Italian in Cleveland

30 results

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Angelo's Nido Italia

12020 Mayfield Rd. East Side/University Circle/Little Italy

216-421-0221

Italian, Menu

In a neighborhood where you can't swing a pizza box without hitting an Italian restaurant, this is one of the best, with generous servings of thoughtfully prepared foods, at reasonable prices. Specialties include angel-hair pasta loaded with plump, intensely flavored sun-dried tomatoes, fresh spinach, and chopped kalamata olives, tossed with garlic and olive oil.
Bar Cento

1948 W. 25th St. Downtown/Flats/Warehouse District

216-274-1010

Italian

Channeling the spirit of a European wine bar, this funky little spot in Ohio City makes a tasty backdrop for a small but tempting menu of thin-crusted pizzas, house-cured meats, handmade pastas, and some of the best twice-fried, Belgian-style fries you'll ever find on a Cleveland tabletop. To go with, the annotated wine list offers 100 selections, while next door's Bier Markt provides dozens of imported brews.
Barley House

1261 West 6th St. Downtown/Flats/Warehouse District

216-623-1700

American, English/Irish, Italian, Scene Distribution

During daylight hours, this anchor of the Warehouse District party scene masquerades as a simple bar and restaurant. But on any weekend, the place becomes a holding pen for a unique cross section of clubbers, from gel-headed fratsters to hip-hoppers to suited execs.
Beach Club Bistro

21939 Lake Shore Blvd., Euclid Eastern Suburbs

216-731-7499

Italian

Casually upscale and unselfconsciously cool, this neighborhood bistro is home to delicious gourmet pizzas, an intriguing collection of fish and seafood dishes, and a dashing wine list containing one of the region’s largest assortment of half-bottles.
Bravo! Cucina Italiana

28889 Chagrin Blvd., Woodmere Eastern Suburbs

216-360-0099

Italian, Menu

Reasonably priced, family-friendly dining inside an upscale, Disneyesque facsimile of ancient Roman ruins is this Columbus-based restaurant's claim to fame. The menu focuses on pasta, pizza, or wood-grilled meats; for dessert, the partially caramelized cheesecake, in a pool of crème anglaise, tastes like more.
Brio Tuscan Grille

24325 Cedar Rd., Lyndhurst Eastern Suburbs

216-297-9232

Italian

The vast open dining room and mechanical service can make a meal here seem sort of hectic. On the upside, however, well-prepared entrées, such as rack of lamb and lasagna Bolognese, are both tasty and sensibly priced. Part of a Columbus-based chain.
Bruno's Ristorante

2644 W. 41st St. West Side/Ohio City/Tremont/Detroit Shoreway

216-961-7087

Italian

Stepping into this cozy neighborhood ristorante — with its wooden bar, linoleum floors, and menu of pizza, pasta, and assorted parmigianas, cacciatores, and marsalas — is like traveling back in time to the days when Italian restaurateurs baked their own breads, made their own pastas, and served it all in charming, intimate spaces. Almost everything on the “full-meal deal” menu is delish. But when it comes to fried calamari and baked lasagna, Bruno’s scores among the very best.
Buca di Beppo

16677 SouthPark Center, Strongsville Western Suburbs

440-846-6262

Italian

Part of a national chain that attempts to recreate the experience of a boisterous Italian wedding circa 1950, Buca di Beppo is crowded, noisy and fun. The wall-posted menu includes gargantuan appetizers, salads, pizza, pasta, veal, and chicken dishes made for sharing. The food is good, even if it is overshadowed by sheer portion size.
Buca di Beppo

23575 Detroit Rd., Westlake Western Suburbs

440-356-2276

Italian

Part of a national chain that attempts to recreate the experience of a boisterous Italian wedding circa 1950, Buca di Beppo is crowded, noisy, and fun. The wall-posted menu includes gargantuan appetizers, salads, pizza, pasta, veal, and chicken dishes made for sharing. The food is good, even if it is overshadowed by sheer portion size.
Carrie Cerino's Ristorante

8922 Ridge Rd., N. Royalton Western Suburbs

440-237-3434

Italian

Live oldies, rock, and blues invigorate the weekend crowds at Under C's Lounge, the spacious basement club adjoining Carrie Cerino's Italian restaurant.
Casa D'Angelo

893 E. Aurora Rd., Macedonia Akron/Summit County

330-467-9699

Italian, Menu

Despite its small size, Casa D'Angelo has a remarkably large and varied menu of Italian meals, including some you aren't likely to find anywhere else. Excellent choices include lemony Chicken alla Palermo and the creamy Veal Gamberetti Luigi with shrimp.
Corleone's Ristorante & Bar

5669 Broadview Rd., Parma Western Suburbs

216-741-0220

Italian

If “youthful” and “edgy” are what it takes to toss your trenne, this snug little restaurant at the far end of a Parma strip plaza may not be your kind of place. But if good-tasting Italian fare, brought forth in large portions at reasonable prices, is what makes your Alfredo creamy, look no further than the dimly lit Corleone’s.

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D'Agnese's Tomato Grill

106 First St., Hudson Akron/Summit County

330-342-3771

Italian, Menu

Casually upscale yet family-friendly, this good-looking reincarnation of Hudson's old Red Tomato offers everything from pizza and pasta to filet mignon.
Flour

34205 Chagrin Blvd., Moreland Hills Eastern Suburbs

216-464-3700

Italian, Pizza, Contemporary, Menu

After 25 years in Little Italy, Paul Minnillo has moved to the suburbs with this contemporary restaurant serving modern regional Italian cuisine. The far-ranging menu includes small-plate-style antipasti and creative greens, as well as silken pastas and hearty entrées. A wood-fired pizza oven turns out killer Neapolitan-style pies. A deep Italian wine list and a patio round out this East Side gem.
Giuseppe's

32 W. Aurora Rd., Northfield Akron/Summit County

330-467-1108

Italian, Menu

Blink your eyes as you zip through town, and you're likely to miss this little Italian restaurant — and that would be a shame, because the selection is broad, the preparations are sophisticated, and the prices are reasonable. For dessert, don't miss the mascarpone-dense, barely sweetened, homemade tiramisu.
Guarino's

12309 Mayfield Rd. East Side/University Circle/Little Italy

216-231-3100

Italian, Menu

Established in 1918, Guarino's is one of Cleveland's oldest restaurants and is still a family operation. While the decor tends toward Victoriana, the kitchen's pasta, veal and seafood dishes are all Italian.
Gusto! Ristorante Italiano

12022 Mayfield Rd. East Side/University Circle/Little Italy

216-791-9900

Italian, Menu

Romantic and very Italian, this intimate little restaurant features an enticing menu of well-prepared regional specialties, mostly from the Piedmont region of northern Italy. Best of all, the hands-on owners make everyone feel like part of la famiglia.
Jimmy Daddano's Fine Italian Restaurant

6200 Enterprise Pkwy., Solon Eastern Suburbs

440-248-2444

Italian, Menu

If you weren't born into an Italian family, dining at this unpretentious Solon restaurant could be the next best thing. Chef-owner Jimmy Daddano makes all his sauces from traditional recipes: Yeasty garlic rolls, slathered with butter and cheese, arrive fresh from the oven, and Jimmy's mom makes the homemade desserts from scratch.
Johnny's Bar

3164 Fulton Rd. Downtown/Flats/Warehouse District

216-281-0055

Italian

Dark, intimate, and timelessly elegant, this manly little jewel box of a restaurant is the sort of place you suggest when you want to impress the boss, wow a date, or just remind yourself why you work so damn hard. The menu is crammed with upscale Italian specialties, including some stunning risottos and one of the city's finest long-boned veal chops; at lunch, though — pssst — the char-grilled burger is out of this world.

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Maggiano's Little Italy

26300 Cedar Rd., Beachwood Eastern Suburbs

216-755-3000

Italian, Menu

Once you get past the fact that this restaurant is in an upscale fashion mall and nowhere near our real Little Italy, you’re likely to enjoy the elegant, 1950s-style decor and the big menu of well-prepared southern Italian standards served in oversized portions just right for sharing. Private parties, banquets, and corporate events are other house specialties.
Michaelangelo's

2198 Murray Hill Rd. East Side/University Circle/Little Italy

216-721-0300

Italian, Staff Pick

Trained in Italy’s Piedmont region, talented chef-owner Michael Annandono tackles an ambitious repertoire of mostly northern Italian fare with consistently delicious results. We can rarely resist the delicate homemade pastas, served in a room that is as elegantly understated as the food itself. Italian and Californian wine list.
91 Wood Fired Oven

1983 E. Maple St., N. Canton Canton/Stark County

330-498-9191

Italian

Upscale, casual dining emphasizing fresh, seasonal foods in pizzas, pastas and seafood. An extensive wine and cocktail list is available for the grownups; a kids' menu features smaller portions for little stomachs.
Papa Joe's Iacomini's

1561 Akron-Peninsula Rd. Akron/Summit County

330-923-7999

Italian, Menu
Piatto Novo

1989 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls Akron/Summit County

330-920-7530

Italian, Menu

Cantilevered over the mighty Cuyahoga River, this upscale Italian restaurant offers a spectacular view and an impressive dinner menu of imaginative seasonal cuisine, created under the direction of acclaimed Akron chef Roger Thomas.
Players on Madison

14523 Madison Ave., Lakewood Western Suburbs

216-226-5200

Italian

From the elegant crowd to the complementary gourmet pizza served on the hour during happy hour, Players is top-shelf, all the way.