San Carlos knows that Italian dining isn’t just a meal—it’s a ritual. That could mean twirling fresh pasta at a family-run trattoria after Little League practice. Or lingering over off-menu risotto before sunset cocktails on Laurel Street. When locals aren’t debating whose nonna makes the best meatballs or planning their next date night at the corner osteria, here are the spots where they savor la dolce vita.
Pazzo
$$ | (650) 591-1075 | WEBSITE
It’s sort of like a taste from my college days. They call it apizza in New Haven, so don’t correct me—I know it’s pizza here, but it’s apizza. It’s New Haven-style. The crust is like the signature of the place, and they have this really incredible wood-fired oven that gives it that perfect thin crunch. That’s like the whole experience. So this is apizza with high-quality ingredients, the standout cauliflower dish, and handmade pastas.
And we top it off with their incredible beer selection on tap and sitting at the counter to watch the magic happen.
Impasto by Terun Pizzeria Ristorante
$$ | (650) 486-1504 | WEBSITE
Honestly, I could eat my way through the entire menu, but then I’d need to be rolled out the door. Obviously, the Tricolore pizza is insanely good. I love getting the pasta with burrata. The lasagna, which is a rich, layered masterpiece…it’s one of my favorite things to eat. They just bring you a fresh, tasty salad, and this incredible hand-tossed pizza with perfect crust, and it’s just out of this f*cking world, so good.
Spasso
$$ | (650) 592-5886 | WEBSITE
Spasso is the ideal restaurant. It checks all the boxes of a place that I want to be at and a place that I like. I want to bring my friends. I want to bring my family. I want to bring my girlfriend—like, anything. It fits every occasion because you can go there for a nice date night and have your arancini and have a cocktail and have whatever you want. [You can] have a nice, beautiful piece of veal cannelloni.
Or you can go with a whole bunch of friends, fill up the table with burrata, chicken bolognese, all this stuff, and drink. So that’s why I just love that place. And the crème brûlée is great.
New York pizza, pasta & more
$ | (650) 637-9999 | WEBSITE
I think it’s the unsung hero of San Carlos pizza. The team here has been making incredible, incredible pizza for a long time, and their toppings are all so uniquely them. They really dig into very fresh ingredients. They always make an amazing Philly cheese steak sandwich. Honestly, their homemade chorizo pizza that they make is probably top 10 bites in the Bay Area for me.
Osteria at Domenico
$$ | (650) 593-2335 | WEBSITE
It’s a classic spot for us when we’ve had a long, stressful week and we want to go to a place where you can have the most delicious Italian food but also just relax and chat with the servers. Everyone who works there is the coolest. I’ll say this: you’re definitely not supposed to order the Fried Chicken with Macaroni Waffle at this place. But it’s perfect. That dish you can get at any casual spot, any comfort-food joint.
But if you’re at the fancy Italian osteria and your servers love you…they’ll load you up with the risotto with wild mushrooms.
Doppio Zero San Carlos
$$ | (650) 596-5152 | WEBSITE
I have a short rib fettuccine obsession. I got a pasta tattoo on my forearm—a little fettuccine strand. I love short rib pasta—I’m a devotee, some may say. But I think Doppio Zero’s short rib fettuccine, it’s just stellar. It’s texturally perfect. It’s just the right amount of tender meat and the right amount of pasta—rich sauce and has that melt-in-your-mouth quality. You can’t top it. Especially for restaurant pasta, I’ll definitely put it as one of the top dishes in San Carlos for sure.
Delizie Cucina & Vino
$$$ | (650) 486-1539 | WEBSITE
When I had the pappardelle ala bolognese, it’s the perfect comfort food…there’s the rich sauce, and then it’s just perfectly al dente. That pasta is delicious. Me and my partner will often be driving around on a weekend evening, running late, and heading to a show. We’re kind of in a hurry, and we just call Delizie up, and we’re 15 minutes away, and they’re like, ‘Got it, no problem.’ We don’t even order specifics, we don’t say what we want.
We’re just like, ‘Can you get us…something Italian?’ And then we pull up, get the food real quick, say hello, share a smile with the owner, and head out. And it’s always like the perfect dinner for us.
PRANZI
$$ | (650) 453-3768 | WEBSITE
We had this one corner table by the window that, throughout the evening, we’d keep returning to. We’d arrive before the dinner rush. And my friend and I would slide the contemporary chairs closer, and I would cradle the plate of homemade shrimp and crab ravioli in my hands. We’d just both savor it at that table. It’s one of those defining moments in PRANZI’s dining experience.
888 Ristorante Italiano
$$ | (650) 591-0920 | WEBSITE
Italian food just runs in my veins. It’s my favorite cuisine of all time. I’m a San Carlos local, born and raised here. I’ve spent years searching for that perfect Italian spot. The 888 Ristorante Italiano is family-owned, family-run. The Gorgonzola gnocchi, that’s probably the best gnocchi in the city, in my opinion. It’s comforting and tastes incredible. It’s cooked perfectly.
It’s just one of those cornerstones of San Carlos dining—the kind of place where they cook with genuine care, where the proprietor personally checks on every table. The quiet atmosphere makes it ideal for a romantic evening, and the wine selection complements everything beautifully. It’s better than anything I could make at home, truly special.
Domenico Winery
$$ | (650) 226-5420 | WEBSITE
There’s a little corner of the outdoor patio, tucked behind the potted plants. I think it’s the most sheltered spot when the breeze picks up. It’s just like, the coziest quarter of the seating area. And the staff will guide you there. They’ll bring out the crispy calamari, and they’ll pair it with a glass of their house red. And it’s really, really enjoyable. It is the definition of a treat. It’s the definition of a snack.
It’s not the main event ever, but it’s one of my favorite things that I can experience at the winery because it’s just one of those fun, shareable things.