First sip of espresso martini ..... beautiful. homemade tiramisu... beautiful. Great place for drinks and desserts. Probably have space for two even in tough crowded boston times. read more

Caffe Paradiso - Espresso Martini and Homemade Tiramisu - Desserts Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

They make their own gelato, the only home made gelato in the North End. Good for people watching, always busy. Get an expresso and a bit of gelato, perfect mid-day treat. read more

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Absolutely my favorite place! Double espresso and gelato were perfect! The espresso martini was amazing! Definitely recommend and will be coming back. Staff was friendly and atmosphere was warming. read more

Caffe Paradiso - Gelato and double espresso - Desserts Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This place is cozy, yet social. Chatter going on, but not loud or distracting. The dessert selection is spot on read more

Caffe Paradiso - Desserts Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Was recommended that I had to get the gelato here, some of the best in the city. Having sampled a number of places I agree, Caffe Paradiso has excellent gelato! I showed up in between the lunch and dinner times, and so was easily able to find the gelato cooler and admire all the flavors. I sampled the Tiramisu and Pistachio, but ultimately decided on the Cookies and Cream and the Nocciola (Hazelnut). It was a warm, humid day out, and the gelato just hit the spot. So rich and creamy, very flavorful (not artificial either, a concern for some cookies&cream flavors). The price was $6.50, which is rather steep for gelato, especially with so many other stores offering in on Hanover street. I wouldn't come here frequently for budget concerns, but among the gelatos I've tried in Boston, Caffe Paradiso has the best. read more

Caffe Paradiso - Nocciola (Hazelnut) and Cookies and Cream, delicious! - Desserts Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Pistachio martini OMG!!! Waitress was very sweet. Cute ambiance. A great find in my opinion

ordered the "award winning" pistachio martinis (had them in the past and absolutely loved the flavor and lightness of the drink) and could not even manage to drink more than one sip of the martini. the drink was lime green, absolutely bitter and undrinkable. we informed the severer and asked to return the drinks and get something else instead. she said no and presented us with the full bill. extremely frustrated, will not return. read more

Visited with some friends who were in town from Brussels and Paris to grab coffee after stuffing ourselves with Dim Sum. We got a great table by the window (the waiter asked a lone patron to move though, eep, but he was taking a [small] table for 4 by himself). We ordered our coffees which were all fine, and made the mistake of looking at the dessert case and all ordered desserts. I enjoyed my fruit tart, which expectedly had a nice combo of sweet and tart. The others were fine with their choices - nothing spectacular but nothing bad either. The service was perfect - got everything we needed without asking but they didn't bug us for anything either. The place is small, and is covered with international scarf-like flags - they obviously love their soccer! I'd be back, especially to try the gelato and tiramisu. read more

Caffe Paradiso - Frutta di bocco - Desserts Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Stopped by here to get my daily shot of caffeine (haha mainly because my best friend and I stayed up all night talking...you know how that is haha) and we choose this place because we were going to the bakery afterwards. I ordered a cappuccino, and my friends got the Cafe Mocha. Given that I like starbucks and deem that as good coffee, anything better than that is...better. So I like this place. I'd come back if I needed another shot of caffeine, and i'd definitely wanna try their pastries next time too! read more

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This is a delightful cafe at which to enjoy quality coffee, tea, and desserts. The desserts are not too sweet and very fresh. I recommend the raspberry cheesecake, perfectly fluffy, creamy, slightly tangy with just a hint of sweetness. On a lazy summer day, this place offers a cool interior with an open entrance, from which to gaze out and people watch. read more

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Pretty disappointed, this place has a solid menu and location but just horrible service. The manager gave us nasty looks every time she walked by making me very uncomfortable. What also was annoying was the server up charging us for a bottle of water when we asked for a glass of water. On top of that it took 35 minutes for a server to pick up our check. I would not recommend this place because of indecent management. read more

Yum! This was our last stop of the night on our very own foodie tour as we out of towners visited a local friend and ate our way around town. We all ordered different martinis - I myself ordered the "award winning" pistachio martini. It was creamy and just sweet enough, with a scoop of pistachio gelato. It was strong but very good! No complaints here. Everyone at the table was happy with their martini choices. Each of us also choose an original cannoli and we all loved our choice. The ricotta was just sweet enough, not overly sweet, creamy and the perfect match to the crispy shell. My local friend said it was definitely better than the other places close by that had long lines for their cannolis! So glad we chose this place. It was quaint, a little intimate, with dim lighting and really reminded me of a small Italian bar from out last visit to Rome. read more

Caffe Paradiso - Pistachio Martini & Cannolis (amazing!) - Desserts Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

If I could give it 0 starsI would... not for the waitress service or the drinks because they were wonderful. The owner was a nasty old bitty that showed her disapproval for us sitting at the table we were sat at. I guess she was saving that table for her family/friends. She gave us dirty looks and we could here her disapproval as she spoke to the waitresses. My boyfriend and I (both in our late 40's) wanted to try a martini there after an amazing dinner at Tresca, to end up being treated as an inconvenience, we were rushed, never asked if we wanted another drink after she took my boyfriends empty glass. When I spoke to the waitress all she could say is she was sorry and that she was old and that's how she is. Went to the next cafe/bar and treated like they wanted our business. Will never go to caffe paradiso again, not when there are so many other places in the north end that makes you feel welcome And that they want our business. Shame on the owner! read more

Best Espresso, cappuccino , dessert and gelato in town. The gelato is homemade as it is the tiramisu'. The place is like an Italian cafe! It is the place to be seen in the North End! read more

Caffe Paradiso - Desserts Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

If it was possible I would give it 0 stars. I was just taken back by this horrible story my friend told me about his venture to find the finest tiramisu in Boston. He ended up paying $16 for a slice of tiramisu and $4.50 for a coffee. At this point he figured "hey if it's this expensive, IT MUST BE THE BEST!" So my friend headed out of the restaurant with a smile on his face ready to eat his dessert. Let's call this the climax of the story because it was all downhill from here. Max walked down to the public park to view the skyline as he enjoyed his victory. Unfortunately he had been duped. And I quote "the worst tiramisu I reluctantly had the pleasure of tasting." This ruined his entire night and with tears in his eyes he boarded his plane back to Texas UPDATED: As you can see the owner is oblivious because he is trying to justify the cost of a $16 slice of cake. There are many other 1 star reviews about the owner and quality of food so I say you avoid this place and go support other small business in town. read more

Great desserts! Don't wait in line at Mike's or Modern! The cafe latte was good. The ricotta filled florentine type cannoli was fabulous.

Can't speak to the food but I can say it looks delicious. We stopped in for sangria and it is some of the best I've had. Would recommend this place for pre or post dinner reservation. Friendly helpful staff too. read more

Caffe Paradiso - Sangria as good as it gets - Desserts Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Can only judge by the cappuccino I had here tonight which was horrendous! Coffee was awful, foam was unimpressive and the "cocoa" powder sprinkled on top was bitter. Maybe the food is great so I wouldn't rule out coming here again but would never return for coffee! UPDATE: have been back here since my original review and had gelato and an iced coffee. Both were blah. My original review still stands. read more

Horrible customer service. We were seated by a nice server who must have ended her shift. Another one came and told us we cannot seat ourselves with much attitude. We still tolerated it and ordered. After half an hour of ordering we were told to hurry, even though I was sipping on my coffee. I asked her for 5 more minutes and she said she has other people to seat and to hurry. I told her I didn't like her attitude. She said "You can stay till 1am if you'd like, I'm not stopping you". I asked to speak to the manager. The owner came instead and didn't apologize or sympathize, instead said "What do you want me to do?" Don't come here and ruin your amazing north end experience. They have decent products but it doesn't justify racist staff and poor customer service. read more

I had my first date with my now husband here a few years ago. We come back periodically to revisit. Today, the owner or manager or I don't know..some cranky lady was incredibly rude. After having drinks and dessert, the owner comes up to yell at us over how we're sitting on the chairs. She walks away then returns to yell some more about the chair and how I placed my foot on the edge of the chair. She ripped the chair from under me and walked away calling me names. I spoke to a kind waiter afterwards who said "she speaks to everyone like this, don't take it personally." Personally, this is how you lose customers. Even the table next to us agreed that she was awfully rude! read more

Cute little cafe with the most AMAZING stracciatella gelato! I paired it with their cappucino gelato and they both complimented each other very well. Smooth, creamy texture with the perfect level of sweetness. Their cafe mocha had a lovely rich, chocolatey flavour and almond milk added a subtle nutty undertone. We arrived at a busy time but the waitress managed to seat us right away and took our order shortly after. Definitley a new favorite spot! read more

Quite possibly the worst cheesecake I've had in my life. Their so called "torta di ricotta" was overly sweet, grainy, and did not seem fresh. Powdered sugar on top added to the overwhelming sweetness and the jam it had on top tasted like it was store-bought (even if it wasn't). The worst part is that me and my girlfriend ended up spending 17 dollars for 2 coffees and a slice of cheesecake. Totally not worth it. read more

I wouldn't recommend coming here unless you want to be verbally assaulted by the staff when you ask them about an incorrect charge on your receipt. read more

Lady behind the gelato counter was very nice, but the host/server had an attitude that ruined the entire experience. $2.75/ bite size biscotti not worth it. read more

We were drawn in by the cannoli's! They were lovely and traditional so not giant sized. read more

Caffe Paradiso - Nice Mimosa and lovely cannoli's! - Desserts Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Their hours are listed as being opened until 2 AM so I drove into the North end. At 1:05 AM their doors were shut and locked

Had affogato and the ice cream had ice chunks -- old and not impressed. Way too overpriced for high ball.

Unfortunately, after having been here many times and always holding this place in high esteem, I have to downgrade my opinion of this establishment considerably. In other words: I'm not likely to ever be back. My husband and I went today for an espresso (he'd never been here before and I suggested it because I always liked this place). After sitting down we are told that there is no table service and we have to order at the bar, which struck me as strange because (a) this wasn't the case during my previous visits, and (b) the waiter served the Italian girl sitting next to us some pastry a few seconds after having told us that there wasn't table service... So I thought, well, maybe for some strange reason this just applies to drinks or something, but alas, after I go up and order our two espressi, pay, and bring them to our table myself, an Italian family walks in and sits down, upon which the waiter immediately sets out to take their orders (they ordered some coffee, too) and serve them at the table. WTF??? Guess I'll find my coffee elsewhere from now on... read more

Went it there with my wife to order a coffee. After waiting sometime the waiter walks past and says there is no table service, and we should go order from the counter. So we do. Then some Italians walk in and they get immediate table service. My wife has been there before and got service, so the message seems to be if you are a single woman or Italian service will be ok, but don't go as a non-italian couple. The espresso was a bit burnt, and over priced. Music was kitsch and annoying after a few minutes. read more

8am on Thursday. Hanover St. is quiet and groggy, a far cry from the culinary and cafe madness that ensues as night falls, or that you can find any given weekend. Popping into this unassuming cafe in search of my usual morning pickup, who woulda thought my caffeinated pickup would be the only non-alcoholic one. Yep, that's right. 3 guys at the 'bar' in the back, and upon approach i realize they're all juicing on beer and spirits. BAR-ISTA-TENDER: 'What can i get for ya, buddy?' ME: 'Let me have a Spanish Latte.' RANDOM BAR PATRON: 'Spanish Latte? How about an Italiano!!!' RANDOM BAR PATRON #2 (raising a beer, toasts the bar-ista-tender) ME: (obviously in withdrawal without my usual sludgy hyper-strong Spanish Lattes from Urth Cafe in L.A.) 'oh yea, gimme a Cappuccino, pls' So i'm the only one who's not saucing it up. I feel like a wuss. Did i mention it's 8am? ONLY IN BOSTON! Cappuccino was pretty good. The joint was full o' fuckin' hilario chatty doods who know how to live. and get it going. EARLY. God bless. And DONE. read more

Awesome cafe/bar that makes you feel like you're in Europe. Fantastic espresso, good selection of grappas and other spirits, excellent staff. The best place to watch a soccer game in Boston. Well, I've been kind of overhyping this place. The grappas and wine are too expensive for the quality. This doesn't nearly match the quality of wine bars in Italy. Ok but back to five stars. I enjoy the atmosphere a lot. It's a bit overpriced, but it's fair to pay for the opportunity to linger there. This cafe is far better than Vittoria. read more

I have been here a handful of times. It's a good spot to meet with friends and chat. Often times there are Italian conversations going on which gives you that local Italian vibe. I ordered a Tiramisu during a meeting. How much do you think is reasonable for a slice of Tiramisu? Literally stop reading this and come up with a number. How much? Price aside, the tiramisu was decent, I would not go out of my way to get it, but at least it was moist. It was somewhat large and good for sharing. Ok did you come up with a tiramisu price? $4.50 would be bakery price $6.50 would be average for a restaurant $8.50 seems a bit pricey but whatever, it's the North End. Nope, the price of a slice of Tiramisu is $10.75 (before tax & tip) It costed more than the glass of fine Italian chianti that my friend got (his wine was $10.50) I could have gone to Eataly and gotten a bowl of fresh pasta for a few dollars more. I literally went to Wendy's afterward and ordered 2 items off the .99 cent menu to make me feel better about spending $13.50 on the slice of Tiramisu. read more

Tiramisu: Excellent. Decor: Tragic. Service: Obnoxious. I was introduced to this place by an old girlfriend for the "Best tiramisu in the North End". She was not wrong, it was fantastic and the staff were great. However a number of years have passed and I decided to take my new wife there after enjoying Lucca for the tiramisu experience I had been boring her to death with for 5 years. The waitress was too preoccupied with texting her BFF & tottering around in her ridiculous 5 inch heels to bother looking after her tables and was actually huffy when I got bored waiting (Isn't that her job?) and went and paid the bill at the counter (If you want a tip deary do your F&#*ing job!). There seems to have developed an aura of apathy that was never there before. Maybe the owners should stop hiring dizzy schoolkids. It is a shame I really liked the place before. read more

Not joking when I state these are the best espresso martinis in the North End!! A few girlfriends and I decided to try all the ones in the north end and this was by far the best!! Highly recommend after dinner drinks or just a night out with the ladies! read more

Let me first mention football (not American football). This place played ALL of the recent Africa Cup of Nations games to a crowd of mostly Moroccans, Egyptians, West Africans and us. Unfortunately I had to leave for Kenya halfway through and I'm worried my reputation for being a 'true' soccer fan might have suffered as a result. Yes, fabulous cappuccino (don't even try Modern or Cafe Vittoria after this one), yes, fabulous tiramisu. Also try the crema catalana, which is like a creme brulee or flan but better. The staff are sometimes friendly but more often not so much. Also $10 credit card minimum, which can be a pain if you're on your own, just want a cappuccino and don't usually carry cash. read more

It's a good shop for desserts after dinner in the north end. The prices are higher than others in the area but the desserts are good. It's $10 minimum on credit cards. The service is usually slow but this place does have a lot of people usually whenever you visit. There is normally European soccer matches on as well so it's a good spot to watch those matches. read more

UPDATE: 8/4/2006 - I went back this afternoon, and had a cappuccino & the tiramisu. The tiramisu is as wonderful as everyone says. It was hands-down the best tiramisu I've had. ----- Wandered in here while walking around Boston and through the North End. I hadn't yet had any coffee that day. Had a biscotti and a cappuccino. Has to have been the best cappuccino I've ever had: no sugar necessary. Perfecto. The tiramisu was hard to resist as was the gelato. Now that I know they are both homemade I will have to make a point of making a second stop here before I leave! read more

I was hesitant to walk into an italian cafe with Euro techno coming from speakers positioned amongst 5 TVs all showing different soccer games, and sports paraphernalia covering the walls -- but alas, my friends' curiosity trumped my hesitance. My rating: One star for good coffee. One "awh" for only 2 scoops of gelato in a big bowl beckoning to be filled. One "gadzooks" for a $6.50 charge for the gelato, since none of the prices were listed on the menu. And one "f you" for the waitress refusing to give me a glass of water, since serving water is "against Cafe Paradiso's policy." I won't be back here! read more

After reading that this place had the best hot chocolate, I had to try it out. A friend and I came at breakfast time, I had a hot chocolate, she had a latte, we split a cannoli, a rum baba, and a croissant filled with some kind of fruit. Everything was delicious. The rum baba was super boozy, but tasty. The cannoli was fabulous ( better than Modern's IMO), and the croissant was flaky and perfect.... Now for the big question, was it the best hot chocolate? Nope, but it was good. I would recommend this place for delicious pastry and drinks. read more

We ordered drinks and asked for a round of water too. The waitress said that "it would be faster if you went up to the bar and got your water there." I don't get this logic... We spent an hour chatting over our drinks and she didn't return even once to check up on us. We waved her down to get the bill and she brought it over but while we were figuring out how to split it and who owed what, she came over THREE times to ask if our check was ready. We kept telling her no since one of our girls was in the bathroom at the time. And of course when we WERE ready to pay the bill, she was at the counter chatting with another waitress and not noticing that we were trying to get her attention. We ended up having to just walk the bill up to the counter. Also, the scarves of all the football teams on the ceiling is a cool idea in theory but it was absolutely disgusting looking up and seeing 20+ scarves CRUSTED in dust. I was worried that with a slight gust of wind all the dust would fall off into everyone's food or drinks. read more