Looking for a crave-worthy Italian meal near you?
Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top Italian restaurants around Birmingham, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of the best spots for freshly made pasta, pizza, risotto and other Italian fare.
1. Market North End
Topping the list is Market North End. Located at 474 N. Old Woodward Ave., it is the highest rated Italian restaurant in Birmingham, boasting four stars out of 203 reviews on Yelp.
On the menu, offerings include hearty soups, like garlic soup with house cheese or chickpea stew; pizzas and calzones; and entrees ranging from pasta to dry-rubbed ribs. The full-service bar features draft beer, wine, martinis and Manhattans.
"We love coming here! The atmosphere is fun, though it can get quite loud, and the food is excellent," wrote Yelper Randi B. "Reasonably priced and great food on the outskirts of the craziness of downtown Birmingham."
2. Forest
Next up is Forest, at 735 Forest Ave., which recently reopened with executive chef Nick Janutol. The restaurant showcases freshly made pastas from squid ink capellini to short rib cannelloni.
Offerings include caviar, a five-course chef's tasting menu and non-Italian specialties like duck confit and aged New York strip steak. With four stars out of 189 reviews on Yelp, Forest has proven to be a local favorite.
3. Salvatore Scallopini Italian Ristorante
More exclusively Italian is Salvatore Scallopini Italian Ristorante, located at 505 N. Old Woodward Ave. There is a lot of overlap between the lunch and dinner menus, with each featuring classic pastas (fettuccine Alfredo, ravioli) alongside seafood, chicken Parmesan and cannelloni with ricotta cheese and spinach.
One of four outlets of Salvatore Scallopini Italian Ristorante (the others are in Eastpointe, Grosse Pointe Woods and Madison Heights), this Birmingham mainstay is another top choice, with Yelpers giving it four stars out of 136 reviews.
4. Bella Piatti
Bella Piatti, at 167 Townsend St., also makes the list. A sumptuous dining area competes for attention with a menu of mostly Southern Italian dishes.
Expect pastas, risotto, seafood, plus steaks, veal and lamb. Finish off your meal with desserts like tiramisu, panna cotta and vanilla gelato in espresso. Bella Piatti has earned four stars from its 77 Yelp reviews.
5. Primi Piatti Market
Finally, don't skip Primi Piatti Market, which has earned four stars out of 17 reviews on Yelp. The emphasis is on sandwiches using the house meats like prosciutto, mortadella, and rosemary ham, and on the freshly made pastas.
In addition to dine-in fare there are many products to take away, like packaged sauces, cheeses and meats, and even housewares. You can find Primi Piatti Market at 550 N. Old Woodward Ave.
