Italian Restaurants in Knoxville

June 14, 2026

Knoxville’s Italian restaurants run from longtime family dining rooms to a downtown kitchen focused on handmade, seasonal cooking. Knoxville is Tennessee’s third-largest city, with a population of roughly 195,000 as of 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau), and its Italian dining options are concentrated along the Sutherland Avenue and West Knoxville corridors and on Market Square downtown. The result is a mix of established neighborhood trattorias built on family recipes and a contemporary restaurant that makes its pasta, bread, and mozzarella in house.

The cooking reflects that range. Family-owned restaurants tend to lean traditional, with recipes passed down through generations, large salads, house-made breads, and entrees built around pasta, veal, chicken, and seafood. A downtown kitchen draws specifically on the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, with a menu organized around handmade pasta and seasonal ingredients. Pizza is part of the picture as well, including hand-tossed New York-style pies cooked in a gas brick oven. Several of Knoxville’s Italian restaurants are owner-operated, with the owner often present in the dining room, which gives regulars a consistent, personal experience.

Restaurants in Knoxville operate under Tennessee’s food-service rules. A restaurant must hold a food-service permit and pass routine inspections; in Knox County these are handled by the Knox County Health Department under standards set by the Tennessee Department of Health. Prepared restaurant food is taxed at the full combined sales-tax rate rather than the lower state grocery food rate, and in Knox County that combined rate reaches roughly 9.25%. Restaurants that serve wine, beer, or liquor must hold the appropriate permits; on-premises liquor-by-the-drink service is licensed through the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC), while beer permits are issued through local government.

For diners, a few practical points apply across the category. Menu prices generally exclude tax, so the combined rate is added at checkout, and many full-service Italian restaurants add an automatic gratuity for larger parties, which is disclosed on the menu or check. A few Knoxville restaurants follow a bring-your-own-wine model rather than holding a liquor license, so confirming the policy before visiting is worthwhile, and reservations are commonly recommended at the smaller dining rooms. Consumer complaints about billing or service practices can be directed to the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104). The restaurants below were selected for their established presence in Knoxville and the detail available about their cuisine, ownership, and history.

Top Italian Restaurant Providers in Knoxville

1. Savelli’s Italian Restaurant

Address: 3055 Sutherland Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37919
Phone: (865) 521-9085
Website: http://www.savellisknoxville.com
Services: dine-in Italian, traditional pasta, gas brick-oven New York-style pizza, sub sandwiches, coastal seafood, catering, BYOW
Description: Savelli’s Italian Restaurant is a family-owned dining room that has operated at its Sutherland Avenue location for more than 26 years. It is owned and operated by chef Elizabeth Savelli, with her daughter Kat managing the front of house, a two-generation arrangement that gives the small, candlelit restaurant a consistent character. The menu pairs traditional Italian fare with hand-tossed New York-style pizza baked in a gas brick oven, sub sandwiches, and coastal seafood favorites such as Maryland-style crab cakes and grouper piccata, along with vegetarian options. Savelli’s is one of the few bring-your-own-wine restaurants in Knoxville and offers on-site and off-site catering; reservations are recommended, especially on weekends and holidays.

2. Altruda’s Italian Restaurant

Address: 125 N. Peters Road, Knoxville, TN 37923
Phone: (865) 690-6144
Website: https://www.altrudas.com
Services: dine-in Italian, pasta, veal, chicken, seafood, large salads, house-made garlic rolls, scratch sauces
Description: Altruda’s Italian Restaurant is a family-owned West Knoxville dining room that opened in 1988 and is built on traditional family recipes. The restaurant’s story centers on founder Paul Meyer’s mother, Geraldine Ida Altruda, who was born in Italy in 1925 and immigrated to the United States as a child, and the kitchen carries forward the Italian-American cooking she passed down. Altruda’s is known for its large salads and house-made garlic rolls, with a signature salad dressing the restaurant describes as an 18-ingredient recipe, and its menu extends to pasta, veal, chicken, and seafood. Sauces, dressing, and bread are made fresh daily from scratch, with the kitchen staff arriving hours before service and entrees prepared to order. Owner Paul Meyer is frequently present in the dining room.

3. Emilia Italian

Address: 16 Market Square, Knoxville, TN 37902
Phone: (865) 313-2472
Website: https://emiliaknox.com
Services: dine-in contemporary Italian, handmade pasta, house-baked Italian breads, hand-pulled mozzarella, seasonal menu, dinner service
Description: Emilia is a contemporary Italian restaurant on Market Square in downtown Knoxville, opened in 2016 by chef and owner Matt Gallaher. The kitchen describes its approach as simple, seasonal Italian cooking inspired by the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, and it emphasizes handmade preparation: pastas are made in house daily, breads come from the restaurant’s own bakery, and mozzarella is hand-pulled. The menu pairs local ingredients with premium Italian products and changes with the seasons. Located steps from the Market Square Farmers Market, Emilia runs dinner service from Tuesday through Sunday and takes reservations by phone or through an online platform, offering a more modern counterpart to the city’s traditional family restaurants.

Frequently Asked Questions About Italian Restaurants in Knoxville

Q: Do Italian restaurants in Knoxville need a permit to operate?

Yes. Every restaurant in Knoxville must hold a food-service permit and pass routine inspections. In Knox County these are administered by the Knox County Health Department under standards set by the Tennessee Department of Health. Inspection results are public, and restaurants are required to display their current permit.

Q: How much is sales tax on a restaurant meal in Knoxville?

Prepared restaurant food is taxed at the full combined sales-tax rate, not the lower state grocery food rate. In Knox County that combined rate reaches roughly 9.25%, which is added to the menu price at checkout. Diners should expect the listed prices to increase by that amount on the final check.

Q: Can I bring my own wine to a Knoxville Italian restaurant?

Some do allow it. Savelli’s Italian Restaurant, for example, is one of the few bring-your-own-wine restaurants in Knoxville. Others hold their own permits for beer, wine, or liquor through the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission and local government, so it is best to confirm a restaurant’s policy, and any corkage terms, before visiting.

Q: Which Knoxville Italian restaurants make their pasta in house?

Emilia Italian on Market Square makes its pasta in house daily, along with breads from its own bakery and hand-pulled mozzarella. Several family-owned restaurants, including Altruda’s, also make their sauces, dressings, and breads fresh daily from scratch, though specific in-house pasta practices vary by kitchen.

Q: What kinds of Italian food can I find in Knoxville?

Knoxville’s Italian restaurants range from traditional family dining rooms serving pasta, veal, chicken, seafood, and large salads to a contemporary downtown kitchen focused on seasonal, handmade cooking from the Emilia-Romagna region. Hand-tossed New York-style pizza baked in a brick oven is also available, giving diners options from classic red-sauce fare to modern seasonal menus.

Q: How do I file a complaint about a Knoxville restaurant?

Concerns about food safety or sanitation can be reported to the Knox County Health Department, which conducts restaurant inspections. Complaints about billing, advertising, or other business practices can be directed to the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs, which enforces the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104). Keeping the itemized receipt helps support any complaint.