Highest-rated Italian restaurants in Santa Cruz by diners

Written by:
February 1, 2024
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Highest-rated Italian restaurants in Santa Cruz by diners

Italian food is the most popular cuisine in the world, according to a 2023 study by The Picky Eater that tallied up Instagram tags. It's no wonder why so many people love it. Just thinking about dishes like chicken parmesan and spaghetti and meatballs is enough to get your mouth watering—even though many of these world-famous dishes are actually Italian American creations more so than true Italian fare. Traditional Italian food embraces an assortment of sumptuous recipes that aren't dependent on fried breadcrumbs and red sauce—think frittatas and focaccia, or carpaccio and panna cotta.

Italian immigrants have been weaving their cuisine into the fabric of the American food landscape for generations since they arrived in the United States nearly 150 years ago. And the cuisine, like the culture it hails from, tends to give off warm and fuzzy "family" feels. For many people, the quintessential local Italian American restaurant—complete with its red-and-white checkered tablecloths, pour bottles of olive oil, parmesan cheese shakers, cute little jars of red pepper flakes, and wicker baskets of oven-fresh bread—brings back memories of special life moments, like first dates and milestone birthdays.

Luckily, today you don't need to be in a major metropolis like New York or Los Angeles or an area with a large Italian or Italian American community to score top-notch buon cibo. You can find excellent Italian offerings in almost every city from coast to coast. To celebrate all things mozzarella and marinara, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated Italian restaurants in Santa Cruz based on diners' reviews on Yelp as of January 2024.

Read on to see if your favorite is among the top-rated or to find a new spot in your neighborhood.

Note: The photos in this article are stock images and do not necessarily depict the specific restaurants listed or the dishes they serve.

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#14. Aldo's Harbor Restaurant

- Rating: 3.5/5 (517 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 790 Mariner Pkwy Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Italian, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

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#13. Kianti's Pizza & Pasta Bar

- Rating: 3.5/5 (1036 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1100 Pacific Ave. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#12. Cafe Mare Italian Restaurant

- Rating: 3.5/5 (469 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 740 Front St. Ste 100 Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Italian, Seafood, Gluten-Free
- Read more on Yelp

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#11. Upper Crust Pizza & Pasta

- Rating: 4.0/5 (445 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2415 Mission St. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Pizza, Italian
- Read more on Yelp

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#10. La Posta

- Rating: 4.0/5 (402 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 538 Seabright Ave. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp

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#9. Tramonti

- Rating: 4.0/5 (944 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 528 Seabright Ave. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Italian, Pizza, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#8. Zoccoli's Delicatessen

- Rating: 4.0/5 (901 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1534 Pacific Ave. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Delis, Italian, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

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#7. Pizzeria La Bufala

- Rating: 4.0/5 (163 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 725 Front St. Abbott Square Market Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Pizza, Salad, Italian
- Read more on Yelp

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#6. Lago Di Como Ristorante

- Rating: 4.0/5 (519 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 21490 East Cliff Drive Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Italian, Wine Bars, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

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#5. Lillian's Italian Kitchen

- Rating: 4.5/5 (2680 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1148 Soquel Ave. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Italian, Steakhouses, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

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#4. Bedda Mia

- Rating: 4.5/5 (94 reviews)
- Address: 736 Water St. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Italian, Pizza, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp

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#3. Iveta - Downtown

- Rating: 4.5/5 (61 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 545 Pacific Ave. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Italian, Desserts, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

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#2. Sugo Italian Pasta Bar

- Rating: 4.5/5 (218 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1116 Soquel Ave. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp

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#1. Mattia Pizza

- Rating: 4.5/5 (25 reviews)
- Address: Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Food Trucks, Pizza, Italian
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Jennifer Huizen, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 312 metros.

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