Francesco & Valerie opened Cafe Italia Restaurant Fort Lauderdale in 1993 where cooked-to-order Italian food is served using only EVOO & fresh ingredients. We invite you to come dine with us and experience fresh authentic Italian cuisine.
In Loving Memory of Francesco Lapi
1935 – 2023
Cafe Italia
3471 N Federal Hwy
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33306
954-681-3716
Dinner 4:45pm – 11:15pm
Specials Classic Menu 4:45 – 6pm
Take-out available
Cash & Debit Cards will not have a Credit Card Florida Surcharge fee.
Italian Cuisine since 1993. The Original Cafe Italia in South Florida.
Cafe Italia Restaurant. Since 1993. At Cafe Italia we speak Italian, live Italian and cook Italian! The Charm of Old Italy in this small family owned Italian Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale! Amazing little italian restaurant near me has the best pasta dishes and sauces around. I stopped in to see what the place looked like since it has been there for over 20 years and never went in! It was a small cozy romantic restaurant with italian music playing. I liked the round chandeliers and asked where he got them. One of the best italian restaurant in Fort Lauderdale for authentic Italian cuisine. I ordered the bucatini amatriciana and it was the best pasta I ever had in Fort Lauderdale.
Cafe Italia — Perfect Italian Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale
Upon arrival, the owner, a 84 year old gentleman with a bum hip greeted with a smile and authentic accent. The Italian restaurant is sparse but clean, and the menu with prices from a bygone era was filled with Italian favorites!
Delicious bread, olives and Italian cheese was swiftly brought to the table and our main courses were out in a jiffy with a smile, hot plate and aroma that made me feel like I was in mamas kitchen!
The Italian pasta was beyond good and I must say, the lasagna was the best I ever had! Once the bill came I couldn’t believe, dinner for two with wine and the 20 percent off for checking in with yelp was under 40 dollars!! Find this obscure hidden treasure italian restaurant in fort lauderdale right on US1 just north of Oakland Park Blvd!
- Real Authentic Italian Food
- Best Italian Restaurant Fort Lauderdale
- Warm Welcome makes Cafe Italia Restaurant Special
- The Charm And Taste Of The Old World
- Francesco Lapi’s Cafe Italia Fort Lauderdale
- Love This Place
- Best Carbonara in Fort Lauderdale
Private parties
Host your event with us – custom menu items available for all business or special occasions, closed to the public or just for a few hours. Call & let us know your needs for a memorable night.
Free Prosecco and cake for your birthdays, anniversaries, showers and family celebrations. Details
Little Italian Restaurant Hidden Gem
This is the greatest little Italian restaurant hidden gem right in my home town. I recommend everyone to come in!! It’s a fantastic family restaurant where everyday the owner will great you and recommend a great meal just for you. Five stars for sure!!! It’s a fantastic family Italian restaurant in Fort Lauderdale where everyday the owner will great you and recommend a great meal just for you.
” I am truly impressed that Cafe Italia Fort Lauderdale has been in business for 27+ years! Unfortunately, many restaurants loose their focus on quality. “
Yelp
” With its friendly, attentive staff and a nice, reasonably priced wine selection, Cafe Italia is a neighborhood Italian restaurant that will win you over with its high quality, well prepared dishes. “
Trip Advisor
Owner Francesco has been greeting guests here for over 25 years. It’s a small family operated restaurant where you can hear Italian spoken and all dishes are made to order.
Word of mouth is how we learned about the place which is located on the ground floor of an office building. We were seated immediately and presented with a plate of excellent cheese and olives and outstanding fresh baked Italian style bread. The menu is somewhat limited with emphasis on pasta and seafood. I chose the veal Marsala dish and a side of angel hair pasta with garlic & olive oil. Very high quality, perfectly prepared veal and excellent pasta. Thank you for an excellent dining experience!
Authentic Italian Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale
” The Charm of Old Italy in this small local authentic family Italian Restaurant. Cafe Italia serves cooked-to-order best Italian food including yellowtail snapper, veal marsala, risotto, lamb, seafood dishes, pasta the best authentic Italian food at Cafe Italia restaurant on Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale. “
Sun Sentinel
Delicious & Fresh Italian Food!
When you arrive, servers immediately bring fresh, warm bread with a soft center & crunchy crust. A flute of freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese, a plate with green olives & chunks of fresh Italian Parmigiano cheese also arrive. Additionally, they bring a bottle olive oil & balsamic vinegar. For a neon-sign exterior, this attention to detail was truly unexpected.
We dug into our main dishes before taking photos, so any perceive lack of perfect presentation is our fault! He loved the fresh lasagna & I highly recommend the baked to perfection eggplant parmigiana. I opted to pay for the side of paste. I chose pappardelle. Deliciousness! Awesome Italian Food.
Enjoy 25% Off
Order from our “Classici Menu” between 4:45-6pm daily & receive 25% off (*)normal menu prices.
Real Italian Cuisine
For anyone eating out on a budget, the pasta dishes were exceptionally reasonable. I selected the Prosciutto Melone for my appetizer, and the veal marsala cutlet with mushrooms in a Marsala wine sauce. Also a side of pasta with a fresh tasting marinara sauce. It was the largest pasta side dish I have ever been served.
Fresh Ingredients
Our Italian dining starts with only the freshest ingredients – we don’t take shortcuts. We pride ourselves in cooking with only 100% pure Italian extra virgin olive oil, fresh vegetables, & ingredients so we may serve the most authentic Italian cuisine. All our dishes are made to order and reservation are accepted & recommended.
You could visit an Italian restaurant every night of the year and still not exhaust all the choices in South Florida. But while dining recently at Cafe Italia in Fort Lauderdale, something hit us: “Hey,” we thought, “we’re eating real Italian food.” And what’s more, virtually everyone dining at this small, unpretentious cafe was speaking Italian, a sign there’s authenticity coming out of la cucina. Cafe Italia Ristorante.
Cafe Italia — 30+ Years Same Location
This is the greatest little Italian restaurant hidden gem right in my home town near me. I recommend everyone to come in!! It’s a fantastic family restaurant where everyday the owner will great you and recommend a great meal just for you. Five stars for sure!!!
Found this Italian restaurant in ft lauderdale last week while doing an Internet search. I lucked out because it turned out to be excellent and near me. Very friendly staff. Wonderful food. Great service. I didn’t even know it was there for over 30 years!
Come in for our authentic Spaghetti Carbonara!
I was watching the Italian Food Network today and they showed a restaurant featuring Spaghetti Carbonara. Having had a particularly rough week, it was just the comfort food I wanted. It is one of my favorite pasta dishes but I rarely have it because well it’s pasta, and I have yet to find a good version of the dish in South Florida. I did a search on Google for restaurants that have it. Cafe Italia came up as being one of the top 10 restaurants in Fort Lauderdale for the Spaghetti Carbonara.
Love This Italian Restaurant
Loved this place, friendly welcoming atmosphere. The owner Francesco is a wonderful man, we were delighted that he joined our table and shared some life stories with us. We will definitely return.
Had the rigatoni with shrimp and broccoli in a garlic olive oil. Very good. Bread comes out warm! They serve a little olives and cheese plate to start while you wait for your food to come out.
Very authentic Italian restaurant. Down to earth, no pretension here at all. Family restaurant in south florida and operated by Francesco and his wife in the kitchen.