Diners' Choice: Italian restaurants in Ottawa

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants with the best overall Italian cuisine in Ottawa? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyzes more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favorites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Giovanni's Ristorante

4.9

4.9 (557)

CAN$51 and over

Italian

Downtown

About the restaurant

Giovanni�s Ristorante, which you can find in Ottawa, Ontario, is proud of its reputation for serving some of the finest Italian cuisine in the surrounding area. The staff insists upon only the finest ingredients like AAA steaks and seafood taken fresh from the sea. Guests will also enjoy the lovely d�cor, which is filled with gleaming crystal, in addition to the food at Giovanni�s Ristorante. One great way to start your meal at Giovanni�s Ristorante is with one of the excellent soups, such as the minestrone or the stracciatella. When you make it to the main meal, you might try one of the veal dishes. The veal marsala, with mushrooms and a wine sauce, is just one of many options.

Top review

Philippe

Dined 4 days ago

Best restaurant in Ottawa. You feel like family when you go. Love it

DreamLand Cafe

4.8

4.8 (492)

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Italian

Little Italy

About the restaurant

Located in the heart of Ottawa’s Little Italy, DreamLand Cafe offers incredible fresh pasta dishes, made with love and finesse.

Top review

Lisa

Dined 1 day ago

Food was delicious and the drinks from the bar were fabulous! I let the staff choose my food - it was delicious and excellent cocktail and wine pairing. The staff were great about coming around to ensure we were well taken care of

Retro Gusto

4.8

4.8 (490)

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Italian

Little Italy

About the restaurant

Retrogusto is a pizzeria and bar that brings some much needed excitement to the north end of Preston street. We serve a Roman style pizza "Tonda", traditional roman fried snacks, salumi, cheeses and other small plates. Our food will be complimented by a small wine list that will be in constant rotation, strictly Italian classic cocktails, and beautiful amaro's from around Italy. The warm, cozy, dimly lit dining room with an open kitchen will be the perfect place to do the only thing that matters; eat good food, drink good wine and have a good time with friends.

Top review

Kathy

Dined 4 days ago

Everything from my request for a cozy table to menu recommendations were on point. Such a great spot for any type of dinner date! Cannot recommend RG enough! Thank you Joey for taking great care of us.

Biagio’s Kitchen + Catering

4.8

4.8 (172)

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Italian

Nepean

About the restaurant

Great meals are about more than food. They're about memorable experiences!
We're creating moments to remember with feel-great food, mood, company — and a spark of the unexpected. Our Ways to Eat offer more ways to enjoy fresh experiences with our locally sourced menus. From Italian-inspired classics with a twist to specialty creations, try them tonight!

Top review

Lucy

Dined 2 days ago

Very good as usual!! 3 of us had a great lunch. Service was excellent

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Joe's Italian Kitchen - Wellington

4.6

4.6 (47)

CAN$30 and under

Italian

Westboro

About the restaurant

Weaving old world traditions with new world creativity. Our goal is to bring you a diverse menu that not only preserves, but elevates hearty dishes that showcase the essence of Italian cuisine.

Top review

Paola

Dined 2 days ago

Excellent service, cozy atmosphere! Both hostess and server were very attentive and friendly. Food was delicious

North and Navy

4.6

4.6 (1819)

CAN$51 and over

Italian

Downtown

About the restaurant

A Northern Italian kitchen inspired by the Bacari of Venice.

Our menu is inspired by tradition and dictated by the quality and availability of ingredients. We play off the similarities between the climates of Eastern Ontario and Northeast Italy, and create our take on classic dishes made with seasonal game, seafood and vegetables. Plus, sometimes we’ll just add whatever we want.

Top review

Nicholas

Dined 3 days ago

Perfectly quaint, perfectly cozy, excellent ambience, very nice and balance between style and substance thoroughly enjoyed my experience and definitely wouldn’t do so again let alone the food was truly outstanding and a pleasure

La Roma Restaurant

4.7

4.7 (591)

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Italian

Downtown

About the restaurant

Located in Ottawa's Little Italy, we're an Italian, from scratch kitchen, focusing on contemporary Italian cuisine that is rooted in tradition. With a large dining room on the main floor, and three semi-private dining rooms upstairs, we have the space for all your party needs. In the summer, we have a covered rooftop patio available for small private functions, as well as three ground level patios. We are proud to work with local farmers and producers wherever possible. Join us Tuesdays for half price wine (on select bottles). We looking forward to serving you soon!

Top review

DeniseVIP

Dined 1 day ago

Always a lovely evening. The owner and staff are phenomenal and welcome you like family.

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Popular dish

Fettuccine Pescatore

Experience

Every Tuesday - 1/2 price wine!

Fratelli - Westboro

4.6

4.6 (1001)

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Italian

Downtown

About the restaurant

Coming Soon!

Top review

Roger

Dined 3 days ago

Very good food and excellent service. The server was attentive.

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Popular dish

Spaghetti

Cantina Gia

4.6

4.6 (992)

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Italian

The Glebe

About the restaurant

Welcome to Cantina Gia
We look forward to seeing you soon.

Top review

Helen

Dined 5 days ago

Lunch with co-workers for a holiday get together and it was just what we needed. Food was delicious, ambiance was perfect; cozy and inviting and staff lovely!

Caffè Italiano

4.5

4.5 (753)

CAN$51 and over

Italian

Downtown

About the restaurant

Caffé Italiano’s approachable menu features fresh handmade pasta, sauces, bread, pizza and composed specialty dishes using 100% AAA Canadian select cuts, grass-fed and aged to perfection, fresh seafood from British Columbia and Nova Scotia through our Fresh Fish Program, locally sourced in-season fruit and vegetables, and imported fine Italian foods like gelato, San Marzano tomatoes, olives, pastas and relishes.

Enjoy fresh cuisine at Caffé Italiano in the destination setting of Rideau Carleton Casino, Future Home of Hard Rock Ottawa, a lively atmosphere perfect for group dinners, business meetings/events, anniversary dinners and birthday dinners

MUST BE 19+

Top review

John

Dined 2 days ago

The food was awesome and the service was excellent!

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