# What is the best dish to order at an Italian restaurant?

> Some of these turn up on nearly every menu; others are the reason a kitchen gets a reputation. Pick the plate you would actually order.

*By YPB Team · Published October 30, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/what-is-the-best-dish-to-order-at-an-italian-restaurant*

---

## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Steak**
   A grilled steak such as the Florentine T-bone, now on the menu at almost nine in ten Italian restaurants in America.
2. **Ravioli**
   Stuffed pasta pillows, once ricotta and spinach under tomato sauce, now filled with everything from short rib to squash.
3. **Caesar Salad**
   Romaine dressed with egg, Parmigiano, garlic, lemon and anchovy, finished with croutons.
4. **Antipasto Plate**
   A mixed board of cured meats, cheeses and pickled vegetables, also called tagliere or affettati misti.
5. **Fresh Pasta**
   House-made pasta such as tagliatelle or pappardelle, the calling card of a serious Italian kitchen.
6. **Potatoes as a Side**
   The potato contorno, roasted or fried, a side with a long tradition in Italian trattorias.
7. **Fried Calamari**
   Rings and tentacles of squid, lightly floured and fried, served with lemon or marinara.
8. **Gnocchi**
   Soft dumplings of potato or ricotta, often served with butter and sage or a tomato sauce.
9. **Risotto**
   Short-grain rice cooked slowly in broth until creamy, with cheese, mushrooms, seafood or saffron.
10. **Chicken Parmesan**
   Breaded chicken cutlet baked under tomato sauce and melted mozzarella, an Italian-American classic.
11. **Pork Entrée**
   Pork as a main course, from porchetta and chops to braised shoulder.
12. **Insalata Caprese**
   Sliced tomato, fresh mozzarella and basil with olive oil, in the colours of the Italian flag.
13. **Meatballs**
   Meatballs of beef, pork and veal in tomato sauce, now a popular starter on their own.
14. **Lasagna**
   Layers of flat pasta with ricotta, mozzarella, tomato and meat sauce, baked until bubbling.
15. **Prosciutto**
   Prosciutto crudo, thinly sliced Italian dry-cured ham served on its own or with melon.
16. **Linguine with Clams**
   Pasta with clams in the shell, white wine, garlic, lemon and chili flakes.
17. **Burrata**
   A Puglian cheese with a thin mozzarella shell around a soft, creamy heart of stracciatella.
18. **Beef Carpaccio**
   Paper-thin slices of raw beef, lightly dressed and topped with arugula and shaved cheese.
19. **Eggplant Parmesan**
   Fried eggplant baked with tomato sauce, mozzarella and Parmigiano, the parmigiana of southern Italy.

Tags: food, italy, pasta, restaurants