The Most Delicious Italian in Cincinnati

Via Vite

★★★★☆ 4 (790) • $$

"It was pretty mid in every way Good thing was the free bread. Was awesome and the food quality itself seemed pretty good. Not great or anything and prices are high"

Bella Notte

★★★★☆ 4.2 (584) • $$

"Kameron with a K easily the best service my team and I have ever received at a restaurant. We were on a tight schedule and told him, he got us in and out of there by the exact time we asked him. The food was good, the wine was great we only wish we had more time for dessert! Kameron was very nice and fast, he was also extremely patient and understanding. He was fantastic!"

Forno Osteria + Bar

★★★★☆ 4.4 (395) • $$

"Valentines Day dinner... they offered a selected menu. We both had arugula salads & beef short ribs. Food was delicious, service was amazing & the vibe was vibing! We will be back"

Wheat Penny Oven and Bar

★★★★☆ 4.1 (437) • $$

"This is a dining hot spot! I mean, it was Tuesday night at about 6:30 and this place was hopping! Valerie, Libby, and I walked over to explore this place, and we were all pleasantly surprised. It's trendy, upscale, and has an energetic, boisterous ambiance. The dining room seating was on a wait, so we opted for the patio.Our server came right over and was very pleasant and helpful with our questions. Our drinks were tasty and had a good pour. I ordered a Mai Tai / Rum Runner but got something more like a Margarita. Wasn't what I expected, but it was quite good. (I ordered a second drink, just so you know). I decided to go with the "Mr White," which is a delicious white pizza with a nice wood fired oven crust. There was a decent amount of cheese, a pleasing combination of flavors, and a noticeable nutty taste. I also tried Libby's Eggplant and Valerie's Spinach Artichoke pizza, and both were pretty tasty.Good food, good service, and good conversation with long-time friends... What an enjoyable evening! Wheat Penny Oven And Bar is definitely worth checking out for an upscale dining experience."

Old School NY Pizza

★★★★★ 4.5 (352) • $

"MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE PIZZA PLACE. Pizza is always hot and good. Service is always lovely and the ambiance is very family oriented. MUST TRY"

Jimmie's Ladder 11

★★★★☆ 4 (425) • $$

"It was our first time and we went to the third sitting of the Mother's Day brunch! The service was fast, the food was excellent and the mimosa was strong lol Definitely going again soon!"

Primavista

★★★★☆ 4.1 (373) • $$$

"My dad, his wife, my husband, and I visited on Saturday night. It was a 5-star experience all the way. Beautiful view, excellent service, and great food. I had the sautéed seasonal fish with crab. It was the perfectly sized portion with a nice presentation. The rest of our group enjoyed their selections as well. The old fashioned was tasty. There was quite a big selection of teas for my husband. We were too full for dessert. Maybe next time!My only minor gripe is the charge for valet parking. I'm of the belief that when you are at a fine dining establishment, valet parking should be free (with a tip, of course)."

Mamma Disalvos Italian Ristorante

★★★★☆ 3.9 (401) • $$

"Classic Italian pasta. A staple of the Dayton community. Best red sauce in town. Love the family owned restaurant feel."

Bourbon House Pizza

★★★★☆ 4.3 (306) • $$

"Best pizza we found in Florence! It was so good we went back three days later. The toppings were well balanced and the sauce was very good. Wish there was a Bourbon House Pizza in my home town!"

Pompilios

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (484) • $$

"This is quickly becoming my favorite Italian restaurant in the Cincinnati area. Located right across the river in Covington, you can find this legit Italian restaurant tucked away among the historic East row Victorian homes. Not to mention, this is the Italian restaurant where the movie Rain Man was filmed. If you make your way into the bar area, you can see some old posters and paraphernalia. The food is great! If you're looking for a non-commercialized version of Italian food that feels like it has its roots literally in Italy, this is it. Bread is provided, but if you are hungry, upgrade to the garlic bread. Get a side of meatballs to chomp down on while you wait for your food--it's worth it!! Make sure you ask for a box, because you will definitely leave with leftovers!"

Joe Bologna's

★★★★☆ 3.8 (359) • $$

"Stopped here for early dinner while passing through town. We all had pasta of various types and salads. All the food was delicious. Of course, the star of the meal was the breadstick! Service was fast and attentive and the ambiance was lively. Would return to try the great looking pizza."

Giuseppe's Ristorante Italiano

★★★★☆ 4.3 (270) • $$

"Loved this place. Fun spot with a cozy video fire right at the hostess stand. The food was great and we had fantastic service."

Ferrari's Little Italy and Bakery

★★★★☆ 4.1 (290) • $$

"Bring your appetite as the portions are generous. You get to view potential desserts as you pass the bakery on the way to your table. We were part of a group of 5 couples. Our server was Liz. She was friendly, knowledgeable, attentive but not intrusive. My Vitello Scallopini with piccata sauce was 3 pieces of lightly breaded veal cutlets cooked to perfection. The piccata sauce featured capers and a zesty lemon after taste. It was served over a bed of spaghetti. We had Italian sausage and peppers as an appetizer that was delicious and used the fresh bread to enjoy the savory "gravy" on every plate. Perfect for eating half and having a take home meal the next day."

Martini Italian Bistro

★★★★☆ 3.7 (337) • $$

"I hate to be basic like this, but some friends and I went out to have what ended up being a "girl dinner" recently. Ya know what, scratch that, I will proudly admit that "girl dinner" -- a dinner mostly composed of several appetizers -- may be my new favorite thing.And Martini Italian Bistro was a great place for this. We ordered several: baked goat cheese, spinach al forno and bruschetta plus the caprese salad (definitely shareable) and a margherita pizza. These came out quick, and our waiter was a help recommending what we should order.My favorite was the spinach al forno and caprese. I could eat those any day. We also got cocktails (of course). I got a cocktail with berries and bourbon in it. Would definitely recommend.It also helped that we were easily able to get a table.Martini Italian Bistro is a solid dining option in the Paddock Shops."

Sicilian Pizza & Pasta

★★★★☆ 3.6 (335) • $$

"The food I received was great. One of the very best gluten-free pizza that I have had anywhere. Additionally, delivery to the hospital was very convenient. Great food and service."

Jimmy's Italian Kitchen

★★★★☆ 4.2 (238) • $$

"Always great fresh food whether eating in or taking home. And service is always quick and friendly!"

The Works Brick Oven Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.6 (273) • $$

"Food is delicious. The staff are always friendly and the atmosphere is really relaxed."

Giovanni's Family Italian Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.8 (240) • $$

"First time here and it was awesome. Greeted and seated by Mr. Giovanni himself. Food was exceptionally good. Hubs had shrimp scampi and they did not skimp on the shrimp!! Delish calamari appetizer!My recommendation is the Giovanni special. We will be regular customers for sure. Staff very attentive."

Sutton's

★★★★☆ 3.7 (251) • $$

"Love the food! Wonderful staff! A nice ambiance! And easy access to park and walk in and be seated all in a short amount of time!"

Biagio's Bistro

★★★★☆ 4.1 (199) • $$

"I used Yelp to find an Italian restaurant that I hadn't been to before, and I certainly agree with the numerous 5-star reviews. We chose to sit in the booth at the front, but there are two dining rooms, as well as high tops that look into the open kitchen, where the magic happens. We both started with a nice Caesar salad, although garlic croutons would have been a welcome replacement for the plain dried bread cubes. They were nicely crunchy, though.A plate of chewy Italian bread with butter (nicely soft) accompanied the meal. My date had fettuccine Alfredo with chicken, with a cream-heavy sauce. I had the chicken scaloppini, which was nicely poached in a mushroom white wine sauce, served over fettuccine (homemade).We both took some home, so she could have crème brûlée, and I had limoncello torte. Both of us were happy with our choices from the well-stocked dessert cooler."

Boombozz Taphouse

★★★★☆ 3.8 (230) • $$

"The pizza here is top tier for Louisville. I also had the wings which were good and a salad which was excellent. Staff was friendly and service was efficient."

Brooklyn Pizza and Pasta

★★★★☆ 3.9 (203) • $

"Best Pizza we have had since moving to the area. We are pizza snobs and appreciate the real deal. Quality cheese good sauce.Independent business is also a plus for me. I totally recommend this pizzeria."

Krimmer's Italianette Pizzeria

★★★★☆ 3.9 (200) • $

"A perfect little pizza parlor in Cincinnati with charming looks and a cozy atmosphere. The pizza and breadsticks were phenomenal. Hand tossed and hand rolled to perfection. The cheese and pepperoni were high quality. Even the bacon and ham on the Hawaiian was appreciated. The service was a little slow but I can't complain when they had a moderate crowd with tons of takeout orders going out the front. The calzones also looked great at our neighbor table. This is a picture perfect pizza parlor I can happily visit again when in town."

Tony's Italian Kitchen

★★★★☆ 4.1 (167) • $$

"Lunch was absolutely delicious. Veggie lasagna and meat lasagna. Salads were lovely, the balsamic I loved! We had the peanut butter chocolate mousse pie and it was fantastic!"

Chef's Cut Pizzeria

★★★★☆ 4.4 (138) • $$

"The BEST pizza I have had in a long long time. The wings are very generous with the sauce and mostly flats (the superior wing in my opinion). Flavorful ingredients and very affordable."

Fessler's Legendary Pizza & Hoagies

★★★★☆ 4.1 (153) • $

"I'm sure I've left a review before because I visit Fessler's every time I can when I'm in Bellevue. Anyone who was a fan of the old Pasquale's restaurants will be ecstatic to know that Pasquale's has been reincarnated into Fessler's. The steak hoagie is unmatched and you can't find the crinkled hot and crispy fries anywhere else."

ItalX

★★★★☆ 4 (159)

"Came here for a belated Valentine's Day dinner with my fiancé. I recommend making a reservation as this place definitely gets packed! The service was great and the servers and hostess were very attentive. We ordered for appetizers the calamari and focaccia with whipped ricotta. Both are a must get. The calamari with banana peppers was a great touch as it cut the greasiness of the fried calamari. The focaccia was fresh and the cold ricotta was a great contrast to the warm bread! By the time our meal came out we were pretty stuffed but the pasta was also amazing! The bolognese was rich and meaty and the gnocchi Quattro formagio was creamy and delicious! Would recommend again for a date night out!"

Scotti's Italian Restaurant

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (220) • $$

"This small place shoots above its weight. The food and service is perfect. No complaints. The vibe is everything. Professional, romantic, quaint, reasonable, intimate, wonderful ... just really perfect. This isn't fancy, but it is so wonderful and unique; it is fantastic. I will be back many times."

3 Joe’s Pizzeria & Trattoria

★★★★☆ 4 (152) • $$

"A great pizza spot! The restaurant was cute, the staff were helpful, and the pizza was delicious. We got two 6 inch pizzas to go, about 3-4 toppings on each and the total came out to around $16. There's parking at the restaurant which is fantastic. The only downside was the wait time, it took quite awhile for our pizzas to come out but overall not too bad. Definitely a step up from chain pizza places! If you're not on a time crunch I would recommend stopping in!"

Krimmer's Italianette Pizza

★★★★☆ 4 (148) • $$

"Always the best pizza! Especially their backn pizza! Nothing beats it! Totally recommend"

Giovanni's

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (201) • $$

"Most recent three times we have bought dinner at Giovanni's in the past 3 months - the quality has changed.It definitely was not for the better. However, their pizza has become more dry, and it may have been that their sauce might have changed. It sure seems the same amount of sauce is on the pizza as usual is - this is why I stated it seems there was a sauce change. Recently, they started to sell bottles of their own named brand sauce in store - which never occurred under initial ownership. Despite this, I asked if there was a change and have been told 2 times that theres been no changes. Who knows?? Try it out. I'm not trying to ruin their business, just trying to figure out what has changed. It is something. The people are not so helpful and kind.There's a generational loss or sense of pride lost while speaking to employees; iy has changed. In multiple ways They're now closed on Monday & Tuesday.Menu constantly changes, too.I hope they do not close. We love being able to eat close to downtown."

Gabby's Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.8 (141) • $$

"Stumbled upon this gem of a restaurant in the Wyoming area of Cincinnati due to our organization hosting a Christmas luncheon there. It has large glass windows allowing diners to look out at the people enjoying the cute shops along this quiet street. Gabby's is a family-owned restaurant and the DiStasi family has been in the catering and restaurant business for over 50 years. It turns out that our Executive Director has a personal relationship with the family going back for many years, so that made our time at the restaurant even more special as they recounted old memories from high school to today.Our table shared a variety of appetizers: giant meatballs (some of the best I have ever had), garlic bread, cheesy garlic bread, fried pickles, Saratoga chips, and various side salads.The menu ranged from pizza to salmon to lasagna and many other items. I tried the lasagna as this is one of their signature entrees. It was the absolute BEST lasagna I have ever had! I received a huge portion with garlic bread and a side Caesar salad. After all those shared appetizers, I was happy to have half of my lasagna boxed up to have the next day. The meatballs come with plenty of the DiStasis marinara sauce that they are known for. So tangy and a perfect addition to the large meatballs. You can pick up jars of the sauce at the restaurant and purchase online. They do catering, so be sure to check them out for a party or dine-in. You won't be disappointed either way."

DaVinci's Pizza

★★★★☆ 4.2 (114) • $$

"Really good pizza, friendly service! Distinct flavor and quality from the chain places."

Figlio Wood Fired Pizza

★★★★☆ 3.9 (123) • $$

"Cozy restaurant and great food! You can make reservations online which helps a lot with wait time. I made one way in advance for Valentine's Day and it was great! Great staff and drinks."

Venecia Italian Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.3 (100) • $$

"This place is the quintessential old school Italian restaurant. the food is delicious and authentic and the atmosphere is out of an earlier era. Service has always been great as well. As a native upstate NYer It brings back memories of the places we went to growing up!"