The food was ok, not bad, but nothing special when I think of Italian food. The salmon in the pasta was pretty basic, scallops in pasta were overcooked and again, flavor pretty basic.It’s a small restaurant, very limited seating and not great for groups larger than 4 in my opinion. We also felt like the staff were trying to rush us out of the restaurant once we were done eating. We felt a little unwelcome when we were sitting and talking and trying to finish our wine.Over priced for the quality and flavor of food. Would recommend trying to find another restaurant if you’re visiting Boston.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 2
Billy West
Great food and service. Great atmosphere, especially when they opened their large windows
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Seafood, Chicken Parmesan
Tricia Tran
TLDR; One star for the rude and racist staff. I’m not one to quickly call someone racist but there were so many moments of microagression that leads me to believe that the staff members here are racist. Food is good (which is why we came back a second time) but no food is worth the disrespect and lack of welcome and safety we felt after this experience.For context, we have dined here twice. The first time, we were seated at a wall-facing corner table. When we asked if we could sit at the empty table next to us for the window view, we were very curtly told no and ushered to sit down. We also noticed that neighboring tables got their bread before us even though they had arrived after. We brushed it off thinking it might have been an off day for our waiter, giving him the benefit of the doubt for his rude manner towards us.The second time, we were given bread without any butter. When we asked for butter, the waiter wordlessly pointed to the oil and didn’t offer us any butter. Weird we thought given that there was butter last time and we were pretty sure other tables had butter with their bread.The worst interaction was at the end of our meal. We left a smaller tip than normal given our weird interaction and lack of service. One of the other servers eyed the tip on our table and audibly confronted us in front of the restaurant to leave a bigger tip.She yelled at my mom to say how she doesn’t get paid for working here and only makes money from the tip. She said “I don’t know where you are from but in America, we don’t make money…” etc etc. Bruh, I’m from America too. I can empathize but what she was saying also didn’t make sense. Is she volunteering there? I doubt that she is working for free out of the kindness of her heart. Not wanting to make a scene, we left some additional cash and left.I am disappointed that there was such a blatant difference in the way we were treated and judging from the other reviews, we’re not the only ones. Will not return and cannot recommend.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
侯柏丞
Ordering is simple and easy, you choose your pasta type first, then your main dish, and finally your sauce. Please note that only cash is accepted, no cards! !The fried squid is unexpectedly delicious and worth trying. The portion of the mixed seafood pasta is quite amazing, and it is spectacular when served (the photo cannot capture the effect). It may be a bit difficult for two people to eat, but there seems to be an additional charge if there are more than three people sharing the meal. It is topped with a lot of seafood, including scallops, mussels, shrimps, clams, flower branches and lobster. Giacomo sauce is made from lobster paste and cream, and you can taste the thick shrimp paste.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Max Yeh
amazing service, super cozy and comfortable atmosphere. i loved the food. everything ordered at my table was fantastic.the menu was diverse, and the prices were all affordable.a live opera singer came during our meal and was a huge bonus.ihighly recommend it to anyone in the area, i loved my food and experience h3re
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Toni P.
Took some friends out for dinner and chose this restaurant. After waiting in line for about 25 to 30 minutes outside the restaurant , we were promptly seated (there was only one group ahead of us). Fortunately the drizzle stops while we're in line, as the weather was non stop rain. We got a table at the 2nd floor. Ordered several appetizers. (2 calamari, Bruschetta and Mozzarella) and for our main course- Zuppa Di Pesce (for 2) l, Fruti di Mari and Chicken Parmigiana. Fried Calamari was delicious....i enjoyed the Zuppa di Pesce I ordered. Servers are attentive and friendly. Just a reminder : this a Cash Only restaurant Just be careful in ascending the steps leading to the 2nd floor or descending the stairway going down to the restrooms if you need to use it - it is located in the lower floor Overall 5 stars for foods and service.
Ken B.
Was super excited to experience this legendary Boston Italian experience, but it was pretty disappointing for me. After waiting in line outside, they were great about getting a table ready for us, but the whole check-in process is pretty confusing. The food I guess is "old-school" traditional Italian, but not much was exceptional to me. Reasonably priced, but the "cash-only" aspect is a buzzkill. Food-wise the Burrata app was fantastic, (except the table bread was dry and cold). Ceasar was great. I had veal parm, which was fine, I don't think the pasta that came with it was "home made". Tough to get stuff like extra napkins and water refills. Bottle of wine was brought to the table with glasses but then we had to pour and pass the glasses around. Then the deal killer was an awful cheesy opera dude singing (screaming) in this small restaurant then standing in front of our table staring at us until we gave him a tip for interrupting our dinner. I guess the scene is for some folks, but not for us.
권진주
The food was delicious.But I didn't know that only cash was accepted, so I handed out my card... haha.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kate B.
My butternut ravioli was amazing as always but I was very disappointed in the table bread. It tasted like wonder bread. They used to have the most amazing bread.
Nakor Isilani
The first thing I noticed here was my server was extremely rude. I felt like I was a burden on her for patronizing their establishment. Her attitude made the entire experience uncomfortable, so that loses 1 star. Before eating, I went to the restroom, which was in the basement. That's typical for the north end, which is fine. The problem was the entire basement smelled like raw sewage, and there was no soap to wash my hands. That's another star. Now to the food. The bruschetta was a giant mess. This is common among restaurants that don't actually know how to make this dish. They just smother it in cheese, and balsamic glaze to the point where that's all you can taste. That loses a star. Next was the bolognese. This dish just tasted of nothing but heavy, raw garlic. There was no mirepoix. No red wine. I could tell they just fried up some meat in a pan with way too much garlic, then tossed in some tomato sauce and cream, and called it bolognese. That is NOT bolognese, and was frankly horrible. I ate it because I was hungry, but it loses another star. So they get 1 star. I didn't notice if they tacked on gratuity, but based on these other reviews, I bet they did. I should have looked closer at my bill. Either way, I'll never return. Any good reviews for this place have to be from tourists who don't have a clue what good Italian food is.
One of my favorite places in the North End. Easily walkable from an orange line and green line stop, so don't bother with the crazy Boston parking! The food is delicious and the staff is attentive and friendly. Even with the space being on the smaller side, the wait time is never out of control, and the waiters check in on anyone waiting consistently to update them. This restaurant is cash-only, so make sure to bring cash ahead of time, or you'll have to run to an ATM! Their ravioli is top-notch, and the prices are very reasonable for a North End restaurant (around $100 for three people, including an appetizer and tip). I've been here twice, once on the worst Tinder date of my life- and I tell everyone, if the food hadn't been so good, I would've walked out on him, but I stayed for the pasta and desserts.
Dawn Bourguignon
Food was terrible; if that was authentic Italian, I would not eat Italian ... the sauce was on par with jarred Ragu; the pasta was ok; the chicken parm was thinly breaded with what seemed like 4H breading, the meat was thick and tough (not tenderized), and the mozzarella tasted like something they bought at Price Chopper. And if that wasn't bad enough, the Bruschetta was Charcoal-burned ... disgusting!The service was terrible. Brought a bottle of water, but no glasses to drink it with. No pre-dinner bread, and no apology for the lack thereof; just "He's out buying more." And no real inquiry as to our dining experience.The atmosphere was LOUD, but NOT festive ... just dishes being clunked and slammed. And if that wasn't bad enough, a constant blast of cold air complimented your "dining" experience each and every time the door was opened.Lastly, the bathrooms were DISGUSTING.All in all, I absolutely would NOT waste my money in this establishment.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Victoria W.
I came to this restaurant with my friends in early February because I heard that this restaurant is a very famous and historic Italian restaurant, so I chose it with my friends. I arrived at the restaurant earlier than my friend, but there was no waiting place or waiting in line, and they didn't accept reservations, so I had to wait for them to arrange for me to sit on the street of Italy below zero. When my friend and I were seated, we were arranged in a seat near the door. We asked if we could change seats but got a negative answer, but there were also empty tables that couldn't blow the wind, but it was a table for four people. But that day was not busy hours and there were no guests to eat next. So my friends and I don't quite understand why they don't want to change seats for us. And my friend told me that when she asked whether she had eaten the plate of food, she said no, but the food was still taken away. Although there may be communication problems, the food is generally very delicious. I understand that the driver needs to communicate, so I would also like to hear if it was my friend's misunderstanding or it didn't happen to her.
Michael Abiodun
Exactly as described. No frills restaurant with generous portions.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Frank B.
Wanted to see what this restaurant is all about given the reviews.. food was average, service was good. No credit cards, with a very expensive ATM machine if you don't have cash (it is 2024) and parking is very challenging. IMO not worth the effort..
The food was ok, not bad, but nothing special when I think of Italian food. The salmon in the pasta was pretty basic, scallops in pasta were overcooked and again, flavor pretty basic.It’s a small restaurant, very limited seating and not great for groups larger than 4 in my opinion. We also felt like the staff were trying to rush us out of the restaurant once we were done eating. We felt a little unwelcome when we were sitting and talking and trying to finish our wine.Over priced for the quality and flavor of food. Would recommend trying to find another restaurant if you’re visiting Boston.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 2
Great food and service. Great atmosphere, especially when they opened their large windows
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Seafood, Chicken Parmesan
TLDR; One star for the rude and racist staff. I’m not one to quickly call someone racist but there were so many moments of microagression that leads me to believe that the staff members here are racist. Food is good (which is why we came back a second time) but no food is worth the disrespect and lack of welcome and safety we felt after this experience.For context, we have dined here twice. The first time, we were seated at a wall-facing corner table. When we asked if we could sit at the empty table next to us for the window view, we were very curtly told no and ushered to sit down. We also noticed that neighboring tables got their bread before us even though they had arrived after. We brushed it off thinking it might have been an off day for our waiter, giving him the benefit of the doubt for his rude manner towards us.The second time, we were given bread without any butter. When we asked for butter, the waiter wordlessly pointed to the oil and didn’t offer us any butter. Weird we thought given that there was butter last time and we were pretty sure other tables had butter with their bread.The worst interaction was at the end of our meal. We left a smaller tip than normal given our weird interaction and lack of service. One of the other servers eyed the tip on our table and audibly confronted us in front of the restaurant to leave a bigger tip.She yelled at my mom to say how she doesn’t get paid for working here and only makes money from the tip. She said “I don’t know where you are from but in America, we don’t make money…” etc etc. Bruh, I’m from America too. I can empathize but what she was saying also didn’t make sense. Is she volunteering there? I doubt that she is working for free out of the kindness of her heart. Not wanting to make a scene, we left some additional cash and left.I am disappointed that there was such a blatant difference in the way we were treated and judging from the other reviews, we’re not the only ones. Will not return and cannot recommend.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
Ordering is simple and easy, you choose your pasta type first, then your main dish, and finally your sauce. Please note that only cash is accepted, no cards! !The fried squid is unexpectedly delicious and worth trying. The portion of the mixed seafood pasta is quite amazing, and it is spectacular when served (the photo cannot capture the effect). It may be a bit difficult for two people to eat, but there seems to be an additional charge if there are more than three people sharing the meal. It is topped with a lot of seafood, including scallops, mussels, shrimps, clams, flower branches and lobster. Giacomo sauce is made from lobster paste and cream, and you can taste the thick shrimp paste.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
amazing service, super cozy and comfortable atmosphere. i loved the food. everything ordered at my table was fantastic.the menu was diverse, and the prices were all affordable.a live opera singer came during our meal and was a huge bonus.ihighly recommend it to anyone in the area, i loved my food and experience h3re
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Took some friends out for dinner and chose this restaurant. After waiting in line for about 25 to 30 minutes outside the restaurant , we were promptly seated (there was only one group ahead of us). Fortunately the drizzle stops while we're in line, as the weather was non stop rain. We got a table at the 2nd floor. Ordered several appetizers. (2 calamari, Bruschetta and Mozzarella) and for our main course- Zuppa Di Pesce (for 2) l, Fruti di Mari and Chicken Parmigiana. Fried Calamari was delicious....i enjoyed the Zuppa di Pesce I ordered. Servers are attentive and friendly. Just a reminder : this a Cash Only restaurant Just be careful in ascending the steps leading to the 2nd floor or descending the stairway going down to the restrooms if you need to use it - it is located in the lower floor Overall 5 stars for foods and service.
Was super excited to experience this legendary Boston Italian experience, but it was pretty disappointing for me. After waiting in line outside, they were great about getting a table ready for us, but the whole check-in process is pretty confusing. The food I guess is "old-school" traditional Italian, but not much was exceptional to me. Reasonably priced, but the "cash-only" aspect is a buzzkill. Food-wise the Burrata app was fantastic, (except the table bread was dry and cold). Ceasar was great. I had veal parm, which was fine, I don't think the pasta that came with it was "home made". Tough to get stuff like extra napkins and water refills. Bottle of wine was brought to the table with glasses but then we had to pour and pass the glasses around. Then the deal killer was an awful cheesy opera dude singing (screaming) in this small restaurant then standing in front of our table staring at us until we gave him a tip for interrupting our dinner. I guess the scene is for some folks, but not for us.
The food was delicious.But I didn't know that only cash was accepted, so I handed out my card... haha.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My butternut ravioli was amazing as always but I was very disappointed in the table bread. It tasted like wonder bread. They used to have the most amazing bread.
The first thing I noticed here was my server was extremely rude. I felt like I was a burden on her for patronizing their establishment. Her attitude made the entire experience uncomfortable, so that loses 1 star. Before eating, I went to the restroom, which was in the basement. That's typical for the north end, which is fine. The problem was the entire basement smelled like raw sewage, and there was no soap to wash my hands. That's another star. Now to the food. The bruschetta was a giant mess. This is common among restaurants that don't actually know how to make this dish. They just smother it in cheese, and balsamic glaze to the point where that's all you can taste. That loses a star. Next was the bolognese. This dish just tasted of nothing but heavy, raw garlic. There was no mirepoix. No red wine. I could tell they just fried up some meat in a pan with way too much garlic, then tossed in some tomato sauce and cream, and called it bolognese. That is NOT bolognese, and was frankly horrible. I ate it because I was hungry, but it loses another star. So they get 1 star. I didn't notice if they tacked on gratuity, but based on these other reviews, I bet they did. I should have looked closer at my bill. Either way, I'll never return. Any good reviews for this place have to be from tourists who don't have a clue what good Italian food is.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
One of my favorite places in the North End. Easily walkable from an orange line and green line stop, so don't bother with the crazy Boston parking! The food is delicious and the staff is attentive and friendly. Even with the space being on the smaller side, the wait time is never out of control, and the waiters check in on anyone waiting consistently to update them. This restaurant is cash-only, so make sure to bring cash ahead of time, or you'll have to run to an ATM! Their ravioli is top-notch, and the prices are very reasonable for a North End restaurant (around $100 for three people, including an appetizer and tip). I've been here twice, once on the worst Tinder date of my life- and I tell everyone, if the food hadn't been so good, I would've walked out on him, but I stayed for the pasta and desserts.
Food was terrible; if that was authentic Italian, I would not eat Italian ... the sauce was on par with jarred Ragu; the pasta was ok; the chicken parm was thinly breaded with what seemed like 4H breading, the meat was thick and tough (not tenderized), and the mozzarella tasted like something they bought at Price Chopper. And if that wasn't bad enough, the Bruschetta was Charcoal-burned ... disgusting!The service was terrible. Brought a bottle of water, but no glasses to drink it with. No pre-dinner bread, and no apology for the lack thereof; just "He's out buying more." And no real inquiry as to our dining experience.The atmosphere was LOUD, but NOT festive ... just dishes being clunked and slammed. And if that wasn't bad enough, a constant blast of cold air complimented your "dining" experience each and every time the door was opened.Lastly, the bathrooms were DISGUSTING.All in all, I absolutely would NOT waste my money in this establishment.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
I came to this restaurant with my friends in early February because I heard that this restaurant is a very famous and historic Italian restaurant, so I chose it with my friends. I arrived at the restaurant earlier than my friend, but there was no waiting place or waiting in line, and they didn't accept reservations, so I had to wait for them to arrange for me to sit on the street of Italy below zero. When my friend and I were seated, we were arranged in a seat near the door. We asked if we could change seats but got a negative answer, but there were also empty tables that couldn't blow the wind, but it was a table for four people. But that day was not busy hours and there were no guests to eat next. So my friends and I don't quite understand why they don't want to change seats for us. And my friend told me that when she asked whether she had eaten the plate of food, she said no, but the food was still taken away. Although there may be communication problems, the food is generally very delicious. I understand that the driver needs to communicate, so I would also like to hear if it was my friend's misunderstanding or it didn't happen to her.
Exactly as described. No frills restaurant with generous portions.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Wanted to see what this restaurant is all about given the reviews.. food was average, service was good. No credit cards, with a very expensive ATM machine if you don't have cash (it is 2024) and parking is very challenging. IMO not worth the effort..