Food was very good but when the check came, I tried to pay with an AmEx (the only card I carry) and was told they take every other card. If you don’t accept a certain major credit card, that should be disclosed on the menu, door, or by the server prior to ordering. Fortunately, I was dining with someone who had another means of payment or it would have been a bad situation.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Bráulio Amado
A really excellent meal and a really nice waitress that gave us a bunch of good tips for places in the area. Thank you!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Scott Randolph
Thoughtful service, satisfying wine choices, and very good pasta dishes. We enjoyed it very much
Mark D
Charming and quaint. Great service and even better italian food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Monica Dell'Aquila
This is my first time reviewing a restaurant and I hate to say I couldn’t wait to write people of the review. We were so excited to try this place and it completely let us down. From food, service, to a 2 hour and 15 minute wait after we were told an hour and 15 minute wait, we can’t believe we waited for such disappointing food. The meatball tasted like a frozen meatball and not authentic at all. The lettuce was the same you could get from the grocery store and when it comes to the price we’re paying I’m expecting farm to table. My partners meal was so disappointing he couldn’t finish it. We won’t be returning.
I will say the sister restaurant secundo was excellent service although we never ate there. The customer service on the phone was good.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Thomas Wilhelm
I'm a former Dover, NH resident and Festina Lente was my go-to restaurant when I lived there. I started going there about a week after they opened after watching the renovate the space in the weeks before they opened. I have lived in Italy (Perugia, Umbria) for 4 years now and my impression of Festina Lente has gone from 5 stars to 100 stars since moving here. The food at Festina Lente is the most authentic Italian food I've eaten in the US. I would actually call it Umbrian or Tuscan. From the antipasto to the dolce, pure Italian. The wine is top notch and the service is always exceptional. I don't know Sam, the chef's, connection to Italy and weather he regularly visits here to taste Umbrian food, but his food is as good and as consistent as the best restaurants in Umbria. I live around real Italian food every day and I miss being able to eat at Festina Lente.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Greta Martinez
I was so excited to try this place and I really wanted to love it. I’ll start by saying the service was exceptional. Our waitress was incredibly sweet and very attentive. The atmosphere is also nice, dim lit and cozy, nice bar seating area. That being said, the food was just not very good. I may be biased… I lived in Italy for three years and married into an Italian family who makes absolutely incredible food from scratch. The risotto was so soupy and just way too large and heavy. The focaccia was alright and the other pasta dishes that were ordered were underwhelming. They use the same pasta that we use at home.
I can appreciate this place for a glass of wine and some snacks, they do have good wine choices. Other than that, if the quality of the food is super important to you when you go out to eat, I just wouldn’t recommend it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Amy Schmalz
Nice staff, space and atmosphere. Spaghetti and meatballs were over salted and meatballs were tough. Risotto was soupy and portion was to large. Eggplant and Cacio E Pepe were good.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Dianna Wallis
The risotto was under cooked ... like crunchy in the center. Carrots were good
Went a few weeks ago. This was the worst dinner I've had in 2024. I've spent time in Italy, my wife is half Italian. I appreciate good Italian food. You will honestly get a better meal at The Olive Garden than here. Every entree our party got was flavorless and poorly done. Mine was a a mess of sauce. A bowl of sauce with $5 bread. It was so pretentious with substandard food.
I was really excited to try this restaurant based on the reviews. It’s a small place with a great atmosphere. Our server was nice and very attentive. The salad and eggplant were excellent. Unfortunately we did not enjoy our entrees. The meatballs tasted funny and the red sauce is not very good. My dad didn’t like his clams either. I’m being generous with a 4 since the staff was so nice.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Yuki Cohen
Quaint sweet spot, but boy are they huge in quality! Best ciabatta bread I’ve ever had (baked in house), freshest most perfectly dressed salad, succulently cooked pastas (we had the bucatini with clams - clams swam straight from ocean to dish, spaghetti with meatballs and the cacio pepe). The wines are the most excellent I’ve savored in a while. The Pinot Grigio from Alto Adige is the type of wine that inspires poetry and all that is wonderful with the world. Bravo!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Charcuterie, Cacio E Pepe
J Hitchcock
What a beautiful little place food was authentic the center squash dish was mouthwatering great selection of Italian wine
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sara V
Caught in a rainstorm and couldn't get into our original choice. So glad we could get in here. Excellent food. Intimate dining experience. Very European. Our salads were obviously fresh produce from the area. My Cacio y Pepe was excellent. Felt like I was in Rome again.
Food was very good but when the check came, I tried to pay with an AmEx (the only card I carry) and was told they take every other card. If you don’t accept a certain major credit card, that should be disclosed on the menu, door, or by the server prior to ordering. Fortunately, I was dining with someone who had another means of payment or it would have been a bad situation.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
A really excellent meal and a really nice waitress that gave us a bunch of good tips for places in the area. Thank you!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Thoughtful service, satisfying wine choices, and very good pasta dishes. We enjoyed it very much
Charming and quaint. Great service and even better italian food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is my first time reviewing a restaurant and I hate to say I couldn’t wait to write people of the review. We were so excited to try this place and it completely let us down. From food, service, to a 2 hour and 15 minute wait after we were told an hour and 15 minute wait, we can’t believe we waited for such disappointing food. The meatball tasted like a frozen meatball and not authentic at all. The lettuce was the same you could get from the grocery store and when it comes to the price we’re paying I’m expecting farm to table. My partners meal was so disappointing he couldn’t finish it. We won’t be returning.
I will say the sister restaurant secundo was excellent service although we never ate there. The customer service on the phone was good.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
I'm a former Dover, NH resident and Festina Lente was my go-to restaurant when I lived there. I started going there about a week after they opened after watching the renovate the space in the weeks before they opened. I have lived in Italy (Perugia, Umbria) for 4 years now and my impression of Festina Lente has gone from 5 stars to 100 stars since moving here. The food at Festina Lente is the most authentic Italian food I've eaten in the US. I would actually call it Umbrian or Tuscan. From the antipasto to the dolce, pure Italian. The wine is top notch and the service is always exceptional. I don't know Sam, the chef's, connection to Italy and weather he regularly visits here to taste Umbrian food, but his food is as good and as consistent as the best restaurants in Umbria. I live around real Italian food every day and I miss being able to eat at Festina Lente.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I was so excited to try this place and I really wanted to love it. I’ll start by saying the service was exceptional. Our waitress was incredibly sweet and very attentive. The atmosphere is also nice, dim lit and cozy, nice bar seating area. That being said, the food was just not very good. I may be biased… I lived in Italy for three years and married into an Italian family who makes absolutely incredible food from scratch. The risotto was so soupy and just way too large and heavy. The focaccia was alright and the other pasta dishes that were ordered were underwhelming. They use the same pasta that we use at home.
I can appreciate this place for a glass of wine and some snacks, they do have good wine choices. Other than that, if the quality of the food is super important to you when you go out to eat, I just wouldn’t recommend it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Nice staff, space and atmosphere. Spaghetti and meatballs were over salted and meatballs were tough. Risotto was soupy and portion was to large. Eggplant and Cacio E Pepe were good.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
The risotto was under cooked ... like crunchy in the center. Carrots were good
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Festine Bread Appetizer, Risotto
Went a few weeks ago. This was the worst dinner I've had in 2024. I've spent time in Italy, my wife is half Italian. I appreciate good Italian food. You will honestly get a better meal at The Olive Garden than here. Every entree our party got was flavorless and poorly done. Mine was a a mess of sauce. A bowl of sauce with $5 bread. It was so pretentious with substandard food.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Restaurantji Recommends
I was really excited to try this restaurant based on the reviews. It’s a small place with a great atmosphere. Our server was nice and very attentive. The salad and eggplant were excellent. Unfortunately we did not enjoy our entrees. The meatballs tasted funny and the red sauce is not very good. My dad didn’t like his clams either. I’m being generous with a 4 since the staff was so nice.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Quaint sweet spot, but boy are they huge in quality! Best ciabatta bread I’ve ever had (baked in house), freshest most perfectly dressed salad, succulently cooked pastas (we had the bucatini with clams - clams swam straight from ocean to dish, spaghetti with meatballs and the cacio pepe). The wines are the most excellent I’ve savored in a while. The Pinot Grigio from Alto Adige is the type of wine that inspires poetry and all that is wonderful with the world. Bravo!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Charcuterie, Cacio E Pepe
What a beautiful little place food was authentic the center squash dish was mouthwatering great selection of Italian wine
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Caught in a rainstorm and couldn't get into our original choice. So glad we could get in here. Excellent food. Intimate dining experience. Very European. Our salads were obviously fresh produce from the area. My Cacio y Pepe was excellent. Felt like I was in Rome again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A must.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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