Coppa is pretty much the perfect neighborhood Italian restaurant, filled with light from a wall of windows and plenty of excellent pasta. Go for the cavatelli with chicken sausage, soppressata pizza, and the Italian grinder loaded with cured meats and pickled cherry peppers that could give a full-time sandwich shop a run for its money. We love posting up in the colder months at the bar to eat enough charcuterie to forget the wind chill has dipped below freezing levels.

SRV is a small plates wine bar that sticks to just that—don’t come here looking for pizza or a huge plate of veal parm. The service is warm, and the menu focuses on stuff like smoked trout toast, rabbit agnolotti, and a lobster risotto that isn’t too rich. It’s all served in an airy space that never feels too crowded, and their twinkly light-covered back patio is one of the best outdoor spots in town.

This Italian restaurant on the edge of Porter Square is consistently booked a couple weeks out, and you’re going to have to deal with that if you want to eat there. Let’s be clear: you want to eat at Giulia. Why? Well, they have a “pasta table” right by the kitchen that you can book for a big group and eat a bunch of family-style dishes, along with a small selection of tables and a dark bar in a back room that’s always packed.

You probably know at least a whole basketball team of people whose favorite restaurant is the Roxbury location of Mida. Sure, it’s good, but we’re going to tell you to head to their newest location on the East Boston waterfront. They have stunning views of the city to go along with a crispy clam pizza that has the perfect amount of char and chew. Tack on some North Shore fritto misto, because, you know, you’re on the water, and some pastas like the housemade bucatini all’amatriciana and gnocchi.

Delfino in Roslindale Square is a spot we aren’t going to gatekeep. Because first of all, this is our job, and second, because everybody should have a meal here at some point. This tiny restaurant makes big plates of things like open-faced lobster ravioli, veal saltimbocca that oozes cheese from every nook and cranny, and a plate of linguine frutti di mare that’s bursting with mussels, clams, shrimp, scallops, and calamari.

The only thing we hate more than a flavorless bruschetta is when our favorite restaurant is closed on a Monday. You’ll never have to worry about either of those things at Bar Mezzana: they’re open every day and do a toasty rosemary and onion focaccia that comes, almost bruschetta style, with a choice of several spreads, like eggplant with goat cheese and honey. It’s the perfect starter for a meal that should also include the salmon crudo and a small plate of orecchiette with sausage and fennel.

Bar Enza is one of the best restaurants to open in Cambridge in recent memory. That’s because of its versatility. You can come here, sit at the bar, drink a Sicilian mule with Averna, and down a plate of gnocchi with lobster and spaghetti with spicy squid. But it works just as well if you bring a group, huddle in one of their booths, and split plates like sirloin carpaccio and smoked ricotta ravioli.

Tony & Elaine’s could have felt cheesy pretty easily. It’s a newer restaurant in the North End that was designed to look and feel like an old-school spot—think white-checked tablecloths and red-sauce classics like meatballs and chicken parm. These types of places usually feel like they were designed by somebody who watched one season of The Sopranos and decided to open a restaurant, but Tony & Elaine’s is just a great casual restaurant that’s perfect for pregaming the Bruins at TD.

Geppetto is cooking some of the most interesting Italian food in the greater Boston area. We’re talking about things like fried mozzarella made by frying delicate strands of pasta with the cheese—picture dozens of tiny, crunchy strands of pasta loosely wrapped around a fairly large hunk of mozzarella, then deep fried, and topped with (yes) more cheese. You’ll also find a menu packed with housemade mafaldine with braised lamb and plates of cappelletti with pumpkin.

The only option at Table in the North End is the incredible, no-substitutions $125 pre-fixe meal. And while it might sound like a nightmare to your picky friend who only eats buttered noodles, you’re never going to have a bad meal here. The menu changes regularly, but almost always starts with whole bulbs of roasted garlic and bread, some kind of stracciatella and vegetable dish, a pasta course, grilled fish and/or meat, and meatballs for the table.