43 Best Italian Restaurants near Lakewood

“This is our new favorite restaurant after having driven by it for over for ten years and only today finally taking the plunge (you simply must get a reservation except on the most dull weeknights)!

The recipes are stunningly good and their execution is simply top-rate. The table service was excellent, very professionally done! The environment is great too! the desserts are superbly executed as well, to include the house-made gelato!

The only thing anyone could honestly complain about is the cost: it’s expensive, but everything of highest quality is, so the value is still very high in our opinion.

We won’t be eating here too often, but it is now squarely our favorite restaurant in northeastern Ohio!“

“My husband and I popped in for dinner after he arrived home from a family event. We wanted a date night after being away from one another for several days/nights. It was our first time. I sent him the menu as he boarded his plane and he was looking forward to a “new spot”. It did not disappoint. We were attended to from the time we sat down until after we tabbed out. We tried several dishes to get an idea of their style of cooking. The prosciutto melted in our mouths.. the ricotta was extremely creamy and bread from Breadsmith? DELISH. The Italian wedding soup was delicious, the pig n’ fig pizza was excellent (kudos on the dough and crust!), the spicy vodka rigate was on point! Not too spicy.. just that perfect amount of crushed red pepper in the sauce. The wine list was an extensive and our servers (we love to sit at the bar) was top notch! (Forgive me because I’m bad with names but I believe they were Alyssa and Jackie?) it is now on our list of must return spots. They were jamming for a Wednesday night. We initially sat at the rail bar but a couple waved in our direction to let us know they were leaving in a few minutes. If you’re looking for a quiet, romantic spot, it’s not quiet but it doesn’t echo, either. The details are beautiful, the artwork is pleasant to the eye and it was a perfect romantic date night spot for us. One of the better Italian spots in the area. Kudos and thank you for a great evening! Oh. P.S. the 12 month prosciutto with ricotta “primi” is definitely enough to share with 4 people. lol. So good!“

“Went to Pepper’s for the first time and I have to say it was the best experience! From the service to the apps to the food to the drinks it was just phenomenal! Will absolutely be back!“

“This was our first time ordering from tomori’s. Wings, pizza and pasta were all fantastic! We will be back.“

“I cannot say enough about Palazzo!!! Whether it is dine in or ordered to go, we have never had a bad experience here. Wait staff is amazing and the owner is one of the nicest people I've met! Lobster cooked beautifully, steaks cooked to perfection, the pasta was so flavorful and the salads were perfect. It's a quiet little spot but once you find it, you will be back!! Definite must do for our family!“

“We took our son for his 18th birthday and they really made it special! The food was fantastic! Our server was impeccable and birthday message and puff pastries was the perfect touch! Thank you for such an amazing experience!“

“Great meal“

“4 of us visited Bruno’s Sunday for dinner with a 6:45 reservation. Greeted immediately upon walking in. Bar area seats abt 10-15 and reservations can be made for bar seating as well! Within a minute of being seated our server had our drink order and returned with them. Appetizers ordered: Hot sausage stuffed peppers These weee absolutely awesome. Served with peppers and onions with a light marinara. Menu says “spicy”; they are medium hot but amazing flavor Artichoke The couple with us ordered these ?breadcrumb” battered and fried portion. Also sauced in hous made marinara. Entrees ordered: chicken parm, spaghetti marinara, scallops and pasta. All were tremendous! Our server Martha was spot on with everything, meal was very nicely paced. I spoke with the gentleman in charge to compliment him on his food and staff. This was our first visit but definitely not our last! This is a definite 10/10.“

“Our local PTO ordered their grab and go catering for a Staff Appreciation lunch. I have received so many “thank-you”’s and compliments on how delicious it was! Highly recommend. BONUS we were able to help support a local business AND treat our hardworking teachers and staff! GW PTO 100% recommends!!“

“Vito is a hottie“

“Great food and our waiter was amazing!!“

“Excellent service and people are so warm and friendly. Osteria has the best ribeye steak!“

“My boyfriend saw a video on Facebook about another customer doing a review and shared it to me and we both agreed we had to try this place…. Did NOT disappoint!!! I had the BLT and he had the chef’s choice wraps. Mine had a bunch of flavor to the sauce. It was really good He said his was spicy not too spicy. We both had the cannoli chips and OMG!!!!! Soo good. Very dangerous 😉! You will get hooked!! We will be back!“

“Everyone was nice food was great salad looked bomb and was even better“

“If I could give a higher rating than 5 stars I would. Ross and Mike were absolutely AMAZING to work with for our event. We had our Grand Opening at Skyline on Stokes and we had less than 4 weeks to put this together. Ross was so accommodating and was able to work it into their schedule even though they had already had another event that day. The customer service from the Staff was EXCEPTIONAL, the food was fantastic as well as the set up in the room, the drinks were amazing. They were able to accommodate specialty drinks that we requested and helped give us the ideas for and there was another full bar outside. They were able to provide a full execution of everything we asked for in such a little time frame. Thank you Ross and Mike for making the night a success! We will recommend your services to anyone and we hope to do business with you again. Thank you“

“Staff was nice, food was delicious and food was fast. The best place I’ve eaten in awhile!“

“As always, food was stellar. Apps were great, bread was excellent, dinner were great.“

“Always excellent great local spot!!! Won’t let me add my pics… ugh“

“Pizza was ok nothing that made me say oooh delicious sauce was flavorless (took a bite with no pepperoni), pepperoni over powering that couldn't even taste the sausage and greasy. The mozzarella too expensive and cold, I live 2min away if that so it wasn't the drive time.“

“Amazing food and staff!!! They go above and beyond for their guests! Beautiful and elegant atmosphere!“

“Stopped in to try and ordered the lunch special with 2 tenders with Carolina BBQ sauce and Tilapia. Lunch had generous portions for $7.99. Next time ill order a head because they make everything on the spot! Very good food and service. I will definitely be going back! Also very friendly owners“

“We had Mario cater our small wedding last week. He went above and beyond to make the our guests happy with his delicious food! All of our guests raved about the dinner provided for them. Many said it was the best food they have had at a wedding. Mario gave us exactly what we asked for and elevated his food with the love he has for cooking. I HIGHLY recommend Mario as he is top notch and was worth every penny. Thanks for making our day even more special!!!🤩❤“

“Great food, great service and great knowledge and communication from the server to the kitchen staff about which options are gluten free. Many places make you feel like a burden when questioning the menu due to your dietary needs. Everyone there made me feel they were happy to answer questions and address the issue. I cannot say enough good things about the experience.“

“Delicious unpretentious food and great staff!“

“Food is excellent!! And our waitress was on the ball..great service!!“

“A very elegant atmosphere. Our server was very attentive but not overbearing. I will probably be comparing other Italian restaurants quality to Stino's. the food was fabulous. I will come back next time I am in Cleveland.“

“New Favorite Italian Spot! We came here for my brother’s rehearsal dinner, and wow—Matteo’s absolutely blew us away! My husband and I loved everything we had: the lemon chicken was tender and flavorful, the Alfredo cavatelli was creamy perfection, and the sausage and meatballs were just incredible. Honestly, I can’t even pick a favorite—they were all that good. The bread and butter? Probably the best we’ve ever had. The cozy, old-town vibe of the location just added to the charm, and the service was top-notch. You can really feel the care and warmth of a true mom-and-pop Italian place. We’ve officially found our new go-to spot. If you’re a fan of Italian food and great hospitality, do yourself a favor and check out Matteo’s!“

“Delicious unpretentious food and great staff!“

“Superb meal and great atmosphere. It was wonderful meeting Carmella and her niece for the first time. I really enjoyed our conversation. Looking forward to dining there again!“

“Amazing food and service! Highly recommended!“

“The best outdoor dining area in area. Atmosphere is number one food is number one people are number one. The experience here is just fantastic.“

“I tried the Italian beef for the first time. Its delicious and huge. The bread looks like its homemade, some of the best I have ever had on a sandwich. I also ordered the onion rings and they were amazing. I want to come back and try the spicy sausage sandwich.“

“Tripi Italian Market is an absolute gem in Cleveland! I can't recommend this place enough. The owner is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about what he does, and it really shows in the quality of their products.
Their wine selection is fantastic, and you can tell a lot of thought has gone into it. What's even better is that you can find some truly great bottles for amazing prices. It's the perfect spot to pick up a fantastic wine for any occasion without breaking the bank.
Whether you're looking for an incredible sandwich, some authentic Italian groceries, or a great bottle of wine, Tripi has you covered. Do yourself a favor and check them out!“

“We recently had a wedding rehearsal dinner reserved at Aldo’s for about 25 attendees. The food was more than excellent and the service was wonderful. We had great communication and coordination with the owner and the event went very smoothly with quick service. We ended up going back a couple of days later for one more meal before leaving Cleveland. We will be back again the next time we are in the area.“

“Great meatballs!!! Dini was wonderful. Fantasioso server!!!! 1st trip here. We will be back.“

“The best pizza. In a long time“

“Words cannot accurately explain how great our experience was tonight! I decided to celebrate my mom’s 78th birthday here due to the fact my mom loves Antonio’s pepperoni nuggets and she’s never been here before. We had 14 people in our party and Megan K. was an absolute rockstar! Everyone was so welcoming and gracious to my mom on her special day! Food was FANTASTIC!! Thank you all for a wonderful evening!“

“Nice atmosphere and clean. Excellent food and service. Thanks, Rachel, for the terrific service and warm smile.“

“Great and warm atmosphere , the staff are very friendly. The food never disappoints. Highly recommend going there or doing take out !“

“Stopped in at Olive Garden and had a great experience! The Italian Margarita was excellent — smooth, refreshing, and so good it could be dangerous if they served it by the pitcher. For dinner, I ordered the Shrimp and Chicken Carbonara, which was flavorful and hearty. The Chicken Gnocchi Soup hit the spot, and of course, you can’t go wrong with their classic salad and breadsticks. Everything came out fresh, the service was friendly, and I left full and happy. Definitely a solid visit!“

“Brought my girlfriend and my two kids to eat here not long ago and it was much more than I expected from what I thought was a run of the mill location. We were greeted with a smile when we walked in, the food was delicious and the service was spot on.“

“We went for our first anniversary because we had our rehearsal dinner catered by Stancato's. It was the first time either of us had been to the restaurant, though I've had food from their catering quite a few times.

Service was slow. Our server was very nice, but for example, I asked for a box for my food and she passed by me quite a few times before coming back to me ten minutes later and asking me if I was ready for my box now. We were seated by the bar, which wasn't her fault, and had to listen to people talking loudly throughout our date.

The food was very good, though my risotto was a bit underdone. It had a good taste to it. The rest of it was perfect. I recommend the chicken parmesan. Because of our anniversary, we were given a cannoli, which was wonderful.

The stall I went into for the ladies' room was tiny. I don't know if the other one was a handicapped stall, but it wasn't marked on the outside.“

“Went for dinner after Confirmation. Service was excellent, food was great, and they were very accommodating. The only complaint I have is that we really could have used the elevator for a couple of elderly grandparents who had issues with the stairs. They said it was broken.“