Unique Italian Restaurants in Indianapolis

1. Ambrosia

The Pizzi family kitchen in Liguria, Italy was always filled with love, laughter, and delicious food made using recipes and techniques that have been passed down for generations. In 1979, the family opened Ambrosia so that they could share their delicious delicacies with the people of Indianapolis. Focusing on freshness, quality, and innovation, Ambrosia offers impeccably flavored and artistically presented dishes. Choices of antipasti, salads, soups, pasta, entrees, and sides are offered. Popular choices include a traditional Ligurian seafood stew, fettuccine alfredo with shrimp, chicken parmesan, and ravioli stuffed with spinach and cheese tossed with a pesto cream sauce.

Ambrosia, 5903 North College Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana 46220, Phone: 317-255-3096

2. Brozinni Pizzeria

Established in 2008, the Brozinni Pizzeria offers delicious Italian dine-in and takeout options. The menu features some of the most delicious appetizers such as garlic knuckles made with fresh homemade dough and drizzled in garlic butter and parmesan cheese, pepperoni breadsticks, fried ravioli, and fried mushrooms served with homemade ranch or marinara. The restaurant is a great, friendly place for families and friends to get together and enjoy calzones, sandwiches, pizza, and pasta. The dessert menu has a special Brooklyn Bridge Brownie that is a perfect way to end a meal at Brozinni’s.

Brozinni Pizzeria , 8810 S Emerson Ave Indianapolis, IN 46237, Phone: 317-865-0911

3. Capri Restaurant

The Capri Restaurant has been around since 1950; two brothers owned it before the current owners who dreamed of serving traditional Italian cuisine with lots of flavor and reasonable prices bought it. Visitors can start their night with an antipasto misto for two that is filled with assorted cold cuts and marinated vegetables. Entree options include the ricotta and spinach ravioli, scallops sautéed in wine, homemade gnocchi, and a number of other dishes. Some of the chef’s specialties are bell peppers stuffed with chicken, pine nuts, and ricotta cheese, the calamari fritti, and the eggplant parmesan.

Capri Restaurant, 2602 Ruth Drive, Indianapolis IN 46240, Phone: 317-259-4122

4. Iaria's Italian Restaurant

Iaria's Italian Restaurant is a diner and bar that neighborhood locals flock to for a drink after work or a freshly prepared meal with their family. The laid-back, friendly environment allows guests to live and laugh loudly – just how it should be when eating Italian cuisine. The restaurant has all of the Italian favorites people know and love, including traditionally seasoned baked penne, ravioli, spaghetti, cheese tortellini, meatball parmesan, lasagna, fettuccini alfredo, and chicken marsala. The range of thin crust pizzas are baked to perfection and have toppings that range from cheese and vegetarian to salami, sausage, pepperoni, pepperoncini, grilled chicken, bacon, mushrooms, and much more.

Iaria's Italian Restaurant , 317 S College Ave, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, Phone: 317-638-7706

5. Iozzo's Garden of Italy

Iozzo's Garden of Italy has a historic past that started with Fred Iozzo traveling to the United States from Calabria, Italy in 1888. After working on the Boston and Ohio Railroad and building a grocery store empire, he opened Indianapolis’ first full-service Italian restaurant. His sons soon joined the family business, but it sadly closed in 1940. Though the restaurant remained closed for nearly seventy years, the family’s secret recipes and techniques have been passed down throughout the generations. With this knowledge and with the help of family and friends, the restaurant reopened to serve the Indianapolis area in 2009. Restaurant diners can indulge in delicious Italian cuisine such as an antipasti plate, brick oven pizzas, Italian wedding soup, and spaghetti, lasagnas, and baked penne. Iozzo's Garden of Italy, 946 South Meridian Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46225, Phone: 317-974-1100

6. Mama Carolla's

Mama Carolla's was established at a time when restaurants were tables placed around the home for visitors to get a decent home cooked meal. With the aim of cooking for her customers just as she would cook for her family, the owner reopened the restaurant in 1997. Since then, the restaurant has been awarded one of the Top 50 Most Romantic Restaurants by USA Today. Antipasti favorites include the Portobello mushrooms stuffed with crab meat and cheese, fried ravioli, and bruschetta topped with freshly smoked mozzarella. Entrees such as clam linguine, Mediterranean rigatoni, and sautéed chicken and shrimp penne pasta have become local favorites.

Mama Carolla's, 1031 E 54th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46220, Phone: 317-259-9412

7. Napolese

Napolese offers a world class pizza experience; rightly so, as the dishes are artfully created with carefully sourced cheese, meats, and local farm produce that is grown specifically for the restaurant. Guests can choose from a number of starters, soups, salads, and sandwiches. The artisanal pizza is made with hand-formed dough and homemade tomato sauce, and diners can also request a gluten-free crust as one of the many options. The Napolese Broken Yolk which is a margherita pizza with quail eggs, the Meridian Kessler topped with Italian sausage, provolone, and mushroom, and the BLT (which has handfuls of smoking goose jowl bacon and leeks) are some of the most popular.

Napolese, 114 E 49th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46205, Phone: 317-925-0765

8. Nicolino's Italian

Nicolino's Italian is one of the few Italian restaurants that have an extensive breakfast range alongside their lunch, dinner, and lounge menu. Nic’s breakfast has omelets, sandwiches, and specialties, with favorites including the Speedway omelet with eggs, bacon, cheese, ham, mushrooms, sausages, and toast. The broken yolk egg sandwiches are all the rage and have delicious add-ons such as avocado, apple wood smoked bacon, sautéed spinach, and herbed cheese. The dinner menu features a collection of Italian and American favorites that leaves visitors with the difficult choice between the seafood puttanesca and the succulent pork tenderloin among other dishes.

Nicolino's Italian, Wyndham Indianapolis West 2544 Executive Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46241, Phone: 317-381-6146