50 Best Italian Restaurants near Rochester

“It was my first time here and hands down I love this place. Went on a weekend for lunch and was surprised it wasn't that crowded. I came here for pizza and I loved the Gnocchi. It is delicious. Veggie pizza and Garlic knots was good too. I felt that the food in general was fresh. Special mention about the Tiramisù- I love Tiramisù and was craving for an authentic one and it is spot on here. In fact it is one of the best I have had so far. I'm definitely coming back for Tiramisù. The lady who serve us was very hospitable and friendly. Overall highly recommend this place.“

“One of my favorite places to get dinner and definitely my top place to go when I'm craving Italian food. Drinks are great and there's a great wine selection to choose from. Service goes the extra mile and it's a cozy place located right in Downtown Rochester. Love this place!“

“This strip mall location is a classy joint but not worth going out of your way for. The pizza is reasonably priced but all the pasta dishes seemed way way over priced.It is dark mood setting atmosphere with a large bar and many high top tables. The location does seem to wheelchair ♿ friendly.“

“I’ve been coming DeMarcos a while now. And this review is long overdue. What an amazing spot. Such an amazing vibe and the food is amazing. Carbonara is one of my favorites. But my new favorite is the Neapolitan pizza!!!! Honestly this pizza is my new happy place . Must try! Shout out to Erica the bartender. Attentive & Friendly.“

“This restaurant is so amazing! The people are so kind and are always so social and helpful. The food is delicious and I love the bread that they serve. I enjoy their mocktails and would 100% recommend this place to anyone who enjoys kind people and a wonderful cuisine.“

“Great people Great selection The homemade pasta is perfect !“

“Awesome pasta!!!! Many different types of pasta and they are all great.“

“After hearing reviews about this place, decided to give them a try. Got (2) 2 ft long subs.. the club and the Italian. They were both delicious! Bread was the best part. Also got a 1/2 tray of the chef salad which was very good. Only minor complaint is I had to call 24 hrs beforehand and told them pick up between 230-3pm. I did arrive at 215 and was told it wasn't ready and it would be ready at 3, which it was. Besides that, definitely will be back for the subs and salad. I also wish instead of 2 containers of the Italian dressing, we would have been able to try the ranch, but I should have asked.“

“Bravo!! Delicious Neapolitan style pizza. Hits all the right notes for an East Coast transplant. Light crisp crust with just the right chew. The sauce is flavorful and not too sweet. Service was prompt and pleasant. All around a great experience!“

“On 12/27/22 my husband and I hosted a dinner for 18 to celebrate the marriage of my daughter and fiance. Everything was superb. Our server, Cindy, did a remarkable job. Couldn't have asked for anything more. The food was excellent, as well as the Sambucca.“

“Really nice place! Took my wife there for date night dinner and we both enjoyed the cozy atmosphere and food. Fancy without being "uppity"... I got a penne pasta dish with Italian sausage and my wife got cheese tortellini with chicken. Both were delicious. I'd certainly recommend this place if you're in the “

“I find Giuliano’s to be very good Italian home style food. Today I tried their 5 topping supreme pizza which was a perfect flavor explosion for taste. Prices are very good and qty is plentiful. Convenient online ordering and pay with Apple Pay.“

“Got their pina (zucchini pizza), giardino (veggie pizza, and their creamy pesto pasta. Had zucchini pizza because a friend recommended it, but it was really salty for some reason. The veggie was really good! Good balance of all the toppings cheese and sauce. Loved the artichokes with it. Pasta was creamy and delicious.“

“Genuinely BEST fish I have ever tasted in my entire life!! If you are a fish n chips lover, Lil Mikes take out is the place to get it.The quality of the cod is superb & you can really tell that it's fresh & not frozen. The batter on it is absolutely perfect taste & texture & not greasy at all.Excellent customer service!I am currently 8 months pregnant & crave fish so, SO bad. I have extremely rare medical condition that makes it so I cannot eat any food at all, I am solely fed from complete I.V. nutrition called TPN.So my only option to be able to enjoy food is to chew & spit, as others in my situation do as well. I keep coming back to Lil Mikes take out because of how incredible the fish is.Before I became ill, fish n chips had always been my fave food since childhood and I am VERY picky about it. It's seriously so difficult to find a restaurant that actually has good quality fish n chips.So I was so happy finding out about this place.Give Lil Mikes a try you will not be disappointed.“

“First time there was great very friendly staff“

“It was like being in Rome or Palermo, very good!“

“Great staff and great food. Best pizza and subs around! Highly recommend this store…“

“All delicious except a for very boring side salad. House dressing was great but the iceberg lettuce had six chick peas and two pieces of tomato. Step it up Tony's!“

“Friday night! Time to dine out, right. We were in the mood for Italian and specifically, pasta! My girlfriend and I hadn't visited Palazzo Di Bocce and decided to try it out. After checking the restaurant website I called to make 5pm reservations as recommended. We drove over a little before 5pm and arrived in good time. The funny part is that there were only two other people there and the place is huge! None-the-less, we checked in and were seated immediately. We didn't wait five minutes before Cheyenne, our server, took our drink order and provided menus and wine selection information. She was very helpful throughout the evening. We ordered an appetizer of Bruschetta which was tasty and a little different from the same dish at other restaurants. My girlfriend ordered the Carbonara with a house salad and I ordered the Chicken Marsala with a helping of the Mushroom Soup. When I asked Cheyenne about the soup she confidently told me it would be the best I've ever eaten and she was right! It was delicious! I questioned her regarding wine choices, as I'm not very familiar with Italian wines. She suggested a Sangiovese that was pretty good and at a fair price. As we ate, a gentleman (server) would politely remove unwanted dishes from the table. Both meals were very good - although I think the mashed potatoes were out of a box. Frankly, I thought the Carbonara was much better than my Marsala! Following our meal we enjoyed desert and coffee - also very good. The cannoli I had was the best I'd had in years. (The shells are made fresh and not filled until ordered. So, rather than the typical soggy shell, it was nice and crunchy and of exceptional flavor!) The venue began filling up as we enjoyed our meal and the surroundings are beautiful. Service was excellent. We will return I'm sure and include a round of Bocce!“

“Pretty good local pizza place that everyone in the area raves about. It's tasty and consistent so it gets my recommendation. I think I liked the round better than the square Detroit style. Cheese bread was pretty good as well and they make their ranch in house.“

“Absolutely amazing. We reached out to Italia Gardens at the last minute trying to schedule a luncheon service for 50 people after my brother's funeral service. The ownership and staff went above and beyond to accommodate us at the last minute; provided excellent food and great service. Having never dined there and only going on word of mouth, we rolled the dice. I'm glad we did. Thanks again.“

“The prices here are pretty good especially for the area that it is located. The size and heft of the meatball sub is fantastic. The taste is great too. I will definitely be back to try more sandwiches! The potato salad had a great taste as well with a fairly small portion but honestly at the price I'm not complaining about it!“

“I came in tonight right at close, HANGRY, and with 2 Littles in tow that had to use the restroom. the woman that took our order was absolutely the sweetest! so calm and understanding and helpful. then discovered how FANTASTIC the food was when I fi ally made it home to eat. what a little gem of a restaurant! definitely will be eating here again!“

“While I can’t attest to dine-in as I did a carry out order, the restaurant was beautiful inside and out from what I saw when I picked up my order. My husband said he’d love to take me on a date there one day, but we wanted the yummy food at home today. We live across the street and it was our first time visiting after almost a year of living next door.We got the fettuccine Alfredo, the Giusseppe's and truffle fries. Our total was $53. We thought it was a tad pricy but once we tried the food, we were literally completely blown away. Worth. Every. Single. Cent.The Alfredo was to die for. I’ve had Alfredo from every other local place and chain place and none have come close to the taste of bar Veronas. The flavor is SPECTACULAR and the noodles are clearly home made. My husband enjoyed his pasta a lot and we appreciate that our meals still came with bread despite not eating in. The bread was super soft and FRESH! Phenomenal. The truffle fries were crispy, just the right amount of oily, salty, flavorful, and delectable. I could eat them every single day they are so good.I can’t say enough about how good their food is. I wish I had more words. I cannot wait to eat here again, I can’t believe I waited so long to try it! It’s nice to have such a restaurant right by our home.TLDR: LOVED THE FOOD!!“

“Who knew PICKLE PIZZA? Amazing and unique and probably not for everyone, some people cannot understand cooked pickles but if you like fried pickles then you will love it ‼I have had carry out from the location on Dixie near Andersonville and never disappointed. I'm sure they have other great things to try as well.“

“Since Olive Garden left Canada many years ago, every trip to the U.S. we always have a meal here. Leah, our Server in Utica Michigan was a sweetheart. Our meals were piping hot and deelish; complimented by the fresh endless salad, and mouth watering breadsticks, it's always a place we look forward to and are never disappointed“

“What a change and great improvement in the level of service at the Auburn Hills location. Nick the new owner, Jasmine and the rest are friendly and make an effort to provide a good experience. Hot food every time, that's rare!! Keep up the good service and hot food!!!“

“Bella Piatti consistently delivers delicious food, friendly service, and a great atmosphere. They are even accommodating to my wife's creative orders. The owner, management, and servers are all kind and genuine, which adds to the overall positive experience. We always have a memorable experience here!“

“Been going here for wood fired pizza & highly recommend since they been open. As for their salads not a fan of field greens & asked owner WHY he went away from offering both his response was a little bull headed. Pizza YES /Salads NO /Hrs of operation must be hard to get help“

“I have been by this little restaurant more times than I can remember, and never thought about stopping in. That changed tonight, by a now welcomed miscommunication. The place is small, but not uncomfortably so. There is plenty of seating, it's just well laid out in a corner strip mall footprint. The decor is very clean and modern looking. Everyone was super friendly, and right there when you needed something, a few times, before we knew we did. Two of us were craving onion rings, and we were so right to order them. They are made fresh to order, and batter dipped in the restaurant when you order them. We went on $1.50 coney dog day, and they were very good also. $30 for 3 people is very reasonable these days for sure. We'll be back to this new gem, very soon.“

“This five point Dr. Location just produced the best jets pizza I have ever had, by far. I'm not sure if it was done on purpose, or by accident, but all the food was cooked perfect. So many times you get sloppy, floppy pizza from chain pizza places. This was actually cooked long enough. Everything was golden brown and crispy. I picked up a deep dish, hand tossed, bread sticks, and added on a diet Pepsi at about 12:30 pm today. If the staff can look back and remember what they did for this order, and then just always do that, they would make some of the best pizza. Better yet, if corporate investigates this, and then implements whatever they did, it's probably a contender for best franchise pizza money can buy. But don't get too excited, this only happened one time. Repeat itEdit: maybe they always cook it like this at this location? I meant this is the only time for me in the history of ordering franchise pizza where I got perfectly cooked food.“

“No complaints staff was great, 2 large deep dish pizza done on time, not over cooked. A bit disappointed with the wings there were a couple good pieces but too many little chunks that weren't really wings just breaded pieces if I'm paying for wings at Least give me all good “

“Everything about our experience was phenomenal!! We brought our 88 year old mother out for a birthday lunch and she loved the place. We were a party of 6 and the restaurant was more than accommodating. Our service was extremely exceptional...Rebecca was so great she timed out the food and course perfectly.our glasses were always full and she brought out a complementary dessert with a candle that was much appreciated..thank you Rebecca for making our time so lovely!!!“

“We recently tried mare for the first time and absolutely loved our experience. The service here is amazing! Our server made our dinning experience so much fun! The restaurant stands out with its unique approach to seafood. If you are a seafood fanatic you will absolutely love this place! I ordered the Branzino and boy was it divine! The quality and freshness of their fish is unmatched. My sister ordered the filet and it was delicious, perfectly cooked and so much flavor! We ordered one of the pizzas as an appetizer and it did not disappoint! I couldn’t believe how much flavor was in one slice. The Italian chef making the pizzas knows what he’s doing! Overall a wonderful experience and I cannot wait to be back again!“

“We had a fabulous evening at Pernoi! Allison our waiter was very attentive and spot on. Our food was fabulous! We started with a burrata salad and also the Greek salad. Both were outstanding! 2 of us had the eggplant special and added a meatball and the others had the bolognese and the veal scallopini. All were absolutely fantastic and we were able to take home some leftovers home! We will return very soon! We sat on the patio which was ok but we will choose to sit inside next time!“

“Happy Hour !! Good and plentiful @ $7“

“Buon Appetito is by far one of the very best Restaurants!!! The owners Vito & Janette and their Chef son, strive to make everything perfect ! The daily HOMEMADE dishes are amazing and the portions are generous. The house salad dressing is my favorite! The beautiful atmosphere and expertise wait staff is amazing. Very professional and friendly! It’s our very favorite home town restaurant that won’t disappoint you!“

“I was sick for over 10 days and couldn't eat. When I could finally eat, I had a craving for Jet's..which I hadn't had in many years...but you never disappoint. As always, food was to perfection and quick as ever. Thanks for being consistent in your service and quality!!“

“Food has always been superb. But todays visit, server Melanie… from the time I entered til the time I left was a 5 star experience!! Chicken Milanese was delicious!!! A restaurant experience to me begins with the service!! Melanie represents Pizza Nostalgia to its fullest. Remember to make a reservation as this restaurant is very quaint. Never a disappointment.“

“We were there on a Saturday night, party of 13, I did reserve table and waiter, who has served us before, Nick O., both the food and Nick were great. Though we had two tables, close together, we were treated so good, from the drinks to dessert it was great. Nick kept our drinks full, our appetizers were spot on, my grandson loved the calamari, first time trying it, our entrees were so good, a variety was tried by all, from chicken, pasta, steak, pork chops. Even a overly cooked steak was fixed fast. Thanks for making our night fun“

“I have tried dang near half the menu and love it all. the cannoli is hands down the best I've ever had. Everyone I've encountered there has been nice and helpful. Highly recommend stopping in to this place!“

“Food is delicious and the service is excellent.“

“Okay went for the first time for taco tuesday. Tacos were excellent. Service is always great. It's just a little noisy but that's in the bar. We haven't been able to go into the restaurant side although we will try that next time.“

“great pizza very friendly staff I recommended to everybody love it“

“Exceptional service paired with an unparalleled seafood selection. The farm egg appetizer and the Branzino dinner dish stand out as culinary masterpieces – both are absolute must-tries. Highly recommended for a memorable dining experience. Due to its popularity, especially on weekends, securing a table can be challenging. Advance reservations are strongly advised to ensure you don’t miss out.“

“Love Jets. The food is always good and fresh. The small salads are amazing and big enough that I can get two meals out of it. The Medium is big enough that all four of us can have a salad with our pizza. I wish they would put lettuce on there list of items on the app though. We like that you can split your pizza with two different ones but without lettuce on the list we can't do half BLT.“

“I went here for the first time tonight (4/20/24) and I really enjoyed it. The food was great, the prices were good, and I’d describe the portion sizes as “just right”. Carter was our server and he did a great job. Very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. He was very attentive but not in a way that disrupted my eating or conversation with my friend, which is so important. I appreciated the vegetarian options and non-alcoholic beer on the menu, my only recommendation would be to add a bottle of red and white alcohol removed wine (like Fre or Ariel) to the menu, we non-drinkers are out here and we like options. Oh and also, Heineken 0.0 is better in a bottle than in a can, jus’ sayin.. but overall great experience! Thanks again Carter!Vegetarian options: Fettuccini Alfredo.“

“It's not surprising to me, but Olive Garden has demonstrated consistent excellence in Italian cuisine. Zesty sauces, chilled salad bowls, perfectly cooked pasta, and prompt service come together to offer a superb dining experience.Thanks, Lindsey!“

“We really enjoyed Buddy's! The pizza was excellent: choice of crusts, really tasty sauce, and plenty of fresh ingredients to choose from. The service was good and the prices reasonable. We'll definitely return if we're in the area again.Parking: Plenty of adjacent parking in mall parking lot.“

“I had the Linguini di Moore was great! I LOVED the pasta sauce that they used. The bread at the table is delicious, but it was a little too salty. The calamari was yummy as well. Our server was fantastic. He was great with the kids. Definitely worth checking out for a relaxed Italian dinner.“