Buon appetito: The 5 best Italian restaurants in Cleveland

Buon appetito: The 5 best Italian restaurants in ClevelandMia Bella Restaurant. | Photo: Breanna B./Yelp
Hoodline
Published on June 19, 2018

Craving Italian food?

Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top Italian restaurants around Cleveland, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of the best spots to satisfy your cravings.

1. Mia Bella Restaurant

Photo: Alice W./Yelp

Topping the list is Mia Bella Restaurant. Located at 12200 Mayfield Road in Little Italy, this is the highest rated Italian restaurant in Cleveland, boasting 4.5 stars from 442 reviews on Yelp.

Yelp reviewers note that the locally owned restaurant's service, ambience and elegant food presentation are as much a reason to choose Mia Bella as its menu of Italian staples like frutti di mare and ravioli. Pizzas are also available, as are desserts like tiramisu and cannoli.

2. Crust

Photo: Darren R./Yelp

Next up is Tremont's Crust, situated at 2258 Professor Ave. Unsurprisingly, pizza is the highlight here. The crust, hand tossed or thin, is made from scratch. The list of potential toppings is long — two kinds of mozzarella, garlic two different ways, white truffle oil, to name a few — and all pizzas are available by the slice.

Hand-rolled pasta, subs and salads round out the menu. With 4.5 stars out of 188 reviews on Yelp, Crust has proven to be a local favorite.

3. Luca Italian Cuisine

Photo: Cara L./Yelp

Luca Italian Cuisine, located at 2100 Superior Viaduct in the Flats, is another top choice, with Yelpers giving it 4.5 stars from 155 reviews. The menu features upscale Italian, like lobster-stuffed squid ink ravioli and white truffle and ricotta-stuffed sacchetti with tartufo cream sauce and aged fig balsamic vinegar.

The eatery also features a full bar, white tablecloth atmosphere and sweeping city views. And don't forget dessert, with cheesecake, chocolate mousse and gelato among the options.

4. Dante

Photo: Michael U./Yelp

At 2247 Professor Ave. in Tremont, check out Dante, an Italian restaurant housed in a former bank building complete with seating inside the vault. Dante — part of Michelin-starred chef Dante Boccuzzi's restaurant empire (Ginko, D.C. Pasta Co., Next Door) — features tasting menus of five to seven courses along with a variety of seafood, rabbit and veal, risotto and handmade pasta dishes.

Desserts are also taken seriously, from dark chocolate lavender to lemon mango Napoleon, all with wine pairing options. Dante has earned four stars out of 277 reviews on Yelp.

5. Chinato

Photo: Bobby Y./Yelp

And then there's Chinato, a downtown favorite with four stars out of 275 reviews. The menu features regional Italian dishes, including entrees like red wine sausage with polenta, peppers, broccoli rabe and marinara, and osso bucco braised in red wine with risotto Milanese marinara.

A deep bench of salads, antipasti and pizza are also available, and a full bar and dessert menu (tiramisu, gelato, pear panna cotta) round things out. Stop by 2079 E. Fourth St. to see what all the buzz is about.