Mangia! Eight of the Best Italian Restaurants in Nassau County, Long Island

Nassau County is home to some of the best Italian cuisine outside of Italy. From classic red sauce restaurants with white tablecloths to sun-drenched trattorias offering modern interpretations of traditional dishes, Long Island boasts an impressive selection of Italian dining.

We’ve narrowed the nearly endless array of options down to eight of the best Italian restaurants in Nassau County, Long Island. Whether you’re craving pasta, pizza, or cutlets, you don’t need to dig out your passport to enjoy la dolce vita.

This Sicilian-American establishment is no stranger to a ‘Best Italian Restaurant’ list. Named one of Newsday’s top restaurants and frequently named to OpenTable Diner’s Choice list, the bright, contemporary restaurant with green-leather booths is known for its house-made pastas, prime New York strip, and grilled, bone-in veal chop. It makes sense it’s on our list as one of the best Italian restaurants in Nassau County

Try this: The Eggplant Siciliano is composed of mouth-wateringly thin slices of eggplant with bubbly tomato sauce, gooey fresh mozzarella, pecorino, and basil leaves in a casserole dish.

Autentico, which pushes the boundaries of Italian cuisine, is helmed by Sicilian chef Francesco Pecoraro. Don’t get too attached to anything on the handwritten menu, a variety of reimagined pastas, seafood and chicken dishes, and vegan selections. The menu changes frequently, giving guests an excuse to keep coming back. But be warned: Each dish is so dramatically plated that you may just feel guilty for devouring your meal.

Try this: The Wild Boar Polpette. The dish is similar to meatballs served with red beans.

Voted the best Italian restaurant on Long Island in 2024, Café Testarossa dishes up American favorites with an Italian twist. Enjoy the broccoli rabe pizza, fettuccine with shrimp and lobster, and the mustard breadcrumb-crusted lambchops in the sophisticated dining room or on the elegantly landscaped outdoor patio.

Try this: The fresh mozzarella. This creamy ball of goodness is made in-house and served with roasted peppers, and beefsteak tomatoes, and accented with basil-infused olive oil.

Florence chef Pierluigi “Gigi” Sacchetti takes his extensive selection of wood-oven pizzas seriously. For example, Farino 00 offers more than half a dozen varieties of chicken parm pizza alone. Diners shouldn’t overlook the trattoria’s pasta dishes, though. The Tagliatelle alla Bolognese and the Gnocchi alla Sorrentina, with diced Buffalo mozzarella, are not to be missed. 

Try this: The Italia Estate Pizza. This carb bomb features tomatoes, burrata, basil pesto, Buffalo mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, shaved parmesan, olive oil, and oregano.

Roslyn is home to the only Long Island location of this upscale, Tuscan-inspired, chain of restaurants. Chicken Milanese, Branzino al Cartoccci, Ravioli della Casa, and other Italian delights are served in the warm, stylish, dining room with a golden-wood ceiling. Felice also offers three wines, a Chardonnay, Sangiovese, and Rosato, produced on its organic, Tuscan vineyard of Fattoria Sardi. 

Try this: The Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe. The square-shaped pasta is dressed with black pepper and 24-month-aged Parmigiano-Reggiano.

This North Shore institution has been serving Italian classics in its wood-paneled dining room since 1980. Run by two of the sons of the original owner, favorite dishes include Osso Buco, a braised veal shank with risotto, Linguine alle Vongole, pasta with clams, and Polipo alla Griglia, grilled octopus with pesto, butterbeans, and fingerling potatoes.

Try this: The Fegato alla Veneziana, a seared calf’s liver with onions.

The 40-seat ristorante seamlessly mixes breaded veal chops, Neapolitan-style pizzas fired in a wood-burning oven, and unexpected dishes like the Paccheri Zafferano e Pistacchio, a pasta doused in a creamy, saffron sauce with a pistachio pesto. 

Try this: The Zuppa di Pesce. The traditional seafood stew consists of clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops, and lobster cooked in a light San Marzano tomato sauce.

Customers of this classic Italian restaurant have been ordering items on—and off—the menu since it opened its doors on the North Shore in 1992. Local lore has it that comedian Alan King, known for the 1995 film “Casino,” was so enamored by the restaurant that he left his wine cellar to one of the owners upon his passing.

Try this: The Galletto Morris. This popular dish features baby chicken dressed in a mustard and garlic sauce and served with roasted root vegetables.