The 15 best Italian restaurants in Austin

When it comes to Italian food, chef-owner Fiore Tedesco learned from the best: the Italian immigrant grandparents he grew up cooking and eating alongside in upstate New York. At his Mueller district restaurant, he and his team not only bake several types of bread and churn out homemade pasta in a variety of shapes, but they also make their own cheese, salumi, vermouth, amaro and various types of preserves and fermentations. Don’t think about leaving without ordering a plate of their fresh-baked Italian cookies.

When Naples native Daniela Marcone wandered into Andiamo for lunch one day, little did she know she would go on to become the hostess and manager before eventually purchasing the restaurant and turning it into the authentic Italian gem it was destined to become. An ever-changing menu of refined, farm-driven dishes includes exquisite house made pasta and fresh seafood selections like salmon carpaccio, zuppa di pesce, whole baked branzino and seasonal lobster offerings.

This Barton Springs Road eatery specializes in elegant Italian dishes for lunch and dinner plus a creative Italian-inspired brunch on the weekend. Choose to sit on the expansive patio or opt for a table indoors and be sure to catch the happy hour, cocktails, small plates, salumi and cheeses are greatly discounted. Fun fact: the space was formerly occupied by another Italian restaurant… named Romeo's.

Some of the city’s most unexpectedly authentic Italian cuisine comes from a little trailer in the backyard of Manor Road’s Vortex Theatre and the attached Butterfly Bar. Patrizi’s has developed a following for its toothsome fresh pasta, house ricotta, giant meatballs and gluten-free offerings. Once a month, the regular menu is replaced with a special three-to-five-course prix fixe menu for Dinner Night.

This Austin institution has called South Congress home for 18 years, serving refined Italian entrees—like vitello saltimbocca and pollo alla valdostana—in an upscale atmosphere. Pastries and coffee plus charcuterie and cheeses are available for takeout in the adjoined Enoteca Vespaio, which also serves more casual fare (paninis, salads and pizzas) for lunch.

Owners Lisa and Emmett Fox opened this Italian trattoria 16 years ago. It has been a favorite of Hyde Park locals ever since. In addition to the fresh pasta and wood-fired pizza (including gluten free options), expect seasonal specials with plenty of seafood menu items, all served in an airy, modern dining room.

Growing up in a restaurant family and spending summers with relatives in Italy left Gianfranco Mastrangelo well-prepared to open his own Italian restaurant in Austin. In addition to fresh pasta and gnocchi, wood-fired focaccia and Neapolitan-style pies are the highlights of this trattoria, located just a stone's throw from the Capitol.

Chef/owner Shawn Cirkiel’s Italian gem features antipasti, pastas and entrees dictated by the seasons and served in a beautiful setting. Other highlights include family-style dinners each Sunday and weekday happy hour deals plus plenty of patio seating spread across several levels under the shade of a giant oak tree.

Chicago chef and restaurateur Mark Sparacino draws on influence from his Italian grandmother for the homestyle family dishes at this West Sixth Street supper club. Enjoy antipasti, classic dishes like linguini with clams, hearty entrees like brick chicken and craft cocktail creations in the swanky space. A DJ lays down a lively soundtrack and the kitchen stays open late each night—even later on the weekends.

At this Lamar Union café, restaurateurs Lisa and Emmett Fox offer the type of Italian favorites served at their other joint, Asti, while paying homage to the Mediterranean cuisine of their former Fino. Try the fresh Roman-style pizzas, juicy half or whole rotisserie chickens and housemade pastas like lingune vongole—plus weekend brunch and anything from the craft cocktail menu.

This intimate bistro, a longtime Congress Avenue favorite, serves regional Italian dishes like pasta Norma and spaghetti a la Bolognese, plus elegant, protein-rich main courses such as veal piccata and chicken Parmesan.

This family restaurant, tucked discreetly into a strip mall on 183, has attracted a local following not only for its pizza and giant calzones, but for home-style comforts like baked ziti, eggplant parmigiana, Italian-style pork chops and chicken Marsala. After devouring your meal, linger like a true Italian: in the bar area, with dessert and espresso.

Chef Andrew Curren (24 Diner, Irene's) celebrates Italian cuisine with a seasonally driven menu of pastas, pizzas and entrees, including large format, family-style options. Enjoy lunch, dinner and weekend brunch in a breezy midcentury modern atmosphere.

This Sicilian-owned trattoria (with locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Miami and London) specializes in the cuisine of Southern Italy, with dishes like arancini, caponate and ziti alla Norma. Enjoy local regional (and sustainable) draft wine picks and rotating selections from a gelato bar—best enjoyed al fresco, on the sidewalk patio.

This West Austin ristorante is set in a spacious stone structure based on an Italian farmhouse, yet discreetly tucked away in a valley off 2222. Since 2000, chef Harvey Harris has been serving the Tuscan cuisine he perfected while studying and cooking in the region. Specialties like wild boar ragu and tagliatelle alla Bolognese are served alongside an award-winning wine list.