This is a great hidden patio for the north end. Not one of those ones in a damp ally, it's large and secluded from foot traffic. Service was fast and friendly. Baby octopus, sautéed mussels and risotto all'Aragosta were all delicious. The pistachio martini was good but a little sweet for me. Dirty martini was decent. I'd definitely come back for a table outside. read more

I went during restaurant week and wow this place really did not disappoint! Usually with restaurant week, I notice most restaurants try to skimp out on the portions. But, Forcellas dishes were phenomenal! There were 3 courses, 1 appetizer and 2 entrees. I like how they had 2 entrees instead of dessert. I was so full by the second entree! read more

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Having spent 5 hours on an airplane flying in from the West Coast, we were excited about hitting the North End for great Italian. We decided on Forcella as the reviews were positive and my partner being from Naples, found the restaurant name intriguing. We made reservations for 8:30pm on a Wednesday night. We realized our 8:30 reservation was made too late we were hungry! We thought instead to show up an hour early planning to get a cocktail and perhaps an appetizer at the bar while waiting for our reservation. We check in at the door where the young hostess seemed flustered. Not exactly sure what the sense of anxiety was about. We told her we'd wait in the bar knowing we were an hour early. Turns out they don't have a liquor license- only beer and wine. They pretend to sell cocktails with "fake" vodka made from grapes instead of ingredients legitimate vodka is made from. About 1/2 hour into waiting, I went to the host stand where Shannon, the owner was standing. I asked, if it is possible when our table is ready could please be seated at the window? It was as though I asked Shannon if I could burn the place down with everyone in it. Shannon was SO INCREDIBLY RUDE, SURLY, HATEFUL AND ALL AROUND MEAN. Shannon said: YOU ARE EARLY FOR YOUR RESERVATION!!!!!!!!!!! Taken aback by her aggressively angry and irritated response, I calmly said; I'm not trying to upset you, I'm only asking if when our table is ready- could you please give us a table near the window. Then, I walked away thinking I was having a bad dream. Hey Shannon- it's not uncommon for customers to request a specific table. I observed not one person walked through the door for 32 minutes after her little melt down. There were SIX EMPTY TABLES 2 of which were near the window. WHAT WAS ALL YOUR DRAMA ABOUT? Oh wait! Perhaps it's because the food is SO BAD we had to send 3 out of the 4 things back. Meatballs were disgraceful. Consistency of mush. Caesar Salad had oranges in it? Pasta was overcooked sitting in a bath of pasta water. Whatever happened with the main course was not noted as I gave up eating. The entire evening was A COMPLETE DISASATER. Thank GOD our waiter Marin was fantastic- A true professional with grace. Thank you for your excellent service. He was a veteran and knew things were not going well. The chef/owner stopped by our table and asked about the returned food. He told us he had had too much to drink and wandered away talking to himself. With all the options in the North End go elsewhere. read more

Forcella - Pasta sitting in water - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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On North st right next to the tourist trap Limoncellos. Sat nite around 530 , Four of us walked right in and sat at bar. Barkeep very attentive and friendly. Got the meatball app. Nice light sauce and tender meatballs. Main entrees were shrimp scampi , chicken Parm and Carbonara. Carbonara was tasty with what seemed to be fresh pasta. Shrimp Scampi I'm told was ok. And the chicken parm was very good . A huge piece of chicken with sauce and a smoked Gouda on top. Pasta was on side with a light sauce sprinkled with fresh basil. Have a decent view of the street to people watch while eating. Only issue I had was the proximity to bathroom. I could smell the deodorizer. read more

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Service was awful, bad attitude and no hospitality whatsoever- probably because we were a party of 6 and she knew she was going to get a tip anyway. Food portions are small for the price, and lack luster. I wouldn't recommend. Turned off the music at 9:30 when we were still inside (they close at 10) and practically pushed us out (we didn't get out food until 8:40). Don't support this business read more

Outstanding service and food! Location is great as well and on a nice day windows are open or you can eat on patio out back. Charming North End restaurant. It was strange that they did not have many common liquors in bar, I. E. Tito's and other vodka types. read more

Went here for a work dinner and was very impressed. Had the burrata and bolognese and both were amazing. There were a few other items I was eyeing up, but honestly I would probably just order this again as I thought it was so good. Service was great, but we were the first ones there so not sure when it's busy. Nice little place on the inside and fits right into the North End, but not the touristy spots. Would go back. read more

Pasta was a little over cooked, a tad salty and over priced. The menu was a little limited. Ambience was good, service was good. read more

Small, nice, great food and good service Italian. Chicken Parmesan was great as was the Cacio e Pepe. The Caesar salad was a chopped, premade disappointment. All the other starters were fine. I'd come back for sure but skip the Caesar. read more

Forcella created a beautiful outdoor dining area, it was a pleasure and we enjoyed our experience. My son lives in Boston and we agreed to dine in the North End. I chose Forcella based on the rustic menu choices. My sons Uber pulls up, we do the guy back slaps and walk inside. Then, we walk through the restaurant to a magnificent courtyard. We're shown to our table and order wine. The menu looks amazing, we chose to split the grilled octopus (I wanted to try the meatballs) and I was looking forward to a big plate of linguini with clams. The bread comes to the table, very rustic and the accompanying EV olive oil was of high quality. Then, the octopus was brought to the table. The octopus was grilled perfectly. The fish had a nice charr and was tender. Now the linguine is brought to me. The clams are fresh and plumpy. The linguine was al denti, although it's a pasta from a box, the chef made it work. Now you don't use aged cheese on fresh fish, I can ask for red pepper flakes! (Hey, it's how I enjoy linguini with clams) Overall, we had a great meal and the Italian wines we were served were superb. They don't serve dessert?? No matter, I was so packed. If you're considering an Italian restaurant in the North End, I highly recommend Forcella. read more

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My husband and I made reservations here to celebrate my birthday. From the beginning to end of the whole experience it was very weird and awkward vibes. The whole experience felt very transactional. The host was a bit rude to us we had to wait outside in the cold as they checked our reservation. We sat near the window and saw he was letting other parties in to stand inside and not wait in the cold, that was weird. Not sure what that was about. Our waiter (blonde haired gentleman) felt very transactional. We felt very unwelcome in this establishment. It felt as if he was being nice to every other table but ours for some reason. He hardly checked in on our table. It was very weird energy. The ambiance is a bit awkward it seems like they are trying too hard to be relevant. The music was horrible. The food was just ok. It sucks to have spent my birthday here and we spent over $150+ to get treated this way with mediocre food. I will never be going here again. I wish I could get my money and experience back. read more

Had reservation, but was put in tiny back room behind bar with weight staff constantly coming and going next to us. Took forever for someone to even bring us water, they couldn't figure out who was supposed to be waiting on us. Totally unacceptable and I would've asked for another table except my daughter had made the reservations for a birthday dinner and I didn't want to make her feel bad. Food was good but the atmosphere in service totally ruined it read more

I love this restaurant! With so many North End places to choose, Forcella rises to the top with excellent food, a cozy atmosphere, and solid service. On my first visit, I had the best piece of swordfish I've ever eaten (it was a special, sadly, and they didn't have it on my recent visit). I ordered the Amatriciana the next time I went, and it was outstanding. They also have a creative cocktail menu and the cocktails are good, which you don't always find in the North End. This is quickly becoming my favorite North End spot. read more

We were in Boston a few days and I heard this place was a must try. It didn't disappoint. read more

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We are visiting family in Boston, after having lived here for many years. This is a gem of a restaurant - incredible food, warm and friendly atmosphere - and so far, the least expensive of our Boston dinners. The portions are large - so we had left-overs packed up to eat for breakfast. They may not last that long! Try it, you can't go wrong. read more

On a balmy Sunday evening in August, my husband and I headed to the North End of Boston without a dinner reservation. The first three places we tried were packed. Then we saw a door with a sign inviting us to ask about the patio. We asked, and the host led us down an alley to a surprisingly large patio behind the small restaurant. There, we enjoyed a lovely Italian meal. We started with some delicious bread served with fresh-tasting olive oil. This was followed by an amazing burrata salad, which featured two generous portions of the creamy mozzarella with a smear of pesto, a balsamic drizzle, and perfectly ripe tomatoes. For the entree, I ordered the pan roasted salmon with asparagus. The moist fish was accompanied by a silky eggplant purée and caponata--little cubes of eggplant sautéed with onions and tomatoes. A sprinkling of pistachios added a slightly nutty flavor. The asparagus was cooked crisp-tender, exactly the way I like it. I ate every bite of those vegetables. Husband enjoyed the rigatoni with meatballs. The pasta was light, flavorful, and authentic, which means it wasn't drowned in sauce and cheese. The meatballs were incredible, so moist and fluffy they almost melted in the mouth. The servers were prompt and friendly. The patio was romantic and relatively quiet. As for atmosphere, the North End is thick with it. We emerged from the restaurant just in time to hear a street performer sing an Italian aria. Windows displayed Italian imports and servings of handmade pasta. Even the narrow streets and crazy traffic added to the Italian vibe. As far as I can tell, Forcella has only two disadvantages. They don't serve coffee or dessert, and the stairs to the restrooms in the cellar are very steep. But the quality of that wonderful meal was worth the inconvenience. read more

There are better restaurants in the north end. Service was slow for a Saturday night. The waitress never asked us if we wanted more drinks! Of course we did! Thank goodness the water guy, kept coming around! Food was just ok! Ugh read more

Ate at Forcella over the weekend with family. Delicious food and a wonderful atmosphere. Would highly recommend to anyone visiting the North End. read more

Food is pretty darn good. Had the burrata and the mushroom risotto. Red Sangria is outstanding. Really cool vibe with awesome waiters...attentive and personable! read more

Food was good. The service was mediocre. Waitress seemed new, not too friendly. Got frustrated opening our bottle of wine. Didn't know what a decanter was. After asking another server, she returned and stated the whole restaurant had only one decanter and it was being used. So we couldn't decant our $120 bottle of tight red wine. Octopus and polenta appetizer tasty. Felt my Cacio e Pepe pasta was okay, nothing special. The others seemed to enjoy their entrees. The rigatoni barese looked kind of watery to me. Waitress returned and says no dessert and then slapped our bill down in the table before we asked for it. Maybe it's just Boston service in general but this seemed a little more rude than usual. They had a nice outdoor patio but you had to walk by all the smelly trash cans to get there. All in all we enjoyed our meal but not sure I'd really recommend the place. read more

Delicious risotto al pesto with shrimp! The waiter was knowledgeable about gluten allergies. This is one of their select gluten free dishes. Others in my group enjoyed the salmon and pappardelle alla bolognese. The outdoor dining experience in the corner square was away from the crowd, but great to still see the city action. The waiter was very friendly and made us feel so welcomed. We have been back several times and always enjoy it. read more

Forcella - Risotto al pesto with shrimp - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Out of all the amazing Italian restaurants located in the area, we stopped by this one and are so glad we did! The restaurant itself is off the main busy and bustling roads and their outdoor seating in their courtyard out back keep out the noise from the streets so you have a really nice dining experiencing. The service was excellent and I could go back over and over again to try all of their pasta dishes! read more

Forcella - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Small, intimate inviting space with decent service (our server seemed annoyed we were sitting outside on a cold day). Food is extremely average...just like most Italian restos in the North End, this is nothing spectacular at all. Wine list was decent. I had the rigatoni and again, nothing memorable. read more

Forcella - Patio - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Really great food, service and atmosphere. Would definitely recommend and return. The back patio was really nice.

My review is overdue! I loved this place. We went for dinner one Friday night after I sent my sister and her husband and they loved it. For starters, they are just beer and wine but that's common around here. For starters we ordered the crispy quail and the meatballs - honestly both were amazing but definitely don't skip the quail. Next for dinner we split the Duck, a social risotto with pesto, shrimp, summer squash and zucchini, and the lamb pasta. It all tasted great but the stand out for me was the duck with the orzo. Phenomenal - I will be back for the duck! The risotto itself was good just the overall dish isn't my style (other members of my party chose it). I would go back personally and try the mushroom. The lamb pasta was good and different and the pasta itself was nice and al dente. I'll be back soon! read more

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Excellent cocktails with the great vibes. I wish I knew about this earlier. I would've come here more often. read more

Forcella - Excellent cocktails with great vibe! I wish I knew about this earlier in my trip! Highly recommended - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

There are so many great restaurants to try in the North End. It was a hard choice, but we decided to go to Forcella. I'm glad we did. The bolognese was very good. The pasta was excellent, very fresh and tender. My companion enjoyed the lasagna. We had the burrata to start. That was a bit of a disappointment. It was more rubbery than tender and I found the tomato jam a bit jarring to my palate. We had the 2014 Albarossa, Bonfante Piemonte. It was interesting and complex. For $120 it had better be! We were given a complimentary drink because it was my companion's birthday. That was a very nice touch. read more

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With so many choices in North End, I'm glad we stopped in here. The food was excellent. Had the antipasta, salmon, and chicken parm, which was perfect. The wait staff were so accommodating! Loved the quietness of the patio, couldn't hear any of the street noises read more

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Beautiful and spacious private patio in the back. Our waiter was extremely friendly and attentive and the food was delicious! We went during a quick weekend trip to Boston and will definitely return when we're back in town. Highly recommend! read more

This is, without a doubt, the best restaurant in the North End. The food is divine, always fresh and flavorful, but what adds to this restaurant's charm is the service and staff. The bartender taught us techniques for making cocktails while providing great recommendations on wines. Our server was a delight and chatted with us about local sites and the history of the north end and the owner, Shannon, personally came over to welcome us and ensure we were having a great time. I can't speak more highly of this gem in Little Italy! read more

Wow wow wow! Such a great dinner last night. We started by sitting on their front patio and it was so buggy but they let us move inside no problem. We sat in the front window table and it was such great people watching. The out back patio is a hidden gem! We had no idea it was out there but it's huge and literally looks straight out of Italy. The meatballs are MELT IN YOUR MOUTH. We always get these as our appetizer so we can find the best in the north end and Forcella is winning the race. The bolognese was sooo good. The homemade pasta was perfectly Al dente and the mix of meats in the sauce was so good. Overall a wonderful meal and our waiter Max was so nice! read more

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Extremely fresh and wonderful food on a rainy winter night. Sat at the bar and enjoyed the very best service. The vibe has great and cozy energy- we'll be back! read more

Do not go if you have shell fish allergy, chef said you can only get the salad and burrata. Other than that, service was good, ambiance is good! read more

Outdoor patio seating is quite charming. The food was amazing, and the service was top notch. I highly recommend Forcella. We had the Cesar salad, Spaghetti al Pesto with jumbo shrimp, and Pappardelle Alla Bolognese. read more

Forcella - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Went for dinner here with my husband while visiting our daughter. We all had amazing meals. The Autumn style burrata was outstanding. Each one of us was thrilled with our dinner choices! Great service and a nice cozy atmosphere! read more

Excellent attentive service, perfect lobster risotto with lobster in every bite. Tre colore was best we had in the city. Tagliatelle was perfect al dente, Highly recommended read more

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Excellent food and location. We had Pasta Rabese ( sausage , Broccoli Rabe) and Chicken Parmigiana. Prices are a little high but probably in line with other North End dining. Nice ambiance with an open air table but still inside. Decent service. read more

We were excited to try a new-to-us restaurant in the North End, as we eat here often. We were disappointed from the start when the woman at the door rudely said "can I help you?" with disdain in her voice. There had been some confusion because she had an iPad and had been gesturing and my husband thought she had said to hold on and not to come through. We sat down and the interior is lovely. We were offered wine right away and the waiter mentioned coursing the wine with appetizers and entrees. We ordered our food and were pretty shocked when our appetizer and main course all arrived within 15 minutes. We had had 1/2 glass of wine. We mentioned this to the woman who had been at the door and she just shrugged it off. We mentioned it to the waiter as well and said that we had been looking forward to a nice leisurely night out, and that to be done dining in 30 mins is disappointing. He said that they allot tables for one hour and 20 mins. He seemed to understand why it was disappointing, but said that the tickets came out when they did and they had no control over it. Very disappointing overall and the food was ok but not as good as other places for the price. read more

Very weird vibes here. Had a reservation, still had to wait. Was told that entrees would take a while. It was just average to me, there's so many better Italian restaurants. The tables were very tight and felt like we were sitting on top of other people. read more

Incredible food, very intimate, special little space. The owners are so friendly and welcoming. I've had excellent gnocchi with rabbit, risotto, perfect duck, beautiful antipasto, excellent selection of wines. Highly recommended, make reservations way ahead of time because the space is very small and it fills up very quickly. read more