Best Italian Restaurants in Nashville (2026)

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Five Points Pizza is the East Nashville standard for New York-style slices, and it has been since David and Tara Tieman opened it in 2011. The Margherita and pepperoni are the workhorses, and the room runs walk-in-friendly with counter service that keeps things moving. Families and neighbors make up most of the crowd on weeknights. Staff are attentive even close to closing. Consistency can vary visit to visit, so the pepperoni is the safer call.

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Pelato runs the higher end of Nashville's Italian options, with house-made pappardelle Bolognese and osso buco Milanese as the anchors. The bar is a solid walk-in option when the dining room fills, and service at both gets consistent marks even on busy nights like New Year's Eve. Anniversary and birthday parties are a regular use case here, and the kitchen handles the volume. The wood-fired Margherita is the move if pasta feels like too much.

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PennePazze operates inside the L&L Market, which makes it one of the more interesting setups in Nashville for a sit-down pasta meal. The fresh pasta is the reason to come: penne arrabbiata and homemade lasagna are the standouts. Service runs non-traditionally in a few ways that catch first-timers off guard, so going in knowing the format helps. For a city where fresh pasta is frequently promised and rarely delivered, this spot delivers.

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Chrysalis is in a Franklin strip mall in Williamson County, and it outperforms its surroundings. The braised short rib pappardelle and wild mushroom risotto are the dishes to order; the prosciutto and burrata board works well as a starter. Cocktails are a genuine part of the experience, and the staff know the menu. For a date night or departmental dinner south of the city, this is the room to book.

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Maggiano's Little Italy is a national chain, and there is no pretending otherwise, but the Nashville location executes the format reliably. Rigatoni 'D' is the signature pasta, and the chicken parmigiana and lasagna cover the family-celebration crowd well. Reservations are easy to get with some notice, and the staff will work with anniversary and birthday parties. The fried calamari has drawn some criticism for texture; the pasta is the stronger call.

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City House is the Germantown institution, opened by Nashville native Tandy Wilson in December 2007, and Wilson won the James Beard Best Chef: Southeast in 2016, the first Nashville chef to take that award. The belly jam pizza (belly jam, parm, chiles, mozzarella, oregano) is a long-running menu fixture for a reason. The bar is a solid solo option. House-made charcuterie and handmade pasta round out the menu. Book ahead; the room stays full.

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Gondola House Pizzeria has been a Hermitage neighborhood fixture for years, and the pizza dough is the thing people come back for. A packed Sunday house is normal here, and the staff handles it. The meat lovers pizza is the move. Some recent regulars have noted that topping coverage has pulled back from the edges, which is worth knowing going in. For East Davidson County, it remains the casual family-dinner Italian option.

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Coco's Italian Market functions as both a market and a sit-down spot, which gives it a different texture from most Italian rooms in Nashville. The eggplant parmigiana gets strong marks, the kids menu is reasonably priced, and the chicken parmigiana is a reliable order. The market side calls to mind the Italian specialty shops of the Northeast. Service is consistently praised. For a casual family dinner that doubles as a browse, it earns its place on the list.

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Culaccino is on the Franklin square in Williamson County, at the upper end of the price range. The osso buco and house-made gnocchi are the headline dishes, and the wood-fired oven produces a clean pizza. A between-service menu runs in the afternoon for late arrivals. Feedback on the pizza dough has been mixed from some diners, though the proteins and pasta draw cleaner consensus. Reservations are the right call here; the room is not big.

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Caffé Nonna has been feeding Nashville for long enough that regulars treat it like a standing appointment. The arancini, generously filled with cheese, and the meatballs are the appetizer anchors; the spaghetti carbonara is the pasta order. The owner comes out to the dining room, which adds something to the experience for long-timers. Anniversary dinners are a common use case, and service holds up for them. Consistent across visits in a way that matters.

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Nicoletto's Italian Kitchen runs a build-your-own pasta bowl format alongside its regular menu, which gives the room a flexibility most Italian spots in Nashville do not offer. The homemade lasagna and chicken parmigiana are reliable orders; the spinach fettuccine and a porcini mushroom Alfredo bowl have drawn strong responses from regulars. Parking is a genuine inconvenience at this location. Fresh pasta quality is the consistent thread through the positive feedback.

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North Italia is a national group concept, but the Green Hills location runs smoothly and the kitchen produces results. The butternut squash ravioli and grilled branzino are the more interesting orders; the wood-fired Margherita is solid. The room reads upscale without being stiff, and it works for a lunch date during Dine Nashville as well as a proper dinner. Regulars come back often enough to suggest the execution is steady.