We know there are detractors, but we admit it: We kinda like Olive Garden. Their bottomless Caesar salad and their addictive breadsticks with the super-rich, decadent alfredo sauce are almost a meal on their own. We even like their sentimental slogan: “When you’re here, you’re family!” If you don’t have a lot of great Italian restaurants near you, The Olive Garden is a solid option.
Fortunately for us, we have discovered that Cape Cod has a multitude of great Italian restaurants, as well as lots of restaurants that serve wonderful Italian dishes. Over the last couple years, we’ve been to lots of these places, and we are finally ready to share our list of favorite Italian restaurants. Perhaps to no one’s surprise – and our slight disappointment – Olive Garden is not on the list. But we think you’ll like the ones that did make it.
So without further ado, here is our list of the “Top 11 Italian Restaurants on Cape Cod.” ( Yes, we know we should have made it a Top 10 list, but we couldn’t decide which restaurant to exclude. So here we are.)
We’ll stop just a hair short of claiming these are the best 11 Italian restaurants on the Cape, simply because we haven’t been to all the restaurants on the Cape. But we’ve been to a lot of them, and so far these are the ones that impressed us the most. They definitely offer top-tier dining experiences and are well worth a visit.
It’s important to note that we’ve put this list in alphabetical order because we just couldn’t bring ourselves to rank them in order of preference. That would be way too hard! They each have their own particular charms – be it in food quality, price, ambience, service, or entertainment – so let’s just say we like them all equally, depending upon what we are in the mood for.
Alberto’s Restaurant (Hyannis)
Alberto’s Ristorante in downtown Hyannis is a go-to place for those who enjoy quality Italian food served in an elegant atmosphere. The venue features a brick-and-mahogany decor that gives a warm, cozy feel to the dining experience. The tables are draped in white table cloths, and the restaurant is divided into multiple dining areas separated by white-framed windowed walls. The walls help keep sound levels down while still allowing you to feel connected to other diners. The setup makes it a great venue for hosting large gatherings as well as small romantic dinners for two. If you go during the Christmas season, you’ll be charmed by the considerable effort they put into their holiday decorations. We also love their long mahogany bar that offers a casual counterpoint to the fancier dining rooms. It’s a great spot to enjoy a drink or two, and you can usually find live music being offered there on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. As for the food, it’s simply fantastic. We’ve enjoyed their amazing bruschetta for an appetizer and their perfectly cooked Osso Buco and their Salmon Port Fino for entrees, but the extensive menu includes many more enticing options that we can’t wait to go back and try. You won’t be disappointed.
Photo Gallery: https://washashores.smugmug.com/Albertos-Ristorante
Website: https://www.albertos.net/
Buca’s Tuscan Roadhouse (Harwich)
Any conversation we’ve had about the best fine-dining restaurants on the Cape has always included Buca’s Tuscan Roadhouse, located on Route 28 in Harwich. We have to acknowledge right off the bat that it’s expensive, but it’s a beautiful restaurant with an intimate European flair that makes it perfect for a romantic dinner or just an elegant night out. You definitely want to eat in the main dining room if you can, which is both luxurious and cozy, thanks in large part to the stone fireplace in the center of the room. Unfortunately, we ate in the small bar area after our party of four shrank to a party of two due to a last-minute cancellation. While that’s a far more casual setting, you still get the same impeccable service you expect at a restaurant that’s on the pricier side. As for the food—we tried the shrimp scampi and grilled romaine salad. They were both unique and delicious. If you plan to go, be sure to call for a reservation well in advance. It’s a popular place.
Photo Gallery: https://washashores.smugmug.com/Bucas-Tuscan-Roadhouse
Colombo’s Cafe & Pasteries (Hyannis)
When you step inside Colombo’s Cafe & Pastries, you instantly appreciate the warm, welcoming ambience of this Italian restaurant located in the heart of downtown Hyannis. The service at Colombo’s is excellent—we went there as part of a group of 14 people, and they handled us perfectly. Most importantly, the food is spectacular, from the filet mignon to the shrimp diavolo to the chicken parmigiana. The restaurant is large, with multiple seating areas both indoors and out, as well as two cozy bars. The dark wood interior, large windows that let in the evening air, and warm glow of their lights make for a comfortable place to linger over meals and drinks. Sadly, we enjoyed our dinner so much that we couldn’t sample the amazing-looking pastries in the display case at the front of the restaurant. But next time, we’ll leave room.
Photo Gallery: https://washashores.smugmug.com/Colombos-Cafe-Pasteries
Website: https://www.colomboscafe.com/
Del Mar (Chatham)
Owner John Zartarian has more than 20 years of experience running and managing restaurants on the Cape, and his expertise shows. We visited this Chatham restaurant with a group of nine one night in early December and were seated in Del Mar’s winterized patio area. The plastic sheeting over the large windows detracted a bit from the ambience at that time of year, but the quality of the food more than made up for that. Our server was pleasant and attentive, and the menu, carefully curated and exquisitely executed by chef Maria Pollio, offers a nice variety of entrees geared toward all tastes and palates. In addition to the main menu, Del Mar features a continually changing Blackboard menu that’s equally impressive—we chose the beautifully prepared cod and the tasty, melt-in-your-mouth, Italian-style short ribs: both perfection on a plate! Some of the other dishes that those in our party raved about were the eggplant salad, the duck pâté, the swordfish, and the pizza. We also had the “in fashion,” Del Mar’s take on an old fashioned, which was excellent. So of course we had to have two! A meal at Del Mar is an immensely satisfying and enjoyable experience that we plan to treat ourselves to again and again.
Photo Gallery: https://washashores.smugmug.com/Del-Mar-Bar-Bistro
Website: https://www.delmarbistro.com/
Encore Bar & Bistro (Dennis Village)
Encore Bistro & Bar, tucked off of 6A in Dennis Village on the grounds of the Cape Playhouse, is a hidden delight that is open year-round for fine dining. Though it doesn’t take reservations, we were easily able to grab a table just after 5 p.m. But it’s worth arriving early, especially on a show night, as the place fills up quickly. On the night we went, we kicked of our meal with a hearty Argentina Malbec and a fresh and flavorful beet salad that included crisp mixed greens, sliced red and yellow beets, and tangy orange segments, topped with crumbled goat cheese and lightly dressed with a fig balsamic vinaigrette. For the main, we tried the lobster ravioli, served over a bed of sauteed spinach and topped with generous chunks of fresh lobster in a delicious lobster sherry cream sauce. Equally satisfying were filet mignon tips served over pappardelle in a mushroom gorgonzola cream sauce. The meals were so hearty that we took leftovers home to enjoy as the next day’s lunch. We did save room, however, to taste the warm cinnamon apple crisp with vanilla gelato, served with some decaf cappuccino. Overall, the meal and service were outstanding, the ambience enjoyable, and the experience one worth repeating.
Photo Gallery: https://www.facebook.com/washashores/posts/pfbid0wDGcmeSWyvqbKb2PvnjuButW1gRHwrqFtBbTjt2DRdavk9nPMnJoPNWmZ5YdsdCQl
Website: https://encorediningcapecod.com/
Four Season’s Trattoria (South Yarmouth)
We love to discover hidden gems—that is, amazing restaurants that we’ve never heard of before or that can be easily overlooked, even if you’ve driven by them multiple times. For us, Four Seasons Trattoria on Route 28 in South Yarmouth checked both of those boxes. We’ve probably driven by it dozens of times, but had never given it a second look until some friends took us there, assuring us that it is one of their favorite Italian restaurants on the Cape. That’s high praise, given the number of great Italian restaurants there are here, so we were eager to see if it was warranted. To our delight, it was.
Housed in a former Friendly’s next to the Ryan Family Amusement center, Four Seasons Trattoria kind of blends into the Route 28 landscape, despite its colorful facade. It almost looks more like an average pizza place than a fine Italian restaurant. But once you step inside, that preconceived notion is quickly dispelled. The decor is simple but tasteful, and the small interior houses about a dozen tables and a quaint bar with an eye-catching white marble counter. But what makes the place really special is the service and the food. We were instantly made to feel welcome, and the service throughout the meal was friendly, prompt, and imbued with a certain European flair. Our meal started with wine and a small basket of crusty bread accompanied by seasoned olive oil that was first rate. We followed that with a caprese appetizer that featured two thick slices of juicy tomato, two equally thick slices of mozzarella, and delicately flavored red peppers. For entrees, our table ordered two different pasta dishes that were covered in the thickest, tastiest bolognese sauce we’ve ever had; grilled salmon, which was meaty and moist and served with a mild yet tasty mustard sauce; and a generous serving of lasagna, half of which we brought home to enjoy as leftovers. The dessert menu looked amazing, but since we were too full to order any, we followed our server’s suggestion and had shots of limoncello—which turned out to be the perfect ending to the meal and evoked for at least one of us the nostalgic memory of a long-ago trip to the Amalfi Coast. Salute!
Photo Gallery: https://washashores.smugmug.com/Four-Seasons-Trattoria
Gerardi’s Cafe (South Yarmouth)
To say that Gerardi’s Cafe, located on Route 28 in South Yarmouth, is housed in an unassuming building is an understatement. From the road, this one-story brick building looks more like a dentist’s office than a restaurant. But step inside and you’re immediately transported to a traditional trattoria in Italy that is handsomely decorated with pretty chandeliers, antique-looking wooden booths and tables, a cute bar, thoughtfully curated artwork and photos, and a large, central, working fireplace. In addition to providing an attractive atmosphere in which to dine, Gerardi’s boasts a fairly extensive wine selection and serves delicious, Sicilian-inspired cuisine in generous portions and at reasonable prices. Chef Diego, who grew up working in his parents’ restaurant and spent time in Italy mastering Sicilian recipes in his ancestral town of Marsala, clearly has created a very special place here on the Cape, one that you’ll want to add to your “must visit” list if you haven’t already.
Photo Gallery: https://washashores.smugmug.com/Gerardis-Cafe
Website: https://www.gerardiscafe.com/
Leonessa (Yarmouth Port)
Housed in a charming antique Cape in Yarmouth Port on Rte. 6A, this Italian restaurant is worth visiting again and again. The space incorporates a small bar and three quaint, softly lit dining areas laid out in such a way as to allow just enough ambient noise to suggest a lively atmosphere without overwhelming the conversation at your table. What’s more, the chef and their team are well versed in the art of cooking, and the menu is extensive enough to please a variety of palates without overwhelming indecisive diners with too many choices. Everything we’ve tried here has been a delicious work of art: from the bread plate, to the truffled polenta fries and prosciutto di Parma appetizers, to the handmade pasta entrees. The menu also includes a variety of seafood entrees as well as chicken, veal, pork, steak, and duckling. Leonessa also offers a curated wine list and whips up fantastic craft cocktails. As bourbon aficionados, we can attest that they make a good old fashioned. Finally, the service is excellent and the staff exceptionally friendly.
Photo Gallery: https://washashores.smugmug.com/Leonessa-Kitchen-Bar
Website: https://www.leonessacapecod.com/
Royal II (Yarmouth Port)
It’s easy to drive by Royal II on Rte. 6A in Yarmouth Port and not quite recognize what kind of restaurant it is. But the consistently full parking lot suggests that it must be pretty decent. After passing by it countless times, we finally decided to stop in and check it out for ourselves, and we are so glad we did. Turns out Royal II is a Mediterranean-style restaurant that offers classic Greek and Italian cuisine along with a smattering of American dishes. There is enough variety on the menu to satisfy almost any palate, and if everything is as good as the dishes we ultimately chose, we can assure you you’ll be in for a treat when you go regardless of what you order. Our meal started with a complimentary slice of cheese pizza, which arrived at our table moments after we sat down. It was absolutely delicious. It had a delicate thin crust with just the right amount of oil and crispness and a sauce that was flavorful but not too salty. Just perfect. It definitely tempted us to order a pizza for our meal, but instead, we opted to try the restaurant’s traditional Greek dishes.
After considering a variety of options – the moussaka, the pastitsio, and the spanakopita – we opted for a lamb gyro and grilled lamb and feta burger. The gyro consisted of an enormous grilled pita overflowing with tender, nicely seasoned slices of ground lamb, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, kalamata olives, and tzatziki. Definitely the best gyro we’ve ever had. The lamb burger was equally good. Seasoned and grilled to perfection, the burger was served between thin, pita-like rounds of grilled bread and topped with spinach, tomato-stewed onions, kalamata olives, and feta. We chose a side of coleslaw for the gyro and crispy French fries for the burger. In addition to the entrees, we also enjoyed two fantastic cocktails – an Alexander the Greek, which consisted of Metaxa brandy with chocolate liqueur and cream, and a Grapefruit Breeze, which featured ruby red grapefruit vodka with a splash each of grapefruit and cranberry juice. They arrived at the table looking every bit as good as they tasted. While we hadn’t left ourselves any room for dessert, we were pleasantly surprised again when we were given a complimentary mini-serving of warm rice pudding sprinkled with cinnamon as well as shots of pistachio liqueur. Both were exquisite. What an incredible and unexpected treat. No wonder the parking lot here is always full. Amazing food, great service, and reasonable prices. We’ll definitely be back!
Photo Gallery: https://washashores.smugmug.com/Royal-II
Website: https://royalpizzagrill.com/
Tomatoes Italian Grille (Sandwich)
If you’ve been thinking of trying this place, we encourage you to book your reservation! It is arguably one of the most popular Italian restaurants on the Cape, and there’s often a line of people at the door hoping to get a seat. We’ve been here several times now, and have always enjoyed ourselves. Located in Sandwich,Tomatoes is a huge restaurant, and it manages to be both elegant and casual at the same time. The food is amazing, the prices are reasonable, and the portions are gigantic. You are almost guaranteed to have leftovers to bring home. We have enjoyed a variety of dishes here: the fettuccine alfredo, the Osso Bucco, the salad with steak tips, the stuffed quahogs. We especially love the scallops and bacon appetizer—sweet, plump scallops served with a thick slab of pork belly bacon. They are out of this world. Tomatoes also offers live music most days of the week, and it even has a small dance floor near the bar where you can dance away some of your calories to rock, funk, and pop tunes by a rotating stable of regular musicians. We’re big fans of this place—and apparently, we’re in good company: we hear it’s a favorite haunt of a well-loved member of the Boston Bruins. (4 points go to you if you can guess his name).
Photo Gallery: https://washashores.smugmug.com/Tomatoes-ItalianGrille
Website: https://www.tomatoescapecod.com/
Villaggio Prime Bar & Grille (Cotuit)
Villaggio Prime Bar & Grille on Route 28 is located in a quaint-looking colonial-style house that was converted from a residential home not that many years ago. But the charm of that original home remains intact. The original doorways, floorboards, fireplaces, and staircase have been preserved, creating a comfortable, elegant ambience for dining. The interior is actually divided into multiple small dining rooms located on both the first and second floor, and each one has its own unique charm. Plus there is a cozy, relaxing bar area that provides a nice place to have a casual meal or a couple of drinks. But for all its charm, the best thing about Villaggio is executive chef and owner Jay Bartolomei, who comes from a long line of Cape Cod restaurateurs and is a master of his craft. The Italian dishes he prepares are absolutely delicious, as are the top-of-the-line steaks he serves. On our first visit, we sat at the bar and had a casual meal, but we have since been back many times, and have sat in various different dining rooms and enjoyed a range of different entrees, including linguine and clams with white clam sauce, chicken parmigiana, the vodka sauce pasta bowl with chicken, salmon Florentine, and boneless blackberry glazed duck. The food is always perfectly prepared, and we love their craft cocktails. This is a special place that always makes dining out a special treat..
Photo Gallery: https://washashores.smugmug.com/Villaggio
Website: https://www.villaggiocapecod.com/
Update:
Some Other Options
After the original publishing of this blog post, we had people write to us with suggestions for other Italian restaurants they felt belonged on this list. We haven’t tried them yet, so we can’t vouch for them ourselves, but based on the passionate recommendations of others, we offer them here for your consideration.
- Bucatino’s (North Falmouth)
- Carluccio’s Trattoria (Sandwich)
- Cibo Italian Kitchen & Market (Orleans)
- IL Montebello (Yarmouth Port)
- La Bella Vita (Orleans)
- La Cucina Sul Mar (Falmouth)
- Mezza Luna (Buzzards Bay)
- Milano’s Italian Kitchen (Harwich Port)
- Montano’s (North Truro)
- Osteria La Civetta (Falmouth)
- Sal’s Place (Provincetown)
- Scibano’s Italian Market & Deli (Harwich Port)
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