Great lasagna, great salad and great sides. The white bread was the only disappointment. I was craving fresh baked whole grain French Bread.

Totally scrumptious and tasty. The only thing that made me sad was taking two years until I asked around "where can I buy some fresh raviolis?" Their lunch special is so good. They have about 6 main entrees and 6 sides to choose your lunch from, and it comes with bread and a salad. I had the veggie lasagna with spicy red sauce and their cauliflower side. It was incredible!! The lasagna was perfectly seasoned and the noodles light but filling. The spicy sauce was SPICY, but in a very balanced flavor. It went great with the cheesy lasagna. I bought some of their fresh cut spaghetti to make tonight and their asparagus ravioli and I know before I even eat it that its going to be off the hook. This place is worth all the effort to get to. You won't regret it, other than you waited so long to go! read more

Absolutely the worst Italian food for the highest price that I've ever had. I cannot express in words how disappointed I am. Spent $40 for eggplant Parmesan and minestrone soup. It was four slices of eggplant that weren't even breaded and fried for $22. The minister and soup was just clear broth with a few vegetables in it. This restaurant is an absolute joke read more

Il Pastaio - Italian Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

See all

Genuinely love this place. We typically go on Friday nights to enjoy the weekly cioppino special. Incredible fish stew, great bread, delicious house red and excellent service! It's like going to your Italian aunts house for dinner. A true gem! read more

Il Pastaio - Cioppino - Italian Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

This has to be the very best restaurant in Boulder. The food is beyond belief. I love the negro pasta with mussels and shrimp. And the bread rolls are to die for. read more

This place is hands down incredible. Probably the most authentic Italian food there is around the area. The owner and staff are beyond nice. They come by your table and make incredible suggestions. I can't wait to go back so many more times. read more

Stopped for an impromptu dinner. We did not have a reservation, but were lucky that an outside table was available. A tad on the warm side, but the meal made it worth it. The owner stopped by a couple of times to be sure that everything was to our liking. Started off with amazing bread! Then a Mozzarella appetizer with tomato and a basil pesto. I had fusilli with meatballs and a tomato sauce, husband had fusilli with a creamy pesto and shrimp. Both were excellent and prepared perfectly. We had no room for dessert. I also had an Italian lager, while husband had the house red. The staff were excellent and kept our water glasses full and cold. I can't comment on the ambiance as we were never inside, but it is a small place and reservations seem to be a must on any night! Highly recommend this little gem! read more

Doesn't look like much when you go past, but looks are definitely deceiving. Walked in and the place was packed so it must be promising. Didnt make a reservation but still accommodated us. (They sat us in the hall but we didnt mind. Our fault for not calling and it was kinda romantic lol like lady and the tramp vibes) The staff was astounding. Very friendly and you can definitely feel that they are a family ran business. In new places I usually ask for recommendations to see if they really know their stuff and man do they. She suggested the Ravioli Zucca (butternut squash) with butter sage sauce. omg y'all, soooo good. The filling was creamy and flavorful. The ravioli was cooked al dente and gave the whole dish texture. Hubby ordered chicken parmigiana and it was spectacular. Thin chicken cutlet breaded and made crispy with a side of pasta with arribiata sauce. Drool worthy. Can't leave a place without dessert. The pistachio gelato was delicious. Had small bits of real pistachios, the cappuccino had a delicious aroma of cinnamon and paired perfectly with the cannoli. The only downside was that it is a pretty tight space so it does feel a bit crowded. Also since we were sat kinda away from the main area it felt like they didn't check up often but very understandable bc they were busy. Brava Il Pastaio. read more

See all

The food is amazing and the staff is incredible. It's one of my favorite restaurants in Boulder!

Had a great dinner here. The staff are very attentive and friendly! I had the "special" which was a garlic sautéed chicken with spinach over Alfredo linguini! Linguini was cooked perfectly and the dish was perfectly seasoned! The locals seem to love this gem as well since at just after 5pm it was full of patrons! Still easy to get seated and certainly above average food quality! I had the house Chianti and finished it with a Black Forest cake slice! Delicioso! read more

Il Pastaio - Chicken sautéed in garlic and spinach in an Alfredo over linguini! - Italian Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

This was one of the best Italian meals that I have ever had, and the service was just as good. All sauces and pastas were homemade and portions were generous. I can't recommend this restaurant highly enough! read more

Hidden gem with wonderful authentic, house made pastas. Rich cream sauces, hearty portions, and friendly cafe-like atmosphere. Wait staff are friendly and attentive. read more

Il Pastaio - Papperdelle paglia 2 colors, shrimp, Porto fino, and alfredo sauce. - Italian Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

Great food and awesome customer service. This was the most authentic Italian restaurant I have ever been in.

This restaurant's hours are unusual, and its location in the strip mall near the King Soopers is strange. Most restaurants are not closed on weekends, and you don't typically expect better ones to be in the strip mall near a grocery store, but their raviolis are fantastic. You can eat in the restaurant, carry out from the restaurant, or order bulk ravioli from the restaurant and eat it at home. They are always busy because their ravioli is so good. We ordered some bulk ravioli last night, and we will probably have leftover ravioli for lunch today. read more

Absolutely the best Italian I'v found in Colorado this far. Pasta and sauce made fresh un house, delicious bread, whats not to love? Ok the prices are a bit high but worth it. Tiny little place means they will turn you away without a reservation even a couple hours before closing so be aware of that. read more

When you call I'll Pastaio to place a take out order, expect to be greeted by a friendly voice on the other end. During a time when you don't get a server interaction (no dine-in due to covid) a phone greeting goes a long way. We ordered the fettuccini and mushroom ravioli with a side salad (perfect for two to share). Yum! We were pleasantly surprised by the addition of three delicious dinner rolls to round out the meal. I'm so excited to see they offer bulk buying for their sauces and pasta. Check out their website and order some for the upcoming season! read more

The owners were so sweet and the pasta I got was so good it almost made me cry. Love this place.

Suuuuper good! Ordered pasta and I watched them make it home made while I waited. Also have super good homemade pesto for take out as well! So yummy! read more

While the food is good, the gentleman at the counter during lunch is rude. Why even open for lunch if you do not want to be there. Disappointed- if only the owners knew what was going on. And yes, the daughter was there and also ignored us. Nighttime service is A+. Lunchtime F read more

This place didn't look impressive from the outside, but as soon as I walked in, it smelled like my Nonna's house. The nostalgia did not stop there. I had not had a pasta meal like this since I was in my nonna's kitchen in Italy. The bread was crusty on the outside and perfectly chewy on the inside, the ravioli was tender and full of flavor, and the marinara sauce was delicious with the perfect amount of spices just like my Nonna's. I topped my meal off with a cappuccino which was a great end to an outstanding authentic Italian meal. If you are ever in Boulder and love authentic, reasonably-priced Italian food, you can't leave without visiting this little gem! read more

We enjoyed a nice meal here with our son. A number of reviewers mention its not fancy and in a strip center. Interestingly, it felt a lot like small trattorie in Italy, which are often very simple and serve great food. The staff was very friendly. The food was good; not amazing but generally tasty and well-prepared. The house wine is what you'd expect - ok wine at a good price. We had desserts, which were fine. We ended up spending $175 (with tip) and felt like we had a good meal for the money. The best dishes: - carrot soup special (nicely creamy but not overly so) - Linguini Mare Nero (black wide pasta with fresh, garlicky marinara and lots of mussels and shrimp) - gnocchi (not too large, very fresh and soft) Good dishes: - insalata mista Underwhelming dishes: - The Swisso (veal cutlet stuffed with ham and cheese, breaded and baked, topped with cheese). It wasn't bad, just not much to it and it was a small portion. - calamari salad. The calamari was on the mushy side, not firm. Disappointment: - the arrabiata sauce on my gnocchi. It was too spicy. The problem was not the spiciness (I like spicy food) but the heat overwhelmed the rest of the dish. I've had arrabiata sauce many times, including in Italy, and it generally has just enough spice to be noticeable. I suggest getting the gnocchi with the regular marinara, which was excellent, garlicky and fresh. read more

Amazing little spot! Great service great food great wine! We walked in on a busy night and the host had us sat quickly and made sure we needed nothing I had the eggplant (amazing) We even took sauce home! From Wisconsin with love! read more

Il Pastaio - Eggplant parm - Italian Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

Hidden gem!! Expensive, but for the authentic Italian experience it's definitely worth it. Our server was so kind and personal, and made the overall experience amazing :) You could tell he was genuinely happy that we were there- something seen very rarely in the customer service industry!! Thank you for being incredible chefs and human beings- we will most definitely be back! read more

Best Italian in Boulder. They make all their pasta and sauces fresh on site and you can really taste the difference. Don't waste your time and money with Carreli's, Pasta Jay's etc. they can't hold a candle to zip Pastaio. read more

Il Pastaio was wonderful! Our party of 7 sat at a small high table in the middle of the very small, intimate space. We had burrata, daily special gazpacho (served along cucumber, yellow pepper, and onion garnishes), and a variety of pasta and gnocchi. Everyone loved their dishes! The taste, temperature, and texture of everything was perfect. Service was very personal and attentive. We will definitely return. read more

"All the tables are high-tops?" My dining companion didn't even try to disguise his disappointment. For most people, this won't matter, but if you're the type of person sensitive to the height of your dining table, take note. The dining room is compact and tiled, with a "tavola calda" for the lunch service, which is essentially cafeteria style counter service; very common in Italy. The kitchen is visible from the entrance, where there are pasta machines hard at work churning out various pastas, like fettucine, cappelini, fusili, and ravioli. Upon being seated, we were promptly greeted with menus and pieces of dense, soft bread and a shaker of parmesan. Throughout our visit, we were well taken care of, and I think every worker in that place came by to check on us, including the owners. Overall the service was really great, especially the offer of the extra piece of bread to mop up the excess sauce after I finished my pasta. The dinner menu is fairly simple, where diners can choose their pasta type (including gnocchi or ravioli for an upcharge) and the sauce to go with it. There are additional traditional "secondi" entree options with meat, but none of my party opted for those. We opted for the following: Ravioli ricotta and spinach in pesto - The ravioli were fairly small but firm and the pesto was very good. Ravioli is a $2 upcharge, which is fair due to the extra work and ingredients, but I felt the serving size wasn't as filling as the other options. Pappardelle with meatballs - The pasta was overcooked for my taste, causing it to be a bit soft. The meatballs were a smooth-type of texture and lacked the seasoning I would have liked. Fettucine arrabiata - Oversauced, in my opinion. Overall this dish was tasty but the pasta was also overcooked. Overall, I think for the price there are better pasta options. Fresh pasta is easy to overcook, but you would think a restaurant specializing in fresh pasta would have that down. The service was excellent and I would certainly go back to give them another try, but my first trip was underwhelming. My 4-star review is held up by the excellent service and the bread. read more

It's a great little family. Italian place. It's a small restaurant with a dozen tables sneak reservations. The lasagna is incredible.

This was the best meal we have had in Colorado. We were greeted by our amazing server Alfredo who immediately recommended the chicken parm with linguini and basilico sauce and the goat cheese ravioli with the pesto cream sauce. Both of them were INCREDIBLE! Of course, we couldn't skip dessert (my husband didn't even give me the option) and we ordered the tiramisu (also an Alfredo recommendation), also incredible! What made the entire experience even better was the genuine and warm hospitality of the entire staff. This really felt like a family operation and that they made us feel like they were so happy to have us. read more

Disappointing quality and over priced. Steam table food - bland flavors. Over cooked pasta - Dry, tough, over cooked meat. Fortunately there are several much better places for Italian food in Boulder - The only thing I'd recommend for this place is to scratch it off your list of options to try. read more

Il Pastaio - Unfortunately, this is a case where it looks better than it tasted... - Italian Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

Too small. Food is marginal and expensive No atmosphere. Told the owner my concerns with an attitude of go somewhere else.

We absolutely love this family owned restaurant. Great food and great customer service. I only wish they had more sitting. They should definitely expand, because they're very popular and it's hard to get a table. Book in advance. read more

I cleaned my plate and licked my fingers. We ordered takeout to go due to COVID.. but that didn't stop this meal from being amazing!! I had the mushroom ravioli with pesto Alfredo and it was phenomenal. It was rich, creamy, delicious and so many flavors. The portion was big enough for dinner and for lunch the next day (which may have even been more flavorful as leftovers. I can't remember what my parents got but they both enjoyed their dishes. Fantastic! read more

This is the best spot for Italian food in the Boulder metro area. Their food is very authentic . The owners of the place were so nice. Overall experience 10/10 read more

Il Pastaio - Drinks - Italian Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

Absolutely amazing! Had the eggplant Parmesan and it melted in my mouth! Also took some takeout fettuccine and sauce and it was delicious! What a great family run establishment! read more

THE BEST ITALIAN FOOD and THE NICEST FAMILY!! IL Pastaio is our go-to restaurant. Their pasta (especially black) and the variety of sauces are excellent. Give them a try :-) read more

One of the best Italian meals I've ever had. Tasted incredibly authentic. We left so fat and happy. The service is great. You start with fresh baked bread rolls. The house red wine is fantastic. We ordered so many pasta dishes. Favorites were: pesto, pappardelle with pepperoncinis chicken and sausage (wow flavor explosion), mushroom ravioli in brown butter. All 5 star. The chicken parm is huge and cooked perfectly. I braved the entire thing on my own but would recommend sharing or planning to take half of it home. We were a party of 7 and it seemed like we barely fit. If you're a larger group plan to come early. It's a small place and by no means fancy but def part of the charm and makes for a great experience. read more

See all

They served various types of lasagna the day I was there. I tried two and they were outstanding. The lunch deal (main , veggie, salad and bread) is very reasonably priced. read more

I love this charming family owned Italian restaurant for several reasons: service is amazing and food including the bread are wonderful too. Lunch menu is excellent with a selection of pre-made entries, veggies, salad and bread. read more

My son and I were in town visiting and wanted some Italian food. We found this place on yelp and couldn't have been happier that we found it. The food was great as well as the service. The ambiance of the restraunt was comfortable and pleasant. I would suggest the chicken parm. read more

Amazing food, amazing service. Beet pasta with sage and butter sauce was exquisite. My partner had the capellini with arrabbiata which had real spice unlike the jarred sauce. Finished with affogato! Make reservations for dinner because it is a small restaurant and very obviously a busy place. read more