Highest-rated Italian restaurants in Boulder by diners
Highest-rated Italian restaurants in Boulder by diners
Italian food is the most popular cuisine in the world, according to a 2023 study by The Picky Eater that tallied up Instagram tags. It's no wonder why so many people love it. Just thinking about dishes like chicken parmesan and spaghetti and meatballs is enough to get your mouth watering—even though many of these world-famous dishes are actually Italian American creations more so than true Italian fare. Traditional Italian food embraces an assortment of sumptuous recipes that aren't dependent on fried breadcrumbs and red sauce—think frittatas and focaccia, or carpaccio and panna cotta.
Italian immigrants have been weaving their cuisine into the fabric of the American food landscape for generations since they arrived in the United States nearly 150 years ago. And the cuisine, like the culture it hails from, tends to give off warm and fuzzy "family" feels. For many people, the quintessential local Italian American restaurant—complete with its red-and-white checkered tablecloths, pour bottles of olive oil, parmesan cheese shakers, cute little jars of red pepper flakes, and wicker baskets of oven-fresh bread—brings back memories of special life moments, like first dates and milestone birthdays.
Luckily, today you don't need to be in a major metropolis like New York or Los Angeles or an area with a large Italian or Italian American community to score top-notch buon cibo. You can find excellent Italian offerings in almost every city from coast to coast. To celebrate all things mozzarella and marinara, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated Italian restaurants in Boulder based on diners' reviews on Yelp as of January 2024.
Read on to see if your favorite is among the top-rated or to find a new spot in your neighborhood.
Note: The photos in this article are stock images and do not necessarily depict the specific restaurants listed or the dishes they serve.
#16. D P Dough
- Rating: 2.0/5 (9 reviews)
- Address: 1310 College Ave. Ste 270 Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Pizza, Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Hillside Pizza
- Rating: 3.0/5 (5 reviews)
- Address: 1622 Broadway Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Barbecue
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Center for Community Dining
- Rating: 3.0/5 (22 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2249 Willard Lp Drive Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Persian/Iranian, Italian, Latin American
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Pasta Jay's
- Rating: 3.5/5 (729 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1001 Pearl St. Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Italian, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Gondolier Italian Eatery - Boulder
- Rating: 3.5/5 (193 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4800 Baseline Road Ste A-104 Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Italian, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Bacco Trattoria
- Rating: 3.5/5 (177 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1200 Yarmouth Ave. Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Italian, Desserts, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Sforno Trattoria Romana
- Rating: 3.5/5 (358 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1308 Pearl St. Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Italian, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Carelli's Of Boulder
- Rating: 4.0/5 (310 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 645 30th St. Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Italian, Pizza, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Amante Coffee
- Rating: 4.0/5 (89 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1023 Walnut St. Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch, Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Stella's Cucina
- Rating: 4.0/5 (76 reviews)
- Address: 1123 Walnut St. Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Aperitivo
- Rating: 4.0/5 (81 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5530 Spine Road Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch, Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Frasca Food and Wine
- Rating: 4.0/5 (583 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 1738 Pearl St. Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Italian, Wine Bars, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Mangia Panino
- Rating: 4.5/5 (7 reviews)
- Address: 1401 Pearl St. Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Il Pastaio
- Rating: 4.5/5 (525 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3075 Arapahoe Ave. Ste B Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Ado's Kitchen & Bar
- Rating: 4.5/5 (181 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1143 13th St. Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Italian, Steakhouses
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Pasta Press
- Rating: 5.0/5 (32 reviews)
- Address: 1911 11th St. Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Jennifer Huizen, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 312 metros.
