32 Best Italian Restaurants near Norwood

“Just left the Norwood location and it was a great experience! The food was amazing and the service was nothing short of perfect! The staff was extremely personable and very inviting. It was the first time my girlfriend and I had been there and Ethan made sure that we were well taken care of! We will definitely be back and I highly recommend it!!“

“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.“

“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 travel all around the world, even compared to Italy, their home made pasta was the best we have ever eaten. We had appetizers that were awesome as well. We Highly recommend this place!“

“Sotto embodies the feeling of understated luxury. From the wood-fired oven to the homemade pasta, the chef's dedication to every dish is evident. I particularly enjoyed their Italian meatballs and roasted eggplant appetizers, which paired perfectly with a glass of red wine. This place isn't just about dining; it's about enjoying a mini culinary journey. If you're in Cincinnati, be sure to make reservations in advance; otherwise, it's very difficult to get a table.“

“Mama’s on Main has some of the best food we have enjoyed while visiting the area. It’s a must!!!“

“EDIT: Still wonderful, so I brought some pictures this time. The Johnny Trio is my favorite, and the filet mignon upgrade was beautiful.

--- Original Review

Got a Johnny Trio with marsala on everything for date night, no regrets! It was one of the best takeout steaks I have had lately.

It was so good that there was no time to take pictures! The filet upgrade never misses. I think Carrabba's is my favorite restaurant. ❤️“

“Tonight was our first time time dining at Carmello's. We chose the eggplant parmigiana and mushroom marsala. Well executed dishes! A shout out goes to our server Marah who was gracious and attentive. Carmello's is definitely a great culinary addition to Covington, in similar tradition to the late Opal. We will be back. Come hungry or expect to take some home with you. Thanks to Golden Gelato for their dessert contribution.“

“Visited Rosie’s Italian Kitchen. Cannot believe it took us so long to check it out. Our server Austin gave very good suggestions and everything was outstanding ! We had the Arancini and Fried Lasagna bites to start and then the Honey Pie! Perfect blend of sweet heat . We also split the Cannoli Cookie with a scoop of vanilla gelato . Forgot to get a photo as we dug right in. We also met the Manager Alex and Kitchen Manager Victor who were so welcoming and made us feel like family . Already planning when we can go back !“

“The salad was fresh and the pizza was exactly what I was looking for.“

“Amazing food. Wonderful views. The ambiance and service was 10/10. 💜💜💜“

“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…“

“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!“

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

“Came here for dinner with my mother after visiting some festival nearby. The restaurant itself is small, but not uncomfortably so. It wasn't too busy, and we got in rather quickly. The atmosphere was amazing, the decor was quite charming, and the layout was in such a way where you could see the chefs cooking from the front of the restaurant.

As for the food, I got tomato soup and salad, and we both got a plate of pasta as well. The tomato soup was creamy and delicious, the salad was quite refreshing, and the pasta was perfectly al dente, with exquisite sauces and such. Not to mention, the portion sizes for the pasta were huge, so we had plenty to take home as well. Finally, we ended our meal with a dessert. We got the tiramisu. Sweet, light, creamy, and delicious.

I'll say, no Italian food will ever beat the food in Italy itself, but if you can't afford the trip to Italy, this may be the next best place to go for good Italian cuisine.“

“the crew and food was awesome. amazing staff 100%“

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

“As an Italian, I’m really happy and proud that Italian cuisine is well represented by Nicola’s. I went there with my lady to celebrate Saint Valentines in advance, and we were so happy to spend our time there. The place is wonderful, the service is perfect and the food… the food is astronomical! Personally I do love the Malfatti “A true love for Rome”. As being born and raised in Rome I do really appreciate that love for my city. Definitely a 10/10, and best place to experience Italian cuisine. P.S. Italiani, se siete di passaggio a Cincinnati fate un salto da Nicola, non ve ne pentirete“

“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.“

“Amazing experience at Wildweed and what an addition to the Cincinnati restaurant scene. We did the chef's table with wine pairing and they knocked it out of the park. From the service, every single person acknowledged and welcomed us to the food (so creative, delicious and locally inspired), to all the small touches of high end glassware for wines, beautiful furniture. I don't know how every single person is not raving about this spot. Can't wait to go back, as it's been the best meal in the city. With fine dining spots in the city lost like Table, Nuvo, L, this one I hope stands the test of time for a new modern type of fine dining.“

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

“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.“

“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.“

“THIS is for the College Hill location... that Big Gripp is absolute ⛽ 🔥 👀 🤤“

“Been a fan for years, this one by far best experience and customer service I’ve had. Bring on to nashville, I’ll invest.“

“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!!“

“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.“

“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 .“

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

“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!“