Came for Dine Out Boston! Their lunch menu was a good deal at $36 since normal entrees are already around $30. Pasta and desserts were the best parts of the meal. Good service and upscale casual environment. * Apps: salmone affumicato, panzanella salad. The salmon was nicely smoked but a bit boring. Panzanella was meh but I generally don't like salads. * Entrees: rigatoni norcina, veal scaloppini. The rigatoni was perfectly al dente with the yummiest truffle cream sauce. SKIP the veal--so chewy and weird, almost like dog food. * Desserts: torta di mirtilli, panna cotta. Both nice but I preferred the panna cotta.
Frank Mellen
We always love Toscano, both in Harvard Square and on Charles St. We had a wonderful lunch at the Harvard Square location yesterday. As always, the service was awesome, the food perfect, and the overall experience excellent. Leonardo, our server, was fun to talk to and totally pleasant and professional. It is really a simply incredible great place to dine, whether it's lunch or dinner. I hope it stays there in the Square forever! Thanks.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
D O.
Service was slightly dismissive and rushed, obviously this guy had worked in restaurants a long time. Martini was serviceable, wine selection was decent. The real failing was the entrees. Nothing was made with care. The pizza had too much sauce and cheese. The dough was tasteless. The shrimp dish was WAY over cooked, the potatoes were under cooked. And, everything lacked enough salt. Save your money, go elsewhere.
Rob Caron
We really enjoyed this place. There were so many things on the menu we wanted to try that we will have to come back. The things we did try were all delicious. Great cocktails too!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Emma Harris
overrated and
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Yewande O.
Nice ambience for a Friday night catch-up dinner with girlfriends. Beet salad was not memorable. Orecchiette dish also not memorable. Service was excellent.
Josh Denault
---update March 2024---I've warmed to this place quite a bit! A friend and I eat lunch at Toscano somewhat regularly, and my experiences have been quite pleasant.My friend has some dietary restrictions to put it mildly, and we have been lucky enough to have the same delightful young lady take our orders as of late. She is pleasant, offers substitutions (even though my mate has to decline them all), and always seems to be in a good mood. I wish I knew her name, for a shout-out, but hopefully management knows who I'm talking about, as she definitely deserves praise.The food is good - I've enjoyed just about everything I've eaten here... Favorites are the various gnocchi dishes, risotto, bruschetta, Caesar salad, meatballs, and the steaks are quite good! They make a very nice bourbon old fashioned also!We'll definitely return, in fact, I believe we'll visit later this week. Would recommend.---original review below---We'd heard good things about Toscano from friends, so made a reservation a couple weeks ahead so that we could check it out ourselves.Located right in Harvard Square, just a block up Brattle Street from Brattle Square, it's central yet has a cozy feel to it. The interior is similarly warm, with beautiful light fixtures and dark wood finishes.We were "greeted" by a short(ish)/stout man who asked, "what can we do for you?" - which, admittedly, took me by surprise for just a moment. Told him we had a reservation and were shown to our table. We ended up with a great spot, not against the windows, but close to them.To drink we had: old fashioned, Moscow mule, shared a bottle of white wine. The whiskey old fashioned was delicious and strong - an orange peel might've made it a bit tastier, but I can't complain as it was made very well. Wife said her mule was great as well. Shared a mid-tier bottle of white - can't remember what we ended up with, but we both enjoyed it.For food we had: bruschetta, beet salad, caesar salad, gnocchi, and seafood ravioli. Everything was really good. I'm not sure if anything stood out in terms of must-return-for, but everything was very good. Beet salad was delicious, especially with the supplied lemon wedge. Gnocchi was airy and light. Wife enjoyed her ravioli quite a bit as well.Good time here. We'll return when we get a craving for pasta.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Eduardo Briceño
Excellent
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
recently dined here and it was a delightful experience. The cozy atmosphere immediately set the tone for a relaxed evening. The staff was attentive, enhancing the overall dining experience. Now, let's talk about the star of the show – the food. The Italian cuisine was not only delicious but also authentically crafted. Each dish showcased the chef's skill and commitment to quality. From pasta to desserts, every bite was a celebration of flavor. I highly recommend for anyone seeking a memorable Italian dining experience.
Bostonlover
Love this restaurant and will return again and again. The setting is comfortable but very classy. The food is always exceptionally good and the service is stellar. Thank you. I wish you would consider opening a Toscano in the Fenway neighborhood of Boston. There are plenty of people living in condos and apartments in this neighborhood who would love to be able to make you our "go to place". Please consider !.
She had the salmon which was tasteless and unseasoned. She gave it a 1. She also has an original margarita that she couldn't drink because it was bitterI had the lamb chops that were well seasoned, plenty, al beit al bit fatty but not a problem due to the quantity. I also had a neat rum so my drink was fineMixed review here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Sophia Salamanca
Pretty good food, but abominable service. Wait staff was rude, and the check was thrown on the table without a word before we were even done eating. Servers were curt and disrespectful. For a restaurant in its location, it was entirely unwelcoming, unacceptable, and I will not be returning.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 1
Southiebs
I Attend many Shows at A.R.T and we always go to Toscano. this time my whole family said .weve never had a bad meal here. the service is always great. and when they know your going to a show they always take care to make sure you make your show.
J J
Very generous portion of food but the service was less than impressive and it felt like the server was rushing us to leave at the end.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 1
Andrea Carenini
Great atmosphere and service but food isn’t up to the expectations. A bit over
Came for Dine Out Boston! Their lunch menu was a good deal at $36 since normal entrees are already around $30. Pasta and desserts were the best parts of the meal. Good service and upscale casual environment. * Apps: salmone affumicato, panzanella salad. The salmon was nicely smoked but a bit boring. Panzanella was meh but I generally don't like salads. * Entrees: rigatoni norcina, veal scaloppini. The rigatoni was perfectly al dente with the yummiest truffle cream sauce. SKIP the veal--so chewy and weird, almost like dog food. * Desserts: torta di mirtilli, panna cotta. Both nice but I preferred the panna cotta.
We always love Toscano, both in Harvard Square and on Charles St. We had a wonderful lunch at the Harvard Square location yesterday. As always, the service was awesome, the food perfect, and the overall experience excellent. Leonardo, our server, was fun to talk to and totally pleasant and professional. It is really a simply incredible great place to dine, whether it's lunch or dinner. I hope it stays there in the Square forever! Thanks.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Service was slightly dismissive and rushed, obviously this guy had worked in restaurants a long time. Martini was serviceable, wine selection was decent. The real failing was the entrees. Nothing was made with care. The pizza had too much sauce and cheese. The dough was tasteless. The shrimp dish was WAY over cooked, the potatoes were under cooked. And, everything lacked enough salt. Save your money, go elsewhere.
We really enjoyed this place. There were so many things on the menu we wanted to try that we will have to come back. The things we did try were all delicious. Great cocktails too!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
overrated and
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Nice ambience for a Friday night catch-up dinner with girlfriends. Beet salad was not memorable. Orecchiette dish also not memorable. Service was excellent.
---update March 2024---I've warmed to this place quite a bit! A friend and I eat lunch at Toscano somewhat regularly, and my experiences have been quite pleasant.My friend has some dietary restrictions to put it mildly, and we have been lucky enough to have the same delightful young lady take our orders as of late. She is pleasant, offers substitutions (even though my mate has to decline them all), and always seems to be in a good mood. I wish I knew her name, for a shout-out, but hopefully management knows who I'm talking about, as she definitely deserves praise.The food is good - I've enjoyed just about everything I've eaten here... Favorites are the various gnocchi dishes, risotto, bruschetta, Caesar salad, meatballs, and the steaks are quite good! They make a very nice bourbon old fashioned also!We'll definitely return, in fact, I believe we'll visit later this week. Would recommend.---original review below---We'd heard good things about Toscano from friends, so made a reservation a couple weeks ahead so that we could check it out ourselves.Located right in Harvard Square, just a block up Brattle Street from Brattle Square, it's central yet has a cozy feel to it. The interior is similarly warm, with beautiful light fixtures and dark wood finishes.We were "greeted" by a short(ish)/stout man who asked, "what can we do for you?" - which, admittedly, took me by surprise for just a moment. Told him we had a reservation and were shown to our table. We ended up with a great spot, not against the windows, but close to them.To drink we had: old fashioned, Moscow mule, shared a bottle of white wine. The whiskey old fashioned was delicious and strong - an orange peel might've made it a bit tastier, but I can't complain as it was made very well. Wife said her mule was great as well. Shared a mid-tier bottle of white - can't remember what we ended up with, but we both enjoyed it.For food we had: bruschetta, beet salad, caesar salad, gnocchi, and seafood ravioli. Everything was really good. I'm not sure if anything stood out in terms of must-return-for, but everything was very good. Beet salad was delicious, especially with the supplied lemon wedge. Gnocchi was airy and light. Wife enjoyed her ravioli quite a bit as well.Good time here. We'll return when we get a craving for pasta.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excellent
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
recently dined here and it was a delightful experience. The cozy atmosphere immediately set the tone for a relaxed evening. The staff was attentive, enhancing the overall dining experience. Now, let's talk about the star of the show – the food. The Italian cuisine was not only delicious but also authentically crafted. Each dish showcased the chef's skill and commitment to quality. From pasta to desserts, every bite was a celebration of flavor. I highly recommend for anyone seeking a memorable Italian dining experience.
Love this restaurant and will return again and again. The setting is comfortable but very classy. The food is always exceptionally good and the service is stellar. Thank you. I wish you would consider opening a Toscano in the Fenway neighborhood of Boston. There are plenty of people living in condos and apartments in this neighborhood who would love to be able to make you our "go to place". Please consider !.
Restaurantji Recommends
She had the salmon which was tasteless and unseasoned. She gave it a 1. She also has an original margarita that she couldn't drink because it was bitterI had the lamb chops that were well seasoned, plenty, al beit al bit fatty but not a problem due to the quantity. I also had a neat rum so my drink was fineMixed review here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Pretty good food, but abominable service. Wait staff was rude, and the check was thrown on the table without a word before we were even done eating. Servers were curt and disrespectful. For a restaurant in its location, it was entirely unwelcoming, unacceptable, and I will not be returning.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 1
I Attend many Shows at A.R.T and we always go to Toscano. this time my whole family said .weve never had a bad meal here. the service is always great. and when they know your going to a show they always take care to make sure you make your show.
Very generous portion of food but the service was less than impressive and it felt like the server was rushing us to leave at the end.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 1
Great atmosphere and service but food isn’t up to the expectations. A bit over
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5