Highest-rated Italian Restaurants in Raleigh by Diners

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Highest-rated Italian restaurants in Raleigh 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 Raleigh 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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#30. La Terrazza

- Rating: 3.7/5 (63 reviews)
- Address: 223 South West St. Floor 9 Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian, Pizza, Mediterranean
- Read more on Yelp

#29. Farina Neighborhood Italian

- Rating: 3.7/5 (210 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8450 Honeycutt Road Ste 100 Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

#28. Amedeo's Italian Restaurant

- Rating: 3.7/5 (269 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3905 Western Blvd. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

#27. Vic's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria

- Rating: 3.8/5 (279 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4035 Lake Boone Trl Ste 109 Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Pizza, Italian
- Read more on Yelp

#26. Mulino Italian Kitchen & Bar

- Rating: 3.8/5 (446 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 309 North Dawson St. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian, Bars, Venues & Event Spaces
- Read more on Yelp

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#25. Vic's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria

- Rating: 3.8/5 (310 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 331 Blake St. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

#24. Bella Italia

- Rating: 3.8/5 (155 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 10630 Durant Road Ste 101 Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

#23. Milton's Pizza and Pasta - Wakefield

- Rating: 4.2/5 (204 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 14520 Falls Of The Neuse Road Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

#22. Mike's Pizza Italian Restaurant

- Rating: 4.2/5 (101 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3919 New Bern Ave. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

#21. Gravy

- Rating: 3.8/5 (807 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 135 South Wilmington St. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian, New American
- Read more on Yelp

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#20. Caffe Luna

- Rating: 3.9/5 (380 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 136 East Hargett St. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian, Venues & Event Spaces, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp

#19. Casa Carbone Ristorante Italiano

- Rating: 3.9/5 (200 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6019 Glenwood Ave. Oak Park Shopping Center Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp

#18. Bella Monica

- Rating: 3.9/5 (659 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3121-103 Edwards Mill Road Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian, Pizza, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp

#17. Dantes Italiano

- Rating: 3.9/5 (182 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 13200 New Falls Of Neuse Road Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

#16. Assaggio's

- Rating: 3.9/5 (272 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3501 West Millbrook Road Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

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#15. Figulina

- Rating: 4.1/5 (54 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 317 South Harrington St. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian, Bars, Tapas/Small Plates
- Read more on Yelp

#14. Vivace

- Rating: 4.1/5 (417 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4209 Lassiter Mill Road Ste 115 Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp

#13. Cucciolo Terrazza

- Rating: 4.1/5 (147 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 4200 Six Forks Road Ste 100 Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp

#12. Milton's Pizza and Pasta - Raleigh

- Rating: 4.1/5 (252 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8853 Six Forks Road Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

#11. Il Falò

- Rating: 4.2/5 (98 reviews)
- Address: 3931 Macaw St. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

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#10. Piada Italian Street Food

- Rating: 4.2/5 (58 reviews)
- Address: 3088 Wake Forest Road Ste 280 Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian, Pasta Shops
- Read more on Yelp

#9. Cafe Tiramisu

- Rating: 4.2/5 (139 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6008 Falls Of Neuse Road Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp

#8. Cristo's NY Style Pizza

- Rating: 4.2/5 (229 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1302 East Millbrook Road Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Pasta Shops
- Read more on Yelp

#7. Vivo Ristorante Pizzeria

- Rating: 4.4/5 (444 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7400 Six Forks Road Ste 2 Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

#6. Brodeto

- Rating: 4.4/5 (59 reviews)
- Address: 2201 Iron Works Drive Ste 137 Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, Wine Bars, Italian
- Read more on Yelp

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#5. Frank's Pizza & Italian Restaurant

- Rating: 4.4/5 (188 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2030 New Bern Ave. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Pizza, Italian
- Read more on Yelp

#4. Peri Brothers Pizza

- Rating: 4.5/5 (338 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7321 Six Forks Road Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Pasta Shops
- Read more on Yelp

#3. Postino Village District

- Rating: 4.5/5 (75 reviews)
- Address: 401 Daniels St. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Wine Bars, Breakfast & Brunch, Italian
- Read more on Yelp

#2. Karavan by 3 Olives

- Rating: 4.7/5 (122 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1493 Garner Station Blvd. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Uzbek, Pizza, Italian
- Read more on Yelp