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A plate holds fresh pasta with lemon and thyme. Patrizi’s

The Best Italian Restaurants in Austin

Red sauces, meatballs, and plenty of pastas

by Erin Russell Updated
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by Erin Russell Updated
Patrizi’s

Italian food in Austin comes in many iterations, including fresh, springy pasta; Neapolitan pizza; and Italian-American red sauce joints. Those looking for chewy handmade pasta shouldn’t skip the food trucks — both Patrizi’s and Artipasta make fresh pasta ready for a variety of sauces. In the mood for pizza? Bufalina (and Bufalina Due) offer Neapolitan-style pies alongside an exceptional natural wine list. Looking for meat dishes? Red Ash’s strength is a massive wood-burning grill, while Intero uses all parts of animals to stay sustainable. From longtime local favorites to newcomers on the scene, here are the best Italian restaurants in the city.

For the full pasta experience, check out Eater’s must-try pasta destinations (which span Italian and non-Italian restaurants) and best macaroni and cheeses.

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Asti Trattoria

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This longtime Hyde Park restaurant attracts the all-too-rare intergenerational crowd with Italian favorites including pizza and handmade pasta, plus “could’ve fooled me” gluten-free versions. For any-time-of-day pasta, try the creamy carbonara; brunch-goers should not miss the tart Italian toast, made on focaccia with ricotta and lemon curd, either. The indoor dining room has a long bar for those looking to get a quick bite (pro tip: they also accept to-go orders online), and there’s a patio with twinkle lights for couples with time to linger.

408 E 43rd St, Austin, TX 78751
(512) 451-1218
(512) 451-1218

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L'Oca d'Oro

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This Mueller restaurant offers sustainable, locally sourced dishes like super-fresh mozzarella, sourdough focaccia, and an ever-rotating menu of pastas with both classic options (rigatoni all’amatriciana) and inventive takes (reginette with smoked brisket). If lasagna is on the menu, get it. Solo diners can park at the small bar with wine or a cocktail, friends can enjoy the Mueller bustle on the patio, and there’s room for even large parties in the dining room.

1900 Simond Avenue, Austin, Texas 78723
(737) 212-1876
(737) 212-1876
A bowl of polenta with consomme and fresh herbs. L’Oca d’Oro

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Patrizi's

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Homemade pastas anchor the menu of this food truck at the Vortex theater and bar in Cherrywood. Have a very Austin date night on the whimsical patio or funky indoor space with chewy fettuccine in Karah’s diavolo, a lemon-olive-oil-garlic-rosemary-chile mix topped with an egg yolk. Sides like beef and pork meatballs and roasted beets round out the menu. There’s a second location in Austin Lake Hills that’s a counter-service restaurant with a larger menu of sandwiches and pizzas; if you’re ordering to-go, you can skip the wait by ordering online.

2307 Manor Road, Austin, Texas 78722
(346) 241-1350
(346) 241-1350
A plate holds fresh pasta with lemon and thyme. Patrizi’s

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Cipollina

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This smallish, cozy restaurant in the heart of Clarksville focuses on Italian dishes with an Austin twist. For lunch, try the meatball sub on a crusty baguette. For dinner, go for a crispy thin-crust pizza or the Bolognese made with brisket, bacon, tomato, and tagliatelle — topped with a snowfall layer grana padano. There are a few tables for outdoor dining, but most seating is indoors — though Cipollina does offer online takeout orders.

1213 W Lynn St (at Waterson Ave.), Austin, TX 78703
(512) 477-5211
(512) 477-5211

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Sammie's Italian

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This Jersey-proud red sauce joint from vibe-conscious hospitality group McGuire Moorman Lambert offers Italian-American classics in an upscale atmosphere downtown. Look for dishes like chicken Parmigiana, spaghetti and meatballs from the chef’s family recipe, and smothered pork chops with maitake mushrooms and a marsala brandy cream sauce. Dine on white tablecloths indoors, enjoy a meal al fresco, or order takeout online.

807 West 6th Street, TX 78703
(512) 474-2054
(512) 474-2054
Food on dishes on a table.
Dishes from Sammie’s.
Bethany Ochs

Red Ash

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The scents of wood-fire-grilled steaks and red snapper a la plancha lure diners into this modern two-story downtown Italian restaurant. But even with all those tables Red Ash houses, reservations should be made well in advance. Locally sourced meats and an assortment of seafood are roasted on a custom-built wood-burning grill and oven. The restaurant offers a variety of handmade pastas, such as spaghettini alle vongole and tagliolini with fresh blue crab, too.

303 Colorado St, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 379-2906
(512) 379-2906
A plate with roast chicken legs covered in garlic and olive oil. Red Ash

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Il Brutto

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The restaurant in the hubbub of East Sixth boasts a large shady patio for people-watching plus occasional live music — the ideal backdrop for its ultra fresh handmade pastas. The lamb ragu pappardelle is a great order (even to-go), or snack on charcuterie and wood-fired pizzas over drinks. Don’t miss out on the rich desserts, like a ricotta semifreddo, before leaving; dine indoors only if you have to because, again, the patio is where the scene is.

1601 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702
A dish holds agnolotti with goat cheese, Parmigiano reggiano, and pistacchio. Il Brutto

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Bufalina

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For over a decade, Bufalina has been one of Austin’s go-tos for blistered Neapolitan pizza. It also slings fantastic homemade pastas such as short rib lasagna rotolo, gnocchi in vodka arrabbiata, and orecchiette with sausage and preserved lemons. Sip a glass of natural wine from the extensive list outside while waiting (and on weekends, there will almost certainly be a wait) for a table inside to watch the wood-fire oven in action. There is this location in East Austin and a second one up in Brentwood, which has fewer pasta options. Both locations (East Austin, Brentwood) offer limited takeout orders.

2215 East Cesar Chavez Street, TX 78702
(512) 394-5337
(512) 394-5337

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Intero Restaurant

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Both the dark indoor dining room and cute outdoor patio at this Holly restaurant are a great backdrop for a date night. Solo diners can also unwind over plates of pasta or hefty meat dishes at the long bar. Intero strives for zero waste, which means the kitchen team uses all parts of ingredients in cooking. The menu includes handmade pasta like ricotta gnocchi with duck confit, plus lots of seasonal local vegetables. Co-owner Krystal Craig also makes incredible chocolates — order some to take home after dinner.

2612 East Cesar Chavez Street, TX 78702
(512) 599-4052
(512) 599-4052
A table holds three dishes (L to R) a salad, polenta with au jus, and pasta. Erin Holsonback

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Enoteca Vespaio

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This Bouldin Creek Italian restaurant has been a staple on South Congress for more than 20 years and exudes big old-school vibes with its large booths, wine wall, and homemade pastas. The wagyu beef carpaccio with crispy capers is a classic order; the creamy gelato makes for a satisfying end to the meal. Lucky diners can grab a table outside to people-watch. Order takeout online.

1610 S Congress Ave (at W Milton St.), Austin, TX 78704
(512) 441-7672
(512) 441-7672
A plate holds a mound of polenta with an Italian sausage on top. Enoteca Vespaio

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Artipasta

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Opened by immigrants from the city of Mantova in the Lombardy region of Italy, this Italian food truck offers some of the most true-to-Italia dishes in Austin. Try pasta dishes like the indulgently rich lasagne or casarecce with sage and almond pesto. There’s a second location up in the Linc that has an indoor dining area and a patio. Takeout orders can be placed online.

7800 South First Street, Austin, Texas 78745
(512) 228-7489
(512) 228-7489
A plate of fettuccini with ham chunks. Artipasta

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Trattoria Lisina

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It’s worth the trek out to Driftwood for a quick getaway from reality at this Hill Country restaurant on a sprawling vineyard. Wander the on-site garden and that recalls the Italian countryside before entering the spacious trattoria, which has a bustling open kitchen and large fireplace. Trattoria Lisina is owned by the same family as Mandola’s, so the menu has Italian favorites like crispy pizzas and fresh pastas — try the pappardelle al cinghiale (in wild boar ragu). Takeout orders can be placed online, but half of the reason to come here is the sunset views from the patio.

13308 FM 150 W, Driftwood, TX 78619
(512) 894-3111
(512) 894-3111

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Asti Trattoria

408 E 43rd St, Austin, TX 78751

This longtime Hyde Park restaurant attracts the all-too-rare intergenerational crowd with Italian favorites including pizza and handmade pasta, plus “could’ve fooled me” gluten-free versions. For any-time-of-day pasta, try the creamy carbonara; brunch-goers should not miss the tart Italian toast, made on focaccia with ricotta and lemon curd, either. The indoor dining room has a long bar for those looking to get a quick bite (pro tip: they also accept to-go orders online), and there’s a patio with twinkle lights for couples with time to linger.

408 E 43rd St, Austin, TX 78751
(512) 451-1218
(512) 451-1218

L'Oca d'Oro

1900 Simond Avenue, Austin, Texas 78723

This Mueller restaurant offers sustainable, locally sourced dishes like super-fresh mozzarella, sourdough focaccia, and an ever-rotating menu of pastas with both classic options (rigatoni all’amatriciana) and inventive takes (reginette with smoked brisket). If lasagna is on the menu, get it. Solo diners can park at the small bar with wine or a cocktail, friends can enjoy the Mueller bustle on the patio, and there’s room for even large parties in the dining room.

1900 Simond Avenue, Austin, Texas 78723
(737) 212-1876
(737) 212-1876
A bowl of polenta with consomme and fresh herbs. L’Oca d’Oro

Patrizi's

2307 Manor Road, Austin, Texas 78722

Homemade pastas anchor the menu of this food truck at the Vortex theater and bar in Cherrywood. Have a very Austin date night on the whimsical patio or funky indoor space with chewy fettuccine in Karah’s diavolo, a lemon-olive-oil-garlic-rosemary-chile mix topped with an egg yolk. Sides like beef and pork meatballs and roasted beets round out the menu. There’s a second location in Austin Lake Hills that’s a counter-service restaurant with a larger menu of sandwiches and pizzas; if you’re ordering to-go, you can skip the wait by ordering online.

2307 Manor Road, Austin, Texas 78722
(346) 241-1350
(346) 241-1350
A plate holds fresh pasta with lemon and thyme. Patrizi’s

Cipollina

1213 W Lynn St (at Waterson Ave.), Austin, TX 78703

This smallish, cozy restaurant in the heart of Clarksville focuses on Italian dishes with an Austin twist. For lunch, try the meatball sub on a crusty baguette. For dinner, go for a crispy thin-crust pizza or the Bolognese made with brisket, bacon, tomato, and tagliatelle — topped with a snowfall layer grana padano. There are a few tables for outdoor dining, but most seating is indoors — though Cipollina does offer online takeout orders.

1213 W Lynn St (at Waterson Ave.), Austin, TX 78703
(512) 477-5211
(512) 477-5211

Sammie's Italian

807 West 6th Street, TX 78703

This Jersey-proud red sauce joint from vibe-conscious hospitality group McGuire Moorman Lambert offers Italian-American classics in an upscale atmosphere downtown. Look for dishes like chicken Parmigiana, spaghetti and meatballs from the chef’s family recipe, and smothered pork chops with maitake mushrooms and a marsala brandy cream sauce. Dine on white tablecloths indoors, enjoy a meal al fresco, or order takeout online.

807 West 6th Street, TX 78703
(512) 474-2054
(512) 474-2054
Food on dishes on a table.
Dishes from Sammie’s.
Bethany Ochs

Red Ash

303 Colorado St, Austin, TX 78701

The scents of wood-fire-grilled steaks and red snapper a la plancha lure diners into this modern two-story downtown Italian restaurant. But even with all those tables Red Ash houses, reservations should be made well in advance. Locally sourced meats and an assortment of seafood are roasted on a custom-built wood-burning grill and oven. The restaurant offers a variety of handmade pastas, such as spaghettini alle vongole and tagliolini with fresh blue crab, too.

303 Colorado St, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 379-2906
(512) 379-2906
A plate with roast chicken legs covered in garlic and olive oil. Red Ash

Il Brutto

1601 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702

The restaurant in the hubbub of East Sixth boasts a large shady patio for people-watching plus occasional live music — the ideal backdrop for its ultra fresh handmade pastas. The lamb ragu pappardelle is a great order (even to-go), or snack on charcuterie and wood-fired pizzas over drinks. Don’t miss out on the rich desserts, like a ricotta semifreddo, before leaving; dine indoors only if you have to because, again, the patio is where the scene is.

1601 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702
A dish holds agnolotti with goat cheese, Parmigiano reggiano, and pistacchio. Il Brutto

Bufalina

2215 East Cesar Chavez Street, TX 78702

For over a decade, Bufalina has been one of Austin’s go-tos for blistered Neapolitan pizza. It also slings fantastic homemade pastas such as short rib lasagna rotolo, gnocchi in vodka arrabbiata, and orecchiette with sausage and preserved lemons. Sip a glass of natural wine from the extensive list outside while waiting (and on weekends, there will almost certainly be a wait) for a table inside to watch the wood-fire oven in action. There is this location in East Austin and a second one up in Brentwood, which has fewer pasta options. Both locations (East Austin, Brentwood) offer limited takeout orders.

2215 East Cesar Chavez Street, TX 78702
(512) 394-5337
(512) 394-5337

Intero Restaurant

2612 East Cesar Chavez Street, TX 78702

Both the dark indoor dining room and cute outdoor patio at this Holly restaurant are a great backdrop for a date night. Solo diners can also unwind over plates of pasta or hefty meat dishes at the long bar. Intero strives for zero waste, which means the kitchen team uses all parts of ingredients in cooking. The menu includes handmade pasta like ricotta gnocchi with duck confit, plus lots of seasonal local vegetables. Co-owner Krystal Craig also makes incredible chocolates — order some to take home after dinner.

2612 East Cesar Chavez Street, TX 78702
(512) 599-4052
(512) 599-4052
A table holds three dishes (L to R) a salad, polenta with au jus, and pasta. Erin Holsonback

Enoteca Vespaio

1610 S Congress Ave (at W Milton St.), Austin, TX 78704

This Bouldin Creek Italian restaurant has been a staple on South Congress for more than 20 years and exudes big old-school vibes with its large booths, wine wall, and homemade pastas. The wagyu beef carpaccio with crispy capers is a classic order; the creamy gelato makes for a satisfying end to the meal. Lucky diners can grab a table outside to people-watch. Order takeout online.

1610 S Congress Ave (at W Milton St.), Austin, TX 78704
(512) 441-7672
(512) 441-7672
A plate holds a mound of polenta with an Italian sausage on top. Enoteca Vespaio

Artipasta

7800 South First Street, Austin, Texas 78745

Opened by immigrants from the city of Mantova in the Lombardy region of Italy, this Italian food truck offers some of the most true-to-Italia dishes in Austin. Try pasta dishes like the indulgently rich lasagne or casarecce with sage and almond pesto. There’s a second location up in the Linc that has an indoor dining area and a patio. Takeout orders can be placed online.

7800 South First Street, Austin, Texas 78745
(512) 228-7489
(512) 228-7489
A plate of fettuccini with ham chunks. Artipasta

Trattoria Lisina

13308 FM 150 W, Driftwood, TX 78619

It’s worth the trek out to Driftwood for a quick getaway from reality at this Hill Country restaurant on a sprawling vineyard. Wander the on-site garden and that recalls the Italian countryside before entering the spacious trattoria, which has a bustling open kitchen and large fireplace. Trattoria Lisina is owned by the same family as Mandola’s, so the menu has Italian favorites like crispy pizzas and fresh pastas — try the pappardelle al cinghiale (in wild boar ragu). Takeout orders can be placed online, but half of the reason to come here is the sunset views from the patio.

13308 FM 150 W, Driftwood, TX 78619
(512) 894-3111
(512) 894-3111

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