Birmingham guide

The best Italian food in Birmingham

Birmingham has 10 standout Italian food worth your time — these are the ones locals actually send people to, ranked by how well-loved each spot is and checked by hand. Bottega, Bettola and GianMarco's lead the list. No chains, nobody pays to rank.

10 places · ranked by how well-loved they are · last checked October 2026 · See them on the map →

1. 1

   Bottega

   Southside & Five Points · $$$$ · Italian

   Handmade pasta & Parmesan soufflé. Frank and Pardis Stitt's Italian restaurant in a big stone building on Highland Avenue. The cafe side is more casual.

   Michelin RecommendedMichelin Outstanding Service Award · Pardis StittJames Beard finalist, Outstanding Hospitality

2. 2

   Bettola

   Lakeview & Pepper Place · $$ · Italian

   Scratch-made pasta. Italian at Pepper Place, with pasta made from scratch. Bham Now put it on its 25 best restaurants in Birmingham in 2026.

3. 3

   GianMarco's

   Edgewood · $$$ · Italian

   Old-world Italian & a deep wine list. Family-run Italian with tablecloths, nightly specials and a big wine list.

4. 4

   Trattoria ZaZa

   Downtown · $$ · Italian, Breakfast & Brunch

   Casual Italian & Sunday brunch. Casual Italian in the Frank Nelson Building, owned since 2015 by two longtime employees. Breakfast on weekdays, brunch on Sundays.

5. 5

   Locanda Brasato

   Mountain Brook Village · $$$ · Italian

   Slow-braised Italian. Opened in 2026 in the old Post Office Pies space in Lane Parke, from the owners of Lé Fresca downtown. Braises and long-cooked sauces.

6. 6

   Salice

   Downtown Homewood · $$$ · Italian

   Handmade pasta. Italian bistro in downtown Homewood, run by chef Rita Bernhardt. It used to be Luca Lagotto; same kitchen, new name and owners.

7. 7

   Vino

   English Village · $$$ · Bars & Drinks, Italian, Greek & Mediterranean

   Wine-list dinners on the patio. Mediterranean plates built around the wine list. The patio has string lights.

8. 8

   Pizzeria GM

   West Homewood · $$ · Pizza, Italian

   Neapolitan-style pies. Italian bistro next to Patriot Park from the GianMarco's family. More on the menu than pizza.

9. 9

   Bongiorno

   Crestline Village · $$ · Italian

   Red-sauce Italian since 1988. Family-owned Italian in the middle of Crestline Village. Same family, same kind of menu, for more than thirty years.

10. 10

    Napoli Italian Restaurant & Pizza

    Rocky Ridge · $$ · Pizza, Italian

    Pizza and baked pastas. Neighborhood Italian next door to Iz Cafe. Good for takeout on a weeknight.