Best Italian Restaurants in Houston, Texas

Houston is a vibrant city with many great attractions...and a whole lot of food! Houstonians love to eat, and one of their favorite cuisines is Italian. If you're in the mood for great Italian food, check out one of these excellent Italian restaurants in Houston:

Da Marco: Located on Westheimer inside 610, Da Marco's is in the heart of Houston's restaurant mecca. Da Marco is one of the best Italian restaurants in Houston because of their great menu selection of authentic Italian items like sweet corn ravioli with lobster and black norcia truffle risotto as first courses, and veal chops with cipolline and whole roasted fish for entrees. Entrée prices range from $18-$35 at dinner, with lunch menu items about $5-$10 less. Da Marco's is closed on Sunday and Monday and reservations are encouraged. In the October 2006 issue of Gourmet Magazine, Da Marco's was described as "as close to Italy as you can possibly get without leaving Texas."

Babbo Bruno: Out in one of Houston's many suburbs, Italian food is alive and well at Friendwood's Babbo Bruno. Chef Bertolotti is from Genoa and prepares a fabulous menu including specialty pizzas from their wood-burning oven, fresh fish dishes like shrimp in a champagne cream sauce, meat items like veal medallions in a mushroom cream sauce, and filled pastas like ravioli in walnut cream. Entrée items are pretty reasonable with dinner entrees rarely exceeding $20. Their cozy dining area is very inviting, the service is great, and it's nice to find such a great Italian restaurant outside the hustle and bustle of downtown.

Via Emilia: Located in northwest Houston on FM 1960 in the Champions area, Via Emilia continues earning rave reviews as one of the best Italian restaurants in Houston. This family-run trattoria specializes in delicious handmade pastas like tortellini alla panna and cappelletti with ricotta and spinach in a meat sauce and seafood like grilled fillet of red snapper and sautéed clams. The atmosphere is nice and homey - this place is not trying to be the next trendy "Italian" spot. Entrée prices are modest, ranging from $8-$23.