Best Italian Restaurants in Greenville

Perched on the second floor with a patio overlooking Main St. and Falls Park, Table 301's Jianna is one of the most visually stunning restaurants in town. Before you even make it to the hostess stand, you are greeted by a young pasta chef extruding and nesting fresh pasta, a not-so-subtle indication that everything is made fresh in-house. Classic dishes like spaghetti and rigatoni deliver on classic Italian cuisine but some might argue that the real star of the show is the oysters. With a choice of both East Coast and West Coast oysters, they are delivered fresh from all over the country and served with your choice of Jianna hot sauce or Moscato Mignonette, both made fresh in Jianna's kitchen.

The Augusta Road area serves up a ton of dining options without the headaches of finding parking in Downtown Greenville. For an Italian option, look no further than Davani's in McDaniel Village for a great selection of pasta dishes and authentic Italian entrees. Pasta dinners range from the classic Fettuccine Alfredo to the exquisite White Truffle & Porcini Ravioli. For heavier fare, you cannot go wrong with the Osso Buco Milanese or the Muscovy Duck, a huge fan favorite. An extensive wine list means you can find the perfect pairing for your meal with options available for any taste and budget.

Serving the Upstate for more than 20 years, Portofino's is somewhat of a Greenville institution. Located on Orchard Park Drive, Portofino's has one of the biggest pasta menus in town, offering up all of the Italian classics you can dream of. Spaghetti & Meatballs, Lasagna, Ravioli, Manicotti, and all the Italian comfort foods you can think of are all on the menu for a classic Italian meal. They also offer veggie substitutions for gluten-free versions of many of their dishes, making this a diet-friendly establishment for people with particular restrictions that may generally keep them from enjoying an Italian meal.

How good is Luna Rosa's gelato? Good enough to prompt a "just like I had in Italy" comparison by anyone qualified to make such an assessment. No one-trick pony, the restaurant's dine-in menu features a wide assortment of house-made pizzas and pasta including comfort food classics like baked ziti, four-layer lasagna, and baked ravioli, all served with "the family gravy," a classic red sauce with some closely guarded secrets. Chicken Scallopini Marsala and Shrimp Scampi, and Rack of Lamb are also available for those looking for heartier fare and, at the end of it all, Greenville's best gelato is just a few steps away.

Every day it seems like Downtown Greer serves up yet another reason to visit and the opening of L'Incanto just adds to that list. Just opening this year, L'Incanto brings Northern Italian cuisine to the now bustling Downtown Greer with some seriously creative dishes. For example, check out the Bolognese which combines a pork and veal shank ragu with bone marrow over pappardelle pasta. For a seafood option, look no further than the Risotto Pescatore where shrimp, mussels, calamari, and Spanish chorizo are served over risotto. The list goes on and on with L'Incanto making for a fantastic new addition to the Upstate Italian dining scene.

My recent visit to Limoncello saw me almost not make it to the entrée as the list of antipasti options had us dining on Fried Calamari, Ricotta Toast, House Meatballs, and Fried Mozzarella. I persevered, however, and found room for the scallops served with herb mascarpone risotto, crispy broccolini, and lemon butter. Everything was delicious and I look forward to going back for the cannelloni, pappardelle, and capellini on the pasta menu and again for the house-made pizzas. Limoncello is the Larkin's organizations contribution to the Italian dining market and they are doing an outstanding job of things there.

When Gather GVL opened up in Greenville's West End there were a lot of concepts to be excited about but none more so than The Pasta Addict. Freshly made pasta are joined by some wildly creative sauces for a taste of New York's Little Italy in every bite. Features like "Legalize Marinara" (gnocchi sardi in classic red sauce) and "Yo Adrienne" (garganelli in Bolognese) have become instant classics and have earned The Pasta Addict a passionate following ever since the moment they opened. The even better news is that they now have a second location at A Slice of Brooklyn in Simpsonville which means you now have pasta and pizza options to consider as well.

For the perfect Northern Italian dining experience, look no further than Ristorante Bergamo, a staple of Downtown Greenville since 1986 when, quite frankly, the city's Main Street was at its lowest point. Ristorante Bergamo's commitment to quality Italian cuisine has resulted in more than 30 years worth of great dishes coming out of their kitchen. The daily specials are the highlight of the day here with a fresh catch of the day, special beef cuts, a weekly selection of imported meats and cheeses, and daily risotto specials all deserving of your attention every time you walk in the door. For a risotto addict like myself, every visit to Ristorante Bergamo is a delightful one.

For anniversaries, birthdays, or any other reason that calls for celebration, you cannot beat Trattoria Giorgio. This is Italian fine dining at its absolute best and every visit promises to make memories you will hold for years to come. Classics like Pappardelle Bolognese and Veal Scallopini Picatta will blow your mind, as will more inventive selections like the Ravioli di Spinachi e Noce â€" a ravioli stuffed with spinach and walnuts and served in a cream sauce. All of this pairs nicely with an impressive wine list and finishes with a Tiramisu or Mousse al Cioccolato for the perfect Italian dining experience.

The best restaurants are often the most unassuming and that was never more true in the case of Giovanni's. Nestled in a cozy corner of a strip mall on Woodruff Rd., nothing about Giovanni's outward appearance begs for your attention. Inside, however, you will find a new meaning for the word "cozy" paired with some of Greenville's best Italian cuisine. Enjoy Italian classics like Linguine with Clam Sauce (your choice red or white), Chicken Parmigiana, and Veal Marsala for the ultimate dining experience. The restaurant is small and they do not take reservations so get there early to avoid too much of wait â€" or enjoy the wait with a nice glass of Italian wine at the bar.