Good menu, great vibe, awesome staff. A little less hectic than a lot of North End places. Didn't feel rushed like they were trying to get you in and out in 45 minutes. I'll definitely go back read more

Loved everything about our meal here! Reservations for seven, and the service was excellent even during busy graduation time. The Aran ink was light and flavorful, just the right crisp on the outside. The portions are large here - salad was enough for two Plus! The baked manicotti was absolutely stellar - fresh pasta rolled around creamy cheese filling, marinara rich and smooth. I could only eat one of them! Fried calamari was a hit, as were the meatballs and shrimp linguine. Tiramisu topped it all off - what a memorable meal! read more

Great food great service! Old world Italian at its best ! Come here anytime you want a good north end experience

Twenty years ago, I came to Boston for the first time to visit a friend. We wanted to walk the Freedom Trail, and we started at Bunker Hill. It was a hot summer day and by 3:30 we were in the North End, hungry (and thirsty). We wandered around finding place after place with locked doors until we walked in to La Summa. A wonderful blond-haired woman said they weren't open yet, but that we should sit down and they would serve us. We had an incredible meal and experience then, and have been there three times since. I came back after 15 years of being away and was ECSTATIC to see La Summa still open. Brought my family specifically there because of the experiences we had in the past, and were not disappointed. The atmosphere is very cozy. The menu is not extensive, but it does not need to be. The two waitstaff who tended to us were wonderful. The wine selection was great. The meal was excellent. We had two party members who wanted variants on the specials (pesto on the ravioli instead of red sauce, and grilled shrimp scampi with no vegetables instead of rock shrimp scampi with vegetables) and there was no hesitation. As we were leaving, I felt the need to give a personal thank you. I went to the back, found our wait staff and thanked them profusely for the experience. She stopped me and brought me over to the table where that wonderful blonde-haired woman was sitting; the owner. I didn't fully remember the story until the yesterday, when I met up with my friend, who I haven't seen in years. I have to say that La Summa has my business whenever I am in Boston. Their service and atmosphere is exemplary and their chefs are incredible. read more

Went to La Summa on Friday night. The food was amazing (veal parmigiana, eggplant parmigiana, over ravioli). The hostess and waiter were extremely courteous and made the night very special. Very highly recommended. read more

Excellent server Destiny with a fantastic personality! She explained the history of the restaurant which made our dining experience more meaningful. The food was absolutely fabulous!! We are from Arizona and the authentic Italian cuisine was superb! Dining at La Summa was the highlight of our vacation!! Thank you to your entire staff and family!! We will be back for sure!!! read more

Great out of the way place. Relaxing. Very friendly. Big portions. Excellent choices and food! Try the spumoni desert!

Wow!! My family loved this place! Great food, friendly staff, and a fun atmosphere. It is family owned (unlike many of the popular restaurants in the North End). We tried a variety of dishes and they were all great! They even helped us modify a few dishes due to our dietary restrictions. The prices are reasonable compared to other restaurants in the area, which is much appreciated. read more

The food is fantastic and the service even better. Destiny is the best server in the north end! Be sure to try the stuffed mushrooms and the "barbara's special" - you've never had a better Marsala! The testifies is outstanding. read more

If I could, I would have preferred to give this resturant 3.5. We made reservations for this location for 6 people. We get there with two people still missing from the group and they wouldn't sit us until we were all present. Luckily it wasn't too crowded by the time our other friends arrived. The resturant is small, with dim lighting making for a more traditional, intimate appeal. The menu was decent, the pasta made fresh. I decided to order a fresh pasta with white sauce, spinach, sun dried tomatos. The sauce was thick, the pasta was very el dente. The portions are uneven- some pasta dishes were much smaller than others. Nonetheless, my food was delicious and relatively filling, although I wish for slightly more seasoning. We paired it with a nice Pinot Nior. I tried a piece of my friend's Gnocci which was too plain. I would recommend this place but I would't say it was impressive. read more

North End Legend. In our 20+ years of going to la summa. Never had a less than amazing meal. Try the veal.

What a friendly little spot. Graduation weekend in Boston, we didn't have a reservation but they managed to squeeze us in. The server, Destiny was fantastic! Very confident, personable, the right blend of letting you enjoy your food and checking in if you need anything. The Moscato was light and delicious. The bolognese was very tasty, so glad I took the special. A very pleasant evening to cap off the time spent in the north end. What a wonderful little spot with super friendly people. read more

La Summa - Chef special. Beef bolognese with fusili. - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Loved the authentic feel and operation. Niece of manager (owner?) waited table for us. Pasta choices were limited since they get fresh pasta each day...and I believe it given they can't have every type. Wine list left some to be desired - but we were there for food anyway. Delicious chicken limon! Well attended to despite busy night. read more

So many choices off Hanover street, and we were so glad we found this one on a recommendation. It is one block off Hanover which means it is more quaint and less noisy and crowded, which is exactly what we wanted. The food here was traditional Italian with good risotto, gnocchi, and other wonderful pastas. We couldn't decide so we had a few appetizers including the risotto and some meatballs, and then followed up with our main courses. All and all a great meal, and I highly recommend searching it out. read more

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This is the cutest place. Probably like 15-20 tables and on an adorable side street in the north end. The service was slow but I didn't care because I know they were super busy. The food and wine were exactly what I was looking for after a 12 hour day at work. Highly recommend for date night!! read more

La Summa - Pollo lemon - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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I ate at La Summa on New Year's Eve and had an absolutely wonderful experience - my first time there, but most certainly not my last. Just a little background: When I called to make a reservation (just a few days prior too), they had availability for 7PM. The hostess mentioned that a lot of people make reservations for 8:30/9PM, so I highly recommend this place if you're looking last minute for a (relatively) early NYE dinner! For our dinner, we had the following: -Eggplant bruschetta (app special of the day): tasty! The plate came out with 4 hot fried eggplants topped with bruschetta and mozzarella melted on top - plenty for 2. -Salsiccia: for this pasta dish, the spicy italian sausage paired well with the broccoli rabe and red peppers. Served with a light olive oil sauce. Big portions. -Pasta Spinaci: This dish was sooooo good. The pasta was *so* fresh and chewy. It came with pieces of Italian ham, spinach, and sundried tomatoes. I would get it again in a heartbeat. Like many other fellow fans have written, it's a block off from Hanover so it's got a cozy, intimate, family feel to it - even on New Year's Eve! Last but not least, their entrees are $15-20 and are big and filling - very reasonably priced. read more

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Service was poor and food was OK but nothing special. If I go all the way to the North End and have to spend $18 to park my car, I expect a lot more from a restaurant. Others in my party were equally unimpressed with their food and lack of service. I would never go back. read more

I got spaghetti and meatballs at La Summa. Hands down, best I've ever had. The service was stellar and an overall fantastic experience. You'll find me here the next time I'm in Boston! I did not really think about the ambiance but looking back it was great. read more

I'd like to echo another review I read: "If it were in Italy this place would go out of business in a week." The bread brought to the table was cold and brought with Land of Lakes butter packets (helloooooo Olive Garden). At least heat it a bit first? My $8 pasta e fagoli soup was about equal in quality to what I could buy in a Progresso soup can or to an Olive Garden (honestly I think I like Olive Garden's version better). My friends got the Cheese Ravioli, a side of broccoli rabe and the gamberi pasta. All were mediocre. $10 per glass for cheap house wine. Service nothing special but can't complain. Atmosphere is decent, but at the prices they're charging, Pomodoro right around the corner is SUCH an upgrade for a comparable price. If you're prepared to shell out $17-$22 for a plate of pasta, don't do it here. read more

La Summa - Gamberi Siciliano - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Came here the night before Boston Marathon when the main streets at the North End were crowded with hundreds waiting in the streets to be seated. This restaurant is on a side street so it was quiet and relaxed. The restaurant itself is pleasant, with indoor and outdoor seating. Food was delicious and reasonably priced. Service was friendly and prompt. Had a great meal and walked back to our hotel past hordes of people still waiting to be seated. Definitely coming back next time we're in Boston! read more

Cute little Italian retaurant off Hanover and close to my daughter's apartment. We had not been here b4. Dinner was good. There were 4 in our party and it was a late lunch/early dinner so we were the only table seated. Service was good. Food was good -chicken parm, veal parm, and a chicken marsala type dish. Important notes: the sauce on the fresh pasta is a pinkish penne vodka type sauce, and the chicken parm was thicker than I like (RI chicken parmesean is paper thin). I would def try it again. read more

This was first time since pandemic started that we went out for dinner as a family. Because it was the last minute decision, we could not get any reservation at 7 in any other places except this restaurant. It turns out that it was a good choice. We started with Bruschetta and Cozze with white sauce. They were good, especially Cozze. It was very fresh and delicious. Then we had Paste Spinaci (excellent), Frutti di Mare (excellent), Vitello Speciale (good but veal was a little bit overcooked), Polle Limone (good), and Tagliatelle with Polpette (excellent). The people were quite friendly but definitely short of staff. We had to wait quite a bit to get served. Overall, we enjoyed our dining experience at La Summa. read more

I took my dad to this small Italian restaurant on Father's Day. I ordered the Pollo Marsala, while my dad ordered the Linguini with Meatballs. He also ordered the Soup of the Day, which is Pasta Fagioli. In terms of wines, I had a 2008 Kris Pinot Noir here, and I thought it was a decent red wine. I liked the flavor, so it was a good way to wash the food down a little bit. Bread was decent, nothing too special, needed to put a tiny bit of olive oil to put some flavor on it. I was able to sample my dad's Pasta Fagioli soup. It had a generous amount of beans in the soup. Beans were tasty, and the pasta was decent. My dad really liked the soup, although it was kind of pricey for a bowl of broth that consists of pasta and beans. My dish, the Pollo Marsala came in. Pollo is the Italian word for chicken, and it consists of sauteed chicken, mushrooms and linguini pasta doused in a Marsala sauce, which is supposedly a mixture of Marsala wine, olive oil and various spices. It was a really tasty dish. The chicken had the right amount of softness and texture that made it really tasty to eat and it was not dry or rough. The mushrooms were amazingly good, from eating a piece, I could even taste that it was freshly cooked. The Marsala sauce made the linguini pasta really tasty. After eating the pasta, I scrubbed a piece of bread on the leftover sauce, and after eating the bread the sauce made it even tastier to eat. Overall it was a delicious dish. My dad enjoyed the Linguini with Meatballs. He gave me a few pieces to eat. I put a piece of meatball in my mouth and began to chew. It was also really tasty and meaty. The Marinara sauce was not too watery or too thick. I put a tiny bit of powdered Parmesan cheese on the meatball, and it was even tastier. Overall, it was also a tasty dish, and great alternative if you want something really simple and if you do want to spend more than $15 on a dish. Atmosphere was somewhat quiet and they try to give this place a home feel by putting some personal family pictures at the entrance. There is a fireplace (that's not working) inside, as if you are eating in a living room of someone's house. Service was decent. I would call this a hidden gem of the North End, we had a pretty tasty and filing dinner and it was in a quiet area from the hustle and bustle of Hanover Street. Overall, this is not a bad choice to have a quiet Italian dinner in the North End. read more

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This place is really one of those hidden gems in Little Italy. Honestly, most of the restaurants in this area are high quality, but I can't say too many of them are that authentic. This one is pretty authentic. The atmosphere is romantic - very homey decor, dim lighting but enough that you can see well, and very professional staff. Great service also! Our server was very friendly and attentive but not overbearing. Foodwise, my boyfriend and I ordered the homemade manicotti and the salticcia. The manicotti was perfectly done, very nice cheese to pasta ratio. The salticcia was also very good, loved the sausage. It was a little salty for me, but I am very sensitive to salt. We ordered Moretti beers, which was a nice accompinament. Finally, for dessert, we ordered the tiramisu. It wasn't the best I've had - a little soggy. However, everything was plated beautifully and overall delicious! read more

La Summa - Manicotti - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Service was attentive and our waiter was very kind and accommodating--when I asked about the risotto of the day, he explained it and then immediately asked if I was hoping for any particular risotto and that they'd be happy to make it. Frutti di Mare: The seafood was excellent--plump mussels, tender squid, crisp shrimp--but the tagliatelle underneath was very bloated and overcooked. It was advertised as freshly made tagliatelle (one of my favorite types of pasta!) but even though I tried it as soon as it got to the table, before it could've had time to sit and get soggy, it was already lacking the textural component that I associate with fresh pasta. House Special (combination of veal, chicken, sausage, artichokes, pepperoncini, olives, mushrooms and Italian spices infused with white wine served over linguine): My boyfriend ordered this dish. Visually, the linguine looked just like the tagliatelle and texturally, it felt similarly overcooked. I felt like the flavor was a little too sour for my liking but my boyfriend finished the plate, so he thought it was alright. TL;DR Good service. Good seafood. Lackluster pasta. read more

La Summa - House Special (veal, chicken, sausage, artichokes, pepperoncini, olives, mushrooms) - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Saw another post saying this was their fav north end restaurant and I completely agree! We ate, drank, and ate some more and they were super accommodating!! Masks and social distancing were mandatory and they complied with all the rules. The food is so delicious and tastes so fresh. Wish I could go every day ;) read more

On a quieter street in the North End. Walked past dozens of Italian places to get here, and I feel like I passed places that I would have enjoyed more. Tiny dining room with a cozy feel. The bread they bring to the table was very good and the service was very good. I was excited to see an eggplant papardelle (or was it tagliatelle?) on the menu. I had a dish like this several times in Italy a few years back and have never found something similar to it in the U.S. I thought this would be it, but it was nowhere near the dish I remember and loved. The homemade pasta was too thick and the sauce wasn't the flavor I was expecting. My sister and I fought over who got to order this one. She won, and after I tasted it I was glad I hadn't ordered it. My sister enjoyed the strips of eggplant, but the texture combination with how the veggies were cut didn't do anything for me. I had the manicotti and it was very tasty but very rich. No authentic Italian here. Authentic Italian-American, though. It's comfort food for the Italian you great up eating. Lots of thick red sauce and heaps of cheese. The manicotti was delicious, really, but this was my first meal since getting off a plane from Europe and it just didn't compare at all to the homemade noodles I had over there. read more

La Summa - The manicotti. - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

What a hidden gem in the North End! Service was amazing - the hostess Lisa was so personable and really made an effort to talk and get to know each customer. Food was incredible! The bruschetta was an extremely generous portion with melted cheese on top, not your typical bruschetta, but did not disappoint. Chicken parm and Gamberi Siciliano both absolutely delicious. Well made drinks as well - we had the Aperol spritz and espresso martini. Definitely will be frequent customers at La Summa! read more

La Summa - Pollo Parmigiana, meatballs, Gamberi Siciliano - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Absolutely amazing dinner - we all thought our meal was a perfect 10! Destiny, our server was AWESOME! Highly recommend this restaurant! Recommend pasta spinacci, pollo limone, and veal (Vitelli) speciale!! wow with all the competition in the north end and over 40 years visiting - la summa will be our regular "go to" without a doubt!" read more

La Summa was stunningly empty on a Saturday night at 7:30, which was clearly a result of its location (tucked away on Fleet Street) rather than its food or service. The party of seven I was with was treated well and fed like kings. The salads were delicious, the arancini was flavorful and moist and my sausage and penne dish was absolutely excellent. Everyone enjoyed their meals very much. This is a place I would indeed recommend. You may have luck here if other North End spots fill up. read more

We stumbled upon La Summa while walking through Boston on New Year's Eve and wanting to get a good, late dinner. We found this place because of Yelp and I'm so glad we found it. It's a very small, family Italian restaurant. The service was pretty good and the food was really great. The olive oil and bread for dipping was very nice and the wine we got was very tasty. The veal and chicken was mouth-watering and the desserts were also very, very good. I definitely recommend this place to anyone in the area that wants a great dinner. read more

La Summa - Caramel custard :) - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This was was great -- from the friendly service, to the ambiance, and the FOOD! I had the pasta spinaci, which was absolutely fresh and delicious. Others at the table ordered a special, pumpkin ravioli or something of the like, which was also fantastic. I don't think you could go wrong ordering anything at this place! read more

One of the best restaurants in the North End. Some of the best, authentic Italian food around. Their aranchis are unbeat. Good atmosphere and very friendly staff. Prices are great too especially for the north end in Boston. 10/10 highly recommend to anyone looking for authentic Italian in the North End! read more

We wanted a nice Italian meal on New Year's Eve and this fit the bill. The food was fantastic and the employees were so nice. Since we did not know what we're doing that night we waited till last minute to get reservations. Even though they were busy they managed to fit us in. They even gave our family NYE hats. The portions are pretty big so I hope you are hungry. read more

Thoroughly enjoyed the food and the ambiance but I have never experienced such slow and lazy service! Made a reservation for 4 at 7:45pm; stood in the doorway for more than 15 minutes waiting to sit even though several tables seemed to be clearing out and none of the staff were in any rush to prep them. After being seated, the waitress took our orders quickly but we waited over an hour for our food. Didn't end up leaving until after 10pm and not because we were the slow ones... like I said, the food was good but I wouldn't go back because of the service. read more

THE REAL DEAL This place is so legit its hard to actually write a review. Ill start from the top. The owner, Barbara is a constant fixture. Her old school charm is irresistible, as is the food. Its a small restaurant, sit in the back room if you can where Barbara and Sharon (a server and maybe Barbara's daughter or niece) seat their friends and come back to sit and visit with them through out the night, and it becomes how much of a true neighbor hood place this is. With a wonderful simple decor. Lets get to the real reason to go here. The food. Everything we had was wonderful. The Gnocchi was sublime, the meatballs are world class and the veal parm was perfect. All of the pasta is made in house and it shows. You simply cannot replicate this type of cooking anywhere but in the small family kitchen. You get the feeling that Barbara is welcoming you into here home.You are treated like family and fed like royalty. Look no further if you are seeking the best Italian food in the North End. Editor: I grew up in a very italian neighbor hood in chicago and have traveled to Italy extensively and this joint stacks up. read more

Best Italian food in all of Boston. I've gone here since I was a kid and have plenty of fond memories. The one downside is they don't post there change in hours, so you need to call ahead of time. read more

Eat at La Summa! The Arancini is to die for and anything else is amazing. Friendly staff and good ambiance

This place has been here a while and it looks and acts like it. The food comes out so fast they have to have it just sitting in the back under a warmer. The waiter was just a jerk. Looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there. We had gnocchi - which tasted like glue - really awful. The rice balls were probably excellent when they were made - but they had been sitting under a heat lamp for a while. The chicken Parmesan was quite good and the fresh pasta that came with it was excellent. The bread was just something stale from a grocery store but they do have a surprisingly good olive oil on the table. Overall if you are used to chain Italian this might be a small step up but there are so many better choices within walking distance I would not go here again. read more

Good choice for dinner if you like attentive service, good home style Italian cooking and no ridiculous lines. Very good portion size. Ordered Caprese Salad as an appetizer. Meal consisted of spinach gnocchi with sausage and chicken and pesto. Service: 5/5 Value: 5/5 Food: 4/5 (a 5 being eating In Italy itself) read more

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