Consider yourself fortunate to live in a local that has chefs who strive for incredible and surpass it. The pasta is fresh made and it shows. Willie's just climbed onto my special occasion destination list. Not that each and every day can't be a special occasion, make it one and drop by Willie's We chose eggplant fries with a quite spicy "angry" tomato sauce. This was fresh, crunchy and yes the sauce was angry but we weren't since this was so good. As my main course I chose pappardelle carbonara on wide noodles with richness throughout. Perfect. Our second choice was tortelli stuffed with spinach and mascarpone. Again it was exceptional. The space is small inside with a few seats outside and it constantly buzzed with server and diner activity. It was as though everyone was all part of one group. Our server answered questions and was perfectly attentive. Our first time at Willie's will not be our last. This is one of Reno's finest dining experiences. Do yourself a favor and enjoy it as we did. read more

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This restaurant is so cute and it really feels exclusive. The wait staff was very professional and nice. For dinner we got two different pastas. One included crab and the other was beef. Ingredients were fresh and tasty. Unfortunately, my pasta was overwhelmed by pepper. It blocked out the flavor. We add Leo got the tater tots and they were wonderful. I really loved the aioli with them. We got there right at 5 pm and were able to get a table but the traffic picked up quickly. read more

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As someone who was raised in an Italian family, I can honestly say this was one of the most disappointing Italian meals I've ever had. The pasta was underwhelming, and the meatballs were incredibly dry and lacked the flavor and tenderness you'd expect from a quality Italian restaurant. Seeing "Italian" on the menu set expectations that simply weren't met. Unfortunately, the service was just as disappointing. It was slow, inattentive, and did little to improve the experience. I also found the owner's attitude to be dismissive and arrogant, which made an already poor dining experience even worse. Overall, this was a major disappointment, and I won't be returning. There are far better Italian restaurants that take pride in their food, hospitality, and customer service. read more

This is a tough one. The food was very good, but I'm not sure if I'll go back. The portions were on a smaller side and it's quite pricey compared to most Italian restaurants, however the presentation was very nice and the surface was attentive from the door throughout the entire meal. The hardest part was that we pretty much felt like we were sitting on top of the people around us. It's a small place and I do get they need to maximize their seating to reduce waiting time and improve revenue. Because of the close seating, the ambient noise was significant, which is harder on older patrons. If I went back, I would probably try to find an unpopular time to go. The food was good and that is the most important part! read more

Finally got a chance to dine at Willies and was very impressed by the food. Everything was delicious! The focaccia and tortelli were my favorites! The dessert was also incredible. I ordered the tiramisu and it was so delicious that I didn't even take a picture! Street parking is available. This is a good spot for a date night or fun dinner outing. They do not take reservations so I am not sure if this will be a good place for a giant group. read more

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Enjoyed an outstanding dinner! Service, quality of food was top notch. Despite the unassuming name-this is one of the best restaurants in Reno hands down. read more

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Came here with a friend to do some catching up. The first impression walking in is the delicious smell and friendly staff. We had the octopus, pancherri, and clams. 10/10 would come back! read more

Willies Pasta Shop - Pancherri, clams and bread - Italian Near Me - Reno, Nevada

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Popped in at 7:30 on a Saturday and we're sat immediately! Not sure if it was quiet because another Italian spot in town was having a reopening fest but we certainly didn't mind! To start we ordered the bison tartare, which was a tad salty for me but delicious. We also ordered focaccia, the brisket agnolotti, and the duck confit ziti. I thought everything was cooked to perfection. The pasta was beautifully made. We ended with the butterscotch budino. I found that the salted caramel on top completely overwhelmed the flavor of the budino but was still quite good. We left feeling full and happy! We will be back. read more

Willies Pasta Shop - Italian Near Me - Reno, Nevada

First time here and definitely won't be my last. Started off with the Stracciatella beets appetizer with their grilled ciabatta bread. Beets were refreshing and went perfectly with the grilled ciabatta. Had the Pappardelle Carbonara for my main and it was some of the best pasta I've had in a long time. Had to use the rest of my bread to clean my plate! Had the Butterscotch Budino for dessert which was delicious, but definitely on the sweet side. The Coffee Negroni was an amazing dessert cocktail. Could've drank several of them if I wasn't full! I would definitely come back to try other items on the menu. Might be my favorite Italian restaurant for now. read more

Willies Pasta Shop - Coffee Negroni. Amazing cocktail from the dessert menu - Italian Near Me - Reno, Nevada

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I hate to share about this place because then it may get too busy for me to go but, I'm not about to gate key. Every single item that we picked was a 10 out of 10. We had the octopus, the focaccia, the fettuccine with clams, the tiramisu and the eggplant fries. The tiramisu was soaked perfectly in coffee and liqueur with even amounts of fresh mascarpone cream. You could tell it was freshly made. The only thing I wish was that our server was a little bit more talkative and would've given us a few more recommendations on drinks, but the food and ambience was so superb that it wasn't a big deal. Just a tip that they don't take reservations so you have to get there when they open to secure a spot early or be willing to wait a little bit. In my opinion, it is absolutely worth the wait. read more

Willies Pasta Shop - Menu March 2025 - Italian Near Me - Reno, Nevada

We had an incredible dinning experience with a large group and no reservation. Appetizers and entrees were all amazing (recommend the parmesan tots/focaccia/tiramisu) and the staff gave us exceptional service. I don't think there is anything on the menu you could wrong with! read more

Willies Pasta Shop - Pappardelle carbonara - Italian Near Me - Reno, Nevada

Food was delicious. Service was great and helpful. My friend and I came in a little bit after they opened and there were already a few tables seated. We shared the stuffed flatbread. I ordered the shrimp tagliatelle and my friend ordered the papardelle carbonara. Both were delicious. They gave a good amount of shrimp in my pasta. Noodles were cooked to our liking. read more

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Great meal this weekend at Willies Pasta Shop. Don't let the name deceive you, this is fine dining in a comfortable atmosphere --- Reno Style. Specialty cocktails started our meal. Then onto the OMG - Stuffed Flatbread. Fontina, garlic, artichoke hearts - how do they do it? It's like a crispy quesadilla/scallion pancake had a baby with a piece of focaccia. So good. Then we were celebrating and enjoyed the Florentina Steak - which was amazing. Add the side of carrots - to die for. A bottle of Cab Franc and we were super happy with our meal. But - did you say Budino? Butterscotch? Had to have one of those to share. Service was great - attentive without doting. Go here - it's excellent. read more

Finally got to try Willies! Overall would go back again. Their pastas were the most intriguing with lots of different flavor options. We got the ziti and the carbonara - both were perfectly al dente with good flavors, and the side of focaccia bread was great for soaking up all the extra sauce. Carbonara is not a "hot" dish -more so just slightly warm, which our waiter warned us of (we didn't mind, still very tasty). We felt like the ambiance/decor was not as well thought out as it could be. Prices were on the higher side, but we did feel full at least with the 2 pasta dishes and the focaccia side as 2 adults. read more

Willies Pasta Shop - Italian Near Me - Reno, Nevada

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10++ stars! I usually avoid bar seating, but this experience completely changed my mind. Sitting at this kitchen bar in this intimate little pasta shop turned out to be the best seat in the house -- comfortable, entertaining, and full of energy. We started with the stuffed flatbread, which was perfectly crispy and absolutely mouthwatering. The beet salad was fresh, juicy, creamy, and packed with flavor -- one of the best I've had. Then came the pasta... and wow. The short rib-stuffed pasta was loaded with meat and rich flavor in every bite. The butternut squash filled pasta with sage and brown butter was silky, comforting, and beautifully balanced. Truly unforgettable dishes. Watching the chefs in action was part of the magic. You could feel the passion, precision, and quiet communication happening in the kitchen -- the eye contact alone said everything. It was such a cool, immersive experience from start to finish. We loved every minute and can't wait to go back to try every single dish. If you get the chance to sit at the bar here, take it -- you won't regret it. read more

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Food was delicious. Service was excellent. Small restaurant and gets packed very quickly. Reservations are not available so be prepared to wait. If I am ever back in Reno I will definitely eat there again! read more

Willies Pasta Shop - Lamb with pasta and clams with pasta Rosemary focaccia - Italian Near Me - Reno, Nevada

For Reno an Italian restaurant just needs to be good enough. Prices are high and I don't visit from NY looking for a pretentious dining atmosphere which is what this place is all about. $35 linguine and clams on Virginia in Reno just stop it. read more

You don't usually see a restaurant only opened from Mon-Wed during dinner time - but that's exactly what this place is. I went with my sisters to this restaurant for the first time around 6pm on a Tuesday and was seated right away. It did get quite busy around 7pm and then got less busy around 8pm - I would suggest coming here earlier or later to beat the dinner rush. The layout of the restaurant and menu design reminded me a lot of Kauboi Izakaya which is a restaurant a few doors down. We ordered an abundance of food and were pretty content after each dish! For appetizers, we got the burrata, fritto misto, and the little gems salad. I would have to say that the appetizers were the best part of this meal hands down. I would get all of these appetizers again. For our entrees, we got the bucatini and rigatoncini carbonara. Both of these pastas were okay in my opinion. I wouldn't get either of them again. We then ended with a tiramisu and butterscotch pudding for dessert. Both were delicious. I would get the tiramisu again. Our servers were attentive and friendly. This might just be my new go-to spot for Italian food! I've already recommended this place to many of my friends. read more

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We were excited to see this place had opened after having just the signage up for years (literally). The waiter asked if we had been there before. I replied that we hadn't but were excited because we have been waiting for them to open. The waiter snapped at me and said, "I don't know what you're talking about, we've been open for years". Service left a lot to be desired. They were very short and it very much felt like they just wanted us to hurry up and leave. The appetizers were delicious. We got the beets, and the stuffed flatbread. That and the martini were the last good things. My entree was the pasta with clams. The pasta was terribly cooked and the flavor of the entire dish in general tasted very "off". I didn't finish it and did not take the leftovers. I got the butterscotch budino for dessert. Horrible. It was powdery and just tasted like boxed butterscotch pudding. Lastly, we had two drinks, two apps, two entrees, and a dessert. Total? $300. For mediocre food and a really lousy service experience. If you want people to put up with a snobby wait staff, you really need to up your food game. The best thing about this experience is that afterward we stopped in the place next door, Dolce Caffe. We learned they now also have pasta in the evenings. We have since been back there several times and have always had a fantastic experience. Food is better, service is better, and the prices are reasonable. read more

When I tell you I have been waiting for Willie's Pasta Shop to open for years, I'm not kidding, but I'm happy say it was worth the wait! The place is small and the ambiance is necessarily fancy, but they make up for a lack of fanciness with their food. We got the stuffed flatbread which was buttery, garlicy and delicious. We got the frito misto and i think it's the best I ever have had--it was perfectly fried and the shishito peppers were a nice touch! We got two pastas to share: the agnolotti dal Plain and fonduta ravioli and both were incredible. The flavors were perfect and the handmade pasta was legit. We were too full for dessert but will definitely be checking it out next time. Can't wait to go back! read more

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We went for a double date and had a great time! The prosciutto and melon appetizer was amazing!! I loved my entree and we got a delicious, pretty affordable bottle of wine read more

Willies Pasta Shop - Pork Ragu - Italian Near Me - Reno, Nevada

Well HOLY MOSES!!! How did I miss this one?! And only a few blocks from my home! I guess I should have known it would be fabulous as Willies is owned by the same family that owns Kauboi Izakaya next door (my favorite restaurant in Reno). These Tonopah folks sure know what they are doing. Where Kauboi is loud, brash and eclectic, Willies is upscale, quit and classy, even if the restaurants are identical in their layout. Willies is high end Italian Fusion, and the menu sparkles with genius! I will definitely eat my way through the menu multiple times. It was so good, so pretty, that I forgot to take pictures until I had devoured my food! We started with the Fritto Misto and two kinds of bread then moved on to the pasta. My ravioli were top 5 all time! The Agnolotti? Supreme! The Bucatini? Yummmmm! We finished with a delicious tiramisu and custard dish that almost had us in tears! Thank you Gwen for your humor, your recommendations and being a 5 star server in a 5 star restaurant! Can't wait for my speedy return! Cheers! read more

Willies Pasta Shop - Tiramisu - Italian Near Me - Reno, Nevada

Wanted to love this place since it was my choice for dinner & based on the food only and how everyone else at the table felt about their dishes I don't think we'd come back. The pasta was perfectly cooked & im assuming made in house with how fresh it tasted but it was filled with mascarpone & corn and felt like it wasn't a dish with much substance. I could have ordered a side but none of them sounded appealing. While mistakes happen, the waitress spilled water down my back (after I told 2 of the other support staff I was good with water refills.) When that happened to me when I was a server I'd immediately send out dessert, or offer something off the check as a way to rectify the blunder. Again, I know it's a mistake but getting ice water poured down your spine is never fun. Aside from the incident, the food wasn't exciting enough for a return. read more

Middle of Midtown this gem is a must stop. The food was amazing! Small intimate setting. Beautiful bathroom! We enjoyed everything we ordered! Will be going back to try the other items soon. The bucatini was incredible. Great service and staff. read more

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I finally tried the elusive Willie's Pasta Shop and I'm giving it 3 stars. I had a great time overall, but the inside is seriously packed and crammed. The workers constantly have to slide around you and make you scoot in, and the food was very pricey. Based on their marketing outside the door, I wasn't expecting such an upscale experience and honestly felt underdressed. The hours are also pretty strange. I ordered the veal pasta and it was to die for, and their focaccia was amazing. I think there are a few kinks to sort out, but with the weird hours and the crammed space, I don't know if I'll be spending date night there anytime soon. read more

Willies Pasta Shop - focaccia, veal meatballs - Italian Near Me - Reno, Nevada

The prices here are out of control. Our pasta dishes were $33 a piece. I had the brisket pockets that were pretty good, but a very small portion. She had the squid ink linguine. Her portion was nice, but the flavor was very bland and boring. It's not common that I'm offended by pricing, but this is PASTA in RENO. They need to figure out how to control their costs, this is insane. read more

Willies Pasta Shop - Brisket pasta and squid ink linguine - Italian Near Me - Reno, Nevada

My daughter and I went out to dinner for the first time here last week. The service was great. I was expecting it to be smaller plates and more shareable like this owner's other restaurant however, the portion size was generous and we took to go boxes home with us. They have an absolutely lovely wine list and somewhat formal atmosphere. Although it's Reno, so nothing is ever really ultra formal. I would love to come here on a date night dressed up. Definitely a vibe. My favorite dishes of the night were the Fritto misto and the salad. The heaping, pile of delicious and perfectly fried seafood and lemon over a absolutely beautiful lemon aïoli was absolutely top-notch. So delicious. This appetizer would be perfect to share with four people. The salad with prosciutto and vegetables was also delicious. If anything I would say it was slightly overdressed, but the flavors together were lovely. By the time we got to our means, we were both kind of full. I was surprised to have the carbonara come out and not be a noodle like a bucatini or spaghetti even. That was kind of a surprise. I think I prefer a noodle rather than a pasta shape like this. I just don't think it matched the sauce. The flavors were delicious though and we enjoy the leftovers the next day. The chicken was also very good. I loved the mushrooms and the sauce. We were so full from dinner that we did not get to try anything from the dessert menu. I definitely plan to come back and order with the correct portions in mind. read more

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Food was excellent, drinks were good, service was superb. Not inexpensive but well worth the visit. The Pasta's are imaginative and hearty. If you are not a fan of spice ask for less as calabrian are plentiful. Definitely a go back to place. read more

Excellent dinner!! Great ambience, friendly staff! The meals from appetizers, salads & main entrees to dessert were loaded with flavor and beautiful plating. The decor inside is very nice, comfortable and overall a wonderful experience. They have a great wine list and full bar. read more

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I came in for dinner on a weeknight- I was happy to catch them on a day they were open since they have limited hours of operation. They're in a super great location and the service was excellent! I believe they have the same chef as kauboi izakaya- the menu was written in the same hand writing :) Unfortunately I think it was a little overpriced for what you get - each cocktails is $18 minimum and you're looking at $15-25 apps and $25+ for all meals. It was definitely tasty but it wasn't worth the price for me. I always like to have a good spot for special occasions, but not sure if any dish wow'd me enough to come back. read more

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I have been waiting what feels like forever for these folks to open. Very nice atmosphere, classy but not so classy a pair of jeans and a shirt feels out of place. Fantastic food; it would be nice to have maybe a 1/4, sized more for the money but the quality definitely makes the little extra worth it. Highly recommended! read more

Willies Pasta Shop - Store logo - Italian Near Me - Reno, Nevada

The best real Italian, not Italian American, restaurant in Reno. Calafuria is a close second, but Willie's takes the cake with their regularly changing menu including some staple dishes available regularly. Owner also have two of the other greatest restaurants in Reno. Service is impeccable as with their other establishments. Extremely impressed and would highly recommend for anybody looking for Italian style food, not Italian American food. read more

The pasta was amazing, service good; however the fritto misto was so-so, and the dessert menu pretty unappealing. I was hoping for better at these prices. read more

High quality and comfort. I didn't think there were still restaurants like this. 10/10. Inviting, clean, excellent attention to detail, food was flawless. The wait at Kauboi was too long and licked my way next door to an absolutely fire Italian restaurant. read more

Heard about Willies through a friend. They are open on the weekdays for a few days, so double check the times. Inside is small and you can see the chefs cook away. The staff is friendly and attentive. Came with some friends and we enjoyed our selfs. The stuff garlic flatbread is good, ended up ordering a couple more. The focaccia was ok, the second batch we got was a bit cold though. I got the Pecherri, which is a large rigatoni with a pork ragu sauce, it was good. Couple others in the group got the vegetarian dishes like the ravioli and the tortellini, which in my opinion were all good. Will be back again to try the other dishes. read more

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Quite possibly the best pasta I've ever had! The Tortelli was sweet and tasty @ the Orecchiette was perfectly spicy. Don't miss out on the butterscotch pudding! I'll definitely be back. read more

Willies Pasta Shop - Tortelli & Orecchiette - Italian Near Me - Reno, Nevada

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Food and service were very good ! Everything the table got was delicious, especially the melon prosciutto appetizer. read more

Willies Pasta Shop - Baked ziti - Italian Near Me - Reno, Nevada

Great food, great service. Bartender and other staff are pros. We left smiling and plan to return.

I've been here twice and I can safely say this is some of the best food you will ever have in your life. Yes it is expensive. But worth every penny. Really just incredible. I started salivating just thinking about the mushroom flatbread. I can't think of one thing I would change. Some of the best food on the planet (and I've been to a lot of countries). Go! read more

Had the gem salad and gnocchi, both were fantastic! The gnocchi was cooked perfectly with just the right amount of sauce. I'll definitely be back! read more