The best Italian restaurants in Canberra

Behind the grand arched windows of the landmark Melbourne Building sits Mezzalira, one of Canberra’s best and longest-running Italian restaurants (since 1996). Between their fresh bread and pasta, and the peppering of woodfired dishes throughout their menu, the food at Mezzalira is truly special. Changing with the seasons, you may find pappardelle with smoked duck breast, casarecce with suckling lamb, and the mainstay – wood-fire baked focaccia with whipped ricotta and chestnut honey. Yum!

Address: 55 London Cct, Canberra

Price: High-end

Step inside Olive at Hawker and you’ll be transported to the sun-drenched Mediterranean thanks to its light-filled interiors. This gem from restaurateurs John and Aleka brings together Italian and Greek favourites, all cooked with the freshest seasonal ingredients. The seafood spaghetti, packed with prawns, mussels, scallops and fish in a Napoli sauce, is coastal Italy on a plate. You’ll also find crowd-pleasers like zucchini fritters and meatballs, stone-baked pizzas, a hearty lasagna layered to perfection and tiramisu for dessert – if you still have room. With its welcoming vibe, prompt service and dishes bursting with flavour, Olive at Hawker offers a slice of Italian holiday bliss right in the heart of Canberra.

Address: 2a/78 Hawker Pl, Canberra

Price: Mid-range

You can't help but wonder if you're on the shores of Lake Como or Lake Burley Griffin when you're at Molto Italian. Chef Carlo Tosolini’s expansive restaurant will transport you straight to the heart of Italy, with its comforting carbs and deli fridge stocked to the brim with local and specially imported DOP (Denominazione di Origine Protetta) cheeses and meats. Pair buffalo mozzarella and salumi with an Aperol Spritz on one of their outdoor tables, and you could call it a splendid day, but you’ll want to order a dish from their woodfire oven. San Daniele pizza, anyone? 

Address: Element Building Unit, 155/43 Eastlake Pde, Kingston 

Price: Mid-range

Armed with a 300-year-old Neapolitan pizza recipe, Pronto brings Italian soul straight to Canberra. Its two buzzing locations in Queanbeyan and Weston are the only two restaurants in Canberra certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) in Napoli – meaning their food is the real deal. The open kitchen and decor set the scene for long, laughter-filled meals and gatherings. On the menu, classics shine – woodfired pizzas like margherita, capricciosa and porcini; rich pastas like spaghetti carbonara and linguine gamberi; dolci like the house-made tiramisu. Come with an appetite and maybe a few friends – Pronto is loud, lively and lip-smackingly delicious.

Address: Queanbeyan and Weston Creek

Price: Mid-range

Pasquale Trimboli applied his learnings from Canberra’s much-loved Mezzalira to create the very sophisticated Italian and Sons in Braddon (yes, our own prime minister, Anthony Albanese, loves it). This award-winning fine diner serves seasonal Italian pasta and mains with top-quality produce, with the menu guided by the seasons. You can expect to enjoy renditions of pasta and generous piatti principali (main dishes) that change daily using the finest local ingredients like woodfired pork cutlet and char-grilled striploin. Our tip? Make sure you have their wood-fired focaccia – simple but sublime. 

Address: 7 Lonsdale St, Braddon 

Price: High-end

Walking through the brick arches at La Cantina feels like you’ve descended into a secret Italian wine cellar and not a leafy corner of Narrabundah. However, you would be right in some aspects, with stacks of Australian and Italian drops available from their impressive wine collection. Let their savvy waiters steer you towards a drop to go with their traditional Italian menu. This cosy family-run restaurant serves everything from antipasti and pizzas to hand-rolled pasta, with dishes like their agnolotti di anatra duck agnolotti (handmade ravioli filled with confit duck) being a favourite since they opened in 2009.

Address: 4 Iluka St, Narrabundah

Price: Mid-range

An Italian stalwart with more than 20 years under its belt, Belluci's has been serving this city since 1988. While their Woden restaurant closed in 2024, their Manuka spot is Canberra’s go-to for classic Italian food. Think fluffy house-baked ciabatta and focaccia, zucchini flowers stuffed with four cheeses and honey vinaigrette and a range of tried-and-true pizza and pasta. But the magic happens in their hefty secondi offering featuring porchetta with cavolo nero, grain-fed beef fillet, chicken parmigiana and more. The drinks list complements the food with a wide offering of wines, beers and cocktails. And yep, they do takeaway. 

Address: Cnr Franklin and Furneaux Sts, Griffith 

Price: Mid-range

From its pink neon sign outside to the one exclaiming, 'you had me at pizza', Agostinis is a family-owned restaurant meant for family and friends to gather. Whether you’re visiting Canberra, staycationing or simply craving a night out, this restaurant, located in Kingston’s East Hotel, is a place to share pizza and pasta with some vino della casa. Inspired by a bar the family used to run generations ago in Northern Italy, they're known for their specialty starter called 'frico', a Northern Italian pancake of sorts, layered with potato and Montasio cheese and oven-roasted to perfection.

Address: East Hotel, 69 Canberra Ave, Griffith

Price: Mid-range

Fact: Pizza Gusto turned 25 recently and, going by the happy faces of people walking down Lonsdale Street with takeaway boxes, Canberrans love this quirky little woodfired pizza place. Its oven cranks out pizzas and calzones cooked at a sizzling 400 degrees with offerings ranging from classic margheritas and capricciosas to less traditional (but packed with flavour) butter chicken and beef brisket. We love the punny names (Aubergenius, Peppa Pig and Brocksteddy) that the owner Elliott conjures up and how they donate so much to greyhound charaties across Australia. 

Address: 23 Lonsdale St, Braddon

Price: Mid-range

Go to La Rustica for unpretentious Italian fare that you're sure to enjoy by the Kingston Foreshore. Nab a table outside this lakeside joint for comforting Italian dishes. The house-baked focaccia is warm and fluffy – perfect to dip in olive oil, but even better with their antipasto plate. Their secondi will have you feeling like you’ve just been fed by Nonna. Generous portions of rich veal saltimbocca and a pollo parmigiana are hearty and comforting, while the pastas and pizzas give you more than enough to choose from. Don't forget dessert – they've got cannoli. 

Address: Eastlake Pde & Trevillian Quay, Kingston 

Price: Mid-range