Paris is home to a fantastic line-up of French bistros but there’s also a dazzling array of Italian restaurants serving up amazing antipasti, pasta and of course, pizza. Our insider guide has the top spots for you to indulge in great Italian food.
The Best Italian Restaurants in Paris
Our guide is a short list of our favourite and genuinely good Italian restaurants in Paris. We’ve listed restaurants that range from the simpler side to the real rustic food that you’d find served up by Nonnas in family restaurants in Naples.
Carboni’s
Carboni’s offers a modern take on Italian food – a neo-bistro of sorts, the food is really well done and the ambiance is superb. Located in the heart of the Marais (close to many of the city’s falafel restaurants and just off rue de Bretagne.
Their seasonal menu is divided into several sections including snacks (including oysters, charcuterie and olives), entrees, primi and secondi. Carboni’s fresh, home-made pasta – including their famous caci e pepe with soy-cured egg yolk – is incredible.
The cuisson on their risottos is as it should be and plated with jus and seasoned oils. The secondi section of the menu (the main-main courses) include lasagne and veal Milanese for two and are more than generous (despite what some commentators say).
The dining space is warm but rather intimate with tables spaced closely together. 1920s French jazz music is played softly in the background.
The wine list is extensive with a great selection of Italian natural wine and, of course being in France, a good French selection. Do note that the prices across the wine list are on the pricier side with the cheapest Italian white being €39.
What to know before you visit
- You can reserve online
- They have a speak-easy bar below the restaurant for a drink afterwards
Address: 45 Rue de Poitou, 75003
Tel: 01 42 72 49 12
Website: https://www.carbonisparis.com
Localino
Localino is a fantastic modern Italian restaurant in the Saint Germain des Prés area of the city. It’s modern, trendy and their fresh, home made pasta dishes are oh so good.
The designer dining space revolves around the open kitchen right opposite a lovely black marble bar section. In the back room (which is more secluded than the front room) you’ll find Ron Galella’s works adorning the wall. There’s a distinct Paris meets NY vibe and it works really well.
On the menu you can expect antipasti followed by home made pasta dishes. It’s a small, seasonal yet lovely menu. Their antipasti (entrees) include a lovely vitello tonnato and some incredible Italian charcuterie.
The star of the show here is their home made, fresh pasta. There’s filled and normal pasta on offer and it’s superb. During my last visit I had a great pork tortellini served in a perfectly executed sage-butter sauce that was perfectly emulsified. There was also a lovely tortellini en brodo in a perfectly seasoned, home made broth.
What to know before you visit
- It’s very English speaking friendly
- They’re open every day for lunch and dinner
- Menus change frequently – don’t go there expecting a certain dish that you’ve seen on social media
- You can reserve online
Address: 10 Rue de l’Odéon, 75006
Tel: 01 43 54 97 17
Website: https://www.instagram.com/localinoparis/
Ober Mamma
Ober Mamma (part of the Big Mamma group) is one of their restaurants in the East of the city – in the 11th arrondissement. Similar in ambiance to Pizzeria Popolare (one of many sister restaurants), Ober Mamma has a great selection of well done Italian classics from antipasti to pizza.
As with all their restaurants in the city, there’s a seasonal menu that changes monthly albeit not dramatically. There’s always their famous truffle pasta made with fresh Mafalde pasta (a great shape to hold the sauce), freshly shaven black truffle, truffle cream and marscapone. If you’re in the mood for seafood, their reasonably priced (€18.50) fruit de mer spaghetti comes with cockles & mussels in a baby tomato & parsley sauce and it’s really good.
For those wanting something other than pasta, there’s amazing Neapolitan style pizza and a hearty secondi menu including confit pork belly, French style cod with beurre blanc and roasted aubergine for vegetarians.
What to know before you visit
- You can reserve online
- Suitable for vegetarians
Address: 7 Bd Richard-Lenoir, 75011
Tel: 01 86 47 78 34
Website: https://www.bigmammagroup.com/en/trattorias/ober-mamma
Marcello
If you’re in the mood to have well cooked, no fuss Italian food outside (and away from loud traffic!), Marcello is a great option. Located near to Saint Germain des Prés, Marcello is a French-Italian restaurant with a beautiful outside dining area below the opposite road. Perfect for warm summer nights or spring lunches, Marcello has a weekly changing menu (although it doesn’t change that dramatically) which covers the Italian classics with a few cheffy twists.
Expect the classic pasta dishes – spaghetti with tomato sauce (pomodoro), clam linguine and pesto pasta. The more secondi elements are covered off with a veal Milanese, seabass and various other fish that are chosen according to what arrives in the local markets.
Marcello also thankfully has a strong wine and cocktail menu including a great Italian wine selection.
What to know before you visit
- They have a reasonable set lunch menu
- You will need to book in advance during the spring/summer months
Address: 8 Rue Mabillon, 75006
Tel: 01 43 26 52 26
Website: https://www.marcello-paris.com
Osteria Ferrara
Osteria Ferrara is a sister restaurant to Caffè dei Dioppi started by Sicilian chef-restauranteur Fabrizio Ferrara. Located near the trendy area surrounding Faidherbe-Chaligny metro stop in the 11th arrondissement, the restaurant first started life in Paris in 1932 and turned into it’s current version in 2016. The intimate dining area (the restaurant only has 40 covers) retains the old-Paris charm with the soft wooden accents and retro floor tiles.
The start here is the genuine, well-cooked, real Italian food that is well-known by Parisians passionate about food. The no-nonsense rustic menu of course changes with the seasons. Expect home-made fresh stuffed pasta (ravioli filled with potato, Italian Cheese and Swiss chard), seasonal risotto, grilled fish and meat.
It’s the classic, simple good cooking with quality ingredients formula that works. There’s also a fantastic wine list featuring unique, quality Italian wines.
What to know before you visit
- You can reserve online
- Closed Sundays
Address: 7 Rue du Dahomey, 75011
Tel: 01 43 71 67 69
Website: https://www.osteriaferrara.com/en/
Santa Silvia
Opened in 2023, Santa Silvia is the 3rd restaurant of Gianpaolo Polverino who started Caché and Amagat on the same road in the 20th arrondissement. Each celebrating French and Spanish respectively, Santa Silvia brings modern, Italian cantine style food to the party.
The restaurant is modern yet moody and intimate, the open, uber high-tech kitchen is surrounded with a marble topped counter dining section. On the food side, expect well cooked Italian classics with some twists.
Their vitello tonnato includes not just veal but mi-cuit tuna and the stuffed ravioli is doused in aged pecorino sauce. It’s worth noting that the dishes are on the smaller side and therefore it can be on the pricey side if you’re hungry!
What to know before you visit
- You will need to reserve at least 1 week in advance
Address: 22 Villa Riberolle, 75020
Tel: 01 73 71 38 54
Website: https://www.santasilviaparis.fr/en/
Michelin Star Italian Restaurants in Paris
There’s a limited selection of starred Italian restaurants in Paris and the majority are in luxury hotels. Our guide, which is updated regularly, covers the current top spots to discover for high-end Italian food.
Le George
Le George is a 1 Michelin starred Italian-Mediterranean restaurant located in the heart of the famous George V Four Seasons Hotel. The hotel has a mind boggling 3 Michelin starred restaurants (the others are L’Orangerie and Le Cinq) within the building giving guests a lot of dining choice.
Head chef Simone Zanoni has been at the helm since 2016 and focuses the set and a la carte menus around Italian cuisine. The set lunch menu includes 3 main dishes and is very reasonably priced at €75 and for this you have an option of turbot or lamb cooked in a wood-fire grill. The main tasting menu is priced at €138 euros and includes 8 dishes.
The a la carte menu is split into crudos, entrees, pasta & risottos, fish and meat. The pricing is relatively reasonable for a Michelin star restaurant but do be warned that the portions are small. Highlights are the roasted sole with an amazing light basil based sauce and fantastic guinea fowl stuffed pasta finished with a rich jus and parmesan-truffle sauce.
What to know before you visit
- You can reserve online
- The dress code is relaxed – no suits required although sports ware and shorts are not allowed
Address: 31 Av. George V, 75008
Tel: 01 49 52 72 09
Website: https://www.fourseasons.com/en/paris/dining/restaurants/le_george/
Il Carpaccio
Il Carpaccio is a 1 star Michelin restaurant within the Royal Monceau hotel located close to the Champs-Élysées. At the helm are Oliver Piras and Alessandra Del Favero who have gone for the no-nonsense approach to their beloved Italian food. As you would imagine in a 5* hotel, the dining room is magnificent – a conservatory style room expands into a garden and linen window shades add a touch of warmth.
The food is the definition of high-end Italian food – amazing ingredients cooked with care and attention. Their risottos are cooked to precision and lie flat on a plate as they should be – the highlight on the a la carte menu is simple yet interesting in flavour – dill, pistachio sabayon and prawn. Their truffle pasta is, as you can imagine, hand made and only the freshest, in-season truffles are used.
Prices are reasonable with the lunch menu costing €70 and their 6 course tasting menu costing €175 (and add an extra €125 for the wine pairing).
What to know before you visit
- You can reserve online
- The dress code is relaxed – no suits required although sports ware and shorts are not allowed
Address: 37 Av. Hoche, 75008
Tel: 01 42 99 88 12
Website: https://www.leroyalmonceau.com/restaurants/ilcarpaccio/
