Rich tomato sauce, gooey cheese, al dente pasta and garlic, garlic, garlic! What started in Italy has become a go-to comfort food for Americans and the happy eaters around the world. Whether you crave meaty lasagna, primavera veggies, fettuccine alfredo or eggplant parmesan, Italian food just hits the spot -- and it's even better the next day.
There's nothing sadder than ordering a big plate of spaghetti and finding the sauce too watery, the bread too soggy, the presentation just lacking. That's why we asked our editors across the country to pick the very best Italian restaurants in their city. Here, we've gathered a selection of those vetted picks, bringing to you the ultimate list for Italian restaurants no matter what region you're in.
See also: 19 Of The Best Mexican Restaurants Across the U.S.
Whether you're looking for something close to home, hitting the road on a culinary adventure, or just feel a little curious, these are Modern Luxury's picks for best Italian restaurants in the Unites States.
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2637 Peachtree Rd NE; 404-231-1368 / Website
La Grotta Ristorante is an iconic Northern Italian spot serving up your favorites since 1978. Located in the heart of Buckhead, La Grotta is filled with plush banquettes and romantic brick archways for an upscale dining experience. Guests can also sit at the peachtree patio to be transported to a private garden oasis filled with lush greenscapes. Once you've enjoyed its wares, check out the other seven spots on our list of best Italian restaurants in Atlanta.
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105 S Mill Street; 970.920.2021 / Website
Rustic meets sophisticated at Casa Tua’s luxurious dining experience. Stick to tradition with the kitchen’s creamy bucatini cacio e pepe, or be bold and try the alpine cheese fondue with white truffle and grilled focaccia. Make every night of your Aspen adventure warm and cozy with each of the four restaurants on our full best Italian list.
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75 Arlington Street; 617-357-4810 / Website
Located in Boston’s Back Bay area, this neighborhood staple is one of the premier Italian restaurants in the city. Whether stopping to have a drink in the tranquil lounge or enjoy the famous veal chops, Italian steaks and handmade pastas, this little oasis is sure to leave you with a full stomach. Gonna be in Boston for a while? See how many eateries you can try from our list of 22 best Italian restaurants.
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523 N. Milwaukee Ave.; 773-661-1671 / Website
Vegetables play a leading role at chef-partner Joe Frillman’s charming 70-seat Logan Square spot, Daisies, but he also taps into his talent for pasta making, which he discovered working at Balena and The Bristol. Look for six seasonal pastas ranging from pappardelle with mushroom rage to addictive whole wheat tagliatelle with walnuts. If you're hungry for more, you can strike gold on one of the other 16 best Italian restaurants from our full list.
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33a Highland Park Village; 214-838-9688 / Website
New but a quick favorite because of its decadent Italian fare and chic location in Highland Park Village, Fachini is one of the amazing Dallas Italian restaurants by Chef Julian Barsotti (creator of Nonna and Carbone's to name a few). The atmosphere is upscale rustic with brick walls, intimate leather booths and cozy lighting. You can't leave without trying the veal! Chef Barsotti's other restaurants made our full Dallas Italian restuarants list, and so did a few other delicious must-stop eateries.
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136 Main Street, East Hampton; 631-324-3550 / Website
Everyone loves Nick and Toni’s—since 1988, it has become not only an Italian staple but also a celebrity hot spot! Its Cuttlefish Spaccatelli on the menu is to die for; topped with fresh crab meat, wood-roasted cherry tomatoes, and Calabrian chili makes this a crowd favorite. If you'd like something intimate or are ready to try something new, we listed six other truly fantastic Italian restaurants in the Hamptons, too.
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92-1001 Olani Street, Ko Olina; 808-679-0079 / Website
West O‘ahu’s culinary scene has reached transcendent levels with Four Seasons Resort O‘ahu’s premier eatery, thanks to the mastery of chef Ryo Takatsuka. The creative concept here is Hawai‘i meets Capri, so expect southern Italian dishes prepared with island seafood, handmade pastas and more. The setting impresses as well with most tables outside looking at the ocean and neighboring Lanikuhonua. If you're ready to explore the rest of the island, check our full list of four best Italian restaurants.
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5210 Morningside Drive, 713-522-3535 / Website
The brainchild of restaurateur duo Charles Clark and Grant Cooper, this Rice Village eatery serves up crowd favorites like burrata pomodoro, fritto misto and Neapolitan-style pizzas. Pasta and pizza dough is handmade daily in the Dough Room (yes, that’s right), which is also available for private dining events. Buonissimo! What's better than one great Italian restaurant? All eight on our full Houston must-eat list!
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7700 S. Las Vegas Blvd., 702.736.4939 / Website
Since 1949, this family-operated bistro has been serving the Valley chef Maria Perry's original recipes. Dripping with that old Vegas feel, the bistro is open daily (11AM to 11PM), so stop in for lunch for specialties like capellini al Pomodoro rustica with tomatoes, garlic, fresh basic, olive oil and a touch of chef Maria's famous marinara sauce; or come for dinner and indulge in savory dishes including the lasagna "house speciality" and linguine alla vongole, prepared with whole and baby clams sauteed in wine and served in chef Maria's red or white sauce. Of course, Vegas is a foodie city, and you've got to try one of the other 25 incredible Italian restaurants on our full list.
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Beverly Grove: 7313 Beverly Blvd.; 323-297-0070 / Pacific Palisades: 1038 N Swarthmore Ave.; 424-238-5870 / Website
Celebrating over 20 years in L.A., Angelini Osteria is best known for their authentic Italian cuisine with a side of honorable hospitality. With staples such as Sea Urchin Spaghetti and Lasagna Verde, there’s a reason Angelini Osteria has been awarded for being a top Italian restaurant in the world. Head to the Palisades Village for a bite at the brand new Angelini Ristorante to sample other tasty Italian dishes like penne rosa and ribeye tagliata. Trust me, they’ll have you saying Grazie. Angelini is one of 18 great eats on our full list of best Italian restaurants in L.A.
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213 SE 1st Street; 305-373-2300 / Website
Twin chefs, Roberto and Emanuele Bearzi are letting the public into their mother's classic Italian dishes. Both Bearzis are inspired by their roots in Northern Italy, which influenced the family-owned and operated restaurant. Emanuele’s handcrafted pastries, pasta and artisanal bread bring an element of freshness and authenticity to Fratelli Milano. The dessert menu is also noteworthy, catching diners' attention with options such as Nutella or cream-filled Italian donuts. We had a little help from Miami food influencer The Naughty Fork for this one, so don't miss the rest of the great Italian restaurants on our full Miami list.
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567 Union Ave., Brooklyn; 718-576-3095 / Website
Chef Missy Robbins is a master at her craft, so come sit down at this sophisticated location in Brooklyn and enjoy her immaculately crafted dishes (if you can snag a reservation). Lilia is known for its wood-fired seafood and mouthwatering pasta delicacies. Try one of Josh’s favorites, the sheep’s milk agnolotti with saffron, dried tomato and honey, and leave wanting to come back the next day. We had help from Foodie Magician for this list, and he says Lilia has "the best foccacia in the country." See what else he recommends on our full list of best Italian restaurants in NYC.
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223 E. Fourth Ave., San Mateo; 650-375-0818 / Website
Housemade is the operative phrase at this stylish trattoria—from the salumi and mozzarella to the pastas, gelatos and pizzas crafted from four Italian flours mixed with a special enzyme, a unique imported blend used by no one else in the United States. The care and precision is on display in the open kitchen and glassed-in dough room. Open for outdoor dining and takeout, start with a spritz, a classic Italian wine-based aperitif, before diving into Italian-born chef-owner Andrea Giuliani’s beef tongue carpaccio, and squid ink shell pasta tossed with spicy lamb sugo. Still, there are nine other amazing Italian restaurants on our full Silicon Valley list.
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2801 W Coast Hightway, Newport Beach; 949-720-1800 / Website
Who doesn’t want to dine on lobster with Calabrian chili cream or a 8-oz. Angus filet while soaking in the views of Newport Bay? Warm, elegant and all-around enchanting; Louie’s by the Bay is equal parts restaurant and experience. Owner Ron Salisbury knows how to create a successful restaurant—having done it twice before with the iconic Cannery Seafood of the Pacific and El Cholo—so it’s no wonder Louie’s is exceptional as well - and that's just one of 13 Italian restauarants on the full list.
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87 Via Mizner; 561-655-9752 / Website
Step into this elegant, sumptuous Italian restaurant nestled on Via Mizner with romantic outdoor seating, flawless service and a rightfully family-owned vibe—in a very Palm Beach way—for a memorable dinner. Don't stop there, though. Try all 17 of the must-taste Italian restaurants on Palm Beach's full list.
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936 S. Ninth Street; 215-592-1295 / Website
The DeLuca family has been serving up homestyle Italian at Villa di Roma since 1963. Their expansive menu covers every dish you can think of from shrimp scampi to ricotta stuffed manicotti, veal parmigiana and lucious tartufo, but the red sauce is truly the main event. Enjoy it in-house, or pick up a bottle to go. There's much more where that come from on our full list of the 18 best Italian restaurants in Philly.
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7863 Girard Ave., #301 F3, La Jolla; 858-551-5105 / Website
What could be better than coastal Italian food, a refreshing drink and a panoramic view of the ocean? At Catania, you get all three. Located in the heart of La Jolla, Catania features specials highlighted by their handmade pastas and wood-fired pizzas. A Catania-classic includes Tagliatelle Alla Portofino with basil pesto and creamy san marzano tomatoes with an Amalfi Coast cocktail on the side. That's not all, because our full list features 11 amazing Italian restaurants.
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Italian food is a date night favorite for a reason, and Acquerello’s double Michelin-starred cuisine is no exception. Savor a four-course meal at home with their prix-fixe takeout menu, a selection of cheeses and trio of desserts. Alternatively, you can bring home one of their DIY pasta kits for a fun at-home activity. Acquerello also partnered with The Caviar Co. to offer a caviar service option for an elevated at-home dining experience paired with creme fraiche, brioche toast and buckwheat blini. When you're ready to go for seconds, thirds, fourths and more, check our full list of great Italian restaurants in SF.
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7500 E. Pinnacle Peak Road; 480-513-9000 / Website
Led by Fernando and Paula Esteves, Spiga Cucina Italiana brings the best of both Italy and the Iberian Peninsula to Scottsdale. This local’s hotspot serves up fresh takes on classic regional Italian fare, all with a smoky, wood-fired twist. Pair a house-made Italian pasta or Sicilian-style seafood dish with a rare Iberia wine for a meal to remember. Still hungry? Try the other three delicious restaurants on our full list for Scottsdale.
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1340 4 Street, NE; 202.608.1330 / Website
Chef Nicholas Stefanelli draws inspiration from his childhood with bold and balanced Italian flavors ever present in his creations. For a taste of all his brilliance, try Masseria’s six-course la cucina tasting menu, which features Golden Ossetra caviar, Norcia winter black truffles and a cheese trolly. Of course, this is only one of 12 great Italian restaurants on our full list.
Still hungry? Looking for something a little lighter? Why not check out one of the fine plant-based eateries on our list of the best vegan restaurants across the country?
Photography by: Jupiter Images
