Italian Restaurants in Long Beach
A Naples Island standard-bearer for housemade pasta, thoughtful sourcing, and a serious wine program. Featured by Eater LA and still rolling out special menus in 2025, it remains a citywide benchmark for Italian dining.
Tucked into Bluff Heights in Long Beach, California, La Parolaccia shot to near-infamy after a viral TikTok from Ashley Rodriguez that showcased its pasta and pizza and garnered nearly 400,000 likes, making the tiny, 20-seat restaurant impossible to get into for months. Founded in 2004 by Rome native Stefano Procaccini, the family-run spot deliberately evokes Rome with warm earth-tone decor and Italian memorabilia (a signed Totti jersey, a Positano photo, a La Dolce Vita poster and a Roman gladiator chest piece) and a menu that centers on Roman mother pastas—amatriciana, carbonara and cacio e pepe—alongside starters like carciofini dorati (fried artichokes) and involtini di melanzane (eggplant roulades with house-made ricotta) and occasional Roman specials such as venison in Barolo sauce or a bone-in veal shank over polenta. The business expanded over time—adding a wood-fired oven in 2010, an enoteca for assaggini in 2014, and most recently acquiring more space for a potential casual coffee-shop–style area—and under Stefano’s son Michael (trained in Parma and now an instructor) it has also become respected for Roman-style pizza: high-temperature wood-fired pies, focaccia sandwiches stuffed with mortadella and burrata, pizza in pala (paddle-fired directly onto the stone) and tonda Romana/scrocchiarella. The Procaccinis balance curiosity and small innovations with a staunch commitment to tradition—“not here to reinvent anything”—and frame the restaurant as a multigenerational community that shares and creates love through Italian food. La Parolaccia is open Tue–Thu 4–9 p.m., Fri 4–10 p.m., Sat 2–10 p.m., and Sun noon–9 p.m.
A downtown landmark in a grand historic bank building since 1990. Known for polished service, housemade pastas, and an award-winning wine list. Open daily, with live opera performances noted by reservation platforms.
Nuevo Italian fare and cocktails inside the Willmore Building, with live music nights that draw downtown regulars. Private events are a specialty; current dinner service confirmed by OpenTable.
Belmont Shore’s oldest restaurant, serving since 1954. Celebrated by local press for its 70th anniversary, it’s famous for ground pepperoni pies, hearty red-sauce pastas, and a sense of continuity across generations.
Chef Jason Witzl’s Southern Italian-inspired spot anchors Alamitos Beach with handmade pastas, seasonal plates, and community-minded programming. Praised by the Los Angeles Times and highlighted by local food writers for its 2024–2025 resurgence.
A 2025 Retro Row arrival from the Baby Gee team, blending trattoria comfort with California produce—square pizzas, pastas, and a lively patio. Covered by local critics and listed by trusted dining guides as one to watch.
Family-owned since the 1970s and woven into local life, Buono’s serves classic red-sauce favorites and pizza at two Long Beach locations. Their community work and longevity have been spotlighted by local media.
A Norse Way neighborhood trattoria with a deep Italian wine list guided by an owner-sommelier. Known for intimate tastings and a changing seasonal menu; dinner service runs Tuesday through Sunday.
A Naples Island mainstay since 1998, mixing Italian staples with steak and seafood in a white-tablecloth setting. Open late with a loyal local crowd; menu and hours updated on the official site.