Sunny Italy Cafe

Sunny Italy Café in South Bend provides a historic take on classic Italian cuisine. With nearly 100 years of service, they’ve perfected a simple yet effective menu of handmade, fresh, and delicious dishes that deliver a wholesome and memorable dining experience. Despite the restaurant being packed during our visit, service was timely, and our waitress was attentive throughout the meal. Every dish we tried was flavorful and expertly prepared. Sunny Italy Café truly offers a charming, family-style dining experience that we look forward to enjoying again soon.

I really enjoyed the food and atmosphere here! I've seen where some reviewers thought that the atmosphere was old and out of style. In the table next to me was a party of 3 gentlemen, the oldest of which was there to celebrate his birthday. I would guess that he is in his 90's. The thought of that brought to my mind the image of an Italian Restaurant from the 50's. Several tables of regulars also enjoyed themselves and sometimes exchanged in conversation. This was before the big dinner rush. We arrived at 4:45PM. The food is amazing! I devoured the Broiled 1/2 chicken. It was fantastic! My friend had the manicotti, it was also great! We had bruschetta before dinner and split a canoli for dessert. I left satisfied! Our server was also very attentive and friendly.

It is a timeless gem with almost 100 years of rich history! The food is authentic and full of flavor, the ambiance warm and nostalgic, and the service always welcoming. A perfect place to experience true Italian charm and tradition

Oh my god the food is wonderful! We had a party of 6 and got there right before the rush. Wonderful service, Stephanie went above and beyond for us. We enjoyed our meal so much! No one walked away disappointed. Desert was amazing, food was amazing. Pictured here we have veal parm and scampi, although everything we tried was amazing.

My first time at Sunny Italy was incredible. Our waitress Alyssa was friendly, attentive, helpful, and overall fantastic. Best garlic bread of my life. Will be returning.

Only place I eat red sauce outside of my own home. Perfect. (2024) Back again, still the best. Waitress was so nice and helpful. (2025)

This is the place my father took my mother when they were dating in the early 50s. Then they took my sister and me later. My favorite place for my birthdays. It's still the same, the foods still the same and I always get the deluxe spaghetti dinner, antipasto with french dressing and spumoni for dessert. It's tradition.

The pasta and meatballs are phenomenal. The sauce and bread were so fresh. We are already excited to come back!

My bf and I went to Sunny Italy Cafe for a romantic dinner during the Winter 2026 South Bend Restaurant Week to take advantage of their fantastic 3 course dinner special. For $24/$25 a person, my bf and I ate like kings! If we were smart, we would have saved some for leftovers but we weren't, and ate everything. We left feeling so full! FYI, Sunny Italy Cafe is celebrating their 100th anniversary this year! First thing first, I want to mention the fabulous service we received from our waitress, who has clearly worked here forever. She was kind, funny, and made us feel like family. When we were checking in for our 6:30 reservation, the man behind us was called by his name and given a big old hug by the elderly lady behind the hostess stand. He is clearly a beloved regular. I got their special cocktail, the $7 "Italian Wedding Martini," which is not a Martini at all, got me super tipsy. It was like the long Island iced tea but tastier and with amaretto. 10/10 would recommend. My boyfriend's pinot grigio wasn't my favorite but it was only $7. So I got the broiled chicken, salad with garlic sauce, the spaghetti as my side, and the bisque tortoni as my dessert, all for $24. My bf got the salad with french dressing, the sausage ragu, and pistachio cannoli for $25. The starter salad was basic but I enjoyed my homemade garlic sauce dressing immediately. Definitely not low calorie! FYI you can buy their dressings to bring home by the quart. Our waitress was excited to tell us that their complimentary Italian bread is supplied by a Chicago vendor called Gonnella's, which is also 100 years old. It was warmed up and incredible. One of the best free breads ever. The chicken was a massive portion, drenched in the most delicious herb-y oily sauce. Their famous spaghetti, which was my side, was clearly a very large portion for being a "side," but their famous sauce was fabulous. I'm very glad our waitress suggested I chose it as my side. My boyfriend, who has been to Sunny Italy before, ordered the sausage ragu for his main. Piled on top of a large pile of spaghetti were two massive sausages. It was yummy and filled him right up! Lastly, we indulged on our two Italian desserts. My bisque tortoni was an amaretto flavored rum ice cream and my boyfriend's cannoli was large and covered in pistachios. We are happy we basically got our desserts for free with this restaurant week special. All in all, for about $80ish dollars with tax and tip, we were very happy with our dinner here. I can't wait to come back and support this wonderful 100 year old family business!

First time at Sunny Italy and hopefully not the last time. My wife and I went to Sunny Italy on a Friday during a Notre Dame home football weekend. We arrived right at 430 when they opened and were promptly seated. Our waitress was young, attentive and seemed sweet. She took our orders, I had the half split complete (meat ravioli and pasta). Meal came with warm Italian bread and salad. My wife had a penne pasta type dish. Both of us enjoyed our meals. Restaurant itself is fairly large and had a lot of character. I would recommend Sunny Italy if you are in the mood for Italian food while in South Bend. It's a quality experience.

Checked one off my dining out bucket list. I finally tried Sunny Italy, South Bend's oldest restaurant (1926, opened as North Niles Avenue Cafe; name changed in 1940). It may be showing its age a bit, but the ambiance seems to tell the story of the Bamber family and the many who have frequented it over the years. Warm and welcoming. The aromas of Italian dishes greeted us, the look and feel of a sweet place in Italy surrounded us, and the meals did not disappoint us. A little on the pricier side, but wonderful to have authentic Italian food. The service was impeccable...everything done right!

I grew up in South Bend and this is absolutely my favorite restaurant! Great Italian food with a family feel. The food is fresh and expertly prepared. The wait staff and the welcome staff are so friendly. Our server was fantastic. She kept coming back to make sure we were taken care of took care of our drinks our food encouraged us to get dessert(we were so full by the time we finished eating our meal we didn't have room). We got wine to drink and then started with salads with homemade salad dressing. I got French and my wife got the house creamy Italian. Fresh excellent a nice size serving. In addition, they brought fresh Italian bread, crispy on the outside super soft on the inside just incredible. And for dinner, we both got spaghetti. I got mine with meatballs and my wife got hers with mushrooms. Again as great as I remember and couldn't stop eating until it was gone. The meatballs are solid and taste. Excellent the sauce is a little sweet, very thick and rich. Just an amazing dining experience. Highly recommended.

The food was unbelievable. It was as if my great-grandmother was in the kitchen. The pans I can only imagine were seasoned like them, too. The antipasti was a delight and huge. You definitely could share with another. The bartender made some solid drinks, and they were strong. The ambiance reminded me of an old-school Italian restaurant that I'd find in Little Italy in Chicago. So think dim lighting, but light enough you could read the menu and see who you dined with. But also dim enough where it creates a spark and a light aura of romance. I would definitely come back and share this experience with my Italian family.

Everything on this menu is amazing. The house dressing is to die for, the warm bread with butter, amazing red sauce. The staff is very kind and helpful. It can be pretty crowded and only has two one person bathrooms but not too bad. Very clean, low lighting, can get kinda loud.

We enjoyed a nice dinner here-- the ambiance is casual and the server we had a super friendly and knowledgeable about every dishes ingredients and prep. We ordered the chicken Parm and spaghetti with sausage sauce and mushrooms. The entrees come with bread and a side salad. A nice Pinot Noir complemented our entrees. The flavors were excellent and the only knock I have was that my spaghetti portion was more side than entree. Overall a great place to enjoy scratch sauce Italian!

This place has always been the number one place for good Italian food in the area. The manicotti is fantastic and the service is outstanding.

I've been coming here for 50 years they have a very authentic Italian flavor I used to come and get their sauce in My Pan and go home and make spaghetti when my kids were young and I didn't want to take them to the restaurant it's always a treat for us

Nicole was great! Not only did She give us great service, but a great tour of the kitchen as well! The food followed suit and was just as great! The manicotti was fantastic!

What a horrible experience. The waiter was the worst ever. When he brought our drinks out to start the night, he threw the napkin over people to where the drink was going to be. He never refilled water or even checked on us. He even mentioned 3 times the roads are really bad like he wanted us to leave. He needs to find a new job. Even though the food was good there are better places to spend my money. We will not be back.

Sunny Italy is the best hidden gem! The entire staff made you feel like you had come home for dinner. The food was delicious, and we all left full and happy. The vibe is a very classic Italian dining room full of history and memories of past celebrations. I can't wait to go back!

The linguine and clams were phenomenal. Old school Italian with exceptional service. We were able to tour the kitchen, which was absolutely spotless!

Wow! Just.... OMG! WOW!!!!!! If you want authentic - with a capital "A" - this is the only place to go for real Italian food. Chef Sis and her family have been creating the finest fare in The Bend for almost 100 years! Michelle is who you want taking you on this culinary journey no doubt. Get in here.... I mean RUN DON'T WALK to this hole in the wall. You will thank me later.

Food, service excellent. Red/White checker tablecloths. Comfortable, laid back atmosphere. My favorite Italian restaurant in South Bend.

I don't know why they have such a low rating. It's crazy. Our service was attentive and friendly. Made one great suggestion after the other. Get the bruschetta. Get the toaster chicken. Get the ravioli. All salad dressings are made in-house. Garlic was our favorite. Get the bruschetta--yes, I said it twice. The restaurant is alimony a hundred years old. It's only open 3 nights a week. Thank goodness I didn't check Yelp and instead was looking on Google maps. You can take your wine home if you don't finish it. And the wine prices are very reasonable.

Great food, service and unique atmosphere . The checkered table cloths and chairs from at least the 40's. Oldest Italian in SB.

Visited this South Bend institution purely by chance while exploring with my favorite 80 year old and couldn't be happier. From the minute we arrived where they jumped in to help us navigate the steps with a walker, we knew we'd made a good choice. The place was abuzz with local folks enjoying this great red sauce Italian restaurant that specializes in fried chicken, fries and serves delicious meatballs with potatoes. Not what I'm used to coming from the East Coast, but we were not disappointed. Ravioli with their homemade tomato sauce was rich and delicious and the spaghetti with olive and oil delivered a great garlic punch. To top it off, they had homemade German chocolate cake or carrot cake for dessert! Epic!

My family has been coming here forever!! The marinara sauce is outstanding, and the people are wonderful! The place is so cute, definitely come.

I really enjoyed the authentic feel of Sunny Italy Cafe. Red and white table cloths, warm bread, amazing homemade dressing and the pasta! Homemade Ravioli This was my first visit and. came recommended by a waiter who had worked there for 25 - 30 years. How could I not try it? They carry a good wine selection by the glass or bottle. The waitress was very attentive to me while she waited on a large party in the upper room. Looks like they can accommodate larger groups normally and my server handled this party or one like a pro while taking care of many others. I'll be back!

Hidden gem outside South Bend. Hands down the best bruschetta I've had in the States for a very long time. I had the half spaghetti half ravioli and it was good. Heavier sauce than I was used to but good.

Incredibly disappointed in my first (and likely only) experience with this restaurant. Sat evening after a home ND game and it was a very busy spot. I ordered the $24 shrimp scampi and I received this meal. 3 shrimp and lukewarm noodles. I can understand the noodles being a bit cool as we were a party of 14, but only 3 shrimp for $24!?!? I was floored and am so not impressed that I don't see ever coming back!

Delicious old school Italian restaurant in South Bend, Indiana home to Notre Dame. This place is always hopping during football weekend and the food is always your traditional Italian entrees. We have been coming here for years (20+) and it always delicious. Service is wonderful everyone greets your with a smile and ready to serve. The have a complete bat which is always nice when you have a big party, everyone has their special cocktail makes the night go smoother. Their antipasto is delicious and huge it is enough for 6 people truly. We always get at least one for the table and another thing that you must get for sharing is a couple sides of meatballs they are amazing, there again traditional italian recipe! Our table had a array of items chicken parmesan was amazing, pasta with meats sauce was so good I took half back to the hotel for a snack. Their pan fried chicken is to die for, be prepared it takes 20/25 minutes because they cook it fresh but it is well worth the wait.

Food, service and ambiance are amazing. This place is a throwback and a real gem! The fried chicken is the best I have ever had and don't sleep on the American potatoes.

What a nice restaurant to go to and have a little pasta for a charitable cause. Sunny Italy has been in South Bend FOREVER and serves delicious food in a casual atmosphere. My friend and I went as we saw they were participating in a restaurant charity week, giving proceeds to the local Children's Hospital. Generous owners in a comfort filled environment - Lovely evening.

First time customer. Very friendly, efficient waitress - who was also doing bartending duty. Food was very tasty, good portions and served at perfect temperature. Enjoyed my mostaccioli . Next time I'd like to try the pork chops!

I used to see the "Sunny Italy Cafe" billboard on old 31 (now HWY 933) near the stateline when I was much younger. I thought about going there a few times in the last 30 years, but never actually did. I guess it was just an instantly forgettable passing thought, and I never heard ANY buzz about the place. Tonight I stopped in for dinner. I arrived at 5:45, the parking lot was almost empty on a Friday evening. (uh oh!) There were two other tables seated and more employees than customers. Right away my skin began to crawl, as I am HIGHLY ALLERGIC to pretension and faux eleganza. The inside looks like a caricature of any 1940's Italian mob film. I thought it stupidly ironic that a restaurant called SUNNY Italy is so dark and dingy inside. The hostess (remember they had two out of thirty tables seated!) walked me to the darkest corner of the dining room. I vetoed this for a spot near the front windows. I knew I wanted the spaghetti with meat sauce. The prices merit special attention: the spaghetti with a nothing special salad (97% just lettuce) and a small loaf of bread cost $15.00. Adding meat sauce was $3.00 extra. The tiny, little gag-sized (8 ounces) bottle of Coke (no refills!) was $2.00. (See pix) I reflexively asked for the house Italian dressing, the waitress repeated back "CREAMY Italian", I said "No, I don't like creamy dressings", she said that's how our house dressing is made. She then SUGGESTED plain vinegar and oil. I didn't like the sound of that so said I will try the creamy house dressing. Five minutes later she brought me a plate of lettuce drenched with plain vinegar and oil. I took a photo for this review and set it on the far side of my table without tasting it. At this same time she brought the little clown-sized bottle of Coke and I uncontrollably laughed as she set it in front of me along with a glass full of ice. I asked her "How much is this wonderful vintage costing me?!" She replied $2.00. As I continued to chuckle at this absurdity she sensed my disdain and offered "The small bottles are a TRADITION with us. Most people DON'T LIKE the big bottles." OH, I SEE!!!, it's a TRADITION! It isn't just you fleecing your customers by serving stingy, small portions for the ridiculous prices- IT'S TRADITION!!! And certainly no one will argue, mock or otherwise impune a TRADITION because that might some how cross into some imaginary cultural disrepect that scares all kowtowed Americans to death! What a steaming load of B.S.!!! Most people DON'T LIKE the big bottles??? When and where do Americans NOT like things big and more? Why do you think almost every restaurant in America offers a giant 64 ounce drink size or at least free refills?!!! This tiny, little joke-sized bottle is nothing more than a money grab as Sunny Italy is counting on people needing more than two Dixie Cups of drink with their meals. I set the doll-sized bottle of Coke on the far side of the table without tasting it. My waitress brought my spaghetti while I was only half finished with my salad and asked if I did not want the travel-sized bottle of Coke? I said "No, not for $2.00 I don't!", with a chuckling smirk in my voice. The spaghetti and sauce was actually pretty good. The meatball was drek. For the money the portion was small. As I finished my poor choice of a meal, I felt suffocated by dusty, old pretension that might have flown three, or four, or five decades ago, but was just sad and pathetic today. Sunny Italy Cafe is attempting to monetize it's moldy, faux grandeur into a palatable fleecing operation that convinces customers that they should feel good about dropping their money here. Their failure becomes more absurd as the years pass, they have become a parody of "added value" through mock solicitousness and third-rate elegance. As I paid, the aged hostess asked how was my meal? I said simply and honestly "Disappointing." She said "What was wrong?", I replied that my review would be on yelp within 24 hours. She asked "What is yelp?"

The food is excellent as is the experienced wait staff. We have been coming here for many years and it never disappoints. This was even an ND home game weekend. Nice cozy atmosphere, old school Italian.

My boyfriend and I had a very strange experience here a couple nights ago. When we got home we both got really sick, head spins, slurred speech, nausea, and poor motor skills. Our waitress seemed like she was having a bad day. I believe that she and the bartended drugged us.

Food was good but not enough. The service was great but left hungry. I'm from the New York area originally and the menu was ordinary and just basic pasta.

Wow this place is old. So much history my mom used to come here with her grandma and grandpa. First time here in a long time and it didn't disappoint. All four of us enjoy our meals and they were all different. I definitely would come back.

Just no good. Nothing much else I can say. One dish and done. Never going back. Sausage, sauce, and meatball is bland and tasteless. I just lost $21. I guess college kids would like this. Not for the sophisticated tongue. On a good note, the salad was good.

Don't believe the reviews. This place has a fantastic red sauce that you need to try. Go for the half ravioli, half spaghetti to try a bit more. Been there for over 90 years. My dad will drive 2 hours just to eat here

My wife and I were looking for a place to host a wedding rehearsal dinner for our daughter's wedding. We needed a private dining area that would comfortable seat 35 people. We looked at Sunny Italy because that was the place my wife's parents were engaged many years ago. I'm sure glad we looked! I had not been there in decades and had forgotten what a hidden gem this locally owned and operated restaurant is. We had the rehearsal dinner there in May 2021 and it was wonderful. The food was hot, delicious, and authentic. And the service went way beyond my expectations. Especially for a group our size. And the cost of the event was very reasonable considering the quality of food and service provided. I can guarantee this will not be my last time to dine there.

Great food ... great service.... But tables are extremely close together... the man at the table beside us NEVER shut up!!!

Cocktails not watered down, generous pour. Good food. Chioppino is perfect. Nice and quiet, good atmosphere. Friendly staff & bartender. Good service.

Imagine your grandmother cooked your dinner-- that's what you get here, not necessarily in a bad way. The pasta sauce and salad dressing were excellent, but the application of oils and dressings a bit heavy handed. Overall an enjoyable experience, and the bread was warm, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, delicious and plentiful.

Really enjoyed the food and atmosphere at the oldest Italian eatery in South Bend! It was recommended to us by the owner's daughter, and we are so glad we checked it out. The place has an old-school, family-style, friendly feel to it. The food was amazing! I had the best tasting, most tender chicken cacciatore I've ever had! Love that the dressings and sauces are all house made and fresh.

I will admit I am a bit of a food snob... My wife is from Calabria.. But... Industrial grade Italian food.. They best thing on the table was the butter. I will say my waitress was helpful and pleasant.

This place is home. It was "restaurant week" and I had an open Friday and thought, I'll go by myself and give it a chance. From the moment I walked in the door, I was greeted with a smell of home cooked love. The aroma guided me to the table and the staff greeted me with familial grace. The homemade dressings made a simple salad extraordinary. The warm bread was heavenly. And wow! The sauce!! I'm fairly certain my grandma and aunts were in the kitchen. Each bite was perfectly seasoned and delicious! I literally licked the plate (to the couple at the table next to me who appeared offended, I'm not sorry for my actions. The sauce was delicious and I NEEDED to finish it). My only complaint about this restaurant is that it tasted so much like home, I was in constant fear that one of my aunts was going to come around the corner and squeeze my cheeks! I could not recommend this place more highly.

Visited during the first part of Winter Restaurant week and I couldn't have enjoyed my experience more!! Cute atmosphere accompanied by friendly staff and of course, delicious traditional Italian eats. Thank you for the lovely experience. I'll certainly be back sooner rather than later..with company!

We had a wonderful dinner here while traveling. The wait staff was friendly and fun. The food was amazing! I would recommend this place to anyone who loves to eat! We will go there again next time we are in South Bend, IN.

Very overpriced and to be quite honest, not that great. Small portions and menu has limited choices. The bar was very limited on cocktails also. I wouldn't go back. Very disappointing.

AMAZING FOOD! Sunny Italy serves beautiful, classic Italian fare, simple - but unique to this family and their restaurant. Service is always great and the food is always phenomenal. The broiled chicken is the BEST!

This place has horrible reviews on Yelp but we came to try it out because it's celebrating 90 years of business and you have to be doing something right to accomplish that! It was busy yet quiet enough to hear your table conversation, charming old school decor which is fine. Friendly staff. We had calamari for an appetizer and I'm not typically a fan but it was really good. Salads with house Italian and house made creamy garlic, both were great. We had ravioli and spaghetti and meatballs, both were very tasty. Finished it off with a homemade cannoli, it was good. We will be back No pics because we ate too quickly, it was that good

We've been going here for over 30 years. Never a disappointment! It's become an all time family favorite. It's the one place my kids want to go to each year for their birthdays. It feels like home. My mother-in-law came here as a child with her parents. Our favorite dish, the spaghetti, of course.

Our entire family gathered to honor our Dad, grandfather, and great papa, totaling about 20 in attendance. Every aspect of the evening was top shelf, and the food was outstanding. It is often hard to please a large group, especially having ages from 2-85...( It was Dad's 85th..),but the evening was a hit, and we all left the restaurant very full and pleased. Special thanks to the entirety of the staff, for making it so very special, and sharing the evening with our family. It was our sole intent, to keep it "just family", and low key. It was just that, but with excellent food, and service. With gratitude, (I will speak for ALL of us) The Albert family. Brent

This place has been around since the 50s and my grandparents used to go here way back when. If you want Italian food like your grandmother used to make, go here. The food is basic and simple. Also their tomato sauce isn't a traditional red sauce. It's more of a brown sauce and it's yummy. I had my rehearsal dinner here it they did an awesome job. I believe that the daughter is currently running the restaurant and she is only open a few nights a week and sometimes takes a few weeks off for vacation. So it would probably be a good idea to call ahead and see if they're open.

No flowers, no candles and 15 bucks for spaghetti and meatball. Yes.. one meatball. Our server was lovely though.