24 Best Italian Restaurants near Madeira

“Outstanding pasta and pizza and the bakery breads are even better. It’s the best bread I’ve ever had anywhere? Game changer bread! You gotta try it…“

“Excellent service and the food was great! Definitely a go to place for a casual meal.“

“The food is amazing, they have a large wine and spirt offering. The staff are always courteous, knowledgeable and very accommodating. Casual dining with an upscale feel.“

“We ate at Caruso’s for the first time July 3, 2024. My wife and I thought our meals were 5 star, delicious! She had the Chicken Marsala and I had the Rigatoni Rustica. We asked our waiter Sam for his recommendations and we’re so glad we took his advice. Best Italian dishes we’ve ever enjoyed. We can’t wait to return with good friends. Excellent! Denny & Barb G.“

“Ashley helped us with a gift card fiasco(Something called Feeding America). It was Mother's Day and very crowded. She spent time with us even though she was needed elsewhere. SO IMPRESSED! We definitely will be back. BTW food was excellent!“

“Food is so good! Tried the new avocado chop salad today and it's my new fave!“

“Norwood Piada is one of the best locations in Cincinnati!“

“We went here because was close to the hospital. Used to go to olive garden. Never again. Carrabbas is top notch from top down!“

“It was our first time there and they had amazing food, great staff!!! We will definitely come back Again and would highly recommend them!!!“

“Udually Subito is one if my favorite lunch/brunch places. However, on this day I think they were just so busy they couldn't handle it. The server never came to refill our drinks(we had to ask- cold coffee is the worst) & the fries were cold. Service was slow & no attention at all from the server. I will still go back because I know this is not the norm but took a friend for the first time so I was disappointed.“

“Walking into Piada Mason feels like visiting a friend’s kitchen—warm, inviting, and full of energy. The staff greet you with genuine smiles and eager to recommend their favorites. I asked for pairing suggestions and one of the team members guided me through the menu with enthusiasm, crafting a combo that hit all the right spots (and it was delicious!). The servers don’t just take orders—they check in, refill drinks, and make you feel truly welcome. Great food is one thing, but the hospitality here really sets Piada apart. Big thanks to the fantastic crew!“

“We went to Buca today and our food came out so quickly after ordering and was delicious! Our waiter, Griffin, was wonderful and answered all the questions we had with delight. 10/10 would recommend.“

“First, long time drivebyer, first time diners. This is multi fold. 1) I recommend Padrino 100%. A surprise destination for Monday as “marinara night”. 2) Grace is one of the nicest, personable, and best servers I can say I’ve had in recent memory. After telling her that we had never been and how we typically order food when we go out, she walked us through every page of the menu and asked pertinent questions like “hey do you guys want apps tonight?” After we talked we thought maybe we should try a pasta, hoagie, and a pizza. She provided suggestions for each of those sections and we took her up from her list. I saw an employee of the _____, not sure if it was month, day, week, or what, or if she’s had it before, but she definitely deserves it! Which brings us to… 3) FOOD! Not only that, but PRICE!!! I will preface this as if nobody picked up on our “try some of a lot of things” and then have leftovers for the next day approach which has been illustrated above, but I’d say what we got was SUBSTANTIAL for what we spent. Heck, screw the dollars, let’s talk about flavor! Pasta: Vodka Tortellini, and she recommended we each get a garlic knot to finish off the sauce. I can’t give a fair shake to the knots because I just couldn’t eat anymore, but boy did they look and smell delicious. But the pasta? Shoo Sammie: Padrino Club. Sure it sounded and probably gets viewed as basic, which it was way more than basic thanks to their garlic aioli to top it off. And go with Grace, swap for the Parmesan fries! I’m not usually one for fries anymore but golly…. Parm fries for the win (I’ll say they’re at fault for me not making it to a knot) And finally Pizza: again our quests of trying a lot we were told we could split a large between specialities and we did. The choices: Chef’s Forte and Drunken Goat. I can safely say I’d expect any of their pizzas to be delicious based off trying these two. The veggies part on the Forte were SO big and noticeable and delicious and cooked to perfection. Will we be back? 100%“

“There for a special Birthday Lunch. We were very fortunate to be seated with Shayla. I hope i spelled it right. She was very attentive, warm and welcoming. She offered a lot of knowledge of the menu, and was very informative. Great Service we we won't forget.“

“Our server was fantastic... and thr food was phenominal... i am not a fan of spinich and artichoke dip but theirs is fire!!!

Kid-friendliness: I saw a kid there so i guess

Wheelchair accessibility: They have handicap parking and a ramp“

“Great food, great atmosphere loved our dinner there“

“UPDATED REVIEW: 4-30-25 Dining Experience

The traveling manager, Justin, reached out and invited me back in to try Forno again. This visit was spectacular from service (Maiya was amazing!) to the entire meal and after! We got the Burrata appetizer and a delicious saffron ball appetizer to start. Then, we got the half and half pasta bolognese and wild boar which were full of flavor! We also got a bottle of wine half off for ‘Wine Down Wednesday’! Thank you for reaching back out to make up for the prior birthday visit debacle. I would highly recommend Forno to anyone and also insist that you try their ‘Pope’s Chocolate Salame’ dessert because it is, without a doubt, the best dessert I’ve ever had. You won’t be disappointed!

Original review from my birthday dinner in November of 2024:

Dined with a party of 6 at Forno for my birthday (also noted on the reservation) and was very excited since it was my first time here and the reviews were anything short of wonderful!

I’ll start with what was slightly disappointing and end on a high note:

We were sat by a friendly host and were then introduced to our server. He did not ask if we were celebrating anything nor did he wish me a happy birthday. We were treated as any regular table (which is fine, I did not ask nor expect any “special” treatment). I suppose I was just hoping for a simple “happy birthday!!” enthusiastic verbal recognition or a candle in my dessert (that we were happy to and did pay for). I mean, hey, who doesn’t want a candle or someone to wish them happy birthday?

We had a pretty substantial bill so it wasn’t that we had hardly ordered anything. I will chalk it up to the restaurant being busy during this time. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a bit disappointing and my friends also commented that he didn’t even say happy birthday or give a candle.

The food was good. I liked my dish and my partner said his was decent. Other feedback from members in my party were “delicious! I want to try another dish now too but I am too full!” and “maybe a bit too salty for my tastes but otherwise good!”

The dessert salami was what blew me away, I wish I could order the entire thing (loaf?) of it, ha!

Not sure I would return to celebrate anniversary or anything, but maybe for a casual meal.“

“great food. my grandson loved it“

“Cincinnati Pizza Week brought us here! Fiancé has high standards for Italian food and loved the red sauce on the pizza. Food was great. Wedge was the best wedge salad I’ve ever had and HUGE! Restaurant is decorated lovely and smells like Italy. Service, however, was disappointing. Host stand is at the other end of the entrance. Unless there’s a different entrance we didn’t know about- but didn’t see any signs stating otherwise. Host didn’t greet and rather went to the table and pointed for me to come to the table rather than walking us there. Table was hardly cleaned and food on the table cloth. Not a single person came to our table to greet us for almost 15 min. Server didn’t apologize for us waiting. Server hardly came by to check after food came out or would do so when walking by, not stopping to check on us. I wanted a bowl for the wedge salad. It was huge so hard to eat on the plate but she didn’t stop long enough for me to tell her and I had to blag someone else down. Al thought it was Pizza Week, I would’ve expected it to be busy but business didn’t seem busy and had several tables to expect this kind of service. Maybe she was just having a bad day.“

“A hidden Gem in Wyoming, Ohio.
The staff was exceptional! We had their meatball appetizer and supreme pizza. Both were AMAZING! Owner came over and introduced himself which shows the customer service is alive and well here!! We will be back!!“

“Of course to me the Olive Garden is going to be good. Service is just as, if not more important to me than the food. My server was excellent. He was very personable and friendly. Has only downfall would be that he kept forgetting to bring my daughter a drink. The rest of the staff was genuinely friendly also. What I did not appreciate was the large table of loud teenagers they sat in the same area as older people and adults. It became hard to concentrate on our conversation and the food once they sat down. We packed our food, did not end up getting dessert and left quickly. Working as a hostess, you should know how to group certain people together. It ended our dining experience and lost your restaurant and the server additional money. How often do you think that has happened?. Lots of lost revenue not paying attention to details.“

“Absolutely delicious pizza and garlic rolls! We ate there for the first time today and loved it.“

“So happy OG delivers. Abby is so helpful & I placed an order & called back to add extra sauce . Told her I would b happy to pay extra & she did not charge me . The food portions are huge like when dining inside . Free delivery too! I highly recommend. They pack utensils & extra napkins without asking .“

“We recently attended a private "pop up" dinner here. The home made pasta dishes were absolutely delicious and the best pasta that I have experienced outside of Italy. All meal courses were wonderful and unique. The chef has a true gift. The service was friendly and efficient. We will definitely return!“