Highest-rated Italian restaurants in Cleveland 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 Cleveland 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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#22. La Dolce Vita

- Rating: 3.6/5 (435 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 12112 Mayfield Road Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Bars, Venues & Event Spaces
- Read more on Yelp

2 / 22

#21. Guarino's Restaurant

- Rating: 3.6/5 (318 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 12309 Mayfield Road Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp

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#20. Sainato's at Rivergate

- Rating: 3.7/5 (139 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1852 Columbus Road Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: Pizza, Sports Bars, Italian
- Read more on Yelp

4 / 22

#19. Trattoria on the Hill

- Rating: 3.8/5 (370 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 12207 Mayfield Road Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp

5 / 22

#18. Scotti's Italian Eatery

- Rating: 4.2/5 (104 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 882 East 185th St. Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

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6 / 22

#17. Lago East Bank

- Rating: 3.8/5 (394 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1091 West 10th St. Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

7 / 22

#16. Maxi's

- Rating: 3.9/5 (282 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 12113 Mayfield Road Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

8 / 22

#15. Osteria Italian

- Rating: 4.0/5 (189 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1801 East 9th St. Floor 1 Ohio Savings Plaza Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp

9 / 22

#14. Michaelangelo's

- Rating: 4.0/5 (162 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 2198 Murray Hill Road Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp

10 / 22

#13. Johnny's Bar

- Rating: 4.1/5 (126 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 3164 Fulton Road Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#12. Angelo's Nido Italia

- Rating: 4.1/5 (189 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 12020 Mayfield Road Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#11. Dante

- Rating: 4.1/5 (448 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 2247 Professor Ave. Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: New American, Italian, Bars
- Read more on Yelp

13 / 22

#10. Etna Restaurant & Wine Bar

- Rating: 4.1/5 (164 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 11919 Mayfield Road Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Wine Bars, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

14 / 22

#9. Bruno's Ristorante

- Rating: 4.2/5 (333 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2644 West 41st St. Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Salad, Soup
- Read more on Yelp

15 / 22

#8. Dante Next Door

- Rating: 4.2/5 (109 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2247 Professor Ave. Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

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#7. Crust

- Rating: 4.2/5 (290 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2258 Professor Ave. Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: Pizza, Italian
- Read more on Yelp

17 / 22

#6. Casa La Luna

- Rating: 4.3/5 (486 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 2100 Superior Viaduct Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Bars, Gluten-Free
- Read more on Yelp

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#5. Mia Bella Restaurant

- Rating: 4.3/5 (1052 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 12200 Mayfield Road Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: Mediterranean, Italian
- Read more on Yelp

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#4. Valerio's Restaurant

- Rating: 4.3/5 (116 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 12405 Mayfield Road Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#3. Il Venetian

- Rating: 4.7/5 (223 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 100 St. Clair Ave. Northeast Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: Italian, Seafood, Mediterranean
- Read more on Yelp

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#2. Il Rione

- Rating: 4.7/5 (388 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1303 West 65th St. Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: Pizza, Bars, Italian
- Read more on Yelp

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#1. The Palazzo Restaurant

- Rating: 4.7/5 (110 reviews)
- Address: 10031 Detroit Ave. Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jennifer Huizen, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 290 metros.