Italian Restaurants near Happy Valley

“The food at fresco was absolutely amazing, fresh, and so flavorful. What made our experience even greater was the fantastic customer service we received from the owner who really took care of us and made us feel at home. I will recommend this place to anyone of my friends and family and I will definitely be coming back!“

“One of the best restaurants on the East-side!Staff and owner are friendly, honest people. They genuinely care about their first time customers and patrons. The interior design invokes a comfortable mood, supported by amazing art in the dining area or your sports highlights if you're at the bar.Speaking of...The bar hosts some of the best curated cocktails in Portland for the price and variety. Whiskey lovers will should start HH off with Matt's Manhattan-on-tap, which generally graces your hand within 5-minutes of ordering, even at peak dining. The HH food menu is a delightful sampling of their chef's talent (I recommend the bib salad paired with an order of meatballs) to intrigue your palette towards main menu. The pasta and main options host season rotations, which are generally previewed by the monthly newsletter delivered via email.The highlight of my last visit (03/2024): The Caramelized brioche with lemon curd. I was fortunate enough to taste this limited-time dessert and had to fight off my wife's fork to the last bite!I can't recommend this establishment enough. Jeff and his talented team continue to improve upon the service and menu every time I visit. This is truly a restaurant where you get exceptional food and service for your money.Parking: I recommend car-pooling or ride-share/cab to this establishment. Street and neighborhood parking is available, but limited off SE Hawthorne street. Plus with the quality and variety of wine and cocktails you should be considering responsible transportation to/from the restaurant.Wheelchair accessibility: Ground floor restaurant, outdoor street seating or movable tables for easy wheelchair accessibility. The bathrooms are large, single rooms just off the dining/bar area in a spacious hallway.“

“I don't know if the service or food is better but both are incredible. I haven't had better pasta. The albacore bruschetta was one of the best appetizers I've ever hadm so was the burrata was this fry bread. Go back and get something else again. It's so good.“

“A favorite in Portland. We make a point to come here whenever we’re in town. Luce is the closest thing I’ve seen to an authentic Italian trattoria since being in Italy. This visit, our favorites were the rabbit liver crostini, the octopus salad, the spaghetti with bottarga, the lamb pasta and the fish cheeks with lentils. The menu is done in a way where even if you’re a solo diner or just two people, you can try many different things - which I love. And the service is wonderful.You can tell a lot of thought and care go into this place. I hope they’re around for years to come.“

“Such a great restaurant! My wife had recently been put on a gluten and dairy free exclusion diet and they were able to accommodate and everything was still absolutely delicious. Service is phenomenal and it’s a really beautiful restaurant.“

“First I want to say that the Alfredo pizza was the best vegan pizza I’ve ever had. The food here is 10/10 with some of the best vegan food in all of Portland. However, the service was horrible, we had to work to get our waiters attention to get more water and asked for our bill twice before receiving it. With a no tipping policy in place I feel there was no incentive to provide good service.“

“NY style pizza from a food truck? You betcha. Top PDX pizza places for NY style pizza are usually Escape from NY, SFNY, SIZZLE Pie, Baby Doll but now you can add Giants NY to the list. Ordered an 18” Pepperoni pie and everything about it is just right. The fold, the cheese pull, the taste, Yumm! Also ordered a sausage calzone because it is so rare to find a calzone here that contains ricotta cheese. This was huge and full of goodness. That ricotta sure hits the spot!“

“I was pleasantly surprised by how lovely this place is. I especially liked the ambiance and the coloring of the restaurant. My friend and I got the tagliatelle with crab and the risotto. Both were so delicious, light and well balanced with all the flavors.“

“I had one of the best dishes that I have ever had the pleasure of putting in my mouth. Upon the waitresses enthusiastic recommendation (she seemed really excited about it) I went with the Boscaiola with pasta instead of ravioli. Every bite I took I closed my eyes to just enjoy the explosion of flavors. Hands down best food ever. Highly recommend but don’t forget your reservation!“

“On my first visit, I went with a group and we shared nearly the entire pasta menu family-style. Before we even left, I was texting a friend about how they needed to try this place because each dish was, individually, the best pasta dish I’d ever had. On the next visit, I heard the table to the left of me say “This is the best bolognese I’ve ever had.” Earlier in the night the table to the right of me couldn’t stop talking about how the chicken cavatelli was their favorite pasta they’d ever had.So, come to Montelupo for the best pasta you’ll ever have!“

“Food was lovely, pasta had a perfect portion size if you’re just in the middle of being hungry and not. Service was good, just took a little long because it was a friday night. Atmosphere was not the best, there was a rowdy table behind my family that just put off out our whole vibe for the night and was very overwhelming for being outside around a lot of other people. (if you easily get overstimulated I suggest eating inside) Totally not the restraints fault, just an unlucky role of the dice“

“I had dinner there tonight and left happy. I kept it simple with their spaghetti and meatballs and the dish was phenomenal. Great service and atmosphere, along with really great food. I look forward to going back and exploring their menu more.“

“I applaud you for being open!!! I ordered my food Togo on the phone. When I got there front door was open with a table blocking which there was a sign order here. I went to back door which was closed, I opened cause I guessed maybe that’s where you get your food Togo and it was to be picked up there. I come thru he said you order from the front( also didn’t really give me a chance to politely saying anything) and noted there was another guy in there that looked to be picking up food as well. Then went to the front he come to the front door with a iPad to take my order and I say a order Togo for Robbie. Then was “owe ok”. Get home the food was great some of the best pie I have ever had! Only reason I explained this was I think clear signage would make this transaction easier. This is a very tough time and people want to be safe. I also LIKED he asked to pay Cc over the phone and asking for the tip ahead of time does limits person contact. Will be back!“

“I was in town sort of visiting after helping move my daughter and her boyfriend to the Portland area. we randomly met the owner of this restaurant and thought we'd give it a try after seeing the menu online. Instantly loved the atmosphere as soon as we walked in to be seated!!! The waitstaff was friendly and awesome, than the food came and it was delicous and off the charts amazing!!! presentation, portion size and taste was perfect in my book. I loved it!!! Great experience!!!“

“From bolognese on pasta to nettle ravioli and delicious dessert options, we all enjoyed our meal and the cozy atmosphere. The limoncello drew several sighs of delight, too. Waitstaff are very attentive and took good care of our party.Parking: On street and side/residential parking is hard to come by, so allow a few minutes to find a spot and it's all good.“

“Authentic panzerotti experience ! 10/10The owner was so friendly and a pleasure chatting with. Was a mandatory stop before ending our trip in Portland and driving back to Vancouver, Canada. Tasted like we were back in Bari, Italy. It’s all about the Barese! Bravo!“

“Sorbu’s food tonight brought me back to my hometown, Livorno. Perfect rendition of the classic “5 e 5 con le melanzane” like you can find in the streets of Livorno, and a Porchetta sandwich as it could have been served by a legendary paninoteca from my youth (the salsa verde is the real deal). We’ll be back! Thanks to fellow Tuscan-Portlander for the recommendation!“

“I decided to try Big Foot Pizza on a whim tonight and was not disappointed! The crust was perfect, not to hard or chewy, lots of flavor and held together nicely. The amount of sauce and toppings was amazing. It's almost like they knew me (without knowing me)LOLI am definitely coming back and adding to my list of top pizza places here in Portland!“

“Best pizza joint in PDX from my family of pizza snobs lol.Wood fired, so not New Haven style exactly, but pretty darn close for what you'll find in the metro area. Crust nice and thin with a crunch.*If you like doughy pizza with way too much cheese and toppings that turn the pie into mush...this place is not for you.*Thanks for giving us a slice of home Dimo's!“

“Hands down the best lasagna I've ever tasted. Paired with a glass of Chianti, I was a happy camper!Parking: It was unfortunate that I had to leave my family and park several blocks away, but the exceptional dining experience helped me forget about that inconvenience.“

“Cool little downtown Main St pizza place. What they serve - pizzas, a couple salads, calzones, panini. Oh and alcohol.Our meatball panini was overcooked so that the panini was just cracking apart. It was too dry but I thought the meatballs tasted good. The 2 pizzas we ordered were loved by their eaters. One with fig jam, prosciutto (& other toppings) had an umami thing about it and the other was olives, chicken, pesto, sundried tomatoes (& another topping) was really tasty.Nice atmosphere - rustic, comfortable wooden bench seats in the booth where we sat. Service was great - friendly, funny & attentive. Great little downtown area filled with shops & eateries.“

“Amazing food and very attentive service! The bruschetta appetizer is an all time favorite as well as the delicious wine menu. Melissa was our server and she has a great personality and made us feel very welcome during our dinner. Loved the live music for Third Thursday!“

“There’s something really special about a place where you can sit, enjoy a meal, and sense that everyone from back of the house all the way to the front of house, has chosen to be there. Passion and intention seeps from this restaurant. What more can you ask for?Portland is lucky. Decent Italian food, outside the home, is hard to find in our city.My advice to anyone reading this review:Just go. Take an evening and just go. Try the olives and have a glass of grappa.Thank you and see you soon.“

“We don’t encounter a lot of Romanian food stops so I was pretty excited to find one here.Food is delicious - flavor is on point and exactly how my in laws would make their soups and creamy mash potatoes.Owner is also really nice and personable.“

“Hands down the best vegan pizza I have ever had. Sizzler’s vegan pizza is just really crust, tomato sauce and toppings. Most places can’t get the cheese right.This place does the vegan cheese so well - the texture (the stretchiness and the chewiness) of the cheese is just like dairy cheese.After turning vegan, I had the rare craving for pizza (not meat really) and this place is perfect for that.The ice cream was also excellent.“

“I applaud you for being open!!! I ordered my food Togo on the phone. When I got there front door was open with a table blocking which there was a sign order here. I went to back door which was closed, I opened cause I guessed maybe that’s where you get your food Togo and it was to be picked up there. I come thru he said you order from the front( also didn’t really give me a chance to politely saying anything) and noted there was another guy in there that looked to be picking up food as well. Then went to the front he come to the front door with a iPad to take my order and I say a order Togo for Robbie. Then was “owe ok”. Get home the food was great some of the best pie I have ever had! Only reason I explained this was I think clear signage would make this transaction easier. This is a very tough time and people want to be safe. I also LIKED he asked to pay Cc over the phone and asking for the tip ahead of time does limits person contact. Will be back!“

“Love love love this place. The server was fantastic. He described everything perfectly. Great communication. The food was so creative and tasty. Italian - American with a creative twist. The owner was so lovely. He gave us limoncello. We are going back for sure.“

“My friend and I had been wanting to try Grand Amari for some time now and our only regret is that we didn’t get there sooner. If you’re serious about pasta, do yourself a favor and make reservations immediately. The service is top notch and the food is truly delightful. Michael took care of us and recommended perfect drink pairings for our meal. Our favorites include the focaccia, bolognese, and affogato. Oh and if you can, give yourself some time to hit Little Bitter Bar in the hotel lobby for a pre-dinner drink or two!“

“Food is always top notch! Service has gone downhill since Covid. Be careful, they charge auto gratuity regardless of party size and have increased it from 20% to 22% - recently.Either way, the food is worth it. Just don’t be surprised when the bill comes.“

“Is this the greatest sandwich shop in Portland? Almost definitely!Dan and Elise just recently moved their “hole in the wall” deli from the Monatvilla neighbourhood to Sellwood. The new location has plentiful seating in a cool Setting tucked in between other small business. Love the simple retro furnishing and wallpaper plus what has to be one of the best hand painted signs in Portland. I used to live in London and lived on Italian deli sandwiches and with Sebastiano’s they took that concept and made it better. Go for the sandwiches and stay for the wine and cookies “

“Every time you come to eat here you will be greated and served by the owner Tony. Have been coming here for over 5 years and his smile has only gotten biggerYou will not find larger delicious portions for a more affordable price anywhere in the entire city or better customer service. From the bottom of my heart thank you for going above and beyond when you could choose to simply to the bare minimum like so many others.“

“What a great evening! Our greeter, hostess and server Liz did an excellent job making us welcome and had great recommendations. The food was really good! We had the special which had a pistachio sauce with penne pasta - we added chicken...Delicious! The restaurant was clean and tastefully decorated.. Best Italian dinner we've had in forever!! Mike and Kandi say two thumbs up!“

“I recommend the food. The staff? I’m sitting outside City Pets next door and I can’t go in because of Covid policy. I didn’t want to sit in my hot car. Cibo was not yet open. There are five empty outside tables and zero outside tables taken. I asked if I could sit at one while I waited for City Pets to finish. The complete answer I got was “Well… we open in four minutes.” So now I stand against my car on the sidewalk, staring at five tables outside Cibo still not in use. Much appreciated. I should not have bothered to ask. I doubt anyone seated outside will appreciate me staring at them, should any tables ever be taken. Again, the food is good.“

“First time to Oregon and Momma Mia’s. Stopped in looking for a good dinner spot. I wasn’t super hungry because of the time change and i was traveling and not wanting leftovers. They accommodated me with a side of pasta. It was the perfect size and great quality! Highly recommend this place!“

“Ordered the pepper Philly cheese steak. I added mayo to mine. I absolutely loved it. Plenty of meat and great balance of cheese. Can't believe I waited so long to try it. Bought a brownie too. Very good. Had an IPA beer while I waited. All around great experience.“

“Came in after spending 7 weeks in the woods eating self made stews out of a pot. (I’m a really good cook so it’s better than that sounds)This was my first meal back in civilization and my wife and I chose their 10 coarse chefs choice. WE CHOSE WISELY.Sat at their bar facing the kitchen and I couldn’t have had a better dining experience. Very recommended.“

“We had a lovely event celebrating our company’s 19th anniversary. You folks created a beautiful atmosphere for us to celebrate. WONDERFUL staff and the food was spectacular. Catered to our 2 vegan folks as well. Really lovely evening. Thank you!“

“This was my first ever drag experience, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I went for Treetop Trivia. The service was amazing, everyone was so friendly, and it was obvious that the team had such love and support for one another. The drag performances were amazing. Everyone there was so beautiful and even more importantly, so respectful. Thanks to the whole staff for such a wonderful experience, I will definitely be back for the next trivia night. <3“

“First time leaving a public review for anywhere, but Amico Chef is worth this review!2022-2023 I ordered pasta from this place 44 times! BEST PASTA I’VE EVER HAD and I can’t get sick of it! My go to is the Shrimp Pesto Linguine add artichoke hearts. The ingredients are so fresh and enormous portions! I could never make it to this caliber at home! The garlic bread is somehow always perfect and mighty tasty! If you like pasta please visit Amico Chef it will not disappoint!2024 I’ve already ordered 7 times!“

“Went here to try their gluten-free crust and trying to find the best in the city. I saw this pizza place on my gluten-free app, because they said that the crust was thicker than regular gluten-free crust which really isn’t not the case. It’s cracker but just a little bit thicker of a cracker. The stand out here is definitely the toppings. They’re very generous and they’re very fresh. is it the best gluten-free pizza in the city? I’m not sure but I’m still exploring.Vegetarian options: Gluten free“

“This place is truly amazing!! The cutest atmosphere, friendliest staff and omg the food and wine are THE BEST!! You definitely need to check this place out!!Parking: There is an overflow lot across the street. I have always found parking.“

“I ordered the large stuffed crust pepperoni pizza and it was amazing. It had thin crust and light on the sauce. it was just the right amount of spice fresh ingredients and the stuffed crust was filled with mozzarella. I will definitely order from them again.“

“One of my favorite restaurants in all of Portland. I became gluten free a few years ago but here you can sub out any pasta with a gluten free spaghetti or ziti and you cannot tell the difference. My favorite is linguine misto mare with gluten free spaghetti. I make sure to come here everytime I'm in Portland.Dietary restrictions: GF“

“Dylan and his crew were excellent as always ❤️. The food always meets expectations and then some! We had a group of seven for a birthday that was handled superbly! Birthday dessert was a surprise that was a sweet way to end a beautiful evening friends surrounded by friendly staff ❤️Parking: Parked right in front of the restaurant“

“First of all, our server was A+. I missed her name unfortunately. The food was fresh, not too heavy, and tasty, with a good variety of both vegetarian and meat options and just the right portions for the price, given the setting and costs nowadays. Overall happy to eat here, and would love to come back with family and friends. The fun part was you can see the kitchen, so we saw them roll our flatbread fresh just for us.:)“

“Typical small-town restaurant - food was amazing - I had the chicken gorgonzola and hubby had chicken & tortellini in a garlic wine sauce - starter salad was just the right size - were seated immediately and water , bread, and chopped tomatoes in balsamic vinagrette appeared in front of us within minutes. We will definitely come back here again.“

“Old-school red sauce Italian. The food here ordered by DoorDash so am not familiar with in-store service. The food reminds me of New England which is my favorite style. Haved ordered several times and food is delicious. Seriously delicious.“

“Dined here last last night for the first time and had the best dish I've had this year - the Lamb Sugo. Great upscale atmosphere, attentive and friendly service from the host to the server to the bartender. I stuck my head in the kitchen to compliment the chef and it was received with genuine appreciation. Will definitely be going back for more!!!“

“Our family really loves this pizzeria! They have the best wings and kale salad in addition to their pizzas. I love the garlic bread and we always order the Soprasetta And the Italian sausage pizzas to share.! This is our favorite pizza place!“

“Haven't been to an Olive Garden in a minute, and was happy to see new menu items - shrimp fritta misto and chicken and shrimp carbonara, (both were very good) as well as the standard salad and bread sticks. Tried a peach Bellini just for fun. Good food, great service and because of the generous portions we had enough to take home for dinner the next day!“