50 Best Italian Restaurants in Richmond

“We had a great time and had delicious food! Our waiter Trey was amazing!“

“My partner and I went to Lost Letter last night for a celebration dinner. We tried a cocktail each and shared a bottle of wine. We ordered a bunch of appetizers/food to share and everything was delicious. The service was absolutely top notch. They boxed up my leftovers and checked them in the back so we could enjoy our dessert without them on the table and brought them back out when we were finished. I noticed that every little detail was considered, even with how they treated the tables that were around us. We both agreed this was the best dining experience that we have had in Richmond.“

“Intimate and sleek, Botanya makes the perfect date night location. The staff is efficient and personable without ever overstepping, dishes are made to perfection (their signature gnocchi a la Sinatra is a spicy twist on an old standby), and their mixology is spot-on. Well served by its location two blocks east of the massive free parking deck at the west end of Carytown, Botanya is the Italian restaurant that Richmond has needed--and lacked--for far too long.“

“Just left from their. Got the greek meatball appetizer (big enough for a meal) and a small greek salad and a bloody mary. ALL of it was terrific. My MIL got a crab sandwich and it was really good as well. The onion rings were the best I ever had.“

“First time at Edo’s last night. There was a couple walking up the stairs in front of us as we went in, and when we got to the door, a waitress said “I need that cup” and yanked it out of the woman’s hand as she walked off. She was the same waitress that sat us, but not who took our order. The waitress who took our order was extremely rude almost the entire time. A couple of times she brought food out and put it on our table AS she’s walking by. I stopped her once, to ask if we could have our bread warmed as it was cold. She barely stopped as she said “no.” And continued walking. The waitresses were rude and made me feel so uncomfortable with their terrible attitudes. Atmosphere is a little cramped but it was fine. The food was AMAZING though. It was really hot, and the pasta portions were GENEROUS.“

“Lemoncello on point as well pasta!“

“I do want to give a shout out to the manager Erin she was excellent very customer friendly and our lunch was excellent“

“We ate at La Grotta for the first time last night. It will be the first of many! The service, food, and ambiance were spectacular. We were a party of 3 and each of us cleaned our plates. Our friend with Celiac could choose from almost the entire menu which is unheard of, especially at an Italian restaurant. If you're looking for a truly delicious meal, you'll find it at La Grotta! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“

“I've been going to Carini's since they opened in '78. our family have continued to be loyal customers. The food is always excellent!“

“Truly enjoyable meal in a great neighborhood restaurant. Everything was delicious and the service excellent. We enjoyed a lovely cauliflower appetizer, a beautiful, simple fresh salad. Three of our party enjoyed the rock fish. The 4th had an amazing sea food stew with spaghetti. Clearly a favorite of the locals. You won’t be disappointed. (Best to make a reservation.) A little noisy…..“

“They have great food is all I gotta say! Go see yourself!!! I'm pretty sure you will give it a 10 after you get done eating there!“

“when I get to heaven and walk thru the pearly gates, Veal Mona Lisa, Calamari, and Tiramisu will be waiting... I drove 100 plus miles for this“

“Absolutely the best Italian restaurant in RVA. Go tonight, what are you waiting for?!“

“First time eating here. The decor and ambiance was great. The vibe was good. Our waitress Kelly was awesome. The food was DELICIOUS & portions were hearty! There is outdoor dining with heat lamps and fireplace. We ate inside and got to watch the bartender work his magic. The drinks were delish too! Overall, this little gem is too good to miss!“

“Found Dinamo quite by accident. A Richmond-centric publication mentioned Dinamo as an aside in relation to another restaurant that had since closed. When we discovered Dinamo was still open (later evening) we decided to give it a whirl. The whirling airplane prop in the front window indicated that, at the very least, things would be not boring. We were coming in towards the end of service and were nonetheless greeted with warmth. Firstly, the bread got me baking again. No small feat. They were out of the T-Bone, which is what both of us were aiming for, and recommended the chicken. I dont like chicken. This chicken was amazing. Im still thinking about the bread and the beans. And the chicken. The Tiramisu was just, simply, decadent. Service, ambiance, food, hospitality…. Cant wait to return Dinamo. We added the“

“Nice place, friendly atmosphere, friendly staff, tasty food, big portions, good size menu (variety), clean and organized.“

“Great food and service but not much wine choices“

“We have had takeout several times - pasta, pizza and more. The food has been consistently good!“

“Frank recommended the veal chop special on Friday night. We both got it. The sauce was so delicious with chunks of portobello mushrooms. AMAZING flavor!! I brought home half of mine to savor again. Can’t wait!“

“Oysters were great ! Our server was nice but was not very attentive. Loved the beans. The “bus boy?” Kept water glasses filled but his attire didn’t seem appropriate for the restaurant. All in all I would return“

“Been eating here for almost 45 years. Maria & the staff are always happy to see you. Best pizza in the area. Subs are excellent as well. Love Sal's!“

“beyond the reasonable doubt the best picture in Richmond and the closest you will get to New York a taste of all of its own I highly recommend if you are a pizza lover give this a try you will go nowhere else after“

“mi pueblito pizzeria and restaurant??? more like TORTA DE CARNE ASADA RESTAURANT!! this place should be known for their torta’s, not pizza. look. my dad is from the caribbean. i’ve never heard of a torta in my life until i came to this place.

my girlfriend’s family have been coming here for years (she’s salvadoran) and she said the sopa de pollo tastes like home. everytime she eats here food she makes a “mmm” sound so it means she happy.

as you can see below we had a feast (wasn’t the first time) we got empanadas, queso de pupusas (wasn’t as good as her moms), horchata, torte de carne asada, and even sopa de pollo

the food was so good, the atmosphere is cool, the workers speak espanol, and the prices are reasonable. come here if you want a full belly

this made me like hispanic culture 10x more. im officially salvadoran. mi gustas el salvadorena comida.“

“Excellent food and Service!“

“What an amazing experience. This is a very unassuming place! We travel and try not to eat at chains.. Tony's didnt disappoint! Amazing service, and food all at a better than reasonable price.. go hungry!“

“We have been to this place dozens of times over the last twenty years, this past visit, the first in over five years is still above average. The bbq chicken pizza would be great if the bbq sauce was good, it is not tasty at all. The rigatoni w chicken and bacon however was something better than Olive Garden could do, it was a masterpiece, if they added a bit more seasoning it would be divine.“

“Great pasta Owner super friendly“

“Very good service and atmosphere. The food overall was very good but their trademark complimentary salad was not as expected. The dressing did not taste like it usually does. Not sure what changed with the salad dressing, but it was not what we usually get from the Olive Garden franchise.“

“Look I've been to a lot of Olive Gardens in my life and I've had mediocre, great, and poor experiences. However, we genuinely had the best experience we've ever had a few days ago by our server Marcus.
Seriously, not once did we have to wait for anything. Refills, check-ups, appetizers, and the check were done with expedience and attention. Amazing personality & atmosphere brought to our table by him. Not only that, but he gave us extra soup and refills with our boxes!
Thank you for the experience :)“

“Sprezza is a wonderful new restaurant finding its footing in Richmond. It brings authentic Italian cuisine that is unique from any other Italian restaurant in our city. The food is full bodied and quite the experience each time I’ve been. The focaccia is so yummy!The menu is designed like a classic Italian menu with courses so you can enjoy multiple dishes. How often do you get to have fresh pasta followed by a second course?Service is impeccable giving you a fine dining experience.The owner, Angela, is very warm and you can tell she is very passionate about food. She is bringing a piece of Italy to Richmond so we can experience the food without crossing an ocean.I would 100% recommend this restaurant for a nice occasion especially if you are a foodie.Keep in mind that this is a new and growing business that will only thrive with the support of the community.I can tell there is a lot of love and thought put into creating the menu. Delicious! 10/10. I always leave with a happy stomach.“

“A great place to dine. We are new in town and wanted to try a new place near our home. The food was delicious, generous serving and the staff was very friendly. We are going back very soon!“

“Always a friendly and delightful dining experience. The food has always been consistently good. Perfect for the whole family and parties. They serve large portions so you are sure to leave satisfied. They also have an excellent drink and wine selection. Also fairly affordable.“

“First time ever and it was AMAZING… Justin was the best waiter with a great attitude… food was delicious and you couldn’t beat the take home price… can’t wait to return:)“

“Yum! We ordered take out for the first time ! The fried calamari was delicious (only downside small serving). Chicken parm dinner with capellini, perfect thin chicken with delicious sauce. Linguine with white clam sauce definitely authentic and tasty. Meatball sub devoured by my son. And those homemade chips a hit. We are from NJ and my husband’s family is Italian. Highly recommend!“

“I took a friend there to celebrate an early birthday. The food and service were top-notch. We were seated in a relatively quiet corner until the restaurant filled up and then it got a bit, noisy with a table of eight next to us, but we left soon after, so overall conversation was no problem.“

“Great sandwiches. Our first time here but we will be back.“

“ordered the steak and cheese to go,and it was a pretty good sandwich.My only observation is that they need to update the prices on the online menu.My actual price was about 30% more!“

“Loved it!! Had not been there in years-will definitely be back!!“

“If you live in downtown Richmond Virginia , this is the only spot you should be ordering from. Extremely good people that care about the food they put out. Can’t recommend enough!“

“Visit today 7/18/25 at 5 pm , party of 3 people. We felt welcomed from the moment we walked in the door! Food was great, atmosphere felt authentic. Our lady who served us was so sweet and kind. Empanadas and pork dishes highly recommend! We will definitely be back and recommend! Parking lot and easy to find.“

“Fantastic and warming atmosphere“

“These guys get some negative reviews – but for a corner pizza shop that has more to offer than just Pizza, I’ll give it a 4.3. We asked for a large and got a large we asked for half pepperoni and cheese and we got half pepperoni and cheese. It’s got grape flavor and then comparison to any other pieces out there, they were above average. So if you’re hungry and need a late night pizza, call these guys. I had to pick it up as delivery was gonna take 45 minutes to get two blocks down the road. Not a big deal I went and picked it up and it was a great pizza!“

“Meatball pizza! We also got the mozzarella balls. Real mozzarella, folks! 🤤🤤🤤“

“It’s a cheap pizza buffet, but it’s worth more than what you pay. The food is always fresh and replenished. The staff is super attentive and friendly. Decent salad bar and some other options like pasta, soup, and deserts. Plenty of space to bring a family or friend group. Weekends are pretty packed so I like to go for an early week day lunch or dinner. I loved this place as a kid 25 years ago, and it is even better than I remember. I recommend this place to all of my friends and family.“

“Little times you come to a place and you feel inspired to leave a review. This one was one of those, clean, quiet, peaceful , the food incredible, the service better, the bathrooms neat, so come here w/o hesitation. Ah the portion BIG and the price great. Thank you Mike's.“

“Our Family Favorite since 1980's when my mother brought me my 1st sub. And my Grandson had his 1st slice of New York Style Pizza today“

“My girlfriend and I just went in there and got half a Belmont supreme and half a bbq chicken and let me tell you it was beyond delicious. We’ve had pizza from Italy, New York, and other parts of Va but this one tops them all. Belmont pizzeria so y’all know who we were the couple who cane in all black with the Greek hoodies. We have agreed we’re definitely coming back.“

“Their pizza is great! Definitely reminiscent of the type of boardwalk slices you would get in Atlantic City or Seaside Heights in New Jersey. Nicely done!“

“Been Going to Albert Pizzeria since the Glory Days! A Southside Staple where You can get a Pretty Pie like This‼️“