Piastra is a family-owned and operated Italian restaurant located on Marietta’s historic town square. The old school pasta dishes on the menu here are all made fresh using local and non-GMO ingredients. Order the classic tagliatelle vongole with little neck clams tossed in white wine and garlic.

La Grotta is a beloved Atlanta classic. This is white tablecloth, fine dining Italian complete with a secret garden right off of busy Peachtree Road in Buckhead. Come here for decadent pasta dishes like sacchetti (“beggar’s purses”) stuffed with fontina and black truffles dressed in marasala wine sauce or pappardelle with lobster and shallots in a rosemary-white wine cream sauce. Jackets are suggested, ties are optional. In other words, don’t wear jeans and a t-shirt here. Reservations highly encouraged.

Chef Craig Richards describes the food at his Midtown restaurant, Lyla Lila, as “Italian in spirit and technique,” but with an “expanded pantry” featuring Georgia grown ingredients. The menu spotlights flavors and dishes found throughout Italy and southern Spain, and offers several of Richards’ handmade pastas and risottos. Reservations highly encouraged; especially for evenings when shows are taking place at the nearby Fox Theatre.

Cibo e Beve in Sandy Springs is a contemporary take on the classic trattoria. Try the pappardelle with braised short ribs tossed in red wine, tomatoes, garlic, and herbs or Cibo’s lobster spaghetti made with Maine lobster tail and tossed in a garlic wine sauce.

Campagnolo is a comfortable and casual neighborhood trattoria with a large patio located in the heart of Midtown one block up from Piedmont Park. Favorites to try here include the pappardelle with duck confit and the fettuccine capricciose with wild mushrooms and arugula topped with pecorino cheese.

Part-restaurant, part-market, and part-pasta company, Storico Fresco in Buckhead is likely one of the best places in Atlanta to buy and consume freshly-made pasta. Portions here are easily shared. Order a couple of pastas for the table like the cacio e pepe, the squid ink ravioli with salmon belly, or lasagna alla bolognese. Storico offers pasta-making classes, too. The team behind Storico Fresco also own Roman Italian restaurant Forza Storico at Westside Provisions District.

Noni’s Deli is an Edgewood Avenue mainstay serving generous pasta portions like grandma used to make only paired with lots of beer, wine, and strong cocktails. Try the tagliatelle with bolognese or keep it simple and order farfalle with marinara and freshly-shaved parmesan. Noni’s also offers deli-style sandwiches with a side of addictive parmesan garlic fries.

Italian-American restaurant Dirty Rascal is the latest dining spot from chef Todd Ginsberg and the team behind Rye Restaurants group (the General Muir, Wood’s Chapel BBQ). Located at the Thompson Hotel, and led in the kitchen by chef Josh Hopkins, head here to dine on red sauce joint classics like steak Diane, lasagna, chicken scarpariello, and eggplant parmesan paired with dirty martinis. Look for meatballs, shrimp cocktail, and hero sandwiches and paninis during lunch, too. Reservations encouraged. 

Bellina Alimentari inside Ponce City Market is an Italian specialty shop and market from Tal Baum (Aziza, Atrium) with a small osteria in back focused on wine and fresh pasta. The menu often changes with the seasons. Don’t pass up the chance to order the basil lumache with basil pesto and pistachio topped with parmigiano reggiano or the slow-cooked beef and pork ragu served over fresh-made pappardelle.

BoccaLupo quickly became both a neighborhood favorite and a destination restaurant when it opened in 2013 on Edgewood Avenue. Order any of the fresh pasta dishes on the menu (the black spaghetti and the 20-yolk tagliatelle are now Atlanta classics.) Make sure to check out the tight wine list and cocktails here, too. Reservations required.

Osteria Mattone from restaurateur Ryan Pernice (Table & Main) and sommelier Dan Pernice brings Rome to the heart of Roswell’s historic district. Try the classic and simple spago pomodoro with tomato, basil garlic, and parmesan or the hearty tagliolini bolognese with beef ragu and ricotta salata. For a taste of the sea, there’s the frutti di mare with calamari, mussels, and shrimp. Make sure to order wine here, too.

Located in the heart of Inman Quarter, Sotto Sotto has been a popular spot for pasta and other classic Italian dishes for over 20 years. Order everything from tortelli di Michelangelo Buonarroti and cacio pepe to fettuccine Alfredo and spinach and ricotta gnocchi here. Reservations highly encouraged. Cashless restaurant.

La Tavola in Virginia-Highland is a neighborhood trattoria in every sense of the word tucked inside a cozy, narrow dining room off of Virginia Avenue. Keep it super simple with a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs or get a bit fancy with squid ink spaghetti made with calamari, Calabrian chilies, and Thai basil pesto. All pastas can be ordered in both appetizer and entree-sized portions. Cashless restaurant.

This cozy Italian bistro (and 2022 Eater award winner for best new restaurant) comes complete with red-checked tablecloths and candlelight. Nestled in the Candler Park neighborhood, Gigi’s serves super fresh takes on classic red sauce dishes made with in-season produce and house-made pastas. Expect everything from beef carpaccio and pasta primavera to rigatoni fazool with cowpeas and chicken marsala served with fresh focaccia bread on the menu. Dessert features Gigi’s popular tiramisu. A tight list of cocktails, wine, beer, and amaro round out the beverage list, which includes the Dirty Gigi martini and a rye Old Fashioned punched up with espresso and coffee bitters. Walk-in only.

Located in the heart of Oakhurst Village, Saba returns to its former home there as Paolino Italian Restaurant and Gelateria. Owned by Shane Mixon, the menu for Paolino’s centers around classic Italian dishes and pastas, including fettuccine Alfredo, linguine and clam sauce, and lasagna, along with lobster ravioli and eggplant pappardelle.

Chef and owner Pat Pascarella kicked off a pandemic renovation of his Decatur restaurant in 2020, reconfiguring the dining room and adding a large outdoor space in back with plenty of seating for dinner under the stars. Head here for Pascarella’s handmade daily pasta specials and pasta flights serving up to five people. End a pasta-packed meal here with affogato or panna cotta. Pascarella also owns Italian restaurants Bastone on Howell Mill Road and Grana on Piedmont Road.

This family-owned, old school Italian restaurant is named for its matriarch, whose parents hailed from Torino, Italy. Expect comforting pastas like baked ziti and lasagna, fettuccine alfredo, and carbonara on the menu here. Bambinelli’s eggplant parmigiana is one of the most popular dishes on the menu. It features lightly battered eggplant simmered in red sauce topped with mozzarella cheese and served with a side of pasta marinara. The restaurant also includes locations in Roswell, Midtown, and Lilburn.

Dominick’s in historic Norcross is where to head for heaping bowls of pasta slathered in sauce and cheese in Gwinnett County. Dishes of pure comfort are on the menu here, like baked ziti or spinach and sun-dried tomato manicotti baked in Alfredo sauce and topped with marinara. There are also locations in Lawrenceville, Buford, and Watkinsville.