Fabulous meal.....bruschetta, pumpkin ravioli, chicken and sausage pasta special. Service was top notch!

We had the best meal at Bencotto on a Monday evening. We had a larger party with four adults and four kids. Our waiter Ani was the absolute best and made our kiddos feel right at home by being attentive and treating them like adults while catering to their needs. The pizza and pasta were amazing. My seven year old called it the "best pasta of his life." Very kid friendly while still being a memorable meal for the adults as well. read more

Biggest win of this restaurant: it's open on Monday. I went through so many options before I was recommended BenCotto and I was very pleasantly surprised. The restaurant has a lovely cosy vibe and I loved the open view into the kitchen, especially their pizza oven. I came in and was immediately seated. The service was fantastic. The waiter was really attentive and patient as we decided our orders. My friend ordered the Bencotto pizza which was incredible. The Pecorino Romano was slightly crispy and not overpowering in the pizza. The pizza base was thin and the not overcooked. If I were to order again, I'd order this in a heartbeat. I ordered the pink vodka sauce pasta which was tasty but really reminded me of fancy mac and cheese which is not what I was hoping for. There were definitely vegetarian options including the two dishes previously mentioned which is always a plus. read more

Not my favorite north end spot but had some delicious drinks and great service! Would come back to try other food and bump my score up! Cool vibes upstairs but basement was a little tight- that's the north end for you!! Wonderful experience overall!! read more

BenCotto - Boston - Vodka pasta - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I was visiting from LA, this restaurant was recommended by our tour guide. Food was amazing, we enjoyed every single bite. The restaurant has this friendly atmosphere, our server Nick was very cool. Thank you If you are in the area, please stop by, you will not be disappointed. read more

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The Scarlet Vetter says..... I was in Boston for a business trip and decided that I really needed some good Italian food. I walked along the Italian corridor and ultimately decided to go to this restaurant as I peered inside and really liked the cozy look of it. In had a small quaint bar and what appeared to be a friendly tender so I took a seat at the bar. The tender was Jennifer and she was fabulous! She assisted me in ordering a fabulous bottle of red wine and recommended an appetizer of the restaurant's Shrimp Grand Marnier. It was scrumptious! I then ordered the Shrimp Scampi over Linguine and asked to have a dozen Little Neck Clams added to the dish for an extra protein push. The pasta was cooked perfectly, as were the Shrimp and Clams, and the Scampi sauce was very delectable with just the right amount of garlic. The dish was served with rustic flavorful fresh Italian Bread and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Service was excellent! I enjoyed a delicious Canoli for dessert. I would highly recommend this establishment if you happen to be in Boston and are craving delicious Italian food in a family owned/run restaurant with great service in a homey atmosphere! read more

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Can I give 5+ stars?? We were walking down Hanover street on our way to another Italian restaurant and we happen to find BenCotto along the way. As we checked the menu outside a very pleasant young lady offered to answer any questions and told us she has available seats. The smells we were greeted with when we entered told us everything and made us even more hungrier. Very cozy setting and I hear they have a downstairs seating as well. Wait staff was super friendly. Bread basket and olive oil delicious. We sat by the kitchen and could see how carefully they were preparing the meals. We ordered appetizer of lamb lollipops cooked medium and was by far the best lamb we've ever had. We decided to share a Saint Agrippina pizza and a bowl of fettuccine Boscaiola. Food was simply amazing and out of this world! There was enough to take the leftovers. Can't wait to come back. Only regret was not having dessert there as we wanted to try the cannoli at Modern (not worth it!). read more

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We LOVE this place. Great Pizza, excellent Chicken Piccata and spot on Bolognese. Cute place with lots of windows. Nice wine program. Service was excellent. Superstar Ani even remembered us from last year. Have been here at least 5 times on our annual visit to Boston. Can't wait for 2026! read more

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Went here with my wife on 2/13. The Bruschetta, and pizza was great. My wife got the carbonara which was also great. The service was attentive. I've been to many North End spots and this was definitely towards the top end of overall food and service. read more

BenCotto - Boston - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The food is authentic and delicious. The staff are friendly and attentive. We come every time we visit Boston.

Service was great at this wonderful restaurant. The homemade pasta was amazing. Pizza was also very good. We were surprised by the lack of a line out front when so many nearby restaurants had long wait times. Glad we were feeling too impatient to wait at other places and tried BenCotto. read more

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What a great place, the atmosphere and food was outstanding first time in this restaurant . The service was great very friendly wait staff bright clean restaurant,you can also make a reservation ahead, a mother Joe bono restaurant. He owns Aldente and Ben venutto in the north end. He gave us his signature shot of lemon cello at the end of the meat nice touch. I think everyone should go there. Awsome place read more

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I had a good first visit to BenCotto! Thankfully, we had a reservation and were seated promptly. When we first walked in, I was a little nervous because the restaurant was quite smoky from the pizza oven, but we were seated downstairs, where it was less of an issue. It was also a bit loud downstairs, but it wasn't the end of the world. We started with complimentary bread, and then ordered the pumpkin ravioli appetizer, which was described as having European butter, sage, and crispy pancetta. However, it definitely had more of a cream-based sauce, almost like Alfredo. My companion was a bit iffy about the ravioli overall, saying the texture didn't seem like fresh pumpkin, but I still enjoyed it. For my entree, I chose the gnocchi with bolognese- it cost extra to choose a homemade pasta shape, but I couldn't resist. The sauce had great depth of flavor, with chunks of short rib and ground meat. My companion got the rigatoni special with sausage, peas, and mushrooms in a pink vodka sauce and enjoyed it. I noticed a table next to us receiving complimentary limoncello at the end of their meal, but we had our sights set on cannolis from Modern Pastry afterward, so I didn't mind. It's a bit pricier than meals in other parts of Boston, but that's expected in the North End. Overall, I had a good experience and would come back, maybe to try the pizza I saw at the table next to us- it looked pretty good! read more

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Came here on a trip with my family and it was so nice! Good ambiance with the windows open, the service was good and the food was quick. Highly recommend for a quick and delicious bite. read more

BenCotto - Boston - Bianco Pizza - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This place was recommended by someone in Naples Florida who lives here in the summer and said our friends had to go and we joined them (got it?) What I really like about this place is the size and atmosphere. It has a cozy family feel to it. We were able to talk to the owner, explained how we got here and he knew the people who recommended the place. That got us a comp bruschetta. We then ordered eggplant rotini and more bruschetta. People got assorted dishes and I only heard raves about it all. Bolognese, Chix Parm, Broccoli ziti, I got sausage, chicken and vinegar peppers which was unreal. The food is great - the best, the family vibe is what makes it, and the servers and staff make the place shine. Comp lemoncello also a plus. Make a resy - I'll be back for sure. read more

BenCotto just gets better year after year. It is one of those rare North End restaurants that hits every note perfectly. Food, service, atmosphere, and soul. It's a lively, energetic intimate spot with a steady mix of locals, friends, after work meet ups, and curious tourists who search on Yelp and quickly realize they've found something great. It's busy in the best way, upbeat, warm, and buzzing but never so loud that you can't enjoy a conversation. What truly sets BenCotto apart is Chef Fabio DiCenso and his incredible staff. Chef Fabio is the heart of the restaurant. He's known for his creativity and consistency, and it shows in the daily lineup of specials, always delicious.This night I had spinach gnocchi a la vodka with salmon!! a chef who genuinely loves what he does. Diners often mention how Chef Fabio steps out of the kitchen to check on guests, and it's clear he takes pride in making sure everything is just right. There's an easy confidence to the staffs service from being seated to them walking you through specials, to recommending their favorite dishes. The drinks deserve its own spotlight. The martinis are excellent, one standout and practically a signature at this point is the pistachio martini. Dangerously smooth, it's the best in the North End and absolutely worth the trip on its own. As for the food, the hits are many, The eggplant rollatini appetizer that's a perfect starter and, of course, their pizzas, which strike that ideal balance of crisp, airy crust and fresh, clean flavors. BenCotto isn't trying to be a quiet, white-tablecloth dining room, it's a neighborhood spot with personality, heart, and craft. Chef Fabio and his staff make it feel authentic and care about its food and the people it serves. Whether you're a regular or a first-timer, you feel it the moment you sit down. A must-visit in the North End. read more

Food was unbelievable! Will definitely be craving this place for months to come. All made right in front of you. read more

BenCotto - Boston - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

We were maybe 10 minutes late due to traffic and parking blocks away. Clearly we're not from the area or we would have known to Uber. We got seated right away downstairs all the way in the back right next to the bathroom. It was very loud I felt like I was at a bar not a restaurant. The people down there with us were literally yelling. We ordered fried mozzarella with a Cesar salad. Our waiter wrote nothing down so she forgot about the mozzarella sticks and just brought out the salad. I wasn't a big fan of the dressing. I got the mussels with the pasta and it was pretty good, my daughter enjoyed her penne ala vodka and i tried it wasn't bad. My son wanted veal parm with no cheese and had no complaints. My husband got garlic & oil with broccoli he said it was okay. My highlight of the food was my son's chicken cutlet lol. The food wasn't horrible just no where I would go again. read more

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An update: I reached out to their email address last week to let them know of what happened again , and it was totally ignored. They don't care about you , only the money they bring in. Our waitress spilled boiling hot shrimp on my wrist while setting the plate down. She said sorry, and brought ice. Shortly after, she brought the bill with the scalding hot shrimp dish for $30 still on the bill. I usually tip really well. But this time, I didn't leave a tip. The garlic was also burned, and we ended up throwing it away outside. It was a very painful visit. I talked to another staff member about it, and he didn't seem to care either. My wrist was burned enough for me to keep ice on it all weekend. My next contact will be to their headquarters. read more

Went here for dinner in July 2023. Had the Pesto Penne and split it with my daughter. It was so good we wished we hadn't split! It was enough to split, we just could have eaten more. Everyone else at our table had their own - Chicken Picatta & Parmesan, pizza, etc. Everyone was happy with their choices. We ate in the basement, it was really cozy down there. read more

Had a nice evening at BenCotto! Went with a friend who has Celiac. I wrote it down on the reservation and when we arrived they addressed it and it was amazing. My friend felt safe eating the gluten free food and it was presented nice and safely. She has a GF pizza, steep on price for the size but she enjoyed. I had the Chicken Broccoli Penne with garlic wine sauce. As it was good, it had a LOT of garlic. I felt like a garlic clove leaving the place and didn't bring it home since it was very garlicky. We enjoyed the place and I'm grateful for them keeping things safe and gluten free! Thank you! read more

BenCotto - Boston - Chicken Penne Broccoli - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Visited on a Sunday evening with reservations. The table was actually ready about 10 minutes before and we received a text. We were seated in the downstairs area. It has a nice ambience and it's air-conditioned. But it can be a little loud if it's full. For appetizers, we had the Involtini and calamari. Both were good. Had the fig salad and carbonara has main dishes. The carbonara was one of the best I've had. Service was great. Very friendly and attentive. read more

BenCotto - Boston - Fig Salad - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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I have literally never had better lobster ravioli IN MY LIFE. I could literally DRINK the sauce. The lobster wasn't fishy and flavors were so perfect together. Also got the chicken parm and that marinara was perfectly seasoned. It was a solid balance of sweet and salty tomato flavor. Service was helpful and friendly. Such a cool vibe in there at night. It really does feel like a fancy night out! read more

BenCotto - Boston - Chicken Parmigiana and Lobster Ravioli - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Loved that this place has extra seating in a lower floor so they were able to take 4 plus a baby without reservations on a Friday night. I got the little necks linguine and it was great, the pasta was good and white sauce was perfect. If you're looking for something salty and simple that was it. Their mule cocktail was also good, sweet but not overly sweet. I would recommend them to update their high chairs, the one we used was wobbly and the buckle part came undone just from some movement and kids are going to wriggle. read more

BenCotto - Boston - Littlenecks linguine - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

We made reservations through Yelp. We were an early reservation because we had skipped lunch. BenCotto is a small restaurant with really good service and a perfect location to watch all that is happening in the North End. In addition to what I had, we also had the Pesto Pasta. All the food was great! We were so full, we didn't have any room for dessert, which is sad. I would definitely go again. read more

BenCotto - Boston - Bolognese - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

One of my goals while in Boston was two eat Italian food in one of the most Italian neighborhoods in Boston. Check and check. When we arrived and got seated, I was overhearing a conversation with what appeared to be a local customer who appeared to be a frequent guest there talking with either an owner or someone who worked there Very animatedly and I thought this is very East Coast Italian the way that they were talking and gesturing. It was amazing. After observing that interaction I definitely had hope for this restaurant. We started out with some bruschetta. The bread was really soft and nice and the topping had super fresh tomatoes. We then proceeded to order a pizza and two drinks. The pizza was delicious and had great toppings and the crust was just how we like it. Our server was very nice. Overall, a good experience and it was not difficult to get a reservation here which I also Appreciated. read more

BenCotto - Boston - Bruschetta - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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I love BenCotto! Went here with my girlfriend and my daughter, and they both loved it. We had reservations, and got there right on time. We were seated downstairs, which was a blessing. They let us linger downstairs and it had a real family atmosphere to it. The service was impeccable. The weight staff were not obtrusive, but they were always there, and they were excellent at anticipating the needs of the table. I will definitely go back. read more

***Updated to 2 stars because I went to another restaurant today and got the best service of my life which helped me find some forgiveness in my heart for the service at this restaurant*** Worst service I've gotten in my life. We first sat, I asked if I can sample between two wines. They were both Pinot Grigio. The server asked me, " why, they both taste the same so why would you want to sample it?" I've never had a server ask me this at any restaurant in my entire life and I was very surprised. After our food was served they asked if we want red pepper or cheese and I asked for red pepper, but they took forever to bring it to me, and they were rubbing their ear while they were talking with their coworker. As we were checking out, they didn't even bother to pack our food and threw the box and the bag on the table. The food definitely didn't make up for the service we got. read more

BenCotto - Boston - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Delicious! This small corner spot on Hanover Street has some of the best thin crust pizza in the city! Very underrated. Service is always quick and friendly as well. Highly recommend. read more

Stopped in for lunch on a weekday, getting there around 11AM and they weren't very busy. Service was excellent. The venue is great, though very small, with an open kitchen, where you can see the flames from the sautéing and the pizzas being prepped and baked. They offer many appetizing Italian appetizers, entrées, pizzas, etc. I ordered their chicken marsala over fusilli and it was really good! Their homemade pasta was excellent, as was their homemade bread! Highly suggest stopping in for a try! read more

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The atmosphere was great, service was great, and food was amazing! Best lasagna ever!

We found this place on a quick overnight trip to Boston heading to Maine. We were able to make an online reservation about an hour before our arrival time. Service was spot on. Friendly and efficient. We were seated in the super cute downstairs area where the temp was cooler on such a muggy day! The food! Five stars. All around. We order the bruschetta special with feta. Amazing. The winner was the pizza. We got the Saint Agrippina brick oven pizza. The sweet Italian sausage and chunks of ricotta were so freaking good. 100% would come back! read more

BenCotto - Boston - Saint Agrippina Pizza - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Amazing food and service! We ordered a pizza as an appetizer which was very tasty and the crust was top notch! Ordered the Carbonara for dinner w the homemade fusilli pasta and it did not disappoint! We will be back! read more

Quick lunch prior to Children's Museum was spot on! Loved our waitress- did not catch her name. Went July 23rd with my daughter and two grand babies. Food was exactly what I needed in Boston - great italian! read more

I was really looking forward to trying Bencotto in the North End, but unfortunately, it was not a great experience. The tables were packed so tightly together that it was hard to move, and the servers kept bumping into us all night. I ordered the salmon and made it very clear that I couldn't have any nuts or seeds -- but it still came out with vegetables that had seeds. When I brought it up, the staff was dismissive and unhelpful. Really disappointing customer service. Definitely not somewhere I'd return. read more

BenCotto - Boston - Salmon - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The food was mostly good and the service was excellent. I was not impressed with the Bolognese, but the eggplant parm was great. The open kitchen creates a fryer smell in the restaurant. Def had to wash everything we were wearing after getting home. read more

Relaxed casual atmosphere with good food! We made a last minute same day reservation and got on no problem. Pizzas looked great. We came for the rollatini which did not disappoint. read more

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Was walking thru the North End on a gorgeous Fall day at the end of September 2024. Wanted to treat myself and I found the perfect place to do just that! BenCotto on Hanover Street. I was there around 1 pm on a Monday and was immediately seated. I opted for the salumi plate for one. It was outstandingly delicious!!!! Just the perfect serving size for one person (they also offer it for two people). A wonderful combination of meats cheeses marinated veggies bread and sweetness to include some jam and drizzled honey. I highly recommend and will be back ...living in Boston I can easily do but if you're visiting you'll be glad you stopped in! read more

Here is another North End review! My buddy and I stumbled upon this amazing Italian restaurant in the North End when the restaurant we intended on going stopped seating new customers for the night. Guess what? I'm glad that it happened because our experience at BenCotto was amazing! There was a wait for table seating but we were able to grab a couple seats at the bar right away to get things started. The restaurant itself was a bit loud but it was filled with all good vibes. It was also reassuring that everyone at the table seemed to enjoy their food and their company before we ordered our food. I got the pappardelle pasta special with sausage and mascarpone cream sauce. It was so deliciously creamy and I still wanted more even after I was full! My buddy ordered the boscaiola pasta with pink sauce and he also enjoyed his food very very much. Both dishes were actually recommended by the bartender so we were extremely thankful for her suggestions and didn't leave us hanging. I definitely can't wait to visit BenCotto again and taste their other delicious dishes! read more

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5 stars If you're looking for a cozy, authentic experience in the North End, Ben Cotta is a must. Tucked away on a charming street, this small, family-run spot is the kind of place that makes you feel like you've stumbled into someone's home -- if their home happened to serve incredible food and warm hospitality. The atmosphere is intimate and welcoming, with just the right amount of buzz and conversation in the air. You can tell there's heart behind everything -- from the way you're greeted at the door to the thoughtfully curated menu. Make a reservation -- and whatever you do, don't be late. The space is small (in the best way), and they run a tight ship to keep things running smoothly. It's worth it -- every dish we had was fantastic. Fresh ingredients, perfect seasoning, and that unmistakable homemade touch. The pasta? Unreal. The dessert? Let's just say I'm still thinking about it. Ben Cotta is a gem that stands out even in a neighborhood full of great food. We left full, happy, and already planning our next visit. read more