fbpx

Italian food is popular in Medellín and we look at nine of the best Italian restaurants in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley that are very popular with good food, updated for 2022.

Several Medellin Guru readers have asked about the best Italian restaurants in Medellín. So, I have been on a quest to find the best Italian restaurants in Medellín. And I have tried over 30 Italian restaurants in the past eight years and many were with my Colombian wife.

Note that many of the pizzerias in Medellín also have some pasta dishes on the menu. But we only included one pizzeria in this list of the best Italian restaurants – Pizzería Olivia – as it has a larger selection of Italian pasta dishes. We have a separate article about the best pizzerias in Medellín.

The following list of the best Italian restaurants in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley was created with the help of my Colombian wife.

Some of the food options at Romero

Some of the food options at Romero

1. Romero Cocina Artesanal

Romero Cocina Artesanal is a popular chain of four Italian restaurants in Medellín with good Italian food and a sizable menu of options.

Romero has a fairly sizable menu with many appetizers, pastas, casseroles, pizzas, salads, house specials and desserts.

They have many different types of pasta dishes available on the menu including fettuccine, ravioli, spaghetti and tortellini. The pasta dishes range in price from 23,900 to 38,900 pesos.

Also, on the menu are six different casserole dishes that are priced from 16,900 to 39,000 pesos. These are house special dishes cooked in the restaurant’s stone oven and combined with ripened cheeses, spices and freshly made sauces.

Also, there are four mixed dishes on the menu with meats, salmon or chicken combined with pasta and vegetables with prices ranging from 30,900 to 34,900 pesos.

Romero Cocina Artesanal has four locations in the Medellín area:

  1. El Poblado: Carrera 33 with Calle 10; Tel: +57 366 1409
  2. Laureles: Av. Nutibara #74B-17; Tel: +57 412 9905
  3. Envigado: Viva Envigado Mall, local 364, Carrera 48 # 32B Sur-139
  4. Beleín: in Arkadia Mall

Website: https://www.facebook.com/romerococinartesanal/

Hours: Noon to 10:00 pm or 10:30 pm.

Grilled chicken, broccoli, carrots and mushrooms on fettuccine, photo courtesy of Parmessano

Grilled chicken, broccoli, carrots and mushrooms on fettuccine, photo courtesy of Parmessano

2. Parmessano

Parmessano is a popular chain of 12 Italian restaurants in Medellín that has some good Italian food. It also has a sizeable menu with many options.

I have eaten at six of their 12 restaurants over the past five years. And the food and service has been consistently good in each location. Parmessano has many things on the menu. So, I haven’t yet tried everything.

Parmessano has a fairly sizeable menu with many appetizers, many pastas with a choice of sauces, several combination plates, sandwiches, salads, house specials and desserts.

They have several different types of pasta available including fettuccine, ravioli, spaghetti and tortellini. With the pastas you can choose from 13 different sauces that include Alfredo, Bolognese, Bolo-Rosa (combination of Bolognese and Alfredo), 3-cheese, marinara and tri-color Italian.  And the pastas cost between 13,900 to 16,300 pesos for a half-portion or 16,900 to 19,500 pesos for a full order.

Also, on the menu are “Muy Parmessano” which are house special pasta dishes that range in price from 18,900 to 29,000 pesos. This includes three different lasagna dishes that each cost 22,900 pesos: chicken lasagna, meat lasagna or a mix of chicken and meat lasagna.

In addition, on the menu there are 15 different combination plates. These combination plates come with beef, chicken or fish that are combined with several pasta options and range in price from 24,900 to 29,900 pesos.

Parmessano has 12 locations in the Medellín metro area:

  1. El Poblado: Ciudad Del Río, Carrera 48 # 19A-70; Tel: +57 444 4662 ext. 118
  2. El Poblado: Mercado Del Rio, Calle 24 #48-28, Local 45-46; Tel: +57 444 4662 ext. 130
  3. El Poblado: Centro Comerical Santafé, Carrera 43A # 7 Sur-170, Locals 3317 and 3319; Tel: +57 444 4662 ext. 126
  4. El Poblado: El Tesoro Mall, Carrera 25 #1A Sur 45, Local 3557; Tel: +57 444 4662 ext. 118
  5. El Poblado: Palms Avenue, Calle 18 # 35-59, Local 205; Tel: +57 444 4662 ext. 119
  6. El Poblado: La Strada Mall, Local 1; Tel: +57 444 4662 ext. 128
  7. Laureles: Unicentro Mall, Local 2-259, 2-262
  8. Envigado: Viva Envigado Mall, Carrera 48 # 32B Sur-139; Tel: +57 444 4662 ext. 134
  9. Envigado, City Plaza Mall, Local 360; Tel: +57 444 4662 ext. 132
  10. Sabaneta: Mayorca Mall, Carrera 48 # 50 Sur-128; Tel: +57 444 4662 ext. 129
  11. Belén: Los Molinos Mall, Calle 30A #82A-26, Local 3184; Tel: +57 444 4662 ext. 120
  12. Lanogrande: Indiana Mall, Locals 9 and 10; Tel: +57 444 4662 ext. 127

Website: http://parmessano.com.co/

Bolognese Lasagna at Pizzería Olivia

Bolognese Lasagna at Pizzería Olivia

3. Pizzería Olivia

Pizzería Olivia is a popular chain of nine pizzerias in Medellín with very good Italian food and great brick-oven cooked pizzas as well. As a result of Pizzería Olivia’s popularity they have grown over the past several years to a total of eight restaurants in the Medellín area.

Pizzería Olivia many Italian items on the menu including choose your own pasta combinations where you chose the type of pasta and other ingredients. In addition, they have three types of lasagnas for 19,500 pesos each.

Also, they have a big selection of 29 different pizzas on the menu ranging in price from 17,500 to 36,900 pesos/

Pizzería Olivia currently has eight locations in the Medellín metro area listed below:

  1. El Poblado: Carrera 43 # 7 Sur-170, Santafé Mall, +57 4 313 1532
  2. El Poblado: Carrera 25A # 15 Sur-25, El Tesoro Mall, +57 4 418 7687
  3. El Poblado: Carrera 43A # 6Sur-15, Oviedo Mall
  4. El Poblado: Carrera 43E # 11A-31, Manila, +57 4 268 5532
  5. El Poblado: Carrera 32 # 25 Sur-47, Mall Zona 2, +57 4 268 7487
  6. Envigado: Calle 30 Sur # 34A-47, +57 4 331 3885
  7. Laureles: Circular 74B # 39-46, +57 4 250 7785
  8. Belén: Carrera 82 # 30A-24, Los Molinos Mall, +57 4 356 0902

Website: http://pizzeriaolivia.co/

Hours (Manila, Envigado and Laureles): Sunday to Wednesday: noon – 10pm, Thursday to Saturday: noon – 11pm

Hours (Other locations): Sunday to Wednesday: noon – 9pm, Thursday to Saturday: noon – 10pm

Some of the food dishes at Della Nonna Trattoria, photos courtesy of Della Nonna Trattoria

Some of the food dishes at Della Nonna Trattoria, photos courtesy of Della Nonna Trattoria

4. Della Nonna Trattoria

Della Nonna Trattoria is a popular chain of Italian restaurants in Medellín with some very good Italian food and attentive service.

Della Nonna Trattoria has a menu that is full of pasta dish choices, combination dishes, pizzas, salads, and much more, plus a wide array of appetizers.

There are several types of pasta dishes available on the menu including fettuccine, ravioli, spaghetti and penne. Also, you can substitute the pasta in each dish for a different pasta.

The pasta dishes range in price from 17,900 to 27,900 pesos. And you can add ingredients like chicken or shrimp to the pasta dishes for 7,900 to 29,000 pesos.

Also, there is three types of lasagna available for 24,900 and 29,900 pesos. And there are many meat, chicken and fish combination dishes on the menu that come with pasta or a salad with prices ranging from 29,900 to 52,900 pesos.

Della Nonna Trattoria has two locations in Medellín and one in Llanogrande that is not far from the José María Córdova airport:

  1. El Pobaldo – Carrera 25 # 3-45, Mall Del Este, Local 193
  2. Laureles – Transversal 39B # 75-25
  3. Llanogrande – Mall Puerto Bulevar, Local 108A

Website: http://dellanonna.com.co/

Phone: +57 4 322 2090

Hours: Monday to Thursday: Noon to 10:00 pm, Friday and Saturday: Noon to 10:30 pm; Sunday: Noon to 9:00 pm.

Some of the food dishes at Il Castello, photos courtesy of Il Castello

Some of the food dishes at Il Castello, photos courtesy of Il Castello

5. Il Castello

Il Castello is a popular Italian restaurant located in El Poblado in Medellín with some very good Italian food with fresh pasta made by a factory owned by this restaurant. Also, the owner of this restaurant is reportedly from Rome.

Something unique about Il Castello is that they have their own separate pasta factory located in the Manila barrio of El Poblado. The restaurant wanted to make its pasta in the original Italian tradition. The pasta is made from eggs with imported premium durum wheat and semolina. And it has no additives, preservatives or dyes.

Il Castello has a menu that is full of pasta dish choices, house specialties, ravioli dishes, pizzas, salads, and much more, plus a wide array of appetizers.

There are several types of pasta dishes available on the menu including fettuccine, ravioli, spaghetti and penne. And the pasta is fresh and made by a separate factory owned the restaurant. Also, you can substitute the pasta in each dish for a different pasta.

The pasta dishes range in price from 20,000 to 37,500 pesos. Also, there is meat and chicken lasagna available for 32,500 and 33,500 pesos.

Also, on the menu are several meat, chicken and fish combination dishes that come with pasta with prices ranging from 36,500 to 46,000 pesos.

Address: Carrera 40 #10A-14, El Poblado, Medellín

Website: https://ilcastello.co/

Hours: Monday to Saturday: Noon to 2:30 pm and 6 pm to 10:30 pm. Sunday and holidays: closed.

Some of the Italian dishes at Caduff Pasta Fresca, photos courtesy of Caduff Pasta Fresca

Some of the Italian dishes at Caduff Pasta Fresca, photos courtesy of Caduff Pasta Fresca

6. Caduff Pasta Fresca

Caduff Pasta Fresca is a popular Italian restaurant located in Laureles in Medellín with some very good Italian food with pasta made in this restaurant. Also, the owners of this restaurant are a Swiss couple

Caduff Pasta Fresca makes their own pasta and they use other fresh ingredients. So, the Italian food here is very good.

Caduff Pasta Fresca has a decent sized menu with several appetizers, pasta dishes, pizzas, salads, meat and fish dishes and desserts.

There are several types of pasta dishes available on the menu including fettuccine, linguine, ravioli and penne. And the pasta is fresh and made in the restaurant. Also, you can substitute the pasta in each dish for a different pasta.

The pasta dishes range in price from 16,000 to 17,500 pesos. Also, there is meat or chicken lasagna available for 17,000 pesos.  And there are 10 additions available for 1,800 to 13,500 pesos.

Also on the menu are several meat, chicken and fish combination dishes that come with pasta with prices ranging from 17,500 to 23,500 pesos.

Address: Circular 73B # 39B-26, Laureles, Medellín

Website: https://www.facebook.com/caduffpastafrescarestaurante/

Hours: Noon to 9:00 pm.

Some of the food dishes at Palazzetto, photos courtesy of Palazzetto

Some of the food dishes at Palazzetto, photos courtesy of Palazzetto

7. Palazzetto D’Italía

Palazzetto D’Italía is a hidden gem Italian restaurant located in El Centro in Medellín with some good Italian food with fresh ingredients. And since this restaurant is located in El Centro, it hasn’t yet been discovered by many foreigners.

Palazzetto D’Italía was founded in 1986. The chef and owner of the restaurant, Elena Cuccia Alloni, grew up in an Italian family where good food was very important. And her father always said “I live to eat and not to live.”

The motto of this restaurant is “the best in pastas”. Also, the pasta and sauces at this restaurant are homemade using high quality national and imported ingredients.

Palazzetto D’Italía has a fairly sizable menu with appetizers, pasta dishes, meat and fish dishes plus desserts.

One of the house specialties is the lasagna. There are 10 different lasagna dishes on the menu priced from 24,000 to 30,000 pesos. And mini versions of four of the lasagna dishes are available and cost 21,500 to 23,000 pesos. Furthermore, the lasagna is available for takeout in sizes for three, six or 10 people.

Also, there are 10 other house specialties on the menu priced from 24,000 to 31,000 pesos.

There are several other pasta dishes on the menu. For example, there are 17 different dishes available with either spaghetti or fettuccine pasta priced from 20,000 to 34,000 pesos.

Address: Calle 54 # 43-102, second floor, El Centro, Medellín

Website: http://www.elpalazzetto.com/

Phone: +57 4 444 7612

Hours:  Monday to Saturday: 11:30 am to 8:30 pm; Sunday: Noon to 4:00 pm.

Some of the food dishes at Dante, photos courtesy of Dante

Some of the food dishes at Dante, photos courtesy of Dante

8. Dante

Dante is a popular Italian restaurant located in El Poblado in Medellín with some very good Italian food with fresh ingredients and good desserts. Also, the owner of Dante is reportedly Italian. So, this restaurant has some authentic Italian dishes.

Dante has a fairly sizable menu with many appetizers, pasta dishes, pizzas, salads, meat and fish dishes and desserts.

They have many different types of pasta dishes available on the menu including fettuccine, ravioli, spaghetti and tortellini. The pasta dishes range in price from 19,000 to 31,000 pesos.  And there are nine additions available for 7,000 to 10,000 pesos.

Address: Carrera 43A # 1Sur-150, La Strada building, local 235, El Poblado, Medellín

Website: http://dante.com.co/

Phone: +57 4 322 0134

Hours: Noon to 10:00 pm.

Il Forno Salmon with Alfredo pasta and salad, photo courtesy of Il Forno

Il Forno Salmon with Alfredo pasta and salad, photo courtesy of Il Forno

9. Il Forno

Il Forno is a very popular chain of 22 Italian restaurants in Medellín and nearby areas that has some good Italian food. This restaurant chain also has a sizeable menu with many options.

The first Il Forno restaurant opened several years ago in the San Lucas barrio of El Poblado. And the restaurant offered Italian food and pizzas cooked in a wood-fired oven.

This restaurant was popular so it expanded to another location. In addition, it has continued to expand to where it now has 22 restaurants in Medellín and nearby areas.

Il Forno has a fairly sizable menu with many appetizers, many pastas with a choice of sauces, several combination plates, pizzas, sandwiches, salads and desserts.

They have several different types of pasta available including fettuccine, penne and spaghetti. And the 17 pasta dishes on the menu cost between 16,500 to 30,900 pesos.

Also, there are four types of lasagnas on the menu priced at 18,900 pesos each. In addition, there are four different Canelones on the menu ranging in price from 18,800 to 19,900 pesos.

Also, on the menu there are 20 different combination plates. And these combination plates come with beef, chicken or fish that are combined with several pasta options and range in price from 18,000 to 27,500 pesos.

The 21 Il Forno restaurant locations are listed below:

  1. El Poblado: Parque Lleras, Carrera 37A # 8-9; Tel: (034) 268 9402
  2. El Poblado: El Tesoro Mall, Carrera 25A # 1A Sur-45, Local 3474; Tel: (034) 266 6827
  3. El Poblado: Santafé Mall, Carrera 43 # 7 Sur-170, Local 4222; Tel: (034) 366 1873
  4. El Poblado: Mall Zona 2 Sur, Carrera 32 # 2 Sur-47; Tel: (034) 366 9891
  5. El Poblado: San Lucas, Carrera 25B # 18A Sur-137; Tel: (034) 317 1225
  6. El Poblado: Calle 18 # 35-69, Local 230, Tel: (034) 352 08 00
  7. Laureles-Estadio: Calle 39C #74-15; Tel: (034) 411 8875
  8. Laureles-Estadio: Viva Laureles Mall, Carrera 81 #37-100, Local 0190; Tel: (034) 413 6379
  9. Laureles-Estadio: Unicentro Mall, Carrera 66B #34A-76, Local 313; Tel: (034) 265 8740
  10. Laureles-Estadio: Calle 53 #71A -86; Tel: (034) 605 0115
  11. Envigado: Mall Villa Grande, Carrera 43A # 25 Sur-25; Tel: (034) 302 6165
  12. Envigado: Viva Envigado Mall, Carrera 48 # 32B Sur-139, 3rd floor
  13. Belén: Los Molinos Mall: Calle 71 # 65-150, Local 01-365; Tel: (034) 418 7116
  14. Belén: Arkadia Mall: Carrera 70 #1-141
  15. Belén: Gran Vía Mall: Diagonal 75B #6-105; Tel: (034) 343 66 36
  16. Sabaneta: Mayorca Mega Plaza Mall, Calle 51 Sur # 48 – 57
  17. Bello: Puerta del Norte Mall, Diagonal 55 #34-67, Local 2-157; Tel: (034) 483 0486
  18. Robledo: Florida Parque, Calle 71 # 65-150, Local 01-365; Tel: (034) 418 7116
  19. La Candelaria: San Diego Mall, Calle 33 #43-77, Local 3305; Tel: (034) 232 7276
  20. Las Palmas: Viva Palmas Mall, Km 16 Alto Palmas, Local 101; Tel: (034) 366 4881
  21. Rionegro: San Nicolás Mall, Calle 43 #54-139, Local 1311
  22. La Ceja: Viva La Ceja, Carrera 13 # 26B-56, Tel: (034) 418 1567

In addition, Il Forno has nine restaurants located in other cities in Colombia.

Website: http://ilforno.co/

The Best of Medellín

Besides this article about the 9 best Italian restaurants in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley, Medellin Guru has several more articles about the best restaurants and coffee shops in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley:

  1. 20 Best Restaurants in Laureles in Medellín
  2. 14 Best Restaurants in Envigado, Colombia
  3. 14 Best Restaurants in Sabaneta, Colombia
  4. 14 Best Pizza Places in Medellín: The Best Pizzerias in the City
  5. 13 Best Burgers in Medellín: Best Burger Places in the Aburrá Valley
  6. 12 Best Steakhouses in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley
  7. 12 Best Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants in El Poblado
  8. 11 Best Mexican Restaurants in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley
  9. 9 Best Colombian Restaurants in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley
  10. 9 Best Italian Restaurants in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley
  11. 9 Best Places for Brunch in El Poblado
  12. 5 Best Independent Coffee Shops in El Poblado
  13. 8 Top Coffee Shops in Laureles
  14. 5 Best Nano/Micro Breweries in Medellín

Also, we have several additional best of Medellín articles:

The Bottom Line – the Best Italian Restaurants in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley

All of the Italian restaurants in the above list have good food and it was honestly difficult to rank the best Italian restaurants in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley.

We have detailed reviews on the Medellin Guru website of all of the above best Italian restaurants. You can click on the link in the heading of each of the best Italian restaurants listed above to find these restaurant reviews. And the reviews include detailed information about the food menu and drink menu of each restaurant with prices.

I eaten at well over 30 different Italian restaurants in the Medellín metro area. And with the help of my Colombian wife we chose our nine favorite Italian restaurants for this list of the best Italian restaurants in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley.

However, I haven’t tried every Italian restaurant in the metro area, as there are over 200 of them. So, if you know of a very good Italian restaurant that you think belongs on this best Italian restaurants list, please leave a comment below.

We are happy to try out additional Italian restaurants and will update this list if we find other good Italian restaurants.

What is your favorite Italian restaurant in Medellín?

Sign up for the Free Medellin Guru Newsletter – You can see all of the previous Medellin Guru weekly email newsletters and sign up here.

Editors note: updated on November 15, 2019 to add the newest Il Forno location in the new Arkadia mall in Belén.

Editors note: updated on February 9, 2020 to remove Pizzería Olivia’s location in Mayorca mall in Sabaneta that closed in late 2019.

Editors note: updated on January 5, 2022 with updated rankings.

Join the networking group in Colombia on Facebook and Whatsapp Channel