Austin · 6 ranked picks
Fig Italian Kitchen & Bar leads this shortlist.
Fig sits next to the Broken Spoke, which tells you everything about the collision South Lamar keeps making between old Austin and the Restoration Hardware version.
Mandola's is a restaurant that decided, early on, to look exactly like the idea of a restaurant.
Ian Thurwachter's intero occupies a particular position in East Austin's restaurant landscape — a neighborhood that has absorbed a decade of development without fully losing the low-slung, unhurried character that made it interesting in…
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La Volta Pizza Club began as a food truck grinding it out on the East Side before Chef Eddie landed the brick-and-mortar at 900 W 10th — and that origin story matters, because it explains why the kitchen operates with a food-truck-sharp…
Let's clear one thing up first: Gino's lives on South Mays Street in Round Rock, not Austin proper, and the drive tells you something about the place.
Il Brutto is a italian restaurant in East Austin in Austin that is worth opening when you want a clearer read on the menu and the room.
The best italian restaurants in Austin are Fig Italian Kitchen & Bar, Mandola's Italian Kitchen, Intero Restaurant, and more.
The final six are Fig Italian Kitchen & Bar, Mandola's Italian Kitchen, Intero Restaurant, La Volta Pizza Club, Gino's Italian Restaurant and Pizza, Il Brutto.
We looked for restaurants that feel like a strong fit for the guide topic, not just the most obvious names in the city. The shortlist favors rooms with clear mood, dependable pacing, and enough distinction to help someone decide faster. Read our full methodology →
Lighting, pace, and general energy all need to support the reason someone clicked this guide.
We favored restaurants that feel best suited for the moment, not just restaurants with broad reputation.
The final list tries to give readers enough variation in neighborhood, price, and style to compare real options.
Pictured: Intero Restaurant
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Pictured: Baldinucci Pizza Romana
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