“

“Went for the first time over the weekend, food was incredible, will not disappoint !!
It's a BYOB.
Definitely make a reservation there's only about eight tables. Owners are wonderful

Parking: After 6:00 street parking is free“

“We live near Philadelphia and come to the area to visit with family. We will plan our trips around Lassoni’s schedule to make sure we can have their delicious food when we are in the area. We also tend to get a to-go order to take home because the food is that good. Highly recommend!“

“The food was delicious and service was excellent, will definitely be going there again 👍“