50 Best Italian Restaurants near Needham

“Spiga is our absolute favorite restaurant!! We've come a dozen times and it is always the best meal! This particular time, I made a reservation for Father's Day but I accidentally booked it for a week prior - the manager was so incredible and could hear the desperation in my voice, so squeezed us in and made it work by his own kindness, even though the restaurant was fully booked. Our waiter was amazing - the service was incredible from beginning to end and our meal was absolutely delicious and so freshly homemade as always! We cannot wait to come back, thank you Spiga!!“

“We would like to give a higher rating and hope to in the future but there were several areas that could be improved:

1) My husband and I sat on the patio next to the front door. We used to come here alot when it was Petit Robert. They have done a nice job of changing it from French country bistro to modern upscale Italian, still very cozy. It was a lovely evening but it was disrupted by 2 young boys running in and out of the restaurant yelling the score to some game. They continued to yell up and down the sidewalk and climbed the lamppost. It really ruined the vibe. It was surprising that their parents (inside) nor the staff said anything to them. We could over hear the table next to us also commenting about this raucous behavior.

2. The service, although super friendly was slow. We waited for quite some time to place our order and for the bill. I never got the ice that was requested. Perhaps this is because of thr busy crowd on a Friday night.

3. The majority of our dishes were outstanding. The grilled squid appetizer was the best we have had in awhile. The squid was very tender and went perfectly well with the sliced fennel and lemon vinaigrette. My husband's wagyu dish was also beautifully executed. It was cooked to the perfect medium rare and paired nicely with the garlic sauce. Sides included lightly seasoned crispy fingerling potatoes and broccolini also cooked to perfection. I ordered the house special, lobster in vodka sauce with house made pasta. This was the biggest disappointment when the other dishes were so well delivered. The pasta was over cooked and mushy. The sauce was a bit sweet and there were only a few small pieces of lobster claw meat. This was surprising since the dish was more expensive than the wagyu. When the hostess checked in on us, she was gracious in offering to get us something else. I went with the black truffle wheel since we had seen other tables ordering it and the waitress had said it was her favorite dish there. Indeed it was incredible and did not disappoint! The pasta was not overcooked and the sauce was to die for! I loved it and would come back just for that dish alone!

When the bill came out, we assumed that they would have comped us for the lobster dish since that was what we didn't like and had sent it back despite their offering us to take it home. But instead, they had comped us for the truffle dish ($26), which was just over half of the lobster dish ($44). Seemed like a strange unprofessional practice.

Overall we still loved 3 out of 4 dishes so would still come back. Hopefully there won't be screaming kids and perhaps the wait staff would not be as slow.“

“My family makes it there at least once a month. Best mussels on the planet. Bolognese, risotto, chicken parm, rosemary chicken, Lamb shank, something for everyone. Best friendliest staff ever. BYOB makes it even more fun. Daphne, Shannon, Joe, Angel, Dillon…all the bomb!“

“The Greek chicken wrap was amazing! Mainly takeout, small place with a few tables. Nice, clean pizza joint atmosphere, but much better food. A little pricey, but a good value, especially considering that it's in a pricey area.

Parking: Small, free parking lot.“

“I hadn't been to Giulia since before COVID, mainly due to the extreme difficulty in getting a reservation during a desirable timeframe. Parking has become much more challenging in that interim. Still, enjoyed a great pasta dish and dessert with my out-of-town guest. Very generous wine pour as well.“

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

“Very hyped up restaurant so we expected to be blown away. Overall, the food was tasty, especially the sugar snap salad, eggplant pizza, and meatball special. The tallegio pasta was good but definitely more for cheese lovers, and the bucatini was great as well but neither were super outstanding. The clams were a bit disappointing. Friendly service and great atmosphere“

“Great food and great service! I even got gluten free chicken parm and spaghetti which was excellent! They have a wonderful food and drink menu. Our server Jess was was excellent as well. The manager Nick greeted us when we came in and found us a great table by the window. So the bottom line is, this is a great restaurant and I'm so happy we found this little gem! We will be back!“

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

“We previously been to the Concord location 3 times for pre theater dinner. We liked it very much. But it is LOUD. The Newton location is very close and convenient to our home. We finally scored a reservation. The food was the same excellence we were expecting. The service was better. Our server was the perfect amount of attentive. The noise level was much more manageable. It is a small and crowed space. It is noisy. The noise level in Concord is almost overwhelming. This was no where that loud. Clientele ranged from families with small children to the very elderly. The only negative was we found the valey attendant to be rather rude. Waving his arms and shooing us away. That's fine. I don't allow valet to touch my car.
You need to plan ahead of time if you wasn't to have dinner here. Same day reservations for dinner time are hard to come by.“

“The delivery is always speedy and the steak tips NEVER disappoint. So good🤤🤤🤤“

“The woman who waited on me and my family was incredibly kind. We have a wheelchair bound daughter and I just hope the know how come the made us feel plus the food was amazing. Save room for a cappuccino and tiramisu!“

“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.“

“DELICIOUS food & wine, good service“

“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.“

“One of my favorite restaurants in the area for a night out with friends, especially when we are meeting partway between Boston and western suburbs. The food is really delicious, the drinks are great, and the service is attentive. It can get a little loud, but you can definitely still have a conversation. Don’t miss the focaccia and ricotta, but the pizza and pasta are also always outstanding. So are the salads. This place is just really solid.“

“Molto bene! The decor was bright & cheerful, with yellows and whites. The owner’s daughter was friendly, fun, upbeat and managed a very busy & very loud restaurant with grace and patience. She was our server. The food was exceptional. I got meatballs (homemade) and spaghetti. I’m a homemade meatball chef at home and these were delicious! My husband’s braised beef and mashed was delicious, too. Looking forward to coming again!“

“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! :)“

“Best meal of the year there last night, and we were in Paris for a week in March! The charred broccolini with tonnato sauce appetizer is to die for, I may have to order three portions next time. But the scallops, the sole, and the fig tart were also delicious, making it hard to choose a fave. Once again, this restaurant earned its place as our go-to for special occasions.“

“Excellent people exc food great prices!“

“Went in for my birthday dinner. Service was great and the food was fantastic. Will definitely be back again.“

“Su buen servicio y la comida es deliciosa.“

“Josephine is a solidly good Italian restaurant. The location, vibes, and service were perfect. The space is massive which feels incredible rare for a restaurant in Boston nowadays.

Came here at 5:45 before a 7pm show and our server, Alexis, was really accommodating and friendly about making sure things came out in a timely manner without it feeling rushed. He even dropped off the check at 7pm on the dot.

Now the food is where I have my complaints. At a baseline, it’s all good but it could’ve been better with just minor tweaks. The mozzarella sticks for example, the batter was too thick, reduce that by like 50%. The pizza needed to be cooked just a smidge longer because the crust fell through immediately. Then the chicken parm which is the size of a Ford F150 needed to pounded much thinner. The hashbrowns needed more of the cacio e Pepe sauce.“

“Excellent food and cocktails! Service was wonderful. The bartender, Bernie, is wonderful! She makes the best Old Fashion I have ever had. It’s a small neighborhood “hole in the wall” vibe. Definitely worth trying.“

“I have never in my life had a steak cheese & mushroom sandwich as good as Lola’s. We stopped in for a quick dinner Wednesday and I have been thinking (dreaming?) since then about how delicious it was. It’s a bit far for us to come there regularly but I can’t wait to visit again.“

“Great. Been there dozens of times.“

“Every time I eat here I say let's go back tomorrow! I got the chicken parm it was enough for two days and the chicken was so juicy the desert was out of this world and calamari's fried lightly . The owner is wicked friendly and I always get parking“

“Beautiful interior and food was amazing. The staff and bartenders were very attentive as well.“

“Thank you for a nice chicken parm dinner. It was very good and a nice portion. I'll be back!“

“Great service and delicious food“

“This was our first visit. The restaurant has plenty of natural light, space and free parking in back. Our meals were delicious and the portions are very generous! I especially enjoyed the peach panzanela salad and chicken marsala. The service was on point. We will be back!“

“always excellent food and service!“

“Best place,great food.Highly recommend 🥰🥰🥰🥰“

“The best beef bolognese I have had in ages! Time to buy more!“

“Always amazing food and service!!!“

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

“Absolutely loved Bar ’Cino! From the moment we walked in, the service was exceptional. We arrived about 30 minutes before closing, and despite it being late, everyone was so welcoming and didn’t make us feel rushed. The manager was incredibly friendly.

We started with the roasted beets and the roasted eggplant, and both were absolutely delicious. The Paccheri pasta dish was hands down the star of the meal, 10/10! It was such a unique dish, perfectly cooked, and packed with flavor. Every bite was amazing. Highly recommend!“

“Absolutely amazing experience! This is a must try for all.“

“One of my favorite local Italian restaurants! Their homemade pasta is delicious. Their service is fast and their portions are gigantic!“

“We tried 6 different things and they were all amazing . Great pizza , deserts are delicious. Fun atmosphere and the big wood stove fire is cool. Service was fast and polite. Our food came out pretty fast even tho it was busy on Friday. Everything was very well prepared and generous serving sizes. I can’t wait to go back. Get the Popeyes sweet pea pizza . One of the best pizzas I’ve ever had.“

“My family and I were looking for places to eat before a family friend’s play in Belmont. We decided to stop in and nothing short of amazing! The staff welcomes you when you walk in, super friendly and were very generous. Place was busy which is a good sign and ton of people doing pick up orders. The pizza was very authentic and probably the best I have had in a long time. The hot honey tenders were delicious. I wish we had one close to me, I would be a loyal customer!“

“The best. If Im dining out in Rozzi this is the place... So good!“

“Delish dinner. Swordfish & fresh vegetables. Scrumptious tart for dessert!“

“Small hole in the wall but Fire pizza!“

“Adrian was the best service we have had in a long time. Great place ask for him if you want great service. Will be back.“

“Just had the most tastiest cheesesteak pizza from here. The dough was superb. Ingredients are definitely fresh! Will go back and try again.“

“Dinner was fantastic!! Order to go…Veal piccata with linguine, Fresh Italian bread and Italian, sparkling….Sanpellegrino orange drink, with a fresh cannoli made to order.
Everything was exceptionally tasty. The VEAL in particular was exceptional.., very tender and cooked to perfection.. Cannoli was freshly made directly in front of you, with a nice firm shell.. portion size was generous. The bread was actually stupendous too!
This establishmen continues to never ever disappoint. Consistently great and reasonably priced.
HIGHLY RECCOMEND!!
Keep up the great work thank you for a delightful meal.“

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

“On October 2nd, we hosted a Rehearsal Dinner for 35 that opened up to a Welcome Party for 90. The transition in their beautiful event space was seamless, thanks to Joanna and her wonderful staff. Leading up to the events, Joanna answered any question I threw at her. It was especially comforting since I was organizing from Florida. The food at the rehearsal dinner was delicious, chicken parm, salmon, gnocchi. The service, both food and drink was exceptional. We did a prix fixe menu and Joanna created a specific menu for our event. It felt very special. For the welcome party with an open bar, we chose a charcuterie board, fruit platter, meatballs and arancini all served buffet style. High top tables were added to accommodate the additional guests. Again, Joanna and her staff paid attention to every detail. As the hostess, besides wanting great food and service for my guests, it was extremely important that I got to enjoy my son’s wedding festivities. I had the best time not having to worry about a thing. I can’t thank Joanna and her staff enough for making it all happen.“

“Good food, friendly staff, affordable for lunch and catering“