Best Italian Restaurants in Lakeview
11 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
Coda Di Volpe
Southern Italian cooking with serious wood-fired pizzas and housemade pastas backed by high-volume, high-rating review data.
Notable Picks
8.9
Coda Di Volpe is a Southern Italian restaurant on the Southport Corridor known for VPN-certified Neapolitan pizzas, housemade pastas, and a polished but relaxed dining room. With strong Google and Yelp ratings across thousands of reviews and frequent praise from local guides, it functions as Lakeview’s destination for wood-fired Italian with room for both families and dates.
Must-Try Dishes:
Super Diavola pizza, Bucatini Bianco, Burrata with seasonal accompaniments
What makes it special: Southern Italian cooking with serious wood-fired pizzas and housemade pastas backed by high-volume, high-rating review data.
8.7
Sal's Trattoria is a cozy neighborhood Italian spot in West Lakeview where pastas, burrata, and classic mains stay remarkably consistent across hundreds of Google and Yelp reviews. Open since 2016, it leans into warm hospitality and straightforward cooking, making it a go-to for date nights and small family dinners on Southport.
Must-Try Dishes:
Rigatoni Bolognese, Burrata with grilled bread, Trout Piccata
What makes it special: A small, quietly confident trattoria where careful pastas and nightly specials match a genuinely neighborly room.
8.3
Frasca Pizzeria & Wine Bar is a Roscoe Village standby for wood-fired pizzas, approachable pastas, and a sizable wine list in a cozy, brick-lined space. It leans more neighborhood-casual than dressy, but the combination of a strong patio, sharable pies, and half-off bottle nights makes it a dependable, lower-pressure date-night play.
Must-Try Dishes:
Italian sausage pizza with fennel and onions, Rigatoni gigante in tomato cream sauce, Arancini
What makes it special: A wine-focused neighborhood pizzeria where wood-fired pies and pastas anchor both casual dates and repeat local visits.
8.3
Mia Francesca is a high-volume Lakeview trattoria that has been drawing crowds since 1992 with Roman- and Tuscan-inspired pastas, bruschette, and hearty classics. With hundreds of Yelp reviews and additional Google volume, it reads as a reliable choice for group dinners and pre- or post-game meals near Wrigley.
Must-Try Dishes:
Bruschette alla Romana, Calamari Fritti, Linguine con Vongole
What makes it special: Long-running Clark Street trattoria where bustling rooms, Roman-style pastas, and decades of regulars signal enduring appeal.
8.2
A classic Chicago pizza-and-pub operation where the move is thin crust, pitchers, and a steady game-day rhythm. It’s strongest when you treat it like a focused order—one pie, one appetizer, one drink lane—so timing and temperature stay on your side.
Must-Try Dishes:
Thin crust pizza, Calzone, Italian beef sandwich
What makes it special: Wrigleyville staple for thin crust and pub energy.
Worthy Picks
7.9
Vibes:
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Comfort Food Classics
Family Friendly Favorites
Quick Bites Champions
Primarily famous for deep-dish and stuffed pies, The Art of Pizza’s Ashland Avenue flagship also runs an affordable baked lasagna dinner that regulars treat as a weeknight staple. The counter-service setup, long hours, and big portions make it more of a utility stop than a destination dining room, but the lasagna punches above its price.
Must-Try Dishes:
Baked Lasagna Dinner, Stuffed Spinach & Mushroom Pizza, Italian Beef Sandwich
What makes it special: High-volume pizza shop where an inexpensive baked lasagna special rides alongside famous pies.
7.9
A neighborhood pizza shop with a broad menu that works best when you treat it like a pizza-first operation. Order in a tight lane—one style of pie plus one Italian side—and it delivers a reliable, casual meal without overcomplicating the ticket.
Must-Try Dishes:
Sicilian-style pizza, Garlic knots, Meatballs
What makes it special: A go-to for multiple pizza styles in one easy neighborhood stop.
7.8
Vibes:
Quick Bites Champions
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Hidden Gems Heaven
Solo Dining Sanctuaries
A counter-service, snack-forward Italian-leaning concept that’s best treated as a fast, focused bite rather than a full sit-down Italian night. The arancini lane is the core strength—order a tight set and you’ll get the cleanest, most repeatable result.
Must-Try Dishes:
Arancini flight, Chicken tikka arancini, Jerk arancini
What makes it special: Arancini-focused, counter-service Italian comfort built for speed.
#9
Tutto Fresco
7.8
Tutto Fresco sits on a quieter stretch of Ashland, serving classic Italian staples in a low-lit, comfortable dining room that locals describe as a neighborhood secret. Portions run generous and the menu leans toward familiar favorites, making it a solid, lower-key date night when you want spaghetti and a bottle without the Southport crowds.
Must-Try Dishes:
Spaghetti and meatballs, Shrimp risotto, Tiramisu
What makes it special: A comfortable, candlelit neighborhood Italian dining room that trades flash for reliable plates and friendly service.
7.8
Angelina Ristorante is an East Lakeview staple with white-tablecloth charm, a compact dining room, and a menu that toggles between brunch standards and candlelit Italian dinners. Despite some mixed recent feedback, its hundreds of Yelp and Google reviews point to a place locals still use for intimate celebrations, especially around pasta and brunch plates.
Must-Try Dishes:
Rigatoni Bolognese, Eggs Benedict, Banana Stuffed French Toast
What makes it special: A quaint Broadway dining room where old-school brunch and pasta plates meet low-lit, romantic energy.
Vibes:
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Comfort Food Classics
Quick Bites Champions
Family Friendly Favorites
Nancy's Home of Stuff Pizza on Broadway is a Lakeview outpost of the Chicago-born stuffed-pizza brand, focused on hefty pies, simple pastas, and takeout-friendly Italian-American comfort. With strong sentiment around its spinach-and-mushroom stuffed pies and solid Google and Yelp volume, it works best as a casual, value-forward way to scratch the deep-dish itch.
Must-Try Dishes:
Spinach & Mushroom Stuffed Pizza, Classic Deep Dish Cheese Pizza, Thin-Crust Sausage Pizza
What makes it special: Neighborhood stuffed-pizza shop where oversized, cheese-heavy pies and friendly prices matter more than décor.