Best Hidden Gems Italian Restaurants in Torrance
4 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
La Bella Napoli
Neapolitan-inspired pizza and Italian takeout run by a Naples-born owner.
Notable Picks
8.4
La Bella Napoli is a compact, mostly takeout Neapolitan-style spot where a Naples-born owner turns out thin, blistered pies and a short list of pastas and salads. South Bay locals treat it as their go-to for proper Italian pizza, with frequent neighborhood awards backing up the steady stream of regulars.
Must-Try Dishes:
Margherita pizza, Diavola pizza with spicy salami, Chicken parmigiana with side salad
What Makes it Special: Neapolitan-inspired pizza and Italian takeout run by a Naples-born owner.
#2
Mama Says
8
Mama Says is a fast-casual Italian-leaning spot in a small Pacific Coast Highway center where lasagna rotates alongside lighter pastas, salads, and wraps. Regulars appreciate being able to pair a hearty baked pasta with greener options in a counter-service setting.
Must-Try Dishes:
House Lasagna (when available), Spaghetti Bolognese, Chicken Pesto Pasta
What Makes it Special: Mixes baked lasagna and pastas with customizable, lighter counter-service options.
Worthy Picks
7.9
Inside the Tokyo Central PCH food court, Pasta Stories serves Japanese-style spaghetti that riffs on Italian technique with regionally themed sauces like Kyoto matcha cream and Osaka wagyu meat sauce. Portions are generous for the price, making it an intriguing, fast-casual option when you want pasta without a full sit-down meal.
Must-Try Dishes:
Osaka wagyu beef meat sauce spaghetti, Kyoto matcha cream pasta, Yokohama Napolitan spaghetti
What Makes it Special: Japanese-style pasta bar in a food court setting with inventive sauces.
7.8
A South Bay Italian fixture since the late 1960s that built its reputation on fresh daily pizza dough, homemade sauce, and complete dinners that come with soup or salad and garlic bread. The covered patio with a central fountain gives it a date-night quality that belies its strip-mall location, though the small dining room gets loud when full. It runs on neighborhood loyalty—regulars of 20-plus years keep coming back for the red-sauce comfort and moderate prices, not for culinary fireworks.
Must-Try Dishes:
Lasagna, Ravioli, Garlic Bread
What Makes it Special: Old-school Southern California Italian with a patio, live music, and the kind of loyal following that keeps regulars coming back for decades.