Welcome back, Polk County.
Mike here.
We haven't covered Italian restaurants since back in June when we featured The Best Italian Restaurants In Winter Haven; and even then we needed to highlight some of the top spots on this Lakeland list because they were voted for so many times [for Winter Haven]!
I wanted to keep this one to Lakeland, but the votes made it so I had to have some fun with the ranking system here.
So here's what we have:
- The Top Three = In Lakeland
- Four & Five = Winter Haven & Lake Wales
- Six-Ten = Back In Lakeland
In simple terms: the top three stayed in Lakeland, but two locations (one Winter Haven, one Lake Wales) got so many votes, I HAD to put them at four and five.
Then we make our way back to all of Lakeland for the final 5 on the list.
Which brings us to...
The Best Italian Restaurants in Lakeland, Florida.
And, as always, this isn’t just a list I’ve put together based on my own preferences…
This list was built from HUNDREDS of votes, from locals just like you.
Let’s go 
First Place: Scarpa's Italian
The Best Italian Restaurant In Lakeland, Florida
Scarpa's — 1833 E Edgewood Dr, Lakeland
Scarpa's came in at number TWO on the list of The Best Upscale Restaurants In Polk and number THREE on the list of The Best Date Night Restaurants In Polk.
So it should come in no surprise to see it here at the top of the list for its own category: Italian in Lakeland.
The only spot that came close was the second spot on the list; and that was only when we combined the votes for both its locations.
Voters said things like:
- "Scarpa's is the best hands down. Not only is the food great but it has an intimate atmosphere with great servers. It is a dining experience to go there."
- "On behalf of all Italians from NY… Scarpas is the only legitimate Italian restaurant in Lakeland. The rest are corporate garbage or pizza joints of varying quality."
- "We have tried Scarpa's a few times and love it!! If you like eggplant they have I think the BEST fried eggplant app, lightly done so yummy"
As a fellow Long Islander I can't argue with the New York endorsement.
Just call ahead.
Second Place: Il Forno
The Second Best Italian Restaurant In Lakeland, Florida
Il Forno — 2 Locations North + South Lakeland
Coming in at number two on the list of the best Italian spots in Lakeland is Il Forno.
This is another spot that has made it to a handful of other lists in our Best Food In Polk series:
- Fourth Place: The Best Pizza In Lakeland
- Tenth Place: The Best Date Night In Polk
- Fifth Place: The Best Pizza In Polk
The original is on the south side, and there's a newer north side location too, so you've got one on whichever side of town you're on.
Voters mentioned the owner, Mic, by name a lot (that's always a good sign).
Voters also said things like:
- "Il Forno is absolutely amazing is 100% authentic. I'm picky with my Italian food, since I grew up eating authentic Italian recipes passed down from my grandma's Sicilian family. There are very few restaurants I will eat at and Il Forno is by far my favorite. Mic is the best."
- "I'll Forno. North or South. Both excellent. I've been getting their Lasagna for over 20 years (and it shows!)."
- "My favorite IL Forno dish is Veal Picata. Love the balance between the smooth, creamy sauce and the acidic tartness of the capers and lemons."
And if you're not sure what to order, about half of Lakeland says get the lasagna.
Third Place: Palace Pizza
The Third BestItalian Restaurant In Lakeland, Florida
📍 Palace Pizza — Locations Throughout Polk
Palace is one of Katie and my favorite pizza places in Polk County.
But there are quite a few of them.
We love Palace Bartow and Palace Downtown Lakeland; but voters didn't always specify which location was their top choice (sometimes, but not enough to give you a fair breakdown).
Katie and I have given Palace Downtown an extremely good review for their pizza, after being named the best pizza in Lakeland and Palace Bartow came in at at number three on the list of the best places to eat in all of Bartow.
Voters said things like:
- "Palace Southside. I was just there last night with friends and it was incredible! The owner and his wife are from Italy. I believe he is related to the other Palace owners but this one is a nice, sit down restaurant with a wine list that is unbelievable!"
- "Palace Italian on 98N. Outstanding food and service."
- "LOVE Palace Pizza Downtown!! Has to be the downtown one though. They have the BEST vodka sauce homemade!
"
So, pick your Palace. Just know the downtown loyalists will tell you there's only one.
Fourth Place: Arabella's (Winter Haven)
The Fourth Best Italian Restaurant In Lakeland, Florida
Arabellas — 346 W Central Ave, Winter Haven
Arabella's is the first on our list of two (in fourth and fifth place) that are making it on the list while being in other Polk cities.
Arabella's came in as the best Italian in Winter Haven, and was voted so often I didn't have a choice but to give them a shoutout here.
Voters said things like:
- "Arabella's in Winter Haven. Worth the 25 min drive."
- "Arabellas Ristorante Winter Haven - piano player, some meals prepared "table side" (see menu)"
- "Arabellas in winter haven / Trust me best south of New York / Dress nice its upscale !"
If you guys are reading this list from closer to the Winter Haven side of Polk; this might be the option for you.
Fifth Place: L'Incontro (Lake Wales)
The Fifth Best Italian Restaurant In Lakeland, Florida
L'Incontro — 35 St FL-60, Lake Wales
L'Incontro is the second (and last) Italian spot on our list that I needed to add from outside Lakeland (and in the top five, nonetheless) because it had so many votes.
The same thing happened with our Winter Haven list, with me giving L'Incontro a special shoutout there because so many people mentioned it.
Voters said things like:
- "L'incontro on 60 in Lake Wales. It's not just a meal, it's a whole experience. Love love"
- "LIcontra Rt 60 ln Lake Wales the absolute best outside of Italy"
- "LinContra, Lake Wales is fabulous! Look them up and read about their chef."
Plan a whole evening for this one.
Other Great Italian Restaurants In Lakeland, Florida
If you’re anything like me, you want to try all the Italian restaurants in Lakeland, Florida so you can be the judge for yourself.
So here is the rest of the top ten best Italian restaurants in Lakeland, Florida (in order 6-10):
- #6 — Romeo's Pizza & Pasta
- #7 — Ciao Bella Pizza & Pasta
- #8 — Chef T's
- #9 — Uncle Nick's Italian Deli
- #10 — Primo's
Which gives us the full top Italian spots in Lakeland.
And brings us to the moment you’ve all been waiting for…
My personal opinion (that no one asked for 
).
Here are my personal favorite spots:
- Scarpa's
- Il Forno
- Uncle Nick's
- Palace Pizza
- Arabella's
I really like pizza and Italian food, so this "personal favorite" section is trying a little too hard.
You guys know how much Katie and I love pizza and Uncle Nick's — so it wouldn't be fair to not try to squeeze them in when they're on any list.
THANKS!
Thanks for reading this edition of The Polk Squeeze today.
Share this with a friend who's been looking for the best Italian restaurants in Lakeland.
- Mike Romaine
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