Highest-rated Italian restaurants in Charlottesville by diners
Highest-rated Italian restaurants in Charlottesville 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 Charlottesville 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.
#14. Marco's Pizza
- Rating: 3.5/5 (31 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 930 Olympia Drive Charlottesville, Virginia
- Categories: Pizza, Sandwiches, Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Sal's Caffe Italia
- Rating: 3.6/5 (213 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 221 East Main St. Charlottesville, Virginia
- Categories: Italian, Pizza, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Vita Nova New York Style Pizza & Restaurant
- Rating: 3.8/5 (52 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 321 East Main St. Charlottesville, Virginia
- Categories: Pizza, Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Vivace
- Rating: 3.8/5 (191 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2244 Ivy Road Charlottesville, Virginia
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Carmello's Restaurant & Wine Bar
- Rating: 3.8/5 (154 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 400 29th Place Court Charlottesville, Virginia
- Categories: Italian, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Vinny's Italian Grill & Pizzeria
- Rating: 3.9/5 (107 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 241 Connor Drive Unit 1 Hollymeade Town Center Charlottesville, Virginia
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Vocelli Pizza
- Rating: 3.9/5 (65 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1857 Seminole Trl Charlottesville, Virginia
- Categories: Italian, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp
#7. The Villa Diner
- Rating: 3.9/5 (172 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1250 Emmet St. North Charlottesville, Virginia
- Categories: Italian, Diners
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Fabio's NY Pizza
- Rating: 4.0/5 (122 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1551 East High St. Charlottesville, Virginia
- Categories: Italian, Sandwiches, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp
#5. tavola
- Rating: 4.1/5 (429 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 826 Hinton Ave. Charlottesville, Virginia
- Categories: Italian, Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Orzo Kitchen & Wine Bar
- Rating: 4.1/5 (381 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 416 West Main St. Main St. Market Charlottesville, Virginia
- Categories: Wine Bars, Mediterranean, Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Lampo
- Rating: 4.3/5 (532 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 205 Monticello Road Charlottesville, Virginia
- Categories: Italian, Pizza, Beer, Wine & Spirits
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Luce
- Rating: 4.5/5 (128 reviews)
- Address: 110 2nd St. Northwest Charlottesville, Virginia
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Mona Lisa Pasta
- Rating: 4.5/5 (57 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 921 Preston Ave. Charlottesville, Virginia
- Categories: Italian, Pizza, Sandwiches
- 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.
