The Tastiest Italian in Raleigh

Garibaldi Trattoria

★★★★☆ 4.2 (705) • $$

"Very good pizza to go last evening. Meatball and onion pizza was good. Cheese pizza was also good. A good service experience at pick up."

Gravy

★★★★☆ 3.8 (792) • $$

"I was told by numerous people to check out Gravy as the food was amazing. Amazing was a stretch as the gnocchi that was recommended as well was super rich, thick, and heavy. There was a lack of flavor, but heavy on the sauce and cream. I think due to this, the flavor of the peppers and other seasonings were drowned out.Three stars overall for the service and the people. My server was very kind and helpful. When she asked if I liked the gnocchi and I was honest with her, she quickly asked me what else I wanted, asked no questions, and got me something else. I decided to order the salada sandwich, which was a grilled mushroom pattie topped with grilled tomatoes and spinach. It lacked a lot of flavor, but adding the Caesar dressing and parmessian cheese helped.The food does not live up to its name or reputation, and that is why I won't return. Continue to have amazing service while improving the food!"

Daniel's Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4 (667) • $$

"This was a holiday weekend so of course, like a good daughter I took my mom out to dinner. We both wanted to come here to Daniel's as we knew we would be guaranteed *excellent* Italian food.I called up and tried to get reservations for a 'normal' dinner time of 6 however the only spot they had was 4:30. Okaaay, a little early for dinner but hey, we wanted the best.We show up and no sooner are we seated at our table when we get our first wonderful surprise; Mateo! The best part is he remembered us! We were overjoyed and knew that we were in great hands.Mum started off with a spicy crab soup that came in a gigantic bowl. She ate every bit of it exclaiming it was the best crab soup she'd ever had. I started with a small Caesar salad as I wanted to save room for the main event. The salad part was ok but the dressing was amazing. Next up for Mum was a Frutti de Mar. Again in another gigantic bowl. Shrimp, clams and mussels with linguini in a light sauce. I got Chicken and Mushrooms in a creamy Marsala sauce. YUM!The new 'try' this time around was a discovery that they sold half bottles of wine. Think about this, you would probably get 2 glasses of wine with dinner for about $9/glass right? How about an additional glass for the same price? It is a really great deal.For the rest of this review, I would like to dedicate to Mateo. Seriously. Servers like him are such a joy and so rare. He enjoys his job and enjoys having fun with the customers. He makes wonderful suggestions and can honestly tell you what is good. He is very quick to bring what you need but also knows when to take it easy so you enjoy your time. I can't wait till the next time we get to drive out to Daniel's. Seriously. This is a gem of a place that if you aren't familiar with, do you not like great Italian food?????"

Bella Monica

★★★★☆ 3.9 (645) • $$

"Bottom line: Great lunch meal at Bella Monica, the Whole Wheat Penne selection was delicious as well as light as it does not have a heavy sauce component. Service and atmosphere were good. If I could give half stars, I'd say 4.5 stars here. The Deets:Now that I think about it, I cannot believe I have not reviewed Bella Monica until now as these guys have been here in Raleigh for quite a few years. I was working near the area and got the chance to catch lunch there recently. We were greeted at the door promptly and given our choice of table or booth, so we went with a booth midway into the long narrow restaurant area. The server was pleasant and helpful, and started us off with some bread for the table. The bread looked like a square slice of sponge cake to me drizzled in olive oil, but tasting reveals that it is a light airy type of bread that I enjoyed (I am not a fan of hard crusty type breads so I loved this version, see pics). For my lunch meal, I went with the Whole Wheat Penne menu selection that includes chicken, arugula, mushrooms, roasted tomatoes, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, Parmesan-Reggiano, and pine nuts. Reading the ingredients, it sounded delicious and light and when it arrived, the impression from the description proved correct (see pics). I really enjoyed this dish, wonderful flavors blending together without being heavy. I would definitely get this one again, it was great as it ticked most all the boxes of a nice Italian flavor profile without a heavy sauce. I would say 4.5 stars for this lunch visit to Bella Monica, and would love to visit again in the future."

Johnny's Pizza Cary

★★★★☆ 4.2 (441) • $$

"We ordered takeout from this location and I was very impressed. The young lady on the phone was very professional, polite and helpful. Even told me about a special they had going. Very niceI ordered a medium pizza with ground beef. It was ready when I arrived and I experienced the same good service in the store that I did on the phone. The place was clean and neat. Our pizza was still hot when I got it home and was just as I ordered."

Babymoon Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.1 (444) • $$

"Recently ordered pizza from Babymoon Cafe when in Durham for a visit to Duke Medical Center. After a long drive and 3 very tired people, we were looking for an option to deliver food to our hotel. Babymoon was what we selected after a Yelp search.The transaction was seamless - a super friendly and efficient person took my order via phone. She even asked if we needed plates, napkins and forks. Around 45 minutes later, the pizza arrived. It was still hot and so good! It was a New York style pizza, and the crust was delicious. We chose pepperoni, mushrooms and extra cheese as our toppings, and they were all tasty. We'll definitely use them again when we're back in the area."

Cucciolo Osteria

★★★★☆ 4.4 (353) • $$

"I give Cucciolo Osteria four stars (good). My wife and I had high expectations of this place given everything we'd heard. While the food and drink were good to great, service could've been better (this was our main gripe) and the atmosphere wasn't as nice as we'd hoped. However, I still think this is a solid restaurant for the food alone. It's one of the better spots we've been to in Chapel Hill and Durham for Italian food. That's all you need to know. Keep reading if you want the details.I'll get our criticisms out of the way first. The main thing was we felt rushed. We had barely made a dent in our appetizers when our server came over and asked if it was OK to bring our pasta course out. After looking at our table, it was obvious what our answer was. Also, there was no room to fit the pasta on our table anyway. While we were still working on our apps, our server again came over again and asked when he could tell the kitchen to start the pastas. We felt rushed and pressured.Did they have to turn our table that quickly? My wife and I were hoping to have a nice, enjoyable night out. This isn't a cheap place. Regardless of price, at most sit-down restaurants, very rarely have we felt rushed like we did here. Our server was friendly and attentive, but I think this is a detail that the staff can be better trained on.Next regarding the service, while transporting our drinks to our table, the lime on the rim of my wife's cocktail fell onto the floor. The server went ahead and served the cocktail to our table without the lime. He returned with a lime wedge in a bowl. This was disappointing because the fun of ordering cocktails, especially in this price range ($15-20), when going out is the presentation. It's little things like this that set the great restaurants apart from the good ones. In this situation, I'd expect a server to go back to the bar and have the drink fixed/re-done -- it seems like an easy fix.Finally regarding service, I originally made our reservation for two people. The day before our reservation, I called the restaurant and asked if they had room to expand to four. They did. Before I hung up, I made clear with the hostess to *not* change the reservation to four until after I confirmed with our friends. We understood each other before we hung up. Later that night, I got an email saying our reservation had been changed to four people which was exactly what I was trying to prevent. A miscommunication happened somewhere. Ultimately, not a big deal, just a little annoying.As far as the atmosphere went, the space itself was fine. Modern rustic. In other aspects, we were expecting something a bit more on the nicer side. We know Durham isn't known for having "fancy" fancy places, but some people rolled in dressed like they were headed to McDonald's. It was a strange mix of elevated and casual. And the music was weird too. For example, songs included YMCA and Escape (The Pina Colada Song) and artists included ABBA and Barry White. Not things you really hear at a nicer Italian restaurant or maybe I'm the one that's confused and this is supposed to be a casual joint.Here's what we had:Cocktails* Barrel Head Smoked Old Fashioned ($20.00) - smoked rosemary on Buffalo Trace barrel head, Buffalo Trace, toasted almond bitters* Jalisco Grapefruit Sunset ($16.00) - 21SEEDS Grapefruit Hibiscus tequila, marg mix, Pamplemousse liqueur, grapefruit juiceCicchetti* Rustic Tuscan Pate ($11.50) - fresh sage, baguetteAntipasti* Creamed Mushrooms ($15.50) - sauteed cremini, shiitake, oyster mushrooms, cognac, Reggiano, multigrain toast* Burrata ($15.50) - cherry tomatoes, lemon/white wine vinegar, pesto, walnuts, olive oil* Filet Mignon Beef Carpaccio ($25.00) - with aioli and truffle pastePrimi* Lemon Tagliatelle ($19.50) - garlic, Reggiano, lemon juice, lemon zest, chili flakes, arugula* Truffle Tajarin ($23.00) - fresh black truffles, truffled paste, ReggianoDessert* Tiramisu ($11.50)In the Triangle, the smoked old fashioned I had at The Waiting Room was better, the pate we had at Bluebird was better, and the burrata we had at Pizzeria Toro was better. In all of these instances, the flavors were more complex at the other places. Cucciolo's versions weren't bad by any means, however.The pastas were excellent. They had outstanding texture and flavor and the sauces had a lot of depth to them. The beef carpaccio was very good. We both really liked the tiramisu -- creamy, light, and a good balance of flavors.Reservations are recommended. Book using OpenTable.Interesting fact: Cucciolo's original location opened in Seoul, South Korea in 2015. This second location opened in Durham in July 2018.Free parking is located on-site. If it's full, I suggest parking in "Lot 32" at 111 W Chapel Hill St. You do have to pay for parking there Monday-Friday, 8am-7pm. Otherwise, free."

Vivace

★★★★☆ 4.1 (401) • $$

"This place is still absolutely amazing!!! Their food is excellent. They have a beautiful outdoor seating area. Service is quick. I've never been disappointed. You can call for reservations."

Mothers and Sons Trattoria

★★★★☆ 4.1 (400) • $$

"Mothers & Sons Trattoria is an OK Italian restaurant in downtown Durham.If you want great Italian in the Chapel Hill-Durham area, I suggest Tesoro in Carrboro (our favorite) followed by Osteria Georgi and 411 West Italian Cafe in Chapel Hill. In Durham, I think Cucciolo Osteria is better. Where Mothers and Sons has Tesoro beat is in space and ambiance -- it's bigger and more comfortable, and it's easier to get a reservation. I don't mean to put Mothers & Sons down. This is a neat spot and service is great too. It's just the food could be better.Mothers & Sons opened in June 2016 and is from the same folks behind Mateo Bar de Tapas next door (opened August 2012). As I wrote in my review for Mateo, both restaurants provide a fun, "elevated casual" night out. If I had to pick between the two, I'd go with Mateo. The food there is better.Mothers & Sons doesn't have dedicated parking. For this visit, we parked behind the restaurant in one of our go-to lots: 111 W Chapel Hill St. At the time, parking in this lot cost $2.25 per hour, Monday-Friday, 8am-7pm. We visited Mothers & Sons after 7, so our parking was free.This restaurant is popular. Book reservations in advance using OpenTable. Mothers & Sons awards dining points, which is a plus since not all OpenTable restaurants do.We had an 8:00pm reservation for three on a Thursday. When we showed up, the place was very busy. Almost every table was taken. Floor to ceiling, the restaurant has a simple, yet beautiful, design. This is a modern Italian restaurant with a rustic elegance to it. You can have a romantic candlelight dinner here.During our visit, the food menu was fairly streamlined - with various pastas and Italian entrees (secondi) - and the wine list was long. The drink menu had creative cocktails and several different types of vermouth and other aperitifs.Here's what we ordered:Vermut and Cocktails* Naturale Orange ($10) - rosato/arancia vermut; Ragusa, Sicilia, IT* Gold Sounds ($15) - turmeric-infused Lunazul tequila, Luxardo Bitter Bianco, ginger, lemon, black lava salt* Rabbit Heart ($14) - 1000 Piers Gin, Carpano Antica vermouth, Carpano Dry vermouth, housemade beet shrub, Scarborough bittersSpecials* Artichoke Salad ($16)* Burrata ($18)* Squash ($15)Antipasti* Fritto Misto ($17) - surf clams, squid, smelts, shrimp, lemon, zucchiniPrimi* Linguini alla Puttanesca x2 ($17 each)* Cavatelli Pugliesi ($15) - fennel sausage, rapini, chiles, PecorinoDessert* Gianduja Budino ($11) - hazelnut butter, dark chocolate, vanilla creme anglaise, hazelnut crumble* Tiramisu x2 ($13 each) - ladyfingers, espresso, mascarpone, cocoaThe Naturale Orange vermouth was excellent. It was more sweet than bitter with a strong and pleasant hint of orange. Mothers & Sons serves their vermouths with club soda and citrus. The Gold Sounds - their take on a margarita - was also excellent. It was tasty and tangy. The black lava salt on the rim and side of the glass was a unique touch.Food-wise, we ended up going with three of the specials. The Artichoke Salad was our least favorite dish. It was too vinegary and needed more salt. The three of us arrived hungry and "struggled" to finish this one (extra odd because my wife and I love salads and vegetables). The Burrata was fine. We order burrata often when we go to Italian restaurants. This burrata was nothing special, but not bad either. The Squash was also just OK. It was baked and served in an iron skillet with a tomato sauce (like a marinara sauce) with cheese. It was kind of like baked meatballs or baked spaghetti. Again, not bad, but not memorable.The Fritto Misto was good and I recommend it. I knew I had to order it after seeing pictures of it on Yelp. Hard to go wrong with fried seafood. This seafood was lightly battered and fried in olive oil. For a plate of fried food, it wasn't heavy at all, which I liked. My only gripe is I think the portion size could have been bigger (and I don't complain about portion sizes that much).In general, the pastas were too salty. The Linguini alla Puttanesca was the most flavorful dish that we had, but the noodle-to-sauce ratio was off. Too much sauce, not enough noodles. The Cavatelli Pugliesi was yummy, but watery. The Gianduja Budino (chocolate budino) was terrific. It was delicious. Very rich and smooth. Also, you have to try the Tiramisu here.Sylvan was our server and she was wonderful."

Johnny's Pizza Apex

★★★★☆ 4.1 (391) • $$

"I just love Johnny's Pizza! They have such delicious pizzas to choose from, great appetizers, and even better desserts!I ordered the Sicilian pizza and added bacon, pepperoni, and Sausage. Such cheesy goodness! The pizza was fully loaded and so good! The perfect deep dish!They have this Nutella dessert that I can't pronounce or spell but they are little bites of heaven! I could eat a million of these things!Johnnys pizza is an absolutely amazing pizza shop!"

ACME Pizza

★★★★☆ 4 (389) • $$

"Ok, I've visited and had the best pizza in Chicago and I'll definitely say that Acme is spot on in flavor. It's also tame Chicago-style pizza in the sense that it's not as thick and casserole like as I've had-- and I love that for me!Our Italian sausage and pepperoni pizza was fantastic, and I enjoyed the crust as well. Our to-go order for pizza night was perfect!"

Tarantini Italian Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.3 (334) • $$

"Wonderful service, comfortable chairs, plenty of space at the table in the area that we sat and we had a wonderful server. I enjoyed and appreciated the entire meal from start to finish. We had several appetizers that were delicious. The fried ravioli was crisp and flavorful, the bruschetta was overflowing with cheese and tomatoes, and the calamari was light and cooked nicely and all solid cut pieces. I tried one of the specials, eggplant rolatini served over spinach , this was delicious and flavorful filled with spinach and ricotta and topped with a nice serving of mozzarella that was toasted. Dinner was very filling and everyone in my party enjoyed their meal tonight."

Mulino Italian Kitchen & Bar

★★★★☆ 3.8 (426) • $$

"Mulino, aka "Melrose Knitting Mill" is housed in a renovated 19th-century building that was originally used as a knitting mill which specialized in underpants and bathing suits. The building retains much of its historical character, with exposed brick walls, large windows, and wooden beams. It truly is a beautifully renovated venue. Fortunately, the underpants and bathing suits have long been replaced by an endless resource of stunning Italian cuisine, where red vino and red sauce pleasantly litter the menu and one of the finest entrees on it is their house made lasagna. Its rich in flavor, layered with thin noodles to ensure your palate captures the flavors of all ingredients across the board. As far as I am concerned, the best seats in the house are on the outdoor patio next to the large fountain, on a good weather day of course. No worries if there is a good chance of rain, they have everything covered. I am a fan of authentically made cannoli, so end the night right with one of the freshly prepared cannoli's'. The subtle sweetness of the filling, the slight tang of the ricotta, and the delicate flavor of the crisp shell, all prepared in-house, YUM! Mulino will see us again, Cheers!"

Gocciolina

★★★★☆ 4 (361)

"Talk about a fun date night! My wife and I sat at the bar. We got a dinner and a show. It was so fun watching the staff roll out the food. As it came out, we got to see first hand what we wanted to eat. Everything was super delicious and the staff is great! We will definitely be back!"

Caffe Luna

★★★★☆ 3.9 (371)

"DELICIOUS Italian cuisine in the cutest restaurant!I've seen this place so many times, but haven't gotten a chance to visit. My mom was in town for her birthday so I decided it would be a great opportunity to check it out. I made a reservation for a Friday evening through OpenTable. This restaurant is located in downtown Raleigh. Although there is street parking, it is scarce and there's other businesses, bars, and restaurants in the area that also use that parking. There are, however, pay lots and parking decks right across the street and a short walk there. The inside of the restaurant is small, but it really fits the feel and makes it feel more authentic. The menu has great options. They only have beer and wine for the drink menu. We both ordered a glass of wine and were given break and olive oil for dipping. The bread was really good. It was the right temperature and taste. I ordered the Tortelli Crostacci and it was so good. I love good Italian cuisine and this was fresh and flavorful. My mother ordered the Parmigiana di Vitello (Veal Parmigiana) and her meal was great too. The food was fresh and flavorful and cooked well. The prices were reasonable, especially for the quality and quantity of food. I have fallen in love with this place and can't wait to return!"

Pulcinella's Italian Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.9 (344) • $$

"I had a pasta a la Maria & my partner had the salmon a la Rosa one. Mines had scallops shrimp and crab meat on top. It was a vodka sauce and delicious. We both loved ours. Staff was friendly and service was quick. We still think about this place often (we're from out of town)"

411 West Italian Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.7 (371) • $$

"411 West Italian Cafe, commonly referred to as just "411 West," gets four stars out of me. The food I had from here was great. My wife really enjoyed her experience and couldn't stop talking about the place when she got home. We found out about 411 West after her attending and co-resident highly recommended it.This is a nice, old Italian restaurant located on W Franklin St in downtown Chapel Hill. I'm not sure how long it's been around, at least since 2005. They serve dinner only, seven days a week.There's a metered public parking lot right next to the restaurant, the 415 West Franklin St Lot. At the time of writing this review, parking in this lot costs $1.50/hour and is enforced Monday-Saturday, 8am-8pm. Parking is free otherwise. For more info on parking in downtown Chapel Hill including up-to-date parking rates, visit https://www.parkonthehill.com/.This place is popular. Reservations are highly recommended. You can call 919-967-2782 or book online via Yelp Reservations at https://www.yelp.com/reservations/411-west-italian-cafe-chapel-hill. Even on a Monday night, the dining room was packed. There was a wait.Maybe it was busy because every Monday, bottles of wine are half-off.I tried a couple of the daily specials, the Fried Okra ($8) and Wood Grilled Beef Ribeye ($28), and the Bourbon-Pecan Pie ($8) dessert. Everything was delicious. I was impressed with the quality, especially of the ribeye. I had it medium rare and it was cooked to perfection. The steak was a hearty, 12-ounce cut that came with herb butter on top. It was seasoned well and relatively juicy. No sauce needed. Simply a good, solid, satisfying steak. Also, it came with thick slices of ripe heirloom tomato, full of umami. I thoroughly enjoyed it.The fried okra was nicely-battered and scrumptious. It came with a yummy basil aioli dipping sauce. There was one inedible piece of okra (too chewy), but it wasn't a big deal. The bourbon pecan pie was excellent. It came with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and caramel sauce. I love pecan pie and it didn't get much better than the one I had from here. From taste to consistency, they got just about everything right. The one thing my wife and I didn't taste, though, was the bourbon. Not even a subtle hint of it. Again, not a big deal.My wife also liked the Bruschetta ($8) and Gnocchi ($12) starters. The bruschetta consisted of grilled baguette, fresh mozzarella, local tomatoes, basil, olive oil, and balsamic reduction. The gnocchi was "panned" with Sungold tomatoes, arugula, and shaved Parmesan. There was an option to get the gnocchi with seared scallops ($19). Our friend got the Local Watermelon Salad ($8 small, $11 large), another daily special. It came with cucumber, basil, arugula, and feta with a Sungold tomato vinaigrette. Overall, all of the food was fresh, high-quality, and flavorful.The table also got cocktails and bottles of wine. My wife loved her Carolina Mule cocktail. It was made with Troy & Sons Blonde Whiskey, Spindrift ginger beer, and lime. Troy & Sons is from Asheville Distilling Company. Both the cocktails and the dishes were presented beautifully. Everything tasted as good as it looked.411 West's menu also features wood-fired pizzas, salads, pastas, classic Italian entrees like Chicken Marsala ($19) and Chicken Parmesan ($18), and other plates from their wood-fired grill such as Wood Grilled Organic Salmon ($24) and Wood Grilled Flat Iron Steak ($25).Service was fine. The server was attentive and all orders came out correct.411 West is a member of the Chapel Hill Restaurant Group that also includes the following Triangle restaurants:* LuluBangBang Pan-Asian street food and tiki drinks in Durham: https://www.yelp.com/biz/lulubangbang-durham,* MEZ contemporary Mexican in Durham: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mez-contemporary-mexican-durham,* Page Road Grill Southern restaurant in Durham: https://www.yelp.com/biz/page-road-grill-durham; and* Squid's seafood restaurant in Chapel Hill: https://www.yelp.com/biz/squids-chapel-hill."

Mamma Mia Italian Bistro

★★★★☆ 3.9 (304) • $$

"I've been here a few times now and never had a bad meal from salads to pizzas. It's conveniently next door to a Hertz location I visit so I always try to plan the lunches for Mamma Mia. The owners are usually there and seem really nice. Indoor and outdoor seating and plenty of easy parking. Most recently I was hosting a training and needed to feed a lot of people. We went in for their huge pizzas (and they are HUGE!). This thing literally barely fits in the back of an suv. We picked up three with a variety of toppings. Everyone at the training loved the pizza for its taste and novelty size. I highly recommend you check these out if you're hosting. It's a win win for taste and conversation piece. They also have a great lunch special. I usually get this two slice lunch special (theme here...the slices are huge) and a drink. Overall this is a great local spot! I always look forward to my Apex trips because of this lunch gem."

Vic's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria

★★★★☆ 3.8 (308) • $$

"Six of us had dinner here on a weeknight. It was good, but not as good as what I've had in the past. Made the mistake of ordering the eggplant parmigiana. Way too much breading. Soggy. Eggplant itself was so thin you couldn't taste it at all. Would not recommend. Husband's pasta dish with sausage & broccoli was okay, nothing exciting, and quite expensive for what it was. Definitely recommend sticking with Pasta Puttanesca. That's what they do best here. They do a decent pizza.Indoor & Outdoor seating. Good old-school Italian restaurant in City Market. Parking is as it is for anything downtown...find what you can. The Red Hat lot is pretty convenient."

Milton's Pizza and Pasta - Raleigh

★★★★☆ 4.2 (250) • $$

"I've been here countless times since my last review, but just wanted to update it to sing them praises once again!I don't think you're going to find a better buffet in the area. The salad bar is excellent with so many choices of toppings and homemade dressings that are delicious. The dessert bar is very good too and one of my favorites is the strawberry ice box pie. I get a slice before I hit the hot buffet so it has time to thaw while I'm eating my hot foods.The pizza bar is big with at least eight or more pizzas to choose from at any given time. Last, but certainly not least, is the hot bar. There's a pasta bar with several kinds sauces and usually ribs and rice are there too. The main hot bar I love! Two different soups, corn fritters, potato tots, roasted potatoes in a slightly cheesy sauce, some sort of creamy pasta that changes, Greek roasted chicken that is fantastic, usually another kind of chicken too, green beans with garlic, sometimes roasted veggies too, sausage in peppers and onions, and who knows what all else. I can't remember it all, but it's all so good!The staff is great. So friendly and attentive. The manager is always present and not only stays on top of things, but constantly is pitching in with the rest of the employees. That's a good manager in my book!!The buffet is now all day and night on Sundays and I believe just for lunch the other six days of the week. Whenever we do go we try to get there when they open because the place will stay busy non stop, for obvious reasons!"

Pro's Epicurean Market & Café

★★★★☆ 4.3 (228) • $$

"The food is only okay. The pastas we had didn't impress us, but the sandwiches are decent. The biggest issue is there isn't much volume for the price. We haven't been back in a while because the food is only okay. It's very popular, tho, there's usually almost all tables filled when we go.I got the Monet and it was alright. Good for a hot sandwich. The chipotle remoulade is a good sauce, just not very spicy. We also got the burratta, which woulda been the best thing there had we not ordered a cannoli.All in all, an okay meal but fairly expensive. We spent about $60 for two people.The ambiance is very classy and nice, tho!"

Assaggio's

★★★★☆ 3.9 (268) • $$

"Assaggio's still reigns as my favorite pizza restaurant on this side of Raleigh. As a New Yorker, I'm considered a pizza snob. Assaggio's never disappoints. They also sell delicious Italian bakery items here. The garlic knots, tuxedo cake and pepperoni pie are my favorite menu items. Make this your first stop for pizza in the area. There is ample indoor dining space and they prepare your slices fresh."

Cristo's NY Style Pizza

★★★★☆ 4.2 (222) • $$

"Let me first say that I'm usually hesitant going to local Italian restaurants because of the number of mediocre meals that would've been cheaper and better if I made them myself at home. Cristo's is the exact opposite of that. The restaurant itself is unassuming and doesn't scream "my food is amazing" but trust me, THE FOOD IS AMAZING. A group of 7 of us ordered a bunch of things to share them family-style and nothing we had was below a 4/5. It was all so good. Caesar salad - dressing was bomb and perfect amount of dressing and croutons. The bread they gave us was super fresh and delicious. The main events - the pasta and pizza blew my mind. My two favorites, the rigatoni bolognese and the pineapple hot honey pizza were easily 5/5 and if I could I'd rate them higher, some of the best pasta and pizza I've eaten in a good while. The other pizza, the Brooklyn was also delicious and I recommend it. The gnocchi was probably the only thing I would give a 4/5 and it's probably only because it had to go up against the rest of the dishes. The surprise dish of the night was the pear pasta! Definitely something different, a fun change of pace, and the perfect dish to share with people if you want a little bit of richness. Overall, 5/5 will be back as soon as I possibly can. The only picture I took was at the end because I was enjoying the food so much I forgot. My bad."

Tuscan Blu

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (315) • $$

"Food was good!! I love a good Alfredo and this was really good tasting. The bread was fresh and delicious. We made reservations on Saturday early so it wasn't busy but I imagine as it gets later it would get pretty busy as it's small but quaint and really cute. Would for sure be back!"

Frank's Pizza & Italian Restaurant

★★★★★ 4.5 (178)

"We went to Franks the other week and the food was good and the portions were generous. We dined inside and the staff was very nice. This place seemed to do a killer take out business. I would definitely get food from here again. What I will say is if you are dining in it leaves a lot to be desired. The chairs and tables are old, the walls and interior feel left from going out with my Grandparents between the late 70s and early 80s. The food is served in takeout containers. I mention this so understand the vibe if you are thinking of eating in before taking someone here."

Da Vinci's Table

★★★★☆ 4.1 (207) • $$

"A nice local Italian place in Burlington. We went Friday evening a little before 8pm and they quoted us a 20 minute wait, but we were seated in less than 5 minutes.They have their normal menu and daily specials. My husband ordered the daily special of Tuscan steak tortellini and I ordered lasagna from the menu. Both meals came with salad and garlic bread. The bread definitely needs to be improved and my lasagna was decent. However, the Tuscan steak tortellini dish needs to be on the menu full-time. It was absolutely amazing and my only regret was not ordering it too.Service was top notch and our server checked on us and made sure we always had drinks and our water refilled."

Milton's Pizza and Pasta - Wakefield

★★★★☆ 4.2 (197) • $$

"Wow Milton's definitely surprised me. I was hoping for a good meal and Milton's exceeded my expectations! I ordered takeout online. The menu is easy to read and packed with options. It takes a while to get through the menu. Eventually we decided on the margarita pizza, shrimp power bowl, and chicken Athena. The order was ready upon arrival, accurate, and brought to my car with their convenient curbside takeout option. The employee who brought the order to the car was friendly and efficient. We enjoyed all of the items. The pizza was cooked perfectly and packed with flavor. The grain and pasta dishes were equally cooked well and included nutritious vegetables. Overall, we had a good experience ordering from here and recommend this restaurant to others!"

Amedeo's Italian Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.7 (252) • $$

"Greek salad with hot bread and butter started our meal. Stuffed mushrooms was a nice appetizer while we waited. Eggplant Parmesan with angel hair pasta was old school delicious. Generous portions are the Rule at Amedeos. N.C. State University and Hurricanes territory are proudly displayed on the photo walls alongside with numerous sports memorabilia.Flatscreen TVs round out the sports bar atmosphere and full bar with wines, beers, etc.Your fan central with good food, beverages, and fun are highly recommended."

Melo Trattoria

★★★★☆ 4.1 (204)

"I was surprised to see that I have never written a review for this place before, bc it is my go to spot when I'm in the mood for Italian food. Sadly, customer service was not the best at my most recent visit-I ordered a glass of wine that never came, but the bread, cesar salad and lasagna were all on point! Since I didn't get the wine, I treated myself to crime brûlée which was really good!"

Osteria G

★★★★☆ 4.2 (194)

"We decided to give it a whirl and pop in for the hub's birthday. This place caught us completely off guard. Osteria G's is friggin' delicious! Everything we tasted was top tier. Mac's service at the bar, and his cocktails were tasty. From the bread service to the strawberry trifle -- we were enthralled. I kid you not, the ribeye had a range of flavor that I personally have never experienced in a steak. (That's quite embarrassing as I've had the best of them, or so I thought.) The chowder, meatball Wellington, oysters-- all divine and I can't wait to return. Mac shared that there's a wine dinner coming up, and if we're in town, we're there! Cheers + thanks for a great night!"

Vieni Ristobar

★★★★☆ 4.2 (193) • $$

"Vieni Ristobar is a great Italian food option! The pappardelle rigatoni is delicious and so were the Sicilian rice balls and Grandma's Margherita pizza! We literally could not stop eating. The creme brulee had a hint of lemon that was divine, and the cocktails were crafty. I loved the "Amelia" and the hubs enjoyed his old fashioned per usual. Brittany was an awesome server, and gave great recommendations-- hence, we couldn't stop eating. Loved it and we'll be back with bells on! Cheers!"

Venero's Pizzeria

★★★★☆ 3.7 (218) • $$

"The BEST pizza in the Clayton area. Venero's not only offers the best pizza in Clayton NC, they have a menu filled with all the true Italian entrees not found anywhere else. You not only get it your way, every entree is prepared with the highest quality ingredients. I don't have an over complicated palate, but I know mediocre when I see and taste it and refuse to entertain mediocre. I return to Venero's weekly because it's top shelf, personalized dining. On top of all that you are treated like family and family always comes first! You deserve the best Clayton has to offer for Italian dining, let Venero's give you what you deserve Cheers!"

Anna's Pizzeria

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (274)

"Really enjoyed Anna's Pizzeria. Right on the Apex strip, this small pizzeria has all your favorite Italian dishes, salads, and wines. Further, Anna's perfectly reflects their price point and wants to provide you with a reasonable dinner option on the (often overpriced) main street. The calzone is a solid choice. We ordered our calzone with "double pepp", the house cab, slice, and a caprese salad. We enjoyed sitting at the bar near the front window, watching sports, and chatting with the staff. Service was friendly and offered suggestions as certain items were 86'ed."

Georgina's Pizzeria

★★★★☆ 3.7 (215)

"Despite another long wait , Georgina's food is worth the wait. The staff were definitely overworked and trying to stay on top of it, apologizing several times. You felt sorry for them, enough to help them out, by getting things they couldn't get to. We had a little hangry starting to creep in but waited patiently. Lovely casual seating outside, nice inside too, but I love the outdoors in summer. Great menu options, pizza, pasta, Stromboli, calzones, sandwiches. Decent wine and beer list, which took a solid 30 mins to come out after ordering . At least we had water! Food wise we had an array we ordered. I got the pasta marinara which I shared, the neopolitan pizzas were their specialty , we had the veggie and BBQ chicken, the grandma crust which is their thin crust, only in a 16 inch, we had the meat lovers. Also on the table the pasta Francese. For appetizers we had the buffalo wings and calamari. I have to say all the food was really good, I loved the marinara sauce, and it was a huge plate of paste. I don't think they make their own pasta though. We were disappointed on one count that they were out of gluten free pasta, for our celiac diner, but they did bring out the meatballs even though they were out of pasta. Which were really quite good. The pizzas were really good, full of toppings great crust. The grandma one looked amazing, crust was a bit thicker than I thought it would be. The francese was breaded chicken with pasta , another great big portion. We all loved the food. Just required a lot of patience to wait. Sometimes I did wonder if they'd forgotten us as we were the only ones seated outside. Honestly I would eat here again based on food choices and the quality. Just don't go really hungry! The staff were great though we could tell they were really pushing themselves. I hope they don't have to suffer to much from customers who don't practice waiting . Great food here though!"

Il Palio Ristorante

★★★★☆ 3.9 (193) • $$$

"We were in town for Football Season Tickets and Had been to this location once before but sat in the bar as we did not have reservations, and Yes Reservations are necessary if you want to full experience, although our first visit a few years before was so good we decided to make reservations for this meal, and we were not disappointed. We were sat outside and what a night to sit outside, beautiful and yes the road is right there but we did not notice it at all. We were Served by Ryan who was assisted by Kevin and man these guys were on it, we wanted for nothing including attention, and to top it off Ryan had just moved to the area from Charlotte and had been a server at places we ate there and some we had not and are on our list to visit now, because of him.We started with the amazing White bean crustini's(?), WTH where have I been to have never had this before "ANYWHERE", So good.We had our main course, she ordered the Butter nut squash ravioli and I had the Duck confit as noted in the picture if you like olives it is just amazing and if you do not, still try it...We also had the Bread service, if you find it better anywhere, please DM me and let me know where it is, but this is at the top of my list right now.To finish things off we had the Almond Cake which was just decadent.To experience dining at its best you have to pay for what you are getting and we had the entire package here, Service, Delicious food and a wonderful ambiance."