St. Paul's Italian table runs through the East Side more than any single dish, red sauce houses that have held their corners for decades alongside newer rooms on the west end of downtown. This guide covers both: the lasagna-and-chicken-parm places that never bothered chasing a trend, and the pastas and pizzas that have replaced them in a few storefronts. Know the neighborhood and the plate will make sense.
№ 01
Louis Ristorante & Bar
St. Paul $$
211 W 7th St, Saint Paul, MN 55102 · +16512227378
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Carbonara and risotto anchor the menu at this rooftop room above Cossetta Alimentari on West Seventh, where the tiramisu closes out a meal built for a view as much as a plate. The bar and patio seating pull double duty for date nights and daytime drinks. Service runs attentive and well paced, and the setting does real work for special occasions.
What to orderpasta carbonara, risotto, tiramisu
№ 02
Mama's Pizza
St. Paul $
961 Rice St, Saint Paul, MN 55117 · +16514892005
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Red sauce and a fully loaded pizza have kept this East Side counter going for more than four decades, alongside a baked mostaccioli loaded with cheese. It is a neighborhood order-and-wait operation, not a dining room for lingering. The signature pie, everything on it, is the order regulars have never stopped making.
What to orderPizza with everything, Mostaccioli, Flavor Explosion Pizza
№ 03
Little Oven
St. Paul $$
1786 Minnehaha Ave E, Saint Paul, MN 55119 · +16517354944
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The garbage pizza and a lasagna heavy on cheese are the reasons this East Side room gets repeat business for lunch and dinner. It reads as a group table more than a quiet date spot, casual and geared toward friends splitting a pie. Service pace varies table to table, so patience helps on a busy shift.
What to ordergarbage pizza, lasagna, margherita pizza
№ 04
Red Rabbit St. Paul
St. Paul $$
788 Grand Ave, St Paul, MN 55105 · +16514445995
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The Bianca and salami pizzas lead a menu built around pastas, apps, and a bar program that pulls its own crowd on a weeknight. The house salad and crispy potatoes round out an order meant for grazing with a beer in hand. It runs as a bartender-and-regulars kind of room, casual and conversational rather than formal.
What to orderBianca pizza, salami pizza, crispy potatoes
635 Payne Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55130 · +16517764848
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Lasagna, chicken parmigiana, and a spaghetti carbonara make up a tight, one-page menu at this Payne Avenue room that has stood in for a trip to an East Coast red sauce joint for generations of St. Paul diners. The menu stays short and affordable on purpose. Friendly, unhurried service matches the nostalgic dining room.
What to orderlasagna, chicken parmigiana, spaghetti carbonara
786 Randolph Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55102 · +16513302245
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Carbonara, risotto, and tiramisu carry the same trio of strengths here as at other rooms in this guide, but the patio is the real draw on a Saturday evening. Vegetarian diners find real options on the menu, a detail that matters for a group table with mixed appetites. Prices land reasonable for the portion and setting.
What to orderpasta carbonara, risotto, tiramisu
№ 07
La Grolla
St. Paul $$
452 Selby Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55102 · +16512211061
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Osso buco and risotto headline a menu that diners have called some of the best Italian cooking in the state, finished with tiramisu. The patio counts among the prettier outdoor setups in St. Paul, and the interior holds its own with a warmer, closer feel. Service can lag at peak hours even as the kitchen delivers.
What to orderrisotto, osso buco, tiramisu
№ 08
Carbones Pizza
St. Paul $$
1698 Randolph Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55105 · +16516980721
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A margherita pizza, an Italian sausage pizza, and a salad with Italian dressing make up a fast, affordable lunch built for a pre-show meal near St. Kate's. Daily specials keep the check under ten dollars, and the counter service moves quickly even when the small dining room fills. Consistency runs uneven pie to pie.
What to orderMargarita pizza, Italian sausage pizza, salad with Italian dressing
№ 09
Eastside Pizzeria
St. Paul $
1050 Payne Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55130 · +16517767499
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A 14-inch thin crust pepperoni and mushroom pizza and a garlic and pepper pie define the order at this East Side room, where the crust draws the strongest praise. The feel is unmistakably neighborhood, warm and informal, with service that keeps pace during a dinner rush. Cleanliness complaints have surfaced and are worth weighing against the food.
What to orderPepperoni pizza, Mushroom pizza, Garlic and pepper pizza
Frequently asked
What is the best Italian food near me in St. Paul?
It depends on which side of the city is closest. The East Side carries the deepest red sauce history, with Yarusso Bros, Mama's Pizza, and Little Oven all long-running neighborhood spots, while West Seventh has Louis Ristorante & Bar above Cossetta Alimentari. Each entry here is ranked by its Insider Score, and no restaurant pays to be listed.
Which St. Paul Italian spots are best for a special occasion?
Louis Ristorante & Bar and La Grolla both lean toward date night and celebration dinners, with rooftop and patio seating that do real work for the occasion. Mucci's Italian also has a strong patio for a group dinner. The Insider Score on each page reflects the full record, not a curated highlight.
Are any of these St. Paul Italian restaurants good for a quick, cheap meal?
Carbones Pizza is built for that, with daily specials keeping lunch under ten dollars and quick counter service near St. Kate's. Eastside Pizzeria and Mama's Pizza also run casual and affordable, geared toward a fast dinner rather than a long sit-down meal.
Do any of these have good vegetarian options?
Mucci's Italian has been called out specifically for handling a vegetarian diner well, with enough on the menu to build a full meal. Risotto and pizza options at several other rooms in this guide, including Louis Ristorante & Bar and La Grolla, also give vegetarian diners a workable path through the menu.
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The data first, then the verdict
We start with the review record, not a press release. Every room here is a real kitchen with a strong rating across a meaningful number of reviews, ranked on our 10-point Insider Score. We weight consistency over time and the rooms locals return to, not the ones tourists pass through once. The list updates as the data does. How we work →
Marit Solheim
Staff Writer · Top of Minneapolis
Marit Solheim is the Food Editor at Top of Minneapolis. Born and raised in the Longfellow neighborhood of south Minneapolis, she spent six years on the line in downtown kitchens before she started writing. She covers the institutions and the chef tier in both downtowns and holds the desk to one standard: know which city you are standing in.
