We tried to get brunch at In A Pickle but the wait was way too long. I'm so glad that we got to try Brelundi's instead. Super cute restaurant in the factory converted apartment complex right on the Charles. It's got that rustic feel that has you believing you were invited into someone's house. They also have a cafe/bakery counter up front for people who are just grabbing something to go. Parking seems limited but wasn't bad at all. No wait for a table. The service is really nice and it's family friendly which is a huge plus in our book! We got the breakfast pizza and another potato dish that came in a little cast iron pan. Both were so yum yum yum! What a gem, would definitely come back! Especially in the summer to sit outside. Thumbs up! read more

Brelundi - Breakfast pizza - Italian Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

See all

I saw this restaurant on TV and decided to order takeout. Very disappointed. My review is based on the following dishes: Arancini beef and peas: the arancini was bland and the filling was tasteless. Beef Lasagna: very bland tasted like frozen food, swimming in tomato sauce. I took two bites and had to throw it away. Chicken Parm Calzone: it was edible. But again, swimming in tasteless tomato sauce. I will not eat here again. read more

Only had margherita pizza so far from location, first time earlier this week, delish. They got it right when a first time customer walked through the door... I will be back. Staff was very kind. read more

Meat and Pea Arancini Excellent appetizer, tasty sauce, accompanying. Enjoyed a special lunch, 1st after COVID lockdown. Great service, friendly atmosphere, they have outside dinning, convenient parking, you won't be disappointed with any item on the menu. Our server was top notch. JMC read more

Brelundi is without a doubt our new favorite restaurant. The food, service and ambiance were absolutely phenomenal. The food was absolutely out of this world and gave off a "home cooked" feeling. The Italian wedding soup was absolutely delicious! I could've sipped the broth through a straw. The chicken parm was not only massive, but it was so delicious! The dessert....CANNOT BE PUT INTO WORDS! The Iris is easily the best dessert I have ever eaten! It had everything you would want in a dessert. Crunchy, sweet and sugary on the outside. A sweet filling in that was absolutely ridiculously delicious and a light fluffy middle that tied it all together. We had the pleasure of having Ayanna as our server...she is without a doubt the best of the best! She was attentive, polite and very knowledgeable. We felt like we were having dinner with one of our longtime friends. She went above and beyond to make sure my birthday celebration was one to remember. If you are looking for a great place for your next event, family dinner or date night spot...Brelundi is the place to go! I cannot wait to go back! read more

Arugula-spinach salad? GOOD Margarita pizza? GOOD! GNOCCI?! GOOOOOD!! Was so happy they could do it without chicken for me because I don't eat meat, Sarah was awesome suggesting the bread with the gnocchi to use as a vessel to sop up the ballin' sauce. Never would have thought to put a lemon wedge in a cream based sauce but DUDE that gnocci was off the freakin chain I love lemon so much and now I have one more dish to compliment it with. Love this place service is always good too read more

We had take out and ordered sandwiches and loved them. We tried 2 arancini's also, one ham and cheese and the other spinach and cheese. The spinach and cheese was too dry. The sandwiches we had were eggplant parmigiana and ham and cheese panini: both excellent. We would definitely eat here again. read more

My daughter and I had one of the best Italian dinners tonight. Started with a Caprese salad. It was wonderful. Best I've had since my last trip to Italy and I order it frequently. Then the linguine pescatore. Perfectly balanced sauce, plenty of shrimp,scallops,grilled octopus and mussels. Could not have finished a larger portion. Pleasant and efficient service. Definitely at the top of my list now. read more

A cute little restaurant and cafe that shares a space in an old watch factory, it's brick and big windows all around, as well as a large outdoor seating area on a river. Parking fills up quickly, as the restaurant was a quarter full inside but all of the spots were taken. Perhaps there were a lot of people on the deck, I don't know. There is a large lot across the street that says it is reserved for the condos, but that was less than half full, so I took a chance. The restaurant itself is pretty and comfortable, with smallish, dark wood tables that would have a difficult time satisfying a pizza and two people. Service is friendly and attentive. Out waitress made sure glasses stayed full and even the bread was refilled while we waited for the meal to get delivered. We ordered two variations on meatballs, as they seem very proud of them here. They are "home made" after all. In the past I've found this may or may not be a good thing, depending on who's home made them and if they could cook. We got spaghetti and meatballs and a meatball calzone. I was on the fence between meatball and chicken parm, but the chicken had spinach in it, which doesn't make it more appealing to me, personally. I checked with the waitress and she agreed that meatball was the way to go. Well, perhaps the biggest surprise of my restaurant life came next when the dinners came and my daughter said, "these meatballs taste JUST LIKE grandma's." That's a tall order, and I thought also impossible. But then I ate my calzone and my mind was officially blown. The meatballs are exactly the same as my mother's legendary meatballs. Exactly the same, and that's seemingly impossible. Even with a recipe, people don't make meatballs the same. It's incredible. Ever bite blew my mind. The crust of the calzone was perfect as well. Thin enough, super fresh, tasty and golden brown. And the meatballs are perfect. Just like mom's for real in this case. The only explanation that was possible for me is that there is some family tree crossover here and the family recipe that's been handed down for generations crossed over somewhere. The restaurant was packed when I was paying the bill or I would have asked about how we could be related to the owner/chef. There's no other answer. Anyway, this is a great place to enjoy a nice Italian dinner. Great service. Great location. And great food... Just like mom used to make, and still does, in fact. Even the bathrooms are spotless and beautiful. It's a can't miss if you're in the area. Go there. You'll be happy you did. read more

Brelundi - Spaghetti and meatballs. - Italian Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

See all

This place is great. Stumbled across it on yelp when I searched for outdoor seating in this gorgeous day. I didn't want to wait for a table because I had my three kids so I called ahead and asked if they thought it would fill up outside by quarter of six (it was 5pm when I called). I spoke to Aiyana who was so pleasant and kind on the phone. I couldn't wait to go. Most of the reviews say service is great but there was one I saw that said it was terrible... this couldn't be farther from the truth. The place is gorgeous and beautiful and immaculately clean. Aiyana greeted us and recognized me as the person who called without having to say much at all. She was super kind and sweet and attentive and seated us outside, where you can see the Charles River. The location is great, part of a beautiful old building with lofts and located on the Charles with the bike path. Mario was our server, he was also excellent. He made us feel welcome and at home, even though we were the only group there with children. He was knowledgeable and attentive and laid back. The food was excellent. We ordered the ham and cheese arancini and the spinach arancini, both great. The kids got pasta (standard), pizza (it was ok) and breaded chicken (which was amazing, tender and delicious). I ordered the eggplant parm and my husband got the paccheri. Both were excellent. The kids had gelato for dessert and we walked along the bike path before we left. This place is 100% worth the visit. They have breakfast and cafe/bakery items as well as fine dining menu. The vibe and location is perfect and the staff is great. If you can, sit outside. Thank you Aiyana and Mario. read more

See all

I've been to Brelundi a number of times and have always been impressed. This is a nice restaurant located in the historic Waltham Watch factory building. This morning I went there for breakfast. I had the french toast drizzled with chocolate and caramel, served with bacon. It was absolutely delicious! I also had a cappuccino. They have the best cappuccino around. If you're looking for a nice place for BREakfast LUnch or DInner you should really try Brelundi! read more

This is a welcoming restaurant with good service and nice atmosphere. I'm not a fan of its food, but I still find it to be a nice place for lunch. Eggplant Parm (3.5/5): Eggplant was fine, but the rotini came with it was undercooked. The sauce wasn't bad, but it was kind of plain. Fried Calamari (2.5/5): The calamari was larger than any other fried calamari I've had. I don't like the flour-coating on it - probably the size made it difficult to coat. Marinara sauce was ok. I like the bread they offer, would be better if they could provide olive oil and vinegar. Service was great. read more

See all

Eh. Food was just ok. Service was attentively uneven -- not there when you want them, there when you don't. Disappointed.

Just got takeout. Chicken cutlet calzone had maybe one to three small pieces of cutlet and tons of cheese and sauce. Canoli did not taste good; it had competing flavors. Pizza was okay but I doubt I will go back. read more

We went here for breakfast. Ordered warm iris. Its awesome! Crispy and not too sweet. Lemon filling gives it a light final touch. The breakfast pizza is also good. The dough is fresh, moist. crispy outside and tender inside. frittate is good but not as surprise as the other two. Great service too. A wonderful addition to Waltham. Would like to try lunch and dinner menu too. read more

See all

Excellent food, with plenty of parking. Great desserts too. Nice area for a walk after lunch or before dinner.

Overall It was fair. Burratta salad over arugula was literally soaking in dressing almost inedible. Meatballs were good. The rest was mediocre at best. Outside dining would be nice in the warmer weather. read more

I love this restaurant. They have delicious dishes and amazing service. Great outdoor dining area. I highly recommend this spot.

From the service to the food, everything was absolutely outstanding. Our server Giuseppe, was extremely helpful, welcoming and patient. Over the top service from him. The owner got us dessert on the house, the famous Iris, this dessert is hands down amazing and one of the many reasons you will return. Pizza, pasta, and the delicious rice balls were all amazing. This place is a must go. read more

See all

Great food always! The menu is good! Service great! Desserts are always yummy! I would recommend this restaurant to Friends and Family! read more

Was excited to try this place and ate out on the patio. The ambiance was nice and although our server was pleasant, he appeared to be the only one waiting on all of the tables, which resulted in slow service. We didn't get any bread even though we noticed other tables had it. They had dipping oil on the tables, so I think it is something they usually provide. The chicken parm was supposed to come with a spiral pasta but came with linguini, which was okay but not what the menu stated. The food is expensive and mediocre. I had higher expectations. read more

In Waltham yet again and I definitely had to through for an arancini. Todays special has sausage, peppers and onions. Delish! They never disappoint me. I am trying to lay off the sweets today but the desserts look so good. I wish they had one in Raleigh, NC. You can eat inside or out on the deck. The atmosphere is calm, relaxing anf truly enjoyable. read more

Brelundi - Sausage, peppers and onion arancini - Italian Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

See all

I've been here a few times in the past couple years. Most recently, my family ordered takeout (11/13/20) and we were very pleased. We shared tastes of the lasagna, eggplant parmigiana, chicken parmigiana, and mushroom gnocchi. The most unique, impressive, and amazing part, though, is the Iris! It's a cross between a doughnut and a cannoli but with additional chocolate - absolutely scrumptious! I wish I had another one right now! On an earlier visit (12/16/19), I had the pollo brelundi (with mushroom sauce on linguini) which was also very good. read more

I had been meaning to check Brelundi out ever since a good friend sent me a link along with a must try suggestion. Finally, when on our way to Boston for a Saturday afternoon visit, as we drove into Waltham I suggested that maybe we cut the travel short and find Brelundi, which was very easy as it's located at the old watch factory. Rainy weather calls for something delicious, and we sure found it! Delicious Arancini with just the right amount of crunch, filling and sauce, fresh salad with excellent quality greens, fennel and assorted Vegs , a wonderful light dressing and croutons. Pizza - nice crust, a bit blander than I prefer but addition of crushed red pepper and some extra grated cheese made it! The red sangria was delicious and the service was excellent, even with a large group there for a graduation celebration. All in all, it was a wonderful lunch and I will def look forward to returning with my friend for brunch! read more

My boyfriend and I decided to try this place on a whim. We had heard a out it a few times so we made the drive from Somerville around noon on a Sunday. We were immediately seated but it was about 5 minutes before we got any waters from the bus boy. It was another 5 minutes before our waitress came over. She was a low talker and it was LOUD in the there (its a small dining area). We ordered the meat and pea arancini to start. So, my boyfriend and I have tried probably every rice ball in the Boston and greater Boston area and theirs by far was one of the best. Outside was fried nicely and it wasn't mushy. It was dense and flavorful. Baskets of bread lined up ready to go out yet we still needed to ask for one. Even then, they had to go warm it up so it was quite a while before we even got it. Bread is amazing though. Salty & yeasty. How homemade bread should be. He ordered some tortellini special and I ordered the eggplant parm. Tried a bite of his - it was excellent. Mine was so-so. I didn't hate it but I wasn't totally wowed. Some of the eggplant was very chewy. Fresh pasta was fantastic. My big gripe was the red sauce. There was nothing to it. Tastes like tomatoes and salt. Nothing to write home about. Service was decent. Not the best, not the worst. Won't prevent me from coming back and trying other things on the menu. Plenty of parking next to the building or across the street. Id like to go back and try the pizza and sandwiches when the weather gets nicer to take advantage of their beautiful outdoor space! Long story short - I'll go back. read more

$$$ and worth every penny! Modest menu, all brilliantly executed, visually appealing and delicious! Serious offerings from the pastry chef. Excellentin a pleasant space. WARNING, there is more parking across the street. The veranda and access to the river must be pleasant in the winter. When ready for a culinary experience, take tone to experience this Watchtower trattoria. read more

Food was fairly good although ravioli came out frozen so we had to send it back and broccoli rabe was not hot. Otherwise Desserts were delicious and salad was pretty good. read more

See all

My girlfriend and I used to adore this place. Their food and portions are amazing, featuring homestyle servings with a very classical mastery of fresh ingredients. Their desserts--I would argue--exceed the taste and quality of ANYTHING in the North End, and are works of art unto themselves. Even their location is fantastic, nestled away from all of the busy streets of Waltham in the overwhelming character and charm of a repurposed mill building. Which is why it pains me to leave them anything less than five stars. It was a simple request: With only five other tables inexplicably crowding us in the middle of the restaurant, could we please move to the empty table in the corner? The host was great, accommodating us quickly and polishing everything for us. As we were migrating over, the bumbling, lackadaisical server began to take our order. I explained that we were moving and said I could give him our order now. He insisted he would come back "when we were ready", which was exactly about 10 seconds beforehand. He never came back at all. After 30 minutes without a single waiter, host, or member of the staff approaching us while watching them bump into walls, we left on principle and refused the free meal. I should have mattered to you as a customer before you felt the need to compensate me. Their service in recent visits has been teetering on mediocre-at-best, but our last trip exemplified to perfection the pitfalls of pairing subpar service with exceptional quality in a cramped space. It's an appetite for destruction that, ironically enough, left me never wanting seconds (or sixths). read more

First time dining there! In from NY and just had dropped our daughter off at college. My husband and I were exhausted and starved! The staff was very warm and welcoming! The food was A-Mazing!!!!!! The owner was dining there as well with his family and took the time to speak to us and thanked us for coming in! We will definitely be returning! read more

A great new addition to Waltham! I had a very pleasant experience sitting on the patio on a fall Saturday evening. The restaurant offers some traditional Italian dishes in a modern relaxing environment. We tried a few appetizers and a pasta dish. But before any of our orders came the AMAZING bread! The waiter told that they were doing some experiment with the bread and offered us a sample of 3 different kinds of bread - bread stick, sourdough, and a soft square bread (don't know what it is called but I want more!!). Out of everything we ordered, my favorite was the spinach gnudi topped shaved truffle. It was so creamy and flavorful. The meatballs were very tasty as well! We also tried the pasta with wild boar ragu. The pasta was a bit over boiled for me, but we still enjoyed it. At the end of the meal, they brought us complimentary lemon sorbet, which was delicious and refreshing and a great way to finish the meal! I will be back to try their pizza and other pasta dishes soon. And I really hope that they can sell the their bread at the counter (they currently have a counter to sell gelato and other dessert)!! read more

See all

Brelundi is a great addition to Waltham. We went for lunch and sat on their patio. We had a bottle of wine, fresh mozzarella, grilled romaine & a margarita pizza. Everything was fresh and delicious. The head chef was very friendly and passionate about his creations. They make everything in house & from scratch. read more

Brelundi - Lunch on the patio. - Italian Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

Attended a family function there . The food was fabulous the service impeccable . Kudos to the general manager and mixologist extraordinaire Aaron. He made the best vodka gimlet I've ever had . He makes his own lime juice . We arrived 45 minutes early for the reservation but they rushed to set up for us and we're ready in no time . read more

Food was very good, our waiter very good but c'mon ,the mask situation was not good. Staff inside were wearing their masks under their noses. A customer and his older child entered without a mask and none of the staff asked them to put a mask on. As we were leaving I could see part of the kitchen and a woman preparing food had her mask under her chin. When this restaurant first open they took it much more seriously. read more

This is somewhat plain and traditional Italian food. The best dish we had was the grilled octopus salad. The grilled octopus was perfectly cooked. Very tender and with a slight taste of grill. My spouse ordered eggplant parmesan, and she felt the eggplant was overcooked and too soft and the sauce didn't have much character. I ordered the classic spaghetti with meatballs. I found the pasta gluey, which she also found with her dish. The sauce was a heavy dense red sauce which tasted strongly of tomatoes and salt and not much else. It was a very uninteresting sauce without any real depth or character to it. The meatballs were extremely dense and not terribly flavorful. I also found the meatballs very dry. Both our dishes were just not very interesting, especially considering the cost. We found the service, while sincere, didn't seem very confident. They were confused, they seemed hesitant when serving, it took a while to even get our orders taken. The servers themselves were nice, but I don't think they were very well trained or experienced. Portions were large. We were also, as first-time visitors, were given a free dessert that was a deep fried brioche covered in sugar filled with goat cheese. It was fine. But nothing to write home about. All in all, I couldn't recommend the restaurant and I wouldn't return. read more

this is an amazing place. Lovely outdoor patio, the creamy chicken pasta dish i got was exceptional. the service was friendly and helpful..i took Ayanna's (Sp?) suggestions on the meal and dessert. Highly recommend. read more

I like coming here for lunch whenever I am in the area. The restaurant is located in the old Waltham Watch Factory along the river. Parking out front and to the side of the building. Their service was excellent every time I've been here. Food is good, pasta tastes fresh, and I love their meat and pea arancini (rice balls for any of my fellow New Yorkers reading this). Coffee is done right and they have a nice assortment of desserts. read more

Enjoyed a coffee and sampled some pastry here. Sat on the back patio. Very nice scene. Friendly staff.

This place has a great ambience with all the watch factory atmosphere inside. The server had a good sense of humor . He thoughtfully placed the takeout boxes while we were eating saving us the embarrassment of having to ask for a box while half the food was on the plate (since the portions were quite good!!) The arancinis that we got for appetizers were delicious but what blew my mind was the mushroom stuffed gnocchis . They were simply the best! I just loved the feeling of each little gnocchi melting in my mouth. The server recommended their trademark iris for desert. The slightly crunchy cinnamonny exterior of the buns blended very well with the ricotta cheese filling. Will definitely come again and being friends here. read more

Great outdoor space for lunch! Gluten free pasta is available - unfortunately the same isn't true for bread, pizza or desserts but their menu has plenty of options. The service was great, very friendly. Will definitely be back again! read more

I really hate to give a bad review because this restaurant when it originally opened served great food! I'm not sure what has happened in the past few years but the quality seriously went down hill. My husband and I gave them a few more chances to redeem themselves but nope we decided we will never come back again. The food is extremely bland with barely any taste, the pasta is always over cooked to the point of mush, and the meat is dry and tasteless. We would much rather cook our own Italian meals at home then waste any calories on these subpar meals. We always knew the service was terrible but we came back for the food in the very beginning. I wonder what changed. If your reading this and want authentic and delicious Italian food, go to Vinotta on Moody st. read more