Highest-rated Italian restaurants in Cincinnati by diners
Highest-rated Italian restaurants in Cincinnati 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 Cincinnati 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.
#30. Sorrento Italian Joint
- Rating: 3.5/5 (200 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5143 Montgomery Road Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#29. Piada Italian Street Food
- Rating: 3.5/5 (22 reviews)
- Address: 291 Martin Luther King Drive East Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Salad, Italian, Wraps
- Read more on Yelp
#28. Subito
- Rating: 4.0/5 (109 reviews)
- Address: 311 Pike St. The Lytle Park Hotel Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Pizza, Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#27. Werkhaus Pizza
- Rating: 4.0/5 (95 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3637 Werk Road Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Pizza, Desserts, Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#26. Giovanni's Family Italian Restaurant
- Rating: 4.0/5 (214 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4050 North Bend Road Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#25. Krimmer's Italianette Pizzeria
- Rating: 4.0/5 (183 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6918 Plainfield Road Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#24. Taglio - Columbia Tusculum
- Rating: 4.0/5 (247 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3531 Columbia Pkwy Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Sports Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#23. Brooklyn Pizza and Pasta
- Rating: 4.0/5 (186 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 9797 Montgomery Road Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Pizza, Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#22. Maggiano's
- Rating: 4.0/5 (418 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7875 Montgomery Road Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#21. A Tavola Bar and Trattoria
- Rating: 4.0/5 (255 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7022 Miami Ave. Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp
#20. Via Vite
- Rating: 4.0/5 (714 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 520 Vine St. Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Venues & Event Spaces
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Krimmer's Italianette Pizza
- Rating: 4.0/5 (130 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1704 West Galbraith Road Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Piada Italian Street Food
- Rating: 4.0/5 (11 reviews)
- Address: 6176 Glenway Ave. Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Salad, fast food
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Biagio's Bistro
- Rating: 4.0/5 (173 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 308 Ludlow Ave. Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Primavista
- Rating: 4.0/5 (340 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 810 Matson Place Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Venues & Event Spaces, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Taglio OTR
- Rating: 4.0/5 (174 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 56 East 12th St. Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Pizza, Sports Bars, Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Nicola's Ristorante
- Rating: 4.0/5 (429 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1420 Sycamore St. Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Al-Posto
- Rating: 4.0/5 (79 reviews)
- Address: 2710 Erie Ave. Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#12. New England Grinders
- Rating: 4.5/5 (48 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 9963 Princeton Glendale Road Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: New American, Italian, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Forno Osteria & Bar Montgomery
- Rating: 4.5/5 (119 reviews)
- Address: 9415 Montgomery Road Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Forno Osteria + Bar
- Rating: 4.5/5 (354 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3514 Erie Ave. Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Wine Bars, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Alfio's Buon Cibo
- Rating: 4.5/5 (365 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 2724 Erie Ave. Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Argentine, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Bouchards
- Rating: 4.5/5 (77 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1801 Race St. Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Boca
- Rating: 4.5/5 (609 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 114 East 6th St. Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, French, Gluten-Free
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Sotto
- Rating: 4.5/5 (1522 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 118 East 6th St. Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Pepp & Dolores
- Rating: 4.5/5 (847 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1501 Vine St. Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#4. The Wheel Oakley
- Rating: 5.0/5 (71 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3805 Brotherton Road Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Il Gusto Pizza & Pasta
- Rating: 5.0/5 (63 reviews)
- Address: 3936 East Galbraith Road Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Caterers
- Read more on Yelp
#2. VV The Italian Experience
- Rating: 5.0/5 (44 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1026 Delta Ave. Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Cocktail Bars, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp
#1. uGOgelato
- Rating: 5.0/5 (15 reviews)
- Address: 1733 Elm St. Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Desserts, Italian, Gelato
- 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.
