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    Nico Ristorante

    4.0 (751 reviews)
    PriceyItalian, Wine Bars
    Closed 4:00 pm - 11:00 PM

    Nico Ristorante Photos

    Business Info

    NICO RISTORANTE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Intimate
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Nico Ristorante

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    Rigatoni alla nico
    Shannon B.

    Lovely little spot in the North End. The service was very attentive and food was yummy. Especially the meatball... it's a must get! Only down side was it was a little noisy in the tight upstairs.... Music a little lower would be better to talk amongst ourselves at the tables.

    Raul P.

    The food, service, and ambience here are truly outstanding. Every dish I tried was phenomenal -- easily some of the best Italian food I've ever had! I'll admit I'm not great with spelling the Italian names, but all three plates I ordered were incredible -- full of flavor, perfectly cooked, and beautifully presented. The staff was warm and attentive, and the atmosphere made the whole dining experience feel special. I only wish this place wasn't all the way across the country from me! I'm so glad I visited Boston and stumbled upon this gem. If you're anywhere nearby, do yourself a favor and eat here -- you won't regret it!

    Menu
    Kellie F.

    Great location and we landed here completely by accident. Owner fit us in on a Friday without a reservation. He said 5 minutes and kept to his word. Our food was amazing. Super fresh and delicious. We all ordered a different dish and one was better than the next.

    Paul N.

    We had a team dinner here and holy sh*t, this was one of the best Italian meals I've had. They accommodated our large group downstairs and while it was a little warm the staff were on top of it. I had the carbonara for dinner with chicken. While I would have preferred for it to be in the pasta, it was on the side. Not the juciest breast I've had but far from the driest. But the carbonera? Oh my. One of the best flavored meals I've had. So super good. The restaurant was decorated well, staff was great, and honestly wish I was in Boston because I'd go back tomorrow.

    Ravioli Ai Funghi Porcini
    Camille C.

    Absolutely exquisite!! Enjoyed every appetizer, beverage and entree we had. Gonna keep this review short and sweet and let the photos do the talking!

    Mango M.

    Incredible polite, service and hospitality. Beautiful day sat in the window seat and enjoyed people watching. The two of us split a Caesar salad, burrata, and the pepper pasta... I don't want to misspell it! Food was solidly, good, very tasty... But we were not rolling our eyes like oh my God this is the best food we ever have... The Caesar dressing was more vinegar than creamy, the Burrata was outstanding and so was the pasta. I think the problem is more that there were so many great looking restaurants on that street to try that you can't help it feel like maybe you've missed out! Again the service was so friendly and outstanding!

    Cacio de Pepe
    Shannon M.

    I honestly went here for the cacio de Pepe table side and it did not disappoint! The cocktails and wine were good, there was even live music. The restaurant itself is tiny but it has a nice ambiance to it.

    Eduardo O.

    Great place to celebrate our wedding anniversary! We went on a Saturday so the North End was packed. Luckily we made reservations. The food and drinks were amazing. They also had a singer there belting the classic "That's Amore"!

    Porcini ravioli
    Patricia B.

    There are so many restaurants to choose from on Hanover St in North End but I'm glad we chose this one. The service was great and the food was amazing. Our group shared the crab gnocchi and house special calamari appetizers. Both were quite yummy. I ordered the porcini ravioli and it was out of this world. Also a large portion. I feel like ravioli dishes usually come with 4 or 5 raviolis. This one came with 8. Highly recommend. My colleagues ordered the chicken limoncello and the chicken parmagiana which they enjoyed as well but I'm convinced my dish was the best. If I came back I would be interested to try the cacio e pepe as I saw them prepare it fresh by the table next to ours. Such a wonderful dining experience!

    White sangria
    Kelsey P.

    In short: best Italian food I've ever had. This was such a fun, lively, delicious dinner. We had a 9pm reservation which is usually later than we've ever gone out to eat, but when in Rome (Boston?). We ordered the Sacchetti and the Antipasto all' Italiano to split between me, my husband, and my mom. The antipasti came with spicy pickled cauliflower, pickled carrots, marinated bell pepper, green olives, Italian meats, and a couple cheeses. This was fun! The sachetti gets its own paragraph here though because it was the best thing any of us ate all night. Truly magnificent little coin purses of pasta with cheese filling, chive fondue on top, and balsamic drizzle. These were sweet, salty, creamy, and everything I've ever wanted pasta to be. I highly recommend this!! I also ordered the Love Tonight cocktail which was delicious. Not super sweet but had good lemon and raspberry flavor. The second drink I ordered was the white sangria which was delicious, and also not too sweet. For dinner, I ordered the porcini ravioli and couldn't be happier. This was the best pasta dish I've ever had (besides the sachetti). It was savory, creamy, salty, and earthy. The mushrooms were divine, and the entire dish was massive. This was truly a work of art! The striped raviolis were a fun touch too. My mom ordered the carbonara, and it was really good. Not as good as the porcini ravioli though lol. My husband got the cacio e pepe made in the cheese wheel which was so fun and delicious. The service was excellent, and our entire experience was magnificent. I am so happy we came here. 12/10 highly recommend.

    Mussels & Clams | 10/29/2022
    Samantha C.

    ORDERED - fritto di calamari | $18 - mussels & clams | $19 - octopus | $24 - spaghetti carbonara | $24 Got sat downstairs and it was quite cramped in there. Very tight squeeze to walk to/from the table and bathroom. Service was great and hospitable. Food was very very delicious and portion sizes were pretty decent that my friends and I left STUFFED. We ordered 3 appetizers to share and also got the starter bread. Used that bread to dip in all the juices of the mussels & clams and octopus -- so good! I also ordered the SPAGHETTI CARBONARA without the peas and it was fantastic. Would definitely come here for dinner again but just a heads up, if you want an intimate setting for conversation... this was a pretty loud space.

    Porcini Ravioli
    Melanie C.

    Husband and I came here on a busy Saturday night. It's a very small place so definitely make a reservation. I got the Porcini Ravioli - One of the best pasta meals I've ever had. Absolutely incredible. I will think about this meal for years to come. Hubby got the Rigatoni alla Vodka - he ate every bite and then was sooo full after but said it was worth it. Our one complaint is that the music is incredibly loud. Felt like we were in a night club rather than an Italian restaurant. We were in the corner by the front door and I believe it's the only speaker in the place. We asked them to turn it down and they did, but then someone turned it back up. They also blast music even louder when it's someone's birthday and they make it into a big spectacle, but being in the corner next to everyone waiting for a table we couldn't even see what was happening and the music was just ridiculously loud. Definitely choose a different restaurant if you are taking anyone who's hard of hearing or if you want to be able to have a nice conversation at dinner... it's very overstimulating. With that said. I'm still giving it a 5/5 stars because the pasta is simply incredible.

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    8 days ago

    Amazing food, service, wines. Food was absolutely amazing!!! get the burrata, cheese wheel pasta, and mushroom ravioli!!!

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    4 months ago

    The only thing that wasn't great was the calamari. North end Italian overrated but Nico surprised me. Get the meatball

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    Limoncello Ristorante - Meatballs

    Limoncello Ristorante

    4.0(1.1k reviews)
    0.2 miNorth End
    $$$

    Got it right away. Noisy and tables are quite close together…read more 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

    Ristorante Limoncello is an Italian restaurant that opened in Boston, Massachusetts in April 2000…read more 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!

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    Limoncello Ristorante - Interior

    Interior

    Limoncello Ristorante - Chicken Parmesan

    Chicken Parmesan

    Limoncello Ristorante - Exterior

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    Exterior

    Cafe Amaro - Pepperoni pizza

    Cafe Amaro

    4.4(80 reviews)
    0.1 miNorth End

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

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

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    Cafe Amaro - Kitchen area

    Kitchen area

    Cafe Amaro - Prosciutto and Fig pizza

    Prosciutto and Fig pizza

    Cafe Amaro - Broccoli rabe pizza

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    Broccoli rabe pizza

    Trattoria Il Panino

    Trattoria Il Panino

    3.8(792 reviews)
    0.1 miNorth End
    $$$

    Trattoria Il Panino is one of the many lovely Italian restaurants that you'll find in the North…read moreEnd. Not my favorite but it's still a goodie! They get SUPER packed on weekends especially & I definitely recommend making reservations instead of relying on walk-in. We made a reservation on a Saturday at 9pm & we still had to wait ~30 min for our table to be ready, because of how busy they were. Now, they do move pretty quick though! Once we were seated & gave our server our order, our food came in a timely manner. We ordered: -calamari -trombetta al pesto -chicken parm -carbonara w/ chicken cutlet The calamari was quite yummy. It tasted fresh and the batter was light but still crispy. We even debated on getting another order of the calamari! Trombetta al pesto is what I personally had. Good portion size & loved the pesto sauce. I did wish it came with a protein but that's okay. The pesto is on the herb-ier side as opposed to garlicky, so keep that in mind if you're not too big on herb heavy taste. I personally loved it though. The pasta was also cooked al dente, PERFECTO! The chicken parm was demolished within minutes of arriving to our table, so that should tell you how good it was haha. Now, for the carbonara with chicken cutlet, the pasta was cooked perfectly. Nice and al dente but we wished that we had gotten grilled chicken breast instead of the breaded chicken cutlet, as it probably would've paired better with the dish. Overall, I think Trattoria Il Panino is a solid spot to go for a sit-down lunch or dinner! I liked that even though we did have to wait a bit for our table with reservations, we didn't have to really wait for our food after ordering. The staff was very efficient and service was outstanding! Parking: parking garage by Haymarket or can valet in front of the restaurant.

    Everything went well tonight for a Saturday in the North end with the world out and about. So…read morepacked out there that night, the city was alive. We waited about 30 minutes after checking in for our reservation, they were running behind a bit. We were then seated in the downstairs dining area, which i actually liked better than upstairs, felt more intimate and more spacious. Service was great, our server was very nice. We were here to celebrate a friend's birthday - Trombetta al pesto The pesto sauce was on the herbier side, i prefer more of a garlic pesto but still delicious! - chicken parm with ziti - actually a much smaller portion then expected, would have liked a bit more ziti to chicken cutlet ratio. BDay boy inhaled it anyways. - chicken cutlet carbonara spaghetti i probably would have opted for the grilled chicken over a cutlet next time. For me it was a bit dry with the cutlet and needed MORE sauce for the dish overall. It was tossed in some, but the flavor didn't come thru as bold as i had hoped. perhaps some bacon bits in it would have hit another flavor trigger on my taste buds personally haha. Overall though it was still a good pasta. All the pastas were al dente. Came out hot and quick. We really liked the calamari, fresh, not chewy, not overly battered. Would def get two of these next time! The staff was super nice, got a tiramisu desert for the birthday boy! Nice light and a sugar kick.

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    Trattoria Il Panino
    Trattoria Il Panino
    Trattoria Il Panino

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    Haley Henry Wine Bar

    Haley Henry Wine Bar

    4.3(246 reviews)
    0.7 miDowntown
    $$

    I've been a loyal fan of haley.henry for years and have recommended this spot to countless friends,…read moreso I was really excited to finally bring a new coworker here. Unfortunately, this most recent visit didn't live up to the high standards I've come to expect. While a few dishes hit the mark, the majority of our order was a letdown: Tinned Octopus: Surprisingly chewy and lacked seasoning. Mushroom Toast: The texture was rubbery, and the flavor was completely drowned out by an aggressive amount of balsamic. Beets: Had a very overwhelming cumin flavor that threw the dish out of balance. Roast Beef Slider: Served cold and felt a bit uninspired. It's such a cute, intimate space, and I've had so many wonderful nights here in the past, but the execution was just off this time around. I'm hoping it was just an off night, but it was definitely disappointing given how much I usually love this place!

    Haley Henry Wine Bar is a solid spot for a relaxed but elevated wine night. I went on a Wednesday…read moreevening without a reservation and had no problem getting seated right away for a table of two, which was a great start. The wine selection is excellent and thoughtfully curated -- whites, reds, bubbles, orange wines, and more, so there's truly something for every palate. My friend and I both ordered a red, and it was absolutely perfect. Our server was super friendly and attentive, and she even offered a few samples so we could try before committing to a full glass, which we really appreciated. For food, we shared the hot dog with fried oysters to pair with the wine, and it was surprisingly delicious and a fun, elevated bar bite. Overall, the experience was fantastic -- great wine, great service, and a comfortable atmosphere. Pricing is definitely on the higher end, with wine glasses around $20 and the hot dog at $14, but the quality and experience justify it. I'd absolutely come back for another wine night.

    Photos
    Haley Henry Wine Bar - Inside

    Inside

    Haley Henry Wine Bar - Cheese & charcuterie - the pistachio butter is unreal

    Cheese & charcuterie - the pistachio butter is unreal

    Haley Henry Wine Bar - Cheese & Charcuterie - such a perfect small bite!

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    Cheese & Charcuterie - such a perfect small bite!

    Panza - Linguine Carbonara

    Panza

    3.8(1.6k reviews)
    0.1 miNorth End
    $$

    Had a nice dinner on a Thursday night. Service was good and food was also solid. We had a large…read moregroup and they handled it well, while also taking care of the other guests. I had the Chicken Parm, which is always my litmus test for Italian restaurants on my first visit.

    I just had one of my worst experiences at a restaurant in a very long time. Unfortunately, we were…read morelate for our reservation, but I had called 10 minutes ahead of time and kept the restaurant up-to-date the entire time. At no point did the restaurant indicate that us being late was going to be an issue. Ever. I know how hard it is to get a reservation in Boston so I was being very conscious about making sure they knew and apologizing profusely. They could have cancelled. Or told me they had to move the time They never did. When I got there, I was told the Wait wpuld be a few minutes.. fine That makes sense. 20 minutes later, I had to ask how long it would be to get a table and that I was met with a woman named Stephanie who then told me we don't hold tables and it was nice of you to call but we can't hold a table for with that information on a Friday night in the north end of Boston. She was soooooooooooooooooo Nasty about it. I could've easily made another reservation at several other restaurants. Or walked across the street instead of standing there. Due to her unnecessary behavior and the lack of communication from the restaurant, we went to a restaurant on the corner, which we could've done at Any given point had anyone communicated with me the way I communicated with them. Line out the door and I did not see them talking to anyone in line. , shame on them for having such attitude Don't go here they're rude After 6 hours on a plane And a car ride that was supposed to be 20 minutes that turned into 40 That's not how you treat a customer that truly went out of Their way to communicate and give the restaurant courtesy. Their communication should have been up front from the beginning. This woman was so nasty. We left. Went somewhere else. Which we could had done earlier. Do better

    Photos
    Panza - Interior

    Interior

    Panza - Bruschetta

    Bruschetta

    Panza - Cheers to spending time with my son!

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    Cheers to spending time with my son!

    Nico Ristorante - italian - Updated May 2026

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