10 Highest-Rated Italian Restaurants In South Carolina Today According To Foodies
Ask someone to name Italy’s outpost in America and nobody shouts South Carolina. Yet here we are, and the pasta is absurd.
Somebody clearly did not tell these chefs they were off-script.
The state that perfected the low-country boil also learned to roll fresh pasta by hand. Tomatoes get treated with real respect here.
Mozzarella gets pulled in-house like it owes someone money.
These are the places foodies argue about and rate near flawless. One is Michelin-recognized.
Another fills its tables weeks out. They earned every star the slow way, one plate at a time.
The cannoli get filled the second you order, never before. The pizza crust carries a proper char.
You will taste the difference and feel slightly betrayed by every chain you trusted.
Come hungry and stay curious. South Carolina has been hiding a serious Italian secret.
1. Pelato
Some restaurants earn their reputation one plate at a time, and Pelato on Morrison Drive in Charleston has been doing exactly that.
The space feels deliberate, like someone thought carefully about every detail before opening the doors. It is the kind of place where you sit down and immediately feel like you made the right call.
The pasta here is made fresh, and you can taste the difference. The flavors are clean and confident without being fussy or overdressed.
Locals have been spreading the word about this spot for good reason, and the buzz is completely earned.
What makes Pelato stand out is the balance between approachable and impressive. You do not need a special occasion to show up, but it will feel like one by the time your food arrives.
Located at 1085 Morrison Dr in Charleston, it draws a loyal crowd that keeps coming back. First-timers usually become regulars after one visit, which says everything you need to know about the kitchen.
2. Villa Romana Italian Restaurant
Old-school Italian done right is a rare thing, and Villa Romana in Myrtle Beach has been delivering it for years.
There is something deeply satisfying about a restaurant that knows exactly what it is and commits to it completely.
No identity crisis, no trend-chasing, just solid Italian cooking that tastes like it came from someone’s grandmother’s kitchen.
The menu reads like a greatest hits list of Italian-American classics, and every dish is executed with care. Portions are generous, service is warm, and the atmosphere wraps around you like a familiar sweater.
It is the kind of place you bring your parents and everyone ends up happy.
Foodies in the Myrtle Beach area consistently rank Villa Romana among their top picks, and a meal here explains why quickly.
Sitting at 707 S Kings Hwy, it has outlasted trends and newer spots because it focuses on what actually matters. The food is honest, the prices are fair, and the experience feels personal every single time you visit.
3. Toscana Italian Kitchen
Toscana Italian Kitchen brings a slice of Northern Italian cooking to the heart of Myrtle Beach, and it does so with real confidence.
The name alone sets an expectation, and the kitchen meets it without hesitation. There is a reason this place stays busy even when the tourist season slows down.
The menu leans into quality ingredients and traditional preparation methods that you do not always find in a beach town.
Handmade pasta, carefully seasoned sauces, and dishes that reward your attention with every bite. It feels like the chef actually cares whether you leave happy, and that energy comes through on every plate.
Regulars at 2703 N Kings Hwy, South Carolina, appreciate the consistency here, which is genuinely hard to maintain at this level. You can visit three times in a month and the carbonara will taste exactly as good on the third visit as it did on the first.
That kind of reliability builds the loyal following Toscana has earned.
For anyone visiting Myrtle Beach who wants Italian food that goes beyond the ordinary, this is the address to write down.
4. DeMarco’s Italian
Greenville has become one of the most exciting food cities in the Southeast, and DeMarco’s Italian fits right into that story.
Placed into a suite on Field Street, this spot has a personality that feels neighborhood-first and pretension-last. That combination is harder to pull off than it sounds, and DeMarco’s makes it look easy.
The lasagna here has its own fan club, and honestly that tracks. Layers of pasta, rich meat sauce, and bubbling cheese that arrives at the table looking like a postcard from Bologna.
People drive from neighboring towns just for that dish, and nobody leaves disappointed.
What keeps DeMarco’s at the top of Greenville foodie lists is the staff, who treat regulars and first-timers with the same genuine enthusiasm.
Located at 366 Field St Suite A, the restaurant has a way of making a Tuesday dinner feel like a celebration without trying too hard. The menu has enough variety to keep things interesting across multiple visits, and the quality never seems to dip.
It is the kind of Italian spot that Greenville residents quietly guard like a personal secret.
5. Giovanni’s Italian Restaurant
Giovanni’s on Woodruff Road is the kind of place that fills up early on a weekend and stays that way all night. There is a comfortable energy here that makes you want to linger over your meal rather than rush through it.
The dining room feels lived-in and welcoming, which is a genuine compliment in the restaurant world.
The chicken parmesan at Giovanni’s has earned serious praise from Greenville food lovers, and one bite makes that very clear.
The breading is crisp, the sauce is bright and herby, and the cheese pull is the kind that makes you reach for your phone. Classic Italian-American cooking done with obvious pride and attention to detail.
Giovanni’s sits at 1178 Woodruff Rd and draws a crowd that spans generations, from young couples on first dates to families celebrating milestones.
The menu is broad enough to satisfy everyone at the table, which is a real strength when you are feeding a group with different tastes.
Service here moves with purpose but never feels rushed, and the staff knows the menu inside and out. It earns its high ratings honestly and repeatedly.
6. Di Vino Rosso
Di Vino Rosso on Gervais Street in Columbia operates at a level that feels more like a major city restaurant than a neighborhood Italian spot, and that is meant as the highest praise.
The atmosphere is polished without being cold, the kind of place where a business dinner and a date night both feel equally at home. It draws a crowd that knows food and expects a lot.
The risotto here is worth the trip on its own. Creamy, deeply flavored, and finished with ingredients that show real sourcing intention.
The kitchen clearly has a philosophy, and it shows up consistently across the menu in ways that make you want to try everything.
Located at 807 Gervais St Ste 100, Di Vino Rosso has built a strong following in Columbia’s food community, which is not easily impressed.
The service matches the food in terms of attentiveness and knowledge, and the staff can talk about the menu with genuine expertise.
For anyone who has been sleeping on Columbia as a dining destination, a meal here is a fast and delicious wake-up call that changes the conversation entirely.
7. Portofino Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar
Not every Italian restaurant near the beach remembers that the ocean is close, but Portofino does.
The seafood pasta dishes here carry a freshness that feels intentional and specific, like the kitchen is paying attention to what the coast has to offer. It gives the menu a character that sets it apart from the usual Italian lineup.
The room at Portofino has a warm, grown-up feel that makes it easy to settle in for a long meal. The lighting is right, the noise level is manageable, and the service has a pace that encourages you to stay rather than rush.
That atmosphere is a genuine asset in a tourist-heavy area where dining can sometimes feel transactional.
Foodies consistently rank Portofino among the best Italian options in Myrtle Beach, and the kitchen backs that up with focused, well-executed cooking.
At 9734 N Kings Hwy, it sits slightly north of the main strip, which gives it a slightly more local feel even during peak season.
The seafood linguine alone is reason enough to make the drive. First visits here tend to become habits quickly, and the regulars are very possessive of their favorite table.
8. Il Giorgione
Il Giorgione on Devine Street carries the spirit of a Roman trattoria without the twelve-hour flight.
The menu pulls from authentic Italian regional cooking rather than the Americanized version, which means you get dishes that feel genuinely different from what most Italian restaurants serve.
That distinction matters to serious food lovers, and they have noticed.
The gnocchi here is pillowy and precise, which sounds like a small thing until you taste gnocchi that is neither.
Getting that texture right is a kitchen skill that not everyone has, and Il Giorgione clearly does. It is one of those dishes that makes you stop mid-bite just to appreciate what is happening.
Columbia’s food scene has grown significantly over the past few years, and Il Giorgione at 2406 Devine St has been a consistent anchor of quality throughout that evolution.
The staff brings genuine warmth to every table, and the menu changes seasonally to reflect what is fresh and available.
That commitment to staying current while honoring tradition is what keeps this restaurant relevant and highly rated. It feels like a place that was built for people who actually care about Italian food.
9. Indaco
King Street in Charleston is one of the most competitive dining corridors in the South, and Indaco holds its own with impressive ease.
The wood-burning oven at the center of the kitchen is not just a visual statement, it is the engine behind some of the best pizza and roasted dishes in the city.
You can smell it the moment you step inside, and that smell is pure promise.
The Neapolitan-style pizza here has a crust that achieves that perfect balance of char and chew that pizza obsessives spend years chasing.
Toppings are restrained and high quality, which is the correct philosophy when the dough is this good. The pasta dishes are equally strong, pulling from a menu that changes with the seasons and always feels fresh.
Indaco at 526 King St draws a crowd that ranges from Charleston locals on a casual weeknight to out-of-towners who did their research before arriving.
The room has energy without being overwhelming, and the open kitchen adds a lively transparency that makes the whole experience feel more connected.
For anyone visiting Charleston who wants Italian food with real craft behind it, Indaco is the answer you were looking for.
10. Legami
Legami is the kind of restaurant that makes you feel like you discovered something before everyone else did, even if the wait list tells a very different story.
The name means bonds in Italian, and the restaurant earns that meaning through food that connects people to each other and to the table. It is a genuinely romantic concept executed with real skill.
The house-made tagliatelle with truffle is the dish that gets talked about most, and for good reason. It is simple in the best possible way, relying on quality ingredients and precise technique rather than complicated layering.
That restraint is a sign of a kitchen that understands Italian cooking at a deeper level than most.
Sitting at 492 King St in Charleston, Legami occupies a prime spot on one of the city’s most celebrated streets and earns its place there every night.
The service is attentive and informed without being stiff, and the room has an intimacy that makes every table feel like the best seat in the house.
Charleston foodies rank it among the top Italian experiences in the state, and a single meal here confirms that assessment without any argument. It is special, full stop.
