The Best Italian Food in Cincinnati
Sections
- Eat , on. Can't turn off the last section 149
- Drink , off. Turn on 1 Only Drink
- Stay , off. Turn on 7 Only Stay
- Do , none in this area
Tap another section to add it.
The best Italian food in Cincinnati, according to the experts: AAA, Cincinnati Magazine, and 50 Top Pizza have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Sotto comes out on top.
More Less
Nicola's and Pepp & Dolores hold the next two places. AAA shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with Cincinnati Magazine next.
-
Rank 1. Sotto
Italian
The entrance is easy to miss: a staircase beside Boca's red door, leading well below street level. Sotto is a pasta-forward Italian speakeasy downtown, where the team makes things by hand and pours a lot of table wine, and the antipasti menu will quietly destroy your willpower before the main event arrives. Truffle season turns the tajarin into something quietly serious. The descent sets the mood, and there are enough steps that ordering a second pasta feels almost responsible.
The awards
- AAA AAA: Three Diamonds
- Cincinnati Magazine Cincinnati Magazine: #3 · Best Restaurants
-
Rank 2. Nicola's
Italian
An Italian restaurant on Sycamore where the bread basket arrives housemade, breadsticks and focaccia folded in together, and the menu moves through antipasti, pasta, and secondi at a pace that discourages rushing. The crispy potato gnocchi has a following, and the malfatti comes cacio e pepe style, which is either a provocation or a compliment depending on your Roman loyalties. Tiramisu closes things out.
The awards
- AAA AAA: Four Diamonds
- Cincinnati Magazine Cincinnati Magazine: 2025 · Gnocchi · Best of the City
-
Rank 3. Pepp & Dolores
Italian
Housemade pasta is the whole point here, pulled from family recipes that the team takes seriously enough to name the restaurant after the grandparents who inspired them. It's a warm, mid-range Italian dining room where the menu stays short on purpose. The Sunday sauce, built around rich braised meats over spaghetti, is the kind of dish that explains why some recipes get handed down. Soft-serve gelato, taken as an affogato, closes things out properly.
The awards
-
Rank 3. Primavista
Italian
The awards
-
Rank 5. Zerocinquenove
Neapolitan Pizzeria
Terracotta details nod to Naples in an otherwise contemporary dining room, which sets the tone for a Neapolitan-leaning pizza shop that takes its craft seriously without taking itself too seriously. The dough is airy and well-cooked, the toppings paired with real intention, and the fried montanarine are quietly worth the detour on their own. Listed among 50 Top Pizza Italy's Excellent Pizzerias, this is Carpi's most convincing argument for staying local.
The awards
- 50 Top Pizza 50 Top Pizza: 50 Top Pizza Italy Excellent Pizzerias
-
Rank 6. Carmelo’s Mozzarella
Italian
The awards
- Cincinnati Magazine Cincinnati Magazine: 2025 · Cheese Pull · Best of the City