I still think about the truffle rosette here - absolutely AMAZING. Their plate of bread and olives tasted incredibly fresh too for complimentary bites! I don't think you can go wrong with any of their pastas Service was amazing, our server was friendly and had great recommendations. Lots of indoor seating, and it felt like a neighborhood Italian restaurant/diner - with prices in the $$ to $$$ range. The price definitely justifies the quality of food! Well worth and would come back again (for the rosette) read more

Unfortunately, our experience was very disappointing from start to finish. The wine selection by the glass was limited to the house wines, priced at $17 per glass. We ordered the Riesling, which was just okay--nothing memorable. I was looking forward to the Penne all'Arrabbiata, but it was a letdown. The sauce lacked the bold, spicy flavors I expected, and the dish was surprisingly bland. It honestly tasted like something I could have made at home with a jar of Rao's marinara sauce. What made it even worse was the service. Our server came across as impatient and dismissive, repeatedly pressuring us to order before we had enough time to look through the menu. Instead of feeling welcomed, we felt rushed throughout the meal. Ambiance was nice. This was not the experience we had hoped for, and unfortunately, we won't be returning. read more

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Got it right away. Noisy and tables are quite close together. Ordered haddock puttanesca and pomodoro. Good size portions but i wish the pomodoro had more basil. Good and quick service. Very attentive. Food - 4 stars Service - 5 stars read more

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There are a million Italian restaurants in the NorthEnd, and apparently, every single one of them is good. We only had time to try out one, so this is the one our hotel suggested. It's one of the newer restaurants, and you can kind of tell. It's got a lighter feel to it (neither good nor bad just different from your usually dim Italian restaurant). We were sat by an open window which was delightful with the weather we had. The waitress was friendly, helpful, and engaging. Everything we had was fresh and delicious especially the cannoli. I highly recommend the chicken parm and cannoli! read more

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Some of the best Italian food I've ever had in America. Rosette Al Montasio Ed Olio Di Tartufo was the special and it was so good! Also some of the best cannolis. Absolutely loved this place. read more

Limoncello Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Some of the best Italian around Boston. Great atmosphere. Go for the food, skip on the dessert.

Had an amazing lunch at Limoncello! Absolutely loved our pasta dishes. We felt like we were part of the Italian family running this place! Couldn't recommend this place enough to people. read more

Limoncello Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Ristorante Limoncello is an Italian restaurant that opened in Boston, Massachusetts in April 2000. It was founded by restaurateur and Italian immigrant Maurizio Badolato. Born and raised in Calabria, Italy, Badolato worked as waiter as a young boy before immigrating to Boston in the 1970s. At the age of just 15, he was working as a busboy at a Boston restaurant and slowly worked his way up the restaurant totem pole. One night after getting off work, Badolato bought a wad of $5 scratch lottery tickets and won one million dollars. He decided to use the winnings to fulfill a lifelong dream and open his own restaurant in the North End (aka Boston's "Little Italy"). He hired practically his entire family to come over from Italy and work at his restaurant, which is located along the Freedom Trail right next to the historic Paul Revere House. Many of the recipes belonged to Badolato's mother Concetta, including her famous meatballs. She was a constant fixture at the restaurant until she passed away in 2015. The head chef at Limoncello since day one has been Chef Andrea Moggi. A second location opened nearby at 76 Salem Street in 2017, but it closed a year later. My family and I recently visited Ristorante Limoncello for dinner while we were spending the day in Boston. After a long day of walking and sight-seeing, we found ourselves in the North End for dinner time. We walked by the restaurant and loved the name and the menu. We were seated on the outdoor patio area for a delicious al fresco dining experience. My wife and I both shared the "Scallops Limoncello" (fresh sea scallops sautéed in 'homemade' Limoncello, served on a bed of baby arugula) and the "Tagliolini al Limoncello" (fresh homemade pasta with jumbo shrimp cooked in a tomato cream sauce). Although the restaurant doesn't have a Kids Menu, our friendly server told us that she could easily bring us a family-style plate of "Penne with Meatballs" (red sauce) for our two sons to share. Everything was excellent, right down to the complimentary bread bowl and olives! For dessert, I had the "Lemon Sorbetto" (served in a frozen lemon shell) paired with a glass of their delicious housemade "Limoncello". It was the perfect way to end a fantastic meal! We hope to be back! read more

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Stopped by again for a business dinner. Amazing food and service they have the best meatballs I have had. Definitely will be back. You cant go wrong whether its a small or large group. read more

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I really enjoyed my experience! The complimentary bread and olives was a great start of our experience. Then the non alcoholic wine was delicious and made me feel like I was having the real deal. Then the best part was our entree-- Rosette Al Montasio. I've never had a pasta dish like this it was superb, it was so flavorful and filling! The service and ambiance was great.. your typical old school Italian restaurant vibe. read more

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Came here on a nice Friday night - the ambiance was lively and felt like a casual family place with the Italian mural and the framed pictures of people. They dropped a basket of good bread and olives to start the meal off. We had a few different servers, so sometimes there were repeat questions or gaps in service. We ordered Negronis and Limoncellos for drinks which were pretty balanced. For food we had the prosciutto and melon, mozzarella with tomatoes and cucumber, Mama's meatballs, the rosette, and fusilli ragu. The apps were simple but good, the burrata was creamy, the prosciutto freshly sliced, and the meatballs were good. The mains took a bit to come out and it was clear they'd been sitting out for a bit - they were lukewarm. The rosette was the star with good flavor and texture. Sadly the fusilli didn't quite hit because the ragu was almost cold. Presentation-wise most dishes looked like they'd been plated hastily. And everything is pricey these days, but it was bit more $ than expected. Overall it was still a solid meal. The extra treat was the two singers who walked around and performed a couple songs that fit the vibe - The Godfather and Andrea Bocelli. That was a lovely way to end the meal. read more

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Went here for a special event and left unsatisfied with the food. It's in the north end, so the vibes I would say are pretty high and our server was so sweet. However, none of us liked our food. Pastas were lacking flavor and the noodles weren't cooked well. read more

One of our absolute favorites! We came here last year and had a great experience with delicious food and even live music (we went on a Saturday night). We went back last night and I'm delighted to say we had just as great an experience! While there was no music (I think it might just be a weekend thing), we still had a phenomenal time. We had a reservation for 7:30 and had no issues being seated quickly. To start we got a bottle of wine. The waitress was knowledgeable on the different wines and was able to help us select a tasty one! We were also brought bread, Parmesan, and olives. My boyfriend loved that touch last time and was so excited to snack on the olives again. For our appetizer we got the arugula burrata salad. While this isn't on the menu (maybe it's a special?), if your waiter mentions it to you then you should get it! The burrata is so light and creamy, and goes so well with the veggies. Any leftover cream is great for dipping the bread into! For our entrees we got the chicken Marsala (Pollo Alla Marsala) and the Tagliolini Al Limoncello. I was very close to getting the lobster ravioli (it's what I got last time) but decided to try something new- and boy am I glad I did. The portions are huge which we love, and the food is amazing. The chicken Marsala was delicious. The mushrooms and chicken were perfectly cooked, and the sauce was so good. Would definitely recommend this dish. The taglolini al limoncello comes with MASSIVE shrimp. While it is 4 pieces, it's 4 huge pieces. I still have plenty of shrimp leftover. The sauce is unreal. I would work here just to learn how they make that sauce. It is so good and the perfect blend of tomato, cream, garlic, wine?, and whatever else is in it. So good. The sauce they use is in plenty of other dishes, but it's a must try! Each bite of my pasta felt like I was in a cozy home. Despite being pretty busy (there were lots of people there- especially for a Wednesday!) our service was great. Everything was brought out to us in a timely manner- we never had a moment of "where's our food?" . The staff is very friendly and kind, and the overall atmosphere is very friendly and family like. You really feel like you're sitting in someone's cottage sharing a meal with family. I highly recommend this spot, it's one of our all time favorites. The food is so good, service is great, and overall experience is one of the best! We'll be back soon! *note: for reservations we usually call read more

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Had a wonderful experience dining at this cozy restaurant just steps away from the Paul Revere house. We walked in, and service was exceptional possibly the best I've experienced in North End. We ordered the meatball appetizer special, linguine alle vongole, and the rosette pasta fish with perfect hint of truffle and mushroom. read more

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Went here as part of a food tour. This was an awesome place. The service was fantastic and the food was delicious. There was plenty of seating and cute older pictures posted around. Would definitely recommend read more

Limoncello Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Food was absolutely spectacular!! My families server Carmelina was very friendly and was very attentive which made our whole experience better. One negative I must add was the bathrooms, they were not very clean considering the rest of the restaurant was great. Overall had a great experience with our great service and food. Thank you Carmelina for making us feel welcomed! read more

I had low expectations because I don't tend to enjoy Anerican-Italian food with heavy sauces, bricks of meat, etc. compared to the fresher, authentic Italy-Italian food. However, my tailor is not a guy that likes going out to restaurants and he told me that this is about the only restaurant in the US he goes regularly. I have to say ... it didn't disappoint. If you are looking for the type of Italian food you'd find in Italy, think again. But, there is a reason why this is one of the most popular restaurants in Bosyon's North End. The portions are big, the taste is good and the prices are fairly reasonable in these inflationary times we are living in. Oddly, there isn't much difference in the price of meat dishes vs. pasta dishes. We had their famous entree ... The pasta pinwheel, which is house made long pasta noodles stuffed with cheese and prosciutto and covered in a pink sauce. It doesn't sound great but when you eat it, you'll like it. I haven't really ever seen it on a menu before. The ceasar salad was okay ... not as garlicky as I'd have liked and more mayonnaise-based. Table bread was great and the house wine was reasonable for a bottle ... but at $17 per glass, overly expensive. They were pretty packed on a weekend and they don't stay open that late. You'll want reservations because we saw a lot of people who were waiting a long time for a table or who couldn't get a table. The restaurant is small, cramped and has a nice buzz. It can be hard to hear conversations because the tables are so close together and the ceilings are so low but there is a very convivial vibe here. If you hate eating elbow to elbow with strangers, you'll want to come on an off-night ... but we like the crowded, festive weekend nights. The wait staff is very good and attentive. Our waitress was a bit snooty and patience was not her virtue. However, she was very capable and efficient and the two Italian gentlemen who brought out the plates and took our coffee order were great and we weren't rushed through our meal. They had two singers there who sang Italian songs for 20 minutes or so. They were very good tenors and we would have loved it if they sang longer. At the end of their 20 minute set, they go table to table with a bucket for tips, so make sure you have some cash. Overall, I can certainly see why this is one of Boston's most popular restaurants. Everything clicks ... good food, big portions, fun atmosphere and it's anything but a corporate vibe. It won't be everyone's cup of tea ... speaking of which, don't miss out on the authentic Italian cappuccino and espresso. read more

Food was absolutely delicious! The staff was great and attentive, and even shared the restaurant's family history! read more

Limoncello Ristorante - Veal Franchese - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Horrible experience. Checked in with front desk at 8:10 for an 8:30 reservation. Returned at 8:23 and wasn't sat until 8:55 because people continued to get sat in front of us. Even people who showed up far after us. Finally got in, waiter seemed in a rush but we ordered our food right away. Chicken parm was god awful. Chicken so chewy I couldn't even finish 1/4 of it. Waiter never checked in on how we were throughout the meal. Ordered a Diet Coke and was given regular. Bathroom was also very dirty. Only saving grace was a good cannoli. I'll never return and will never suggest this place to anyone. read more

This place has the worst food in the north end. Truly disgusting. The waitstaff are rude. The red sauce is like chef boyardee. It's orange. Even the bread is awful. The ladies bathroom doors don't lock..... read more

We came here on Valentine's Day, and it was packed with couples having romantic dinners. There is crusty bread with olive oil, and olives to start. Everyone says you have to get the meatballs- and they're right- so soft and flavorful! There is a nonna who perfected the recipe and served it for many many years there, who has a bench dedicated to her outside the restaurant- Mamma Francesca Concetta Badolato. We got those as an appetizer. I'd also recommend the stuffed artichoke. The breadcrumbs and bits of meat are perfect for dipping your artichoke leaves (though admittedly a bit messy for a date night). For entrees, we both got seafood pastas. My boyfriend said the lobster atop his squid ink pasta was very fresh tasting. The mussels and clams were super fresh in my frutti di mare pasta as well. I was hoping for a spicy sauce, but I think that they may have been using a different sauce that night, with cherry tomatoes. For dessert, you've got to get the tiramisu. Fresh whipped cream, dark chocolate, the distinct dusting of espresso, perfectly moist coffee and cream soaked lady fingers, what more could you want? The portion sizes are huge- if you order appetizers you will definitely have enough for another meal. read more

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Would you care for some authentic Italian meals in an authentic Italian ambiance? This was suggested and I've heard of this place through word of mouth. There are many Italian options in and around Boston and it doesn't necessarily have to be in Little Italy. Yet I need to check off so many to say I've tried them all. I would most definitely come back to Ristorante Limoncello. There were three of us and as soon as we arrived, we were greeted and welcomed. What was consistent was each of our meals all had the same tomato cream sauce. Our friendly server suggested their most sold dish which was the Rosette Al Montasio Ed Olio Di Tartufo. This was so delicious and excellent. One friend was in the mood for squid ink fettuccine, and another one was in the mood for lobster ravioli. Recommended dish would also go to Lobster Ravioli! To share, we ordered Capresse, and an order of three meatballs after noticing multiple tables were sharing with each other. So sorry as I cannot remember the name of our dessert, but it contained almond. If anyone reading this could drop me a comment with its name, or I'll have to go back again the next time I'm in Boston again. It Was Tasty! Definitely my new go to when in the North End. Highly Higly Recommended Ristorante! Price 5/5 Food 5/5 Service 5/5 Atmosphere 5/5 read more

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Great service and environment, a little close and noisy but to us that's a sign they're doing something right! The scallops Limoncello were phenomenal, highly recommended. Finished dinner with the lemon ice and a spumoni which were also great. We'll definitely return! read more

Great family style and authentic feeling Italian place in the edge of the north end Food: Rosette 5/5: Maybe the best single dish I've had in the north end, it's their signature and was great Scallops 5/5: served in this great green sauce, only thing that could've maybe been better is the portion size Lobster ravioli 4/5: excellent staple Meatballs 3/5: was a little disappointed good but not great Service: Our waiter said he's been going since he was 9 yrs old and it showed. Great recommendations, friendly/ conversational, and overall great experience Ambiance: Note, the ambiance is more of a traditional and older Italian look inside more suitable for families. The food is good as mentioned but this isn't one of the more trendy places on Hanover st read more

Very nice outdoor seating, friendly staff amazing food. Service was good. Was just an all around great experience read more

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This is our new favorite Italian restaurant in Boston. WOW! Service was great! The food was so delicious. Great meatballs, excellent pasta and delicious veal. This restaurant is not your usual red sauce Italian. Its tradition meets high quality. The ambiance is simple but comfortable with a robust noise level when the restaurant is full. Cocktails are good and the wines are priced right. Cheers . read more

It's been a while since we last dined here and happy to find that the service, ambiance, and food is still good. The dishes, though, are not quite as outstanding as we remembered, but still satisfying nevertheless. We shared antipasti of their signature scallops which were fresh and succulent, though the lemony sauce was a tad on the sweet side; and the carpaccio. We then had pastas of the risotto (with baby shrimp and asparagus), spaghetti pomodoro, and squid ink fettuccini with lobster - these were all good with the risotto standing out. The squid ink pasta was very good but the spaghetti pomodoro was a bit on the acidic side. I had their vitello piccata which was tasty but again a tad bit too acidic for my taste. For dessert we had the tiramisu and almond cake - these were very good and satisfyingly decadent. All in all, a good tasty experience! read more

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I consider Limoncello one of the best Italian restaurants in Boston. Every time we go we try something different and we are always thrilled with the result. Everything is fabulous!! read more

Have to say pretty disappointed with the food unfortunately. Meatballs as an appetizer were the best thing I had all night. Those were good, delicate, tender and well seasoned. But everything else was pretty mediocre at best. Their supposed special Rotelle which was pushed hard by the waiter was basically 3 parpadelle noodles rolled up with some prosciutto in a cream truffle sauce. Overall not really that special at all and certainly not worth $34. My wife had the chicken picatta and I'm not exaggerating when I say it tasted like a microwave low calorie meal. It came with vegetables and it was literally out of a freezer bag. Brocolli, baby carrots and flaccid green beans. Honestly...can you not just saute some fresh veg? Really disappointing. read more

First impressions was that the staff was very friendly. The atmosphere was full of energy but not overwhelming. Being in the North End there was all sorts of fun things, one being, there was also someone who came by to sing some Italian songs and it really engaged the whole crowd. The prosciutto and melon appetizer, along with the meatballs was a great start. The house cabernet and house Pinot was a good touch as well. The black ink squid pasta looked amazing and the Rosetta Al Montasio is super well known and tasted well balanced with the prosciutto truffle and cream sauce. Lastly, the Limoncello drink was a nice dessert finisher. Pretty sweet with lemon sour flavor almost like the lemon candy, not usually my style of drink but it still tasted good. Parking here is super rough though and I recommend walking from the downtown area. On a nice day it's a nice walk through government center and into the North End. Highly recommend read more

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The food and service were incredible. My family and I went here on NYE for a show and it could not have been better. Highly recommend getting the Rosette Al Montasio Ed Olio Di Tartufo and the Meatball appetizer. And do not forget to have some of the limoncello! read more

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Excellent Italian restaurant in the North End. Definitely one of my favorites. They have a nice front patio and the inside is very cozy. You really can't go wrong with any one of their pastas but I particularly enjoy the Rosette with their homemade wide noodles. The restaurant is slightly upscale (but not too fancy) and on the pricier side. Though the food quality warrants the price in my opinion. Staff was attentive and happy to provide recommendations. Hope to return for another satiating Italian meal! read more

Limoncello Ristorante - Rosette - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Well, first of all our bill was around 500 so it wasn't too bad but in all of the classy restaurants in Boston, this is by it was pathetic. We had a reservation for 830. There was tables open and they us outside in the cold and our food was mediocre at best, but it was a good time to spend with friends and colleagues after that we had our food to go so we asked the waiter to box it up for us, but he threw it out and just gave us the service we had if I could read it at one I would my recommendation is never go there. This is by far the least professional restaurant. read more

Limoncello Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I came here after hearing good reviews from my classmates. The restaurant is small and cozy but can still seat a lot of people. I got the limoncello spritz which was very good and strong. I also shared two pasta dishes. One was the shrimp scampi and the other one was a type of bolognese with lamb and veal. Everything was really good but I really enjoyed the shrimp scampi. I will come here again to try the other pasta dishes. The staff were friendly and we got our dishes really quick. read more

Limoncello Ristorante - Fusilli Con Ragu All'Abruzzese - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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This is my favorite restaurant in north end. Everything on the menu is delicious. I'm obsessed with the meatballs- must try! The service is always great. You do have to call for reservations vs booking online but it isn't too hard to book. Prices are all extremely reasonable especially for the location and quality! read more

Limoncello Ristorante - Veal piccata - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Honestly I never write reviews for restaurants. But this was one of by far my worst restaurant experiences. Only reason I'm giving it 2 is so people actually read the review cause who takes 1 starers seriously. We were in the area and noticed the patio had just opened our reservation wasn't for another 3 hours so we figured we'd see if the reservation we made could be outside, they said it's first come first serve. No problem, so we arrive earlier, our reservation was at 8:30 we arrived at 8 to ask. The owner said there was no more table space left outside. Again fine, so we arrive at 8:30 and we must have pissed them off because the next set of circumstances was the most passive aggressive restaurant experience I've ever had. We weren't given a drink menu when I asked for one they said they didn't have one. Meanwhile the couple next to us had a drink menu. They were also read the specials and every other table had speciality breads meanwhile we had a couple of thrown together loaves. Finally after we got our food we just asked for the check. Another 30 minutes go by the, and the couple next to us is given the check before we are and complimentary limoncello. The food is... fine at best, but not even close to worth the price. Dear lord avoid this place if you wanna ask a question. Never met wait staff that rude before. read more

The food was very good, like eating from your grandmother's kitchen. It's a big restaurant, but lots of seating so it can look and feel crowded. The meatballs are huge and so soft and delicious. Chicken parm as well. Great staff. Parking is horrible. read more

Limoncello Ristorante - Meatballs - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The food was absolutely delicious, and our waiter couldn't have been more attentive. The ambiance transported us straight to Little Italy--so much so that I half expected Michael Corleone to walk through the door. The magic peaked when a gentleman outside began playing The Godfather theme on his accordion. It was unforgettable. read more

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I returned to this restaurant because their meatballs were so delicious 6 years ago! And sure they still are. They open at noon but got there early so they seated me and enjoyed the ambiance and just people watched until they were ready to take my order. As usual, I over ordered For 1 person Meatballs House salad Jumbo shrimp with limoncello pasta I couldn't finish them all but I had fun getting a taste of what was 6 years ago. Delicious! Whenever you're in Boston in the North end area, this restaurant is a must try! read more

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My team came here during the week for lunch, and it was easy to get a table for six. There are a lot of bigger tables so it is definitely a good place if you would like to have a big group lunch or dinner. We started with the burrata and meatballs (their signature dish), and both were solid choices. The meatballs were huge--each one big enough to split between two people--and tasted excellent. For my main, I ordered the chicken parm, as did one of my co-workers, but unfortunately, we were both disappointed. The chicken was dry and lacked flavor overall. That said, the seafood pasta dishes others ordered at the table were a hit--everyone seemed to really enjoy them. I'd definitely come back again but would opt for a seafood pasta next time instead of the chicken parm. And without a doubt, I'd order the meatballs again--they're worth the trip! read more

Limoncello Ristorante - Chicken parmesan - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts