43 Best Italian Restaurants near Wauwatosa

“Sat at the bar and had a wonderful experience with our bartender/waiter. We ordered one dish from every section of the menu and couldn't be happier. The butternut squash ravioli was definitely the star of the show. The pomegranate made this a dish I will never forget. Next time we plan to sit by the pasta making station to see the fresh pasta being made. Would 100% recommend this restaurant for anyone looking for excellent Italian cuisine.“

“Staff was very attentive. Food was fantastic. My only complaint is the price, but you certainly get plenty of food for what you pay.“

“Cannot say enough about the food, the staff and the ambiance. Whether it is pregame, post-game, special night out, day drinking and dining or late night cocktails and dinner after a late flight this place never, ever disappoints. Its been that way for years and hope it never changes.“

“Classic Italian done right!“

“Food was phenomenal!! The atmosphere is lacking. A day of touching up paint, stain, chair nicks and deep cleaning would go a long way for minimal cost and effort. You would have thought it would have been done during the COVID-19 shutdown.“

“Stoped here on a Sunday night after golfing at Currie. We ordered a drink or two at the Cub Tap. Even though Lalli's was closing.. they happily took our order and cooked us two delicious pizzas to go. HIghly recommended they were very good.“

“Parking: We were here for a funeral repass. The staff was so helpful, kind, caring & attentive that it made the whole day a "celebration of life!" The one who wasbeing remembered would have loved it! The drinks were strong, food was delicious & the service amazing! We are so glad you are a
still in business!

Kid-friendliness: Decorations were entertaining!“

“Chris the bartender is awesome and food was great!“

“A friend and I ate here a couple afternoons ago and wow was it to die for. Ever since new management took this place it has been spot on. One of the best Stromboli’s I have ever tried. The staff was also super friendly. I would for sure recommend this place to anyone.“

“Fried zucchini and steaks are very good so is the spaghetti very friendly people“

“Such a cute spot with very friendly staff and AMAZING food! I love that it’s family owned them having the Safina family as the executive chef was a very cute touch lol. Family photos on the wall when you walk in is also such a cute detail.

We got the bruschetta (with Brussels sprouts which was a fun seasonal spin), pistachio pasta which was so unexpected and delicious, and the shrimp diavolo pasta which is a classic but was done very well and used the top tier bucatini.

As an Italian who lives in Chicago I know good Italian food and this is truly amazing. Definitely worth a visit, we’ll definitely be coming back next time we’re in town!“

“Haeleigh provided Excellent service, went the extra mile, food was delicious, wine tasting was nice extra, brought us a dessert since it was our anniversary, nice touch!! Would highly recommend this place. We've been coming here for about 15 years“

“Great spot, great food and wonderful staff!! Recommend sitting at the main bar!!“

“Service is A++, very attentive, knowledgeable and personal. Food is outstanding… we usually start with Bruschetta and it’s one of the best I’ve had. Soups are full of flavor - Tomato Basil was the special, Im a basil freak and had to have a cup, it was phenomenal.

The entrees we chose were Ossobuco and Ravioli ai Quattro Formaggi with sautéed shrimp….and explosion of flavor in every bite.

We will return again soon!“

“My food was absolutely delicious. I went for brunch and ordered the El Mexicano Bowl. I highly recommend this place. It’s nice to see a great restaurant finally take over the old Trocadero building.“

“Just ate here with my girlfriend's and it was very good. service was excellent and food was delicious! Adding some pics“

“Wonderful bartender, drinks were on point. Great waitress, attentive and helpful. Food was excellent! Highly recommend.“

“Great stuffed pizza. One of our favorite restaurants for many years.“

“an amazing dining experience! food and wine list on point, and the atmosphere is amazing! 10 out of 10 would recommend!“

“everyone there is always very friendly. we love eating there“

“really a great place with great service“

“Went here for the 1st time tonight and is was beyond wonderful. Service was fantastic and the food was soooo good. Can not wait to eat here again ❤️“

“I had heard great things and had never been. Was heading to see a show at the Marcus Center last night and we opted for dinner here. Being a foodie, I had asked for recommendations in some of my foodie groups. I heard the meatball appetizer was a must have. It wasn’t on the menu for some reason, and I’m glad I asked as Frank, our awesome bartender/server who is in the family didn’t realize it wasn’t. I have zero idea how you get meatballs light, fluffy, not dense, but these were them. And the sauce! Beyond fresh, light, and delicious. Eggplant Parmesan fries were also super light and served with the same delicious sauce. And then the pasta… Capellini alla Caprese (which was Frank’s recommendation). From their menu: “Handmade angel hair pasta tossed with sweet Roma tomatoes, genuine Prosciutto di Parma ham and an Italian soffritto (olive oil, onion and garlic), finished in a light chardonnay-cream sauce and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.” This was also super clean, light, and just delectable. The bruschetta appetizer we did not order, but the people next to us did, and I asked to take a pic. It looked amazing, and the girls eating it absolutely raved. The tiramisu - not much to say other than chefs kiss! I literally want to go back and try everything on their menu. This was for sure one of my favorite new (to me) places and I will be back for sure! Also a shoutout to the other bartender Shea… she was an absolute gem. All of the staff we met were super friendly and helpful. Love places like this!“

“Worked at Armelis many many years ago. Had a craving for it tonight and it’s exactly how I remember it from 15+ years ago! My husband had it for the first time and said “WHY HAVENT WE ORDERED FROM HERE BEFORE?!” So we will definitely be ordering again!“

“Clearly this is a fixture of West Allis. Took the family to Mama Mia's for a celebration dinner. Five of us waited about 15 minutes to be seated on a Monday night. First time visit we had garlic bread and a garlic bread, meatball sandwich and chicken tenders and fries and the salad and potato soup. And manicotti. Inflation has raised prices everywhere, but the prices here for the portions was quite reasonable.“

“I ordered a cheese and pepperoni for delivery. not only did they delivery quickly, but the pizzas was hot, tasty and delicious. I will definitely order again and again and again.“

“Loved the food and service. Atmosphere was a little old school, but everything else more than made up for it.

Debbie, our waitress was great at pacing things, checking if we needed drinks, etc.
I had ordered lasagna, which came out oven hot, but again, Debbie warned me before hand.
All the other food was delicious as well.

My dinner partner ordered an Old Fashioned and said it was the best he'd had in a long time.

Would highly recommend it. Well worth it.“

“The best chicken parm I've ever had.“

“I had heard great things and had never been. Was heading to see a show at the Marcus Center last night and we opted for dinner here. Being a foodie, I had asked for recommendations in some of my foodie groups. I heard the meatball appetizer was a must have. It wasn’t on the menu for some reason, and I’m glad I asked as Frank, our awesome bartender/server who is in the family didn’t realize it wasn’t. I have zero idea how you get meatballs light, fluffy, not dense, but these were them. And the sauce! Beyond fresh, light, and delicious. Eggplant Parmesan fries were also super light and served with the same delicious sauce. And then the pasta… Capellini alla Caprese (which was Frank’s recommendation). From their menu: “Handmade angel hair pasta tossed with sweet Roma tomatoes, genuine Prosciutto di Parma ham and an Italian soffritto (olive oil, onion and garlic), finished in a light chardonnay-cream sauce and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.” This was also super clean, light, and just delectable. The bruschetta appetizer we did not order, but the people next to us did, and I asked to take a pic. It looked amazing, and the girls eating it absolutely raved. The tiramisu - not much to say other than chefs kiss! I literally want to go back and try everything on their menu. This was for sure one of my favorite new (to me) places and I will be back for sure! Also a shoutout to the other bartender Shea… she was an absolute gem. All of the staff we met were super friendly and helpful. Love places like this!“

“My best friend and I have been visiting for 8+ years, since we were 14/15 years old! The fusilli is our absolute favorite, and we never go without a cheeseboard or the flourless chocolate cake. We have always had great service and it has made every celebration worth visiting Onestos! ❤️“

“Great food, great service“

“First time here. Went for lunch. Everything was terrific from atmosphere, service, cocktail list & food. Perfect experience. Pizza was delicious and plenty to eat for 2 of us. Patio seating was very nice. Nice backgroung music inside. A lot of Frank Sinatra, perfect for the Italian setting. Nicely decorated. Our server gave recommendations of her favorites when asked. She was very knowledgeable about the food offerings. Love their tomato sauce! Sweet with a garlicky touch.“

“Very good service from relatively young wait staff. This is encouraging. Atmosphere would have been better except the family next to us was louder than we usually prefer. But that is not the restaurants fault. Note to other patrons: if you're gonna talk loud enough for the entire dining room to hear, please be interesting.“

“This is our favorite Fish Fry in the area! (And we've tried a lot of fish fry's :) The Pizza is also really good! We love their thin, crispy, crust! The wait staff has always been friendly and hard working. It's hard to beat Pepino's.“

“I came in on Tuesday for dinner with my friend to celebrate her birthday, and it was the nicest night. I love coming to Centro, but Shannon was by far the best server I have ever had. She made us feel like she was delighted that we were there. She checked in on us the perfect amount and made wonderful recommendations. Shannon, I hope you see this :) Thank you for making the night even more special.“

“OG is what it is....reliable comfort food that leaves you full and satisfied. Our server was excellent and helpful pointing out options for our dietary restricted folks. It's my guilty pleasure and I'm not gonna feel bad about it.“

“amazing food .my husband from New York and food tasted just like it did from new York. get a good amount of food worth the money we spent. brought him back memories from Brooklyn NY. Will is an excellent cook. like they say in NY forget about it the other restaurant's this is the place.“

“We hadn’t been to Sala in over 10 years, since we moved from the area. We were regulars for a long time, beginning when Teresa and Tony opened the restaurant as Sala da Pranzo. How lovely to return and find it as wonderful as before. Still the best — thank you!“

“best pizza and garlic bread with cheese around. Hands down. great and friendly staff. Definitely would recommend.“

“Pizza was decent but average in the sense that it definitely wasn’t bad but it also wasn’t amazing or anything. I thought it was a twinge salty and could’ve used just a little more flavor, the owner was really nice though.

There didn’t appear to be any kind of eating area so don’t expect that.

This place isn’t bad, I recommend checking it out if you’re at the nearby beach and hankering for some pizza.“

“First time at Olive Garden and it was great! Our server, Anakeal (I'm pretty sure was her name) was amazing. She was super sweet, attentive, and quick with everything. Our water was always full, and the food came steaming hot which was also very yummy. I would come back just for her!“

“Great pizza. The crust is crisp. Service was very good, too.“