I am not a huge pasta eater BUT since visiting Boston and being turned on to Bistro 5's Spaghetti Chittara, I have been obsessed! I have to travel to Boston on my annual pilgrimage to eat at Bistro 5! Not only is the food amazing, the service is top notch and they always make me feel so welcome. The last 2 times I've gone, they were serving specialty menus BUT when they find out I've traveled from Austin just to eat the Spaghetti Chittara, they have made the dish especially for me (plus an extra one to take home!) Our waiter this time was Aaron, originally from Austin! He was incredible and made a point by calling us by our names and going above and beyond!! The only problem I have (well, 2 problems) are that I can't get it in Austin and I can't figure out how to reverse engineer it so it makes for an expensive dinner counting the travel expenses but well worth it!! read more

Bistro 5 - Espresso Martini smiling at me! - Italian Near Me - Medford, Massachusetts

Homemade Pasta dishes 28 to 32 dollars Give me a break Pasta is still very cheap to make Plus the size of his dishes read more

It has been years since I last ate at Bistro 5. And I can say in all aspects the experience is superlative. Service was friendly and helpful. Water and bread were brough right away. The bread is amazing - fresh with added rosemary. We ordered salads and calamari. The calamari was excellent, one of the best we have had in Boston. Salads were well prepared and delicious. My friend had the gnocchi and I have the vegan special. Her gnocchi was heavenly. I had a few bites and it was perfect. The sauce, the mushrooms all balanced out the pasta. I want to thank the staff and kitchen for a wonderful meal. read more

My wife and I attended this restaurant on Valentine's Day. From the moment we walked in the ambience was very cozy and romantic, beautiful bar. They had to fix menu which every dish was delicious. The service was so great that it almost upstaged their outstanding cuisine. Definitely a must try. I would go back there for every special occasion. read more

Five stars for Bistro 5. This is a re-re-re-review as it is my fourth review in order to re-re-re-rerave about this exceptional establishment. Rather than detailing the high-quality foodstuffs and wonderful atmosphere here I would like to simply state that Bistro 5 is a true rarity in quality standards for gourmet-type restaurants. The service is exceptional as Bistro 5 has a casual but classy vibe and a wicked intellectual vibe as well. The owner came to our table and inquired as to how our experience is and we assured him that everything was exceptional. Simply put, Bistro is a gem and parking is a breeze too in the nighttime hours. Bistro 5 truly takes pride in all aspects of the dining experience. Treat yourself to a classy and relaxing evening at this small and quiet establishment. It's wicked pissah! :) read more

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Visited Valentine's Day 2024, they hosted a lovely diner. Delicious food, friendly staff, and great ambiance. It's conveniently located in West Medford too. read more

This used to be wonderful. It's [censording] terrible now. The Chitarra pasta was completely different and lazy. It tasted like they had dumped a ton of 'liquid smoke' into it. The calamari might have been the best thing, but that's not saying much. Chewy, and smelled maybe a bit old. I ordered the veal milanese. The first 3/4" around the outside was burnt to a crisp. The rest wasn't but was dry as a shoe. My wife got the steak. HORRID. And bad steak too... We brought that back, hoping that maybe I can turn it into some kind of breakfast omelette thing but... Terrible terrible terrible these days. Ramsay's "Kitchen Nightmares" could visit. read more

Impressed by their Dine Out Boston menu, a friend and I met at the bar for a nice 3 course meal. It was hard to decide as all the options looked great, we started with the Salmon Arancini (which I've never seen on a menu) and Fried Calamari. Both were perfectly fried and delicious. I could eat that arancini all day. They also gave complimentary bread with a super rich olive oil. For mains it was an easy choice - Gnocchi w/ Fat Moon Mushrooms and their Bolognese. Both so fresh and flavorful! We ended with a dessert of Crème Brulee and Profiteroles and cappuccinos. We shared everything and left so full. While the service was friendly we felt very rushed even though it wasn't super late and there were plenty of people in the restaurant. The servers kept trying to clear our plates when we weren't done (actually took away calamari we would have continued to enjoy). My friend and I don't meet often and were catching up and wanted a leisurely dinner. Parking is also very tricky but the food was so good I would definitely go back! read more

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Nice interior and service was great, but unfortunately the food was just not good. We had two of the dine out Boston set menus, so it was $55+tax+tip each. I did really enjoy both desserts! The chocolate cake was very chocolatey, and both it and the creme brulee weren't too sweet (definitely better that way!) However, the appetizers were both meh, with the calamari being a bit fishy and the burrata just not that interesting. The entrees had their high points -- the pappardelle pasta was lovely and the greens served with the fried chicken were nicely seasoned -- but they were both let down by a major factor -- the pappardelle meat was way too salty and the fried chicken was not crisp. I do wonder if they do better when it isn't dine out Boston? read more

We love that Bistro 5 is nearby and serves consistently excellent food and cocktails. We've been coming here for many years and enjoy the creative and reliably high-quality dishes. I love the gnocchi with mushrooms as it cones with an abundance of mushrooms, and the gnocchi isn't heavy. We've enjoyed the duck, branzino, steak, and other entrees. The soups are also always very good, as are the appetizers such as the calamari, fried green tomatoes and burrata, and everything else we have tried. The desserts are good, but the description doesn't always match what you get. Servers are friendly and knowledgeable, and the atmosphere is quiet and nice. I appreciate that they keep some stapme dishes on the menu and also have seasonal specials. There is always something new to try. read more

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Upscale creative Italian, comfortable room, decent ambience and service. My spaghetti alla chitarra was outstanding (squid ink + saffron spaghetti, baby clams, octopus, calamari, olives, capers, cherry tomatoes). Parking can be tricky, allow time. read more

Had such a nice time for dinner! I went out with my family and we enjoyed it. We came about an hour before closing and they were accommodating. It wasn't too loud and they had some music going on in the background. The place was small and quaint. We also had kids with us and the server brought us kids menu with crayons. (It's the little things) We got a couple drinks and the bartender did not miss! They were delicious. I'd say the price is a little on the higher end so prepare for that. I parked on the street instead of parking further down the block. It was easy to find parking but if you park down the block, it's a bit of a walk. You can't miss it, the sign outside says bistro 5! Overall, it's a nice classic place to go to if you want a bite to eat, a drink, and go home. read more

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Local upscale restaurant with a lovely and intimate atmosphere. Arrived early to a mostly empty restaurant but it filled up quickly. Our server was outstanding- friendly, competent and followed-up often. The wine and beer selections are varied but pricey for the area. Our meals were ok. My steak was properly cooked and was sitting on some broccolini with riced pickled cauliflower on top. The veal milanese was attractively presented with roasted butternut squash and a melange of vegetables. The entrees were tasty. The fresh baked bread with olive puree dip was delicious and the profitaroles for dessert were delicious. 4 stars for the food 5 for the service and ambiance. read more

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Excellent neighborhood restaurant. Service was perfect, food was delicious, and drinks too! We had some apps to start, all 10/10. The steak and veal Milanese entrees were perfect. This is elevated food and service, at a reasonable price, in a convenient location. Can't wait to return read more

Very nice restaurant We ate couple of times At the table or at the bar Very knowledgeable staff Delicious and well presented food Bravo read more

Very pleased with this place -- will definitely be back! Cute place with good service and everyone in my group was very happy with their food choices. read more

Pre-pandemic I hosted a small dinner party at B5 and the experience was lovely. So when the time came to host a surprise 3 1/2 hour cocktail and dinner event with twenty close friends for my sweetie's birthday, I came back to B5 and was rewarded with a perfect evening : - Excellent and efficient pre-planning by the manager, including a small advance wine tasting two days in advance to confirm the selections - Beautifully appointed private room perfect for 20 - Attentive and thoughtful service throughout, with a perfect pace - Delicious menu selections, perfectly prepared and timely served - Extra attention to the food allergies of a couple guests. I can' say enough good things about our experience at B5. My friends loved it too - five days after the event we are still receiving compliments. Evening favorites: calamari appetizer, gnocchi with mushrooms, imma nebbiolo wine, profiteroles read more

Worst service one could possibly imagine. From waiting 35 minutes past our reservation time to get a table, to having the waiter tell us "stop complaining aren't you comfortable enough at the bar?". They then charged us for the drinks we thought were complimentary due to the long delay. Food not too good for price. Diners beware - plenty of better restaurants in the area read more

Bistro 5 has become our favorite local restaurant. There's always something great to find among their seasonal cocktails and they have an excellent wine list. The menu is a bit limited, but everything we have tried has been delicious so this doesn't end up being an issue. Most of the rotating Chef Specials have been excellent but there are plenty of great dishes on the regular menu as a fallback. The flourless chocolate cake and gelato are our favorite desserts - just decadent. The wait staff is always friendly and offers great suggestions, including wine pairings. The restaurant is cozy and while it is often rather full and sometimes loud, it has usually been easy to hear everyone at our table without shouting. Parking nearby can be tricky so plan for that, but once inside you'll have a great experience. read more

This is a fine dining restaurant with amazing food and atmosphere! I absolutely loved the vegan options and chef! The lentil dish had veggies with parsnip puree and mustard- so creamy and amazing. The spaghetti/mushroom was also so good!! For dessert- guava and passion fruit sorbet was wow! Made me want to be on vacation. Perfect meal, atmosphere, and service. A+++! read more

Bistro 5 - Vegan options: Lentil Veggie and Truffle Spaghetti (BOTH AMAZING) - Italian Near Me - Medford, Massachusetts

OK place. Little cramped. Good service. Food was good but really SMALL amounts for the price. Vegetables were 2 brussell sprouts and 2 tiny sections of squash for $30.00. (one bite piece). Tiny piece of Maine sole. Went home and ate after. Will not go back! read more

Fabulous drinks! I am a finicky eater so it doesn't cater to the faint of heart. Great ambience and a really nice neighborhood place to go.

Phenomenal! Wonderful and homey atmosphere, friendly and attentive service, delicious food and drink. Calamari, gnocchi, and seared chicken were incredible. Spinach was best I ever had. Can't wait to come back. read more

*Rating based solely on FOOD* Presentation: 4.5 Texture: 4 Flavor: 4 Would return? Yes Must-try: Whatever special they have that day! I liked this place and would come back to try different dishes. The menu is not extensive but I still struggled deciding what to eat because everything looked good. The best thing I tried was the appetizer which was the night's special - unfortunately not in the pictures - a porcini arancini filled with smoked mozzarella, a bottom of pesto and arugula on top. Every bite was out of this world - perfect combination of flavors, well seasoned and great textures. Then for entree we had another night's special (so you may not find it) - Boar Cavatelli - it was really good, although I deducted some points because the dish was cold (which I particularly hate with any pasta) and the cavatelli needed another 30 seconds of cooking. The monkfish (regular menu item) was also great and had very unusual flavors. Perfect balance of textures and I found it very pleasing to eat, however, it lacked salt and hence flavor. These small imperfections add up, specially at a place of this caliber. I'd say you can't go wrong here! Maybe order the special they have that day! Non-Food Stuff: I enjoyed the ambiance, very cozy and welcoming. I could tell the place is popular because it had soooo many people coming in to pick up an order (which ruins the vibe of the place a little). Service was very slow, but professional and friendly. Hope this helps! Z. read more

Bistro 5 - Wild Boar Special - Italian Near Me - Medford, Massachusetts

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I was looking to try a new restaurant for my 30th birthday and bistro 5's menu called to me. It's scary to try a new place for takeout because you know I'll never be as good as dine in but this place delivered. We ordered (half the menu) the steak, the porchetta, the monkfish, the gnocchi, the orecchiette, the kale salad, and beet salad. The spread was phenomenal! Honestly I think we got much food it took us two days to finish and the quality was impeccable. I'm so happy I was able to find this gem of a place during covid. I will continue to support this business as the food is A+. I'm sure it's even better in person! read more

Bistro 5 - Warm Golden Beets, Gnocchi, Monkfish, Porchetta, Grilled Strip Steak, Kale Salad and Orecchiette - Italian Near Me - Medford, Massachusetts

Great restaurant in a small town. The ambiance and food were upscale. We ate the crostini and buratta as appetizers. The buratta had pear, watercress, and a brioche. The crostini had ricotta topping with truffle oil and mushrooms on top perfectly cooked. We personally liked the crostini better. For main dishes we enjoyed the truffle mushroom gnocchi. It was mouth watering goodness! Please oh please order this! The bolognese had a fabulous homemade flat noodle pasta that made it work. I would've preferred slightly more sauce or acidity for pop. The tiramisu dessert special was the best part of my night. I loved the whipped cream (the same or similar homemade whipped cream they use in their espresso martinis) and liquor they used at the bottom of the tiramisu topped with strawberries. I loved the passion fruit mocktail they made me. Perfect date night, quaint intimate restaurant, and reasonably priced for upscale dining. Will be back! read more

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Love this place! Such a hidden gem and always have a wonderful meal here. We typically sit at the bar which isn't usually crowded. Bartenders are top notch and the food is excellent! Waiting to try their burgers which are only served on Tuesday. read more

Great place with inspired menu. Highly recommended. Tuesdays they often have oyster specials.

Went last night for New Year's Eve. While the food was quite good, service was a chaotic disaster. They do not employ any kind of a host to manage the traffic coming in, instead it's a random selection of bus boys and waiters who in between their other duties, periodically run over to the podium and check the computer. We were seated at 7:30 for our 7:00 reservation. By the time we headed to our table, there was easily a back up of 10 people crowded into the small entry way. Then sat at the table for 20 mins before a waiter eventually got to us. Had to ask 3 time for water; water glasses were never refilled, despite being obviously empty after our appetizers. There seemed to be absolutely no organization to how the place is managed - couldn't tell the waiters from the bussers, and they also don't use runners here. Also, thankfully we did did not get the waitress who we noticed was chomping gum the whole time (thought maybe I was teleported to a Waffle House in GA). We came here last NYE and a nice experience and were hoping this would be a tradition in the future. Our waiter shared that the manager was all excited that they were 'overbooked' tonight. Why would they do that? Doesn't matter now, not going back, don't need that kind of stress for a dinner out. read more

Seduced by the ambiance and menu I had high expectations. Environment: Lovely outdoor patio but the commuter rail runs through about every 10 minutes. Food: Everything on the menu sounded delicious but the execution was not there. We ordered the salmon with lentils and scallops with risotto. The salmon dish was cold. The scallop dish was better. The scallops were well cooked. The risotto was warm not hot and al dente. Mostly I was disappointed with the cocktails. Their viuexxe carre was bitter and as a whiskey drink was meant to have one big ice cube rather than crushed. read more

Been coming here for years. (just starting writing reviews) Love this place, great food, good drinks, good service and prices are good for the quality of the food and experience. read more

What a great find! Restaurant has great ambiance. We didn't realize that they would bring out bread with a chickpea spread (that was delicious), so we ordered a small plate of eggplant dip (very smooth and different than expected- yummy), the calamari appetizer (over an amazing tomato chutney) and we each had pastas. The gnocchi with mushrooms were like pillows, and the spaghetti chitarra with octopus was very smoky and tasty. It was too much food to have dessert. We are going back soon! Would love to sit at the welcoming bar! read more

This place is just off the commuter rail... you can hear and feel the trains as they pass by. Read the signs when looking for parking - avoid permit only areas unless you have the required permit (residential, commuter). Went for Restaurant Week. In addition to the publicized menu, they had additional choices available that night for appetizer (tuna tartar) and entree (duck breast) at no extra charge. I ordered the Eggplant Tower, Veal Milanese, and creme brulee. I found the appetizer a bit bland - if I didn't already know that the cheese was goat cheese from reading the menu, I would have had no idea! The veal was nice and crispy, and the mashed potatoes were well flavored. Dessert came in an unexpectedly long shallow dish, and wasn't too sweet. My friend had the calamari, steak (which replaced the Sweet Potato Gnocci on the RW menu), and Chevre Cheesecake. The calamari was well cooked and lightly crispy, but I found the tomato chutney neither sweet nor spicy as it was described. The steak was a bit tough and the content of the plate lukewarm. (my sides were only just warm too... as if both our plates were waiting for the veal to be ready to be served) The cheesecake a not too sweet kind. Basically, I found the appetizers relatively bland, the crispy veal the best part of either entree, and dessert just okay. Service was fine. The candle-lit room a bit too dark. I'd be willing to go back sometime, but I won't be in a huge rush to. read more

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I went recently with my family for a birthday dinner. We were all blown away by the food. Our favorites were the calamari and eggplant appetizers and the gnocchi entree. Everything was excellent, made delicately and with detail. The atmosphere is pleasant- you have some distance from other tables but it feels cozy. I didn't get a chance to dive into the very long drink menu but one of my dinner companions really enjoyed their creative cocktail. I almost didn't want to write this review so that this hidden gem doesn't become overrun. I would take this over any place in the North End any day. read more

I stopped by here for a birthday dinner on a Saturday. It's clean and has a modern feel, with hip, upbeat music. Our server was polite and accommodating. It's a bit cozy, but doesn't feel too crowded or cramped. For the appetizer, we had the duck duo, the calamari, and the escargots from the tasting menu. All were quite tasty, although since the duck duo comes with a crème brûlée foie gras, it is a tad sweet for my taste - the duck prosciutto was a great pairing in the dish. For main dishes, I had the spaghetti alla chitarra (?), and my mom had the chicken duo. The spaghetti was awesome - light with tender seafood (I really liked the octopus!) and that handmade pasta texture. My mom's chicken duo was awesome. I've never tasted such juicy and flavorful chicken breast before! For dessert, we had the local strawberries with panna cotta off the tasting menu, and the chocolate mousse. The panna cotta with the strawberries was delicious, especially with the less sweet panna cotta. The chocolate mousse was really good too. I liked the espresso gelato on the side. I recommend this place for dates/romantic dinners, or other special occasions! read more

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Went there for a girls night out and it was delightful. We had no complaints. The food and service were both on point.

My husband and I have been going to Bistro 5 for years... since they first opened (shortly after we bought our home in West Medford). The food is always great. We love to sit at the bar and order drinks & appetizers, or split an entree. read more

What an amazing meal. The tasting menu was divine and the wine paring was superb . An amazing meal with friends! Not to be missed - a true treasure of a restaurant read more

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I have been a patron of Bistro 5 for over 30 years. It was my got to place for special occasions and just a great meal out. We have only eaten out a handful of times since Covid and took an out of town visiting relative on Thursday October 19th for dinner there. The menu seemed to have our favorites still. The appetizers were good although the fried calmari was a bit dried out. My wife and cousin's dishes were excellent although I dont remember what they were. However, I had the Veal Milanese which I found terrible with oil saturated breading that I found inedible. I sent it back after tasting one corner. The waiter said they would make me a fresh one. Here's the weird part. The waiter brought back the exact same piece - still with the cut off corner and the salad re-piled and NO explanation. I was confused. This has never happened to me before. The waiter looked embarrased and said the chef said that was how it was made. The waiter took my order for a new enteree - grilled steak - which seemed to take a long time to get. If we were not with a guest I would have insisted on talking to the chef. I have met the owner-chef many times before, but I suspect he was not there that night, Hopefully he'll reply to this. It is too bad to have a terrible experience at an otherwise great restaurant. I left a 15% tip instead of my usual 20-25% in the past here. read more

I actually had to really take the time to search this place up again, since I don't live in the area and was pleasantly surprised by this restaurant. I remember the service was very pleasant and our waiter was able to suggest great wines for us to pair with our food. We chose the restaurant week option, and for the entrees my cousin got the gnocci and I got the sea scallops. I can't even begin to explain how amazing the sea scallops with risotto was. I had only started to eat scallops again, and this definitely made me fall in love with scallops even more. The scallops were cooked perfectly--slightly raw and not overpowering with the seasoning. The risotto was perfect--a bit light and not overwhelmingly heavy. The truffle gnocci on the other hand, was just okay. I wasn't the biggest fan of it, and it really paled in comparison to the sea scallops. read more

Bistro 5 - Sea Scallops - Italian Near Me - Medford, Massachusetts