Los Angeles doesn’t get nearly enough credit as an Italian-food city, which is wild considering how many Italian-American restaurants I can think of within a five-mile radius of my apartment alone (a few of which made this list). Sure, Little Italy no longer exists (much of it sat in what’s now Chinatown), and we’re a far cry from the under-€20 standout meal you can find in just about any town in Italy (vino included). But you can still throw a rock down Melrose and hit a storefront with perfectly al dente pasta, change-your-life focaccia and meatballs passed down from a bis-bis-bis-nonna. Whether you’re after a Michelin-starred splurge, an Italian-ish omakase counter where no two seatings are the same, or a no-frills, all-thrills red-sauce joint you can afford every day of the week, Los Angeles is your osteria. Here’s where you can find the best of them. Mangia!
Updated October 2026: This update adds Donna’s, Cosetta, Little Dom’s, Companion, Barrique and Vesti. We’ve removed Pizzeria Mozza, Milo + Olive and Jon & Vinny’s. All three are better bets for pizza than for a full Italian meal (and Nancy Silverton is still well represented here with Chi Spacca and Osteria Mozza). Spina has also been removed. For more on our new policies, feel free to check out how we review at Time Out.
