Sacramento’s Italian restaurant scene isn’t loud about itself. The spots worth knowing tend to earn their regulars quietly—through consistent handmade pasta, a room that works for both Tuesday nights and anniversaries, or a counter that makes a weeknight dinner feel considered. Three restaurants stand out right now for different reasons, and each is worth having in rotation heading into the season.
Bocce Ristorante — East Sacramento
Bocce opened in September 2026 in the former V. Miller Meats space at 4801 Folsom Blvd, Suite 2, and it’s the kind of place East Sacramento has been missing: counter service, a compact focused menu, and house-made pasta that doesn’t require a reservation or an occasion.
Chef Joe Pruner built the menu around a few things done right rather than a long list done adequately. The pappardelle with roasted corn and Calabrian chilies is the dish getting mentioned most since the September opening. The burrata caprese and hand-pulled mozzarella sandwich round out a menu that’s short by design. For weeknight cooking fatigue, the family dinner kit—$60 to $70 for up to four, available Tuesday through Friday for pickup—is worth bookmarking. No alcohol yet as of this writing, with beer and wine permits expected; the restaurant runs on housemade Italian sodas and San Pellegrino in the meantime. Walk-ins only; no reservations.
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Piatti — Pavilions Plaza
Piatti at Pavilions Plaza has the kind of staying power that only comes from actually being good over time. The handmade pasta is what most tables come back for: spinach and ricotta ravioli with lemon cream and citrus gremolata ($28), and a carbonara with pancetta, mushroom, garlic, and cured egg yolk ($27) that takes the classic format seriously. The patio is covered and comfortable through fall. Happy hour at the bar runs weekdays from 3 to 5 p.m.
It handles the full range from a weekday lunch that doesn’t feel hurried to a relaxed dinner without requiring advance planning. The room is comfortable without being formal. Open daily starting at 11:30 a.m., with dinner service continuing through the evening.
Address: 571 Pavilions Lane (Pavilions Plaza), Sacramento. Phone: (916) 649-8885.
Mattone Ristorante — Elmhurst
Mattone draws its identity in part from Biba Caggiano’s legacy. When Biba—a midtown Sacramento institution—closed, seventeen members of the longtime staff moved together to 5723 Folsom Blvd in Elmhurst and opened Mattone in 2021. The connection shows in the dining room, which is smart-casual and unhurried, and in a menu where house-made pasta and careful technique remain the point rather than the pitch.
The lasagna and homemade ravioli draw consistent mentions. Dinner runs about $50 a person. Reservations are strongly recommended, particularly on weekends, and can be made online at mattonesac.com through OpenTable. It’s the right choice when the occasion warrants more than a walk-in counter but doesn’t need the production of Sacramento’s higher-end rooms—see the best fine dining in Sacramento guide for those.
Hours: Dinner Tuesday through Saturday 5–9 p.m., Sunday 4–8 p.m.; lunch Thursday and Friday 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m. Closed Monday. Phone: (916) 758-5557.
The Details
- Bocce Ristorante — 4801 Folsom Blvd, Suite 2, East Sacramento · Tue–Sat 10 a.m.–9 p.m. · Counter service, no reservations · Family dinner kits Tue–Fri, $60–$70 for up to four
- Piatti — 571 Pavilions Lane (Pavilions Plaza) · Open daily from 11:30 a.m. · (916) 649-8885 · Happy hour weekdays 3–5 p.m. at the bar
- Mattone Ristorante — 5723 Folsom Blvd, Elmhurst · Dinner Tue–Sat 5–9 p.m., Sun 4–8 p.m. · Lunch Thu–Fri 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m. · Closed Monday · (916) 758-5557 · mattonesac.com · OpenTable reservations recommended
Bottom Line
Bocce is the counter stop for a weeknight made better—new enough that the regulars haven’t formed yet, and focused enough that it earns them fast. Piatti handles the full range from solo lunch to a relaxed dinner without asking for advance planning. Mattone is the room for a proper evening out; it carries something of what made Biba worth remembering for thirty years. For the Michelin-recognized end of Sacramento’s Italian spectrum, the Allora restaurant guide covers that room on its own terms. These three cover the rest of it.
