From The Fairmont San Jose Best Nearby Italian (Restaurants) (10 Overall Closest) Metro: San Jose, CA Bella Mia (Restaurants - Italian) 58 S 1st St, San Jose  CA  95113 • 408-280-1993 Distance: ~779 ft User Rating: 9 / 10         Description: DOWNTOWN. If you're in the mood for great-tasting Italian cuisine served in an elegant atmosphere, look no further than Bella Mia. This popular establishment, situated in one of the city's most historic buildings, combines Old Country style and charm with excellent service and an awesome menu. Popular dishes include flatbread pizzas, seafood pastas and roasted duck. Great happy hour specials on drinks, and small plates are a weekday boon. Original Joe's (Restaurants - Italian) 301 S 1st St, San Jose  CA  95112 • 408-292-7030 • 888-841-7030 Distance: ~979 ft User Rating: 8.6666 / 10         Description: DOWNTOWN. Original Joe's, known to locals simply as "OJ's," has been a staple on the San Jose restaurant scene for nearly half a century. Part of the restaurant's appeal is its simple charm, including a counter that tends to fill rather quickly at both lunch and dinner. The menu boasts some of the best burgers in town, including the spinach-filled "Joe's Special." OJ's also offers several excellent Italian dishes. For dessert, give their excellent tiramisu or cheesecake a try. Il Fornaio (Restaurants - Italian) 302 S Market St The Sainte Claire Hotel, San Jose  CA  95113-2817 • 408-271-3366 Distance: ~1011 ft User Rating: 9.6 / 10         Description: DOWNTOWN. Il Fornaio, located in the Sainte Claire Larkspur Hotel and near the Convention Center, is actually part of a restaurant/bakery chain. The Old World elegance of this restaurant is unmistakable – stylish décor marked by high ceilings and a cozy fireplace and a menu that is second to none. Entrées include several seafood dishes, including lobster ravioli and grilled fish. Il Fornaio also offers excellent breakfast pastries and Italian roast coffee. Spiedo Ristorante (Restaurants - Italian) 151 W Santa Clara St, San Jose  CA  95113-1707 • 408-971-6096 Distance: ~1298 ft User Rating: 8.5 / 10         Description: Spiedo Ristorante is a reasonably priced Italian restaurant that offers a full bar and banquet rooms. The décor is sleek and modern, and the menu boasts such delightful appetizers as calamari, and excellent entrées like grilled steak served with mashed potatoes. Their mesquite-rotisserie dishes are also very popular, including rabbit wrapped in pancetta and roasted duck with balsamic sauce. There is a second location at 223 East Fourth Avenue. La Pastaia (Restaurants - Italian) 233 W Santa Clara Hotel de Anza, San Jose  CA  95113-1710 • 408-286-8686 Distance: ~0.31 mi         Description: DOWNTOWN. La Pastaia, which is part of the Art Deco Hotel de Anza, is one of the more highly recommended Italian restaurants in San Jose. Locals adore the trattoria's casual Mediterranean atmosphere and contemporary Italian cuisine. Their personal pizzas are favorites, and dishes like osso buco, ravioli al sugo, and filetto are also worth trying. La Pastaia also offers a cappuccino bar. Paolo's (Restaurants - Italian) 333 W San Carlos St, San Jose  CA  95110 • 408-294-2558 Distance: ~0.36 mi         Description: Paolo's offers excellent views of downtown San Jose. The restaurant, located near the performing arts center, has been the recipient of a fair amount of national and regional acclaim for its elegant dining areas and dazzling dishes. The menu features a variety of contemporary Italian entrees that change with the seasons. A prix fixe lunch is available. Emile's (Restaurants - Italian) 545 S 2nd St, San Jose  CA  95112 • 408-289-1960 Distance: ~0.47 mi         Description: DOWNTOWN. This Second Street restaurant sets a very high bar for excellence in San Jose. When you sit at one of Swiss chef Emile Mooser's tables, expect to be swept away by a truly unique contemporary European dining experience. The menu includes such dishes as peppered salmon, crusted scallops, and their famous house-cured gravlax. For dessert, try Emile's fabulous "Grand Marnier Soufflé," a delight you will never forget. Special events include Wednesday Murder Mystery Nights, masquerade dinners and much more. RedBrick Pizza (Restaurants - Italian) 579 Coleman Ave San Jose Market Center, San Jose  CA  95110 • 408-291-0600 Distance: ~1.13 mi         Description: Pizza! For many people, it's the ultimate comfort food, the one they absolutely can't do without. And most people agree that pizza baked in a brick oven at high temperatures just tastes better. This is that kind of pizza. Choose your own toppings, or go with the sausage and peppers, Thai chicken, bacon cheeseburger, veggie gourmet or pizza bianco. And after you finish your pizza, have a scoop or two of gelato (12 different flavors every day). Ristorante Fratello (Restaurants - Italian) 1712 Meridian Ave, San Jose  CA  95125 • 408-269-3801 Distance: ~3.09 mi         Description: A casual neighborhood Italian eatery that's family owned and operated, Ristorante Fratello may not have a trendy location or stylish décor, but it does have fantastic classic Italian food. The menu is lengthy, so choosing what to order may be a problem! Sausage polenta, ravioli, cannelloni, spaghetti carbonara, chicken marsala, salmon primavera – all are excellent. Two things are for certain – the tiramisu is a must have, and you will leave absolutely stuffed. Giorgio's Italian Food & Pizzeria (Restaurants - Italian) 1445 Foxworthy Ave, San Jose  CA  95118 • 408-264-5781 Distance: ~4.03 mi         Description: Pizza and classic Italian soups and pastas are the mainstays here. You really can't go wrong with anything on the menu, but the lasagna is a favorite, and calzones are popular as well. Everything's available for take out, as well, which might be the best way to go on a Friday or Saturday night when the place is packed. Copyright ©2001 10Best Inc. All rights reserved.