Juliana is an amazing host/waitress! She recommended great dishes and everything we ordered was delicious. Marco recommended this restaurant to us and he was spot on! Everything was very authentic. Inside was nice and cozy. Garlic bread with mozzarella - what's not to like (we ordered it twice) Pappardelle bolognese - so much better than London's bolognese Rigatoni Norcina - delicious!! The sauce was perfect and I ate it all up. Pepperoni pizza - yummy Sea bream - good. Juliana deboned it. I'd highly recommend this restaurant. The hostess/waitress made the entire experience an amazing one. Thank you! Chocolate ice cream - so good Mint chocolate ice cream - taste like the Andes chocolate mint and delicious Green apple - different but good. I'd prefer the chocolate or mint chocolate ice cream though read more

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Son wanted pasta and glad to have found this gem. Fresh made pasta for a delicious bolognese- wines were great and the service was welcoming. Not touristy at all. read more

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Oh my goodness...stopped in for dinner on a Sunday night and the place was packed but we were able to score a table with very little wait. It was a very traditional Italian looking place and the food was quite possibly some of the best Italian food I've had outside Italy! We started with focaccia and bruschetta which were both delicious. I, personally, am not a fan of rocket (the greens on the focaccia as I find it very bitter). The tomatoes on both were so fresh and both had crispy bread. Absolutely wonderful. For dinner we had the salmon, the vegan pasta (from the regular menu--not the vegan menu), the calabrese pizza and the sausage pasta. All the bases (pasta, pizza, bread etc) are made in house and fresh and you could totally taste that. The sauces were so tasty as well. The salmon was cooked perfectly and the broth had a unique flavor that we absolutely loved. The calabrese pizza was probably one of the best I've had as the meat actually had a kick! For dessert we had the original cannoli and a scoop of pistachio. The ice cream was creamy but not heavy. It was divine! The inside of the cannoli was quite dense but the shell was very fresh and tasty. The waters were also light and amazing. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the fantastic service as well! Our waitress was so great with her recommendations, her friendliness and her efficiency. Overall, couldn't recommend this place more! read more

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This place is closed : the website is still up and they show up on Google maps as open.

The boss brought me here for lunch, which was not too busy on a weekday. We were seated in close-knit tables surrounded by many Italian decors. For my main entree, I ordered the Spaghetti Carbonara (£9.50). This is my go-to pasta dish, so it was an easy pick. This pasta dish consists of bacon, egg, parmesan cheese, and cream sauce --good that the egg was not overcooked (very important for carbonara). The portion was fair though filling, but I found the dish itself to be overly salty. While waiting for our food, we added an order of Garlic Bread (£2.95) as well. This was great to pair with the pasta, but was a bit on the dry side. As we were trying to pay, it took a few minutes for us to get the waitress' attention. If you're feeling Italian, this is a solid spot but nothing too special. Hopefully the other dishes are better, but the carbonara was too salty. read more

Bar Italia - Spaghetti Carbonara. - Italian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Another amazing visit to Bar Italia. We never fail ton stop here when we are in Edinburgh. The owners are amazing and the food is tremendous. This time I had their Apple Pie for desert, I know not your typical Italian desert, but OMG it was incredible. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture because it was too good. read more

We were in Edinburgh just last week. After seeing so many good reviews, my husband and I chose to eat dinner here. What a mistake! I can't recall the last time I've ever received such terrible service in a restaurant. It was busy. We were seated and didn't receive menus. A table of 6 walked in right behind us. They placed their orders and got their drinks before we even had menus. It took 10 minutes to get a menu; even then, it was only because we asked. Another 20 minutes goes by before anyone takes our order (and it was the owner who came over, not the waitstaff). The table of 6 beside us got their dinners as we were ordering drinks. Finally, we got our drinks and appetizers. But it took another 35 minutes to receive our entrees. I had ravioli that was far too al dente (and having just traveled from Italy, I can tell you al dente is one thing, raw pasta is another!). My husbands pasta was clumped together and not cooked properly. After we finished our meals we had to wait AGAIN to get our bill. Not to mention, nobody asked us how we were doing, how was the meal, did we need anything else? We felt invisible. Just an awful experience all around. What a waste. read more

This a family owned gem! Service was great and the food was outstanding! Wife had the pizza and said it was some of the best ever. I had rigatoni with mushrooms and Italian sausage with red sauce -- excellent! Small place, well decorated... you should go here. read more

We had noted Bar Italia on a previous visit when visiting a neighbouring store and decided to give it a go. It turned out to be a great choice. Great place, lovely buzzing atmosphere, nice service and an excellent menu with a lot of traditional dishes. It has been a long time since eating at such a pleasant Italian restaurant. read more

A few days in Edinburgh and felt like I stepped into Italy in this amazing little resturant! food was like being in Napoli!! i read some of the posts before going and every positive one was on target. the Sauce was perfect. pasta cooked just right and the veal was perfectly cooked.and could cut it with a fork... so good! and if you have room for the dessert... you must try the homemade Mascarpone raspberry and chocolate powder.. out of this world! read more

Bar Italia - Italian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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Excellent food made by Italians, accompanied by great service. The pizza I had hit the spot as did the appetizer I ordered. Pizza was thin, yet crispy enough to hold firm when the slice was picked up, with the perfect blend of sauce & cheese. The ambiance was nice and it was open late, whereas many of the local businesses were closed on Sunday. read more

Bar Italia - Italian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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I was amazing restaurant I couldn't find a better Italian restaurant than this, the service it was amazing I really like everything it was perfect . If you are looking for a Italian restaurant I really recommend always read more

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Wonderful, wonderful experience: the food was amazing. The staff is great. The location was perfect. Highly recommend you coming here to enjoy a fabulous Italian meal. Everything made from scratch. read more

Modern eatery with good Italian food, nice decor and lovely service. Everything you'd expect from an Italian restaurant, absolutely something for everyone. Pastas, risotto, fish, meat, prepared numerous ways. We enjoyed a number of homemade pasta dishes, the crab filled ravioli with mint was quite good, as was the rigatoni in tomato sauce. Presentation was lovely and the ambiance made the meal most enjoyable. Bruschetta was fresh and garlicky good. I would have enjoyed more peas in the fettuccine dish, but truthfully that didn't inhibit my enjoying the dish. Easy walk from our apartment in a fantastic part of Edinburgh. I would return again, even if only to get my fix of Italian food. read more

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I came here on a Sunday night after a day of flying. Tired and cold, I just wanted some hot satisfying Italian food. This was closest to my hotel so I gave it a shot. The mixed salad was very traditional, and by that I mean iceberg lettuce, hot house tomatoes, oil and vinegar dressing. Meh, but exactly the kind you find all over Italy. Next, I had the lasagna. This was quite possibly the best lasagna I've ever had. When I finished, I wanted it all over again. Get the big portion. Bar Italia claims to have award winning desserts. They don't lie. I had their champion ice cream, Belgian chocolate and cappuccino. I could make a meal of just desserts. I would definitely go back. read more

Bar Italia - Italian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

This little spot packs a big punch! People sit cheek to jowl and line up outside to enjoy some of the best Italian in Edinburgh. I live in Italy and usually do not want to go anywhere near an Italian restaurant when I'm traveling, but boy am I glad we did. Our waiter Christian was a magician, shuttling from table to table but always taking time to banter with the guests. The food was absolutely top notch. We started with the insalata modena which was generous with it's rocket, cucumbers, goat cheese, and balsamic condiment. We ordered a variety of dishes from lasagne, ravioli, chicken Milanese, and pinsa di salsiccie e friarielli. So good! Desserts were pastiera and gelatos. We rolled out of there so happy with our choice. I recommend making reservations because it was packed by 6 pm. We were fortunate to only have to wait ten minutes before being seated, but when we left there was a line about 20 deep waiting to be seated. It's a great spot for some real Italian food! read more

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Last night in Edinburg and our craving for good Italian food was more than met by Bar Italia. It was a Wednesday night and wasn't able to make reservations online but went anyway and boy are we glad we (my wife and daughter and me) did. Able to get a table quickly but the place filled up soon after. All 3 orders were very, very good. Service was great. Highly recommend. read more

This place is legit. It's well priced and it's super cosy. We arrived in the area quite late from a flight and hadn't booked a table for dinner bc we were overly optimistic. After trying a couple places down the road which were rammed we took our Airbnb hosts' recommendation and came here. We enjoyed the Italian waiters, there was a birthday on the table next to us - it was fun an lively. I had a veal parmigiana with a side of spinach and my friend had chicken with a side of peas. The peas were sautéed with delicious pancetta and reminded me so much of my childhood that I ate more than half her portion :/. Great neighbourhood restaurant, authentic and local! read more

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We ate in this restaurant in 2018. My wife wanted sole and I wanted Italian. This was the perfect choice. The food was excellent. It was truly a perfect experience. We are heading to Edinburgh next month and Bar Italia will definitely be one of our stops.The service was amazing. We livid in Sardinia Italy and this place provides a true Italian experience. read more

I yelp everything I can in the USA but ended up finding this place with Tripadvisor. We walked about 1 1/2 miles to get here from the city's center attractions and it is just beyond Edinburgh castle and had a most enjoyable evening. First off, the staff was friendly and gracious and almost all were armed with a strong Italian accent. They paid special attention to the pint sized customer of 6 years and she delighted in her minestrone soup, spaghetti and especially their homemade ice cream that was cutely decorated. I have never had a better prepared Dover Sole entree ever! It was done with a lightly lemony almond based sauce and it was super fresh and I even enjoyed to roe! The arugula salad was a very small portion for the price but fresh and herbal. My friends ordered the Cavatelli al sapore di Mare with seafood pasta in squid ink sauce that was scrumptous and the Trofie Al Pesto was delicioso, with walnuts, prosciutto and a cream sauced pasta. All the pasta was homemade as well. I rarely give restaurants a 5 star rating, but this place easily placed on the 5 star list by me!! read more

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When my go-to Italian joint in Edinburgh was closed on a night I'd promised a friend some birthday carbs, I had to quickly spring into action and suss out nearby Italian option #2 . Bar Italia fit the bill just perfectly! First of all, upon entering Bar Italia you'll notice not only how spacious it is, but how comfy-cozy. I totally dig the vibe of it all--it's sort of old school charming with gingham red-and-white tablecloths and rustic wood paneling. The tables have plenty of space between them, so you won't feel like you're exhaling garlic fumes down your neighbor's neck (super perk, as a girl gotta eat all that garlic without worrying). Our waiter for the evening was a friendly young chap who was happy to explain the specials of the day several times for my indecisive sake--he even went the extra mile by proffering a wee business card with the joint's wifi passcode on it without us even asking. Super brilliant, especially if you're a tourist passing through! Bar Italia has a sizeable menu to choose from, with enough veggie options for me to hem and haw over. In the end, my friend and I split some balsamic drizzled bruschetta as a starter, I got a stuffed ravioli dish, and my birthdaying-partner-in-crime got a substantial portion of pizza pie. Nom!!! Seriously, I ate every bite, and relished in the mildly spicy decanter of chili oil that our waiter provided for the table. After sopping up our leftover sauces and packing away my partner's pizza, we paid (after some true "relax!" style service in which it did take us a wee while to procure the bill despite it being a quiet night) and headed off with Italian baby bellies. Delicious, and the bill didn't break the bank either, even with some house wine split between us. In the end, Bar Italia is such a stinking cute joint, and the food is darned tasty, so you bet I'd head back again especially if hankering for Italian food near Lothian Road! read more

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We walked down the street looking for a place to eat. Saw the place was packed and looked at the menu. Decided it must be good because it's so busy. We were right! The waiters are the best and the foods is very tasty! To top it off we ended with desserts. Ohhhhh sticky toffee pudding. So yummy! This is definitely a place to visit in your travels! Would become a regular if we lived here. read more

I have been to bar Italia twice for lunch and I am a little in term of the number of stars i should give this place but due to the fantastic service we had both time, my vote is balancing toward the 4 instead of three; my first experience there was great; my friend ordered a pizza and i ordered pasta and it was all so delicious! However the second time i came.. It was really not as good; my friend and I ordered the seafood risotto and we both agree this was not cooked as a risotto but marely as rice in sauce; it was not bad overall but not a risotto; my other friend ordered the raviolo and some garlic bread; the raviolis apparently were good but i found 3£ for 4 small slices of garlic bread a little steep; I will go back to bar italia but might not try their risotto again read more

Bar Italia - Italian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Recently my husband and I were in Edinburgh for a conference. Bar Italia was near the Sheraton Hotel where we were staying and we had dinner there after we arrived. We like it so much that we enjoyed the restaurant two more times in the week of our stay. The food was delicious and the service was excellent. I recommend it to anyone who visits Edinburgh. read more

Frankly I'd give it more stars if Yelp let me. This is exactly the kind of Italian restaurant a foodie like me appreciates. Not too fancy, great vibe, awesome food, and above all, great staff. My girlfriend and I went in there hungry. You tend to over order when you're hungry you know. So we wanted to start off with a large size Antipasto and a small Calamari. Our server, Christian, was kind enough to let us know that the large size Antipasto is pretty substantial and getting that and the Calamari would be a bit too much. So we listened to him and went for the small size Antipasto and Calamari. Sure enough, the portion size was great. Not to mention how delicious they were. For the main course we had squid ink pasta (Cavatelli Al Sapore di Mare) and my girlfriend had the Cavatelli con Nduja. They were both very tasty. Pasta was cooked al dante, and the seasoning in the sauces is just on point. I'm guessing all the other pastas should be great as well, so really no matter what you get there, it's going to be great. What I want to emphasize on tho, is their ice cream. Man do they have good ice cream! They make their ice cream in house so that's a good start. They've made their ice cream into all kinds of fancy sundaes large or small. But we went for the simple choice, just one scoop of vanilla ice cream with a shot of espresso on the side. When they arrive, just pour the espresso over the ice cream, and enjoy the rich flavors melt together. This way it's never overly sweet and there's just this hint of rich bitterness in the sweet and velvety ice cream. Perfection it is! The meal totaled around 50 pounds, which is not cheap by any means. But if you ask me, a high quality meal like this for 50 pounds, that's as good of a deal as you can get just about anywhere. (We had two draft beers as well btw, without them it should be just a bit over 40) Chris even gave us some post cards from Italy. I've been to a good amount of Italian restaurants all over the places, and this is a first. I know it's not much really, but the feeling you get when treated this friendly is just beyond words. If I get a chance to go back to Edinburgh, Bar Italia would undoubtedly be my first and last meal there. read more

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We all had seafood for dinner. The fish was fresh and everyone enjoyed their meal. The servers we attentive. read more

Bar Italia - Dessert - Italian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

The food was wonderful. The desserts were fabulous! The service was great even though busy. I highly recommend.

This place was so amazing! We didn't know what to expect when we entered because we were hungry and trying to escape rain. And we weren't disappointed! Everyone was so friendly and the food was so delicious! Definitely the best meal we had in Edinburgh! I recommend ordering any of their homemade pasta. I had one with seafood and it had some of the best shrimp I've ever had! read more

After a long cold day of sightseeing, we were more than ready for a good meal and this ristorante certainly did not disappoint. Everything is excellent here from appetizers, dinner and dessert. We had the bruschetta with balsamic vinegar. read more

This was recommended to m by the hotel staff at the Hilton I was staying at and it's a small restaurant that you've probably passed a millions times and never thought twice. Think again! it was such a delicious meal. One of the better Italian restaurants I've eaten at. Homemade noodles. Homemade sauce. HOMEMADE ICECREAM. They have many awards for their ice cream and I strongly suggest on savings some room for something sweet. The menu is overwhelming so I would ask the server's to help you narrow down to what you're in the mood for. They are a wide variety of items; pizza, pastas, calzones, starters and salads. It's perfect for a family night out or something smaller or more intimate. I would suggest a table away from the door. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! read more

This restaurant certainly does not waste space. Tables are very tight packed amongst each other, and it's totally navigable if you are able bodied, but if you have a disability that requires a walker, etc. it might be tough. The staff are very accommodating however, and they will try to make it the best experience for you. read more

Good pizza and excellent banana dessert crepe for affordable prices in Edinburgh old town.

We had the pizza and it was very good and authentic. You can't skip dessert, the ice cream is amazing!

The most AMAZING ice cream in the whole world!! - Award winning in fact, I'm surprised there is only one other review because I feel as though I'll be raving about this for a while. The food here was great, all 5 of us enjoyed different meat and vegetarian meals and all agreed that we would go back here again in future for a good Italian. The staff are genuine Italians and very friendly. Decor is a bit tired but that was irrelevant once we tucked into the Bruschetta starter and it only got better from there on in. I'm almost considering going again tomorrow just for Ice cream, seriously. read more

Great little place, that's more authentic than it seems at first glance. My wife and I had nice pasta dishes that we both enjoyed and my daughter had a great little pizza. Service was efficient and pleasant. If you are looking for a good Italian place that won't break the bank, this place is definitely worth consideration. read more

Good, solid choice for authentic Italian. Ambiance: A little crowded and fills up quickly after noon. But clean and appealing. Service: Considering the amount of people it was very fast, but the staff were clearly a little stressed out. Food: Nice flavours while being more traditional in the sense that most dished only have a few fresh ingredients and it's not hidden under loads of garlic. I had the pasta nonna which had tender pieces of steak and fresh pasta. My friend had a pizza which was done in the Neapolitan style. It was huge and very tasty without being greasy or over the top with the toppings. Price: A little more than the other Italian joints nearby but better quality. I would go back if given the chance. read more

This is one of those places you pass a zillion times and never even realise it's there. I've passed this Italian endless times over the past few years and instantly forgotten its existence. It will be on my radar going forward though, because boy is the food here good. I came for a family meal and all six of us had a really enjoyable meal. The restaurant was also packed, which just reinforces the idea in my head that this place is a bit of a gem. I went for the calzone. Worried that it might be quite small, I was more than pleasantly surprised to discover that my plate of food arrived looking like a pizza mountain. It was enormous! And really tasty too. Desserts are something else. The menu runs to two pages and all the puds seem to be made in-house. The ice cream was amazing. I'd come back here as a place for desserts alone. My banana split was excellent, and the items that came in knickerbocker glasses looked immense. Will definitely be back. Great little restaurant. read more

Everything our party of 4 ordered was excellent. I highly recommend this great Italian restaurant with great service.

With a pre-theater menu, apparently they're a popular place to go right before then! A mid-range price menu for a uni student, they had some lovely dishes, from of course, pasta, to pizza to rizotto... But if you're not sure what you're ordering, ask! The names are in Italian and although the ingredients / components are listed below, some of them I didn't fully recognize! The best part though is their ice cream--I got the classic strawberry, and it was very smooth and creamy, and it was obvious it was not artificial flavouring at all. They advertise their ice cream, which they definitely should! So make sure you save room for that--particularly if you get the pizza. It's bigger than the whole plate for one person! read more

We hadn't read any reviews of Bar Italia and were just walking by and decided to give it a go. What a pleasant surprise! We had the pizza as an appetizer which was made in their wood burning pizza oven and delicious. They have a great selection of pastas. They offer kids meals too, which can include minestrone soup and gelato. The staff was friendly and attentive throughout our meal. I'd definitely eat here again if visiting Edinburgh. read more