50 Best Italian Restaurants near Dorchester

“Great food and great service! They were short staffed but Sean C. did an awesome job! The goat cheese and spinach Gnudi was delicious.“

“Everything. Friendly staff cold beer great food.“

“Great!

I made prefer using Uber eats and the driver canceled and didn’t deliver although it was ready from the restaurant side. However, I called the restaurant and the restaurant manager offered to handle the delivery, and he did send someone form the restaurant to deliver my food!

I’m so thankful to the restaurant and the manager here to make my delivery and so not happy with Uber eats!“

“pricey but thats what you get when you pay for quality ingredients. good eats“

“Had an amazing meal here tonight. Everything was fresh, delicious and imaginative. Alana who served us was an absolute delight and Stefano and Simon had the kitchen operating on all cylinders. Thank you all for making our meal so special! ❤️“

“This place is amazing!! The customer service was top notch!!“

“Perfect place for Mothers Day when Valet is a must!“

“Pazza is AMAZING! Great service and the food is incredible. Highly recommend!“

“I had not been in almost a year and I forgot how amazing Giulia is. The Service was outstanding. the food was phenomenal and the atmosphere was perfect. Oysters/Corn Pasta/Foccacia/.......just perfect right down to the panacotta! Thank you very much TEAM GIULIA!“

“Amazing, fresh, worth going off the beaten path for!“

“Charming Atmosphere, But Service Left a Sour Note
This is a lovely little restaurant that really transports you to Italy—the ambiance is authentic, and to our surprise, there were even two opera singers performing live, which added a magical touch to the evening.

When ordering, I asked if they had any pasta with white sauce. The waiter said no, so I went ahead and ordered something else, politely requesting, “Easy on the marinara sauce.” What I received was a very large portion, drowning in marinara—exactly the opposite of what I’d asked for.

What puzzled me even more was seeing the table next to us served a pasta dish clearly prepared with white sauce. That left me wondering why we were told otherwise.

We didn’t order any wine (a bold move in an Italian restaurant, I know!), and after that, it felt like the staff lost interest in us completely.

All in all, the place has great potential and a fantastic atmosphere, but the service and inconsistency in communication took away from the overall experience.“

“By far the best, authentic Italian food in the North End. We have dined at several restaurants but the service, ambience and food is the best! They make their own pasta and sauces daily. I cannot recommend Casarecce enough. Delicioso.“

“This resaurant is by the Copley pla e mall. Really nice vibe inside. Staff was super friendly. Love that they come with the bottle of wine and then serve you onbthe spot. Applaud themnfor that. Rhe meatballs with taiasted bread is a great app. But the Margherita & Bianco pizza were amazing. The dough, marinara and chesses were top notch.. Highly recommend their 🍕.“

“We accidentally met Chef Lester earlier in the day; ironically, we already made a reservation for my birthday dinner later that day, before this introduction. He mentioned the Pumpkin Risotto special and said when we returned to ask for him. The food was excellent and he personally came to our table to check on us. He then had our server bring us a beautiful platter of desserts, topping off an outstanding experience and birthday celebration! I will definitely be back!“

“My husband and I had dinner last Sunday night. It was a beautiful experience with impeccable service. I am going to remember my quail dish for a very long time. Highly recommend“

“I had an amazing experience and can’t wait to go back🥰“

“Outstanding menu that changes seasonally and with specials. Service is superb! Especially Christina. We love to visit and eat here with goid friends. Never a bad meal. A plus! 10 stars! All quality food! Worth every penny. Love pans cota too!“

“Amazing food and service with authentic Italian hospitality!“

“10/10–same rating I would give Sarma! The mortadella app was fantastic (honestly I didn’t think I liked mortadella but this stuff melted in your mouth!!), and the cappelletti was unlike anything I have had before! The panna cotta was so special (we ordered all three desserts and they all were amazing!)! Everything was great!“

“By far the best food and atmosphere! Cheryl was our server and was simply outstanding! The portions are huge and the food is fresh and inspired!“

“The second we walked in we were met with amazing service. The staff is super pleasant, and helpful. They were able to accommodate a dietary restriction in my party with ease and enthusiasm. Every single dish in the chef’s tasting was fantastic. The food was full of flavor and the portions were a good size. I would come here any time any day, Chef/Owner Jen came to check in on us and chatted with us and was super nice. Love this place. Come here for a great time.“

“Porto is very special. I love the varied areas to dine. They have outdoor seating in the warm weather and a covered porch with heat lamps for the cooler days. The dining rooms are cozy. The staff is well trained and very friendly. The food is very creative and delicious.“

“My favorite restaurant we live in Southern NH I will only go there to eat in Boston just there yesterday for Lunch , Food and Service is outstanding we also had our daughters wedding there. Staff and food was amazing service is very professional no other place I rather be while visiting Boston will always come back“

“Stopped by Davios on my way out of logan. Food was pretty good. Had the burger which was very filling if you're hungry. The bartender Diego was awesome! Friendly knowledgeable and hilarious. I'll be stopping in again and again just for the great service!“

“Su buen servicio y la comida es deliciosa.“

“Being 100% Italian also the food was amazing! They started us off with real EVOO to dip Our bread in with salt & pepper you can tell the EVOO was straight from Italy. I started with the arancini special which was sausage and saffron sitting in a white creamy sauce that was absolutely delicious. Then it was a toss up on my pasta dish between lobster raviolis and wild mushroom pappardelle I went with the lobster raviolis in a pink sauce. I never finish my food and I ate ever single ravioli. The portion was good enough for me and the proper way to eat a pasta dish so you don’t have left overs or waste. The pink sauce was creamy and delicious (I even dipped my bread in it at the end). Then I went straight for the dessert and ordered affogato (gelato with espresso) wow amazing not too sweet and not too bitter from the espresso perfect blend. Then my friend and I still were not ready to leave so I ordered a espresso martini and again amazing only advice I would give them is shake the martini more to make it foamy And that was my first experience at Gusto’s I give it a 10/10 Oh and the pizza looked really good that will be my next outing.“

“Excellent food and service“

“I attended an event yesterday at this amazing Restaurant. The atmosphere is so inviting, the drinks were delicious. Food was absolutely scrumptious. And the staff all so kind and friendly. I highly recommend stopping in for a cocktail or dinner, you won’t be disappointed!!!“

“Wonderful food and great service in an amazing setting!“

“Went here on a friday evening and place was absolutely packed - highly recommend reservations because you'll be lucky to get a table otherwise.

Ambiance was better than expected. You wouldn't be able to tell by looking from the outside but the inside is a classy well lit spot with tons of seating a spacious bar area. Great spot for dates, friends, and family.

Service was so-so. Could tell they were busy and trying their best. Maybe hire more servers?

Food - pizza was alright. Not amazing like others raving on here but it wasn't bad either. One of them was lacking flavor and the other was undercooked.“

“Amazing food and great customer service! Put this place on your To Go list in Boston!“

“Very nice staff and delicious food“

“This is a hidden gem! We stopped here randomly while traveling home from Boston. We got zucchini pillows and beet salad for appetizers. They were fabulous and flavorful! For dinner we got gnocchi and chicken parm. Probably the best we have ever had! Delicious and good size portions. We had tiramisu for dessert. It was excellent! Great meal start to finish. Our waitress, the owner's daughter was personable , sweet, efficient and great to talk to. We will DEFINITELY be back!!!!“

“We went there tonight. The food was delicious. The staff were amazing. We loved everything about this place. Thank you for a wonderful dinning experience. We will definitely be back.“

“Grilled Clams make it so worthwhile“

“My husband and I have adored Toscano for over 20 years... We're not sure if it is the amazing food or the kindest and most caring staff that make us feel like family every single time. . Absolutely a must visit if you're in Boston !!“

“Hands down the best in Davis. Don't think twice about going to eat here! 10/10 atmosphere 10/10 staff 10/10 food 10/10 drinks Don't believe me? Go and see for yourselves! :)“

“Had a lovely dinner at Grotto during our time in Boston. We had the chicken parmigiana pasta and the pasta bolognese — both were full of flavor and really satisfying. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, the service was friendly, and prices felt fair for the quality. A great little spot for a relaxed Italian dinner.“

“My husband & I had a lovely lunch there this afternoon. Our first time there. Will certainly be back. Thank you so much for your hospitality.“

“Love coming to gigi’s for italian food in the south end!
Recommend the rigatoni alla vodka & arancini !!
Cannot mix and match dishes, (but i wish you could get the chicken parm with the vodka sauce, the vodka sauce from the rigatoni alla vodka is delicious :) )“

“Another wonderful family lunch today! Thank you Chris and the Carlo’s Cucina family. My second visit in three weeks. We’ll definitely be back! My new favorite dining spot on my visits to Allston, from the Cape. 👍🍽️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Mark N.“

“The quality and presentation of the food was top notch. We were incredibly impressed by the dining room layout and staff. If you are looking for a place to propose to your significant other… this is NOT the appropriate place. As I mentioned the food was the finest I’ve ever had; however, the music was terrible. We felt like we were in a 1990’s discotheque. The music was loud, very heavy beat and not remotely romantic. We did mention to our waitstaff and they attempted to get it turned down to no avail. No coffee or dessert available either. I understand space is limited; however you have two of the finest dessert businesses well within walking distance. Even if you only carry two desserts. I would still go back there for the food with the hopes of different music…even soft jazz would be acceptable.“

“Quality ingredients. A sublime attention to detail. Balance in salty, umami and heat. The broccoli Caesar is a must have along with the homemade ricotta. I sat at Chefs counter and got wonderful attention from everyone. Amazing!“

“The best meal- great service- Beautiful atmosphere And warm friendly hostess“

“Made reservations last minute and was able to get a reservation the morning of .

Restaurant is located on the second floor in a cozy environment that can get loud depending on what time you have reservations.

Gentleman at the door was very welcoming and showed us to our table right at the window looking outward to the street which was great people watching from an elevated location. Restaurant was packed and I would recommend reservations be made .

Cocktails to start were a good generous pour and well prepared : Negroni was quite good.

Appetizers we got a side of grilled asparagus and the figs stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped with prosciutto and a drizzle of balsamic glaze . The figs were delicious and the perfect accompaniment for the cocktails . Asparagus was just okay , a bit too stalky for my preference.

Main dishes were the Pesto with pancetta topped with burrata made with Gluten Free pasta . Well prepared flavorful and heavy on the pesto which we prefer . Nice to see they offer all their pasta dishes with a GF option . The other main was their Tagliatelle Bolognese da Abruzzo which was a hearty ragu slow simmered with beef , veal and pancetta topped with freshly grated Parmesan. I really enjoyed this .

Overall we left satisfied with the entire experience despite being loud and a bit cramped in due to the small size of the upstairs restaurant .

I would possibly come back but would want to try other Italian restaurant options in the neighborhood for comparison purpose .“

“Enjoyed a delicious brunch here today - they also serve their regular menu all day. Staff was friendly, beautiful space.“

“Do yourself a favor - skip over the Boston restaurants and head straight here. I’ve been coming for years and the food never disappoints. The service is great. And there’s gluten free on Monday - what more could you want!? Fabulous.“

“Amazing day @Novara for lunch !“

“DELICIOUS food & wine, good service“