Diners' Choice: Italian restaurants in Austin

OpenTable

Updated April 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best overall Italian cuisine in Austin? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyzes more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favorites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Red Ash Italia

4.9

4.9 (4217)

$50 and over

Italian

Downtown

About the restaurant

Wood Fired hand crafted Italian food set in a rustic modern open space in the warehouse district in ATX. A wide range of specialty dishes created by Chef owner John Carver and his staff on a nightly basis. Our house made Pastas, Fresh Seafood, and Prime Steaks are all prepared on wood fired grill, oven and plancha. An International wine list, specialty craft cocktails, and local brewed beers to choose from. Dolce and some Grappa, Amaro or Vino Dolce to add to your dining experience at Red Ash Italia.

Top review

Daisy

Dined 4 days ago

Staff went above and beyond to ensure we had a lovely experience. They worked together as a team, were engaging without being overbearing and they knew the menu. Plate had large portions and were cooked to perfection

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Popular dish

Red Snapper Crudo

Popular dish

Hot Chocolate Gianduja Cake

Popular dish

Pappardelle alla Bolognese

Quattro Gatti Ristorante e Pizzeria

4.8

4.8 (1537)

$31 to $50

Italian

Downtown

About the restaurant

A neighborhood gem! This family-run Italian restaurant offers a chic, rustic atmosphere in a downtown Austin landmark historic 1876 building. Enjoy outdoor sidewalk cafe dining just steps from the Texas State Capitol (dog friendly).
We feature a wide variety of authentic Italian pastas, pizza, meats, seafood & unique daily specials. (GF and Veg options). Daily specials highlight the freshest and most seasonal offerings, such as Rigatoni Alla Norcina (sausage with truffle oil), house-made Gnocchi Sorrentina, and Whole Roasted Fish. Gelato, sorbets and desserts are delicious and made in-house.
The cozy full-bar offers classic Italian cocktails and a sizable wine list representing Italy’s diverse regions.
All breads and pizza are made daily using naturally leavened dough and an ancient fermentation process; this improves digestibility and creates a delicious flavor. Neapolitan pizzas are baked at 1000 degrees in a wood-fired brick oven. Your new Austin favorite.

Top review

Jordan

Dined 1 day ago

Great food and service! We sat outside and it was a great intimate vibe! Definitely will be back!

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Popular dish

Spaghetti Carbonara

Intero

4.8

4.8 (1750)

$31 to $50

Italian

East Austin

About the restaurant

Just as in Italy where the food is genuine and locally sourced, you'll find the same at Intero with farm-to-table Italian cuisine. At its core, the concept behind Italian cooking stems from necessity and gratitude for regionally available ingredients. Intero, translating to “whole’’ in Italian, embraces this concept utilizing local ingredients from their entirety, paired with traditional Italian techniques and cooking sensibilities. This naturally sustainable approach allows for innovative, yet familiar dishes that highlight the seasonal availability of what’s grown and raised in Texas.

Additionally, Intero provides an authentic nod to the sweet side of Italy offering specialty house-made artisan chocolates (including truffles, barks, and sipping chocolate) along with other traditional Italian desserts in classic, seasonal and unique flavors.

Enjoy various Amari, select wines and craft cocktails indoors or out, set in Intero's modern casual atmosphere.

Top review

Colleen VIP

Dined 3 days ago

The service, food and atmosphere were all incredible! Everyone was very accommodating of a gluten allergy and knowledgeable about the menu. Great vibes and clearly a love for the food that made the whole experience that much better - especially Oli!

Sammie's Italian

4.8

4.8 (1577)

$31 to $50

Italian

Downtown

About the restaurant

Sammie’s is a little taste of old Italy in downtown Austin. It celebrates the great ‘red sauce’ institution—inspired by old school, legendary Italian-American restaurants. The menu offers classic dishes in a casual but sophisticated, retro-designed space that is both lively and comfortable, capturing the essence of a night out at your favorite neighborhood joint. The space consists of a central dining room overlooking Shoal Creek and 6th Street, polished wood bar, Mildred’s Room (a private dining/wine room), and wraparound patio dining area. Please note that patio seating is weather contingent.

The menu offers riffs on standards including Housemade Mozzarella Sticks, Clams Casino, and Caesar Salad a la Tommy; timeless pastas like Spaghetti with Meatballs, and Linguine Vongole; and Sammie’s Classics: big portions of iconic plates like Chicken and Eggplant Parmigiana, Veal Marsala, and Baked Manicotti.

Top review

KendallVIP

Dined 4 days ago

Blake was an incredible bartender and took care of me/provided the best service!

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Popular dish

Caesar Salad alla Tommy

4.8

4.8 (1814)

$31 to $50

Italian

Downtown

About the restaurant

Vespaio Restaurant is one of the original South Congress eateries and remains one of Austin's favorite Italian go-to's among locals and visitors. This casual dinner venue is a popular choice for date nights or evenings out with friends, seating every day at 5pm. The interior of Vespaio Restaurant is decorated with ceiling tiles, ceiling plans, vintage pendant lighting, classic table seating, a plethora of wine racks and vibrant accent walls.In addition to a full bar menu, Vespaio Restaurant offers a lengthy selection of mouth-watering and flavorful authentic Italian dishes. Menu items include carpaccio, mixed seafood stew, lasagna, mussels, calamari, spaghetti carbonara, chocolate hazelnut cake, panna cotta and green pasta with shrimp. Everything on the menu is sourced locally and prepared in-house, including the pasta, bread and pastries.

Top review

Rita

Dined 4 days ago

Excellent service. Staff were all very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu & wine list. The food was all freshly made including the pasta. I loved that they had smaller serving options so we could taste & share. It was my birthday and they made it very special with several surprises! Highly recommend this long standing restaurant.

Poeta

4.7

4.7 (409)

$31 to $50

Italian

East Austin

About the restaurant

Poetry / like food / is meant to be shared.
Our words can evoke, comfort, inspire, fulfill, provoke, ultimately adding meaning to our lives and nutrition to our souls. Like words on a page, bringing ingredients together on a dish is our poetry; the love of preparing and sharing food from the heart is what brings out the poet in us…
For the same reasons behind revisiting the works of your favorite poet, we aim to offer a place that brings you back for food and atmosphere. Find familiar comfort, or experience and inspire new, with friends, family, and self.

Poeta is nestled within The Frances Modern Inn located on historic 11th street, just minutes from downtown.
Locally created and operated by award winning chefs, this neighborhood establishment welcomes everyone to partake in a meal, drinks, or dessert all day with breakfast, lunch or dinner, and enjoy daily happy hour.

Top review

Kamaniya

Dined on Feb 14, 2025

The service was excellent, they were very busy and anticipated delays and brought out a salad to bide the time. Other than the host, everyone was so helpful and attentive!

It's Italian Cucina

4.7

4.7 (925)

$31 to $50

Italian

South Austin

About the restaurant

Northern Italian Cuisine, A True Piedmont Restaurant, Martini and Wine Bar, along with an Award winning Patio (il Cortile) Comfortable and cool in Summer with misting fans, and warm in winter with heaters.
Our philosophy - is one of Cucina Italiana! We cook for you as we do for our family with “Una Passione Grande” in a polished casual atmosphere.
Our focus on the menu, includes fresh handmade pasta, seafood, meats, cheese, and desserts, along with handmade craft cocktails and award winning wine list.

Top review

Adele and JoeVIP

Dined 4 days ago

Always a pleasure to dine here. The wine pairing event was extraordinary.

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Experience

Half Prices Bottles of Wines Wednesday

Experience

Happy Hour Tues-Fri in Bar & Patio Only 5-6:30 PM

North Italia - Austin 2nd Street

4.7

4.7 (1759)

$30 and under

Italian

Downtown

About the restaurant

At North, we focus on what we do best: Italian from scratch. Enjoy any of our handmade pastas and pizzas, created with seasonal ingredients and inventive flavors. Or, try a different signature dish, prepared with our fresh flavors from the garden, farm, and sea. We’ve hand crafted seasonal cocktails that pair great with our food, creating a real modern Italia experiences perfect for any occasion.

Top review

kelly

Dined 6 days ago

Great service from Emily, delicious food and a really nice atmosphere

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Popular dish

Trottole Chicken Pesto

Popular dish

Roasted Salmon

Popular dish

Crispy Eggplant Parmesan

L'Oca d'Oro

4.7

4.7 (1584)

$50 and over

Italian

North Central

About the restaurant

The dining room is open Tuesday - Saturday starting at 5:30PM.

Join us for Sunday Supper Club Sundays at 5:30PM! Join friends, family and strangers to enjoy a communal meal straight from Chef Fiore's childhood!

The bar and patio are open starting at 4PM.
Happy Hour in the bar and patio is from 4-6PM.

All of our dishes are prepared with locally grown produce & meats—a reflection of a farm-to-table philosophy that extends to our handmade pastas, cheeses, salumi, breads, vinegars & liqueurs.

L'Oca d'Oro believes in ONE FAIR WAGE in the belief that lovingly prepared food & thoughtful service are best nurtured by ensuring that we meet the basic needs of our staff. We apply a a 20% service charge as well as a credit card surcharge of 2.85% on all credit card transactions.

Top review

Karen

Dined 2 days ago

Never disappoints. The food is fantastic. The service is fantastic. The wine is fantastic. Happy hour is a must.

La Riv - Georgetown

4.6

4.6 (480)

$31 to $50

Italian

Georgetown

About the restaurant

We offer a seasonal menu to ensure you receive only the freshest ingredients year round. All pasta is freshly handmade daily for a truly amazing taste and texture profile. Do not forget to explore the high end; climate controlled wine cellar to find the perfect wine. The onsite wine director and owner, Vira will be more than happy to help you pick the perfect vino to enhance your elegant meal.

Top review

Aleyna

Dined 1 day ago

Always excellent food and service here. This is truly the best authentic Italian in Georgetown.

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