Il Ritrovo

THE BEST italian lunch restaraunt I’ve ever been to. You start off with some freshly baked bread that has the perfect crunch on the outside and a silky soft inside. For refreshments, I decided to try with the Lavender Lemonade which was sooo delicious. The food… was cooked to perfection. And our waiter, Dylan…. THE BEST. so friendly, knowledgeable, & attentive.

Use to love, love, love this restaurant for the Neapolitan pizza. This was my first and last meal when I arrived in Sheboygan. But the pizza has changed, it is stuffed with too much sauce and toppings, like an American pizza. The rest of the fare here, has not met with this tragic fate. Although, there use to be better rotation/options in the soup category. Hopefully it is just staff turnover and growing pains. I miss Joe on the Pizza Peel. And I miss the Duke of Devon, for the scrumptious English food, nothing like that around the area now…

Finally got to cross off the final VPN certified restaurant in Wisconsin, and it did not disappoint! The pizza was awesome, pasta options for the kids (not on the menu!) and the BEST espresso martini in America.

Everything stood out pretty great. What makes me crave this place more is it's outdoor eatery and not just indoor. The smoke matches the flavor of the pizza, a wood fried taste.

Some tasty Neopolitan-style pizza made in their wood fired oven. The complimentary Italian style bread and balsamic vinegar was a treat. I will certainly be back.

The atmosphere is nice, but it is a smaller (older) building, so tables are a little more cramped than I'd care for. The food is excellent!

Il Ritrovo is a must-stop Italian restaurant. Their authentic wood-fired pizza is unmatched—I’ve searched everywhere for something similar and haven’t found anything that comes close. We visited the week before Christmas, and despite how busy it was, the experience was flawless. Kyra, our waitress, was phenomenal—knowledgeable, endlessly patient with the kids, and radiated positive energy. From a food standpoint, the fonduta al forno and pizza alla Pepe are mandatory orders. I recommend Il Ritrovo to anyone passing through Sheboygan—it’s absolutely worth the stop.

Wow! My boyfriend and I had dinner at Il Ritrovo today and it lived up to — and exceeded — our expectations! I make wood fired pizza for a living, so I’ve had a lot of it, and this may be the best I’ve had! We had heard Il Ritrovo was fantastic, so when we were in Sheboygan today we stopped in. Food and service were fantastic! We will absolutely return.

Absolutely amazing. Never left a review before this one. The people love being there and it's the closest I've felt to eating in Italy. Truly great place.

My wife and I started coming here 22 years ago when we were first married. Il Ritrovo has never disappointed us. We've been away for a few years, so we looked for the spots we could always count on. Il Ritrovo did not fail. The soups, salads, pizzas and even their wine list and espresso selection are all amazing. I've spent a bit of time in Napoli, Italia, so I love the classic Margherita pizza...but I always love when places will do the Diavola or just simply add some prosciutto after it comes out of the oven. Seriously...this place is one of a kind. Worth every penny!

Amy and I had lunch at Il Ritrovo Friday July 26th. Having had lunch there on numerous occasions, we were well aware of the menu. We sat at the bar and were greeted by one of two bartenders. We immediately ordered one of our favorite dishes and it was great per usual. We had a couple more items which were also excellent. A gentlemen bartender started our service then a woman finished our lunch service. The guy was pretentious but the woman was super pleasant and knowledgeable. Her service was excellent! All in all it was a great lunch. I need to mention that during our lunch we took notice of a few of the servers going in and out of the gelato case helping themselves to gelato. I could not believe when I saw one server filling a customers glass coup with gelato and then swiping her finger along the side and putting her finger in her mouth. That is not cool. One server must have had a half a dozen tastes of the gelato in and out of the case. Having been a server years ago, I would suggest that the staff have some professionalism and take their gelato to the back of the house instead of munching on the product in front of customers. I don't think ownership would be happy with what took place. The other thing we noticed was a puddle of water under the bar that has been there for a few weeks now. Fix it. Keeping up standards, especially in front of customers, is so important. Thank you, Bill

Pastas are so delicious. Get busy so quick but the food with it. Ambiance it's good too I like the ceiling

Overpriced, family of 4 was almost $250 with tip. Food was fine but not for that price.

Recently visited this restaurant with a bunch of friends. We were in the neighborhood on a golf trip after around golf we were looking to have something simple and casual. The setting was very nicely set up with one side sit down restaurant the other side bar and some larger seating areas we had several appetizers the best one was the prosciutto. for dinner we ordered several pizzas Butcher all very well done thin crust, oven and baked and the pasta special which was baked penne. The baked penne was very nice with a little bit of spice. And we wrapped up with some tiramisu and ice cream. The servers name is Allison and she did a fantastic job, remembering everything we ordered without even writing anything down and not making a mistake overall would recommend

As other reviewers have commented, the quality of food at this restaurant was top notch before the pandemic but apparently declined when it first reopened after the pandemic. We dined at Il Ritrovo for the 4th time recently and had a memorable experience that far exceeded the previous visits. The two dishes that we shared for lunch were Con Tono (tuna sandwich) and Pesce del Giorno - Seabass Special. The tuna sandwich had a wide spectrum of flavorful ingredients (tuna, pickled vegetables, cherry tomatoes, and spicy mayonnaise) that made each bite a delightful party in my mouth. The Seabass Special was cooked perfectly with the skin on both sides crispy and the meat inside moist and flavorful, and the tomato sauce on top adds some sweet and sour tastes that further enhanced the flavor of the fish. The dish also came with sauteed spinach and cannellini beans on the side. The spinach was tender and fresh and probably cooked in high heat for a very short time, as it was crispy but not mushy or chewy. The cannellini beans were cooked just right in a flavorful sauce with tomatoes and flavorings. The Italian bread that we were served was clearly freshly baked round lunch time that day and tasted very good. There were a lot of customers that day, and the servers were very busy but still attentive. Our server gave us the tuna sandwich first to make sure that we could start enjoying it fresh and told us that the fish would be ready in a couple of minutes, even updating us about it 30 seconds before it was ready. The restaurant had evidently made other improvements since our last visit in May 2023. The menu seemed substantially different, adding multiple panini and pasta dishes and also serving main course dishes that were not available for lunch in the past. I now feel no hesitation in calling it one of the best restaurants in Wisconsin.

Loved my visit here. Was seated quickly. My server was VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE of all specials and was able to answer detailed questions. Started a minestrone and it was the best I ever had. Moved on to the caprese salad made with heirloom tomatoes. The sweetest juiciest tomatoes. Omg. Buffalo mozzarella was extra creamy. Ended w arancini. The smoked mozzarella combines with the thin crisp of the breading was life changing. This place is a class act. Foodies, do not miss out on this gem!

Was impressed. Food quality delicious and cooked perfectly. Service was quick and efficient. Server knew his menu well. Seating indoor and outdoor. Multiple booths. Not modern, but classic. Street parking so might be hard to find parking when busy. Again, impressed with this place and we will be back to try more foods. Pasta was cooked well. Pizza oven baked! Happy eating!

I would be hard pressed to think of a better pizza that I've had than Il Ritrovo. Some may be close (Lovely's Fifty Fifty in Portland or Settebello in Salt Lake City), but not better. If you're a fan of grocery store or bar pizza, this may either amaze you or not be for you. The fresh ingredients and exemplary service are by themselves worth the visit. Strongly recommend.

Good food but pricey. I love their pizza and how they cook their food. Great environment and atmosphere.

I love this place! It is a favorite pick when going out with my boyfriend's sisters. It's a cute place, casual, always hoppin'! In the summer we sit outside; inside is cozy. There is something for everyone on the menu. But first... WINE! They have my favorite Montepulciano D'Abruzzo. The pizzas are great as well as the salads. My go to pasta is the Rigatoni Con Salsiccia E Gorgonzola. There is so much food, sometimes my man and I split a salad and pasta. You always have to leave room for dessert! The last few times, we have had the same server. She couldn't be more pleasant AND positive. I wish more people were like her! (And I wish I could remember her name...) Anyway, we will definitely be back the next time we are in the area.

Honestly it's just okay. The owner is very pretentious and yes it is AUTHENTIC pizza. The menu is nice and broad, the food is tasty, the ambience is Wisconsin nice. A good date spot. But it's pricey, the wait is kind of long to get a table on the weekend and then again to get the food is a little over hyped. I'd rather go to Uptown Slice, but that's a personal preference!

SO GOOD. SHOULD BE MICHELIN STAR 3. amazing i love those restaurant it is so good 6 stars i dont know how to count or read i love this restaurant so good 6 stars i dont know what i am typing this is so good i love this resturant.

Love watching this place grow in popularity and both of their stores along-side expand! This restaurant is our go-to when in the area and we never leave without stocking up on delicious ingredients next door. The Fonduta Al Forno is still our favorite appetizer, and we never leave without trying a specialty pizza or pasta. The service and staff are always accommodating and nice with how busy they've gotten. They are dog friendly (outside!) and provide an original, authentic Italian experience nestled in sweet Sheboygan, Wisconsin.

Must visit! This is a pizza destination with one of the great domed wood ovens. The pizza was delicious and a little spicy with Calabrese. Amazing crust. Also paired with a surprisingly delicious NA Pilsner from Italian Art.

Excellent pizza, very impressed. Gets busy and doesn't take reservations for groups less than 6 people, so it's best to get there when they're open for lunch (11-2pm) and dinner (5pm-). We had Caldo di Mare (mussles/clam in white wine), Campagnola, Bufalina Bianca, Guisseppe (with arugula on top). Our favorite was bufalina Bianca, hands down. Would love to come ba

Showed up at 9:25 to get a drink to celebrate new years and was told we're closed by the bartender. She was very rude. Very disappointed because we love going there. The lady with blonde/brown hair is a certified you know what.

WTF happened to this place? I have been going to this restaurant for 20 years. I ordered a pizza, focacia with pomodorini. I have ordered this pizza many times, and the pomodorini are always yellow and red cherry tomatoes. Not this time. I got mealy chopped regular tomatoes, not cherry. I asked the server to please investigate, and she came back with a bowl of cut-up cherry tomatoes (also mealy) and placed them on the table. I think she expected me to remove the chopped tomatoes from the pizza and put these cut-up cherry tomatoes on the pizza; essentially, reconstruct my entire pizza at my table. Ignoring the fact that the entire crust was soaked with tomato water from the chopped tomatoes. I thought, why wouldn't she just have a new one made? It was clearly made with the wrong ingredients. They did take it off my bill, but that's not really the point. This place is a certified neapolitan pizza restaurant.Which means it has very high expectations to duplicate the pizza in Naples. One of their specials was a vegetable pizza with salsa Verde.Yes, mexican salsa! This is not neapolitan, in any way. The service was not what it used to be either. I am extremely disappointed and probably won't go back.

AWESOME place. The food is amazing and filling. Thank you to our kind server Antonio for making it a great experience! If you're in Sheboygan GO HERE

It's sad to see a great restaurant suddenly underperform. My wife and I have been coming to Il Ritrovo perhaps twice a year (or more) for a decade. Last night was the first time we were disappointed: We told three family members from Boston that this was the best pizza in the Midwest and better than anything around Boston. Mind you, I grew up in New Haven with Pepe's and The Spot, the places where American pizza was born. After the 45-minute drive to Sheboygan, we shared the "special" pistachio cream orecchiette pasta and arancini: the pasta was 5-star, but the arancini were only lukewarm. We ordered 5 pizzas: and on every one, the so-called crust was soft and chewy, seemingly underdone. There was just a bit of char on the top edge, but none on the bottom. Soft and gooey is not Neopolitan pizza. We had to apologize to our guests for the long trip and disappointment. Could someone turn up the oven? Are we trying to save on the heating bill? Service, however, was excellent, as were the avogado deserts. But when the main act falls short, nothing can make up for it. We may not go back.

Amazing pizza, great service, love everything we've gotten here, and reasonable prices. Great for casual or special occasion, and awesome for nice nights out on the patio. Seating can be a little tight, so not ideal for large groups.

We had a late lunch at Il Ritrovo. Fantastic pizzas - we had the red italian sausage and the white ham & cheese. A nice glass of Verdeca introduced me to a new wine. Sat outside - we did have to join a waitlist but we hovered nearby and were seated in about 20 minutes. Highly recommended. We only have photos of the half of each pizza we packed to go!

Amazing brick oven pizza! I love the simplicity of the restaurant's design and vibe- it felt cozy but elevated.. The service was also amazing and the waiter was very friendly! We will definitely frequent here as I need to try out all their amazing menu options.

This place is wonderful, the pizza the service absolutely great. The only thing I don't like is if you buy a bottle of wine in the wine shop the add over $50 dollars to open it and drink it in the restaurant. That is very excessive. For examples, our letty's inn mechuan, only charges $25 and its a little higher end. Other wise really great food amd pretty great service.

I hesitate to leave a review for this local gem because I don't want to giveaway the secret of how amazing this place is. If I had to choose my last meal, you'd find me in the little table right by the pizza oven, with one of everything on the menu! The best food I've had outside of Firenze.

The food was so delicious and the atmosphere was really cute. Really nice staff with great service. We'll definitely stop in again when we visit the area.

On 8/3 (a busy Sheboygan weekend) my sister and I had the luxury of dining here. The atmosphere is pleasant and the pizza was SO good! Wine selection is great AND they have a variety of delicious gelato flavors. Unfortunately, a *very* rude customer caused a scene and decided to berate not one, not two, but the entire serving staff. With that being said, I think it's important to note how incredibly kind, positive and BUSY not only our server, Kira, was but the entire restaurant was during this situation. Special shout-out to Kira for handling the situation with grace and a smile. We will be back solely for the kindness that Kira showed during such an unusually difficult situation. Definitely dine here!

Absolutely delicious. First time there. The restaurant and bar are really cute and well designed. We had a long wait cause it was so busy but service was good and I definitely can't wait to come back again. Some of the best pizza I've had!

Tasty Italian appetizers, entrees, desserts, and variety of wine selections served by friendly wait and bar staff. This is a must stop restaurant and market in downtown Sheboygan!

Such an amazing time Great server that was stellar with all questions menu related This pizza will change your life!

Love their specials and pizza. They always have our favorite wine called Bucci. All the meals are fresh and authentic. Salads are good also. Servers are friendly and knowledgeable about the food. It really is our special place to go.

Omg! RUN don't walk. Absolutely delicious, we made a stop here driving from Door County to Chicago. No regrets, WI is lucky to have this gem, now we just need them in Arizona! Even the olive oil was exceptional.

This was my first go at Italian food since I returned from my trip to Italy back in June. And dare I say...everything we ordered was just as good, flavor, freshness and quality-wise. Our party of five was seated immediately when we came in during a lunch stop on our road trip--which was nice considering the place was packed for lunchtime! Our server was very thorough with explaining the menu to us as first-timers, and took special note of how our party does not eat pork. The inside is nothing fancy--just a cozy, no frills restaurant. One of my biggest pet peeves with Italian food is everything starts to taste the same. But truly, every item we ordered had its own unique flavor profile. So hard to choose a top three, but if I had to, it'd be the vegetable minestrone, the Caprese Salad and the Calabrese con Miele pizza. Will definitely be back if I'm ever in Sheboygan again!

I am seriously considering moving to Sheboygan just so I can eat here everyday. I'm not even joking when I say this is the best mother fucking pizza I have ever shoved into my mouth. Ok, so we went here for dinner and ordered arancini and their pizza special of the night. The arancini was delicious, but the star was the sauce. That sauce had so much flavor, so much body, yet wasn't acidic and overwhelming. The balance was impeccable. If that sauce was a gymnast on a balance beam, it woulda done it's routine and stuck the landing and scored all 10s from the judges. I wanted to lick the plate clean but I was shamed into acting like an adult. Now on to the pizza. This sounded pretty simple; smoked mozzarella on their pizza sauce, then once cooked, smoked prosciutto is draped on top, and then is sprinkled with arugula, fresh tomatoes. It's fucking life changing. That thin crust held up beautifully under just enough slightly acidic sauce and smokey cheese and meat, followed by that bitter peppery arugula and fresh bursts of tomato. Guys, I was sweating it was so good. And the crust at the end was both crisp and chewy. I dipped it in olive oil and legit died and went to heaven. Oh and everyone was so nice! But also very evil because our server dude (I'm sorry, I forgot his name but he is awesome as fuck) kept tempting us with house desserts. (They roast their own beans for their affogato). In all, I legit would move here because this pizza made feel all kinds of things.

Overall I had a pleasant experience at this restaurant. They seem to have the place pretty well divided in the dinning are for covid restrictions but I did see that the bar was jam packed. I'd advise not sitting there. The bread was ok but needed to be warmed up and have parmesan cheese with the oil. The wine selection could use a good chianti classico but was overall pretty good. The service was great and the pizza was delicious. I did the calzone as a pizza. The flavors were all well balanced and one pizza will really fill you up. I highly recommend this establishment.

An amazing restaurant in Wisconsin. Fantastic wait staff. Pizza is top notch. Highly recommend.

I have very few stipulations for wherever I end up living in the world, but one of my non-negotiable requirements is a good Neapolitan pizza place. I was so delighted to learn about Il Ritrovo from a friend and knew that it was a must-try. I guess you might catch me moving up to Sheboygan soon! Il Ritrovo is located on a cute little street near the lake and definitely has the perfect atmosphere of a neighborhood staple that locals love to frequent. On a Saturday evening, our party of four had to wait about an hour, which gave us plenty of time to explore the riverfront area. The restaurant group also owns Trattoria Stefano (across the street), Field to Fork (attached to Il Ritrovo), and Stefano's Slo-Food Market (so many unique delights!). The restaurant itself has a warm and cozy atmosphere with tall wooden booths and a ceiling fresco. Every table has a view of the main event- the wood-fire pizza oven that allowed Il Ritrovo the designation of Certified Vera Pizza Napoletana member. This status requires a number of qualifications to meet approval by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana and there are only about a hundred such restaurants in the US- so great to find one in Sheboygan! Our waiter exalted the fonduta al forno [$16] as their number one appetizer. This was a fondue-like affair served in a terracotta pot with greens and prosciutto, great for sharing and spreading on toasty bread. It definitely tasted pretty pizza-y from the tomatoes and oregano incorporated in the cheese, so I might go with a different appetizer if you're planning on ordering red pizzas for entrees. It was a satisfying and indulgent dish- maybe not as outstanding to me as the hype made it out to be, but it helped a lot to warm our souls after a chilly riverfront walk. For entrees, we shared the boscaiola [$20], capricciosa [$20], and calabrese con miele [$20]. The boscaiola, a pizza bianca topped with rosemary, pancetta, and mushrooms was a deceptively simple concept full of savory and lightly fragrant flavors. Although all of the pizzas were good, we thought the capricciosa- a pizza rosso topped with mushrooms, ham, artichokes, olives, and soppressata- was our least favorite of the bunch, not because it was bad but just because it was dwarfed by the calabrese con miele. Playing on the hot honey trend that took the coastal cities by storm several years ago, this pizza rosso topped with plenty of cheese and Calabrian chili paste, calabrese salami, and spicy honey was an indulgent and excellent combination of savory, spicy, and sweet. We all agreed that this was the best one! I would say I was definitely satisfied with the pizza here. There could be room for improvement in terms of the consistency of the bake (between our 3 pizzas the bake was quite variable), and the distribution of toppings on the pizzas, but the quality of the food was very clear. We also enjoyed both the lychee fizz [$11] and negroni sbagliato [$10] (had to order this Gen Z drink). A very friendly staff member brought us some of their house-made Nutella gelato to sample as we perused the dessert menu. We decided to close out with their tiramisu (a delight!) and a cannoli studded with plenty of candied orange. The service was incredibly warm and friendly. We felt welcomed as though we were close friends. Our waiter was genuinely interested in how we enjoyed the food and gave many detailed recommendations. It was clear that the team cares a lot about their guests and the quality of the food. They seemed invested in making sure that we had a great experience and got to try all the menu highlights! During college, my friends and I spent many evenings at Eataly joking about school and consuming our weight in Neapolitan pizzas, and I've been chasing the memories of that happiness ever since. Now I'm in graduate school in a completely different state, but thanks to Il Ritrovo, I'm comforted knowing that I can still have the cherished experience of sharing great pizza and laughter with the people dear to me.

It was pretty busy, but we only had to wait about 10 minutes for a table. The pizzas were delicious...perfect amount of sauce and toppings, chewy crust, good flavor. The complimentary sourdough was also a nice touch. We got 5 pizzas and they were all delicious, but my favorite was the Margherita Bufalo. It was a little on the pricey side, but good food and decent amount for the price.

First time here and loved it! Only down side was the 15 minute wait (it was noon on a Friday which was not bad!) Sourdough bread is served before food, had the bruschetta, margarita, and rigatoni con mozzarella and loved all of it! Liked the back of the restaurant's ambiance with the booths! (Did not sit there) Our waiter was great with telling all the specials and checking up on us! Highly recommend for Italian food around here! - from a non-local

Fantastic. Wonderful. The service was awesome. The owner stops at every table after you get your food. They don't push you to turn the table. The food is exquisite rustic Italian. My date and I have both been to Italy. This is great food. The wine selection is small, BUT the wines are matched so well with the food! We shared a salad which was amazing, and not doused in dressing. It had been lightly tossed with olive olive and white wine vinegar. Just so perfect. The pizza was cooked perfectly. Sausage, eggplant, caramelized onions, multiple cheeses. It's worth the drive from Milwaukee.

Amazing waiters and the main chiefs cook amazing food, 5 stars amazing, restaurant in Sheboygan,Wi.

This is a wood fire brick oven pizza and Italian food. I love their pizza. They have all different kinds of pizza including vegan. They also have gluten free pizza. They have a variety of appetizers and desserts. I love coming here.

This is one of our favorite places to stop in Sheboygan. We hadn't been there in a while and it did not disappoint. We shared a salad and a pizza. Both delicious! Our server was friendly and knowledgeable. Don't forget to check out the market while you are there- they have a great selection of hard to find goodies.

As a resident of Sheboygan, Il Ritrovo never fails to impress me no matter how many times I may enter their doors. The food is immaculate and made with delicate care, whether you order their pizza, pasta, or whatever specials they may have. You'll always leave satiated and impressed. The service of all their staff, from the host, the the waitstaff to the chefs is incessantly incredible. Friendly and knowledgeable and attentive to the highest degree. Despite all previously mentioned, my favorite part of the experience of a meal at Il Ritrovo is the artwork. From the ceiling, to the walls, it all adds to the many romantic and historic ideas we associate with Italy and creates a feeling of pure Italian bliss.

Excellent! Everything is delicious. Staff is attentive. This is our 2nd time here. Disappointed NEVER. The caprese salad was beautiful and tart/creamy. The pizza was crisp/chewy. We ordered the house red and it was great! We will come back again & again!

We got to enjoy friendly bartender during our brief wait for a table. Fun and social atmosphere brought us back to our trip many years ago to Italy. Food and service was great. Got the calamari appetizer and special pizza which had ham and veggies. Kids got a pepperoni pizza, which was more of a sausage pizza and buttered noodles, which my son gobbled up.

We love having lunch at Il Ritrovo. It always makes the day a little more bright and special! Today begins the Memorial Day Weekend with the weather quite cold. It has been less than stellar here in Sheboygan for the past couple of days. Today we decided we needed a special lunch date! We both enjoyed sharing the simple salad, followed by our favorite pasta dishes and a glass of wine! Definitely brighten our day!

I've been trying to find the words to describe the meal I had earlier this year in July and I haven't wanted to spoil the magic by putting it in stone, but Yelp keeps telling me to tell you all why I gave Il Ritrovo 5 stars, so here we are. In the words of Stefan from SNL, "It has EVERYTHING": Ambiance, check. Wonderful staff, check. Great location, check. Attached market with local and imported goodies, check And of course, amazing food, five checks. We were there for lunch and did a little of everything. The soup of the day was sort of an Italian wedding soup with cauliflower and as strange as it sounded I had to try and it was delicious. The texture was spot on, tender veggies but not mushy, and well seasoned. We got a simple pie with fresh mozzarella and basil which had just a light char so it didn't taste burnt and a good balance of ingredients so nothing stole the show. I love fresh tomatoes and mozzarella so I got a caprese salad which was beyond fresh and with heirloom tomatoes that tasted straight off the vine and soft, creamy, salty mozzarella. I also am a sucker for arancini and these were perfectly fried crisp outside but creamy inside and sitting in a pool of the most wonderful marinara, not too sweet nor too bitter. We were quite full, but could not resist the tiramisu which is by far one of the best I've had. A huge slice with three layers of goodness - there's no picture because we couldn't resist digging in the second we saw it. My next visit to Sheboygan will definitely bring me back there for lunch, and then I'm very interested in going to their sister restaurant, Trattoria Stefano, across the way for dinner.