Took my mom here for her birthday tonight as this is one of her favorite restaurants. It's a cozy little space with a friendly staff and it's totally packed - there was never an empty table for more than a minute the whole time we were there (and that was just to clear it and set a new table!). And there was still a line waiting as we left. It's a bit loud in there - but I believe the fabric walls (I thought it was wallpaper until I accidentally touched it) absorb some of the noise. Food consists of standard Italian dishes, with a few inventive takes on them- like a 'free form' lobster ravioli and pasta rounds that were sliced manicotti served sideways (which is what I had and quite tasty). Portions were large so there were plenty of extras to take home. Dessert was also very good - we had chocolate bread pudding and creme brulee (which was much better than I expected it to be - especially since they are an Italian restaurant and not French). Definitely a great place, we'll be going back here again. read more

Been to many Italian restaraunts in and around Boston. Food is as good as best North End has to offer. What puts them over the top is the portion size and value. Have paid 20% more for half the amount of food. Finally a place that hasn't lost sight of the fact that, homemade or not, the bulk item here is pasta and dishes are priced accordingly. App was grilled veg anti pasto with sopressata. Dinner was fruit de mar and bolognese. Warning on the fra diavolo sauce, heavy on the diavolo. Tiramisu and coffee. All excellent. Service was very knowledgeable and attentive. Definitely rec going earlly. Arrived at 6:15 after call ahead for 6:30 time. Sat down about 6:45. When leaving around 8:00 there was large crowd waiting to sit. Pros: food quality,menu options, service, value Cons: no waiting area, tiramisu could use more espresso read more

Delfino is...tight. Married Garies went with in-laws for a wine-y, tight dinner. Arrived early-bird style for prime seating and were treated to very passable caprese salad and tight linguini with seafood. Go pink sauce! It is tight! Dining tip: Seating is first come, first serve. So, go with the in-law flow and dine closer to 4:30 in order to beat throngs of hungry Rozzie oldsters (Gary witnessed a near riot with some oldies told poor Michael (host) that they were ashamed of him -Grandma style - and this was not tight. Finger waging was involved). Just get there early and enjoy! read more

We happened on this Italian restaurant by accident. What a wonderful surprise. Good food and great service. I got the open face lobster ravioli. It is "roll your eyes" mm..mm good. My husband got the Bolognese pasta. He said it was excellent. My son picked a swordfish special. We all felt satisfied but not over stuffed. If your in the Roslindale section of Boston, make a stop for great Italian food. read more

See all

Delfinio's gets five stars from me. We've been coming here for years and have never been disappointed. We've got our favorite dishes, but are always surprised by the specials when we try them. This week there was an appetizer that was stuffed with short ribs and risotto. Amazing! The special was a cod with all kinds of vegetables with it. Love it here. The staff is great and the host is the best. read more

This is the easiest review I will ever write. Delfino is a gem. The food is wonderful, the service is attentive and pleasant and the prices are reasonable. The veal parmigiana is the best I have had anywhere and the pasta and sauce are perfect. I recommend Delfino to all of my friends and they all thank me for doing so. My favorite restaurant. read more

I live in the North End, but come to Roslindale for this restaurant. The food is really delicious, the portions are generous and the prices are great. I've been to here at least 20 times and the food never disappoints. My favorites are the bolognese, the frutti di mare (fra diavolo), the steak carpaccio and the chocolate bread pudding. That bread pudding is amazing. read more

Only reason i give it 4 over 5 stars... The ambiance & convenience ... its a bit noisy and you cant make reservations ... Honestly (it makes sense), it is kind of like being in a small restaurant in Italy... FOOD IS GREAT!! Lobster ravioli is to die for...:) ... I also really enjoy their take on fried calamari with mixed greens... Wait staff is nice... they let you be ( are not overly attentive but if you should need anything, bring it in a heart beat!) ...There is a reason whenever I go (even on rainy midweek nights) there is a wait .... I have to say, I love how they call your cell phone rather than buzzers... it enables you to go to all the great restaurants in the area and get a drink etc... (try birch street bistro!) read more

I was yelping for another restaurant and realized I'd never given a review for good o'le Delfino. This has got to be the most consistently excellent restaurant I've ever had the privilege to eat at. I started going when it first opened back in '01. I've had everthing on the menu, more than once. I've probably been here 200 times. Do yourself a favor, go to Delfino's. It's the only place I'll order veal; the pesto with chick and shrimp is divine. My wife loves the open-face lobster. The steak Au Poirve is always cooked right. I could go on and on. For me, Delfino has become the benchmark for all good cuisine. It makes me wonder why other restaurants-which come and go so much in the city--can't do the same. read more

For anyone that has never tried this gem, I highly recommend. Every time I've been here I've had a stellar experience but this last time just blew it out of the water. The food is amazing. Just as good if not better than some of the best restaurants in the North End and the service is A+. We had to wait a little bit for a table so our party of four was waiting outside when the owner brought out a table and chairs for us all to sit at. Additionally he got us each a glass of wine on the house. The hospitality at this place is unmatched and the food is phenomenal. We got arancini, calamari and a caprese salad for appetizers which were all amazing. I got the mussels and linguine in a scampi sauce which was delicious and beautifully presented. Then we split a creme brûlée for dessert for a truly FANTASTIC meal. I can not recommend this place enough. read more

The best of the best in the village. Sure it doesn't have the decor or the patio section that the other restaurants do, but in terms of the food - this place can NOT be beat. Everything I've tried is delicious and the portions are large. They have lots of specials and this is a great place to come for dinner. It can get crowded and they don't take reservations but I've never had to wait too long. Getting a table can be awkward at times since there isn't really a separate area for the host to operate in and people can be waiting in the actual restaurant. The au poivre steak and veal parm are favorites. read more

Food here is good. Portions are a good size and big enough to share. Chef will NOT alter menu. I have asked a few times. I wanted a side of shrimp with my carbonara, in which they charge $3/shrimp, but the inflexible chef said no, order a shrimp dish. Restaurant is small, cozy and a neighborhood spot. They do not take reservations so larger parties have to wait for the locals to clear out. We usually get there as soon as they open to get seated. They only serve beer and wine. My only problem with this place is that there were a lot of little gnats flying around the last time we went, so much so that we had to change seats, but it didn't matter. We made light of it and named our gnat Herbert. Our server Denise was very nice and apologetic and gave us a complimentary dessert. We will return. read more

Best Italian food! Great staff and atmosphere. Service was excellent/wait staff checked in regularly. Seafood Fradiavlo was amazing generous amount of seafood. Stuffed pork chop was amazing. Delfinos never disappoints read more

We have been here many, many times and we are never disappointed. Michael is a gracious host. The bread and olive oil is outstanding and the food is consistent and delicious regardless of what you are in the mood for. We will continue coming back. Prepare to wait for a table but it's so worth it. Also huge value. The prices are really fair. read more

During the quarantine, we ordered take out and had the most amazing meal! The chicken parmesan and bolognese were by far the best we have ever had! The tiramisu was also phenomenal. The servings were very generous and extremely filling. Highly recommend and look forward to going back for a sit down meal! read more

Had the above-average crabcakes and unusual fried calamari with mixed greens for appetizer. Had the seafood linguine fra diavolo for main course. Huge portions but sauce was not enough and lacked taste. Service was pleasant and constant. Noise level was high so speak loudly with your dinner companions. read more

This place is a hidden jewel! If your looking for a great authentic italian reastaurant...this is the place. I drive pass Delfino's almost everyday and wouldn't cross my mind that it's an Italian restaurant. This place is small, but its warm. They really take good care of the customers. The food is soo good. The price is reasonable. You guys should try it! read more

Honestly such a gem. This is our go-to anniversary dinner location. Also, their takeout during COVID has been top notch. I'm so glad to live within walking distance of Delfino. The Zappa di pesce for two is an amazing deal and to die for. read more

My family and I are originally from Chicago, so finding Delfino's was huge for us. Everything was fantastic and I only have one complaint. As I was just recently in Chicago I noticed that Giordano's Pizza had catered more to the Muslim community and added Ground Beef as a topping for their Famous Stuffed Deep Dish Pizza. Due to my religion I hadn't been fortunate enough to actually try the Deep Dish Pizza with meat on it. Most meat toppings were made from pork and or had a pork casing wrapped around it. So, as excited as I was to see Seasoned Ground Beef on their menu I dropped the ball by only ordering one Pizza. I know that one person's opinion really doesn't matter much in corporate decisions but I personally think Ground Beef should be an option. Thanks Mike From Chicago read more

Great appetizers and entrees. Our waitress, was exceptional. She had a perfect knowledge of the menu as well as wine choices. Hot and cold appetizers, the calamari, mussels and grilled shrimp are excellent. Not enough room for the deserts which looked great. The restaurant is small and they didn't take reservations. I went there last year and they allowed to bring our own wine. I will definitely go back someday. read more

Excellent food, service. Great $$$$ value. Go back every chance I get. Have taken picky eaters to dinner there were no complaints

Quite disappointed in my most recent visit to Delfinos. To begin, there were three of us, and it was early (6:30) on a Saturday evening. We walked in, and proceeded to speak with the host. The host was nice enough, but he took about 5 minutes (while he was looking around the restaurant) to determine how long it would be. There was no one else waiting, so my presumption is that the list of names he had in front of him were from the previous night. He said it would be a half hour. But, he insisted that we stand in the entryway until the table opened up. (In the past, we've given our cell # and have gone next door to birch street for a drink at the bar). So, I asked if i could leave my number and he could call me when it was ready. He said "no, I don't know how long it will be, and I might forget to call you" Ummm, what? Wait, isn't the host's job to go down the list of people waiting for seats? I was literally confused by this -- as we're my friends. So I asked "isn't that why you have the list with phone numbers?" "Yes," he said, "but don't be angry if I forget to call you. Again, WHAT?! Bizarre. But, since my friend had a gift certificate and had never been to Delfinos, we said, ok, rather than having dinner elsewhere. We walked over to Birch St, where, incidentally, we were greeted warmly and quoted 15 minutes for a table (this was our backup, just in case the Delfinos host "forgot" to call us. Had a drink at the bar, which was fun and friendly. They were actually happy to have us there. After about 10 minutes, we got a call that our table was ready at Delfinos. We bolted over there and our table was ready -- so we sat. The waitress came over and told us the evening's specials. Then she left, without asking if we wanted to order a drink, which I found a bit strange. When she came back, we weren't quite ready to order our meals, but she did ask if we wanted to order drinks. I asked what she would recommend for a bottle of wine for the the three of us, if we all wanted red, and we're unsure of what we were going to have. She couldn't give us a suggestion. Which is not what we expected, but we were able to determine what we all likes pretty quickly. We ordered a Malbec. We all ordered pasta dishes, since from past visits, they've been very good. We also ordered the calamari and Caesar salad to share as starters. Both dishes were delicious. All the while, our waters were filled quickly when they were low, and bussing service was great. We were just about done with our starters when the waitress literally slipped a bowl of dry Parmesan on the table, just on the corner, while in a conversation with another table. Good thing I saw her put it down, because if I hadn't, one of us could have easily knocked it off the table with an elbow, it was an inch from the edge. Our pasta dishes came. They were all very good. Fresh pepper was offered, and we proceeded to eat. Though not without recognizing that there was no fresh Parmesan for our pasta. Odd. We finished up, and realized that they were trying to get us out if there so they could flip the table. At that point, we were all pretty annoyed with the service, so we decided to be immature and spiteful and sit and chat for a bit. We ordered the tiramisu, which was good, but not great. Both the waitress and the bus boy recommended it as their favorite. Which leaves me to believe that their other desserts were my really worth having. While we were waiting for dessert to arrive, we asked for more water, which again, was odd, because during our meal we were filled up every few minutes if needed. It was pretty clear that the staff was instructed to flip tables as quickly as possible. I swear I'm not reading into it! The three of us experienced this - and it was obvious. I'm disappointed in this experience, and won't be back anytime soon, though I'm certain that no one at the restaurant will care. Sadly, since I live right in Roslindale Village, this eliminates one of the dining options. read more

ok ok italian food -- I ordered the pappardelle with shrimp. The shrimp were too large and chewy with the pasta. My husband had the chicken parm - they gave him so much of it but he said it was too bad because it wasn't crispy as it should be. We wont be coming back even though we live in Roslindale. We much rather go to Rino's in East Boston or somewhere in the North End. Best Rinos serve the bessst Lobster ravioli ever! gosh - i'm craving for their pesto shrimp bruschetta. I think i'll go over right now! read more

Was really excited to try delfinos, heard many good things, had a gift certificate....should be happy days, but no, had an app that the second ingredient was cold, returned it and it was fine but the scallops were now over done, entree was beautiful...desert was a creme brûlée, it was freezing!! Waiter explained that, this is the way we serve it! I'm sorry but I felt insulted by the staff and their reasoning behind serving sub-par food... read more

Really, the two stars are for the atmosphere...the food was mediocre at best, and nothing was prepared as ordered. "Medium" steaks literally raw (not rare) in the middle, potato salad was flavorless...the only items that tasted half decent were things that you can't screw up (you could throw goat cheese on tin foil and it would taste amazing). If the restaurant wasn't fairly pricey, I might give it another shot, but aside from the ambiance, Delfinos gave me no reason to try them again. Too bad too - I'm right around the corner. read more

Just average. Nothing stood out. Beet salad was tiny and lacking in the promised pistachios and other finishers. The tomatoes on the bruschetta were not the best--no flavor at all. Both disappointing, especially at $8.95 each. My linguine with raab turned out to be spaghetti and was quite dry. The puttanesca was fine but nothing exciting. Not rushing back. read more

AMAZING! I was not going to do a review because its hard enough getting a table...but its only fair to all food lovers in the world to check this place out. read more

I'll admit the food is great, but the noise level is deafening and the wait for a table can make you want to gnaw off your own leg. Don't go here if you want to have a conversation; just go for the food. read more

Great neighborhood restaurant specializing in pasta and seafood. They offer choices in sauce from red, pink, white, pesto, so everybody should be pleased. All their pasta dishes are very nicely prepared with great texture and bite. Shellfish cooked just right. Lobster Ravioli is "open faced" so it looks like it was made by a 6 year old but it's delicious. This cream sauce has luscious lobster flavor permeating throughout. Highly recommended. Bolognese has great flavor and body. Pink sauce has a nice balance. Fra Diavolo has the right amount of heat. Cannelloni get you 2 tubes freshly filled with coarse beef and pork, a healthy dose of spinach, with a slight toast on the shell. The duck was a downer and poorly executed. Pan seared breast was overcooked. Confit leg was not tender and decadent but tough and dried out. Sauce of cranberry and port is too heavy-handed for duck and pooled into a large puddle on the plate. It soaked and ruined the nice baby veggies. Portions are good-sized and enough to satisfy all but the starving. This small place has limited hours and is very popular. Service is good for the pace required here. Tables are a tight fit. Waits can be a while and there is no space or bar to hang out. They don't take formal reservations but you can call ahead to be placed on the list. You better get there before the estimated time though. Delfino is that rare neighborhood spot that draws from all over. Absolutely worth a trip and wait. read more

I want to love Delfino, but I can't. I've tried. It's more like we're destined to be "just friends." It's not bad. It's absolutely acceptable. It's just not particularly memorable. The food? Meh?! It's ok. Consistently underseasoned (do they have salt or pepper in the kitchen?), overpriced (if you're going to charge $16 for carbonara, please make it good) and a bit overhyped. The space is great..and maybe that's why people line up. Delfino, I want to take this to the next level. But you have to do your part. read more

The best food ever. Large portions. I always have lunch for the next day. I've eaten everything on the menu and everything is my favorite. Go early or wait in line they don't take reservations. But they will take your phone number once you're there and you can go to one of the many bars in the neighborhood and They will call you when your table is ready. They are friendly service is excellent and Michael the maître d' is outgoing and will take great care of you. They don't have a full bar but their new restaurant across the street does have a full bar. Just get up and go out you'll have a great time. read more

This is a North End Style restaurant in the heart of Roslindale--if only it were in the North End. Monica's it ain't. The staff is attentive in that they constantly ask how everything is--unfortunately, there is only one answer they can handle-- it's great--if you tell them that the food is not great, they basically ignore the comment. I had the veal parmigiana--not terrible, but I have had similar at roadside diners. Finally, although they do their best, the space is so tight that you can expect a purse in your back, or a flying elbow in the shoulder. My dinner companion got nearly drenched with water from the table being cleared next to us. He did not make a big deal of it, but in a better restaurant this would not pass unnoticed. read more

Had my birthday dinner here on Sunday and as always, the food was superb. We started with the vegetarian antipasto which was perfectly presented and seasoned. Portions were ideal to leave room for the exquisite open-faced lobster ravioli in a rich but delicate cream sauce. There were sweet tender scallops in there, too. Rather than a traditional dessert, we ordered the Bibb lettuce salad to top off our feast. Our waitress was efficient and unobtrusive and to my delight, didn't call us "ladies" and never asked if we were "still working" on our dinner. I can't wait to have more of the lobster rav! Looking forward to the opening of Delfino's sister location across the street. Keep your eyes peeled for 753 South in Rozzie! read more

We have been frequenting Delfinos for almost two years. On Mother's Day my husband , daughter, son in law and two kids enjoyed a great day, and dinner at Delfinos. We sat in the booth that faces the street right at the entrance. We waited outside with others while we waited for a table. Food and service was great. So, last Sat. night, we were in Boston with friends and decided to go to Delfinos, as our friends had not been there. Let me add that we all live on the south shore, and Delfinos is a 45 minute ride for us. We were seated in the same booth, and I will not dignify the woman and her entourage by writing all the details that made our visit to Delfinos our last one. Suffice it to say that this ignorant woman and her friends continued to stand in the doorway waiting for a table. She, especially, was rude, kept banging into my friend's chair, no apology. I asked the maitre'd to please ask them to wait outside or in the little waiting area (it was a gorgeous day/eve). He ignored my request, and these people continued to stand in the doorway in front of me and my husband and behind my friend and her husband. They were then treated to a glass of wine, while standing there, and continued to bump into my friend's chair. She then stuck her head in our face to ask questions about the meal, knowing full well that she had been annoying us. I won't even tell you the ignorant comments she made. Had my husband and I been alone, we would have left our food and walked out without paying. However, my friends were uncomfortable as it was, and I didn't want to make them feel even more uncomfortable. This continued for the bulk of our dinner, about 45 minutes. Let me just say, that most people are asked to wait outside, or in the small waiting area, or are called by the maitre'd when the table is available. We left without coffee or dessert, but not before I walked up to the chef/manager and let him know what happened. He appeared to be upset, was very busy, took my name and number and said he would call me. Well, I haven't heard from him. In the meantime, the maitre'd told me he was upset because his boss would yell at him. Restaurants with good food are great, but restaurants with good food and great service are unique and worthy of my valuable time and money. I'll continue to frequent Carlo's in Brighton and other restaurants that value their customers, no matter how often they come or who it is they know. Oh, and....PS- if I order a 12$ appetizer that says the scallops are on a bed of parsnip puree, don't bring it to me with corn and no puree without telling me. read more

Long overdue review to support the place. A cozy hidden gem. They have the best pesto pasta I ever had and have kept coming back here for it. Never had bad service of the many times I've gone and no issues with the quality of food. Nice good portion where most of the time I have leftover for lunch the next day. I usually go with a group of people and have had many of their dishes, apps and desserts. Their specials always sound so tempting but I like to stick with what hit the spot most of the time. Other dishes I had the pleasure of eating: Fried calamari Ceasar salad Linguine fruiti de mare Porcini mushrooms with ribbon noodles Bolognese Open face lobster ravioli Duck confit Chicken parm read more

Is 0 stars was an option? Cause one would be too generous. They are the rudest most unprofessional individuals in town. It's Rossi Square...get over yourselves. The food might be good, but the service is so horrifically bad I left without eating, so I couldn't tell you. We went a few doors down to Sophia's grotto and the food was amazing, the atmosphere was more welcoming, and the staff didn't consist of snobby elitists. Major thumbs down. Boo Delfino...boo read more

I love supporting my hometown businesses, especially when they're WICKED AMAZING! Delfino's is located in Rozzie square right by the Commuter Rail stop and several bus stops. Do note that weekends, waiting times are forever but its definitely is worth the wait. Street Parking is very limited since there are other great businesses in that area. What I especially like about this place is the SERVICE. The place works as a team, which is a rarity in restaurants. The host will wrap up your to-go boxes while answering the phone, the bussers greet reoccurring clients and the waiters help each other out when they are in the weeds. This makes for a smooth and perfect experience. My Faves are the Porcini Mushroom Ribbon Pasta and the Pasta Bolognese. The Frutti di Mare can be a hit or miss, due to clams and scallops being overcooked at times but always have it with the Fra Diablo sauce to balance out the seafood taste. If you are impatient like me go on a Monday-Wednesday evening before 7:30pm and you will be all set! read more

To the point.... The linguini pasta was well seasoned and DELICIOUS on it's own. The broccoli raab was a bit tart and left a soured aftertaste, yet cooked perfectly. I enjoyed the prompt attention of the water and bread waitstaff, yet a bit annoyed by our actual server. He seemed a bit upset or frustrated. The dining room is cozy and yet today it was FREEZING! With such a small space diners are intimate with the entire experience, which included some tension amongst the kitchen chefs, and between server 1 and 2 when #3 showed up. Overall, the pasta was good...I am not sure I will return????? read more

I've been to delfino's a few times and normaly had a good experience and decent food (though over priced). Last week our family dined and each of us had something go wrong with our food. My veal parm was overcooked and so tough I could barely cut the meat, nevermind chew it. My husband had the gnocchi and it was so mushy it disintegrated as soon as he put it in his mouth. My sister had the steak which was overdone, tough and not seasoned. not sure we will be back anytime soon. expensive, poor quality of food and the servers always rush you along. read more

one of the best. hands down. no reservations and i have seen a line as late as 10:00 p.m. on some nights. the food is incredible. generous portions. the wait isn't a big deal. don't go if you're starving; leave your number with the host & head around the corner to the birch street bistro for a drink or 3. entrees range from about $15.00 for some of the pasta dishes up to about $30.00. throw in some appies and a nice bottle of chianti and you could end up dropping some coin, but it is worth every penny. great date place. read more