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23 Essential Italian Restaurants in Metro Detroit

Where to find handmade pastas, balsamic panna cotta, antipasto salads, and deli subs

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Perhaps It’s no surprise that Detroit excels at Italian food. People of Italian descent have been present in Detroit since the city’s founding in 1701. The community settled mainly in Detroit’s original “Little Italy,” which started from the lower east side (Eastern Market area) and ran along Gratiot and Riopelle, near Black Bottom and Paradise Valley, and eventually into the suburbs of Macomb County.

While the area boasts a wide range of establishments that vary from classic red sauce spots and casual delis featuring monstrous subs, a growing number of establishments touting Coastal Italian vibes have begun to proliferate the region. Below, find some of the finest from each category serving up handmade pasta, fresh seafood, Neapolitan slices, and more. For the city’s top pizza, click here.

Did we overlook your favorite Italian restaurant? Drop a note at the tipline and we’ll check it out.

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Silver Spoon Ristorante

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Silver Spoon has top-notch fare and service. For starters, the prosciutto is a must. Don’t skip the freshly made pastas such as gnocchi in a four-cheese sauce, fettuccine with rabbit, and pappardelle with meatballs. High-end offerings such as a 21-day dry-aged tomahawk ribeye steak and fish deboned table side make this a go-to spot for fancy date nights and important business dinners.

Ventimiglia Italian Foods

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This deli has been serving Italian food for more than 60 years out of its Sterling Heights market. Fresh homemade pasta and ravioli, prepared foods, carryout catering, imported Italian grocery, and a selection of sub offerings.

Aurora Italiana

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Featuring a modern, but artful aesthetic and a menu said to be influenced by the flavors of the island of Capri, expect fresh takes on items like like a caprese salad made with burrata, cacio e pepe, and whole fish flown in daily from the Mediterranean.

Bella Piatti

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This sophisticated Birmingham restaurant is always bustling and reservations for one of its 65 seats are never a bad idea. Venice native chef Francesco Apollonia's menu is traditional with a little modern flair with dishes such as octopus carpaccio and quail.

Michael Raffin/Bella Piatti [Official photo]

Bacco Ristorante

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Bacco Ristorante is a decades-old dining destination with a menu that is constantly evolving to reflect the latest trends in Italian dining. The kitchen doesn't cut corners when it comes to preparation or ingredients, which are as fresh and local as possible (when available, produce comes from the on-site garden). If it isn’t local, it’s because chances are it’s been imported from Italy.

Chef Luciano DelSignore plates a dish with potatoes and greens. Bacco Ristorante [Official photo]

Gaudino's

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This spot takes the traditional Italian market and combines it with a modern-feeling and casual vibe. Under the care of a third generation of Gaudinos, the menu’s house-made bolognese, five-spice ribs, and takeaway entrees like pans of lasagna are cherished, come from decades-old family recipes.

Pop's For Italian

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Pop's for Italian serves up Neapolitan certified pizza, homemade pastas, and fresh bread with Italian-inspired dips. The U-shaped bar in the middle of the restaurant boasts an impressive wine system and large bottle display. The chicken parmesan and Italian chopped salad are perfect to share, dining in, or to-go.

Villa Restaurant & Pizzeria

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Villa can help fill the void for classic Italian. Generations of families have been going here for traditionally prepared dishes like the antipasto salad with house-made dressing, and Tony's combination plate for those who can't decide.

Villa Restaurant & Pizzeria Facebook

La Dolce Vita

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La Dolce Vita translates to "the sweet life," which sums up this old-world Italian eatery that boasts a lively brunch full of delicious cocktails, a cozy space with arched windows to enjoy various regional Italian specialties, and a garden patio in Detroit’s Palmer Park.

Cantoro Trattoria

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Go grocery shopping and eat a fantastic Italian meal in one spot. It’s hard to go wrong with the tagliatelle alla bolognese prepared with scratch-made tagliatelle pasta and traditional meat sauce of ground veal, beef, sausage, and pancetta. The trattoria also boasts a fully stocked bar featuring a vast selection of wines, liquors, and beers. For dessert, one of the Italian coffees, espressos, or cappuccinos pairs perfectly with gelato.

A plate of linguine alle vongole with a glass of wine. Cantoro Trattoria [Official photo]

Oak & Reel

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Chef Jared Gadbaw brings his passion for seafood-centric Italian cuisine with his contemporary Italian restaurant, Oak & Reel. The menu offerings combine local ingredients with seafood from waters around the world. Snapper, octopus, tuna bolognese, and squid ink pasta offer bright, clean, and bold flavors. For a nightcap, head to the lower level to hit up The Upright, a cozy cocktail bar.

plated octopus Oak & Reel

Mumma Maria's House

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This intimate West Village eatery pays homage to the traditional Sunday dinners that owner Carl Giordano’s wife specialized in before her passing in 2018. Diners will get their fill no matter what they choose from the menu: meatballs, Maria’s ammoglio sauce, ribs, and the homemade pasta and meat sauce.

Mad Nice

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Mad Nice serves up coastal Italian flavors and California vibes. Expect naturally leavened pizza that diners can slice using a pair of giant scissors brought to the table by a friendly server, rotisserie Amish chicken, and other wood-fired specialties. To drink, Mad Nice features a seasonal spritz menu, a robust wine list, and a variety of non-alcoholic beverages.

SheWolf Pastificio & Bar

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This modern Roman restaurant is upping the stakes for Italian cuisine in Detroit by milling its own flour for its pasta and focaccia. Chef Anthony Lombardo’s menu features pasta essentials like cacio e pepe and carbonara as well as intriguing seasonal dishes. For dessert, don’t miss out on the panna cotta and gelato.

Jesse David Green/SheWolf [Official photo]

Rocco's Italian Deli

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This modern, minimalist Italian deli and restaurant offers a wide variety of deli sandwiches, take-and-bake meals, and groceries to go. The offerings of cured meats, cheeses, and specialty items, are carefully curated to introduce Detroit to a variety of Italian flavors that are both imported and house-made.

Deluca's Restaurant

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Checkered tablecloths, posters of various noodle shapes, and quarts of Italian dressing to go. This Italian diner offers large pizzas, antipasto salads, and Italian-American favorites for the whole family. On the weekends when the line gets really long, you can learn all the pasta shapes based on the posters that line the hallway.

Courtney Burk

San Morello

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This stylish eatery from NoHo Hospitality specializes in southern Italian cuisine. San Morello’s menu features options like wood-fired pizza, handmade pasta, and roasted cabbage with Caesar flavors. It’s an anchor to the Shinola Hotel, so expect hotel restaurant prices.

Ottava Via

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This Corktown spot offers a modern spin on Italian favorites. From charcuterie to cocktails to a hearty dinner feast complemented by a glass of wine, Ottava Via hits many notes. There are traditional pastas and pizzas, as well as a selection of hot plates like the pan-seared branzino with salsa verde. It’s particularly popular during patio season, thanks to an outdoor fireplace and bocce ball lanes.

El Barzon

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El Barzon features two distinct menus: one for Mexican and another focused Italian. Start with chips and salsa, followed by fresh homemade Linguini El Barzon (linguini in fresh little neck clams in the shell, shrimp in olive oil, white wine, garlic, fresh tomato sauce, and spicy red pepper flakes with croutons). Chef and proprietor Norberto Garita honed his skills cooking Italian food in New York and at the famed Il Posto Ristorante in Southfield before opening this southwest Detroit staple. Customers can find a more casual setting with pastas, sandwiches, Mexican dishes, and cocktails at Garita’s neighboring restaurant La Noria.

Tiliani Italian Restaurant

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All-halal coastal Italian seafood like pomegranate-glazed octopus, high-quality cuts of meat, pasta, and wood-fired, naturally-leavened pizza are all on deck at this Dearborn fine dining establishment. Chef Hisham Diab is a Culinary Institute of America-trained alum and has a background working with chef Jared Gadbaw (who now runs Oak and Reel in Milwaukee Junction) when at the Michelin-starred restaurant Marea in New York.

Giovanni's

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For years, Giovanni's has prided itself on authentic recipes from the old country, with homemade pastas and sauces tracing its roots from the San Marino region of Italy. The daily specials and seasonal desserts reflect a more modern culinary approach.

Giovanni’s restaurant has a stone exterior with columns and a green sign with gold writing. Brenna Houck

Gonellas Foods

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A mainstay for more than 75 years, this classic deli provides hearty eight to 18 layered submarine sandwiches and a variety of deli options, including pounds of cold salads, and an impressive olive bar.

Courtney Burk

Moro's Dining

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Waiters in tuxedos, tableside service, and more food than anyone can reasonably eat in one sitting — Moro's is all that and more. Founded in 1980, this Allen Park gem is old-school all the way from the dim lighting that set the mood to the multi-course meal that includes soup, salad, entree, and complimentary fruit and nut bowl at the end. The clam chowder is legendary as are the flaming desserts such as the cherries jubilee.

Silver Spoon Ristorante

Silver Spoon has top-notch fare and service. For starters, the prosciutto is a must. Don’t skip the freshly made pastas such as gnocchi in a four-cheese sauce, fettuccine with rabbit, and pappardelle with meatballs. High-end offerings such as a 21-day dry-aged tomahawk ribeye steak and fish deboned table side make this a go-to spot for fancy date nights and important business dinners.

Ventimiglia Italian Foods

This deli has been serving Italian food for more than 60 years out of its Sterling Heights market. Fresh homemade pasta and ravioli, prepared foods, carryout catering, imported Italian grocery, and a selection of sub offerings.

Aurora Italiana

Featuring a modern, but artful aesthetic and a menu said to be influenced by the flavors of the island of Capri, expect fresh takes on items like like a caprese salad made with burrata, cacio e pepe, and whole fish flown in daily from the Mediterranean.

Bella Piatti

This sophisticated Birmingham restaurant is always bustling and reservations for one of its 65 seats are never a bad idea. Venice native chef Francesco Apollonia's menu is traditional with a little modern flair with dishes such as octopus carpaccio and quail.

Michael Raffin/Bella Piatti [Official photo]

Bacco Ristorante

Bacco Ristorante is a decades-old dining destination with a menu that is constantly evolving to reflect the latest trends in Italian dining. The kitchen doesn't cut corners when it comes to preparation or ingredients, which are as fresh and local as possible (when available, produce comes from the on-site garden). If it isn’t local, it’s because chances are it’s been imported from Italy.

Chef Luciano DelSignore plates a dish with potatoes and greens. Bacco Ristorante [Official photo]

Gaudino's

This spot takes the traditional Italian market and combines it with a modern-feeling and casual vibe. Under the care of a third generation of Gaudinos, the menu’s house-made bolognese, five-spice ribs, and takeaway entrees like pans of lasagna are cherished, come from decades-old family recipes.

Pop's For Italian

Pop's for Italian serves up Neapolitan certified pizza, homemade pastas, and fresh bread with Italian-inspired dips. The U-shaped bar in the middle of the restaurant boasts an impressive wine system and large bottle display. The chicken parmesan and Italian chopped salad are perfect to share, dining in, or to-go.

Villa Restaurant & Pizzeria

Villa can help fill the void for classic Italian. Generations of families have been going here for traditionally prepared dishes like the antipasto salad with house-made dressing, and Tony's combination plate for those who can't decide.

Villa Restaurant & Pizzeria Facebook

La Dolce Vita

La Dolce Vita translates to "the sweet life," which sums up this old-world Italian eatery that boasts a lively brunch full of delicious cocktails, a cozy space with arched windows to enjoy various regional Italian specialties, and a garden patio in Detroit’s Palmer Park.

Cantoro Trattoria

Go grocery shopping and eat a fantastic Italian meal in one spot. It’s hard to go wrong with the tagliatelle alla bolognese prepared with scratch-made tagliatelle pasta and traditional meat sauce of ground veal, beef, sausage, and pancetta. The trattoria also boasts a fully stocked bar featuring a vast selection of wines, liquors, and beers. For dessert, one of the Italian coffees, espressos, or cappuccinos pairs perfectly with gelato.

A plate of linguine alle vongole with a glass of wine. Cantoro Trattoria [Official photo]

Oak & Reel

Chef Jared Gadbaw brings his passion for seafood-centric Italian cuisine with his contemporary Italian restaurant, Oak & Reel. The menu offerings combine local ingredients with seafood from waters around the world. Snapper, octopus, tuna bolognese, and squid ink pasta offer bright, clean, and bold flavors. For a nightcap, head to the lower level to hit up The Upright, a cozy cocktail bar.

plated octopus Oak & Reel

Mumma Maria's House

This intimate West Village eatery pays homage to the traditional Sunday dinners that owner Carl Giordano’s wife specialized in before her passing in 2018. Diners will get their fill no matter what they choose from the menu: meatballs, Maria’s ammoglio sauce, ribs, and the homemade pasta and meat sauce.

Mad Nice

Mad Nice serves up coastal Italian flavors and California vibes. Expect naturally leavened pizza that diners can slice using a pair of giant scissors brought to the table by a friendly server, rotisserie Amish chicken, and other wood-fired specialties. To drink, Mad Nice features a seasonal spritz menu, a robust wine list, and a variety of non-alcoholic beverages.

SheWolf Pastificio & Bar

This modern Roman restaurant is upping the stakes for Italian cuisine in Detroit by milling its own flour for its pasta and focaccia. Chef Anthony Lombardo’s menu features pasta essentials like cacio e pepe and carbonara as well as intriguing seasonal dishes. For dessert, don’t miss out on the panna cotta and gelato.

Jesse David Green/SheWolf [Official photo]

Rocco's Italian Deli

This modern, minimalist Italian deli and restaurant offers a wide variety of deli sandwiches, take-and-bake meals, and groceries to go. The offerings of cured meats, cheeses, and specialty items, are carefully curated to introduce Detroit to a variety of Italian flavors that are both imported and house-made.

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Deluca's Restaurant

Checkered tablecloths, posters of various noodle shapes, and quarts of Italian dressing to go. This Italian diner offers large pizzas, antipasto salads, and Italian-American favorites for the whole family. On the weekends when the line gets really long, you can learn all the pasta shapes based on the posters that line the hallway.

Courtney Burk

San Morello

This stylish eatery from NoHo Hospitality specializes in southern Italian cuisine. San Morello’s menu features options like wood-fired pizza, handmade pasta, and roasted cabbage with Caesar flavors. It’s an anchor to the Shinola Hotel, so expect hotel restaurant prices.

Ottava Via

This Corktown spot offers a modern spin on Italian favorites. From charcuterie to cocktails to a hearty dinner feast complemented by a glass of wine, Ottava Via hits many notes. There are traditional pastas and pizzas, as well as a selection of hot plates like the pan-seared branzino with salsa verde. It’s particularly popular during patio season, thanks to an outdoor fireplace and bocce ball lanes.

El Barzon

El Barzon features two distinct menus: one for Mexican and another focused Italian. Start with chips and salsa, followed by fresh homemade Linguini El Barzon (linguini in fresh little neck clams in the shell, shrimp in olive oil, white wine, garlic, fresh tomato sauce, and spicy red pepper flakes with croutons). Chef and proprietor Norberto Garita honed his skills cooking Italian food in New York and at the famed Il Posto Ristorante in Southfield before opening this southwest Detroit staple. Customers can find a more casual setting with pastas, sandwiches, Mexican dishes, and cocktails at Garita’s neighboring restaurant La Noria.

Tiliani Italian Restaurant

All-halal coastal Italian seafood like pomegranate-glazed octopus, high-quality cuts of meat, pasta, and wood-fired, naturally-leavened pizza are all on deck at this Dearborn fine dining establishment. Chef Hisham Diab is a Culinary Institute of America-trained alum and has a background working with chef Jared Gadbaw (who now runs Oak and Reel in Milwaukee Junction) when at the Michelin-starred restaurant Marea in New York.

Giovanni's

For years, Giovanni's has prided itself on authentic recipes from the old country, with homemade pastas and sauces tracing its roots from the San Marino region of Italy. The daily specials and seasonal desserts reflect a more modern culinary approach.

Giovanni’s restaurant has a stone exterior with columns and a green sign with gold writing. Brenna Houck

Gonellas Foods

A mainstay for more than 75 years, this classic deli provides hearty eight to 18 layered submarine sandwiches and a variety of deli options, including pounds of cold salads, and an impressive olive bar.

Courtney Burk

Moro's Dining

Waiters in tuxedos, tableside service, and more food than anyone can reasonably eat in one sitting — Moro's is all that and more. Founded in 1980, this Allen Park gem is old-school all the way from the dim lighting that set the mood to the multi-course meal that includes soup, salad, entree, and complimentary fruit and nut bowl at the end. The clam chowder is legendary as are the flaming desserts such as the cherries jubilee.

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