Delicious Italian Restaurants in Sonoma County

Sonoma County, California, enjoys a rich Italian heritage that began in the 1800s, when immigrants moved to the region for timber and railroad work. As they settled, they also built wineries and restaurants and shared their excellent Italian food with the world.

Below is a selection of the best Italian restaurants in Sonoma County Wine County.

Ca’Bianca Italian Restaurant, Santa Rosa

This grand mansion in Old Town Santa Rosa is home to excellent Italian cuisine crafted by husband-and-wife owners Marco Diana and Karin Hoehne. Recipes showcase various regions such as Milano in the north and Sicily in the south, for dishes like seared ahi with homemade ravioli, Sardinian semolina gnocchi with braised beef, or roasted breast of duck.

Dressing up isn’t necessary, but it is fun, as you’ll feel extra glamorous amidst sophisticated chandeliers, white tablecloths, antiques, and gracious gardens.

Catelli’s, Geyserville

Catelli’s is Geyserville’s newest and oldest restaurant. Although it opened under this name in 2010, it actually debuted in 1936 as Catelli’s The Rex restaurant. The menu is a nod to the good old days. Hearty minestrone is just like it might have been when Grandma Catelli served it to young Domenica (now the chef!), who today simmers her own delicious stock. The ravioli is a family recipe, too — delicate pasta pockets smothered in tomato, fresh herbs, and garlic.

Mamma Tanino’s Ristorante, Sonoma

It’s a must for any great Italian restaurant: A chef who was born in Italy. So it is with chef Gaetano Patrinostro, who uses Sonoma County products and imports from his homeland to create authentic Italian cuisine.

This cozy trattoria has old-world charm with white tablecloths, dark wood, and a casual dining room where servers are quick to keep everyone’s wine glasses filled. The menu has favorites like spicy bucatini amatriciana, chicken marsala, and daily specials.

Canneti Roadhouse Italiana, Forestville

Chef Francesco Torre hails from the coast of Tuscany and shares his authentic recipes in the bold, rustic dishes he creates.

The setting features rough brick walls and farmhouse wood tables, while the patio offers relaxed seating beneath towering trees. At the heart of the eatery is an imported pasta machine for cozy comforts like macaroni in Tuscan meat sauce. Enjoy mouthwatering delights like the crispy anchovy melt and beet linguine tumbled with clams.

Diavola Pizzeria & Salumeria, Geyserville

Chef Dino Bugica hand-pulls pizza dough, scatters artisanal toppings, and feeds the pies into a wood-burning oven that glows beneath the growling, tusked sculpture of a pig.

The pizzas emerge charred and golden, crisp and pillowy, and generously decorated with housemade sausage and flurries of white pecorino cheese or juicy clams and garlic. Other delights include red beet antipasti or a big bowl of seafood alla Diavola brimming with citrus-kissed squid and shrimp. And for dessert, basil panna cotta.

Cucina Paradiso Ristorante Italiano, Petaluma

Chef-owner Dennis Hernandez worked at top San Francisco restaurants before setting out to establish his dream of an Italian kitchen in Sonoma County Wine Country.

Now, his dining room, dressed in warm gold and rich wood, sets the romantic mood for classics like homemade soft polenta topped with mushrooms and cheeses or pork tenderloin with porcini and prosciutto. The delicate pasta is a highlight, like ravioli stuffed with roast duck in sun-dried tomato sauce or gnocchi in creamy gorgonzola.

Risibisi, Petaluma

Owner Marco Palmieri’s Sonoma-style Italian cuisine delights with fresh plates like seared duck breast and excellent pasta like sumptuous strozzapreti with braised pork shoulder or house-made gnocchi in wild boar ragu. The chef also prepares gluten-free pasta with remarkable flavor. The mood is a comfortable trattoria with brick walls, warm wood, and a big, welcoming bar. The fan base of regulars knows to ask about the pasta of the day.

Union Hotel Restaurant in Santa Rosa

Union Hotel Restaurant in Occidental

Try one or both of the popular Union Hotel Restaurants. The local Gonnella family has called the Union Hotel Restaurant in Occidental their own for five generations. Here, you’ll find family-style dining for specialties like pizzas and homemade ravioli. 

The newer Union Hotel Restaurant in East Santa Rosa offers a sprawling patio popular with couples and families. Italian favorites include braised short ribs, lasagna, and chicken Florentine, plus burgers and sandwiches served with traditional minestrone.

For other options, find more Sonoma County restaurants here.

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Written by Sonoma Insider Carey Sweet