Made a reservation a month in advance for a birthday and were very happy with the experience. The…read moremenus had a happy birthday note and the table was covered with confetti, and they gave us gelato on the house. We got chicken parm and the butternut squash ravioli. They very kindly split the chicken parm for us and the pasta was perfectly al dente. The ravioli was delicious, the pistachio and brown butter flavors complimented the butternut squash extremely well - get this dish! The vibe was very cute and cozy and the staff was very friendly. Definitely recommend :)

As someone who has worked across the hospitality industry--from sports bars to Michelin-level…read moreproperties--I have never experienced or observed such disappointing service like this. This past Sunday, my siblings and I stopped in hoping to get a table for five and were immediately met with a dismissive attitude. The host/server made a comment implying the restaurant was "too nice" for our group, which was completely inappropriate and unacceptable. We visit Boston frequently from Virginia and always enjoy dining out, but this interaction left a very negative impression. Hospitality should never make guests feel unwelcome or judged, and unfortunately that's exactly how this felt. We won't be returning.

This was easily the best meal we've shared in at least 10 years. Thank you so much for the great…read morefood, amazing service, and welcoming atmosphere.

Our waiter Christian was incredible! Great location, we love restaurants that used to be old…read morehouses. Portions a bit on the small side. Can be hard to carry on a conversation but that is a function of who sits next to you, not the restaurants fault...the manager moved us upstairs. We'd go again!

Tidbit!!! Get a reservation…read more Onto the review -- We expected the food to be touristy, since it's in the North End. While the bread initially felt like that tourist vibe (cold, served with... little cups of oil... weird), the main dishes were outstanding. We enjoyed the caprese, the lobster ravioli, and the clam linguini -- all really good. If you're looking for dessert, while my boyfriend would've preferred a sweeter cannoli, I was a big fan of the tiramisu, both for its size and taste. I would recommend getting a reservation, as the spot is cozy and can get a little cramped. We did see people leave after being late to their reservation. Lastly the service was very attentive. Our initial server may have been new. She didn't chat much, but she checked on us often. The second server was super chatty and really listened to what we wanted.

Good food, friendly service and a small by cozy dining room!…read more This was a solid meal! They work around a hour and a half table rotation so keep that in mind. I won't lie. It kind of felt rushed but it's doable. Myself, when I am out spending a good amount of money, the rushed feeling is the one I don't want to have. But our server was awesome. Knew the menu and wine list well. Did his best to not make us feel rushed. So apps were Bruschetta, antipasto, clams. All were awesome and very well proportioned! Entries were amazing and again well proportioned. Their homemade pasta was yummy!!! And Finally I got my Tiramisu!!' Inside joke with my friends. All in all this was a great dinner, two thumbs up and definitely on my list to visit again!

The food was absolutely great no complaints there. But I want to really complement our server…read moreConner. He was extremely attentive without being over baring and really made our experience this much better. He kept making sure we were doing good and made sure if we were having a conversation to lightly check on us without ending our conversation. The ambiance was nice the candle lit dinner was great and really added to the overall experience 10/10 for Conner.

Yum yum yum!!! The hype of the north end Italian certainly includes Artu. The portion sizes were…read moregreat, food is amazing, the chicken parm with vodka sauce is a must. We got sat near the window and the ambiance was wonderful. My one critique would be our server was a bit slow in coming to take our order, bring the check etc. but overall a 9/10 for me.

All of the above Had Shrimp Absolutely the best I have…read moreever had large shrimp in a wine butter lemon sauce served over pasta ( home made Server was very knowledgeable and chose a new ce glass of red wine The app we had meatballs with burrata. Or ricotta can't remember marinara perfect.

We had lunch at this cute corner spot in the North End (Little Italy) of Boston and loved it so…read moremuch, we came back for dinner another night. Highlights- the bread. Dear lord, the bread. I do TRY to be good and avoid senseless carbs in a bread basket- but trust me, there's absolutely no turning this down, from the minute you smell it coming. All of the veggies seemed so FRESH! All of the cocktails we tried were great but SHOUT OUT for this perfect pistachio martini. So, espresso martinis and pistachio martinis seem to be the trendy drinks of Boston- every restaurant and bar had a version of these drinks and in the spirit of fairness, I tried them all. When it comes to pistachio martinis, the Florentine Cafe wins hands down. Service- we were walk ins at lunch and were thrilled to get a table (for 4), service was outstanding. For dinner, we made reservations and there were only two of us- for some reason we seemed to get a lot less attentive and slower service. I'd sat waiting, watching the tables around us enjoy their bread and I was SO excited to once again sink my teeth into it. When our entrees showed up without the bread basket, I had a momentary panic- haha, and chased down the waiter to beg for bread (which he brought). To be honest we felt forgotten throughout the meal and had to wait for a second drink order for a really long time. This normally would be a star off for me, but seriously- with that pistachio martini and the INCREDIBLY delicious dishes (lasagna and shrimp scampi) we had, it feels like it'd be a sin to give anything less than 5 stars. So chef and bartender made this meal!

Cozy little Italian restaurant in Boston. We came to Boston early on our road trip with the sole…read morepurpose of eating dinner here and was very glad we got there early, as there was already a line forming by restaurant open. The combination of it being limited seating (it holds less than 20 people) and being a popular spot makes it quite hard to get in without a long wait, so I would recommend right when it opens. Food wise, we got the Squid Ink Pasta and Calamari. The calamari was the perfect combination of crispy on the outside, but soft on the inside, which I find a lot of restaurants don't do a great job of doing. The squid ink pasta was also delicious and on par with any quality Italian restaurants in NYC. I would come back again if I'm ever in the Boston area and want a nice Italian restaurant. Also this place is CASH ONLY so be prepared before coming.

One of my favs....nope, definitely my favorite when I visit Boston. The black pasta Alfredo is to…read moredie for. I went here with some friends who've never been. We ordered mussels and calamari for an appetizer which they loved. We agreed to share and got my favorite, a full order of the black pasta Alfredo. They wanted to try the black pasta with the calamari (I forgot the name) and the monkfish. And of course, everyone liked the black pasta Alfredo the best. The black pasta with the chopped up calamari was good, but wasn't a wow. The monkfish was sweet. Kind of reminded me of caramel corn after taste. I will stick with the black pasta and Alfredo.

Came here for dinner for Valentine's Day and I should imagine it was a very tight. This is my first…read moretime here so I'm not sure if the configuration it was supposed to be as tight where they have like two high top tables directly behind other dining tables so some acrobatics were needed to be done by both the white staff and customers to sort just move around. I didn't mind that much since it was actually pretty tight and cozy so it actually brought up the energy I think. We already had reservations, so we received a fairly quickly, and the white stuff were very professional and courteous. The food did not disappoint. The calamari came out fresh and hot. Crispy and the banana peppers gave it just the right heat. The marinara sauce paired well with it. The Lobster Fra Diavolo was done in a cute heart shaped, so that was delightful. Lobster was done perfectly and the slightly spicy sauce of the pasta paired beautifully. My favorite was actually the marsala. The Fusilli was done perfectly al dente and soaked in that delicious sauce that was flavorful and clung so well to the pasta. The chicken breast was well marinated and super tender and juicy. Honestly, I wouldn't hesitate to order this again next time.

Cafe Amaro....No Bene!…read more North End is one of my favorite Boston neighborhoods for Italian food especially Pizza. But this time, not so much! We walked in here on a Sunday afternoon and stopped at Cafe Amaro since they had open tables. The restaurant is very small probably about 10 or so tables. We sat right up against the kitchen which was warm since it was a bit chilly outside. After about 5-8 minutes went by our server came over and we asked to sample 2 glasses of wine. They were not good at all. After tasting one more we finally landed on the Chianti. We then waited longer to place our order which was the Prosciutto and Fig pizza. I also ordered a soda water with lemon which never came. Note: there are 2 servers and I believe 1 speaks English but I am not 100% sure. Once our server finally came over my husband had to remind him of the soda water which he proceeded to say "we only have large bottles." Ok, thanks for letting me know since the other server/busser did not. Does he work here? Does he know the menu? Why wouldn't he tell me this the first place? Our pizza finally came and even after ordering it well done it was still floppy and flimsy to the point when everytime we went to pick up the slice everything fell off...UGH! I don't know how in the North End this place gets by or survives? Maybe they were having an off day? I do see other reviews that had better experiences than ours. Maybe they were short on staff? If that was the case then say something because I probably would've had more patience and understanding if this was the case. BTW, Our server NEVER came over after ordering our wines and pizza. He never asked "how is everything?" NEVER... I also rarely give one/two stars to restaurants but this was despicable and I really hope this is not their norm. All I have to say is there are so many other better restaurants in the North End to go to, but Cafe Amaro is not one of them.

So delicious. Highly recommend. Definitely need a reservation. Service was great. Wine was deliciousread more

Service was outstanding, ambiance was a vibe (for couples or a family, food was tasty. Would…read morerecommend!

This has got to be my favorite place for genuine Italian eats in the NE US. Always perfect - the…read moremussels with some bread is my go to, it is just THAT GOOD, I could drink the flavorful broth that accompanies the shellfish. The squid ink pasta is an absolute gem - wonderful texture, a light briny flavor and just perfect with a bit of butter, garlic and whatever love they put into. My husband and I will always find a way to this spot whenever we are near Boston (we now live in Maine).

During one of our last nights in town after running the Boston Marathon we opted to take a casual…read morewalk around the North End just to explore and find a place to eat on a whim. We saw the line outside of Giacomo's and decided to join. After a short wait we scored a table upstairs and enjoyed a nice meal. Cozy vibe with an old school feel, good service, and our food was delicious. Reasonably priced, solid portions. I could see why there was a line to get in. Also, be aware they are cash only. There is an ATM here but it has a fee. Cash is king, always have some on you for instances such as this.

From check in to the end. 5 stars. Staff was extremely professional and kind. Food was amazing…read more Service was amazing. Very attentive and accommodating. 5 stars all around.

Went out for a little date night at Forcella in the North End and it was such a good choice. It's a…read moresmaller spot with a cozy feel, and we sat by the window near the entrance, which was perfect vibe. I ordered the pistachio martini and it was delicious -- smooth, slightly nutty, and really well done. For dinner, I had the carbonara and can't say enough good things, top notch. Even though the place is small, the staff was super attentive and made us feel well taken care of. A great spot for an easy, fun date night.