Best Italian Restaurants in Austin, TX!

Let's be real. Austin is not a city that excels at traditional Italian food, and you're probably not going to find anything that compares to the incredible restaurants in Rome or Florence. That being said, we do have plenty of spots that scratch the itch, especially if you're looking for American Italian food or restaurants that put their own creative spin on Italian classics.

Austin is not really known for its Italian scene, and I don't think we have the same access to the quality of ingredients that you find in Italy or in some of the other larger cities in the US. But that doesn't mean there aren't great restaurants worth visiting.

This guide is all about the places that I think are worth your time, whether you're craving a comforting bowl of pasta, a great pizza, or a unique take on Italian food that you might not have expected to enjoy.

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Baldinucci Pizza Romana

Baldinucci makes Roman style pizza, although I would not say it has quite the same crispness as the Roman style pizza I had in Rome. That being said, I still think they do a fantastic job with their pizzas.

They are located a bit farther out in the Bee Cave area, and the shop itself is pretty small. One of my favorite things about Baldinucci is that they offer a wide variety of pizza by the slice, so it is easy to try a few different flavors during your visit.

My personal favorites are the Sausage and Honey slice and the Diavola. Both are packed with flavor, and I think they showcase just how good their pizza can be.

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Intero

Corn Bucatini

Intero is one of the most popular Italian restaurants in Austin, and for good reason. They serve contemporary Italian food with a seasonal menu that changes throughout the year.

The dish that always stands out to me is their seasonal bucatini. They rotate the preparation throughout the year, but it almost always features bucatini. During the summer, they add fresh corn, and it is one of my favorite pastas in Austin.

I also recommend ordering their focaccia, the timballo, and one of their pizzas. I usually stick with the Margherita or whichever seasonal pizza they are featuring. To finish the meal, don't skip the chocolate truffles or the brown butter cake, which are both excellent.

Personally, I would skip the larger protein dishes, and I also was not a fan of their bolognese. I think Intero really shines with its seasonal pastas, pizzas, and desserts. They also have a sister restaurant called Poeta that I need to revisit.

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Arti Pasta

Arti Pasta is a beloved food truck that eventually grew into its own brick and mortar restaurant. The space is casual and nothing fancy, but the focus here is on fresh, scratch made pasta and classic Italian dishes.

Some of their pastas are really solid. My favorite is the casarecce, which you can pair with any of their sauces. I personally like it with the sun dried tomato and almond sauce. I also really enjoy their lasagna, which is a generous portion and leans more heavily on the béchamel than the red sauce, something I personally prefer. I also love their Gnocchi with red sauce

The owners are from Italy, and the wife still travels back and forth between Italy and Austin.

Would I say every meal I've had here has been perfect? No. But if you're looking for fresh, made from scratch pasta and want to support a small family owned business, I definitely think Arti Pasta is worth checking out.

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Birdies

One of the first meals I had after returning from Italy was at Birdie's, and it reminded me just how good their pasta is.

The dish I ordered was their seasonal white truffle pasta, which I get every time it shows up on the menu. The pasta is always perfectly cooked, the sauce is beautifully emulsified, and it's layered with fresh white truffles. It is honestly one of my favorite pasta dishes in Austin.

I actually had a very similar white truffle pasta in Rome at Hostaria da Pietro, and surprisingly, I think I preferred the version at Birdie's.

The pasta at Birdie's is consistently exceptional. Every sauce I've had is balanced, silky, and emulsified the way great pasta should be. Honestly, they're the only restaurant in Austin where I've had pasta that I think is on the same level as some of the memorable spots I visited in Italy.

The only catch is that Birdie's serves a fixed menu, so you don't get to choose exactly what pasta they're offering. That said, they always have some type of pasta on the menu, and I usually opt for the Italian American menu. No matter what they're serving, I don't think you can go wrong with the pasta at Birdie's.

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Trattoria Lisina

Think of Trattoria Lisina as the Disney World of Italian food. It is located about 30 minutes outside of downtown Austin on the Mandola family estate, and the property itself is absolutely beautiful.

Now hear me out. I know some people are surprised when the Mandola family gets brought up in conversations about Italian food, but growing up, Mandola's was one of the most popular Italian spots in Austin. They even had an Italian grocery store where you could buy fresh ravioli, cakes like zuccotto, and all kinds of traditional Italian specialties. My favorite thing there was always the tortellini. These days, when I go to Mandola's, I usually stick with the lasagna or stop by for gelato.

Going into Trattoria Lisina, I honestly expected it to be a little more Americanized. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the food.

My favorite dishes were the fried calamari, or fritti as it is called in Italy, and the house made scallop pasta. The calamari is still my favorite in Austin, and the scallop pasta (TAGLIERINI alla PORTOFINO) was loaded with scallops and cooked beautifully. We also finished the meal with their pistachio gelato, which was really solid.

Not everything was a hit. I would personally skip the spaghetti and meatballs, although I did enjoy the penne alla vodka. My friend also ordered the chicken Alfredo, which, as you guys know, is not exactly traditional Italian food, but she really loved it.

If you visit Trattoria Lisina, I would definitely recommend ordering the fried calamari and the scallop pasta. This is a great spot for a special occasion or birthday!

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Rocco's Neighborhood Joint

Rocco is an all around solid spot for American Italian food. I have only been once, but I really enjoyed my meal there.

One of my favorite starters was the Caesar salad, which comes topped with large chunks of Parmigiano. For pasta, I recommend the penne alla vodka, and I also really enjoyed the lumache with Texas sweet corn, Tuscan garlic, chanterelle mushrooms, pancetta, and Parmigiano. To finish the meal, I thought their cannoli was excellent as well.

The menu is relatively small, but everything feels thoughtfully executed. Pasta dishes are generally around the $20 range, which I think is a fair value for the quality. If you're looking for a neighborhood Italian restaurant that serves consistently good American Italian food, Rocco is definitely a spot I would recommend.

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Gelato Paradiso

Gelato Paradiso is my go to spot for gelato in Austin. I've tried pretty much every gelato shop in town, and this one is still my favorite, especially for their strawberry sorbetto and pistachio gelato.

After trying at least 10 different gelato shops throughout Florence and Rome, I honestly think Gelato Paradiso comes the closest to the gelato I had in Italy. The texture is smooth, the flavors taste natural, and they don't overdo the sweetness.

The only downside is that it's located on South Congress, so parking can be a bit of a hassle. But if you're craving authentic style gelato, I think it's absolutely worth the trip.

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La Volta Pizza Club

La Volta is another solid spot if you're looking for American Italian food in Austin. I tried their rigatoni alla bolognese, and I thought it was a really solid bowl of pasta.

I also enjoyed their Caesar salad, which comes topped with anchovies, and they have a nice selection of pizzas as well. My favorite pizzas are the ones topped with stracciatella cheese, which adds a really rich and creamy finish.

The arancini was also pretty good. Overall, I thought everything we ordered was slightly above average, and it's definitely a restaurant I would come back to when I'm craving Italian food.

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Pizza di Roma

Pizza di Roma is one of those spots that I have not been back to in a while, so my review may change, although I have heard that they are still consistently good.

They specialize in pasta dishes and Roman style pizza. The pizza was solid, although I thought it was a little thicker than the Roman style pizzas I had in Italy. Overall, it was still a good pizza, but the pasta is really where I think they shine.

Their pasta dishes are the ones I recommend getting. They have spaghetti all'amatriciana and rigatoni all'amatriciana, but make sure to specifically ask for guanciale because otherwise they will typically serve it with pancetta. Their carbonara is also really good.

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Small's Wine Bar

Small's Wine Bar is my favorite version of an Italian tapas style restaurant in Austin. They serve seasonal small plates, and one of the coolest things is that you can also order pizza from Smalls Pizza next door and have it delivered directly to the wine bar.

They offer things like charcuterie and cheese, but what really stood out to me were some of the more unique Italian dishes. I especially enjoyed their pork ribs in sugo, which is not something you typically see at Italian restaurants in Austin but is a dish you can find in Italy. I also really enjoyed their vegetable dishes, which were thoughtfully prepared and full of flavor.

The menu changes constantly, so you never really know exactly what you are going to get.

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Patrizi's

Patrizi's is a spot that I would not consider traditional Italian food, but they do make some really solid pasta dishes. What originally made them famous was their house made pasta, specifically their semolina flour egg noodles that they make from scratch.

The dishes I recommend getting here are their Pomodoro, Karah's Diavolo, and Lemon Thyme pasta. I would not come here expecting a traditional carbonara, but if you are looking for flavorful pasta dishes with their own twist, this is a great spot.

I also really enjoy their garlic bread, and one of my favorite things to do is add a meatball on top of their Pomodoro pasta.

Patrizi's is very popular, and the original location is primarily outdoor seating. If you visit their Cuernavaca location, you will find both indoor and outdoor seating options.

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