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    Cafe Amaro

    4.4 (79 reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 11:00 PM

    Cafe Amaro Photos

    Business Info

    CAFE AMARO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Intimate
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Cafe Amaro

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    Brendon W.

    Stopped by with 2 friends on a weeknight and got a couple rounds of drinks and it was delicious. Our server was so kind and personable. The vibes were super relaxed and chill inside. Would definitely come back and maybe next time would want to try the food here.

    Gnocchi
    Nitasha K.

    Small hole in the wall we have often overlooked in the North End but some of my favorite food thus far. The meatballs, margarita pizza, and gnocchi were favorites. For a party of four, I'd recommend doing either two pastas and a pizza or vice versa with a couple apps. Would definitely come back and try more of the menu. The service was mostly attentive, and the vibe was cozy Italian.

    Antipasto, Arancini, & Prosciutto and Fig pizza
    Silvia H.

    Cafe Amaro will continue to be our cozy nook in the North End that we can't help but stumble into on a chilly day. On both occasions, we were tempted to snack on the antipasto and taste some wine. In our most recent visit, we invited the whole family for a wider variety of appetizers and brick oven bites. Our favorite recommendation was the pistachio martini which indulged us into the spirit of the holidays. Whether you're looking for a quick drink, or a lengthier lunch lounge spot, cafe Amaro has an inviting warmth for whatever you're craving.

    burrata pizza
    Zoe W.

    Delicious, delicious, delicious! We made a reservation for a party of 6 for my best friend's birthday and we had an absolute blast! We ordered 2 bottles of moscato throughout the meal which was super light and fruity. I ended up splitting the burrata pizza and the rigatoni bolognese which were both delicious! I was very impressed by the brick oven pizza. Both dishes were perfect together and were very tasty. I'd recommend both. The service was amazing! Truly the best service I could ask for. Both waiters were super attentive and constantly came in to check on us, refill our drinks, etc. The waiters made my friend feel very special on her birthday! Thank you so much Cafe Amaro!!

    Pistachio martini
    Shelley B.

    Café Amaro was the first place we dined upon visiting Boston. It is a small café located in the North End. The seating which opens up into the street was inviting a bit like being in Italy! I cannot say enough about the pistachio cocktail I ordered. It was delicious. We also ordered the margarita pizza, which unfortunately did not meet my anticipated, expectations,. The server was attentive and accommodating.

    Frank B.

    Cute decor. The pizza crust was very good, but the fillings were disappointing. Red sauce had no seasonings and the margarita pizza had little basil. Rigatoni was a bit underdone.

    Cute and quaint restaurant with delicious food and great service. We got the lobster fra diavolo and chicken marsala, and both did not disappoint. Pasta was cooked to perfection

    Washing hands part (the word)
    Philip J. H.

    I had plenty of time to kill between buses so I wound up here & this place did well. I did a margarita pizza with sausage on it & it's good but it seemed when I tried to keep it it seemed to fall apart in the middle area but it was still delicious. Atmosphere was with Motown music & few other things. Service was good deeming it was an open space & little breeze from outside came in but sometimes it's an asset.

    Marsala
    Alexis M.

    The place is small, but cozy. Staff are very friendly. Food came out quickly. My Marsala was really good, loved the healthy portion of mushrooms. Teeny tiny complaint: not enough bread provided with the burrata, but they brought more out quickly when I asked. Would definitely go again.

    Audrey S.

    Came for dinner. It's a really small place so make sure to make a reservation. They have by far the best marsala I've ever had. It was so good. I would absolutely come back. The service was fantastic.

    Crab and lobster ravioli
    Sujata D.

    Incredible little place!!! Barely 12 small tables. Burrata appetizer, calamari were spot on. Do NOT leave without sampling their arrabbiata pasta (with sausage.). Lobster and crab ravioli were decadent. Thank you Luis (and team) for taking such good care of us.

    BURRATA Oregano, fresh burrata, Calabrian chili oil ADDED PROSCIUTTO
    Carissa S.

    Devine! Firstly, the place only fits about 15 people, so be sure to call or go online for a reservation! Without knowing how small it would be, I booked a reservation and was happy when we arrived and could be seated immediately! I went with my mom and her two friends, and everyone was blown away by how tasty the food was! We ordered the meatballs as a starter. Three giant, tender meatballs came with the order! So fresh and flavorful. Then, my mom and I split the bolognese and the burrata pizza (which we added prosciutto to): this was one of the best meals we had in Boston. The meat sauce in the bolognese and giant pieces of meat and they were so flavorful! The pizza was delicious! I'm not from the northeast and I normally eat thick crust, but this may have turned me into a thinner crust person! You could take the brick oven freshness!

    fusilli alla vodka
    Ellie O.

    I saw this restaurant on Instagram - and the fusilli alla vodka is what intrigued me. First thoughts when I walked in, I thought it looked almost identical in size and style to Parla, another restaurant I recently tried, down to the red curtain obscuring the entrance. We tried the caesar salad, chicken parm, fusilli alla vodka, and margherita pizza. The pizza was very good, I think the best dish we tried. I liked the interesting noodles in the vodka pasta, but the flavor was not there for me. The color was creamier than the Instagram reel looked, so perhaps they added too much cream? It just was not that good. Chicken parm was good, not memorable. Service was not great considering we were some of the only patrons dining on a Tuesday evening. I arrived a bit later, and the rest of my party had already ordered drinks and appetizers, and it took over 10 minutes for the server to take my drink order. Verdict - there are better Italian places in the north end!

    Margherita pizza with pepperoni

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    2 months ago

    Good ambiance, friendly server. Espresso martini kicking my ass 10/10 will come back.

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    4 months ago

    Amazing!! The staff here is so fun and awesome. My friends and I have the best time here, especially with Bryan!!

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    1 year ago

    Amazing food and atmosphere. Service was super friendly and accommodating to our family with all of our luggage.

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    Limoncello Ristorante

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    Ristorante Limoncello is an Italian restaurant that opened in Boston, Massachusetts in April 2000…read more It was founded by restaurateur and Italian immigrant Maurizio Badolato. Born and raised in Calabria, Italy, Badolato worked as waiter as a young boy before immigrating to Boston in the 1970s. At the age of just 15, he was working as a busboy at a Boston restaurant and slowly worked his way up the restaurant totem pole. One night after getting off work, Badolato bought a wad of $5 scratch lottery tickets and won one million dollars. He decided to use the winnings to fulfill a lifelong dream and open his own restaurant in the North End (aka Boston's "Little Italy"). He hired practically his entire family to come over from Italy and work at his restaurant, which is located along the Freedom Trail right next to the historic Paul Revere House. Many of the recipes belonged to Badolato's mother Concetta, including her famous meatballs. She was a constant fixture at the restaurant until she passed away in 2015. The head chef at Limoncello since day one has been Chef Andrea Moggi. A second location opened nearby at 76 Salem Street in 2017, but it closed a year later. My family and I recently visited Ristorante Limoncello for dinner while we were spending the day in Boston. After a long day of walking and sight-seeing, we found ourselves in the North End for dinner time. We walked by the restaurant and loved the name and the menu. We were seated on the outdoor patio area for a delicious al fresco dining experience. My wife and I both shared the "Scallops Limoncello" (fresh sea scallops sautéed in 'homemade' Limoncello, served on a bed of baby arugula) and the "Tagliolini al Limoncello" (fresh homemade pasta with jumbo shrimp cooked in a tomato cream sauce). Although the restaurant doesn't have a Kids Menu, our friendly server told us that she could easily bring us a family-style plate of "Penne with Meatballs" (red sauce) for our two sons to share. Everything was excellent, right down to the complimentary bread bowl and olives! For dessert, I had the "Lemon Sorbetto" (served in a frozen lemon shell) paired with a glass of their delicious housemade "Limoncello". It was the perfect way to end a fantastic meal! We hope to be back!

    Went here for a special event and left unsatisfied with the food…read more It's in the north end, so the vibes I would say are pretty high and our server was so sweet. However, none of us liked our food. Pastas were lacking flavor and the noodles weren't cooked well.

    Trattoria Il Panino

    Trattoria Il Panino

    (791 reviews)

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    Trattoria Il Panino is one of the many lovely Italian restaurants that you'll find in the North…read moreEnd. Not my favorite but it's still a goodie! They get SUPER packed on weekends especially & I definitely recommend making reservations instead of relying on walk-in. We made a reservation on a Saturday at 9pm & we still had to wait ~30 min for our table to be ready, because of how busy they were. Now, they do move pretty quick though! Once we were seated & gave our server our order, our food came in a timely manner. We ordered: -calamari -trombetta al pesto -chicken parm -carbonara w/ chicken cutlet The calamari was quite yummy. It tasted fresh and the batter was light but still crispy. We even debated on getting another order of the calamari! Trombetta al pesto is what I personally had. Good portion size & loved the pesto sauce. I did wish it came with a protein but that's okay. The pesto is on the herb-ier side as opposed to garlicky, so keep that in mind if you're not too big on herb heavy taste. I personally loved it though. The pasta was also cooked al dente, PERFECTO! The chicken parm was demolished within minutes of arriving to our table, so that should tell you how good it was haha. Now, for the carbonara with chicken cutlet, the pasta was cooked perfectly. Nice and al dente but we wished that we had gotten grilled chicken breast instead of the breaded chicken cutlet, as it probably would've paired better with the dish. Overall, I think Trattoria Il Panino is a solid spot to go for a sit-down lunch or dinner! I liked that even though we did have to wait a bit for our table with reservations, we didn't have to really wait for our food after ordering. The staff was very efficient and service was outstanding! Parking: parking garage by Haymarket or can valet in front of the restaurant.

    Everything went well tonight for a Saturday in the North end with the world out and about. So…read morepacked out there that night, the city was alive. We waited about 30 minutes after checking in for our reservation, they were running behind a bit. We were then seated in the downstairs dining area, which i actually liked better than upstairs, felt more intimate and more spacious. Service was great, our server was very nice. We were here to celebrate a friend's birthday - Trombetta al pesto The pesto sauce was on the herbier side, i prefer more of a garlic pesto but still delicious! - chicken parm with ziti - actually a much smaller portion then expected, would have liked a bit more ziti to chicken cutlet ratio. BDay boy inhaled it anyways. - chicken cutlet carbonara spaghetti i probably would have opted for the grilled chicken over a cutlet next time. For me it was a bit dry with the cutlet and needed MORE sauce for the dish overall. It was tossed in some, but the flavor didn't come thru as bold as i had hoped. perhaps some bacon bits in it would have hit another flavor trigger on my taste buds personally haha. Overall though it was still a good pasta. All the pastas were al dente. Came out hot and quick. We really liked the calamari, fresh, not chewy, not overly battered. Would def get two of these next time! The staff was super nice, got a tiramisu desert for the birthday boy! Nice light and a sugar kick.

    Haley Henry Wine Bar

    Haley Henry Wine Bar

    (246 reviews)

    $$

    Downtown

    Haley Henry Wine Bar is a solid spot for a relaxed but elevated wine night. I went on a Wednesday…read moreevening without a reservation and had no problem getting seated right away for a table of two, which was a great start. The wine selection is excellent and thoughtfully curated -- whites, reds, bubbles, orange wines, and more, so there's truly something for every palate. My friend and I both ordered a red, and it was absolutely perfect. Our server was super friendly and attentive, and she even offered a few samples so we could try before committing to a full glass, which we really appreciated. For food, we shared the hot dog with fried oysters to pair with the wine, and it was surprisingly delicious and a fun, elevated bar bite. Overall, the experience was fantastic -- great wine, great service, and a comfortable atmosphere. Pricing is definitely on the higher end, with wine glasses around $20 and the hot dog at $14, but the quality and experience justify it. I'd absolutely come back for another wine night.

    I've been a loyal fan of haley.henry for years and have recommended this spot to countless friends,…read moreso I was really excited to finally bring a new coworker here. Unfortunately, this most recent visit didn't live up to the high standards I've come to expect. While a few dishes hit the mark, the majority of our order was a letdown: Tinned Octopus: Surprisingly chewy and lacked seasoning. Mushroom Toast: The texture was rubbery, and the flavor was completely drowned out by an aggressive amount of balsamic. Beets: Had a very overwhelming cumin flavor that threw the dish out of balance. Roast Beef Slider: Served cold and felt a bit uninspired. It's such a cute, intimate space, and I've had so many wonderful nights here in the past, but the execution was just off this time around. I'm hoping it was just an off night, but it was definitely disappointing given how much I usually love this place!

    Panza - Linguine Carbonara

    Panza

    (1.6k reviews)

    $$

    North End

    Had a nice dinner on a Thursday night. Service was good and food was also solid. We had a large…read moregroup and they handled it well, while also taking care of the other guests. I had the Chicken Parm, which is always my litmus test for Italian restaurants on my first visit.

    I just had one of my worst experiences at a restaurant in a very long time. Unfortunately, we were…read morelate for our reservation, but I had called 10 minutes ahead of time and kept the restaurant up-to-date the entire time. At no point did the restaurant indicate that us being late was going to be an issue. Ever. I know how hard it is to get a reservation in Boston so I was being very conscious about making sure they knew and apologizing profusely. They could have cancelled. Or told me they had to move the time They never did. When I got there, I was told the Wait wpuld be a few minutes.. fine That makes sense. 20 minutes later, I had to ask how long it would be to get a table and that I was met with a woman named Stephanie who then told me we don't hold tables and it was nice of you to call but we can't hold a table for with that information on a Friday night in the north end of Boston. She was soooooooooooooooooo Nasty about it. I could've easily made another reservation at several other restaurants. Or walked across the street instead of standing there. Due to her unnecessary behavior and the lack of communication from the restaurant, we went to a restaurant on the corner, which we could've done at Any given point had anyone communicated with me the way I communicated with them. Line out the door and I did not see them talking to anyone in line. , shame on them for having such attitude Don't go here they're rude After 6 hours on a plane And a car ride that was supposed to be 20 minutes that turned into 40 That's not how you treat a customer that truly went out of Their way to communicate and give the restaurant courtesy. Their communication should have been up front from the beginning. This woman was so nasty. We left. Went somewhere else. Which we could had done earlier. Do better

    The Red Fox - Prosciutto

    The Red Fox

    (96 reviews)

    North End

    First visit, Monday 4/20/26…read more Visiting Boston on a work trip, I had no idea the Marathon was today! Met 4 colleagues at The Red Fox for dinner, a recommendation from a friend of my colleague. Tough to find initially and very unsuspecting upon arrival. As you enter the front door (think like walking into a foyer of a small apartment building) you go down a flight of stairs into the restaurant. Then wow, this place is awesome! Small entry way into the restaurant with a hostess immediately greeting you. The bar is your first view of the place and it was packed. I'd describe it as dimly light, great atmosphere and ambience, almost a speakeasy feel. I'd recommend a reservation. The hostess walked us to our table, walking along the bar line with small 2-4 top tables to our left, we then turned left into the main dining room. 5 of us and we were seated at a horseshoe style table, plenty of room for up to 6 adults. Service was instant, she was friendly and very knowledgeable. We ordered cocktails and a couple apps. The drinks arrived along with bread service. They added small side plates with oils and olives, a nice touch. The cocktails were fantastic as was the homemade bread. A unique twist with my cocktail (kettle one & soda), was the single ice cube that was a long rectangle cube that was so clear you couldn't see it! The cubes length was the same as the tall glass it was served in and didn't melt. For dinner I listened to our server who recommended the Chicken Parmigiana with a chefs twist using a vodka infused sauce, this dish was amazing! My colleagues all shared the same feelings that this meal was spectacular. Highly recommend The Red Fox!

    This might be my favorite restaurant in the city. I think its food flavor wise is better than the…read morenorth end. The ambience is amazing. It's very dim lit and moody. Their martinis are always spot on. The Parmesan martini is shockingly good, especially as someone who doesn't like dirty Martinis. The spinach and ricotta appetizer with the sage butter is so good. Arancini was also good. Both times have had the vodka pasta, and the orrechiete. The first time the orrechiete was very al dente, so just asked to cook a little more during my second visit and it was perfect. Spaghetti al limone was a nice complement to the other two!

    Cafe Amaro - italian - Updated May 2026

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