Few things are better than spending a summer's day in Italy, but hopping on a plane to Europe isn't always feasible. It's why we've pulled together a list of Italian restaurants in the United States...so you can get a taste of Italy without the trip.
You'll find all the spots that have earned MICHELIN Stars and Bib Gourmands in the United States so you can dine in style and without breaking the bank.
Buon appetito!
Two Stars
California
Acquerello
1722 Sacramento St., San Francisco, 94109, USA
With its signature A-frame ceiling and luxuriously warm furnishings, this dining room has been Chef Suzette Gresham’s home since 1989. The cooking remains top rate, promising finesse and bold flavors in equal measure. Handmade pastas combine classic technique with a touch of personal style, and mimicking the art on the walls, some dishes like carrot and ginger terrine or the must-order cheese plate arrive as visual masterpieces. Sweets are a notable strength, down to the very last few bites when one of the best mignardises carts in town rolls up stacked with chocolates, pâtes de fruits, and caramels rolls. Speaking of bests, friendly sommeliers are essential guides for navigating one of the deepest Italian wine and Champagne cellars in the country.
One Star Green Star
California
Caruso's
1773 S. Jameson Ln., Montecito, 93108, USA
The Rosewood Miramar Beach is its home and contemporary Californian food with Italian leanings is the kitchen's dictum. Housed in a separate structure and set back on the water, make the small walk to arrive at this elegant retreat. The dining room is beautifully attired with leather booths, linen-robed tables and white chairs, all of which afford views of the crashing waves. But make no mistake, the seasonal prix-fixe takes center stage along with a focus on regional products (California wheat milled in-house; sea urchin procured from a local diver). Santa Barbara bluefin tartare, garnished with thinly sliced Taggiasca olives and dots of tofu aioli along with a creamy almond granita, takes a familiar ingredient and transforms it into something original.
One Stars
Florida
Boia De
5205 NE. 2nd Ave., Miami, 33137, USA
Sandwiched between a laundromat and a medical center in a Buena Vista shopping center, the neon-pink exclamation mark that glows above the front door is impossible to miss. Surprising is certainly an apt descriptor for Chefs Luciana Giangrandi and Alex Meyer’s destination. Servers say the food is Italian, but is it really? Fried potato skins cradling stracciatella arrive crowned with caviar; while beef tartare is embellished with a tonnato-style sauce and garlic-shallot crumble. There is plenty of pasta, like the tagliolini nero tossed with king crab and vin jaune that's served unexpectedly chilled.
Rocca
323 W. Palm Ave., Tampa, 33602, USA
Chef Bryce Bonsack blends his New York know-how with Italian training to great effect in this of-the-moment eatery. Naturally, there's an assortment of pastas, skillfully made in house and showcasing classic flavors and scrupulous technique, as in spaghetti al limone, tossed with knobs of blue crab and lemon, shaved garlic and zucchini. Guests gush over mozzarella hand pulled to order in a tableside cart, but the flavor outshines the show. Perhaps most exciting of all are the displays of originality, as in a vibrant hiramasa carpaccio with green apple, capers and horseradish; and dessert is a delightful bookend to an impressive meal. Basil custard topped with an elegant brunoise of fresh apples and a layer of streusel is spot on in every way.
Washington D.C.
Fiola
601 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, 20004, USA
With stone walls, seasonal arrangements and Warhol-esque prints, this DC powerhouse is equal parts retro glitz and country lodge. Before even crossing the threshold, diners are met by gracious servers. While they may rhapsodize about their favorite dishes, take your time to peruse the menu, complete with stunning creations and playful twists.
Masseria
1340 4th St. NE, Washington, 20002, USA
Chef/owner Nicholas Stefanelli's Puglian heritage comes through in the menu. His dishes hit all the right notes, balancing playful with serious elements, as in a cigar box filled with focaccia. You’ll want to save room though for the maccheroni with goat ragù. Even dessert strays from the pack—beet ice cream anyone?
New York
Francie
134 Broadway, New York, 11249, USA
Francie is headed by John Winterman and native New Yorker, Chef Chris Cipollone. Set within a striking, limestone-clad building in South Williamsburg, this haven features sleek ash wood and mosaic tile flooring, exposed red brick walls, and widely spaced tables.
Rezdôra
27 E. 20th St., New York, 10003, USA
If you’ve been lucky enough to sample the ethereal cuisine of Emilia-Romagna, you’re in for a treat at Chef Stefano Secchi's cherished osteria. Nestled into a well-designed space in the Flatiron District, this cheerful spot brings the Italian region’s signature cuisine stateside.
Colorado
Frasca Food and Wine
1738 Pearl St., Boulder, 80302, USA
This sleek restaurant is set in the heart of downtown Boulder on a charming street lined with shops and restaurants. All are treated as special guests here, where the cooking is Italian, but in a hyper-specific way: it's the food of the northeast Italian region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. You'll find pasta and seafood on the prix fixe and tasting menus, but Slavic and Alpine elements also appear. Focused and distinct, the menu might showcase a lesser known part of Italy, but the ingredients are clearly Coloradan. The plates are beguiling with a minimal, straightforward approach, as in cjalson, half-moon fresh spinach pasta pockets filled with an English pea and potato purée. Save room for dessert, like the beautifully arranged goat cheese semifreddo.
California
Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura
347 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 90210, USA
Chef Massimo Bottura has put the talented Mattia Agazzi in charge of this kitchen housed within the Gucci boutique on Rodeo Drive, and the results are very impressive indeed. This is cooking that is at once whimsical and grounded. Seafood salad arrives perfectly warm and tender, dressed with lemon, olive oil and shaved radish; while risotto is camouflaged as pizza with tomato, stracciatella and burnt caper dust evoking the taste of a charred crust. Thumb-sized tortellini, filled with the classic mortadella, veal and prosciutto mixture, sits pretty in a glossy pool of Parmigiano Reggiano-enriched sauce.
Osteria Mozza
6602 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, 90038, USA
Bread is something of an obsession here, as is the mozzarella menu. Chef Nancy Silverton's team strives to show you around the corners of Italian cooking, The crispy chicken leg is pure and simple comfort food, and pastas are unsurprisingly phenomenal—try the orecchiette with sausage and Swiss chard. Save room for desserts like torta della nonna with California honey from executive pastry chef, Dahlia Narvaez.
Sorrel
3228 Sacramento St., San Francisco, 94115, USA
Trained at Quince, Chef Alexander Hong has a true gift for pasta at this Pacific Heights perch where a rooftop garden provides herbs, edible flowers, herbs and seasonal vegetables. Smoky potato zlikrofi drizzled with sharp plum mostarda and shaved horseradish, or thick strascinati bathed in a ‘nduja-infused sauce with tender butter beans and lovage are two highlights. His ricotta gnudi are exemplars of the form: cloud-soft, accented by crisp fried sage and bright pops of sour cherry.
Bib Gourmands
California
A16
2355 Chestnut St., San Francisco, 94123, USA
Bettina
1014 Coast Village Rd., Santa Barbara, 93108, USA
Cesarina
4161 Voltaire St., San Diego, 92107, USA
Ciccia Osteria
2233 Logan Ave., San Diego, 92113, USA
Ciccio
6770 Washington St., Yountville, 94599, USA
Colapasta
1241 5th St., Santa Monica, 90401, USA
Cucina Urbana
505 Laurel St., San Diego, 92101, USA
iTalico
341 California Ave., Palo Alto, 94306, USA
MAMA Oakland
388 Grand Ave., Oakland, 94610, USA
Mentone
174 Aptos Village Way, Aptos, 95003, USA
Pizzana
11712 San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, 90049, USA
Pizzeria Mozza
641 N. Highland Ave., Los Angeles, 90036, USA
Rossoblu
1124 San Julian St., Los Angeles, 90015, USA
Solare
2820 Roosevelt Rd., San Diego, 92106, USA
The Factory Kitchen
1300 Factory Pl., Ste. 101, Los Angeles, 90013, USA
Union
37 Union St., Pasadena, 91103, USA
Colorado
Tavernetta
1889 16th St. Mall, Denver, 80202, USA
Chicago
Ciccio Mio
226 W. Kinzie St., Chicago, 60654, USA
Daisies
2375 Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, 60647, USA
Lardon
2200 California Ave., Chicago, 60647, USA
Munno Pizzeria & Bistro
4656 N. Clark St., Chicago, 60640, USA
Nella Pizza e Pasta
1125 E. 55th St., Chicago, 60615, USA
Tortello Pastificio
1746 W. Division St., Chicago, 60622, USA
New York
Ammazzacaffè
702 Grand St., New York, 11211, USA
Bar Primi
325 Bowery, New York, 10003, USA
Boro6 Wine Bar
549 Warburton Ave., Hastings-on-Hudson, 10706, USA
Café Alaia
128 Garth Rd., Scarsdale, 10583, USA
Café Mars
272 3rd Ave., New York, 11215, USA
Cotenna
21 Bedford St., New York, 10014, USA
Enoteca Maria
27 Hyatt St., New York, 10301, USA
Enzo’s of Williamsbridge
1998 Williamsbridge Rd., New York, 10461, USA
Flora
1021 8th Ave., New York, 11215, USA
Le Fanfare
1103 Manhattan Ave., New York, 11222, USA
Maria Restaurant
11 Huguenot St., New Rochelle, 10801, USA
Norma Gastronomia Siciliana
438 Third Ave., New York, 10016, USA
Rafele Rye
26 Purchase St., Rye, 10580, USA
The Cookery
39 Chestnut St., Dobbs Ferry, 10522, USA
Tra Di Noi
622 E. 187th St., New York, 10458, USA
Tredici Social
104 Kraft Ave., Bronxville, 10708, USA
TVB by: Pax Romana
171 E. Post Rd., White Plains, 10601, USA
Washington D.C.
Sfoglina
4445 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, 20008, USA
Stellina Pizzeria
399 Morse St. NE, Washington, 20002, USA
The Red Hen
1822 1st St. NW, Washington, 20001, USA
Miami
Jaguar Sun
230 NE. 4th St., Miami, 33132, USA
Hero image: Datsu / Bettina
