Liverpool’s Italian restaurant scene is one of the most authentic and varied of any city in the North of England. The city’s Italian heritage runs deep — and it shows on the plate. From a glamorous Castle Street brasserie that underwent a £3.5 million transformation, to a four-decade institution on Stanley Street that has hosted everyone from Paul McCartney to Liam Gallagher, and a Sicilian bar on Dale Street that has built a cult following on arancini and aperitivo alone, there is no shortage of excellent Italian food in Liverpool. Whether you’re looking for a formal special occasion dinner, a relaxed neighbourhood trattoria, or the best wood-fired pizza in the city, here are the eight best Italian restaurants in Liverpool to know about in 2026.

Situated on the vibrant Castle Street in the heart of the city, San Carlo Liverpool is one of the most iconic Italian restaurants in Liverpool — just moments from the Albert Dock and the legendary Cavern Club, perfectly placed for everything from relaxed lunches to late-night dining. Following a £3.5 million refurbishment by design studio Fettle, the restaurant now boasts interiors inspired by grand Milanese villas and the northern Italian coastline, featuring a striking blend of timber, brass, and marble, complemented by mohair and leather upholstery, bespoke chandeliers, and terrazzo flooring in warm Mediterranean tones.

The menu showcases the very best of Italian cuisine, from fresh seafood and handmade pasta to premium meats and seasonal dishes — each plate reflecting the quality, simplicity and authenticity that define San Carlo, complemented by an extensive wine list and expertly crafted cocktails. The Truffle Tagliatelle — handmade pasta in a rich, creamy truffle sauce — is one of the most celebrated dishes on the menu.

San Carlo — 41 Castle Street, Liverpool L2 9SH | sancarlo.co.uk/restaurants/liverpool

Whether you’re joining for a carefully crafted coffee and fresh croissant, a relaxed brunch with friends, a business lunch in the heart of the city, or an atmospheric evening of Italian food, wine and conversation, Botanico is designed to feel right at any time of day — rooted in Italian heritage and led by the Cillo family, bringing together quality ingredients, thoughtful cooking and genuine hospitality.

Botanico now offers incredible breakfasts, brunch and lunch as well as its famous Italian dining in the evening, making it one of the most flexible Italian restaurants in Liverpool from morning through to late night. From 5pm an evening bistro menu is available ensuring there’s something for everyone, as well as a Sunday roast from 2pm every Sunday — accompanied by freshly made juices, hot drinks, cocktails, wines, beers and spirits. The wood-fired pizzas — which carried Il Forno’s national reputation for over twenty years — remain the centrepiece of the evening menu.

Botanico — 132 Duke Street, Liverpool L1 5AG | botanicowoolton.co.uk

Casa Italia is one of Liverpool’s longest-established restaurants, well known in the city for more than 40 years — a popular, authentic Italian restaurant proud of visits from the likes of Paul McCartney, Liam Gallagher, Kylie Minogue and Robbie Williams over the years, a testament to its reputation for good Italian food. The rustic eatery offers a unique dining experience with its painted brick room, checked tablecloths, and stripped floors — a dining room that has looked exactly like this for as long as anyone can remember, and is all the better for it. Casa Italia is the kind of place that doesn’t need to reinvent itself because the original was right first time.

Specialising in oven-baked — or rather, al forno — pasta, Casa Italia has been honing its wonderful menu for over 42 years, and the generous portions and great value for money mean it is consistently one of the busiest Italian restaurants in Liverpool city centre. The lasagne — made to a recipe that hasn’t changed in decades — is the dish most regulars consider unmissable, and the baked pasta dishes that give the restaurant its character.

Casa Italia — 36–40 Stanley Street, Liverpool L1 6AL | thecasaitalia.com

Carlisi is a family-run Sicilian bar on Dale Street that serves up freshly made bar snacks, including their famous arancini, sandwiches, and sharing platters using only the finest Italian ingredients. Consistently voted as one of the best places to eat in Liverpool and as seen on TV, Carlisi has built its reputation not on formal restaurant dining but on the kind of everyday Sicilian food culture — morning coffee, arancini, aperitivo boards, cannoli — that most of the UK has barely scratched the surface of.

The Carlisi sharing board — a generously loaded selection of Italian meats, cheeses, olives and accompaniments — has become one of the most praised dishes in any Italian restaurant in Liverpool, with regulars describing it as exceptional value for the quality of ingredients. A second Carlisi Kitchen is now open on Allerton Road, which speaks to the brand’s growing reputation across the city.

Carlisi — 92–94 Dale Street, Liverpool L2 5TF | carlisi.co.uk

Welcome to Ninello’s, where every dish is a celebration of Italy’s rich culinary traditions — reimagined for the modern palate. Located in the heart of Liverpool, the restaurant brings an immersive dining experience where every visit offers something new: from hand-crafted pasta to innovative takes on regional classics, the menu is a journey through Italy’s diverse flavours.

The weekday lunch menu offers two courses for £19.95 or three for £24.95 — remarkable value for the quality and creativity on the plate. Diners consistently praise the presentation of every dish as exceptional, the wine pairings as thoughtfully chosen, and the overall experience as something genuinely new to Liverpool’s Italian dining scene.

Ninello’s — Duke Street, Liverpool L1 | ninellos.co.uk

Cucina di Vincenzo is a charming, family-run restaurant that offers classic Italian specialities in a warm and inviting atmosphere — with a rich family legacy, owner Vince continuing the tradition that began when his grandfather opened a café in Edinburgh in 1904. The à la carte menu is filled with delicious Italian dishes, making it genuinely difficult to choose favourites — the Orecchiette Vincenzo, fresh orecchiette pasta served in a fennel sausage sauce with spicy Calabrian ‘nduja and Pecorino cheese, is a particular standout.

The wonderful deli and restaurant tucked away from the main drag combines great food, wine, coffee and desserts whether you want a full three courses or you’re just stopping by for a tasty afternoon snack — and what makes it extra special are the Italian cooking classes you can join: make your own pasta and sauce, then eat it. The Linguine Pescatora — a deeply satisfying seafood linguine best accompanied by a crisp glass of rosé — and the lobster ravioli are two further highlights that draw diners back repeatedly.

Cucina di Vincenzo — 256 Woolton Road, Childwall, Liverpool L16 8NE | cucinadivincenzo.co.uk

The success of the Southport restaurant led to the opening of Trattoria 51’s second Italian restaurant in Old Hall Street, Liverpool, with a full range of Italian favourites — from Polpette to Penne — in a great family-run independent with owners striving to bring the best in Italian cuisine and hospitality. Though they brand themselves as a pizzeria, Trattoria 51 also offers a number of artisan pasta dishes — the crab ravioli, served with lemon and tarragon in a white wine butter sauce, and the Pappardelle Boscaiola, wide strands of fresh pasta with wild mushroom sauce, crispy pancetta and concassé tomatoes, being among the most impressive dishes on the menu.

Located only a stone’s throw from Moorfields Station, Trattoria 51 occupies a perfect position at the heart of the city — the ideal spot for a pick-me-up after a long day of shopping and sightseeing in Liverpool. The Sunday Roast — featuring roast chicken, topside beef or lamb with all the trimmings — has become a firm local favourite, and the restaurant’s prides itself on being excellent for both adults and children, with an extensive menu and a notably welcoming atmosphere.

Trattoria 51 — Old Hall Street, Liverpool L3 | trattoria51.co.uk

Founded by the Crolla family, originally from Picinisco in Italy’s Apennine Mountains, The Italian Club offers an authentic taste of Italy and celebrates both the “art of cooking and the art of eating” — with head chef Maurizio Pellegrini, who hails from Puglia and loves to cook with fish, creating new recipes inspired by the culinary traditions of his home region. Something of a Liverpool institution, this long-established restaurant has been serving feel-good Italian food for more than 40 years, and the Bold Street location — in the heart of Liverpool’s most vibrant independent dining strip — makes it one of the most convenient Italian restaurants in the city for a pre or post-theatre dinner.

The fish-forward menu is what distinguishes The Italian Club most clearly from the competition — where most Italian restaurants in Liverpool lean into meat and pizza, the kitchen here excels at seafood pasta, grilled fish specials, and the kind of coastal Italian cooking that reflects Chef Pellegrini’s Puglian roots.

The Italian Club — Bold Street, Liverpool L1 | theitalianclub.co.uk