30 italian rooms worth the trip across United States, editor-ranked. All cuisines in United States.
Frasca Food and Wine ★ 4.9 · Denver
boulder · 1738 Pearl St, Boulder, CO 80302
Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder is Bobby Stuckey and Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson's James Beard-winning Friulian dining room since 2004, the kitchen.
Tip: Boulder is a 40-minute drive from Denver. Frasca Caffe next door runs walk-in pasta and aperitivo without a reservation.
Al Forno ★ 4.9 · Providence
downtown · 577 South Water Street, Providence, RI 02903
Al Forno on South Water Street invented grilled pizza in 1980 under Johanne Killeen and the late George Germon. Wood-fire kitchen, baked pasta.
Tip: Tuesday to Saturday only, 17:00-20:30. No reservations for parties under five; walk in by 17:15 or book on Tock.
Al Forno ★ 4.9 · Providence
577 South Water Street, Providence, RI 02903
Johanne Killeen's Al Forno on South Water Street invented grilled pizza in 1980. Wood-fire kitchen, baked pasta, Providence's most enduring fine-dining room.
Tip: No reservations for parties under five; arrive by 17:15 or book parties of five-plus on Tock.
Luminosa ★ 4.8 · Asheville
downtown · 20 Battery Park Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Luminosa inside the Flat Iron Hotel in Asheville earned both a Michelin Green Star and a Bib Gourmand in the 2025 Michelin Guide American South, one of three.
Tip: Book on OpenTable through the Indigo Road site. The bar takes walk-ins and serves the full menu.
Luminosa ★ 4.8 · Asheville
downtown · 20 Battery Park Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Luminosa inside the Flat Iron Hotel earned both a Michelin Green Star and a Bib Gourmand in the first 2025 Michelin Guide American South for its Italian.
Tip: Book on OpenTable; the chef's counter at the open kitchen takes walk-ups from 17:00. Closed Mondays.
Lucia (Dinner) ★ 4.8 · Dallas
287 N Bishop Ave, Dallas, TX 75208
The second of Lucia's two fine-dining slots (dinner only), where the full a la carte menu runs with all house-cured and house-made items. At 287 N Bishop Ave.
Tip: Ask for the cheese course at the end. It is not on the menu but the kitchen puts one together on request.
Bar Dough ★ 4.8 · Denver
highland · 2227 W 32nd Ave, Denver, CO 80211
Bar Dough in Denver is Max MacKissock's wood-fired pizza and pasta room in Highland since 2015, with a Neapolitan-trained oven and house-made pastas.
Tip: Walk-in at the bar usually works; the patio is busy on summer weekends. Brunch on Sunday with carbonara is a draw.
Salvatore's Tomato Pies ★ 4.8 · Madison
capitol-square · 10 N Livingston St, Madison, WI 53703
Salvatore's Tomato Pies on North Livingston, the Madison branch of the Sun Prairie Trenton-style pizzeria, runs tomato pies with sauce on top of the cheese.
Tip: Closed Monday; 16:00-18:00 happy hour Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday with $5 off 10-inch pies.
Belotti Ristorante e Bottega ★ 4.8 · Oakland
rockridge · 5403 College Avenue, Oakland, CA 94618
Belotti on Rockridge's College Avenue cooks Piemonte cuisine in a Michelin Recommended trattoria. Tajarin and brasato are the cross-town dishes worth booking.
Vetri Cucina ★ 4.8 · Philadelphia
center-city · 1312 Spruce St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Vetri Cucina in Philadelphia is Marc Vetri's 1998 Spruce Street townhouse tasting menu, a Michelin-recognised Italian room with the spinach gnocchi.
Tip: Book 60 days out on the venue's own site. The eight-seat counter is the room's quiet best seat.
Pizzeria Beddia ★ 4.8 · Philadelphia
fishtown · 1313 N Lee St, Philadelphia, PA 19122
Pizzeria Beddia in Philadelphia is Joe Beddia's Fishtown reincarnation of the Bon Appetit 2015 America's Best Pizza, with a margherita pie and a separate.
Tip: The hoagie room books separately. Reserve it for groups of four to six who want lunch sandwiches.
Rocca ★ 4.8 · Tampa
tampa-heights · 323 W Palm Ave, Tampa, FL 33602
Rocca in Tampa Heights holds a Michelin star for Chef Bryce Bonsack's Piedmont-trained pastas, hand-pulled tableside mozzarella and modern Italian tasting.
Tip: Reserve four weeks ahead through Resy; Bonsack was named a 2026 James Beard Foundation semifinalist and the room books out the day reservations open.
Rocca ★ 4.8 · Tampa
323 W Palm Ave, Tampa, FL 33602
Rocca in Tampa Heights holds a Michelin star for Chef Bryce Bonsack's Piedmont-trained pastas and tableside hand-pulled mozzarella in an intimate dining room.
Bottega Restaurant ★ 4.7 · Birmingham
highland-park · 2240 Highland Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35205
Bottega Restaurant on Highland Avenue is Frank Stitt's 1988 Italian sibling to Highlands, in a Highland Park mansion with a wood-fired oven.
Bottega Cafe ★ 4.7 · Birmingham
highland-park · 2240 Highland Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35205
Bottega Cafe in Highland Park is the walk-in patio counterpart to Bottega Restaurant, with wood-oven pizzas and the Stitt-style casual Italian menu.
Bottega Restaurant ★ 4.7 · Birmingham
highland-park · 2240 Highland Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35205
Bottega Restaurant on Highland Avenue Birmingham is Frank Stitt's 1988 Italian sibling to Highlands, set in a Highland Park mansion with a wood-burning oven.
Pammy's ★ 4.7 · Boston
cambridge · 928 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
Chris and Pam Willis run Pammy's as a New American-Italian trattoria between Central and Harvard Squares in Cambridge since 2017. Priced at $$$$.
Tip: Resy opens 30 days ahead and the room fills the same minute. Counter walk-ins from 17:30 weekdays.
Ristorante Lombardo ★ 4.7 · Buffalo
north-buffalo · 1198 Hertel Ave, Buffalo, NY 14216
Ristorante Lombardo on Hertel Avenue in North Buffalo is the Tuscan-influenced anchor of the city's Italian food row, family-owned since 1975.
Ristorante Lombardo ★ 4.7 · Buffalo
1198 Hertel Ave, Buffalo, NY 14216
Ristorante Lombardo on Hertel Avenue is North Buffalo's Tuscan-influenced anchor, family-owned since 1975 with handmade pastas and a deep wine list.
Sotto ★ 4.7 · Cincinnati
downtown · 118 E 6th St, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Sotto on East 6th Street downtown is David Falk's subterranean Italian room in Cincinnati, with hand-rolled pastas and wood-fired antipasti.
Pepp and Dolores ★ 4.7 · Cincinnati
over-the-rhine · 1501 Vine St, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Pepp and Dolores on Vine Street in OTR is the Italian-American room from the Thunderdome group (the Lanni brothers' Italian-grandparent homage).
Sotto ★ 4.7 · Cincinnati
118 E 6th St, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Sotto on East 6th Street downtown is David Falk's subterranean Italian fine-dining room in Cincinnati, with hand-rolled pastas and wood-fired meats.
Lucia ★ 4.7 · Dallas
bishop-arts · 287 N Bishop Ave, Dallas, TX 75208
Chef David Uygur's chef-owned Italian in Bishop Arts, where the pasta is made daily and every salumi is hand-cured. Open tue-sat 6pm-10pm, closed sun-mon.
Tip: Resy books out 2-3 weeks ahead. The short rib ragu changes monthly; ask your server what is housemade this week.
Lucia ★ 4.7 · Dallas
287 N Bishop Ave, Dallas, TX 75208
Chef David Uygur's Michelin Bib Gourmand Italian in Bishop Arts: daily-made pasta, hand-cured salumi, and a wine list by sommelier Jennifer Uygur.
Tip: The cacio e pepe and foie gras-stuffed prunes never leave the menu. Everything else is seasonal.
Tavernetta ★ 4.7 · Denver
lodo · 1889 16th St, Denver, CO 80202
Tavernetta in Denver is Bobby Stuckey and Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson's regional Italian dining room in Union Station's Crawford Hotel, the sister.
Tip: Book the chef's counter for a view of the pasta station. The Italian-only wine list runs deep on Friuli and Piemonte growers.
Tavernetta ★ 4.7 · Denver
1889 16th St, Denver, CO 80202
Tavernetta in Denver is Bobby Stuckey and Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson's regional Italian dining room in Union Station since 2017, the city sister.
Esther's Kitchen ★ 4.7 · Las Vegas
arts-district · 1131 S Main St, Las Vegas, NV 89104
Esther's Kitchen in Las Vegas is James Trees's seasonal Italian dining room in the Arts District, named USA Today Restaurant of the Year 2026 and the anchor.
Tip: Book at least two weeks ahead for a Friday or Saturday; the wine room runs a deeper Italian list than the floor.
Esther's Kitchen ★ 4.7 · Las Vegas
arts-district · 1131 S Main St, Las Vegas, NV 89104
Esther's Kitchen in Las Vegas is James Trees's Arts District Italian dining room since 2018, named USA Today Restaurant of the Year 2026 and the anchor.
Tip: Book two weeks ahead for weekend; the wine room runs a deeper Italian list than the floor.
Bazaar Meat by Jose Andres ★ 4.7 · Las Vegas
3325 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Bazaar Meat by Jose Andres in Las Vegas is the James Beard winner's playful Strip meathouse, relocated from SLS Sahara to the Venetian Resort in late 2025.
Tip: Sit at the live-fire counter; the suckling pig and tableside flambees are the show.
Bestia ★ 4.7 · Los Angeles
downtown-la · 2121 E 7th Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90021
Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis's Arts District room set the tone for downtown LA's modern Italian cooking in 2012 and still pulls bookings six weeks out.
Tip: Book six weeks out for prime time; bar seats walk-in only from 17:30, and the menu is the same as the dining room.