Really is 4.5 stars. We liked everything about Bar Volpe. Great staff, great vibe (suggest you sit and eat at the candle lit bar) and every dish was worthy of going back to order again. Highly recommend the panzerotti, culurgiones as well as the cod. Generally speaking, this is a place that has paid attention to the details, gets it all right, and has a fairly unique southern Italian menu to top it off. read more

Foos and ambiance 11/10 You ever just go to an Italian place and want good cocktails and food... this one. Yessir. read more

Bar Volpe - Ear pasta with ragu something and the eggplant ravs baby - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Had a great experience with my husband tonight. Got the polenta bread, smoked pork rigatoni, roast chicken and gelato. The roast chicken was probably one of the best we've ever had. Highly recommend read more

My girlfriend and I had a fantastic experience at Bar Volpe. We were able to meet the owner who was incredibly sweet and helpful. The atmosphere and design of the restaurant made for a great casual date night, and we left full and happy! We ordered the chicken and the rigatoni pasta, as well as a Crostini. Everything was perfect, and we will definitely be returning. 10/10 experience! read more

We came for dinner and had a great time! The service is a little slow, but the food makes up for it. We shared a farro aranchini and I had a lamb ragu (al dente) and it was delicious! My friend really enjoyed the gnocchi funghi. Overall, the ambience was great! read more

Bar Volpe - Lamb ragu - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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As someone whose parents lived in Italy for 28 years, I am always skeptical of Italian restaurants in Boston, assuming they follow the unsatisfying example of the multitude of north end restaurants. But, mamma mia, we really had a great experience at Bar Volpe! We had the burrata and polenta bread to start, the orrechiette and the culurgiones for our mains. The food was unusually good, both delicious and visually appealing. The flight of Negroni and the red wine was excellent. The service was attentive, kind and professional. Not intrusive and definitely not lacking, with plenty of smiles. The ambiance was romantic, soft, modern and pleasing, with a killer 90s/2000s playlist. Were it a bit closer to me, I would go back next week. read more

We came here for dinner on NYE and they had a special menu where there was four courses and two options per course. Also champagne toast and olives for the table. I was looking forward to ordering from their menu but the options that night did not disappoint! Since it was date night and there was the two of us, we just got one of each option. Prepare to read an essay: The starters were perfectly portioned to just wet our appetite / the burrata was so soft and creamy! The crispy shrimp and calamari was delicious! The shrimp was crunchy (I ate the skin) and the green sauce it was in (I think it was pesto) was a perfect pairing to the seafood - we wiped that plate clean. Course two was lobster pasta and ravioli. That lobster pasta was our favorite dish of the night - generous portion of lobster, sauce was magical, pasta was cooked to perfection! I could've used another serving of that. The ravioli was a bit lacking in the filing - it was just cheese, if it weren't for the sauce, the ravioli themselves wouldn't really have tasted like anything. For course three it was the protein; we had the chicken and steak. Very generous portion. It was half a chicken over a bed of veggies and beans. The chicken was cooked so nicely - appreciate that they kept the skin and even the breast wasn't dry! Usually chicken served like this I find them over salted but this was done perfectly! The steak also seemed huge - the waitress actually didn't even ask us how we wanted it cooked but in my opinion it was cooked perfectly - the inside just pink enough to eat, and the sauce was yummy. My only complaint (yes, I can be annoying) is that it was too charred - I would be enjoying the meat and then the charred bit just springs on me and it makes it bitter (maybe it's a personal preference thing) but I ended up trying to cut off the charred bits so as to not get another bitter bite. I had to loosen my belt a little at this point but we have the final course: dessert. That panna cotta - wish we did two of that one. Holy crap it was heaven in every bit. The crumble bit (which I think was a cookie of some sort) added the perfect crunch/texture to the soft panna cotta. The sweetness came from the sauce but it's light and subtle so the crumble added an extra layer of more prominent sweetness. Then you have the berries that added the slight tartness and then bam the mint. I need to go back just for that dessert again. Overall service was a tad slow (busy night though!) Took us three hours to go through all the courses and we had wait times in between each course as well but I assume it was just cause it was a holiday night. But friendly staff and service! I'll be back - there's a few dishes on the regular menu I'll like to sample. read more

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No reservation since I was unsure about the time when getting off work and don't want to pay the cancellation fee if there were some changes. We walked in last minute on Friday at 5:30, the restaurant was empty, and this place was more significant than their sister restaurant, Fox and Knife which is down the street. There is a cancelation fee for same-day cancellation, $10 per guest, suggest checking Resy or calling the restaurant. For drinks, we ordered Tropical Negroni (pineapple & toasted coconut, rum, campari, cinzano 1757 rosso) and La Carina (strawberry tequila, lime, aperol, habanero). For the starter, we ordered Fritti Misti (shrimp, calamari, basil, bomba calabrese). The sauce was refreshing but the calamari was over-fried. For the main course, we ordered Spaghetti alla Vongole (green garlic butter, fresh peas, clams), Casarecce Al Nero (lobster, chili crisp, squid ink), and Cozze In Brodetto (pei mussels, shrimp butter, curry spices). The spaghetti was good but the sauce was had a grassy taste and the pea tips still undercooked. The casarecce was good and a little spicy with lobster meat, highly recommended. For dessert, we ordered the Gelato en Brioche (pistachio, powdered sugar, chocolate) which the pistachio gelato is so good, better to eat by itself and with brioche like ice sandwich. Overall, the pasta here is better than Fox and Knife but the kitchen is slow. read more

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Great food, service and ambiance. Went for the first time on a Monday night - quiet, but the staff was great. Sat at the bar (excellent). Had the burrata, rigatoni all'Amatriciana and the roast chicken - all were great. The chicken's sauce was especially good - truffle, honey and other deliciousness. Dessert was a great variation on a affogato - with Amaro! Worth the calories! We will be be back! read more

Its only natural to compare BV to Fox & Knife, so I'll get right to it: Volpe is better. The paella, which becomes Italian with the substitution for fregola, was outstanding. It tasted of the sea, but also had a great level of earthy seasoning and spice (maybe from the njuda?). The wonderful part was that the shrimp and the clams were cooked properly to their respective doneness - I hate when places just do it all at once and the clams turn into chewing gum. The squid ink pasta w/ lobster was also hittin', but I honestly think the best bite of the night was possibly the arancini; it was simply perfection. read more

So good! We ordered the arancini and a few burrata dishes to start and the arancini was phenomenal- loved the truffle honey combination. For pasta we got the squid ink lobster pasta, crab pasta, amatriciana, and orecchiette with kale and pork. Loved all of them but particularly enjoyed the amatriciana and squid ink pasta. Squid ink had the perfect balance of brine and spice. The only main dish we ordered was the steak which I found slightly dry but I think that's because my companions ordered medium and I typically order rare. Order the panna cotta for dessert! So creamy and not too much gelatin. Drinks were excellent and service was impeccable. Big shout out to Sukanya - she was such a joy and we can't wait to go back. read more

Great experience as always. Bartender was fantastic, knowledgeable , funny, witty! Food was excellent, love the valentines specials of scallops and veal, and chocolate tart. read more

Bar Volpe - Raspberry chocolate tarts - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Love their selection of Negronis and they have a larger food menu variety than their sister restaurant fox & the knife. The cocktails were also pretty and delicious. My friend and I shared a couple pasta dishes and some apps. Everything was good, I would recommend the squid ink pasta. Dessert was just ok but I'm not a huge chocolate person. The panna cotta could have been a bit more flavorful but the texture was great! read more

Why I'll go back: the pasta! Huge variety and each was an elevated version of what you'll typically find at most Italian restaurants. You HAVE to order: tough call, but among the pastas, the orecchiette really stood out Tony's Tip: parking is tough around this part of South Boston, especially at night. If it's convenient, the Broadway T-stop is just a few blocks away. If not, consider taking an Uber. Otherwise, just be patient, and creative. :) I never really tire of Italian food, so given how much I've enjoyed Fox & the Knife, I was intrigued about Karen Akunowicz's new spot that sports a broader assortment of pasta dishes along with a wide variety of classic Italian appetizers. Bar Volpe is a large space with generous bar seating and tables that are spaced appropriately. The decor is tasteful - I'd describe it as neighborhood cozy meets urban trendy. High ceilings helped keep the noise at a reasonable level, even with a packed house. Service was friendly and energetic, which always punctuates a great meal. I went with a large group. The great thing about big groups is that the table tends to order more dishes than you would as a couple, and that was ideal for kicking the tires at this place. I'm excited to say that everything was outstanding. I'll add some pics to this review so you have a flavor for the assortment of things we ordered. Loved the prosciutto (so delicate) and burrata as well as the cherry tomato and (I think) melted burrata toast in the first round. And besides the orecchiette, the eggplant ravioli in a sweetened sauce and the stuffed pasta pillows (my term) forced me to grab seconds before they were all gone. We also ordered the seafood paella. Disclaimer - I'm not a particular fan of paella, so I never really "love" it. This one was made with couscous, not the traditional rice. That didn't really work for me, but the table seemed to enjoy it, and my wife - a passionate paella afficionado - said it was outstanding. A chicken hit the table as well, and I did find that more to my liking - juicy, with a robustly seasoned skin. Did we have any room left for dessert? Of course! There were three, but the rich chocolate mousse roll was my fave. By the way, my apologies for winging it a bit on the formal names for several items. We ate a lot, and drank a lot, and with the menu not yet being online, I'm struggling with recall a bit...though not enough that I can unequivocally say this is going to be vying for top honors among Italian restaurants in Boston come the next set of "Best of" contests in 2022. read more

The food is excellent. However, the portions are way too small relative to the prices. The lamb ragu pasta was perfectly prepared and delicious, but there was almost no lamb in the dish. Cocktails are tasty, service is good. Buy fresh pasta (which they offer to go) and make your own at home! read more

It's nice to see some this kind of class and flavor in southie. Read the news about this place opening and had to check it out. When you walk through the door you forget you're in southie (it's a good thing) because you're greeted with a warm cozy and dimly lit space. And a tame crowd. We received amazing recommendations from the service. For the wine, I stuck with a lighter red Grenache and haven't tried others on their list, and it was really nice. The food was show stopping. Everything we ordered boated unique flavor profiles, textures, and superior presentation. We got the swordfish skewers, salad - both very fresh crisp and bright. And I got the squid ink lobster pasta which was the best dish I've had in a long time in this city. Great work bar volpe. You have a new regular read more

Wow. Let me say that our group of 3 polished off every single plate tonight. I originally had the luck to book a table of 2 last week but received an email notifying us that our reservation was canceled due to overbooking. After trying to book another night through the restaurant, they apologized and gave me the night and time that I wanted, for a bigger table. I much appreciate that! We got there 45 minutes early and were seated almost immediately. Our drinks: classic negroni, white negroni. Both were fantastic. One of the better negronis I've ever had. The ambiance of the restaurant is warm, slightly 50s style with cushioned booths, long tables, and plenty of school-like chairs and tables along the windows. It's inviting and very charming but space is tight. Let's get to the food. As hungry as we were, we didn't order one of each from the menu... almost! Our picks: ANTIPASTI * Fritti Misti (fried seafood mix) : similar to salt and pepper calamari from Chinatown with a light touch of spice, on an herbal sauce. The sauce was the highlight! It gave an oily dish brightness and a spell of flavor. 9/10 oily * Cime Di Rapa (broccolini with pine nuts) : crunch! Creamy pine nuts. Delicious and light but the vegetable was stringy, must've been old. 9/10 old veg like grandma PRIMI * Casarecce Al Nero (lobster with squid ink pasta) : at first bite, I hated it. It was LOUD. SALTY. SPICY. SOUR. Then, I couldn't stop eating it. I don't know how I feel about this dish but it took us for a ride. Next time, I would eat this as antipasti since it opened up our appetite like an aperitif. 10/10 adventurous SECONDI * Pollo Arrosto (half chicken with truffle, Tuscan kale, cannellini beans) : ooh this chicken was juicy and tender. It needed a touch more salt but overall, a homey and comforting dish. The beans were uber creamy I wanted to devour a bowl of it. 8/10 needed more seasoning, didn't taste truffle * Sardinian Paella (seafood) : I now feel like I ate too many slices of pizza. This paella is different as it utilizes couscous to soak up all the seafood flavor. There's a nice spicy touch to the tomato based sauce and some of the sides crunched up so delicately. Hugging our very full bellies, we couldn't stop eating this. Needless to say, another clean dish, er, pan. 10/10 ideal for 4ppl. DESSERT * Gianduja Semifreddo (hazelnut mousse with cinnamon marshmallow) : this dessert was tasty if you broke it apart and ate each part on its own. Together, the flavors didn't work. 7/10 no cohesion * Yogurt Panna Cotta : lovely milky and tart yogurt flavor. The crunchy cookie bits were the best part. This panna cotta is heavier and thicker than others but the flavor is great if you like the tang of yogurt. 9/10 heavy Would we go back? Oh i'd go tomorrow, once I digest! Parking is all street. Staff friendly and attentive. South Boston is lucky to have this star. read more

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great knowledgeable and friendly staff and good food..... it's the bit between that caused the desire for a review post = the wait for every single course from bread (= $5 toast !!) to appetisers and main....didn't have the patience for desert and coffee (by the way, clear mains plates before offering deserts). Probably better on any other night than Friday, but really.. for an Italian restaurant, promptness should be expected. If you like your meal very stretched out (requiring a second bottle of wine for two) this is five stars. read more

Fun night out for our 25th wedding anniversary. Started with delightful mozzarella bar selection and curry mussels and then had bucatini and marsala. Finished with dessert and coffee drinks. Would definitely go back and will try the pasta takeout. Kind of unusual that the server wished us happy anniversary, but did not do anything further as usually happens at upscale places. read more

Amazing food and service! I forgot to take a picture of dessert but the Strawberry lime sorbet which they make was the best I have ever had!!! read more

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I heard about Bar Volpe from booking a reservation at Fox & the knife. I started following Chef Karen on social media and was lucky enough to find a reservation. Our reservation was for 9pm but arrived earlier since we were in the area hoping to get seated earlier or at least enjoy some drinks at the bar. I did not have much hope as this was a new establishment and finding reservations was difficult. Lucky enough, the host and hostess went out of their way on a very busy night to find us 2 bar seats, check our coats, and made sure we didn't have to wait in the cold weather outside. We enjoyed drinks for 45 minutes and were seated closer to 9pm and enjoyed a fantastic meal. Drinks: fantastic and delicious Food: The burrata was heavenly. The artichoke + sauce was fanatically flavored. The bucatini and mussels were our main courses and we could not have been happier with our choice. We ended the night with 2 cappuccinos and a chocolate/marshmallow delight that I am not sure the name of. Overall: For 5 courses and multiple round of drinks, Bar Volpe gives you beautiful ambiance, helpful staff, and delicious food and drinks. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Love this place! Food, service and ambiance were excellent. Highly recommended. Wish I lived in Boston!

Chef Karen doesn't disappoint!! My friends and I had dinner at Fox and the Knife and passed by Bar Volpe to see that it was opened, so we decided to venture in for another gastronomical experience. And it definitely didn't disappoint. The food was on point and so flavorful. We ended up getting the Pizetta Bianca, Fritti Misti, Fazzoletti Al Marsala, the Paella, and the Panna Cotta. They were definitely all delicious! Our server Shawn was also superb! He walked us through the entire menu sand gave us recommendations throughout the night! Can't wait to get back and to try more of the dishes!!! read more

Stellar meal at Bar Volpe in South Boston! Great service and food...started with the fresh mozzarella toast and it the perfect bite. My favorite was the fritti misti fried calamari with shrimp in green sauce. The pasta chef here kills it and we loved both pastas we tried. Finished off with some pistachio gelato! read more

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We had our anniversary dinner tonight at Bar Volpe, and were super impressed with both the food and service. Everything was delicious from beginning to end and our server was phenominal. The reason for only 3 stars is this: When we got the check at the end of the meal, there was a 4% "kitchen appreciation fee" at the bottom. While the amount is negligible and the kitchen does indeed do great work, there was zero warning about any extra fees being added on to the bill. There was nothing about it on the menu and nothing about it on the website. For an upscale place, this came off as super tacky, and honestly is just another way for restaurant owners to force customers to make up for them not paying their staff adequately. We will unfortunately not be back, as we can't really support a business that underpays employees and expects customers to make up the difference. Pay your staff a decent wage! Shameful! read more

I've eaten here several times and particularly enjoyed the calamari and a squid ink pasta dish. The service is good and consistent, and had a great time talking to one of the bartenders during a slow day. The ambience is nicer than a lot of the other bars in the area, as it is not as loud and chaotic. Great spot for a date or a special dinner. read more

Great way to celebrate my birthday! The food, drink, and service was wonderful. I especially liked the Crostini-stacciatella, roasted tomato, basil, the Cole in Brodetto mussels, and the Casarecce Al Nero - lobster, chili crisp, squid ink. Was a wonderful touch to have a personalized menu for my birthday and a card from Chef/Owner Karen Akunowicz. read more

This was a great restaurant to celebrate my daughter's graduation. Thank you Mo for your quick easil responses, as i was planning this dinner from California. I reserved the Chefs Table for our party of 11, when we arrived it couldnt have been better. The atmosphere was great the service awesome and the food delicious. Everything from the stuzzichini to the dolci was amazing. Thank for accommodating my two Vegans at the table they also loved it all. Our server Jack was awesome. Thank you for making this celebration even more memorable." read more

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Ate an early dinner here on a Saturday afternoon. The food is good but overpriced. I got the bill and left an $18 tip only to notice a 4% kitchen gratuity fee or such nonsense. We asked for bread and were charged $5. Really?! I don't think I've ever been charged for bread. So many places to eat in South Boston. I won't be back. read more

I went to Bar Volpe when I visited my sister in Boston. The ravioli alla norma was really good. Smoked eggplant, riccata salata, and basil. It was very smoky and not too cheesy, which I prefer. The ravioli and culurgiones are the only veg options. The culurgiones is potato and goat cheese. Would recommend the latter if you like a lot of cheese. We went for dinner and it was really loud and dark. Seemed like a lot of networking going on and we couldn't even hear the music over chatting. Staff was nice and accommodating! All in all it was a good experience and i'd recommend! read more

We hosted a Wedding Weekend launch event at Bar Volpe for 28 of our guests traveling to Boston to help us celebrate our son and future daughter-in law. The planning was seamless, the food was unrivaled, the service was impeccable, and the team's hospitality was gracious. In fact, our guests' next day game was Favorite Bite, as in "What was your favorite bite?" A perfect venue in the Gold Room with a lovely atmosphere perfect for our family style dining. I highly recommend Bar Volpe if you are hosting an event or just want an excellent meal. read more

Fabulous evening! Loved our food, wait staff was attentive but not intrusive. Panna Cotta was amazing! A very memorable evening for us! Location is out of the way which allowed us to avoid the touristy crowds. read more

Bar Volpe - Panna Cotta - loved it! - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Great service and overall good food and desserts! Probably my least favorite dishes were the burrata, it was more of a salad then burrata dish, and the bucatini , it had a super strong smoky flavor and very Al dente. Favorite dish was probably the orecchiette and chicken from the wood burning stove oven! read more

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We took our son there on a visit to Boston, where he lives. We were in the area for a week and ate many lovely meals; however, this was definitely the best of all of them. The service was great, the food was amazing, the ambiance was simple and relaxing. Would highly recommend. read more

Really couldn't believe how fast the server would come and pick up our plates. Nearly every one she grabbed before we were even done. I had to ask her to leave one as I hadn't finished the food on it. And with such small portions, you really want to get every bite/morsel to make it worth how much each one cost. I've been waiting to come here for a year (I live in London) and really am just so disappointed in the experience. I hardly remember what each dish tasted like because it came and went so fast. read more

First time here...food good, service good, however very high prices for both food and drinks but equal to typical Boston....be awhile before we have enough $ to return! read more

We both live in Florida & heard about Bar Volpe by reading an article in Boston Magazine. We definitely made the right choice when deciding to go to Bar Volpe! From the moment you walk in the door, the front desk staff are accommodating & welcoming! The open kitchens, bar, wood beams and candles make one feel at home immediately. Our waiter Massimo was very knowledgeable about both the wine list & menu items. He was probably one of the best waiters either of us have ever had! The food was fantastic! We decided to share plates and started out with the cod fritters... they were crispy and had terrific middle eastern flavors with the in house aioli... we then had the Roman beans which were perfectly wood fired, with tons of garlic and spices... we then had a fabulous dish of pillowy pasta stuffed with goat cheese covered with a perfect tomato basil sauce... the final dish was their mussels which was in a broth full of blistered tomatoes, garlic and chopped shrimp - served with toasted bread covered in what I believe was aioli for dipping. I must mention our assistant waiter who is a wonderful lady from Medellin. She along with Massimo made the evening extra special. We will be back to this non-stuffy wonderful restaurant! read more

Everything was perfect, from the server to the drinks to the 4 courses we had. We had all of the cheese and I can't say which was a favorite. I then had the aranchi which was great, but my friend had the chickpea dish which was flawless. It was silky smooth. I then had the potato/goats cheese pasta which was decadent. Everyone enjoyed their pasta, except one who had the bucatini. Luckily she ordered 2 pasta because she couldn't decide. I finished with the Nutella mouse which was, again, flawless. For drinks I had the la Carina which was a perfect balance and then the mezcal negorini which I'm glad I tried as I love mezcal and don't enjoy negorinis, so this was a good balance for me to step into negorinis. read more

Everything about our experience was amazing. The staff were incredibly nice, happy, helpful, knowledgeable and willing to help. The food was delicious, it all tasted fresh and innovative. My wife was celebrating her birthday and they printed up a special menu with her name which was a really great touch. I'd go back many times over. read more

Great ambience and very good food. The servers are terrific, but Mo stands out - super nice and super efficient. If she says she'll do it, it'll get done. read more