23 Best Italian Restaurants in Philly: Nonna-Approved Eateries

Everyone likes Italian food! Think of all the mouthwatering Italian classics like gooey lasagne, fluffy ravioli, or creamy, mocha-infused Tiramisu. Philadelphia is renowned for its Italian cuisine whether it’s a fancy date-night place of elegance or a neighborhood red sauce joint. These are the 23 best Italian restaurants in Philly!

1. Villa di Roma – Best Italian Restaurant in South Philly

An award-winner on the list, Villa di Roma has been a name in South Philly since 1963. It’s as consistent as they come with the same family running the joint since it opened its doors. Located in the center of the Italian Market district, it’s the kind of restaurant that’s stuck in sixties South Philadelphia in the best way possible.

There are diners who drive hours to Villa di Roma just for their food, specifically their famous spaghetti and meatballs. And about those meatballs, they’ve been named Best Meatball several times and been featured on Food Network. In fact, some diners drive hours just to get their mouths on the meatballs. This isn’t fancy Italian food either, it’s more along the lines of food an Italian grandmother would cook for her family. 

Highlights from the menu at Villa di Roma:

1. Ziti Francis – Ziti pasta with a mix of fingertip pieces of veal and chicken, tossed in marinara sauce topped with mozzarella, and baked in the oven
2. Veal Bella Bucca – 2 portions of veal, stuffed with provolone cheese and ham, sprinkled with grated Romano cheese and seasonings. Dipped in egg batter, lightly breaded, and fried. A Romano sauce made of white wine, lemon, chopped spinach, and a touch of beef stock
3. Chicken Lorraine – Medallions of chicken sautéed, with onions, fresh mushrooms, a touch of red wine and white wine, and beef stock
4. Villa Steak – Sirloin steak, cut in cubes, topped with cherry peppers, fresh mushrooms, and shrimp, in a sauce of beef gravy

Online Ratings (out of 5)

• Google 4.6
• TripAdvisor 4.0
• Yelp 4.0

Overall score 4.2

2. Barbuzzo: Best Italian Restaurant for Gourmet Pizza in Philly

Barbuzzo is an oddity on this list because it is technically a Mediterranean joint except it also makes outstanding pizza and pasta that you won’t forget. It’s most likely the narrowest joint on this list, but that just adds to the hip style. You’ll feel a sense of prestige if you sit at the marble counters of the bar where you get to watch all the food get made in an open kitchen. 

Opened in 2010, Barbuzzo has a beautifully detailed menu that will make your eyes sing as much as its food does. The pizza isn’t so much pizza as it is an indulgent experience in a multitude of flavors. Barbuzzo isn’t like your mom’s kitchen favorites, instead, it’s a place delivering dishes made with precise skill, including pasta that’s as good as any in town.

1. Grilled Spanish Octopus – hazelnut-almond romesco, fingerling potatoes, pickled chorizo, taggiasca olive, and roasted peppers
2. Creste di Gallo – rabbit leg ragu, hedgehog mushroom, rosemary, and parmesan 
3. Brioche French Toast – caramelized apples, cardamom mascarpone, oat crumble, maple syrup, and powdered sugar 
4. Uovo Pizza – secret white sauce, mozzarella, Brussels leaves, pork guanciale, truffled egg, and parmesan

Online Ratings (out of 5)

• Google 4.5
• TripAdvisor 4.5
• Yelp 4.5

Overall score 4.5

3. Trattoria Carina: Best Chicken Parm in Philadelphia

If you’re looking for that charming neighborhood restaurant hidden away from the bustling crowds of the city then Trattoria Carina is the spot for you. Fantastic in a quiet way, it’s a restaurant that feels more like a friendly get-together than a meal and gives you the same attitude with a BYO atmosphere and no corkage fee. 

Catering to the neighborhood, the locals will point out a lot of great dishes here but the chicken parm is hands down one of the best in the city. Their weekend brunch menu is to die for with its espresso martini and mushroom toast. The dinner menu is small but elegant as you can take an adventure with their octopus or if that’s a bit too exotic for your taste, there’s always the spicy crab.

1. Pork chop – with polenta, fried egg, and green garlic salsa verde
2. Sausage Rigatoni alla Vodka – hot Italian sausage with tomato and basil
3. Mushroom toast – with whipped ricotta, fresco, and hazelnuts
4. Nutella Budino – chocolate hazelnut pudding, chocolate ganache, hazelnuts, and whipped cream

Online Ratings (out of 5)

• Google 4.6
• TripAdvisor 4.5
• Yelp 4.5

Overall score 4.5

4. Wm. Mulherin’s Sons: Best Italian Restaurant in Fishtown

With a name akin to the neighborhood butcher, Wm. Mulherin’s Sons is a restaurant, a bar, and a hotel. But forget the lodging element here, this is a place where people can gorge on wood-fired Italian food and become intoxicated by a smell so good you’ll never want to leave. By the way, when you dine here you can brag to your friends that you had an exceptional meal in a 19th-century whiskey factory. 

You can dine inside or out at Wm. Mulherin’s, but if the day is nice enough, take a table around the garden, a serene experience like no other. It won several awards as Best New Restaurant when it opened in 2016 and remains a huge draw in Fishtown, where people indulge in their popular gourmet wood-fired pizzas. 

1. Spicy Jawn (pizza) – pepperoni, hot coppa, caciocavallo, sharp provolone, long hots, and tomato
2. Squash Blossom Tempura – with crab, ricotta, hazelnut chili pesto, and preserved lemon
3. Caramelle – figs, caramelized onion, gorgonzola dolce, rosemary brown butter, and vincotto
4. Pistachio Creme Brulee – with candied pistachio and white chocolate

Online Ratings (out of 5)

• Google 4.6
• TripAdvisor 4.5
• Yelp 4.5

Overall score 4.5

5. Gran Caffe L’Aquila: Best Italian Restaurant for Gelato in Philly

Imagine a cafe being built in Italy and then shipped as an entire unit to Philadelphia to open to the public. Think of a cafe in Italy but in Philadelphia rife with a 24-flavor counter of some of the most delicious gelato you’ll ever have in your life. The story behind Gran Caffe L’Aquila is one of the most unique in Philadelphia as it was modeled after a cafe in the Italian city of L’Aquila that was destroyed by an earthquake in 2009. 

About that gelato, if you aren’t already enamored with the 24 flavors of creamy cold heaven staring back at you when you enter this establishment, know that this cold treat was made by an award-winning gelato chef named Stefano Biasini who is a part of the L’Aquila staff. That’s not all. 

L’Aquila has a darn full-time coffee roaster that balances java flavors like a physicist. If you’re still not captivated by this spot, the owners have a regular menu as well as a weekly menu that focuses on one Italian city each week.

1. Torta Granchio – Italian crab cakes infused with fresh herbs and mascarpone served with a cucumber fresco and finished with a gastronomic roasted red pepper gelato
2. Agnolotti – Torino-style ravioli filled with veal, pork and vegetables, butter/sage sauce, and gastronomic black and white truffle gelato
3. Arrosticini Biasini – Lamb-bacon skewers with gastronomic long hot pepper gelato
4. Sugo Della Domenica – Longo family Sunday sauce, wild boar meatballs, veal braciola, lamb, sausage, and lamb. Served with homemade flour and water fusilli pasta.

Online Ratings (out of 5)

• Google 4.6
• TripAdvisor 4.5
• Yelp 4.5

Overall score 4.5

6. Victor Cafe: Best Italian Restaurant for Ambience & Entertainment in Philadelphia 

No, really. There is actual Opera at Victor Cafe while you’re dining and this isn’t Amateur Hour Opera either, these guys are professional opera singers and give you the beautiful sounds of Italian music. It’s the kind of joint Philadelphians bring their out-of-town friends and family to give them a taste of the city. It’s also a bit of a celebrity as it was featured as Adrian’s Restaurant in both Rocky and Creed.

Another South Philly Italian essential, the Victor Cafe started out as Victor Record Shop in 1918 because of original owner John DiStefano’s love for opera and music. He changed direction with the business in 1933 by turning it into a restaurant called the Victor Cafe that still has the 1930s vibe inside with music memorabilia of the time decorating the walls. Be ready to be serenaded by both singers and the menu at Victor Cafe.

1. Spaghetti Rusticana – House-made braciole, meatballs, & sweet sausage over spaghetti
2. Tosca – seared chicken breast au jus stuffed with fontina cheese and prosciutto over creamy polenta
3. Prince Igor – Penne pasta in a vodka blush sauce with salmon and asparagus, topped with caviar
4. Veal Saltimbocca – With prosciutto, pineapple sage, and wild mushrooms in marsala wine jus

Online Ratings (out of 5)

• Google 4.8
• TripAdvisor 4.5
• Yelp 4.5

Overall score 4.6

7. Georgio on Pine: Best Italian Restaurant for Gluten-Free Eating in Philadelphia

Unlike many other restaurants on this list, Georgio on Pine is relatively new, opening its doors in 2008. It’s a BYO (bring your own beer or wine) Roman trattoria so this is an eatery you can dine in casually and not have to worry about wearing your Sunday best. It’s been named to several Best of lists and has its own pizzeria open right next door. 

A great distinction of Georgio on Pine is it caters well to the gluten-free and healthy-choice foodies while still whipping up dishes that are as decadent and fat-filled as any other Italian joint. In fact, the restaurant offers an entire gluten-free menu in addition to its regular menu as well as regular, wheat, or gluten-free options for all pasta. 

Giorgio on Pine also has a few eye-popping items on its menu that separate them from other Italian places in town: 

1. Bucatini – Crisp pancetta, shaved Vidalia onion, and tossed in a spicy white wine marinara sauce
2. Parmesan Cheese Crusted Chicken – Baked chicken breast topped with parmesan cheese and served over a bed of marinara
3. Veal Melanzane – Slice eggplant and fresh mozzarella served in a tomato basil white wine reduction
4. Grilled Sweet Sausage – with polenta cakes, spinach, and spicy marinara, topped with shaved and grated parmesan

Online Ratings (out of 5)

• Google 4.6
• TripAdvisor 4.5
• Yelp 4.0

Overall score 4.3

8. Little Nonna’s: Best Gourmet Italian Restaurant in Philly

The wooden paneled walls of Little Nonna’s give you that immediate Italian joint feel when you enter the establishment. The chatter and the smell of the in-house gravy will make you want to sit down for a taste of this joint that seems like your grandmother is back in the kitchen whipping meals up for the family. 

While you have tons of options including all the Italian classics, Little Nonna’s gives most of their dishes a unique twist that turn their food into a more gourmet kind of meal than the homestyle Italian food you may be used to. That isn’t to say it’s not fantastic, because it is, but don’t expect normal beef meatballs. 

Instead, you’ll get their beef, veal, and pork meatballs stuffed with fontina cheese on polenta topped with Taleggio cheese. And that’s just one item off their cute and artsy menu. Are you hungry yet?

1. Campanelle Nero – squid ink pasta with seared shrimp, capers, fennel soffrito, olive oil breadcrumbs
2. Braised Short Rib Radiatori – short rib ragu, roasted celery root, brussels sprout leaves, mushrooms, whipped ricotta, breadcrumbs, fresh horseradish
3. Wild Mushroom Arancini – crispy risotto balls, buffalo mozzarella, truffle aioli
4. Sunday Gravy – slowly braised beef short rib, pork, beef, and veal meatballs, garlic sausage & broccoli rabe in 4-hour San Marzano pork marinara. We serve you the Sunday gravy over tonight’s macaroni with the meats on the side, Nonna style.

Online Ratings (out of 5)

• Google 4.5
• TripAdvisor 4.5
• Yelp 4.0

Overall score 4.4

9. Saloon Cucina Italiana: Best Italian Steakhouse in Philadelphia  

Saloon Cucina Italiana in Philadelphia is like a great Italian place combined with a complimentary steakhouse. Opened in 1967, Saloon takes you down Memory Lane with its antiques of old-time  Philadelphia blanketing the entire restaurant. The aura makes you feel old-fashioned in a good way like you’re dining in a classic black-and-white movie. 

To further concrete Saloon’s legitimacy as an eatery, it has won both best Italian Restaurant and Best Steakhouse on many lists, although not together. Some of their signature dishes are the Veal Parmigiana and a selection of three mouthwatering steaks. They have one of the most straightforward menus on this list to the point that none of the items are separated by category. 

Check out what you can order from this establishment:

1. Fettuccine Lobster Amatriciana – homemade fettuccine with South African lobster, guanciale, onion, fresh tomato, leeks, and sharp provolone cheese in a tomato sauce
2. Scampi Scampi – homemade fettuccine with South African lobster, guanciale, onion, fresh tomato, leeks, and sharp provolone cheese in a tomato sauce
3. Veal Mondolaise – tender scallops of veal stuffed with prosciutto, mozzarella, sage, and Parmigiano cheese; mushroom Marsala wine sauce
4. Bronzino Grenobloise – egg wash, white wine, lemon, butter, jumbo lump crab meat, and crispy capers

Online Ratings (out of 5)

• Google 4.7
• TripAdvisor 4.5
• Yelp 4.5

   Overall score 4.4

10. Ristorante Pesto: Local’s Pick for Best Italian Restaurant in Philadelphia

After asking several Philadelphians what the best Italian joint in town was, many of them uttered Ristorante Pesto off the top of their head. The place is honestly so good it shouldn’t be legal. Locals fawn over this joint like a past romance. If you don’t believe it, check TripAdvisor where it is the number one restaurant in all of Philly according to more than 3700 diners.

What makes Pesto so critically acclaimed, both by experts and locals alike? Their food is exquisitely made and their service is just as good. Diners rave about such dishes as the Cavatelli or the Portobella alla Parmigiana, which are apparently out of this world. 

You’ll also be in for a treat when you’re greeted by the gracious warmth of owners Giovanni and Concetta Varallo, who will make you feel like part of the family while you get your mind blown by their food. Known for their pasta and veal, a few notable items on Pesto Ristorante’s menu stand out.

1. Gnocchi al pesto – Homemade potato dumplings served with our special pesto sauce, rosé, or gorgonzola sauce
2. Cavatelli – Award-winning short homemade pasta served with lobster, shrimp, and crabmeat in a rose sauce
3. Quattro Formaggi – 12 oz veal chop stuffed with four cheeses: Provolone, Mozzarella, Parmigiano, and Swiss cheese in a demi-glace sauce
4. Burrata – Burrata cheese, smoked prosciutto, sun-dried tomatoes, drizzled with a balsamic reduction

Online Ratings (out of 5)

• Google 4.8
• TripAdvisor 5.0
• Yelp 4.5

Overall score 4.8

11. L’Angolo Ristorante: Best Family-Style Italian Restaurant in Philly

Small but with a huge heart, L’Angolo Ristorante stuffs people inside the joint for some of the best Italian food they can eat. It’s a family-style restaurant without the frills, serving up Italian classics in some of the biggest portions in town. You won’t be disappointed leaving this place although you may need to move your belt buckle up a notch or two.

So, what about the food that makes L’Angolo’s so amazing? In short, authenticity. As one reviewer put it, “I have been to Italy countless times and this place would compete with the best places over there.” Two Italian classics L’Angolo’s has down to a T are spaghetti and meatballs and Caesar salad, both of which are some of the best in the entire country.

1. Spaghetti ai fungi e gamberi – with shrimp and wild mushrooms, olive oil, and rosemary
2. Pollo in padella – sautéed chicken breast, pancetta, white wine
3. Spiedini – sweet and hot sausage skewers with herb-marinated veggies, reduced balsamic
4. Orecchiette all’anatra – braised duck, white wine, thyme, shaved grana

Online Ratings (out of 5)

• Google 4.7
• TripAdvisor 4.5
• Yelp 4.5

Overall score 4.6

12. Vetri Cucina: Best High-End Italian Restaurant in Philly  

It’s only necessary that a few of the entries on this list are going to be expensive and Vetri Cucina, one of chef Marc Vetri’s best restaurants, is going to require a chunk of change. But it’s not without merit since you’re in for an unforgettable experience of flavor at Vetri’s, It has the accolades to back it up too, with 16 James Beard Foundation nominations. 

What you have to love about Vetri is they use local ingredients, pulling their meats, cheeses, and produce from farmers and supplies in Pennsylvania and New York. What results is an extravagant menu like no other, one that is almost frightening in how detailed each dish is such as the apple profiterole with mascarpone, ginger, and bay leaf. 

The mind-blowing dishes on the menu may not have names but they’re hard to forget, including the baby goat. You read that right. 

1. Classic split featuring spinach gnocchi with brown butter and almond tortellini with truffles
2. Japanese sweet potato strudel with braised cabbage and cannellini beans
3. Barbecue lamb neck with apple, scallion, and fried oysters
4. Roasted baby goat with house-milled soft polenta

Online Ratings (out of 5)

• Google 4.8
• TripAdvisor 4.5
• Yelp 4.5

Overall score 4.6

13. Bistro Romano: Best Lobster Ravioli in Philadelphia  

Italian restaurants have always been a wonderful option for any date night but Bistro Romano is the kind of place for a special date like an anniversary or a proposal dinner. Diners rave about its elegance and upscale experience that comes with stone walls, candlelit dinners, and the whole shebang. 

If that’s not enough, there is a room aptly named the Wine Cellar where the real serious dates go to sit inside a dining cellar at tables topped with rose petals.

There is also divine Italian food at Bistro Romano, starting with their house special, a lobster ravioli, and some of the most exquisite dishes in town. For the sake of honesty, you will want to bring your wallet to this place as it won’t be cheap but will be worth every single cent and more. 

The quality of the food is outstanding with a menu that highlights all its finest points:

1. Grilled Swordfish – with jumbo lump crab meat, rock shrimp, spinach, radish lemon butter, chili oil
2. Brodetto – lobster, mussels, shrimp, fish, herb fregola, lobster saffron broth
3. Chicken Involtini – romesco, fried potato, Brussels sprouts, chimichurri
4. Garganelli – short rib, garlic, mushrooms, basil, sharp provolone, crispy bread crumbs

Online Ratings (out of 5)

• Google 4.6
• TripAdvisor 4.5
• Yelp 4.0

Overall score 4.3

14. Dante & Luigi’s: Best Traditional Italian Restaurant in Philly 

It’s hard to claim that you’re restaurant has been around for more than 120 years but Dante & Luigi’s can tell you they’ve been making Italian food since the 1800s! Yes, this popular Philly Italian restaurant has been embedded in the city’s Italian culture for going on 123 years now, the longest of any restaurant in the City of Brotherly Love and the entire United States!

Established in 1899 by Michael DiRocoo, the restaurant provided Italian immigrants with work and housing as they’d sleep upstairs in the townhouse. The names Dante and Luigi were the sons of DiRocco, whose original name of the place was Corona di Ferro. In 1996, a new family took over ownership of the historic establishment when Connie and 

Dining in a townhome that is over 160 years old adds an unbridled authenticity to the eatery’s ambiance that’s impossible to match. Eat here and you’re dining at the oldest red sauce joint in America. Dante & Luigi’s is also a dinner place, not somewhere you go for a casual lunch as it’s only open from 4-9 pm. 

Known for its Old World specialties like its “best in the city” lasagne, the menu is a lovely list of Italian classics that will make you drool. Check it out!

1. Perciatelli Genovese – veal Bolognese sauce with white wine and a touch of cream over thick, tube-shaped pasta 
2. Chicken Breast Pomodoro – Thick-cut boneless breast of Chicken, wrapped in Bacon, topped with Chopped Long Hots, Tomato Pomodoro, Provolone & Buffalo
3. Lobster Maccheroni e Formaggio (Lobster Mac & Cheese) – Chunk Lobster Tail, Pipe Rigate pasta, Fontina, Ricotta & Provolone Cheeses with Bacon and topped with Cherry Tomato
4. Chocolate Cream Cheese Cannoli – Chocolate Cream Cheese with Crème de Cacao served with a Raspberry Chambord Drizzle

Online Ratings (out of 5)

• Google 4.7
• TripAdvisor 4.5
• Yelp 4.0

Overall score 4.4

The Best of the Rest

15. Via Locusta 

Via Locusta gives you high-quality, locally-sourced Italian with an upscale flare.

16. Osteria

James Beard award winner Osteria is known for its chicken liver rigatoni.

17. Burrata

Opened in 2018, Burrata is quickly becoming one of the hottest places in Passyunk

18. La Famiglia Ristorante 

Old-style red sauce joint, La Famiglia has been cooking up Italian classics since 1976.

19. Fiorino

Fiorino is a romantic getaway kind of Italian fare that also offers cooking classes on occasion.

20. DaMo Pasta Lab

There are 15 pasta dishes on the menu at DaMo Pasta Lab, 14 warm ones and one cold.

21. Bomb Bomb Barbecue Grill

Bomb Bomb offers luscious Italian food and great BBQ. 

22. The Couch Tomato Cafe

The food at the Couch Tomato marries Italian cuisine with bar food, complete with refreshing craft beer. 

23. Ambrosia Ristorante BYOB

As the name implies, Ambrosia is a BYOB joint with a casual atmosphere and some of the best gnocchi in Philly.

Are you full yet? Our list of the top Italian restaurants in Philadelphia is full of must-try joints, but based on the scores alone, the best overall goes to Pesto Ristorante. Share this list with a fellow foodie and book your next Italian dinner at one of these outstanding restaurants!

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