I cannot express how much I recommend you stop here for lunch or dinner! From the cozy ambiance, the excellent hospitality, the personable sweetheart of a waitress, the price to portion ratio and finally to the FOOD. I have never had a better experience in the North End! We arrived with a party of 8. Our waitress, Annette I believe, welcomed us and was entirely unfazed by some of our louder party members. She was the definition of welcoming and intuitive! The food, oh my god. We got a variety of dishes from gnocchi to the tenderloin to an Al fresco dish. I personally ordered the shrimp and calamari fra diavolo and it was simply incredible! The freshest calamari I have ever had, the flavors were a delight on the tongue, and it paired so well with the Malbec I had also ordered. After dinner our waitress brought us house made limoncello shots? Just because?? The level of hospitality is unmatched and you can bet that the local members of our party will happily return as soon as we can. I highly recommend this place, please consider a visit! read more

Al Dente Restaurant - Shrimp & Calamari Fra Diavalo - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Had a reservation on the Friday after Christmas, might not have been necessary. I'm unsure if it was the holiday or cold temps that kept people at home. Space is limited so I'd recommend on a typical weekend/weeknight. Service was very good, they were quick and friendly, everything we ordered was fresh and servings were generous. Bread was served at the table, followed a Caesar for one (split), side of meatball, followed by the main entree which the seafood saffron risotto along with a side of eggplant rollatini. Delicious! Salad was fresh, meatballs were tender, seafood was cooked to perfection and the eggplant rollatini was probably my favorite (forgot a photo). read more

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Al Dente is a family owned Italian restaurant in the North End of Boston. This restaurant was recommended to us by a few people that visited, so my friends and I decided to try it. We went during a snow storm, so the restaurant was pretty empty. The service was quick and the staff were super attentive. The ambiance inside is cozy and dimly lit. It made for a good date spot or after work dinner. The menu has a wide variety of pastas that can be ordered handmade. The food was high quality, but definitely expensive. We started by sharing a bottle of wine, which they let us try before pouring full glasses. The red complemented the dishes we ordered well. For one of our entrees, we got the pumpkin ravioli, which was seasoned nicely and paired great with the butter sage sauce on top. We also got the spinach crepes which were unique. I liked the flavor of the sauce paired with the crepes, the crunch of the almonds on top, and the cheese filling inside the crepes. My favorite dish, however, was the pesto with gnocchi. It was fresh and flavorful. Overall, the food was decent, but the portions were small for the price. It is high end dining though, so to be expected. Would recommend this place for a nice work dinner or high quality pasta while in the North End. It's also walkable to all the popular cannoli shops (Mike's, Bova's and Modern) in the area. read more

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Service very welcoming. Ambiance makes you feel like you're in Italy! Food was very tasty and large portion sizes. I got the bolognese with angel hair pasta. Was very good. If you're looking for parking the area is a bit tight but there is a parking garage near by where you can park and walk it's a short 3 minute walk. read more

Al Dente Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Nice spot in the north end. There are fancier places but this place tastes good and is warm and friendly. Our group enjoyed it. Large portions Started with large House Salad - Spring mix of baby greens, tomato and onio We had these dishes. Amatriciana - A mixture of pancetta (Italian bacon), onion, pecorino romano cheese, red wine and tomato sauce. Another had the seasonal Pumpkin Ravioli - Finished with a butter sage sauce, honey, brown sugar and sprinkled Romano Cheese And the Chicken Milanese - Boneless breast tender lightly dipped in egg batter, pan-fried and sautéed in white wine lemon butter sauce. The egg batter was very good and very, very fluffy. Chicken was very tender. It was over fettuccine but you can pick whatever kind of pasta you want. Fettuccine is very hard to twirl so I think next time I wouldn't order the fettuccine and just get spaghetti or something else, but it still tasted good. We all had leftovers. I ate my chicken dish over two lunches. read more

Al Dente Restaurant - Chicken Milanese over fettuccini - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Wow! Staff was friendly, and the ambiance was cute and quaint! As we walked to Al dente, I noticed a few restaurants around it were open but weren't busy, complete opposite of Al dente... that told me we picked a good one! We ordered calamari to start... that was delicious, the tentacles weren't chewy and had a good amount of breading/ coating on them! we ordered the lobster ravioli, veal saltimbocca, vodka penne pasta and Alfredo. All of the dishes were huge and delicious (I would tackle this as family style or split it with someone next time). I would easily come back! read more

Al Dente Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Recently came back and had a great meal. Had a Friday night reservation and was seated right away. The drinks and food came out so quickly. Would still highly recommend the lobster ravioli! read more

Al Dente Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The North End is always such a stunner for Italian food! Came here with friends and family a few times - ordered eggplant parm, chicken parm, pesto pasta, calamari, etc - all has been great! Only tip -- get a reservation, but try not to go too early in the day. I found that when I swung by during lunch instead of dinner, the tomato sauce was a bit on the thinner/waterier side. Dinner's tomato sauce was thicker and extra flavorful - might take some time for the sauce to reduce!! read more

Al Dente Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Cute! Just as delicious if not more than other restaurants around the area. Not as fancy or special feeling as other restaurants, but felt more authentic Italian. read more

Absolutely amazing experience! From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere felt warm and cozy. The food was incredible -- fresh ingredients, perfectly cooked pasta, and rich, flavorful sauces that tasted homemade. services were great. I will go back again. read more

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This restaurant is listed as having happy hour special or early bird specials. I retained photos to post. Two lady servers were seated. The one who greeted me at the door, to whom I asked if they had specials, was polite. The seated ladies were rude and harshly told me they didn't offer specials as if I were asking for a handout. read more

Al Dente Restaurant - Posted search bar and result for happy hour specials. Four other listed restaurants do have meals specials at 4pm. - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I was in town looking for a cosy (not white table cloths), family Italian restaurant and this hit the nail on the head. I had the eggplant parmesan at the recommendation of our server and it was out of this world flavorful. Best part was that all of our portions were giant--enough for leftovers the next day! read more

Al Dente Restaurant - Eggplant parmesan - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This is a small cute Italian restaurant! We got the grilled calamari and it was super fresh and delicious! I got the lobster ravioli and my dad got the veal Valdostana, which we both really liked! The food came out fast and the portions were large. Waiter was nice and attentive. This was an authentic Italian restaurant! read more

Al Dente Restaurant - Lobster Ravioli - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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This was such a great find. My husband and I were visiting from out of town and I was looking for a place that made homemade pasta. We were able to make a reservation and I knew it was going to be good when we walked in and you could smell the aromas of the food. We ordered the lobster ravioli appetizer for starter. It was so good I was using my spoon to get the extra sauce. I got the shrimp scampi and my husband got the chicken piccata. The scampi was made with homemade noodles and a light lemon sauce. It was amazing. By far the best part of the experience was when our waitress asked if we wanted cheese on our pasta. Of course we want cheese! She comes back to hand grate the cheese and when I tell her I'm good she says you're done when I say you're done . I loved that! She reminded me of the quintessential Italian moms I grew up with on Long Island. Great meal, highly recommend. We were even served limoncello shots for dessert. read more

The servers were very nice. It's a cozy restaurants, one of the smaller ones in the north end. The pasta sizes are pretty big and perfect for leftovers. They have gf penne and gnocchi options which is always exciting! read more

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Don't let the small atmosphere fool ya. This is the real deal Italian food. Scallops and shrimp pasta with lentil soup amazing. read more

Al Dente Restaurant - Shrimp and scallops pasta! Home made btw - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Scrumptious! The sautéed calamari--amazing. Make sure to get it spicy. The frutti di mare--red sauce--gluten free pasta, absolutely to die for. Lastly the vodka sauce w scallops and shrimp--amazing read more

Al dente is a cozy but lively restaurant in the north end with very personable servers/staff that makes you feel like you're in Italy! I found the pesto fettuccine was flavorful and delicious but hard to eat much as it was rather heavy and oily - but on the bright side I had lots of leftovers. The menu has lots of different combination options and is averaged price for Italian in the north end. Would go back again and try something new! read more

Al Dente Restaurant - Ravioli (top), pesto fettuccine (bottom) - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Nice Mello spot Nice menu with plenty of options... But I order the same as why I visit.... The veal parm with grated parm Go for the veal pearl, fresh pasta Always stop here for the veal They always have fresh French bread , butter No complaints here read more

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I still just love this place. Their prices are reasonable, and their food is delicious. Service is pretty fast. Small place with maybe 20 tables, so I like to think they want to get you in and out. Obviously one of many in the north end, but it's the one I keep coming back to. read more

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Fabulous food and staff. Great before a game or special event. My family is from the North End and the food is like we got at home. read more

Love love love this restaurant, it's food and it's staff! The chicken cacciatore is out if this world!!! We love the eggplant rolatoni, spinach crepe, the eggplant parm and the meatballs. Everything is a comfort classic. It makes me feel like my grandma is in the kitchen making my favorites. The staff makes you feel like you're family and it's such a cozy restaurant. I don't want to go anywhere else in the north end for italian (although I do save room for dessert at Mike's Pastrys) read more

This is one if not the best Italian restaurant I've ever dined in outside Italy. Never disappoints. There are other great Italian restaurants in the North End, of course, but this is my favorite. This time around I had the Artichoke Alla Fritto as an appetizer and the Scallop Puttanesca as the main. Delicious! read more

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Solid restaurant in the North End! Some specifics and highlights: - menu is good with many options for pasta - mainly combinations of different sauces and proteins, usually seafood - taste of dishes was quite good - calamari appetizer was tasty with spicy peppers that comes with it - pasta dishes were great with good pasta texture. The shrimp and scallops A la vodka were great, better than the bolognese. I wasn't completely blown away by the flavor and sauces but everything was solid - there is validated parking at a nearby garage which would have been good to know - service wasn't exceptional although the waiters were nice, we had to ask several times for Parmesan cheese, more water, etc, but we did come at a busy evening read more

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First thing I'll have to say is that this place is amazing! We were visiting Boston and wasn't sure which Italian restaurant to try out because there was so many to choose from but we picked Al Dente and we're so glad we tried them out. The food was amazing. As we were taking our first bites into the different dishes, all we can say is wow because it was so good. For we'll be stopping by here again next time we're in Boston read more

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We were absolutely starving after a 4 hrs walking tour in windy Boston. I was craving carbonara w/ fresh pasta. I stumbled across this restaurant due to high reviews about carbonara and it didn't disappoint. This one runs on the runny side with the cream. Portions are generous, the service was excellent, very homy feeling. Got a very generous wine pour and complimentary lemoncello shots. Didn't have a reservation but we got lucky and they were able to get us a table for 2 right away. read more

Al Dente Restaurant - Carbonara fresh fusilli - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

hands down my all time favorite Italian restaurant in the north end. the fusilli pasta with vodka sauce is my #1!!!! it's a cute & small restaurant with a warm vibe. i have had multiple dishes from here, i've been here a hundred times & they are all absolutely delicious. the service is great, my favorite waitress is angela- although i'm not sure she works here anymore. 10/10 place, i have no notes. read more

Excellent experience at Al Dente for the 2nd year in a row. I had a groups of 22 and 26 with me respectively and the service was exceptionally good for all of us. Collectively we had the Calamari, Lobster Ravioli, Chicken Parmesan, Pomodoro, Fettuccine Alfredo, Formaggio, Gnocchi, Alfredo, Rigatoni, and chicken Marsala. Great meal all the way around!!! Sorry only took a picture of my ravioli, you will have to imagine the rest. Only negative is soda is canned and we did not know that until it was brought out. read more

Al Dente Restaurant - Lobster Ravioli Entree - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

We went for an early dinner at 4:30 and the place was empty - which was fine for us, we were a group of 8, half of which were young kids. The inside of quaint and cozy. The food came out relatively quickly. The bread basket was very appreciated! We got carbonara and ravioli and both were excellent! The service was good, nothing exceptional but they took good care of us, and this definitely felt like a kid friendly place to go to! read more

Al Dente Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Yes would recommend - had pumpkin raviolis - delicious . Husband had frutti de mare - mussels were tainted - removed them from dish and the rest was delicious Service was really good Would return again - even after the mussel issue read more

I came for dinner and I highly recommend making reservations. The restaurant is fairly small and gets very busy. I had gnocchi al dente which is with gnocchi and tomato sauce and I liked it a lot. The dish was very flavorful. You can add protein to the dish. They serve complimentary bread and butter which was perfect for my saucy dish. Everyone was pleasant to deal with. I would love to come back and try their other dishes. read more

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This was not my first visit to Al Dente, and not my last. The food is fresh, the pasta perfectly cooked, and the service outstanding. It is one of my go-to's when friends come into towns read more

Al Dente Restaurant - Gnocchi - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Came here for a nice dinner in the North End. Started off with the bread, which honestly was nothing special, and then had bruschetta as an appetizer. Unfortunately, the bruschetta itself was rather bland and didn't have the level of flavor expected. For mains, though, the chicken parmesan with homemade pasta was delicious, and the penne vodka was also pretty flavorful. The cheese lasagna wasn't a huge hit with the person who had ordered it, but all in all, good food and good service. read more

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This little Italian restaurant in the North End has been one of my go-to spots for years, and it continues to impress. It has that cozy, old-fashioned feel--like you've stepped into someone's home kitchen. The atmosphere is warm and authentic, and there's a quiet outdoor patio in the back that feels tucked away from the noise of the street. The service is consistently great. Our server was friendly, attentive, and made us feel really well taken care of without being overbearing. We started with a bottle of wine that was both good and fairly priced. The Caesar salad was very generous in size and fresh--easily shareable. They also bring out bread and butter to start, which is a nice touch. For dinner, we had the ravioli with marinara and the penne alla vodka with chicken. The ravioli were large and satisfying, but the marinara sauce really stood out--rich, balanced, and full of flavor. The vodka sauce was one of the best I've had in the city, and the chicken was super fresh and well-cooked. The portions are big, the prices are reasonable, and the food always feels homemade in the best way. It's the kind of place you keep coming back to--and I always do. read more

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For a Sunday dinner, I decided to try some classic Italian fare in the North End. Since I had a reservation, I received seating for my party of 3 immediately. Friends and I ordered the Eggplant Rollatini ($16.95) and Fried Calamari ($19.95) to share, and I ordered the Shrimp and Scallops a la Vodka ($35.95) for myself. The Eggplant Rollatini, an appetizer consisting of baby eggplant rolled and stuffed with fresh ricotta, baked and topped with mozzarella cheese and marinara sauce, looked like a cornucopia of marinara and cheese. The marinara and mozzarella, simple and savory, allowed the mild ricotta to increase the depth of flavor, with the savoriness lingering on the palate. The Fried Calamari, tossed with hot cherry peppers and toasted pine nuts served with a side of marinara sauce, tasted as advertised. The marinara dip here could have used a bit more herbs, in contrast to that in the Rollatini which needed no extra. The Shrimp and Scallops a la Vodka, a pasta dish with large shrimp and sea scallops sautéed in olive oil and served with homemade fusilli in our classic vodka sauce, tasted delicious. The plump and juicy shrimp, along with the cooked-just-right scallops, seemed quite fresh. The seafood flavor also seemed prominent in the the creamy vodka sauce. The fusilli, while thick at first glance, lived up to the establishment's namesake - al dente. All of these arrived in significant quantities. My pasta, in particular, had generous amounts of shrimp and scallop. Had I not been walking around all day, I could have had that for two meals. I debated loosening up my belt after finishing everything. read more

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I decided to come here after seeing the positive yelp reviews. The restaurant itself was cozy and welcoming. Our server Charlie was so nice! She kept checking on us frequently. The food was delicious! The portions are pretty big. My Husband and I were able to share. (They do charge a share fee fyi) the vodka sauce was creamy and the meatballs were made to perfection! The sangria was good. Not too strong but that was fine because I was with my daughter lol I would recommend this place to those visiting the area. read more

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Four of us had Parmesan chicken or eggplant. Was cold in spots when it arrived at the table. Must be microwaved in some fashion, it was not made to order. We were very early for dinner so it wasn't because they were busy. Staff was very good, hope it was just an off night for them. Please serve made to order!! You're small enough to do that. read more

4 stars for the food and an extra star for the service. Made a reservation earlier in the day, arrived in time and got seated by the great host right away. Small cosy, traditional, a little noisy but awesome little local Italian in a great part of North End. Food was super fresh, quick and tasty. Puttanesca was nice and tasty, as was the Veal special. The sauces could maybe use just a little more flavor, salt, pepper etc, but with the home made pasta all was very tasty as was the caprese salad. Lots to choose from on the menu. The service from Joanna made the night awesome. Super friendly, attentive, and homely Boston service. Definitely recommend if you don't feel like lining up at the other couple hyped restaurants. read more

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First time back this year and the meal was solid. The waitstaff were quick but not the friendliest. The food was plentiful and good, but I was a bit bothered to find they included cheese on top of a pasta dish that had no cheese noted anywhere which was an issue for a member of our party. read more

What an amazing experience we had at Al Dente Restaurant on our trip to Boston! The atmosphere, service, and especially the food were outstanding! read more