Highest-rated Italian Restaurants in Asheville by Diners

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Highest-rated Italian restaurants in Asheville by diners

It's no surprise that, in most countries, traditional national cuisine is the most popular, according to a 2024 report by Statista. But Italian food isn't just top-rated in Italy—it ranks as the second-most popular cuisine in Germany and France and takes the bronze spot in the U.K., Mexico, and India as well.

Of course, it's also among Americans' favorites—and there's lots to love about 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" feelings. 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 Asheville based on diners' reviews on Yelp as of January 2025.

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

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#21. Olive Garden Italian Restaurant

- Rating: 3.2/5 (104 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 121 Tunnel Road Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian, Salad, Soup
- Read more on Yelp

#20. Bellagio Bistro

- Rating: 3.5/5 (67 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 133 Weaverville Hwy Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian, Greek, American
- Read more on Yelp

#19. Carrabba's Italian Grill

- Rating: 3.6/5 (123 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 10 Buckstone Place Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

#18. Apollo Flame Bistro - Hendersonville

- Rating: 3.6/5 (130 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 485 Hendersonville Road Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Greek, Mediterranean, Italian
- Read more on Yelp

#17. Modesto

- Rating: 3.7/5 (380 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1 Page Ave. Ste 138 Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

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#16. Pomodoros Greek & Italian Cafe

- Rating: 3.7/5 (203 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1070 Tunnel Road Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian, Greek
- Read more on Yelp

#15. Del Vecchios - Asheville

- Rating: 3.8/5 (24 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1854 Hendersonville Road Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Pizza, Salad, Italian
- Read more on Yelp

#14. Del Vecchios

- Rating: 3.9/5 (238 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 333 Merrimon Ave. Ste B Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

#13. Twisted Laurel Downtown Asheville

- Rating: 3.9/5 (556 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 130 College St. Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Bars, New American, Italian
- Read more on Yelp

#12. Strada Italiano

- Rating: 3.9/5 (967 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 27 Broadway St. Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp

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#11. Gemelli Restaurant

- Rating: 4.0/5 (88 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 70 Westgate Pkwy Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian, Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

#10. Apollo Flame Bistro - Brevard Rd

- Rating: 4.0/5 (307 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1025 Brevard Road Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Greek, Mediterranean, Italian
- Read more on Yelp

#9. Cucina 24

- Rating: 4.1/5 (475 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 24 Wall St. Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian, Pizza, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

#8. Manicomio Pizza

- Rating: 4.1/5 (289 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 27 Biltmore Ave. Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Salad
- Read more on Yelp

#7. Piazza

- Rating: 4.1/5 (124 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4 Olde Eastwood Village Blvd. Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Pizza, Italian
- Read more on Yelp

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#6. 828 Family Pizzeria

- Rating: 4.3/5 (224 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 946 Merrimon Ave. Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Pizza, Italian
- Read more on Yelp

#5. Vinnie's Neighborhood Italian - South Asheville

- Rating: 4.3/5 (126 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1981 Hendersonville Road Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp

#4. Luminosa

- Rating: 4.3/5 (31 reviews)
- Address: 20 Battery Park Ave. Floor 1 Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian, Venues & Event Spaces, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

#3. Vinnie's Neighborhood Italian

- Rating: 4.4/5 (892 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 641 Merrimon Ave. Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp