First and likely last visit for us. Nothing was outright terrible, but the overall experience fell far short of what we expect from a comfortable neighborhood Italian restaurant. The atmosphere felt much more like an Italian‑themed sports bar than a true Italian dining spot -- loud, chaotic, and not at all the warm, relaxed environment we hoped for. Despite requesting a quiet table a full day in advance, we were seated directly next to the entrance, which made the already high noise level even worse. The volume was so extreme that the four of us could barely hold a conversation. The à‑la‑carte menu structure means every component must be ordered separately, and the bill climbs quickly. Our entrée was good, but the pasta side arrived al dente whether you like it or not, and while the sauce didn't lack flavor, it simply wasn't that tasty. Overall, Bar Italia delivered a loud sports‑bar atmosphere serving Italian food -- not the comfortable neighborhood Italian restaurant we were expecting. Dined on a Saturday at 7pm, table of four. read more

My wife and I have been going here for years, and also the previous business before COVID. In the past year+ we've been going almost weekly. The reason was there most times amazing bartenders. It wasn't always that way, and we almost gave up. But those two guys bartenders were an amazing duo. One, can't recall his name, left a few months ago and the "shine" has worn a bit. While we have been very loyal, we've kept our mouths shut on the consistency of the food over time. The other night my lasagna was luke warm. I could tell immediately when it was placed in front of me. The cheese was barely melted. What chef did not obviously see that?! They were unexpectedly dead that night, so there was no rush on food. Numerous negative experiences over time have caused our long time loyalty to end after this week. In the past, when they were busy, it was more acceptable to just accept a mediocre meal and hope bit better next time. Service is great there! From host stand to the bar. So no criticism there! Another thing, they keep that place so cold. I'm a normal sized person and it's always cold in there. The other night, when it was 77, we asked why the doors weren't open to let fresh air in. They didn't seem to know. Lastly, that big muscular lady manager is horrible. I am always nice to everyone, as I've worked in many restaurants. As I went to the bathroom before and smiled and said hi and gave a great compliment about her bartending staff, I was met with no emotion and maybe some low talk, head turn away, with no acknowledgment about my high praise. I know, having worked in restaurants, it starts at the top. PS. Why can I not get just normally cooked noodles?! It's not ever "al dente" and often an undercooked sticky noodle situation. We'll be visiting other Italian restaurants for now on. read more

I visited Bar Italia for the first time in late May 2026 after many years of living in the area. My new friend and I arrived around 5:35pm on a Tuesday evening for dinner. We also arrived, funny enough, on Pasta night, so most of their Pastas for the evening were discounted at $14 a plate. By the way, shouldn't every night be pasta night since this is an Italian restaurant? - LOL. Anyway, I didn't even know Pasta night was a feature at the restaurant so it came as a pleasant surprise. FOOD -- My friend and I shared two main pasta dishes, the Garganelli Diavolo with Shrimp AND the Short Rib Garganelli. Both cost $14 for Pasta night but they are normally $21 each. -- Short Rib Garganelli (special price of $14 for Pasta night but normally $21) - braised short rib, sautéed mushrooms, and scallion butter): hearty meal but dry. It needed salt as well. I still liked it after added salt and crushed pepper. The addition of the mushrooms allowed for an even more meaty texture. -- Garganelli Diavolo with Shrimp (special price of $14 on Pasta night): tasty and my favourite of the night. Dry with dried sauce. Addition of salt and crushed pepper made it taste better. Well cooked shrimp. Overall, the 2 Pasta dishes that my friend and I ordered were good and it came with complimentary bread (it came on the side along with the pasta dishes). I asked for olive oil to dip the bread in and a waiter brought it up right away. Both pasta dishes had dried up sauce so the meal wasn't saucy and it also needed some salt. I actually don't like my pasta dishes with too much sauce at all but a little sauce would have gone a long way. My friend and I added salt and crushed pepper to both pasta dishes which made them taste better. They were delicious already but they definitely needed salt. SERVICE -- Excellent (100%). Friendly and attentive service. I entered for a 5:30pm reservation, arrived around 5:36pm, and was sorted right away. My friend arrived about 3 mins after me. We were checked in about twice during the night and brought waters when we arrived. I'm glad that I finally tried Bar Italia and I'll certainly be back. Parking is free street parking. **** GOAL of 250 reviews in 2026 - 100/250 total reviews in 2026 - 941 total Yelp reviews - Reviewed on 27 May 2026 read more

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We came for happy hour on a weeknight and there was a decent crowd. Happy hour specials are only offered at the bar so we sat there. We had the $8 Prosecco and the zucchini fritti on the happy hour menu. The zucchini was fantastic and they give you a lot of them. For my meal, I ordered the eggplant Parmesan. It was expensive for only getting a small bowl of eggplant with no pasta ($16). The bartender did let me know that it was just eggplant & that I could add pasta on the side. I opted for just the eggplant but wish I would've added pasta because it wasn't very filling. Overall, the ambiance was nice and I'd come back for their happy hour again in the future. read more

Bar Italia - Eggplant Parmesan - Italian Near Me - Lakewood, Ohio

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Wow! What an awesome experience. This restaurant delivers in every way. We' had an outstanding server, the restaurant is quaint and clean. And the food was really outstanding. I mean it's bursting with flavor. I can't think of any complaints. We will be revisiting very soon.. read more

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Probably one of the best Italian spots in town. Yes, better than little Italy. Shrimp was well cooked and the sauce was full of flavor and had a nice kick to it. Ambiance was chill and service was good as well. read more

Bar Italia - Italian Near Me - Lakewood, Ohio

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I came here with a group of 6 on a Monday night. It was busier than expected so I am glad we made reservations! We ordered a variety of cocktails and a bottle of wine. The cocktails were a bit slow to arrive to the table but there were no complaints as our server was personable, attentive, and friendly. She let us know that our drinks were being worked on and will arrive right when the bar finishes up with them. We actually had the Monday night special which was $28 for a bottle of wine paired with their charcuterie board. It was a great start to the meal! For more shareable appetizers, we ordered the Shrimp Scampi and Stuffed Peppers. I am not a huge fan of shrimp, but everyone gave it a great review! The stuffed peppers were a bit spicy, but definitely would get them again. It was two stuffed big peppers - a great shareable size. I normally get the spaghetti or Spicy Vodka Rigate as an entree. I decided on something new this time and ordered the Crispy Chicken Limone. It was very flavorful, juicy, and I was happy with my choice as I changed it up. I split the side of the Spicy Vodka Rigate with someone else - it was a nice portion for a "side of pasta." A great dining experience overall with a group! read more

Bar Italia - Crispy Chicken Limone - Italian Near Me - Lakewood, Ohio

The ambiance was extremely beautiful, and I was greeted very warmly and taken care of very well by all the workers there, really impressed with the service and decore that part would get 5 starts.... However I was really disappointed by my meal. The bread was nice, but would have wished there was a vinaigrette added to the oil, it was a bit plain without. I ordered the pesto pasta (my absolute favorite pasta dish) and was so sad when I received it and the pasta was NOT cooked correctly, an insult to 'al dente'. The flavor was nice but the pasta was WAY undercooked.. I will not be returning. read more

Bar Italia - Pesto Genovese - Italian Near Me - Lakewood, Ohio

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I enjoyed my food. The pasta was made Dente and the meatball was very flavorful. I would definitely give it a shot. I did not get the pizza, but my friend did and it looked like a winner. read more

Bar Italia - Italian Near Me - Lakewood, Ohio

Bar Italia never disappoints, anyone I've brought has been satisfied with their choice and always asks to return. My favorite is the garganelli diavolo with shrimp. The portion size is always just right and their baguettes are very tasty. If it's your first time, you must try the chef's key lime pie, once you do, you'll be back and dessert won't be an option. read more

We made a reservation here for my wife's birthday and when we walked in, we were greeted promptly and shown right to our table. Allison, our server, was quick to bring us drink menus and talk about the drink specials for the evening. I have to say that the service was absolutely on point. We ordered the whipped ricotta toast as an appetizer and we all had either a mixed drink or a glass of wine to go with our dinner. Since it was a Wednesday, it was eight dollar martini night so I had one of the special martini made with tequila. My wife had crispy chicken limone and she loved it. She offered me a bite and it was fresh and clean tasting. I ordered the short rib garganelli with mushrooms and it was absolutely phenomenal. It was almost too much to eat, and I brought leftovers home. I love a restaurant at the boxes the leftovers for you. That means they're going out of their way to make it a great experience. What impressed me most about our visit was that I never mentioned when I made the reservation that it was my wife's birthday. However, we brought in bags with gifts and cards, and presented them to her at the table. without even missing a beat, they brought a dish of ice cream with a candle in it so we could sing happy birthday to my wife. Never asked for it, they just did it. Several people stop by the table to make sure our meal was to our liking. The only challenge with the space is the noise. I'm sure it's great for the restaurant to be doing so well, and being so busy, however, the ambient noise in the place, made it very difficult to hear people even at our own table without feeling like we had to shout to be heard with each other. That's literally my only complaint and why it gets four stars instead of five. read more

Stopped by for Sunday lunch around 1pm, 4 of us were seated immediately and our server was very attentive and friendly. They had an awesome $8 Bloody Mary or Bellini special on Sunday for brunch and both were delicious. I tried the melon Bellini specifically, as well as the bolognese. Others tried the Italian sandwich and had great things to say. Food presentation was also enjoyable, specially the bread being in the shape of a heart -- so cute! Will certainly be back! read more

Bar Italia - Chef Andy's Bucatini Bolognese - Italian Near Me - Lakewood, Ohio

Always enjoy coming here. The service is amazing, great vibes, and food and drinks are incredible. So easy to make a reservation and have a nice night out either with family, friends, or a date night! Always a favorite to order the Crispy Chicken Limon. The sangria is great in the summer too! read more

A wonderful dining experience! All of the food was absolutely delicious and there was more than enough to go around. The pasta was fresh and the sauces were flavorful. Our server was great, she was attentive and helpful. Food was a bit slow to come out but they were busy, we were a large party, and the food was amazing so really, not much to complain about. The resturaunt does get a little loud but nothing too inhibiting. Cannot wait to go back! read more

Bar Italia - Whipped Ricotta Toast - Italian Near Me - Lakewood, Ohio

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5 Went to have a thank you dinner at Bar Italia. Max was a great server! Asked if we could add blackberry liqueur to the vodka lemonade and bartender obliged. Yum!!!! Ordered the grilled bread with oil - Excellent! We had lasagna - which had thin noodles, pesto, & looked like Italian flag - Excellent! The place looked beautiful, clean, and enjoyed the music playing. It was our first time. We will be back! read more

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Great experience overall! My first time going and will be back. I live about .5 miles so not sure why its taken me so long Reserved a table for 5, sat quickly. Ordered the bread with the ricotta (amazing, light, topped with lemon and fresh chives I believe) and the fried calamari/shrimp (perfectly fried, came with a side of aioli that was great) for the table. For my main, I split a caesar salad with chicken and the spicy vodka dish. Caesar wasnt the best I've ever had but still decent. The spicy vodka dish was perfectly spicy! Would get again. The kitchen was even so nice to split the 2 dishes on separate plates. Our server's name was Allison. She was friendly, quick, attentive, and knowledgeable about the menu. Even brought us desserts for the special occasion we were celebrating. Would recommend her 10/10! Ambiance was quiet, not too loud. Music was at a good level. Loved the decor of the restaurant read more

Bar Italia - Italian Near Me - Lakewood, Ohio

Our server, Josh, was the bomb! He catered to our every need from pouring a killer glass of Cab to making sure our food was perfect- he checked every box for excellent service and a great night! The Short Rib pasta and chicken pasta special were a highlight of the night, and the zucchini fries were so fresh when they arrived, we seriously couldn't say enough good things about the food. A special thanks to Josh for recognizing it was my birthday and celebrating with a bowl of ice cream for us. We will definitely be back!!! read more

Bar Italia - Italian Near Me - Lakewood, Ohio

It's been awhile since we've been here great atmosphere friendly staff drinks were ok food came out hot and everything was delicious read more

Bar Italia - Diavolo shrimp delicious and spicy - Italian Near Me - Lakewood, Ohio

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The best Italian in Lakewood! The menu has so many fresh and delicious things to choose from. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. The service is always wonderful and the drinks are so fun! It's not too loud, and has lots of seating available. If you're looking for a fun evening out or special occasion, add this spot to your list! read more

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Stunned! We flew in from Atlanta to meet a friend we have not seen in years and meet his fiancé. We were barely one drink order in before we were told to hurry up and order because a graduation party had reservations in 45 minutes. I worked in service and hospitality for 20 years and have never experienced being asked to "hurry up" because some one better was scheduled. We will be visiting Lakewood another 4 times for business, family gatherings and tourism in 2026. We will not be choosing your restaurant again. read more

Drove to Lakewood for family dinner night. Enroute, wifey found this Italian restaurant so we set our GPS and continued driving. Upon arrival, it was difficult to locate a parking spot. So I let my wife enter the restaurant while I parked. She called me and said only bar stool seating was available. I figured that would be fine, as long as they would allow our teenager to sit at the bar, which they did. We were immediate served water and given menus. As an appetizer, we requested bruschetta and I also requested a Peroni, since they had it on tap. For dinner, I requested halibut with risotto, my son, chicken parmesan, and my wife, chicken piccata. While we waited, we ate some tasty bruschetta and chatted. I'd give the bruschetta 3.5 stars. Soon after, dinner arrived. My risotto and fish had a lemony flavor. I was expecting a rich flavor, but it was still pretty good. I'd give the dish 3.5 stars. My wife's chicken piccata was superb - the best I've had and I cooked chicken piccata often. That dish gets 5 stars. My son's chicken parm, while bountiful, was lacking depth of flavor. It had some basic marinara sauce on it with some spaghetti. I'd give that dish 3.5 stars as well. The flavor of the sauce wasn't my favorite. Overall, the dinner and service were very good and we'd definitely visit again. read more

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Great atmosphere, friendly staff, and perhaps the best Italian food in town! Homemade pasta! The absolute best Teramasu I have ever had!

We had a business lunch at Bar Italia. The service was prompt and our waiter was very polite and helpful. We enjoyed the food. I have the spaghetti bolognese and we shared the bread with whipped ricotta on top. Good spot! read more

Bar Italia - Spaghetti bolognese - Italian Near Me - Lakewood, Ohio

The food is delicious! I had Salmon piccata! Husband had a Bolognese pasta. We loved the ambiance, service & food!

We all had a pasta and it was fabulous. Pastas are all homemade and you can tell. Atmosphere was very nice, we will definitely go back.

Finally finishing this review that I started the first time I went in person over a year ago, this time I got takeout but I'll combine my thoughts since now I have a fresher memory of the food! Both times I had the shrimp garganelli and it was very good! Needed to add red pepper flake but the sauce was great and there were plenty of shrimp. The green onion garnish feels a little unnecessary. Also got whipped ricotta toast both times, and both times it was great! Appreciated that for takeout the ricotta was served on the side so the toast didn't get soggy. Great flavor and good bread! The takeout was good if not enough for leftovers. The inside of the restaurant is very cool and has a very nice vibe, somewhat modernized version of a classic Italian spot. From what I remember, we sat at the bar last time and the bartender was really nice, and my takeout service was super quick and efficient!! read more

Ambience is perfect for getting together, date night, or just in general wanting to take family out or just yourself. This place is definitely beautiful. Food started off with ordering bread with butter, it was nice and warm. Order the chicken lemon primavera ( mediocre) , chicken parm was excellent. They also have two options for kids and were kinda enough to do a diablo sauce which is a mix of marinara and Alfredo ( my niece is 4 and she loved it). The dessert menu didn't seem too appealing to us so we decided not to go for it. Portions are huge and you can tell the food is made fresh to order. Service was awesome our server was attentive. Bill was around 74 for two entree and one kids entree and one fountain drink. Overall great experience I would recommend everyone to check it out. Cons: street parking No pictures of my lemon primavera! Sorry read more

Bar Italia - Chicken Parm - Italian Near Me - Lakewood, Ohio

Our entire party enjoyed Bar Italia. The atmosphere was more upscale and comfortable. The staff were very friendly and accommodating. The weather was warm and they had the front windows open. When we asked to have them closed they did so very quickly. We very much liked the round tables in front. It encouraged conversation and you could see out on the street. The country bread with whipped ricotta was a favorite along with the Afagato and spumoni. It was a cute touch with the bread. It was presented in the shape of a heart on the plate with the pasta dishes. Parking was easy. There is street parking or a municipal lot in back. I highly recommend making a reservation. We walked in a week before this visit and there was over a two hour wait. This visit was on a Tuesday and it was still very crowded. We will definitely be dining here again. read more

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What a great experience!!! Salina our server and Belinda Martin the manage were incredible !!! Friendly, top notch service !!!! The food was amazing !!!!! Best meal I had in a very long time.tge whole energy and vibe was great. 5 stars all the way Thank you Mike Ely read more

Bar italia never disappoints! This is one of my go to places for Italian food! My friend and I tried the whipped ricotta bread this time and it was amazing - definitely recommend getting this instead of the regular bread. My friend got her go to - spaghetti and meatballs! Always a safe and delicious choice. This time I tried the Lemon Chicken Primavera and it might be one of my new favorite dishes here! The lemon wasn't overpowering, but worked so well with the cream sauce and vegetables. It was even good the next day when I warmed the rest of it up to eat for lunch! read more

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Good food. Good service. Happy hour is awesome. See many selections to choose from on the menu. Pricing is reasonable. Check out specials for each night. read more

I love this spot for a happy hour! Goes until 7:00 so gives you plenty of time to grab a friend and get those deals. The zucchini frites are INSANE! Please get them!!! Pizza was a bit cheesy for my personal margherita tastes but still good. Bartenders were really sweet and attentive even with being busy. Definitely an elevated vibe over some of the other more affordable (speaking for the happy hour as I know it gets up there) Italian options. I will be back for more zucchini! read more

Bar Italia - Margherita pizza, burrata, zucchini frites - Italian Near Me - Lakewood, Ohio

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Loved the new winter menu items...they brought back the lemon parmesan cream pasta! Was my favorite on the old menu. Aurora was a great server and very attentive to all our requests. Look forward to coming back again very soon. read more

Been here a handful of times and have even reviewed this place before. I will say I've had good experiences here but also some rough ones as well. sadly this experience was a miss. Our server i believe (Clancy) was great but my biggest gripe was the accessibility. Made a reservation and put that i would be on crutches and needed a spot away from a busy area as i just had knee surgery and my leg would be straight likely in the aisle. I even called again a few hours before to reiterate and was told on the phone "we don't have any tables that are out of the way". I was more concerned with a server tripping over me than anything. We got there and was placed in the middle of the restaurant. My crutches had to lay on the booth behind my friends. Looking around i saw plenty of tables that were tucked away and closer to the door that we weren't given. Was disappointing but not surprising. Food was just ok. It was a Friday and decently busy but the food was not hot and our pasta was dry. Not a lot of sauce on 2 of our 4 meals. Didn't get photos of it all. Ordered the zucchini app and was out for the night at 630-7ish. Seems odd but again won't be that harsh for a Friday night. I'll be back because i am super local and it can be convenient but would not recommend to someone coming more than 10-15 minutes away. read more

Bar Italia - Spicy Vodka Rigate with chicken - Italian Near Me - Lakewood, Ohio

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The food is always top notch, whether dinner or brunch! And the Bellin's at brunch....fuggedaboutit! Only thing keeping it from a 5 is inconsistent service. Nevertheless still my go to Italian spot. Oh and the bar is great! read more

Excellent atmosphere, great food and service. Been there a couple of times, will go back!

Bar Italia is great any day of the week, but the Monday special (charcuterie board + bottle of wine for $28) is hard to beat! We added tiramisu which is always a good decision. read more

Bar Italia - Charcuterie+bottle of wine (we chose red). - Italian Near Me - Lakewood, Ohio

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Went for Mother's Day and loved it all! The fried zucchini appetizer was perfect, just the right amount of batter, light and not overly fried. Sausage bread appetizer is also so good, pretty heavy with the sausage and cheese but really delicious. Pastas are Homemade and you can really taste the difference, so fresh and cooked perfectly. The vodka sauce was amazing, I wouldn't change a thing. Our server was super nice and friendly too, he seemed to enjoy what he was doing and that always makes for a great dining experience. Overall great food and great service, will visit again for sure. read more

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After realizing the other day that they have happy hour specials at Bar Italia from 4-7pm we decided to give it a try since the prices of the happy hour were looking great! What a delicious meal we had again! Seriously, this is becoming my favorite Italian restaurant of the city! We ordered the Bruschetta alla Enzo, the 12 month prosciutto with ricotta, and the margherita pizza and everything was just delicious!! The bruschetta came in warm, with great crunchy bread and all the flavors of the fresh veggies melted in your mouth beautifully! The 12 month prosciutto with ricotta was smooth, tasty and with crunchy bread too that together with the prosciutto made an amazing combination of flavors from subtle to a bit more salty. Simply delicious, I could have had 15 of those easy!!! And the pizza was super tasty and delicious as well. You can definitely tell the good quality of the product here and why it is always packed. We will definitely be coming back soon again and can't recommend enough! read more

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I've been waiting to try out Bar Italia for the longest time and the experience did not disappoint! I ordered the Bucatini Bolognese and I was in pasta heaven!! Their fresh pasta with their housemade special meat sauce was delightful and brought me right back to Italy. You can definitely tell how fresh their pasta was in every bite. So good!! I also had a craving for something sweet and their Key Lime pie spoke to me! Smooth and creamy key lime pie with a graham cracker crust topped off my meal! Shareable portion size. My friend ordered the tiramisu and that was extraordinary as well. (Chef's kiss) I wish I can give my first experience at Bar Italia a 4.5 stars (only if half stars existed). Raving about this place to all my foodie friends! read more

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