If you’re trying to figure out what to get for dinner tonight, there are some fantastic Italian restaurants in Houston, and this guide will explore some of the very best Italian restaurants in Houston worth dining at.
From some of the best pizza restaurants to restaurants specializing in pasta dishes, some incredibly delicious food is to be found if you know where to look!
Best Italian Restaurants in Houston
We’ve compiled a list of our top Italian restaurants in Houston. We’ve tried to go for a range of places, from quiet little spots for a family meal to lively restaurants with a well-stocked bar for drinks and food on a Friday night.
We’ve outlined the key features you need to know about each one, as well as our recommendation for the best dishes, so you can quickly find what you’re looking for.
1. North Italia
| Address: | 1700 Post Oak Blvd Ste 190 Houston, TX 77056 |
| Website: | https://www.northitalia.com/ |
| Features: | Family-friendly, vegetarian and vegan-friendly, gluten-free options, takeout available |
| Food: | Pizza, pasta, salad, desserts |
| Our Recommendation: | Homemade truffle bread |
North Italia is a Houston staple. Offering takeout and delivery, you’ll find the friendly staff here. It’s a family-friendly restaurant with a kid’s menu, and it’s wheelchair accessible. Plus, there’s a full bar with happy hour specials. You can go reasonably casual or dress up if you feel inclined.
Famous dishes include their bruschetta (particularly the prosciutto-topped bruschetta), the truffle bread (homemade garlic bread topped with truffle oil, cheese, and herbs), and their seafood. The calamari is particularly delicious. They also offer pizzas, pasta dishes, and a variety of desserts. The Italian butter cake, with wild blueberry preserve and cinnamon crumble, is well worth trying out.
They have a lot to offer in terms of drinks. With a wide selection of wines and local ales and ciders, there’s plenty to choose from. Their cocktails are worth a go, too, particularly the Veni Vidi Vici, which combines Iwai Japanese whisky, Montenegro amaro, limoncello, orange, and fresh lemon.
The pricing is pretty standard for an Italian restaurant, with pasta dishes coming in at around $18-20 and beef tenderloin at just under $40.
They offer vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options too.
2. Riva’s Italian Restaurant
| Address: | 1117 Missouri St Houston, TX 77006 |
| Website: | http://rivasinmontrose.com/ |
| Features: | Vegetarian friendly |
| Food: | Pasta, soups, pizzas |
| Our Recommendation: | Capellini carbonara |
Riva’s Italian is a great place to check out. It’s not particularly family-friendly, and it can get pretty loud, but it’s perfect for grabbing a bite to eat and some drinks with friends. It doesn’t offer takeout or delivery. On the other hand, it’s a fairly casual place, so you won’t have to worry about dressing up.
In terms of food, their soups are excellent, and they have a good variety of pasta dishes. The Capellini carbonara is a classic and the Penne with “cream rosa” sauce with chicken and shrimp. They offer some delicious veal dishes and fish dishes, too. Check out their shrimp mozzarella, baked in marinara sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese.
The bar is well-stocked, with a great wine selection. The bottles of wine are priced at around the $20-40 range, and the staff will be able to give you some recommendations to pair with your food.
The pricing is average, with pasta dishes coming in at $18-20 and more expensive dishes (like the rack of lamb) coming in at around $25.
They have vegetarian-friendly options available.
3. Giacomo’s Cibo e Vino
| Address: | 3215 Westheimer Rd Houston, TX 77098 |
| Website: | http://www.giacomosciboevino.com/ |
| Features: | Vegetarian-friendly, vegan-friendly, takeout and delivery available, family-friendly |
| Food: | Pasta, bruschetta, pizza, meat, and fish dishes |
| Our Recommendation: | Pollo guido |
Giacomo’s Cibo e Vino is a family-friendly place to be. They have a wide variety of dishes, and they offer takeaway and delivery options. In addition, they have outdoor seating for a casual catch-up with friends, a full bar with a TV, and plenty of lunch/brunch options available.
It has some excellent pasta dishes, including the carbonara, puccini, girogioni, tagliatelle, and capellini. They also offer freshly made pasta dishes and some excellent fish and meat dishes. The pollo guido (2 chicken breasts stuffed with prosciutto, mozzarella, tomato, basil, and garlic in a white wine and basil butter sauce) is delicious. In addition, they have a variety of fish dishes to choose from, including the grilled whole rainbow trout.
If you want wine, there’s a wide selection. You can pick up a bottle of wine for around $20 on the lower end of the price scale, all the way up to $300. The staff are friendly and will be able to help you to pick the best wines to go with your meal. They do offer beers and lagers, but the emphasis here is on wine.
You can pick up some main pasta dishes for around $15, making it slightly cheaper than some of the others on this list.
They have some vegetarian and vegan-friendly dishes here.
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4. Bellissimo Ristorante
| Address: | 902 E 33rd Houston, TX 77022 |
| Website: | http://bellissimohouston.com/ |
| Features: | Vegetarian-friendly, vegan-friendly, takeout and delivery available, family-friendly |
| Food: | Pasta, pizza, salads, meat, and fish dishes |
| Our Recommendation: | 25th Street Pasta |
Bellissimo Ristorante is a quiet, family-friendly spot. If you want somewhere a little less rowdy, this is an excellent place to go. They offer takeaway and delivery, and it’s wheelchair accessible. They’re an alcohol-free zone, so it’s a nice place to go with family rather than for a drink with friends.
There are some great dishes here. 25th Street Pasta, with jalapeno fettuccine, grilled chicken, smoked sausage, and sun-dried tomatoes in a creamy Alfredo sauce, is delicious. You could also go for the pizza variety, 25th Street Pizza, with similar ingredients. The main focus is on pizza and pasta, but you can also pick up some meat and fish dishes (the chicken parm is a popular one).
The pricing is pretty standard, with pasta dishes coming in at $18-20 and filetto mignon for $27.
There are limited vegetarian and vegan options available, like the linguini primavera, with mushrooms, bell peppers, spinach, and cherry tomatoes in garlic olive oil.
5. Mia Bella Trattoria
| Address: | 3773 Richmond Ave Ste 1A Houston, TX 77046 |
| Website: | https://www.miabellarestaurants.com/menus/ |
| Features: | Vegetarian-friendly, vegan-friendly, gluten-free options, takeout, and delivery available, family-friendly |
| Food: | Create-your-own pasta, meat and fish dishes, pizza |
| Our Recommendation: | Create-your-own pasta |
Mia Bella Trattoria is a family-friendly restaurant serving Italian dishes with American twists. They offer takeaway and delivery, it’s wheelchair accessible, and it’s moderately noisy. A good choice for both families and groups of friends.
They offer create-your-own pasta dishes, which is a great way to cater to even the fussiest eaters in your group. Pick your pasta (linguine, fettuccine, pappardelle, spaghetti, and so on), choose a sauce (everything from bolognese through to wild mushroom pesto), and then choose some extras. You can also go for some succulent slow-cooked meat dishes, including the delicious Sicilian braised beef short ribs.
They offer a few types of wine, soft drinks, and lagers. The drinks menu isn’t as big as some other restaurants on this list, but there’s still a decent price range to choose from.
It’s a little pricier, with some of the fresh pasta dishes coming in between $20-30. The create-your-own pasta dishes offer a lower price, but if you start adding extras, it quickly adds up.
There are some vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options available too.
6. Rocco’s
| Address: | 811 Collingsworth St Houston, TX 77009 |
| Website: | roccoshouston.com |
| Features: | : Vegetarian options, delivery, and takeout available, dog-friendly, family-friendly |
| Food: | Pasta, pizza, steak |
| Our Recommendation: | Capellini San Marco |
Rocco’s is an excellent spot for both families and friends heading out on a Friday night. With a well-stocked bar and a lively atmosphere, it’s a welcoming, friendly place to go, and you can go for takeout or delivery if you’d prefer.
They offer some excellent pasta dishes. Check out the capelini san marco, with seared shrimp, mushrooms, tomatoes, capers, spinach, and a pinot grigio cream sauce. They also offer some delicious grilled steak and salmon. The pizzas are reasonably priced with some great Italian/American flavors.
They have a well-stocked bar with a selection of wines, beers, and cocktails.
The prices are pretty good. A whole pizza, for example, will set you back around $13-15. You can grab a chicken piccata for under $15. So if you’re on a budget, you might like to check this one out.
They have a wide variety of vegetarian dishes too.
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7. Grotto Downtown
| Address: | 1001 Avenida De Las Americas Ste A Houston, TX 77010 |
| Website: | https://www.grottorestaurants.com/ |
| Features: | Vegetarian options, delivery, and takeout available, family-friendly |
| Food: | Pizza, pasta, salads |
| Our Recommendation: | Pasta Verdura |
Grotto Downtown is a fun, lively place to be. It’s loud, so you may not want to head here if you want a quiet meal, but it’s a friendly environment. If you’re overdue a catch up with your family or friends, this is a really fun restaurant to go to.
The meatballs are excellent. While there isn’t a ton of choice, they have some outstanding pasta dishes, including the pasta verdura (zucchini ribbon pasta with roasted vegetables, sauteed in extra-virgin olive oil).
They have a busy, well-stocked bar with some classic cocktails. Try Grotto’s famous Peach Bellini, the Ruby Red Martini, or the classic signature G&T.
The pricing is pretty average, with pasta dishes at around the $18-20 mark and fish/meat dishes between $20-30 each.
They have some vegetarian options available too.
Summary
Hopefully, this has helped you to find the best restaurant for your next evening out. Whether you’re going with a big group of friends or you’re heading out with your family, there are plenty of fun places to go in Houston, with delicious food and incredible drinks to choose from!