Highest-rated Italian Restaurants in Cincinnati by Diners

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Highest-rated Italian restaurants in Cincinnati 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 Cincinnati 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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#28. Olive Garden Italian Restaurant

- Rating: 2.6/5 (121 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4900 Fields Ertel Road Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Salad, Soup
- Read more on Yelp

#27. Olive Garden Italian Restaurant

- Rating: 2.8/5 (153 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3290 Vandercar Way Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Salad, Soup
- Read more on Yelp

#26. Martino's

- Rating: 3.2/5 (135 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2618 Vine St. Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: American, Italian, Sports Bars
- Read more on Yelp

#25. Piada Italian Street Food

- Rating: 3.3/5 (221 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3780 Paxton Ave. Space 10A Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Salad, Wraps
- Read more on Yelp

#24. Scotti's Italian Restaurant

- Rating: 3.4/5 (218 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 919 Vine St. Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp

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#23. Carrabba's Italian Grill

- Rating: 3.6/5 (110 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7500 Beechmont Ave. Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

#22. Subito

- Rating: 3.7/5 (125 reviews)
- Address: 311 Pike St. The Lytle Park Hotel Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Pizza, Bars
- Read more on Yelp

#21. Sorrento's Italian Joint

- Rating: 3.7/5 (214 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5143 Montgomery Road Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Soup
- Read more on Yelp

#20. Giovanni's Family Italian Restaurant

- Rating: 3.8/5 (237 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4050 North Bend Road Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp

#19. Werkhaus Pizza

- Rating: 3.8/5 (110 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3637 Werk Road Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Pizza, Desserts, Italian
- Read more on Yelp

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#18. Brooklyn Pizza and Pasta

- Rating: 3.9/5 (203 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 9797 Montgomery Road Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Pizza, Italian
- Read more on Yelp

#17. Krimmer's Italianette Pizzeria

- Rating: 3.9/5 (196 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6918 Plainfield Road Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

#16. Taglio - Columbia Tusculum

- Rating: 3.9/5 (278 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3531 Columbia Pkwy Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Sports Bars
- Read more on Yelp

#15. A Tavola Bar and Trattoria

- Rating: 4.0/5 (267 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7022 Miami Ave. Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

#14. Maggiano's

- Rating: 4.0/5 (467 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7875 Montgomery Road Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#13. Krimmer's Italianette Pizza

- Rating: 4.0/5 (148 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1704 West Galbraith Road Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

#12. Via Vite

- Rating: 4.0/5 (787 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 520 Vine St. Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Venues & Event Spaces
- Read more on Yelp

#11. Biagio's Bistro

- Rating: 4.1/5 (198 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 308 Ludlow Ave. Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp

#10. Primavista

- Rating: 4.1/5 (369 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 810 Matson Place Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Venues & Event Spaces, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp

#9. Al-Posto

- Rating: 4.1/5 (124 reviews)
- Address: 2710 Erie Ave. Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#8. Taglio OTR

- Rating: 4.1/5 (204 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 56 East 12th St. Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Pizza, Sports Bars, Italian
- Read more on Yelp

#7. Nicola's Ristorante

- Rating: 4.2/5 (478 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1420 Sycamore St. Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp

#6. Forno Osteria & Bar Montgomery

- Rating: 4.3/5 (155 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 9415 Montgomery Road Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp

#5. Forno Osteria + Bar

- Rating: 4.4/5 (391 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3514 Erie Ave. Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Wine Bars, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

#4. The Davidson

- Rating: 4.4/5 (108 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 501 Vine St. Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: French, Italian, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#3. Alfio's Buon Cibo

- Rating: 4.5/5 (415 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 2724 Erie Ave. Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Argentine, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp

#2. Boca

- Rating: 4.6/5 (673 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 114 East 6th St. Cincinnati, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, French, Gluten-Free
- Read more on Yelp