I went here with my friend visiting from LA. We called to see if there might be seats - it being a Monday night, there were at the bar, which I prefer anyway. The food was SO good! I had the chicken liver crostini with spiced green tomato marmellata and the Bucatini All'Amatriciana (house-cured pancetta, tomato, onion and pecorino), which I have craved it since then. She loved her dish, too, but I don't recall what that was. read more

I have to say this is the best Italian restaurant in Boston that I've tried! Highly recommend the Semolina cakes and wild boar pasta - couldn't be better with such a balanced flavors! I would recommend it for any occasion and definitely go back read more

Cute romantic spot in Porter Square with a nice outdoor dining section outside. Our waitress was very knowledgeable of how to account for gluten allergies and helped us with all the wine pairings. read more

Thank you, Chef Mike, for introducing the overwrought world of offal and shock plates to a rustic classic that kills the competition on basics, flavor and composition. I speak, of course, of the handmade pappardelle ($21) and moreso of its tender, savory wild boar ragout. The concepts of microdermabrasion, mud masks and dead skin-eating fish have always flown over my head, but I've no question that a wrap of that pasta and that pig would take fifteen years off your face. So eat sloppily. A creamy Burrata di Puglia ($14) with charred sweet peppers and pine nuts pleasantly contrasted the citrus and chiles under the Brussels sprouts ($5). Would have loved the sprouts to cook a bit longer, softening the heads and tightening up the sugars, but we can easily chalk that up to breaking in equipment. The girl loved her jammy sangiovese blend from a comprehensive by-the-glass list, and I was toppled by my Remember the Maine ($12), a Rittenhouse cocktail kept afloat by cherry heering and a healthy dose of absinthe. Taps are surprisingly unique for an Italian joint, with Maine Beer Company, Smuttynose IPA, O'Leary's Irish Stout and (what?) McChouffe, a Belgian style Scotch ale, all on draught in December '12. The interior takes the old Rafiki to its sexy bones, shining soft lights of tons of exposed brick and introducing a chef's table that doubles as the pasta-production platform during daytime hours. Got a little grit under your glass? Guess what, you're probably eating the end result. Farm-to-table, meet table-to-plate. Big love to the staff who regaled us with tales of Portland times and the worst game of wiffle ball - ever. Expect to see a constant stream of regulars, myself included. read more

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We stopped in on a Saturday night and we were able to sit at the bar. They do a wait list, in person, for the bar but no reservations. First off, the food here is excellent and we will definitely be back. This place embodies everything I love about modern Italian food. Smaller portions, big flavors, and slightly adventurous. We were told that all the pasta being served is made within the last 24 hours. If you have been to the famous Flour + Water in San Francisco, this place is pretty damn similar. Why the 4 stars? First the wait between appetizer and entree was almost 40 minutes, which is a little unreasonable especially for fresh pasta. When I asked our bartender about our meal and if she thought the wait between entree and dessert would be as long, she gave a response that was borderline unfriendly instead of sympathizing with the long wait. This was one of those waits where you find yourself staring at the open kitchen saying to yourself "Oh this must be my plate coming out" Then it isn't... On to the food: Sexy Americano (cocktail) - A mixture of rose champagne and St. Germaine, I expected it to be a little sweeter but found it dry. Not my style. Fresh Bread & Olive Oil - Great room temperature bread served with some of the best tasting olive oil I have had in memory Burrata - The highlight of this dish was not the burrata itself, it was the complex and outstanding mix of flavors the veggies and spices added around it. Small plate, only enough for 2 people at most. Bucatini - Imagine if you put angel hair pasta on steroids for a few months, that is what bucatini is and it was excellent. The chucks of pancetta and and red sauce were simple yet extremely flavorful. I cannot emphasize enough the quality of pasta here. Pappardelle with Wild Boar - Wide long noodles (imagine lasagna noodles) accompanied with some slow cooked wild boar. For those not into exotic meats, this tasted no different than a beef brisket in terms of texture and flavor profile. The black trumpet mushrooms added a nice flavor. I thought this was the best dish of the meal Almond Torta Dolce - My favorite of the desserts I tried. Almond bread with some peach jam and whipped cream. The flavors were simple while going together perfectly all at once. This seems to be a theme of this restaurant. Affogato - This dish is essentially a gelato/ice cream smothered in a shot of espresso. They use a hazlenut gelato and mix in some shortbread and real hazlenuts. Due to the shot of espresso the dish is slightly bitter. Great if you want coffee and dessert in one dish read more

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Bucatini all'amatriciana ($17) with pancetta and tomato sauce Is fiery and fresh. Pappardelle with wild boar ($21) and mushrooms is rich and creamy. Earthy and filled with meat. Really nice digs. Very polite service. Portion to punch, just not worth it. Rather pretentious and overpriced. Although the food is admittedly decent, paying over $200 for two diners plus beverages is outrageous and that's where I'm lost - it's just not that good. read more

Giulia is by far the best Italian restaurant I've been to in the Greater Boston Area (even better than all of the restaurants I've tried in the North End). I came here on a Friday night with three of my friends because we've heard such great things about the restaurant, and it absolutely exceeded my expectations. Our waitress patiently walked us through the menu, commenting on her favorite dishes. When I told her that two of us were vegetarian and wanted to get pasta dishes, she carefully went through all of the vegetarian pasta options and all of the non-vegetarian pastas that could be made vegetarian. I ended up getting the bucatini without the pancetta, and the chef happily added the broccolini I requested without any additional charge. The pasta tasted clearly homemade--fresh, authentic, and perfectly textured. The dish was fairly simple, but the tomato sauce was rich enough without overpowering the taste of the noodles. I gobbled it up and enjoyed a glass of Sauvignon Blanc along with it! My friends could not stop raving about their pasta dishes as well; we all thoroughly enjoyed our meal. The one small thing to note is that it does take some time for the food to come out, so prepare yourself to have a slightly longer meal than you may have planned for. In summary: homemade pasta, perfect flavors, classy and intimate ambiance, and both friendly and knowledgeable staff. I absolutely cannot wait to come back again! TIP: Make reservations ahead of time, as the restaurant is popular (I made my reservation for 4 on a Friday night over a week in advance) TIP: Ask for the waiter about food and drink pairings; the waiters have great suggestions read more

Giulia - Bucatini (vegetarian -- broccolini substituted for pancetta) - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

While I'd still count it among the top restaurants in Boston, I can't help but wonder if Giulia is starting to get complacent on the hospitality side and taking its regulars for granted. The food remains unquestionably good and I appreciate the effort that goes into crafting fresh pasta every day. However, since the departure of their general manager a few months ago, I've come to perceive that Giulia, a place that's still nearly impossible to reserve, is becoming a victim of its own success. In the past few months, I've felt less appreciated as a regular patron, and this is highly disappointing. While it's philosophical, I think that a restaurant hits an inflection point when it starts to take its regular customers for granted. I called to get Chef Pagliarini's email address to voice my concerns in person after my last visit but was told that the chef doesn't like to be contacted directly. I think this perfectly crystallizes the basis of my concern. I have no financial stake in any dining establishment anywhere but I do want the restaurants that I love to succeed, perhaps for selfish reasons. While based on recent experience I'm not sure that I'll be going again soon, I'm hoping that the chef and management will be more cognizant of the way they take care of their regulars, and strive to improve this aspect of the dining experience. read more

Its just okay.... i wouldnt recommend spending your money here as the food is very just okay. I mean it doesnt taste bad but it taste just like nothing wow you can totally make this food ar home tbh. Just go somewhere else read more

Giulia simply put a phenomenal restaurant with broad appeal. Upscale Italian fare featuring fresh, seasonal ingredients. Quality wise the cuisine is Michelin star worthy yet prices are moderate and the vibe is so relaxed and comfortable it is akin to a classy neighborhood bistro. It was bustling tonight with every table full until nearly 10:00pm and such a pleasant mix of young adults to seniors, couples on a romantic date to families and everywhere in between. Chef Michael Pagliarini came to Cambridge by way of Chicago where he worked with some of the country's finest chefs at Trio such as the legendary Grant Achatz and he clearly took full advantage of learning from the best. About the only problem I encountered at Giulia is deciding what to order; the menu had so much to offer there were several dishes from each category I found intriguing. There is a wonderful array of antipasti, several different housemade pastas, meats, fish, sides and even some daily specials based on what chef found that day at a farmers' market. Fortunately they offer a very reasonably priced five course tasting menu ($65 for five courses, optional $35 wine pairing); had our reservation not been so late I would have taken advantage of this opportunity to sample several dishes (they also indicated they are quite flexible with the tasting menu, obliging requests for certain dishes to be included and personalizing the menu to accommodate not just allergies, but aversions). Our party of four was wowed by everything we ordered. Highlights included The poached and grilled octopus antipasti; perfectly cooked with a wonderfully tender texture and amazing smoky flavor; octopus is one of my favorites and this was the best preparation I have consumed bar none. Our table ordered four different pastas and they were all so delectable our plates looked as though they had been licked clean. The pasta is made in house on a large table near the back of the restaurant (with views into a semi-open kitchen) and during dinner service larger parties (up to twelve) or smaller communal parties can elect to dine there. The pasta itself was outstanding as were the homemade sauces and the quality of the meats and seafood accompanying the pasta; do not dine here without ordering at least one pasta dish or you will really be missing out on something special. The beverage program is also a strong point. Unique cocktails (I loved the Green Heart featuring cucumber vodka, green chartreuse, green tea and mint), six craft beers on tap and a nice list of Italian wines, many inexpensively priced. The coffee (sourced from a local company) smelled amazing as it was being brewed. I tend to refer savory courses over sweet, but even the desserts at Giulia were impressive. Chef Pagliarini is also in charge of this aspect of the menu and he marries the sweets with the savories through use of ingredients such as olive oil. Like the desserts care is taken to source fresh, seasonal ingredients. The melon sorbet with candied nuts, sea salt, olive oil and edible flowers was to die for. What really elevates Giulia into being the total package is the quality of the service and the warmth of everybody from the servers to Chef Pagliarini and his wife Pamela who heads the front of house. Everybody is so friendly, polished, patient and takes some time to get to know you and your preferences. If you have Jennifer as your server you will be very well cared for; she even remembered how one member of our party liked her cocktail from a single prior encounter several weeks back. She was extremely knowledgeable of the menu, provided detailed responses to questions, proffered great advice and kept the pacing perfect. Chef Pagliarini himself as well as Pamela both stopped by our table to check in despite a full house and were such genuine and passionate people. Having opened only in December of 2012 Giulia has already become wildly popular and based on my experience tonight they may just be Cambridge's best venue (and are up there with the best restaurants I have dined at in Boston). The future is bright at Giulia and this will definitely be a restaurant I make a point to frequent every time I am in town. Follow me on twitter: @Goof_2 read more

Giulia - Citrus Olive Oil Cake with Rhubarb Broth - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Giulia has climbed to the top of the list of favorite restaurants in Cambridge after a single visit. The food was extraordinarily fresh and inventive, without being stuffy. It was the kind of meal that a kindly Italian grandmother would serve on her rustic kitchen table, if your Italian grandmother was classically trained. Perfect pastas, augmented by excellent cured meats and farmers market vegetables. And every single item hit the mark. The outstanding food was matched by similarly outstanding service and a decor that delightfully walks the treacherous line between homey and chic. The stretch between Porter Square and Harvard Square has a restaurant to be proud of in Giulia. I cannot recommend visiting strongly enough. read more

While visiting Boston last week, I had the opportunity to go to Giulia with some old friends. We all appreciate good food, and Giulia was right near their apartment, so it seemed like the perfect place to catch up. We started with the bruschetta and burrata and tomato salad. The bruschetta came with three preparations: marinated artichoke and mushroom, eggplant, and tomato. My favorite was the tomato, but the artichoke and mushroom was also flavorful. After our group literally cleaned both plates (using bread to get all the juicy marinades that were remaining after the food was gone), we ordered a bunch of pastas to share. Tip: Our server let us order half portions of pasta, even though they weren't on the menu. For pastas, we shared the orechiette, fusilli, agnolotti, and pappardelle. While all the pastas were tasty, the fusilli was the favorite of everyone in the group. I was slightly disappointed in the agnolotti, while the pasta was cooked perfectly, I thought it was a little bland compared to the other dishes. Even though we were pretty full, one of my friends ordered 4 desserts because he wanted to try them all. We ordered the chocolate terrine, affogato, panna catta, and white cap flint corn cake. My favorite by far was the chocolate terrine - it was decadent, rich, and creamy. One friend raved about the affogato, while another loved the panna cotta. Make an effort to go to Guilia if you are in the area! I know I will be back. read more

Basis for my starred ratings (which skews heavily to the food or drink): 1 star: Never again. 2 stars: Poor food, poor experience, extraordinary measures in order for me to come back. 3 stars: Average, nothing really special, nothing particularly bad. 4 stars: Very good, would definitely return. 5 stars: A favorite, one of the best. Is it possible for one dish to raise the rating of a restaurant from a pedestrian 3 to a 4-star level? It just might be here. We found no real fault in any of the food. The halibut might have been juuuuuuust on the side of overcooked but that also speaks to this opinion coming from juuuuuuuust on the side of personal preference. The pasta was al dente (though it could have been more al dente and we would have loved it more.) Two of us ordered the pappardelle with wild boar and one ordered the bucatini. The pappardelle was definitely superior to the bucatini in al dente texture and combination of flavors. The wild boar was very good - no gaminess, texture almost like it was confited. But the pasta dishes were just good dishes, nothing that blew us out of the water and nothing that we hadn't experienced at other fine dining Italian. I mentioned the halibut already. We also ordered the panna cotta and chocolate terrine. Both were, again, unspectacular desserts. Not bad at all, neither was particularly memorable. But there is the that one dish. The bagna cauda. Get it. Get it every time. The briny, salty, savory, slightly warmed dip was an umami bomb, and dipping everything it came with, plus all the bread on the table, made it all taste better. Kudos to Giulia for putting this on the menu. For this dish alone (and maybe the quality of the boar and pappardelle) this place get a solid 4 stars. read more

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Unfortunately it wasn't the greatest however I was in Italy a couple weeks prior so I think the bar was pretty high. We had the puttanesca and it had fish in it which isn't customary, I'd say if your looking for classic Italian this probably isn't the place as it leans towards new age. read more

Best Italian restaurant around. Handmade pasta with made al dente and with exquisite flavor. Wild Boar Pappardelle was my favorite. Get here early though as the space is limited. read more

My temptation is to NOT leave a review on this place, because it's so delicious and I don't want anyone else to know about it! That being said, this is singularly the best meal you're going to find in Cambridge, and probably Boston Proper as well. If I could give this place 100 stars, I would. I've come here several times, and have always done the tasting menu and the wine pairing. Be prepared to EAT! For $75/person, the tasting menu offers 5 family-style courses, each with 2-4 dishes per course. I always let the chef choose what we get, and I've never been disappointed. Especially when the pasta course comes around. My recommendation for anyone new is to try the pappardelle with wild boar. I'm not usually adventurous with meat, but my GOD this is the best pasta dish I have ever had in my life. I've also been pleasantly surprised with the meat courses here as well - with my favorite offering being a a seasonal pork loin. I took the leftovers home, and literally devoured them within 24 hours. In terms of wine, the pairing comes at an additional cost of $35/person. I love getting the wine pairing here, because I've never been offered a boring wine, nor one without purpose to the dish I've been presented. The person managing the wine course is usually the on-staff manager, who has the equal knowledge of a sommelier but without the stuffy, pompous attitude. What I enjoy about the wine program here in particular, is that the person who is in charge of the wine offering gets to know you and your taste over the course of the meal, and will make suggestions or wine substitutions so that you're being offered wines tailored to fit your taste while still being well suited to the course. Be prepared to make a reservation up to a month in advance - the space is small and in high demand. The bar is definitely a better option if you're looking to drop in and try your luck. read more

Covid ordering options and pickup are amazing - same great Giulia quality (their pasta to go is INCREDIBLE - highly recommend the bolognese) - such a safe pickup option! read more

We had a super early reservation for Giulia, but it was clear that they are beloved in the community as so many were also waiting for the first come first serve seating at the bar. Everything we had was good, partially because of the generous amounts of butter and cheese used. Our favorites were the chicken liver crostini--two delicious little morsels--the sea bass crudo with nectarines/peaches (I believe it was nectarines)--fresh, light, summery--and the wild boar papardelle--rich, earthy, meaty. The rich pastas would pair well with wine, and the atmosphere is inviting, making it tempting to linger in good conversation. The service was decent and the waitress seemed knowledgeable about the menu. read more

Come in to experience amazing Pasta! The pasta is made fresh every morning, and combined in every way you desire. You can enjoy this delicious pasta with dick, boar etc. Or, you can enjoy their meat and fish dishes. Once you are seated, you are served with olive oil and excellent bread. I highly suggest getting the warm semolina cakes as an appetizer and trying the duck heart spiedini if you are feeling experimental. So why a 4/5? It's impossible to get reservations! T accessible: buses + Porter square (red line) read more

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It's reservation only and we were able to get one of the last late dinner slots around 10:30. Our waiter was great and knew the menu very well from main courses to beer suggestions, she was great. We made sure to order the pasta since its made in-house. My friend ordered the Pappardelle with Wild Boar. I had a few bites and it was amazing!! The cream sauce was very rich and perfectly seasoned. The wild boar was tender and juicy. And the pasta was perfect. I ordered the Tagliatelle with Red Wine Braised Duck. It was sooooo delicious. I honestly loved everything about my meal and the experience overall. I would definitely recommend this place for a nice date. It's very intimate with a full bar and limited seating. read more

Giulia - Tagliatelle with Red Wine Braised Duck - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Always wanted to try this little gem in my hood that everyone talks about. Finally got the chance to.. Walked in and put our name down around 9pm, was told 30 min wait. 40 min later, no phone calls as they said they would. We came back, the host said they just got a cancellation/no show so gave us the window table 5 min later. The wait wasn't as well handled as I thought it'd be. The dishes were very well executed and presented. Very accomodating with what portion/type of dish you want. The server was great in explaining everything to us as it was our first time there. The hand made pasta was pretty good, as well as the whole flounder. (just wish it wasn't fried first) The steak was huge.. We enjoyed the food for the most part and happy we tried this new place. read more

I have dined at Giulia twice now and both times were amazing dining experiences. Last night our party was lucky enough to sit at the chef's table which gave us a view of both the dining room and the kitchen. From the moment we sat down we were treated like family. Our waitress was kind, attentive, and knowledgeable without pestering us. She was also helpful at providing suggestions and recommendations. The chef and the owner even stopped by to say hi and make sure we were enjoying our meal! Nothing but good things to say about the food. We started with the semolina cakes (highly recommend) and some antipasti dishes to start. Can't go wrong here. We all got either the boar or duck pasta and both were flavorful, meaty, and filling. It was awesome to know that the pasta had been made earlier that day at the table where we were sitting! For dessert we had a sampling of treats. I personally love the afragado with the homemade hazelnut gelato. Definitely left feeling very satisfied and VERY full. Reservations can be hard to get, but worth the wait! read more

Food was excellent. We had the chicken liver mousse crostini, I probably could have eaten 10 of them. We ordered several pasta dishes, all of which were really great, so I don't think you could go wrong with any of them. I specially ordered the mafalde with veal and it was awesome. Appetizers were a bit small for the price, but would not keep us from going back. Staff was very polite and conscious about health concerns. We really enjoyed our experience and will definitely be going back soon! read more

This place is consistently delicious and has easily become one of my Cambridge favorites. I highly recommend the boar pappardelle, which is one of their standard offerings. The seasonal almond torte with blueberry sorbet is hands down one of the best desserts I've ever had. And this is coming from someone who typically hates fruit in their dessert. Reservations are hard to come by, but you can usually snag a seat at the bar if you get there early. The bartenders are all fantastic and the service rounds out the wonderful dining experience. Definitely give Giulia a try! read more

We had an 8:30pm reservation, got to the place around 8:15pm and checked in w/the host. He was on the phone and told us he was checking in w/several of his "late 8p.m. reservations", so in the meantime our options were to wait, get a drink (although we could not sit at the bar, because there is a wait list for the bar) or go to the bar next door and he would call us. Granted, we were early, but considering the fact that there is no standing room anywhere and the bar has a wait list, I think he should've sat us and the "late 8p.m." people could have had our 8:30pm table, if they showed up at all. We left and waited outside, got a call for our table at 8:30pm. First, you have to wait about a month to get into this place, so right away you bar is set pretty high. Service was good but it did take a while between courses, we were there 1.5hr before we got the entrées. The food is definitely over salted, actually every single thing we ate there seemed to have just a tad more salt than it should have. The food was good, but it wasn't mind-blowing, wasn't the best food I ate and certainly not worth a month to wait for. Overall, I'd recommend it and I would come but but it's unlikely because of the waitlist. read more

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Underwhelmed would be the key term to use for Giulia. The good points are fantastic service, a nice space, and some awesome house bread (that's free, which is great because the rest of the menu will hit your wallet hard). Drinks are spot on too. Giulia falls into that category of restaurants that's aiming for a unique/quirky menu with odd combinations on the plate. The dishes are well arranged and nice to look at but nothing at Giulia was truly delicious or satisfying. The chicken liver crostini were solid. The meat plates (salumi and prosciutto plates) were delicious but under-proportioned for the price.The ribeye was mostly flavorless and not a good piece of meat at all ($42!). The insalata misti was awful - drenched in dressing, weird greens, not tasty at all. The flatbread is a ripoff - $10 for a piece of thin as paper matza type bread with pine nuts and pesto on it. That item alone left me shaking my head - it should be maybe, MAYBE, half that price. Sorry, but I came here with very high expectations and left disappointed. I won't be back. read more

I sat here at the bar with a party of 4 and had a lovely time. Keep in mind that you need to make reservations beforehand, otherwise, walk-ins are first-come first-serve at the bar. The bartender was incredibly friendly, and he let us try the wine before ordering a bottle. The bread and olive oil were delicious; we got two rounds. Appetizers: The semolina cakes were over hyped in my opinion: very small and too pricey. The octopus, on the other hand, was DELICIOUS. I would've never thought that octopus would taste so good with crispy fried potatoes, but mmmm, it was so heavenly. I got the wild boar pappardelle for my main dish, which was great. I tried the buccatini that my boyfriend ordered, which I liked better. We ordered the chocolate tartine and the pistachio ice cream for dessert. Both were great, and the chocolate tartine came with a scoop of refreshing mint ice cream on top. read more

Perhaps it was my own fault for coming in with expectations, but I wasn't thrilled with the experience. It's a pretty cozy spot and the place was packed for a Tuesday night. The dishes had complex flavors and the wine was as wine always is. My grilled branzino was cooked splendidly, but there was too much going on with all the accoutrements. I tried some of Jenn's bucatini all'amatriciana and the pasta itself was great! What really took away from the evening was the inattentive service and the long wait for our entrees. I think that, because it is a rather upscale restaurant, I was expecting more out of the food and the overall experience. After exploring some of the other restaurants in the area, I will definitely give Gulia another shot! read more

Giulia - The grilled branzino with roasted chicories, lentils, winter citrus and fresh herb salad. - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

It's really hard to get a reservation here, basically you need to plan a month ahead to get a table. I got a table for four on Thursday 6:15. By the time we left around 9pm, this place was still packed! First the decor and services: I like the cozy deco of this place, and each table has a different table cloth which is cute, the vibe is great for dating or hanging out with friends. Service was also great, pretty attentive. Then the food: I was a bit disappointed probably I was setting the expectation too high due to the rave reviews and long wait? Everything we ordered from small plates to appetizer to pasta and meat fish was on the salty side, pretty salty. I like the sardines small plate, and we got salumi plate came with a very salty anchovy dip, two pasta, the lamb sausage and the flounder to share between four of us. Flounder was tender but the eggplant side was salty, lamb sausage was salty and the pastas as well. Their pasta portion was kinda small compared to others. I'd enjoy more if they were not cooked that salty. 3.5 star for the food itself. And, they served food really really really slow, the entire meal was about three hours long. So maybe don't come when you are starving? Lolll The dessert was the highlight of the entire meal! Don't miss it! We got pistachio gelato and the hazelnut gelato, very well done! Overall 4 star for the entire dining experience. read more

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Enjoyed a birthday dinner celebration for my husband with another couple. We ordered many things on the menu to share . Some included wild boar, liver Crostini, prosciutto, beets, pumpkin pasta, mushroom pasta dish and a coconut cake at the end . Everything was fresh, tasty and cooked to perfection. Cant remember the cocktail that my husband got but he loved it. We had an amazing experience here from start to finish. . Highly recommend read more

Wow! The inventive menu, accessible chef, and cuisine that is nothing short of perfection make this restaurant an absolute MUST! read more

Giulia - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Giulia definitely lived up to the hype! Service was warm and friendly, and the food was delicious. We tried the semolina cakes, marinated olives (surprisingly tasty-- loved the orange zest), crudo (listed on the menu as bass, but the server described it as fluke when it came out. We should have clarified but it was bright and flavorful either way!), Brussels sprouts, capellini with pork sausage (my favorite of the night), pappardelle with wild boar, and chocolate terrine (I didn't like the mint gelato, but the caramel sauce was terrific). The wine was great, too, and our server was very helpful in selecting from the wine list. We had a great experience overall and would go back for sure! Definitely have to get reservations far ahead of time, especially for peak dinner hours. The space is small but has a great vibe. And it seemed like folks were able to get a seat at the bar and eat there (but there were also plenty of people getting turned away, so make backup plans just in case)! read more

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Pasta was great, but the staff really made the meal. Bartenders were incredibly nice.

Incredible meal - hard to get a reservation but even if you have to eat at 9 pm....worth it. The four pastas we tried were exceptional, some of the best we've ever had. Can't wait to return! read more

Really nice modern Italian restaurant. Started with burrata and figs. The grilled bread accompanied it well and the portion size was great. I had the pasta special and it had a very complex and pleasing flavor. Service was friendly but very efficient. A great restaurant. read more

I was really excited to try Giulia and waited three weeks for the reservation. Sadly, I was underwhelmed. The chicken liver crostini was amazing. I would get this again. I also ordered the burrata, which was ok, but not better than maplewood burrata from the grocery store. My husband got the bucatini, which was ok (I had some). The overall mix was not exceptional, but not terrible. I decided to venture and get a Japanese inspired culurgiones. I was hoping for a cool twist on a traditional classic. Unfortunately, the combination fell flat. The prosciutto broth was delicious, but the Japanese cabbage was just way over powering and didn't match the sweet potato filling. I wish I went with the wild boar Pappardelle (and regret that decision very much). The service, however, was excellent. I was really hoping for some good Italian food, but left very disappointed. read more

Not as good as two years ago. The bucatini was too salty and lacked layers of pepper and smokeyness. This dish used to taste so good before with the fresh tomato taste. Service was also horrible. The servers gave us dirty looks as we brought our kids and was not friendly at all. Very transactional with fake smile. Went from our favorite to never again. Regret making this a stop on our cross country trip. read more

Good food. Great service. Good atmosphere. The food was really interesting and tasty. My favorite appetizer was the prociutto. I ordered the whole wheat cavatelli with Maine lobster, delicious. Our server knew the answers to our many questions on what the words meant on the menu. He did a great job describing the dishes and specials. I did like the warm almond torta dessert as well. read more

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If you have had the good fortune of eating in Italy, you will quickly realize that this is a very heavy American version of Italian food! The sauces are too heavy and salty, and parmesan cheese is excessively used in most preparations. To boot, there is a self-fulfilling arrogance about the place that to my mind is not worthy of the food. However, on a positive note, there is an eclectic wine list and the handmade pasta's if devoid of adulterating sauces, would probably taste good. But ultimately, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, so please decide for yourself! read more

Incredible food and service. We even were treated to a visit from the local Senator of MA.