We were looking forward to going to the North End for some fantastic food and service. We were very disappointed on both fronts on Friday night. My fiancé had a coke and I had a glass of wine, with waters. We were never refilled or asked if we even wanted another despite having both drinks empty by mealtime. The food lacked seasoning, and there wasn't any salt or pepper on the table. The server never checked on us to see if we needed anything so we didn't even get an opportunity to ask for salt/pepper. The Caesar dressing was mediocre- lacked flavor. And the Caprese salad came as 1 giant tomato quartered and a couple of small mozzarella pieces. The Mozzarella was the best part of the entire experience- hard to mess that up. My fiancés Raviolos were beyond Al dente - they were simply not fully cooked. The rim of the ravioli was crunchy- was hard for him to even chew. My Sausage and Broccoli Rabe again lacked flavor. Salt would have helped a little, but the broth itself just lacked any depth- a true disappointment for one of my favorite dishes. The pasta that came with it was fine. I asked for freshly grated Parmesan cheese and instead of telling me they didn't have any- they brought a small dish of what was clearly packaged Parmesan cheese. This was consistent with the entire meal experience- store bought and average. We waited about 15min from finishing our meals until anyone came by to remove our plates or ask if we wanted dessert. All while we didn't even have anything to sip on. I would have gotten a 2nd glass of wine with dinner if they has asked. We decided we weren't even gonna stick it out for coffee and dessert and got out of there with an unfortunate feeling of wasted time and money. read more

Four of us stopped by for a late Saturday night fine dining meal, and Assaggio delivered superbly! Rodolfo was fabulous and took great care of us! The food was divine and the ossobuco prepared perfectly. The ravioli was fresh and flavorful! read more

Our visit started off badly - seated family upstairs in what felt like a cheap bar with loud eurotrash music. We asked to move and they kindly seated us downstairs. From there it was a very good experience - quality attentive service and tasty Italian pasta. read more

A year later but I've decided I give my favorite restaurant in the North end an updated review. During covid I would have reservations with my boyfriend here at least 1 time a month. I've tried many other restaurants around Hanover but between the espresso martini and fantastic Veal, this place remains my favorite. I appreciate the friendly staff for always giving me a friendly welcome back & the sweet bartenders who work upstairs for their great service! read more

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The octopus was delicious ! Must try. The calamari was a mix of seafood. Very good. The chicken parm was a bit off, the restaurant was super nice and apologized. Did everything they can to make sure our experience was great. The white sangria was good. The lobster pasta was a bit spicy. The lobster was in the shell, had to work for it which took awhile but well worth it. read more

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Came here for a Friday night dinner with my friends for a celebration. We were mostly disappointed with the service! It took about 30 minutes for our drinks to come, which is fine if the bar is backed up, but we also got a bottle of wine! That also took 30 minutes to come. The food was decent-- we got the carbonara and gnocchi. Classic north end Italian fare for pasta here, well prepared served on the pan. The osso bucco was very disappointing-- dry, and with no sauce and tough. The saving grace was everyone was extremely nice! From the wait staff to the management they were very welcoming and friendly. read more

Came here for a Valentine's Day dinner! It was romantic and good for date night. This is located on a one-way street and for some reason that night there was completely stopped traffic down the entire street and we were stuck at a standstill. So close it was frustrating. We ended up being late for our reservation and called but the staff were so welcoming when we finally made it through and it wasn't an issue at all. Our favorite part of dinner was the Gnocchi alla Sorrentina! It's the kind of pasta you could just eat and eat.... and eat. So comforting and delicious. The Dry Aged Beef Carpaccio were very thin slices served cold with arugula on top and not exactly what we thought but it wasn't bad. Drinks were good! At the end of dinner they called us saying we left our card and the staff came outside for us to the car with it in hand because we were in traffic again. Really great service. read more

Assaggio - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

[2.5/5] I know Assaggio is one of the newer additions to the Depasquale Ventures, but it definitely could use some work to catch up with the other restaurants in the dining family. My friends and I came for Winter Dine Out 2018; we didn't leave disappointed but we left unimpressed for a variety of reasons from food to service. I made a reservation for a party of 6. I arrived late among my group of friends and found them all crowded around the small bar space. It was about 20 minutes before we were seated ... at a table entirely too small for our group and in the middle of the restaurant - so not only were we elbow-to-elbow, but we also had to keep our 'bows tucked so we weren't getting bumped into by servers passing through. Within 10 minutes of being seated, we were offered another table that opened up that we gratefully appreciated because it gave us more room to breathe but I feel should've been our original table in the first place given our reservation and party size - seemed very unorganized. Next, the menu shown online was not reflective of the actual Dine Out options. Online it appeared to be a 4-course menu but in reality it was only a 3-course menu. On top of that the Wild Mushroom Risotto (in photo), we were told was actually Seafood Risotta - my friend was really disappointed because she loves truffled dishes and was looking forward to it). When it came to food - I got the Calamari & Fritto Misto to start. It was good and a large portion but nothing outstanding/memorable. For my entree I got the Seafood Risotto; those of us who ordered this found the smell very fishy - it didn't stop me from eating it but it was noticeable. One of my friends who got the Chicken Supreme (stuffed with prosciutto and fontina) found it dry while another found it perfect - so possibly some consistency issues. Dessert was the best part of the meal - all options - tiramisu, cannoli, and I can speak to the panna cotta - were all perfection. Overall, it seemed from a Dine Out Boston experience, you should save your money when choosing among all the restaurants that participate. Maybe the regular service and menu is better but we all were expecting more from this North End restaurant. read more

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Went here for Dine Out Boston Week and it was so worth it! $41 per person for a 3 course meal and everything tasted so good, the waiters were super nice even though it was busy, and the vibes of the place was dim/romantic. Perfect to go with friends, family, or significant other! read more

Assaggio - 8oz Filet Mignon - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

We booked Assaggio for a graduation dinner with 7 people. We got to sit upstairs which is super nice. Our waiter was hilarious and so nice. He had great recommendations and knew everything there was to know about the food and wine. All of the pasta dishes were delicious and the calamari was so good! The charcuterie was enough for the whole table plus some. It was a great experience and I recommend it for booking a big party in the north end! read more

Assaggio - Charcuterie Board - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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HIGHLY Recommend you try this restaurant. Food was Amazingly delicious! The Calamari was the BEST we've eaten in a long time! I ordered the Fish tacos with sweet mango & flavorful corn salsa , comes with Fresh cut potato French fries...Yummm, it was so delicious I ate every bite! Hubby enjoyed the Surf & Turf which was cooked to perfection!! The staff were quick & friendly always smiling while waiting on us. We're already looking forward to our next visit!! read more

This is a typical place in North End. I would say the appetizers were okay but I enjoyed the lasagna. It is a quite long dinner they do take time for appetizer and then for dinner. The lasagna had a good mix of flavor and is quite filling. Some of the people in our table took to go. read more

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PROS: - Very nice atmosphere. Great for dates. A bit small but it's perfect for couples - Good service. The food came very quickly even though it was a very busy Sat on a 3 day weekend CONS: - See below. SPECIFICS: - Amatriciana = I'll admit it, it was the bacon that reeled me into ordering this. But I was very disappointed. It wasn't that the ingredients were lacking, because the tomatoes was cooked perfectly the add a hint of tartness to the sauce and the onions helped counteract that with some sweetness. But the entire dish was just so salty. The bacon was amazing and cut into an expert brunoise cut and each bite was crunchy but it definitely overpowered anything else that was on the dish. Perhaps the bacon itself was just that salty but I feel that a chief should know their ingredients on a personal level and be a little bit light on the bacon to prevent the entire dish being just salt. - The Gragnano Pasta that they serve from Eataly did not wow me as I had hoped the "Best Pasta in the World" would CONCLUSION: - Would I come here again? Perhaps. I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt that I just happened to ordered a dish that didn't suite my pallet or that they didn't hit the note with 1 bad dish. But in my opinion, the price and the rating of the restaurant should ensure that every dish coming out of that kitchen is perfect before being served. read more

Second very good meal at this pleasant restaurant just a few steps off of Hanover on Prince St. They take reservations, a big plus. Service pleasant. Everything from fresh bread with olive oil and olives to dessert is first rate. Prices reasonable. Service pleasant. Owner stopped by to check on us. See enclosed pics. read more

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I highly recommend having reservations. I had a reservation and the hostess tried to seat me at the bar and I gently insisted for a table as I did make a reservation in advance. The servers were extremely pleasant. The food was very good. Their servings are generous. read more

Assaggio - Interior - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Once again, I have been wowed by Assaggio! My boyfriend and I made a reservation and were taken in immediately, even though we were a little early. We even had the privilege of dining upstairs in the lounge, which is absolutely gorgeous and so cozy. Service was fantastic; food was excellent. This is one of the few places that gets grilled octopus right -- perfect char without overcooking it and making it rubbery. Gnocchi was perfect, and the grilled seafood dish (octopus, calamari, swordfish, salmon, crab, lobster, shrimp and scallops) I ordered for dinner was to die for. Portions are extremely generous. Manager even came over to offer us complimentary limoncello, which was such a sweet gesture and great way to end our delicious, fairly priced meal. You are in for a treat if you come here! read more

Assaggio - Fantastic Grigliata... grilled seafood entree featuring the entire ocean. So delicious and HUGE! - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Great service and immediately seated at the bar. Very nice vibe and ambiance. Beautiful interiors. I got some bread as a starter. Very nice olive oil. Zuppa di pesce was not bad. The tomato base was a bit too heavy and salty. Tons of seafood and protein. The grilled bread was also a nice touch. A bit pricy though. $38. Half a lobster. One scallop. Two different types of fish. Tiny shrimp - would've liked bigger shrimp even if just one piece. Mussels. read more

Assaggio - Zuppa di Pesce. Half a lobster. One scallop. Two different types of fish. Tiny shrimp. Mussels. - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The service here is excellent, and the décor upscale. We luckily were seated upstairs (which is actually street level, as opposed to the basement). The food experience here was truly a 50/50. We started with the caprese salad - Looked nice on the plate, but this dish needed some flavor. The tomatoes and basil just didn't have any. Veal chop dish was fantastic looking, done tomahawk style, and I enjoyed it very much. Ossobuco dish was a flavorless disappointment. Again, looked beautiful on the plate. But no flavor. So, overall I have to say it was a 50/50 night for us. Maybe I was expecting too much. But, I wanted so much more. read more

Assaggio - Caprese salad - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Had high hopes from the reviews however the service was bad. For a table of six people they didn't refill water, didn't check on us, didn't clear the table of empty food dishes before coffee and dessert was served, pasta was way under cooked for the two pasta dishes and no it was not aldente, terimasu was terrible. Totally lacked what the North End should be about for food. Never again. read more

Always the best food and drinks! We sat at the bar, upstairs, with Oscar and Antonio. They were fantastic: nice, attentive, and fun. The chicken Parm was a 10/10: massive portion. The meatballs are soooo good. You think ordering spaghetti and meatballs is too simple but sometimes simple is all you need. Daniel and Kevin were also so great, we had so much upstairs with all of them. Its the people like this that make you come back- the ultimate experience: fun and nice people, amazing food and the best espresso martinis. Thank you Assaggio crew - we love you and will be back. read more

My wife and I came here on a Saturday night and had a delicious dinner. Even though we've dined out in the North End many times, this was our first time at Assaggio. It's not on Hanover or Salem St so it tends to get overlooked. It's a cozy, small place. My entrée the broccoli rabe and sausage was really good. Our waiter was very friendly. The wait for our main dishes was a tad long. On the other hand we never felt rushed and stayed for dessert, an order of creme brulee. Great for a date night. read more

Great service, we love the food and the whole energy in this place! We went there to celebrate my friend's birthday, Our server and the manager were very friendly and sweet. Would definitely come back read more

Assaggio - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Made a reservation for Assaggio two days in advance and come early for dinner. The waiter recommended the seafood risotto and the Grigliata and the Sangria. The ambience of the restaurant was beautiful, we got a seat by the window which was very nice. The Seafood Risotto was a tomato base with shrimp, scallops and fish. It was very tasty and we both enjoyed the dish. The Grigliata was market price and got a bit longer to come out. It had these HUGE prawns with craws bigger than the body, it has grilled shrimp, salmon, scallops, and steak. The seafood was all delicious, the steak had a bit of an odd taste. The prawns is very much so a spectacle in terms of seeing something more unique than a lobster. The grilled taste was very apparent which was nice. The sangria was very good. I will be back to try some of their pasta dishes read more

Assaggio - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Frank DePasquale Resteraunts are usually if not always very on point. Yet at the entrance we faced some difficulty on Saturday. I did a reservation on open table and it said canceled according to the host. The other host dug a little bit and found our reservation, honestly think the girl was new, no worries! We were seated in the basement which has a dark but inviting seating yet I will say the tables are still to close together at certain points. Our service was pretty good as Tony did a well done job on getting everything in. The drinks were probably the worst I had and thats saying alot especially considering they revamped the bar. I got a gin based drink and I got a Hendricks on Ice pretty much which dont get me wrong...I love it..but if I'm getting a specialty drink for the near cost of an appetizer it needs to be damn good. So I sent it back and Tony gladly changed it. The next drink was doable but whoever made the drinks that night YEESH. In regards to food the platter of seafood was EXCELLENT. As an elite yelper I got limencello shots for free at the end aa I checked in which is a great enticing bonus for yelpers. Well done once again Frank ! read more

Assaggio - I guess it was Amazing. - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Came for restaurant week. Great food. Pushy service. Caprese & Prosciutto - 4/5. Great mozzarella, prosciutto and cherry tomatoes. Sauté of Mussels - 4/5. Delicious white wine sauce. Ravioli Caprese - 4.5/5. Simple combo of ravioli, tomato sauce and parmesan but done so well. Filet Mignon - 4/5. Good steak. Stand-out gravy. Tiramisu - 5/5. Loved, not overly sweet. Panna Cotta - 4/5. Great texture. Espresso Martini - 5/5. Spectacular cocktail. Dessert in a glass. Service - 2/5. Normally not a factor but so active trying to upsell. Ask for regular/tap water because the default still or sparkled options are bottles. The server repeatedly tried to push on drinks (e.g. Are you sure you don't want a drink? Would you like this Italian liquor?) read more

My BF and I decided to try dining at a North End restaurant in March 2021....still Covid time but we really wanted to go out. I attempted to make a reservation at my usual "go to" North End place but they were booked. So it was time to try elsewhere. I hadn't been to Assaggio in many years so thought it might be a viable option especially since they had a table for two on a Saturday night at 7pm. We took an Uber (first in over one year) and arrived about 15 minutes early. The host offered us a downstairs table or we could have a drink at the bar while waiting for one of the upstairs tables to open up. We were extremely pleased to actually have drinks at a bar with the requisite Covid protocols in place (e.g. plexiglas, 6 feet between other couples etc) Saying we were thrilled to be having drinks at a wonderful bar is an understatement!! The ambience on that Saturday night was perfect. The atmosphere felt almost pre-Covid. I thought to myself that I was actually glad my "go to" place was booked since the overall experience at Asiago was far better. First floor table was excellent. Entire staff was exceptional and everyone (employees and diners) followed all protocols. Cocktails, Charcuterie and shared entree were perfect choices. Overall an absolutely fantastic night at Assaggio in the North End. Look forward to dining there again and again! read more

Food is good but the service is so incredibly bad. Our apps came - we ate them - the empty plates sat in front of us - were cleared by a bus person before we got our drinks. We immediately ordered drinks to go with dinner - when we ordered dinner - and dinner came and went ... we asked multiple times. Food was delivered and there was no silverware - we had to ask 3 separate times for a fork... a fork. Our server seemed not to understand our request for the drinks we'd ordered earlier prior to dinner - that after we'd eaten . . . Delivered our wine. No excuse. Finally showed up next to the empty and dirty plates that are still sitting on the table. I get when it's busy. But the service was laughably bad. Nice guy. But ... read more

If I could give this restaurant 100 stars I would! There are many choices in this area but hands downs this restaurant is another level. Great atmosphere, good selection on the menu to please all. What I love most is the flavors- started with the caprese salad beautiful heirloom tomatoes and the creamiest cheese I've ever had. Angel hair pasta with meatballs was just divine- good balance of fresh flavor in the red sauce along with the actual meatballs. Did not have room for dessert but I'm sure it's just amazing. Will be back many more times! read more

Assaggio - Angel hair & meatballs - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Hidden gem off the busy streets of the North End. Ended up here after most of the places on Hanover had nothing available for a large party. Just happened to walk by and now this may be our new favorite Italian stop. The menu has something for everyone, the restaurant is beautiful and the appetizers are amazing and great for sharing. You have to try the fried Zucchini flowers with ricotta. read more

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Updated: after our first wonderful experience, our friends and family finally got a chance to explore this wonderful restaurant again. We choose this restaurant for our early Mother's Day celebration. The "full size" of the appetizers and main dishes are amazing! They are continually bringing wonderful food and service, the dessert is amazing. They made the fresh tiramisu in front of you. It surprised us and we love it. What a great time there. Highly recommended this hidden gem. read more

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Owned by the same ppl that opened trattoria il panino, the seafood stew is amazing. Didn't went super hungry but appetite got better after some of the bread they gave with pesto dip and olive oil. The dish was meant for 1 but they split it into two dishes for us and it was more than enough! Super cute atmosphere, perfect for date night! read more

Assaggio - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Amazing place, food, atmosphere and people. This is one of our go to spots for date night or simply just to have a great time. Makayla the manager is a true gem, and a big reason we always return. She always makes you feel like family and extremely welcome. We cannot say enough about this place. read more

Went for our Anniversary. Food is nothing spectacular. Expecting great service with price of food. Our waiter ignored us for most of the night, forgot to give our appetizers and bread, didn't give extra napkin when asked 3x, and didn't offer dessert. Our experience gave bad taste in our mouth. Will never come back! read more

Disappointing to find out at the end of the meal that they don't take American Express cards!!!!

My friends and I had a dinner in Assaggie and that is worst experience we have ever had. Several plates and cutlery were stained and dirty. We have to ask the waiter to change them. When waiters cleaned the table after we finished our entrees, they dropped source all over my friend's jacket, sweater, bag and even her hair. My friend's sweater is white and is her favorite sweater. She was so unhappy and asked the manager to come to see. The assistant manager called "Heana Bargatti" was super rude. We didn't even mention anything about lawsuit and She already brought that up and said that we can not sue them only for dropping source in our clothes. She said that they can pay for dry clean fee and waive only my friend's meal, and that was the only thing she can do. They didn't even apologize for how they ruined our get together dinner and how cause trouble for us. We wanted them to waive the whole bill, and the rule lady just left us on the dirty table for over 30 min and came back with a bill that was just waived my friend's meal. Not even waived the wine and her reason was that my friend only had a cup of wine and she would not waive the whole bottle. The waiter haven't drop source on other customers on this table, so she would not waive the whole bill. She also said that she did not want us to come back. After she finished what she wanted to say, she run away from our table. This restaurant should call "ass aggro". Why such impolite and rule people is hired as assistant manager? Because of their horrible customer service and their fault, they know that the customers won't come back again, so they can just do whatever to insult customers and ruin their night like that? I would give negative stars if I could. read more

Assaggio - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

They totally rushed us, even though we ordered a bottle of wine. They should have known we were out to have a relaxing dinner. Also, clams and mussels were definitely pre cooked. They were room temperature under the hot pasta. Zucchini flowers were greasy too. Part of a restaurant group. Corporate. Do your homework! Too many family owned restaurants in the north end to eat at, skip the corporate establishments!! read more

We went here after the England v USA World Cup game. It was ok. The food was expensive for what we got. While the pasta was cooked perfectly and the sauces were nice, I would expect that at the minimum in the North Ens. It wasn't worth the $28 we spent on it. I've had better experiences in other Italian restaurants. I had the Carbonara which was nice, but very heavy. My spouse had the meatballs which he said were tasty but there were only two. The rest of his plate was basic spaghetti. I realize we were paying for the experience, but I wouldn't come here for a fancy night out. read more

Very bad service.. waited more than an hour to get food... The host was not friendly at all. Definitely will not recommend to anyone!

The portions of the dishes were so off. We had a group of five and all ordered different pastas. Two out of five dishes contained maybe 1/4 of the serving the other dishes had and were same price. I got the pesto dish which contained no protein and a very small amount of pasta for nearly $30. Not worth the price at all. read more

Absolutely terrible. Terrible service. Had a reservation at 8. Did not get seated until 8:45. Waiter spilled one of the drinks on the table. Absolute nonsense. Don't go to this place. read more