If you could only eat one cuisine for the rest of your life what would it be? For us, there’s only one answer, Italian food. And in all likelihood, it’s your number one pick too (that’s why you’re here right?) Pasta and pizza are already regular staples in our diet, but we’d be equally happy chowing down on arancini, cacciatore or cannoli any night of the week. You can have it all by visiting these incredible Italian restaurants in Bristol. Buon appetito!
1. Casa
The spiritual successor to Peter Sanchez-Iglesias’ former Michelin-star restaurant, Casa showcases the very best of what Italian restaurants can offer Bristol. Regularly ranked among the best in the city, this Harbourside spot serves a tapas-style menu – everything from pasta (of course) to caponata, crudo and arancini. But the menu is often full of various meat, fish and Italian cheeses (taleggio and burrata among them.)
If you do choose to visit Casa, make sure to order the fried semolina with parmesan – crisp-like texture balled around a light and airy, parm mousse – at £4 a pop, we’d happily eat a dozen of them and call it a day. Fancy a great deal? the Menu Del Giorno (£30pp) comes with an antipasti starter, a main, sides and dolci (dessert) of your choice, Wednesday to Saturday before 6:30pm.
Casa, The General, Lower Guinea Street, Bristol, BS1 6FU
2. Sonny Stores
Not just one of our favourite restaurants, but yours too. The husband-and-wife team behind Sonny Stores have created a relaxed, neighbourhood spot in Southville. Specialising in a scrumptious seasonal Italian menu, it’s as fitting for a celebratory three-course meal as it is a quick lunchtime bowl of pasta. Previous menu items have included zucchini cappellacci, pappardelle with chicken livers, and dover sole with broad beans sott’olio. But you’re also likely to find a simple (and tasty) pizzetta.
Sonny Stores, 47 Raleigh Rd, Southville, Bristol BS3 1QS
3. Moltobuono!
You’ll find pizza on pretty much every street in Bristol, but can we consider all pizzerias as Italian restaurants? We don’t think so, but Moltobuono! is as Italian as anywhere you’ll find in Rome, Naples or Florence. The family-run restaurant prides itself on using authentic recipes “passed through generations in our family”, with the Neapolitan pizza its prized pick. But you’ll also find a range of pasta dishes if you’d prefer.
Moltobuono!, 59 Park St, Bristol BS1 5NU
4. Little Hollows
Speaking of which, you’ll see fresh handmade pasta hanging out to dry at Little Hollows most mornings. The Redland neighbourhood restaurant – alongside being one of the cheapest Michelin Guide restaurants in the city – offers some of the most unique pasta creations. Relaxed and bright yet lively and buzzing, the award-winning Italian also try a range of classic desserts like tiramisu and panna cotta – or try a negroni using Bristol-made Psychopomp gin too!
Little Hollows Pasta, 26 Chandos Rd, Redland, Bristol BS6 6PF
5. Giuseppe’s
Giuseppe’s is the oldest restaurant in Bristol. Opened in 1951, it was originally called Marco’s before being handed over to Giuseppe Calcagno, who ran the restaurant from 1994 to 2022 and still works the odd shift now and again. After all these years, Giuseppe’s still uses only the best local ingredients with old-school Italian cooking and real Italian service.
A large menu is brimming with Italian classics – expect everything from Margherita pizza to calamari fritti, pollo Milanese to risotto di mare. And we haven’t even mentioned the pasta menu made up of lasagne, bolognese, carbonara, amatriciana and more! Filled with vegetarian options too, Giuseppe’s is among the best Italian restaurants when trying to satisfy the whole family.
Giuseppe’s, 59 Baldwin St, Bristol BS1 1QZ
6. Panunzio’s Kitchen Gelati Italiani
Got a sweet tooth? Panunzio’s Kitchen Gelati Italiani is our go-to when after real Italian gelato. Daniele Panunzio has been making gelato since he was a child growing up in Rome and even went on to participate in the Italian Gelato Championship – so he knows a thing or two about good ice cream gelati.
Sold by the cone or by tub (and in large take-home containers too), there’s a range of creamy, handcrafted gelato and sorbets at Panunzio’s. Flavours change regularly, but recent creations include Lebanese saffron and rosewater, Sri Lankan coconut and Medjool dates with caramelised pecans. Try gelato cakes, waffles, smoothies, and Italian coffees too!
38 Cotham Hill, Redland, Bristol BS6 6LA
7. Pazzo
We could fill half of this list with all the restaurants from the Bianchis Group. We don’t say this lightly, Cotto, Pasta Ripiena and Bianchis, are all among the best Italian restaurants in Bristol. And all should be visited when you get the chance. To keep it fair we’ve limited them to just one, however, so why Pazzo? Basically, because it’s the newest and the one we’ve eaten at most recently…
Pazzo is also the spiritual successor to their first restaurant, which shut last year, Pasta Loco (pazzo means crazy in Italian). Sat on Whiteladies Road, it brings in bold and bright flavours from all over Italy and beyond, showcasing the (often overlooked) adventurous spirit of Italian cuisine in this buzzing atmosphere. On a menu filled with pasta, risotto and porchetta, you may spot the odd crazy addition like… lamb kofta?
Pazzo, 89 Whiteladies Rd, Redland, Bristol BS8 2NT
Cotto, 29-31 St Stephen’s St, Bristol BS1 1JX
Pasta Ripiena, 33 St Stephen’s St, Bristol BS1 1JX
Bianchis, 1-3 York Rd, Montpelier, Bristol BS6 5QB
8. Taste Of Napoli
Fancy a cheap eat? Taste of Napoli is a gem of a spot in Broadmead. The family-run restaurant/cafe sells probably the cheapest pizza in Bristol – with margarita, pepperoni, funghi and parmigiana slices available. But it’s not all about pizza here. Grab a focaccia filled with mortadella, sfogliatella pastries, pistachio cannoli, arancini ragu, and all sorts of traditional Italian street food – including lots of vegan options. A true taste of Napoli indeed.
Taste of Napoli, 32 The Horsefair, Broadmead, Bristol BS1 3HZ
9. Magari
It might only be big enough to fit 13 people, but Magari is so much more than Bristol’s smallest Italian restaurant. The Wapping Wharf pasta restaurant opened serves simple yet authentic, daily-made fresh pasta. Like a lot of Italian cooking, Magari limits itself to four to eight ingredients per dish but isn’t missing out on flavour. Choose between sausage ragu, carbonara, pomodoro or alici, and finish with tiramisu from the short but sweet menu.
Magari, Unit 18, Cargo, Museum St, Bristol BS1 6ZA
10. Marmo
More “Italian-inspired” than straight-up Italian cuisine, Marmo will not disappoint your cravings – with a few French and Spanish influences thrown in. Serving a range of simple small plates – from gnocco fritto (fried dough) to burrata and bottarga – to satiate your hunger over a few glasses of Old World wines. You’ll also find some substantial meals at this wine bar like tagliatelle, cavolo pesto, Swiss chard, raisins and pine nuts; pork collar al latte, leek and pink fir potatoes; and skate, butter beans, artichoke and aïoli.
Marmo, 31 Baldwin St, Bristol BS1 1RG