The Definitive Guide to Dallas Italian: 15 Restaurants Worth the Hype

Dallas offers a wide range of great Italian spots, from red-sauce neighborhood gems to upscale places that have earned well-deserved national recognition. Below are our favorites around North Texas, broken up by location, including Uptown, Oak Lawn, Bishop Arts, Frisco, and even Denton.

Three restaurants on this list have James Beard cred: Radici chef and Top Chef alum Tiffany Derry was a two-time semifinalist in 2022; Lucia’s pastry chef, Maggie Huff, is a semifinalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker this year, while its chef, David Uygur, has been consistently recognized since the restaurant’s opening in 2010. And chef Scott Girling at Osteria il Muro in Denton is a semifinalist for Best Chef this year.

Partenope has been ranked as one of the Top 50 pizzerias in the U.S.A. for the past four years.

And Nonna is recommended in the Michelin Guide, while the chef at Palato in Frisco has several starred restaurants on his resume.

All this means you need to take the Dallas Italian scene seriously. Below is your guide:

Uptown and Oak Lawn

Avanti Restaurant
2720 McKinney Ave., Uptown
For more than three decades, Avanti Restaurant has been an unwavering cornerstone in the Dallas dining scene, with a seamless blend of classic Italian-Mediterranean fare in an alluring Uptown bistro with nightly live music. The restaurant offers a variety of pasta dishes, such as three-cheese spinach lasagna, linguine pescatore and wild mushroom risotto. Try the crab meat-crusted sea bass or tagliatelle Bolognese, crafted traditionally with pork loin, pancetta and tenderloin.

Barsotti’s
208 Oak Lawn Ave., Oak Lawn
Barsotti’s, formerly known as Carbone’s, is a neighborhood Italian-American gem owned by Dallas chef and restaurateur Julian Barsotti, whose family lineage and recipes draw from Southern Italy. At Barsotti’s, classic Italian comfort food is served in a convivial family atmosphere. The signature Sunday gravy and meatballs are quintessential to Dallas. Or soak in a rich plate of vodka tortellini. A chocolate layer cake topped with a rich ganache tastes like a celebration and shouldn’t be missed.

North Dallas

Radici
12990 Bee St., Farmers Branch
Radici was our pick for Best New Restaurant in 2024 and was Texas Monthly’s pick for Best New Restaurant in 2025. Chef Tiffany Derry draws inspiration from across Italy; pasta is made daily, and regional cuisine comes together on a large wood-fired grill fed with Texas post oak. The lasagna bianca from Northern Italian — made with sage, spinach pasta, Parmigiano Reggiano and nutmeg — is not to be missed. Also, do not miss the seasonal vegetables as sides here.

Perch Bistro and Bar
7709 Inwood Road, Park Cities
The interior of Perch (previously Dea) has bistro vibes and is the cozy neighborhood Italian spot everyone needs on their short list. Casual Italian fare, like Neopolitan pizza, is taken up a notch with 100-year-old sourdough starter brought in from San Francisco. Big plates are for sharing, like the Bolognese Pappardella with spicy Italian sausage, beef, grana padano and a house ricotta.

Nonna
4115 Lomo Alto Drive, Park Cities
Nonna, another Italian restaurant from chef Julian Barsotti, has been a Park Cities dining destination since 2016. Barsotti’s passion for regional Italian cuisine and his commitment to high-quality ingredients are evident in Nonna’s menu. A wood-burning oven is a focal point for the restaurant, both aesthetically and for the food. Artisanal salumi, pasta and pizzas dominate the menu. The white clam pie with fresh clams, garlic, olive oil and oregano is a treat. Given its widespread popularity, securing reservations, especially during peak dining hours, is highly recommended.

Pizzana
3219 Knox St., Knox-Henderson and 11700 Preston Road
Hailing from Hollywood, Pizzana pizzeria is the collaborative creation of Italian Master Pizzaiolo Daniele Uditi and Candace Nelson, the visionary behind Sprinkles Cupcakes. Pizzana is known for its authentic “Neo-Neapolitan-style” pizzas; the dough rests for 48 hours to impart true Neapolitan pizza qualities with a firm, not floppy, base. The menu offers antipasti, pizza, salads and desserts. For antipasti, you can’t go wrong with the Caprese di bufala, with large chunks of fresh mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, basil, oregano, garlic and olive oil. For pizza, go for the cacio e pepe pizza, a signature pie that offers a unique twist on the original pasta dish. Be sure to save room for dessert because the panna cotta with salted caramel and caramelized pretzels is simple but so decadent and should not be missed.

Downtown

La Stella Cucina Verace
2330 Flora St, Arts District
In the heart of the Dallas Arts District, La Stella Cucina Verace shines as one of Dallas’ top-rated fine-dining Italian destinations. Old-world traditional regional Italian cooking blends with renowned hospitality to deliver an unparalleled experience. Among the standout dishes, the osso buco reigns supreme, with slow-braised, cross-cut veal shank that melts in your mouth, accompanied by risotto alla Milanese adorned with gremolata. They also have a new location in Addison in the old Lawry’s space that offers the same everything, plus a jazz lounge.

Partenope Ristorante
1903 Main St., Downtown Dallas, and 110 S. Greenville Ave., Richardson
Partenope Ristorante has been named one of the best pizzerias in the U.S. for four years in a row. It has climbed rankings every year, and this year it earned the 12th place spot thanks to its outstanding Neapolitan-style pizza and authentic Italian dishes. From meticulously crafted antipasti dishes, like the polpette al sugo (beef and pork meatballs, marinara and house bread) to the Super Jeff sandwich (soppressata, prosciutto, provolone, mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, Calabrian chili may, giardiniera and balsamic) and pasta dishes, you can taste the love in each bite. Partenope blends comfort and style. Those in North Dallas can rejoice, too: there’s a second location at 110 S. Greenville Ave. in Richardson.

Bishop Arts District

Lucia
287 N. Bishop Ave., Bishop Arts District
Situated in the bustling Bishop Arts District, Lucia reigns as a highly acclaimed Italian haven, indisputably ranking among the city’s finest. Chef David Uygur and his wife, Jennifer, founded Lucia in 2010, infusing it with a passion for traditional Italian cooking and a dedication to sourcing the finest local and seasonal ingredients. Such dedication to culinary excellence has garnered Lucia numerous accolades and widespread acclaim, including a James Beard nomination. The menu changes frequently but includes an array of house-made pastas, antipasti and secondi dishes. Given Lucia’s intimate setting and popularity, reservations are a must.

Pane Nostro
508 W. Seventh. St.
Pane Nostro lives in the adorable home that was previously CocoAndre. Here you’ll find authentic Italian dishes from Dion Gazzaruso and Adalberto Lujan that represent both the southern and the northern parts of Italy, along with steak and seafood mains. All bottles of wine are half off on Tuesdays.

East Dallas

Via Triozzi
1806 Greenville Ave.
Via Triozzi has quickly become a Greenville Avenue staple. Dinner here is like being invited to your long-lost Nonna’s house, through delicate details and the right amount of comfort. A house specialty is lasagna al forno made with a creamy white besciamella (an Italian bechamel sauce). And save room for the tiramisu. When the weather is nice, be sure to check out the upstairs patio.

Terilli’s
2815 Greenville Ave.
Terilli’s is a Dallas institution. The ground level is a moody, upscale lounge with live piano music, while the rooftop bar atop the building is the perfect place to spend a nice day. The Italchos are popular: pizza bread topped with their house red sauce and cheese. But try the roasted pork osso bucco, a shank bathed in a garlic red wine demi-glace. The Tom Landry special has Texas goat cheese, because of course, they had to put “goat” somewhere under that description, right?

Frisco

Baonecci
7151 Preston Road, Frisco
This Lucchesi-style Italian restaurant in Frisco remains one of our favorites in North Texas. Start with the tordelli Lucchesi, a ravioli stuffed with house-ground pork and beef Bolognese sauce and parsley. The pasta is perfectly cooked, the meat sauce is full of flavor. The super-thin Maremma Diavola pizza was so good that Hank Vaughn wrote that each bite reminded him of his Italian great-grandmother’s kitchen. Wow. Just like Nonna’s.

Palato Italian Kitchen and Lounge
3220 Internet Blvd.
This upscale Italian restaurant inside the swank HALL Park Hotel is gaining local favor and accolades, which shouldn’t come as a big surprise: executive chef Eric Sakai’s resume includes stops at Michelin-starred Rubicon and Acquerello. He also honed his trade cooking for two years in Italy. You can’t go wrong with the butternut squash ravioli with brown butter and sage. They also offer a $20 express lunch weekdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Denton

Osteria il Muro
311 W. Congress St., Denton
Osteria il Muro is a 24-seat gem. This year, its chef and co-owner, Scott Girling, was named a semifinalist for a James Beard Award for Best Chef Texas, the first such nod for the college town north of Dallas. Dining here is by reservation only, and seats are released on the last Monday of the month at noon sharp for the following month on Tock. It’s cutthroat, but if you’re quick enough, you can grab a seat and enjoy a menu that partners with local farmers, utilizes seasonal produce and is made completely from scratch. The sourdough focaccia is universally loved, and in the past, they’ve featured favorites like fried squash blossoms and pork lingua tortellini. Always save room for dessert here. Especially if it’s the affogato.