This is a fantastic hidden gem of a restaurant. Everything is cooked with love and you can absolutely taste it. They also sell delicious take-and-bake foods. We made dinner for 10 with just 2 of the family combos and everyone loved it. The waitstaff is incredibly friendly. Love it.

Best Mussels, Daily (especially the potato and pesto!) Soup, Lasagna, Friday Night Home-Made Seafood Stew, &&&&&& CANNOLIS I have had since ITALY🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹 GO HERE!!

Definitely eat here! But take it to go!!! The Lobster Ravioli with Aurora (tomato and cream) sauce was delicious. The pasta and sauce are all homemade and it truly was one of the best pasta dishes Ive ever had! My husband ordered the Linguini Mare Nero and thought it was good but not great. It just didnt compare to my Lobster Ravioli. The service was great. My only complaint service-wise is that we made a reservation but still had to wait. Its a charming little place. Its just a little too cramped for me. I get really nervous being that close to strangers while Im having dinner, especially during covid. Overall, I enjoyed the food but I would take it to go. The to-go cook at home packages seem like a better bang for your buck anyway.

Loved it. Service was fast and the staff were very friendly/funny. They make their own pasta daily so it was super fresh pasta. We had goat cheese ravioli with pesto cream sauce and it was unlike anything we have ever had. We had two deserts the tiramisu and dark forest cake, both were excellent. They give you fresh bread as well. We will definitely come back someday. I highly recommend this place to people looking for a small/cozy authentic Italian place that is very affordable.

Our AirBnB host recommended this restaurant. We tried their Friday’s special- seafood ($26). It’s very delicious. The bread is fresh made. The beer is reasonable priced($4). There are lots of selections of wine.

It is a small hole in the wall gem… apparently there pastas and the sauce are home made. We loved the pesto pasta… however the ravioli(mushroom) felt a little dry… that said the sauces were very flavorful and felt very fresh… I wish they had some options for kids as well..

I can not say enough good things about this place!!! They hosted our son and daughter-in-laws rehearsal dinner. It was amazing! Between the service and food it was just perfect. My daughter in laws family are italian and they raved about the food!! They were accommodating and truly genuine nice people! Thank you so much for all you all did! We will be back❤️

Such a cute little restaurant, Ive been about 4 times now and will 100% go many times more. The service is amazing and super friendly staff. The food..... outta thus world. Best Italian food in Boulder hands down.

I am an Italian from Jersey and this is the best Italian restaurant in Colorado. 100% must go.

When we walked in, my sister said, If you went to a Thai place that looked like this, you know youre gonna get the best food. Turns out, if you go to an Italian place like this, youre gonna get the best food. Best pasta Ive had, incredible sauce. Nice people. Would go out of my way to eat here again.

I really wanted to like this, but they’re barely better than Olive Garden at 3x the price. The pasta was bland and way overcooked, and the cioppino lacked flavor and was very salty.They’re super friendly though and the restaurant has a nice atmosphere.

Fantastic find!! Great service and even better food! Highly recommend the Alfredo/pesto combination of sauce! Best place we ate at while in Boulder, hands down. Would recommend making a reservation as the place is small.

Absolutely fantastic experience! If you love Italian food you must go here! You can craft your own pasta and sauce pairing. Wine is spectacular. Dessert is impeccable. 10/10!!

Unbelievably good food. Probably the best Penne Vodka I have ever had (and Ive had a lot of it).

What a great find! Food was wonderful, service friendly and efficient. It will become our weekly Italian restaurant. Small. Cozy, quiet, outside tables, perfect for date or family.

I came here due to lots of great reviews and boy were they right about how good it is. I had the meat lasagna, potatoes, and salad and wow, you can really taste how homemade and savory it is! A little pricey, but totally worth it. NOT A BUFFET! Dont let the Buffet reviews fool you like it did me. I will be back to try the ravioli, it looked so good but I was stuffed.

This is an amazing hole in the wall restaurant! They make all the pasta from scratch daily and you can tell that the waitstaff really care about what they do. They are incredibly friendly and they have excellent service. My favorite meal is the penne with arrabbiata sauce and Italian sausage. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu though.

Delicious in house freshly made pasta. I like the menu idea: you pick the pasta type and a sauce type. Thats it. I had ravioli with pesto sauce. Yum yum

As an east coast Italian I had really almost given up on good Italian food in Colorado. My hope has been restored by Il Pataio. Almost everything is house made including sauces and pasta, and you can ABSOLUTELY taste it. Other things are imported from Italy like the canoli which are incredible. On top of the gorgeous flavors and textures the staff were so kind and genuinely caring. Cannot wait to come back.

Friendly service, but waited a very long time for food, long enough for server to tell us he was sorry and that food would be out shortly. Lasagna was good, but so is mine when I make it...slightly disappointed. Ill try again though.

A tradition in Boulder! 20 years bringing home made pastas! Eat in or bring it home! I love their quality! The selection of wines is concise but good! And reasonably priced!

A little treasure! Delicious and well-prepared pastas and sauces with millions of possibilities. Its a small space but didnt feel cramped or loud. The service is really attentive and friendly without upselling or being obtrusive. Im a big fan.

Best Italian in Boulder and the service is always top notch

I ordered pesto cream with mushroom ravioli. It was SO good. I think this can be called real authentic Italian food. They make their own pastas, gnocchi, and ravioli(with many different kinds of fillings). The bread that served before the food was also really good.

First time visitors. The reviews brought us in. I had looked at this website years prior and saw tables in a dining room along with a photo of Frankie Avalon. I had wished to try this place several times but they are not open on weekends. We visited in January 2019 and the seating was all high-tops. Theres no table service; you walk up to the food in the case and choose what you want. The staff is very friendly but they run through the food items so quickly, its hard to understand. Couple that with other people waiting behind you and its a rushed experience for lunch. The tables are small when theres 3 or 4 of you and everyone is saying excuse me as they try to maneuver around one another. It was busy at lunch. The reason I wouldnt return is the fact that garlic is in everything and in great quantities. I had the chicken with green beans, salad, and a homemade roll and all I could taste was garlic. The chicken was moist and cooked to perfection as were the green beans. The salad was excellent but again, I didnt come in for the garlic. The roll, although applauded for being homemade, had not flavor. Oil and vinegar was provided on the table but no butter for roll. Where would you place the oil and vinegar if you wanted to dip your roll into it? They pile your lunch on one plate and theres no room for anything else nor a separate dish for your roll.

Their food is delicious. I appreciate their freshly made noodles in their private factory. Absolutely divine food.

Omg it was sooooo good. Reminded me of my grandmas cooking😍😍😍

We have been going here for years. This is one of the best kept secrets in Boulder. Their dining is intimate and classy, and their take home pasta and sauce is unbeatable.

Delicious homemade pasta, wonderful desserts and a great wine menu.

I had the vegetarian Lasagna. It was good.

Hands down the best restaurant in town. The food is incredible. If you want authentic Italian food, look no further. My girlfriends mother is from Northern Italy and she says it is the closest thing to her moms cooking that she has had in the states. We have gotten bulk pasta during COVID and it has been great and easy to cook at home. Cant wait to get back and dine inside.

Maam, please keep your mask on!First of all, this place sells terrific food. Theyre nice people and I really like them. Its a great place to buy fresh pasta and sauce to make at home.But today when I was there picking up some pasta to make for Valentines day one of the owners kept taking her mask off! Even when it was on it wasnt covering her nose. And she kept pulling it down! The pandemic isnt over and there is no good reason to be taking your mask off if you are not actively eating or drinking. You DO NOT need to pull your mask down to talk! I know it feels like its harder to be understood when youre talking with a mask on, especially if youre speaking in a second language, but thats no excuse to be taking it off.Again, I really like this place and I want them to make it through the pandemic. But Id be devastated if anyone who works there got sick! Not to mention the risk of spreading it to customers.Wearing a mask and wearing it correctly is really important right now. If yours is uncomfortable or ineffective, try a different one. There are all sorts on the market these days and there is no good excuse to not protect yourself and others from dangerous diseases.Please be as safe as possible!

Excellent food and very friendly people representing the place.

My fav Italian food!! Homemade food good!!! Best food ever!!! Fresh Italian!!!

I don’t get it… the food comes out to like $25 a dish, the serving and small and the food is overall really bland. 4.7 stars with hundreds of reviews? Stick to other spots…

Best Italian in town. Great food and amazing service.

I come to this place every time Im in Boulder. The Chicken Parmesan is absolutely perfect. Pair it with homemade marinara and fresh made and cut in front you angel hair pasta and youve got yourself the best Italian meal in Colorado.

Highly recommend!!!! We decided to go to Il Pastaio based on the previous reviews and it exceeded our expectations. Not only is the italian so authentic that the homemade pasta melts in your mouth, but the service is unmatched. Every interaction with the serving team was so wonderful and they seemed to genuinely care that you were satisfied and having a good time. Truly a great experience - we will 100% be back :)

When a visitor or newcomer asks me where they should eat in Boulder, I always tell them here. This is the best Italian food in Boulder, best lunch in Boulder. Unpretentious setting, amazing food. I usually go during lunch, which is choice of your main and a side, and comes with a salad and roll for $13. I usually get the beef lasagne.

I grew up in boulder and consider myself a bit of a foodie. This hole-in-the-wall, mom-n-pop joint has easily the best pasta in town. I love the authenticity and warmth of the family and staff. Be sure to make a reservation though! Its a small space and Im not the only boulderite who frequents this gem.

Fresh, friendly, and fabulous! Even their quick lunch specials are delicious. Scratch-made bread seals the deal and shows they pay attention to all the details.Lovely family and staff along with a cozy, unpretentious atmosphere make it worth returning and working your way through their ample pasta menu. The spicy sauce is actually spicy, too!Our only problem is that now our daughter now knows what fresh pasta tastes like and we dont think we can make her store-bought pasta after this😉❤️ - luckily, you can buy their fresh pasta and sauces to make at home!

Always a great experience with wonderful hospitality!

Delicious food in an unassuming atmosphere.

While visiting Boulder, my wife and I stopped in and had dinner. Great little restaurant, delicious food, and great atmosphere. The staff was so friendly and made sure we had everything we needed. Will definitely go back.

Food was excellent, service a bit delayed. The inside temperature could have been colder given the number of people dining.

I decided to treat myself to il pastaio for my birthday today!We have frequented this fine gem in Boulder for many years. It had been a while, I ordered my usual salad which was delicious, the crispy fresh roll too.Then my main course arrived, clams with linguine in a white clam sauce. Let me tell you this was so good it made my eyes roll back in my head!What a delicious meal and truly the best thing I ever ate!Make a reservation and enjoy this wonderful gem of a place!!!

I’ve picked up food from here twice and both times it has been exceptional. The first dish was chicken Parmesan and it was great. However I’m writing this review because I called and asked if they had chicken Marsala. The man said they did not have it on the menu but can make it for me. They did and it is amazing. Highly recommended restaurant.

What an amazing place, excellent food and service.A bottle of vino, pappardelle bolognese, mushroom ravioli with pesto cream sauce and a side of hopes and dreams ending with tiramisu and espresso.I have just moved in across the road and I am pretty bloody happy with life right now!Well done guys.

I couldnt say enough good about Il Pastaio!! My family and I tried this heavenly spot two weeks ago, and now it has become our go-to Friday dinner spot. The servers, owners, and bussers are SO kind. They make you feel at home! Not to mention the phenomenal homemade pasta. Everything they serve is top notch. You can taste that the food is made with love! Trust me when I say, when you try Il Pastaio, youll never want to eat anywhere else.

Second time eating here and it was great. We’ve also had the friendliest staff both times- best service in boulder. Such nice people and the food is wonderful!

I forget if I already posted a review but I felt it was necessary to post this anyways. Just went for a second time and they are still charming, friendly and serve some of the best Italian food in the area. If you are new or visiting this place is an absolute must visit at least once. Im always going to come back here, especially with family visiting.Ps: the pesto sauce is phenomenal!

Fantastic food and service. Best gluten free gnocchi Ive ever had.

Always perfect service and food! I get the lunch special which is 12 dollars after tax and I usually get turkey lasagna with spicy marinara sauce, with rosemary potatoes as the main side and then it comes with salad and a bread roll. Highly recommended! May be my favorite place to eat in Boulder.

This place is absolutely amazing! Fresh and handcrafted pasta is exceptional. I had dinner here twice and both times were outstanding. The family who owns and operates this restaurant are warm and friendly. They care about quality. What a gem!

Best fresh pasta and best italian food in Boulder. This place is a large part of the heart and soul of Boulder, CO.

This is our go to spot in Boulder, and the food is consistently delicious. Its always as good as I remember it

This is written by a small family and they make Alderman pasta fresh. Their buffet lunch is awesome. Very conscientious about Covid-19.

Best Italian food hands down. Great friendly people that work there and fairly priced.

Best Italian food in Boulder by far, probably in the whole state!

Great food, great experience!House made artichoke ravioli was delicious! Came here for lunch. It is very affordable considering their pasta is house made! The restaurant itself offers a very warm Mom and Pap vibe! Highly recommended!

My wife and I love this restaurant. Family owned and operated, these are warm, friendly people and the love they put into their food shines through. My favorite is the mushroom ravioli with aurora sauce - to die for. Lunches are quick, tasty, and reasonably priced.

Absolutely amazing experience! Fantastic food, the staff were super welcoming and made us feel like family! Will for sure be coming back!

Ordered food for a party at our house. Carryout was ready on time and the food was great as always.Highly recommended !!

I stopped here on a whim for lunch trying to support local businesses. Im from the Philadelphia area and I almost never get iltalian food in Colorado because its never that good. This food blew me away. Everything was delicious and hot. Highly recommend this adorable little place!

Exceptionally delicious homemade Italian food . I will most definitely be returning next time I am in Boulder

Good Quick Italian Lunch. You pick the dishes that you want and they will give you a price. It is more like a quick Italian buffet. They have fish on Fridays which was good. I would say that service needs some refinement, specially on the organization aspect.

I dont get excited about Italian food and pasta--gobs of pasta on a plate with some meat and sauce. But this place had been recommended to us, so there we were.Ive never had an Italian meal that impressed me like this. The pasta is made on site. Mine was a chicken, sausage something-or-other, cant remember the name. The meat and sauce were excellent, the whole plate a delight. My wifes was top notch as well. Well be going back. Its a hidden gem--a small storefront in a strip mall near the big grocery.

Best red sauce outside Italy!! Authentic Italian: Pomodoro, Basilico, Bolognese... theyre all superb. Its not worth making sauce at home if you live near Boulder. 😊

I have been coming here since I was 4 with my family and they never fail to make sure we are happy!! This is a family run restaurant and they are the best family! They are so kind and you can truly tell they care what is being brought out!! Seriously the best Italian food EVER! It will forever be my families birthday meal!!!

Absolutely the best and most authentic Italian cuisine in the area. The pasta and sauces are fresh, and the prices are very reasonable. I would eat here every day if I could.

Hands down, the best Italian food in Colorado! Such a homey and family atmosphere. Great choices of handmade pastas and sauces

Shrimp ravioli with pesto cream sauce is to die for! And the prosecco is delish!

Good food from a small locally owned business

The pasta is okay, though my meatballs were flavorless. A much bigger problem is that, no one in the kitchen wears masks, and front-of-house staff only put on masks when talking to customers.

Fresh in-house pasta. Loved the wine combinations suggested. Definitely try the Chicken parmesan (Pollo parmigiana). One of the softest lasagna Ive ever eaten.

This place is a well-oiled machine! We love coming here, service is extremely friendly and efficient, and I love how many options there are while still keeping a relatively simple menu. The possibilities are endless! And always delicious. They also make a top notch americano, which I always save for dessert.

Must go Italian place in Boulder. Im a huge fan of pasta arrabiatta and I must say their pasta is the best Ive had and the sauce is perfect. Homemade pasta, amazing staff, lovely decor, good service. The best in town.

Came to the restaurant tonight after a quick search and had high expectations due to being from the NYC Metropolitan area and by far this place was incredible!! Loved everything from start to finish, great portions, great service and of course delicious. Almost like I didnt leave Jerzee!! Thanks for the awesome meal !

Il Pastaio never disappoints! Thank you again for amazing food and superb service!

First time here. Sausage and peppers were so good and spicy. Got the green beans which were really good. Definitely have to remember this place. Owners were very nice and suggested stuff.

Really good! Excellent homemade pastas and sauces in a little family-owned bistro. All the tables are hi-tops, which is about the only thing that I didnt like about this place. Very friendly service. Great date night place; not a good choice for large parties because its very small. They also have gluten-free pastas and sauces on the menu.

My favorite Italian restaurant in Boulder. There is usually always a wait but you can get a table. They hand make the pasta and are really friendly.

Best Italian in Boulder!

My husband and I went in early February and we are reminiscing the amazing time we had. My husband had a lemon chicken that was delicious and I had the special with Fettuccine noodles and scallops. The service was excellent and accommodated well with our child.

This is without a doubt the best Pasta Restaurant. Everything I have ever gotten is excellent, not to mention the Wine on tap. Best plate of pasta I have ever had. Wonderful Sauces. Also the Bread before the meal is superlative!

My in-laws got take out from here a few weeks ago. I got the goat cheese ravioli with the Aurora sauce. It was a huge portion and absolutely delicious. I love goat cheese on everything, and really enjoy when dishes have a healthy amount of it. This did not disappoint. Only giving a four star because I cant speak to the restaurant/service.

Best Italian food in Colorado. Fantastic selection, homemade ingredients, wonderful owners and servers.

Always excellent food and excellent service. One of my favorite for almost 20 years.

Homemade pasta to cook at home is a serious game changer. This place is incredible. Would give 10 stars if possible

Authentic good, fresh pasta, delicious sauces, large portions. Fabulous

Went here on a whim while visiting Boulder. We were not disappointed. Everything we tried was delicious and you can taste the homemade goodness. I never write reviews, buy felt compelled to because this is so yummy! Highly recommended.

The place serves big dishes and for convenient rates. very nice employees. Never disappointing.

This is the best authentic Italian food in Boulder. The handmade pasta is to die for. And the last time we were in we won the nightly wine bottle raffle! Looking forward to enjoying our free bottle at our next visit! Highly recommend! Id note that its a tiny restaurant with maybe 10 tables total, so make a reservation!

The food was amazing! Service was great! The atmosphere was very fun and inviting. We will definitely visit again the next time we are in boulder.

This is a hidden gem of Italian food. I highly recommend making reservations. My husband loves the pesto cream sauce and I try something new each time. Very generous serving sizes. All high top tables. Wait staff are attentive, but not overly so. A must try.

Wonderful family owned Italian. Delicious pasta and delightful service.

You get to choose a main dish and a side dish from several options. I often find it difficult to choose only one from the two categories because they look so appealing. You are also served a tasty salad as well as a very delicious roll.Recommend this place when you want a tasty lunch or dinner but are in somewhat of a hurry.

The staff was friendly and inviting. Food was amazing we had to take some Bolognese home with us!

I had a wonderful dinner experience here. Best Italian food in Boulder for sure. The service was really nice and I liked the ambience as well. I would definitely return.

I took the pesto creme and it was nice and flavorful. Its a small place with just 6-7 tables but because I had heard about it, I called in beforehand and reserved a table. And as soon as we got in we were seated. The server was very sweet and helpful. He helped with the menu and proposed a couple items that were specials that day that were not on the menu too. Overall service, food and ambience - all were good.