Cravin’ Pasta? 5 Best Italian Restaurants in Cabo San Lucas

Ciao!

For some reason, there are some really good Italian restaurants in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

If you are wondering where to eat in Cabo and are cravin’ pasta (or some other Italian dish), the following five trattorias hit the mark.

Best Italian restaurants in Cabo San Lucas

Of course, we love the tacos in Cabo and all the other yummy Mexican food.

And we can’t get enough of the superb farm-to-table dining in Los Cabos.

But every time we visit Cabo (which is often!), we make sure to pop into at least one of these Italian restaurants for a tummy-filling meal.

Because, like you probably, we sometimes need a change…

You could order the healthy fresh catch of the day (maybe lightly seared tuna) served with steamed veggies.

But then you’d miss the homemade pastas.

And that would be a shame. Because the pasta dishes at La Dolce are sinfully yummy.

Maybe go for the tortellini?

Stuffed with your choice of beef or spinach and cheese, it comes nestled in a rich cream sauce of bacon, porcini mushrooms, garlic, sundried tomatoes, sage, rosemary and Parmesan cheese.

Or try one of the thin-crust gourmet pizzas baked in their wood-burning brick oven. Perhaps the chicken, pine nut, mushroom and arugula creation?

Definitely some of the best pizza in Cabo San Lucas!

Bowls of freshly grated Parmesan on the tables attest to the trattoria’s authenticity.

Owner and chef Stefano Miotto, who hails from Treviso, Italy, opened this Cabo location in 2001 after the success of his La Dolce Vita in Puerto Vallarta.

He’s very hands-on, and is often seen greeting diners and checking up on meals.

This Italian restaurant is a feel-good place for casual Italian food. And it offers good value too.

Salvatore G’s (sometimes spelled “Salvatore G”) always gets great reviews for serving some of the best Italian food in Cabo San Lucas.

(It used to be really cheap too, but we noticed a price increase on our most recent visit. Now it’s not so cheap. But it’s still really good.)

Anyway, Salvatore’s is known for their fall-off-the-bone Osso Bucco, as well as their Italian sausage-and-spinach lasagna (a wickedly good twist on traditional lasagna).

But you should start with the “Italian Torta” appetizer.

This dish is made up of layers of seasoned cream cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, pesto and roasted garlic – snuggled up to mixed greens, antipasti and crostini – sinfully delicious!

Just go hungry.

The gigantic servings are one reason Salvatore’s is so popular. Each dish is practically big enough for three people to share.

Upstairs is okay, but not really where you want to be (though it’s sometimes quieter upstairs and easier to talk there).

Service can be on the slow side, especially for large groups.

And you might have to wait a bit, even if you have a reservation. And reservations are essential at this popular restaurant if you have a hope of squeezing in!

Salvatore’s is lively, noisy and fun. Most people leave stuffed and happy.

It’s often recommended by hotel concierges as one of the top Italian restaurants in Cabo San Lucas.

We too suggest you add it to your Cabo trip plans when you go. It’s one of our favorites for consistently good, stomach-satisfying Italian cuisine.

3) Invita Bistro

If you’re looking for another place serving delectable southern Italian food – including piping hot pastas made in-house – hit up Invita Bistro.

Outside the small eatery, a narrow sidewalk patio overlooks Cabo’s central plaza, so you have the option of dining alfresco.

On our recent visit, we started with their spinach, goat cheese and pecan salad. It was okay, but it came with a bit too much dressing for our tastes. (Maybe ask for dressing on the side, if you prefer to go light on the olive oil dressing.)

Pasta (not surprisingly!) is their specialty – and there are many choices on the menu.

Mushroom and parmesan cream fettuccine. Shrimp linguine in a tomato or white wine sauce. Spaghetti carbonara. (Don’t forget to sop up the remaining sauce with the homemade bread!)

Another must-try is the signature lasagna.

Or you could be a rebel and go for the veal in a marsala wine sauce or grilled octopus with asparagus.

If you’re sensitive to wheat, Invita Bistro offers gluten-free pasta selections.

At the end of your meal, a glass of grappa or cold limoncello is a nice way to finish off the evening.

It’s hard to say which is the best Italian restaurant in Cabo San Lucas. But Invita Bistro is right up there.

4) Romeo & Julieta

When you want a quiet romantic restaurant that serves up reliably good Italian food, Romeo & Julieta is a great spot. It’s been in business for donkey’s years.

They have lots of seating, both indoors and outside in a courtyard setting.

And sometimes there’s live music.

On the menu?

Items change depending on what’s fresh and in season. But there are always homemade fresh pasta dishes, of course. You can even order gluten-free pasta.

The restaurant also has a wood-fired oven for thin-crust pizzas

The artichoke risotto gets high marks.

And because we love anything with Gorgonzola cheese, the “four cheese fettuccine” with Gorgonzola, Parmesan, Pecorino and goat cheese (plus chicken) has our number.

5) Il Forno

The smell of garlic is likely to lure you in. But the excellent food will make you stay.

At Il Forno, the fettuccine is tossed with the sauce at your table.

But if you’re not in a fettuccine mood, go for the gnocchi with the four-cheese sauce, shrimp and asparagus. Or how about the lamb ravioli in tomato sauce and truffle?

If you’d rather have one of their meat or seafood dishes, you’ll enjoy the accompanying veggies, which are sourced from their organic farm in Pescadero.

They have lots of options for pizza too. (Gorgonzola, pear and pistachio pizza, anyone?)

So that’s it for these five best Cabo San Lucas Italian restaurants

Let’s be honest. Sometimes we all get tired of Mexican cuisine.

When that happens, it’s nice to know you can get fresh pasta, seafood dishes served Italian style and wood-fired pizza at some great Italian restaurants in Cabo San Lucas.

Buon appetito!

Photos: 3, 4, 11 to 13 © Janice and George Mucalov, Cabo Visitor | Other restaurant photos courtesy of the respective Italian restaurants