24 Essential Italian Restaurants in Houston


A dish with a piece of eggplant parmigiana being garnished.
Eggplant parmigiana at Marmo is pure comfort on a plate. | Kirsten Gilliam

Wood-fired pizzas, saucy meatballs, and heaping truffle pasta dishes abound at these local Italian establishments

When in need of a little comfort food, Italian cuisine rarely disappoints. A bowl of spaghetti and meatballs in a luxurious, savory red sauce, or a platter of carbonara with a side of warm, herb-crusted focaccia is enough to provide pure satisfaction. Thankfully, when it comes to Italian, Houston’s got range. With an influx of new Italian restaurant openings in the last few years, there are even more places to discover. Here are 24 Italian restaurants in Houston — both tried and true and hot and new — that should be on your radar.

This map has been updated to include restaurants such as Tavola, Lombardi Cucina Italiana, and Romano’s.

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