We ordered the semolina cakes, which were interesting in a muted way. The Prosciutto plate which was ok and the Burrata which was good. But this is less preparation and more plating/sourcing. I also had the Tagliatelle with mushrooms, which did not provide any noteworthy flavors and if anything felt unbalanced (too sweet with not enough salt or kick), you could not taste the mushrooms at all. It was not the elevated dish that you would expect at this price point. When you consider small quantities, big prices, hassle reserving and unspectacular dishes, it was not worth it. read more

I took my friend for her birthday to Giulia & I'm so glad I did. We loved the food from the complimentary bread to the delicious dessert. Loved the Semolina Cakes for an appetizer as well as the beet salad & the octopus even though I don't usually enjoy octopus For entrees I loved the tortelli al brasato as well as the rye orecchiette. Quality pasta!!! The service was also excellent read more

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I am pleased that the staff is being taken care of these days, so I am happy to change the two stars to four. I continue to enjoy Giulia. Honestly, I thought about adding a fifth star, but I believe in nuance and, to me, five stars means PERFECT. And, while Giulia is GREAT, they have not quite earned the elusive fifth star. I have a few examples I could offer, but one is foremost on my mind. What's up with the stripe salt garnish on the glass? Why not put it on the rim so we can enjoy it? Am I missing something? Whose idea was this? I asked my server and she seemed to agree with me, but she did not identify the avant-garde for the sake of being avant-garde miscreant. What's next? A negroni served without Campari, or a Manhattan with a cantaloupe garnish? Don't be different just to be different; have a good reason for it! ORIGINAL REVIEW: This is a place I have enjoyed for almost 5 years now. My partner and I have celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, etc. here. The food is great. The food servers and bar staff are as good as it gets. It is easily the best Italian restaurant experience outside of Italy, at least that I've been to. But it's awful that I have to look at the weather report before going INSIDE here. If it's north of 80 degrees, this place is disgusting. A few times they've had ACs going but quite often the AC is either broken or barely working at all. The year is 2021. I do not know much about air conditioning but I know enough to know that there has to be a way to fix the AC once and for all. A week or so ago, I felt so bad for the staff there. My spouse and I, and the table next to us, were asking the servers what the deal with the AC was. Their responses were careful and diplomatic but sweat was dripping down their faces. They were getting us extra water and cups of ice without us even asking for them. What gives?? Do the owners rent? If so, talk to the landlord. YOU ARE GUILIA! Or do the owners own the building? I have no idea. But, if so, that's even worse. You are putting your staff through terrible conditions to save a few dollars. Where else are you cutting costs? Why risk your reputation? Get it together. Until you fix the AC, we aren't stepping foot inside. And to the amazing staff: go somewhere you are appreciated. To the owners: shame on you. read more

Giulia had been on my to try list for ages, and after four years of not making a reservation there, I finally went with a couple friends! We sat in one of the cozy window seats, which is fun for Mass Ave people watching. We shared the Warm Semolina Cakes and Burrata di Andria. The Semolina Cakes came highly recommended and had a nice flavor, but were a tad dry. The burrata was delicious! So creamy, and went so well with the beets and peaches. We gobbled this right up! I then ordered the famous Pappardelle with Wild Boar. The pasta had great texture and I loved the mushrooms, but I wasn't a fan of the boar flavor (this could just be a boar thing, it's not a meat that I frequently eat!). Also had a bite of my friend's Jordan Farms Beef, which was tasty. Glad I finally tried Giulia's and given I enjoyed it more than Toscano's in Harvard Square, will come back the next time I'm craving pasta. read more

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Fresh food, special tasty, worthy to dine. Good service. but if you don't like too sweet dessert, you can skip dessert. read more

Giulia - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

We started off with the Warm Semolina Cakes, which we had high hopes for as everyone said it was a must order, however we found it pretty average. The sauce on it was great, but nothing special about the cake. We had the Marinated Octopus, and that was delicious. The octopus was perfectly tender and paired well with sauce on the plate. The highlight of our dinner was Spelt Fazzoletti and Tortelli 'Al Brasto'. You could taste freshness of the pasta, tender with a perfectly chewy texture. Both was amazing, but personally loved the Tortelli more. Overall an amazing dinner spot for their pastas. read more

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Great food and great service. The tagliatelle was fantastic. You do need to book two weeks in advance so be mindful but it was worth the effort read more

The staff are friendly , walked in got a table after 20mins wait (not bad not complaining since no reservation) got seated. Ambience is nice busy restaurant, perfect lighting, mix of young and older professionals, college students/family etc. portion size is fine, not expecting huge portion since this is leaning the finer side of dining and fresh ingredients etc. interesting menu - pastas look good but had the duck. Somewhat salty. Would still go back. read more

Pastas are simply awesome.Tried wild boar pappardelle, white truffle and duck tortelli. All are very delicate and each offers different experiences of harmony of flavors. (Duck tortelli is my favorite btw). Ooooh the eggplant caponata (antipasti) is perfectly balanced as well. We enjoyed everything! Worth the 20min wait at 5:10pm to sit at the bar lol. read more

Giulia is my favorite restaurant in all of Boston. Everything is made with so much care and tastes delicious. While all of the pasta here is phenomenal, in my opinion, the pappardelle (usually with wild boar but sometimes with duck) is the best item on their menu. There are also plenty of options for vegetarians. I dine here often and don't see that changing for as long as I stay in Boston. read more

Giulia - Wild boar pappardelle - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Amazing service and wine selection was excellent. The semolina cakes were delicious, can't wait to come back

Delicious fresh pasta and a rotating seasonal menu. There is a single pasta that is vegetarian and a few apps/side. It's a small and popular place so make sure you have a reservation. read more

Giulia is a great place for a nice date or celebratory dinner for a small group. Some unique, delicious dishes, and definitely grab a reservation beforehand (online through Google Open Table). I visited Giulia with a good friend who was visiting from out of town. The food - Grilled octopus: Started off strong! One of my favorite dishes of the night due to the surprising pops of flavors, particularly from the citrus, and different textures including the radish and chickpeas. The octopus was tender. Finished every bit of this dish. - Pastas (all enjoyable, all a bit on the salty side) --bucatini with pancetta: my friend's favorite --squid ink linguine with calamari: nice flavors and textures with calamari and breadcrumbs --pappardelle with wild boar: my favorite pasta, pasta cooked perfectly - pan roasted local skate with lentils: This was an experience! Never ate skate before, so I'm glad they talked us through how to eat it. There is ?cartilage in the middle, so you'll have to eat the top by scraping that layer, then flip and eat the bottom. The skin was so crispy, and the fish fresh, tender, and cooked perfectly. Nice pairing with the citrus. Beautiful presentation and large portion. - pistachio gelato with chocolate pistachio cookies: love the gelato, not too rich or too light. The cookies were ok. - white truffle gelato with pears: a special of the night. Beautiful presentation, thin shavings of white truffle on top and clear truffle flavors throughout the gelato, but small portion. The service: Very professional and pleasant. No complaints. The space: Small restaurant, simple decor. Noise level is quiet to moderate. I'd definitely recommend, especially for a special occasion. read more

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While Covid 19 regulations still in effective, I must say, this place is, PERFECTLY SPLENDID. You book, either call or opentable, then just show up on time and you have 1,5 hr to finish your meal. 25% capacity is required at least until this Wednesday. Food is awesome. Can't go wrong here! read more

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Start to finish the food, service and ambience are perfection! The whole time I am eating here I just keep exclaiming oh my god this is so good! The staff from the hostess to the waiter are into it too! They want you to have a killer meal and they know they can deliver. I also just love the vibe. The senses and tastebuds come alive here. We started with the olive oil bread and a prosciutto starter that was yum. Then we had the bucatini and paparadelle pasta both of which tasted like you were in Italy. Very savory! Then we ate duck which was perfectly cooked and so delicious. We finished with an affogato and the best blueberry upside down cake ever! I would almost go just for that! But no you must go for all of it and I gotta say you have to order the pastas at this restaurant. We left beyond content! read more

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Pictures are from a combo of few visits. Giulia is such a gem in Cambridge. Unlike most of the Italian restaurants in the north end, food in Giulia is more unique and delicate (more towards the fine dining end). They change their menu every few weeks, but they keep their well known dishes on the menu. Giulia always give me some surprises every time I went. I feel like their flavors are so new and complex; don't know what I am eating but it tastes good. If it's your first visit, definitely get their semolina cake and the wild boar. Those two are amazing. These days they accept walk ins for patio seating or reservations on opentable. Highly recommend you get a reservation before going, even on weekdays. This is how popular this place is :) read more

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Possibly the best money you'll ever spend on dining out. Everything from the food to the drinks is absolutely excellent and worth every penny. (The boar papardelle is a staple for a reason. It is one of the best things on their menu) The food displays such care and thoughtfulness for seasonality and freshness and technical mastery of the kitchen. For dessert, get their almond torta with fresh figs (or other seasonal fruit) if you can! I can't go as often as I'd like, but I still remember every single meal I've had here. We are so very lucky to have this place in Cambridge! read more

Had dinner two nights ago at a cozy Italian restaurant on Mass. Ave in Cambridge. It had a warm intimate feel that was made all the more special by Jessica, our friendly server. The food was excellent. For starters, we had the nostrale (described as an Italian style spanakopita) and the semolina cakes with sweet corn and truffles. Both were excellent recommendations from our server. We also ordered the burrata with tomato conserva and frisellel which I thoroughly enjoyed! As for pastas, paccheri 'alla bolognese' (with beef, pork, Parmesan ) and pappardelle with wild boar were very flavorful. I was too full to order after that so we shared the striped bass 'en brodetto di coriandolo' which was good, had a nice char. We had the perfect ending with the chocolate and hazelnut semifreddo with blackberry gelato and aged balsamic. For me, the dining experience is equally shaped by the server as well as the food. We had wonderful experiences with both at Giulia! read more

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I had really high expectations for Giulia. It took about a month of waiting to get the reservation time that worked for us. We knew it is a fancy restaurant with expensive meal items so we made a date night out of it. Pros: 1.) We were sat in the front restaurant window which was definitely preferred seating. 2.) The wine was delicious. 3.) The polenta cakes were a tasty appetizer. 4.) They brought me butter (for the complimentary bread) when I asked for it. 5.) Dessert (polenta cake with peaches, gelato and maple syrup) was skillfully crafted and yummy. Cons: 1.) The service was on the slower side because the restaurant was full and staff was being pulled in all directions. 2.) The polenta cakes were extremely tiny. 3.) I ordered the spaghetti with fennel, anchovies and chillis. The spaghetti was covered in so much fennel- it's all I could taste. 4.) I hate when restaurants serve you cold bread. We had a decent time here but the spaghetti sort of ruined the mood. We won't come back. I'm not sure what all the hype is all about. read more

Giulia - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Giulia is a great place for a relaxed evening out or a date. The ambiance is perfect and the staff is very kind. The cocktails are great. The food is excellent. It's not quite a night in Italy but love it for what it is! read more

White truffle pasta in the winter, and always the semolina cakes!! One order will serve 2-3, but no more than that. Otherwise, I prefer fish and seafood entrees, although everyone gets pastas. Order multiple desserts. read more

Giulia - burrata over asparagus and artichokes - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

The food is one thing (And it's the best in the greater, greater Boston area) but the real charm is John at the bar. I've only been once, but I left feeling like he was family. Thanks John!! Can't wait to drive into the city to see you and enjoy the pasta again! read more

Slightly better then average food. Average service. Depressing ambiance. Couldn't see my food to enjoy it. Waitress was ignorant about wine. Overpriced for the experience. Extra kitchen appreciation charge. Ridiculous! read more

We booked the early sitting at the pasta table for our daughter's college graduation dinner sight unseen (as we are from California)! Reese at Giulia made the process pain free and she was a delight. I was worried that the 3-course early sitting might not be enough food for our food-loving extended family, but I was wrong. Each course was abundant and amazing! From the appetizers - bread, pate and antipasto cheeses and olive dishes, to the 3 different pastas, prosciutto, figs, burrata and beans, roast beef, sausage, and asparagus, the white fish with pesto, vegetable sides, and the option to add fresh truffles (we did), each course was amazing! My brother in law lived in Italy for 3 years and said this food was some of the best "authentic" Italian he's had in the states! The meal was topped off with chocolate hazelnut cake and gelato, a delicious sorbet, and lemon chiffon pie -- the staff festively added a candle on the dessert! The pasta table made the night warm, intimate, and so special. Our entire family is still talking about the amazing overall experience - food, drinks, service! Thank you, Giulia, for making the night a special one for my daughter and us all! read more

Had such high hopes based on other reviews but I can't recommend this place. Unfortunately bad service from the time we sat down set the tone and it just went down hill from there. Food was average - maybe better than average but the poor service makes it hard to decide. If you are familiar with Winnie the Pooh having a server than makes Eeyore seem upbeat and charming will give you a sense of what we were dealing with. Icing on the cake is not once did our server stop by to see how our meal was or to check in on us. No drink refills ever offered and we were handed the check without even a thank you. We were asked when we made the reservation months ago if we were celebrating a special event and we were but no one seemed to ask or care when we got there. Spoke to the manager on our way out and she literally couldn't care less. She didn't even bother to ask what the problem was or who our server was. read more

Why it took this long to blab about my experience at Giulia last month is beyond me! Everything from start to finish was PERFECTO. Occasion: Milestone birthday for moi :) Ambiance: If the words romantic, intimate, exclusive and personal speak to you, then this is the spot for you, especially for a special occasion. Grub: Food was amazing! Who doesn't adore freshly made in-house pasta and local farm fresh veggies? It starts with the ingredients (obviously) but they have mastered the craft to whipping it into something magical. There was originality in every dish, yet at the same time, they were all delightfully familiar. Even the non-veggie lovers at our table gave a respectful nod to the chef for the exquisite chargrilled broccoli mix. Other notable mentions: The oh-so-tender octopus, striped bass and pasta plates. Service: I can't remember a time when service has been any better and not to brag but I've been to enough places locally and overseas where many are James Beard and/or Michelin rated and Trevor (the GM) single-handedly outshined them all. He was knowledgeable, personable, and above all else, so freaking resourceful! At one point, my friend asked for Thai chili peppers for her meal and mind you, it's an Italian restaurant so naturally his response was "we have chili flakes". Seeing that she was displeased, he simply said "I will do better" and minutes later, he comes back with some Asian spicy sauce and asked if it would help. Later in the night, her shoe is busted wide open and he appeared again with gorilla glue to stick it back on. These were just the extras. Obviously, he was AH-MAZE-ING during the entire meal. Overall? Do make this a pit stop but plan ahead at least a couple weeks if you want a weekend slot. These people don't joke around but you won't be sorry. It's an event to remember. We shall be back! read more

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Dined here in January and February 2021. Rest assured that the quality of service, food, and ambiance is still superb. Most recently, I came here with my mother to celebrate my birthday, I felt so welcomed and appreciated by the entire staff at the restaurant! The cocktails here are fabulous, so indulge yourself with one or two :) My favorite is the negroni. I also always order the "nostrale" appetizer, their fresh farm pick of the day. Always a nice surprise of a creative dish! This time, it was a savory spinach pie (like a lighter version of spanakopita). For main dishes, I love trying different pastas. I'm a big fan of their boar parpadelle (red wine sauce, very rich) and the bucatini (tomato sauce, very classic). Look forward to trying more next time! read more

Giulia - "Nostrale" of the day - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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When you need to book at midnight two weeks in advance, the restaurant ought to be extraordinary. I'd say Giulia is good but not worth the trouble. My husband and I loved the boar ragu pappardelle (a popular dish) but the duck breast was so-so, the sauce too acidic for our taste. The farm salad was slathered with creamy dressing and when we asked for a replacement with dressing on the side, there was hardly any lettuce, and a lot of raw veggies. The chocolate mousse cake was great, including the ice cream on top, but the olive oil cake was dry as a bone. Wasn't just bad luck, another reviewer said the same thing. read more

Honestly just great food, was lucky to catch the final day of white truffle. Service is great as well, nothing to complain. read more

The Food was really good and the service was so accommodating. The waitress took time to explain all the menu items. Highly recommend. read more

Giulia - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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The cocktails were solid. Appetizer was good but a single bite each. The pasta and sauce were good but only 6 bites. Pistachio gelato desert was alright but not as good as Van Leeuwen. Service and atmosphere was good. We tried the chefs special truffle pasta dish. It was decent but not $120 good (after tax and tip). "7g of truffles" really means a few thin shavings. How do you know the weight is accurate? The dish lacked flavor and the aroma was mild. I've had truffles but never fresh white truffle. I know it's an expensive ingredient. Either the flavor and aroma is really nuanced, we didn't get enough, or the ingredients were old. Either way, it didn't feel "worth it" like oysters, lobster, kombucha, good beer, good cheese, good steak, prosciutto etc does. Portions were anemic and the surprise 3% kitchen appreciation fee felt inappropriate for such an expensive meal. read more

Giulia - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Giulias staff was so attentive on this visit! I wanted a wine similar to Sauvignon blanc and the waiter was so helpful in picking something good ! The inside of the restaurant is also. cute and homey. My favorite plate was the semonlina cakes ! read more

Have come here multiple times for a tasting menu and really enjoyed it! The tasting is $75 and alcohol pairings are $35. Most dishes are solid, creative and tasty. High notes * first cocktail using bitters and cardamom * chicken liver mouse on a crostini * wild boar pasta (long time staple on the menu) * whole perch fish * chocolate hazelnut dessert read more

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By far my favorite restaurant. This is a sophisticated Italian menu that changes seasonally, nothing is pretentious or overly spiced. Don't go with someone who is looking for chicken parm or gluten free options. Order everything to share because you'll have a hard time choosing from the fantastic menu. Don't miss the semolina cakes under Sfizi, then jump to the Antipasti where there's always a cheese, a bread, a veggie and a meat option with seasonal treatments. All the pastas are excellent, classics like beef bolognese sauce, but it's the updated specials like a recent civatelli with shrimp bread crumbs in a light crema or the duck and prosciutto ravioli that keep me coming back. By now you think you're full but make sure to at least share one of the secondi, always roast meats or fish, lighter options in the summer. The service is excellent, they will expertly explain every nuanced detail of the food or the wine if you wish, but they also will spare you any food sermons and just make sure your glass is full and that you're having a wonderful evening. read more

This was the second time we dined at Giulia's. The first time we had dinner there the cuisine was average but the second time it was much better. For an Italian -American restaurant the quality was very good this time. It would be just an average restaurant in Italy. The service was very good. Our waitress was knowledgeable and attentive. The ambiance is Ok Nothing special. It was not loud and noisy which was a big relief. read more

Pretty poor experience at a restaurant of this caliber. While food was good the service was terrible. There are usually 3 types of bad service in my book: (1) when waiters try but due to being very busy and/or understaffed, they can't provide a good service, (2) when the restaurant is not busy and you are just ignored and finally (3) the worst kind when the server has a poor attitude. Sadly this was the latest option. The server was just terrible. He had such a bored attitude and gave you one sentence answers it just made you feel very unwelcome and not ask him for anything. Felt like he really didn't want to be there and I was just running his day. The table outdoors was dusty and no-one bothered to wipe it before we sat down. We asked the waiter to wipe it and were ignored. We had a toddler with us in the stroller who was first sleeping when we came and then awake. We were only given 2 sets of plates and silverware. Food wise place was good for the most part but we had better Italian at a million other places (we eat out at least once a week and always dine out on vacation). We had: Semolina cakes (blah, not bad but nothing crazy) Fluke crudo (best dish we had and frankly one of better crudos I had) Chicken liver crostini. Not sure how to word it but really good chicken liver patesare usually light and airy and have a nice vinegar touch to it. This one was heavy and had a slight weird aftertaste. Bread wasn't great either. Wild boar pasta - not bad Stuffed cheese pasta with vegetables - so boring and pedestrian. Tasted like a pasta you would get from a neighborhood pizzeria. Zukini cake for desert was weird although ice cream that came with it was phenomenal. read more

The food was very tasty! I was looking for places to eat and stumbled across this place. What a treat!

We ate outside on a beautiful September evening. Service, food, and ambiance were all great.

Best Italian food in Cambridge! Absolutely loved everything we ordered. The bread is warm and chewy. The culurgiones remind me of extra flavorful perogies with pork belly. The papardelle has been on their menu since the beginning- and for good reason! The pumpkin "tart" dessert is a moist pumpkin cake with parsnip cheesecake decor. read more

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Fabulous pasta but make a reservation or be on line by 5pm. Wonderful food and bar and home made pastas.