Skip Giacomo's line and go straight here. The butternut squash ravioli is to die for. Very nice beer selection too! I highly recommend for dinner in the north end. read more

The food was average however the service was below average. The waiter (the one with the earring) was very rude and condescending. There are too many other really good places in the area to tolerate being treated in a sub-par manner. read more

Formerly Cibo-This place is amazing! The atmosphere was fantastic and the prices were perfect. Everything was absolutely remarkable from start to finish. I had the mushroom and goat cheese spring rolls and the veal saltimboca, both were outstanding. Our server Chris made the experience that much better and we cannot wait to go back. read more

I hate to give one star to a place that has great Italian food but an obnoxious, rude, & nasty hostess who we find out is the Chef's wife. We were late for our reservations so we understood there would be a wait. When we walked in to tell her we were here, she quickly dismissed us to the outside and said we would have to wait- which is fine. We finally sat down 45 min later and entered Panza . Note: we were 5 40-something yr old women out for a girls night to catch up in what we though would be a nice relaxing atmosphere. Well into our meal while we were enjoying the food, laughing and having a good time, SHE turned to us in the most arrogant, obnoxious way & said, " you are going to have to be quiet..at that point our lovely waitress came over and apologized and said she hopes we enjoy the rest our evening and to please ignore the comment ( the waitress was not aware we were being "loud"). Panza is not a quiet, romantic eatery- it is a small, tight, lively place where conversations are flowing so for us to be singled out was just ridiculous and really just down right rude. I have read another patrons review from a year ago talking about this hostesses' arrogance and just lack of professionalism. I think the chef/owner must seriously consider and think do you really want someone like this to run the front of the house..really? You have good food, so what, does that give her the right to be down right rude?. We are adults not rowdy college kids or a bachlorette party or drunks. Wise up Panza and run your restaurant with courteous people. Our wait staff was a sweetheart who I now feel bad for..who would want to work for someone like that? SOrry--good food & customer service go hand in hand. read more

Although the food and service seemed ok, there were problems with both. Four of the five in our party got food poisoning later in the night, apparently from a green salad we had shared. We called the next morning to complain, but the manager never returned our call. Also, the waiter approached my wife at the restroom to ask why I had not left a bigger tip. (I had left 14% by miscalculation.) Wow. read more

Solid Italian. We had lobster ravioli, gnocchi and spinach and ricotta ravioli. They were all superb. Also had the eggplant park which was a little mushy, but, had a good flavor and good sauce. read more

Wonderful food! Many different options, excellent sauces, and huge portions. The atmosphere is also lovely.

Went here with my significant other and parents a few weeks ago and I was super happy with everything. It's definitely a no muss no fuss type of place but with that said the food is delicious. They have huge portions and very reasonably priced glasses of wine (5 bucks? Who in the Boston has heard of that ever!!) highlight of the meal was the bruschetta, so much stuff on there! read more

Similar experience to Angie L.'s review from 6/17/17. I live in Boston and come to Panza every few months with my husband. We enjoy the food and have never been charged automatic gratuity. Today I went with my mother, 8-month-old, and a Russian friend, and we only spoke Russian. The waitress was terribly rude throughout the dinner and I felt stigmatized since I brought a baby. The waitress then wrote in an 18% tip at the end (for a party of 3 plus baby!). My guess is they were being racist towards Eastern Europeans who they didn't think we're going to tip? I grew up here. read more

Panza attempts to create an authentic italian experience while at the same time failing to deliver on the essentials. First I should say that Panza packs more tables into their space than people in a clown car. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing it does make navigation fairly difficult. My party and I sat down (thankfully we had a reservation) and our waiter approached with intentions of great service. My first clue that the essentials were essentially missing was that I attempted to order and Arnold Palmer, a staple of restaurant everywhere, and I never expect establishments to carry iced tea and lemonade, a fair amount of them do. I was met with confusion when my waiter informed me that they didn't not have Arnold Palmer, so I asked for plain iced tea, a simple commodity that every establishment should carry, unfortunately this place didn't carry that either. Seriously??? Not even iced tea? I can understand not having lemonade, but iced tea? Thankfully my meal was phenomenal, and the service was great, but the iced tea fiasco will stick with me forever. read more

We had a reservation for 5:00 on a Saturday night and arrived about 4:30. Restaurant was happy to accommodate us as they had a busy night ahead. The food was very good and the service was fine, although we were not told about the specials, until the end of the meal. We wanted cappuccino and perhaps a dessert, but as our plates were cleared the bill was delivered. It was clear that they wanted to turn the table and that the waiter felt it would be better to seat another two-some with a 15% tip than it was to let us finish out experience and earn at 25% tip. There are plenty of choices in the North End so we won't be making a return visit to Panza. We had made this reservation months ago and felt disappointed. read more

You're better off going to a local pizzeria. Food is nothing special other than the portions are ok. I understand it's a small place and they have to rush you out to turn tables. No coffee or desert. We had 6 in our party and my sister couldn't find a parking spot. If they sit the 5 people their policy is not to serve the last person. That's really nice of them. Lastly I believe I got sick from the food. If you can find food in this area I guess they will get you in but I would rather starve . read more

Made a reservation for 8:30 on OpenTable. When we asked how long the wait would be, the hostess told us she wasn't a fortune teller and had no idea (helpful). Then at 9:15 when we were finally given our table the hostess tells us "usually we don't seat people unless the entire party is there, but we'll make an exception for you.". (The two others in our party were directly across the street in line for another restaurant, trying to salvage plans for a night that looked like it was already going down the drain...). In short we walked in, then walked right out. You don't make your customers feel like you're doing them favours after making them wait 45 minutes for a table you couldn't honour. The North End is perpetually busy, and every restaurant on the block experiences the same thing every night of the week. There's something to be said about handling your customers well under pressure and not, but the entitlement of the hostess (and owner), Danielle was nauseating. We ended up going across the street to Giacomo's and had the best Italian meal in the entire neighbourhood. Take note: there's a reason Giacomo's is consistently rated higher than panza on every diner's website, and the glorious hostess/owner is one of those reasons. read more

Loved the butternut squash tortelloni and the tarragon fettuccini lobster. Still dreaming about this meal.

Can't stop going on about this place! A little crowded, but soooo worth the wait! The bread was so authentic, and every meal our party ate was loved and shared among the group! Highly recommend the lobster ravioli and the meatballs! You will not be disappointed!! read more

Let me start out by saying this was some of the worst service I've ever experienced in Boston. To begin with, my friend and I expected to have to wait as we'd set off for dinner in Little Italy on a Friday evening without reservations. We were pleasantly surprised that despite having been quoted a 40 minute wait when we gave our names, simply standing around and not wandering away meant that so many names on the list were quickly crossed off that we got in less than 20 minutes later. Unfortunately, this is about where things sour. As we were called to be seated, the hostess-waitress-combo stops us in the door and says, "This is the good tipping section, are you sure you want to sit here?" I was dumfounded -- what do you even say to that? I routinely tip 20% for mediocre service and up, so I consider myself a generous tipper, but what is the implication here? I'm not going to say "of course I will tip you well" before I even experience the service, and if I say the honest "uh, the tip I give will be dependent on the service as one would expect" then what, she won't seat me? I just laughed awkwardly and said yes, but my companion was still understandably lingering in the land of confusion, so the waitress made a comment like "Your friend didn't get the joke." Okay first of all, that wasn't much in the way of a joke, and second of all, this was actually a jab at my friend being Asian and not speaking English as a first language. Yes, madam, my friend understood you perfectly, she just couldn't believe a waiter would say that and, much as I did, didn't see it as a joke. After making such a comment though, I expected stellar service to warrant the tip she so obviously demanded upfront. Cue her neglecting to even get our order for the next 20 minutes as she serviced other tables. Our salad order then got lost somewhere, resulting in us beginning to eat the salad at the same moment that tables seated after us were paying their bill. We then finally received our food, for which I would have given the restaurant 3 stars if not for the atrocious service. The food itself was not terrible, but ridiculously and overly creamy and buttery, to the point where you kind of feel sick after eating it for awhile because you can feel your arteries hardening. I'm Italian and cook my own pasta sauce at home, so my standards are perhaps more exacting than others. We had ordered the Lobster Ravioli and Butternut Squash Tortellini. Anyway, I felt genuinely bad to tip around 12% even though the service was so obviously lacking. I felt bad on two fronts -- bad this waitress had put me in a position where I felt like tipping well would be an act of fraud, and bad that I wasn't gutsy enough to leave the tip that she really deserved, which would have been one dollar flat, but I'm just not that mean. Needless to say, I would never return. I've been to several other restaurants in Little Italy, and this was a uniquely awful aberration. read more

I was not impressed by this place. We got the lasagna and short ribs. The short ribs were awful! So much fat. The lasagna was okay. Every table was filled but we made a reservation so there was no wait. The service is fine but the food is not worth it. read more

very reasonable prices compared to the other hanover st restaurants. food was tasty and your standard italian american menu. i believe giacomo's is their sister restaurant and the food quality takes a bit of a step back from there. all in all was a good meal and offered value for the price. read more

Awkwardly ignored by multiple wait staff despite having a reservation. So obvious, many patrons noticed. Cold rainy night, but easily found better service right down the road. Your loss Panza. read more

Worst experience in north end. They charge $7 per person for each person who doesn't order an entree. They didn't mention anything until we order had all the appetizers. The food (appetizers) was average in taste. read more

We went to Panza for my daughters birthday on Feb 1. The service was horrid. The waiter almost threw the food at us. He was not well trained. He brought us Fried calamari that was so greasy-I was up all night. The Veal saltamuca was almost inedible. My Seafood and pasta dish was stale. I do not know why this place had so many stars it was not worth the money. The waiter did not even ask us if we wanted dessert. read more

The food is amazing and a great price. However, this gets a 3 star due to the crazy wait despite having reservations the last 3 times Ive been there. The last time I had to wait an additional hour past my reservation time because they do not have a dedicated hostess. Being in line with angry diners who keep crowing the non existent wait area is simply not the way I want to spend my evening. I may have to stop going there because anger eating is not that fun. read more

Food was just so-so. They automatically included 18% tips for four people. It was way too crowded in the restaurant and they don't use the AC in the restaurant which make you sweat and uncomfortable. read more

This place sucks. Had reservations, showed up on time, and they tell us to wait outside for 30-45 minutes. Way over booked and no idea how to handle reservations professionally. The tables were stacked on top of each other, not worth it. read more

Excellent food and great service. There was one main waiter and one bus boy in the restaurant, but the attention and efficiency in which they served us was amazing (the restaurant is not that big, but still they deserve some credit!!). The butternut squash tortellini was really delicious. The salad for two was large and tasty. The muscles were amazing and the portion size was very good. The prices were decent as well. Our whole meal with wine was around $47 (2ppl). I would definitely recommend this restaurant if you are in the north end. We will definitely be back. Make sure you make a reservation. read more

Service was great, but the food was ok. Wasn't terrible, just nothing wow about it. The sauce needs more seasonings to begin with. Eggplant parm was fine. I was hoping for it to have been better overall. The bread and oil were good. We cut our loses and did dessert at a pastry shop. read more

Similar to another reviewer below, I give this place 4.5 stars for food, 3.5 stars for atmosphere, and about 1.5 stars for service. First the good - the food here is really great. I had the rigitoni w/ sausage. The sauce was fantastic and the pasta was cooked very well. My friend ordered the chicken marsala and raved about it throughout the meal. The chianti I ordered with my meal was decent but not the best I have had. The restaurant is tiny, as are many North End eateries. That adds to the charm and character, in my opinion. Seating was still comfortable. The place was clean and decorated nicely. Now for the service. I made reservations for a Saturday night at 6 PM. I got there right at 6 and was told that they were too busy and we would have to wait for a table. It took almost 20-25 minutes to get a table. With reservations. I wasn't thrilled about that. Then, the service was rushed. Upon getting the menus from one server, about 2 minutes later we were already asked to order. The server looked quite flustered and was rushing back and forth. The food came promptly and hot, which was great. But as we were eating, the check came and was placed (I learned later they don't serve dessert? A letdown IMO). We finished our meal and were chatting when the server came back again and grabbed the check (which we hadn't even looked at). I told the server it wasn't ready yet. She rolled her eyes and walked away. Huh? I get the restaurant was busy (though at that time there were tables open), but that was uncalled for. So, overall, the place was a good place but the service left something to be desired. I might considering returning for a second evaluation, but we shall see. read more

We were visiting Boston for college tours...read all the reviews and decides on Panza...Our group of seven were seated at the opened window(we went for lunch)...everyone was thrilled with their apps and entrees...great portions...even better food...simple food with tremendous flavor...chef was very friendly and we even discussed some of his recipes...all in all a wonderful experience...not to mention how reasonable it was! I would recommend Panza to anyone! read more

If I could give zero stars, I would! The maître d' was incredibly rude and unprofessional. Our party of 4 had a 6pm reservation (that we arrived on time for!) and several parties who arrived after us and had later reservations, were seated before us. When we inquired why this was happening, the maître d' then proceeded to raise his voice and brushed us off. The North End is filled with fabulous restaurants. Don't waste your time on this one. read more

Went on a Tuesday night since it is a very small restaurant and is very difficult to get seating otherwise. The food was an easy 5 and the service was very good as well. Had the Burrata as an appetizer (it was one of the specials), which was creamy and delicious. We both had chicken parm dinners which were perfect. I'm sure the rest of the menu could be even better, we just both enjoy chicken parm. Would highly recommend but go on an off night to avoid a long wait. read more

I had arrived on time for my reservation and my friend was parking. It was a busy night in the North End and it was raining. When I arrived I told them I had a reservation but they would not seat me until my friend arrived. A few parties walked in with no reservations and were seated right away. The older man with the glasses was extremely rude to me when I had asked if I could be seated and sit down. I wanted a glass of wine and to sit down and review menu. He WOULD NOT seat me and then by the time my friend arrived a few minutes later our table was given away and they told us we had to wait. Outside in the RAIN! We never made it in. If the host was that rude and unaccommodating, then I can only imagine how it might be when trying to place and order. All I wanted to do was try out a new place, but will NEVER go back. Too many other options to choose from to have to be treated like that. read more

Since this is my second experience of this type at Panza, I thought it was time for a review. Via Open Table, I made a 7:30 reservation for myself and guests. When I arrived at restaurant, after rushing to honor the 7:30 commitment I had made, there was chaos at the back. The 7:30 groups were arriving- AND THERE WERE MANY. One could be forgiven for thinking they had stumbled on a restaurant with two seatings - and the first weren't leaving. Fortunately, being the second 7:30 group to arrive, we got to the front of the group pretty easily to check in with the waitress that was running around with a list. As other 7:30 groups tried to crush to the front to see the waitress, It soon became clear that it was best to hold on the front position as she didn't have system to ID the order in which the 7:30 groups arrived and thus, logically, might be seated . In fact she seated the group ahead of us only to have them get back up and rejoin the chaos again. At this point there was only about two tables in at or near the "finishing up" mode . At about 7:45, in response to the back-end chaos, an owner/chef type arrived to the back to send everyone outside; couldn't give a sense of when anyone could be seated. He kept reiterating he needed to clear the door and they would figure it out. No worries about the 30 degree weather or that they had booked about 50%+ of their tables for the 7:30 arrival time and only two were potentially ready to leave. The two "almost leaves" were still at tables, one with almost empty drinking water glasses. Finally, the group ahead of mine got seated and we were promised to be next. At about 8:00, the waiter finally noted to the "water glass" people the back-up in waiting reservations freezing outside. We got seated about 8:10. That was 40 minutes after the reservation time . One expects this if one doesn't have reservations BUT NOT with reservations. The waiter now had to make up time and make up tips -which is an understandable urge but it should not be at customer experience. However, it was!. We thus had different people snapping up plates, putting down plates, we weren't asked if we needed anything else and the bill was slapped down - all in about 35 minutes. We were finished and leaving by about 8:50. As anyone who has visited the No. End on a Saturday night knows, there are no other options available- and we did check other restaurants as we waited. That is why reservations are made. The management needs to respect that all his customers are important- while the seated people are of the higher immediate importance, the reservation is a commitment that I ensure I honor and management should feel the same urge to manage and respect. Because of their mismanagement, Panza has had two opportunities to make the dining experience a very negative one for myself and my guests and there will not be a third. read more

Food was great. Then again, most places in the north end have great food. What they don't have is terrible customer service. Worst service I've experienced in my 10 years in Boston. Rude, pushy and incompetent to boot. Entrees brought before some of our party had been served their apps, done wine before anyone have even sipped their first drinks. Such a shame because we all enjoyed the food. read more

I've never left a negative review before, but our recent experience at Panza was really awful. From the moment we sat down it was clear they were trying to rush us out, despite our reservation. They served or appetizers at the same time as our main dishes, and tried to take plates away even as we were still eating. And then as we were paying the cheque, the head waiter put his hand on the chair occupied by my father-in-law and yelled out to his staff about how they needed to reset this table for six. Indeed this same man kept pacing back and forth behind our table, jiggling chairs that people were sitting in, in what is possibly the least skillful--and most aggressive--hint we should leave. This may give you the impression that we had overstayed, but we had been seated for less than an hour (in fact we were in and out of our dinner in 56 minutes flat). This kind of restaurant is a dime a dozen in the north end. The food isn't special, but we'd thought it was a fine place to take family visiting from out of town. Don't make our same mistake-- give yourself an evening you'll enjoy and eat elsewhere. read more

Don't allow delivery companies to deliver their food. Had a postmates driver go to pick up an order and because he worked for Postmates they wouldn't accept the order. If I had been there myself they would have accepted the order. Seems illogical to me. read more

Came to Panza at the recommendation of a friend and was not disappointed. The atmosphere is a little less "fancy" than your average North End restaurant, and I came in with low expectations based on appearance alone. The menu has a wide range of typical Italian fare, and the drink menu consists of wine (very inexpensive!) and beers, no liquor. I am certainly a wine snob, but the two wines we chose were pretty good. Entrees were also less pricey than your typical place. I was almost hesitant to get the clams linguine (with white sauce); in past experiences this is a major hit or miss at many restaurants. The clams linguine were a definite HIT at Panza! One of the best I've had in awhile. The other three in my group were all more than pleased with their entrees as well. Service was also good here, our waiter offered great recommendations and was very timely. I'm sure I will be back, Panza was a great start to my New Years 2012. read more

Reservations do NOT matter here. Took my girlfriend here for Valentine's Day dinner, we had an 8:30 reservation. We arrived around 8:30, there was a line out the door - everyone in line said they had reservations. Some were for later than 8:30. Keep in mind it was something like 15 degrees out that night, probably less with wind chill. As we wait in line, others cut through saying they need to use the rest room, then next thing you know they are getting seated before the people who have been waiting in line for who knows how long! The host here was very condescending as well. When it came to be our turn to be seated, the table available was right in front of the door. My girlfriend asked if they had any other tables opening up soon that we could be seated at instead, as the cold air came in every few minutes when the door opened. The host said "if you want special treatment I'm going to have to ask you to wait outside until we are ready to seat you at another table." and then opened the door to usher us back outside. We waited another 20 minutes out in the cold. By the time we were seated, it was about 9:50. An hour and 20 minutes later than our reservation. Almost all of that time was spent standing outside in the cold. I have never experienced that type of treatment by an establishment, anywhere - and there were many couples waiting out in the cold with us so I know there are more who shared this experience. The one positive on the night was that our server was incredibly accommodating specifically to my girlfriend's nut allergy. I have to say the food was great as expected, but after the wait it was incredibly difficult to enjoy it. Around 11-11:15pm they essentially kicked us out (turned their lights all the way up and brought us our check/said goodnight etc.) because they were ready to close, despite us not being seated until 9:50pm. Because of my experience I was not going to leave a tip, but ended up leaving one solely because of the server we had. We had been to Panza twice before and had fine service, but because of this experience I am not sure we will ever come back. read more

Came here for lunch only because of the large volume of high ratings. I'm very familiar with great Italian cooking. Panza is a big disappointment. The bruschetta was tasty and full of flavor. Everything went downhill from here. Ordered the gnocchi and ragu sauce...tasteless...like someone cooked the meat in water. The ravioli with sauce had two meatballs that were included... the sauce was flavorful, but the meatballs was a huge disappointment because of the lack of flavor. Don't stop here, keep walking, perhaps you'll be luckier than we were. read more

Food was great, service blew. Took FOREVER for us to get seated with reservations and a clean table available. Made no sense. Furthermore, the table of four next to us got their food first even though I ordered the same thing as the other table. Stay away from the blonde waitress! read more

I have been to a lot of Italian restaurants in Boston, and Panza is below average. The food is tasty, fresh, but certain parts are below average I believe. For example, the Tomato Caprese is awful. The tomatoes are breaded and deep fried, with mozzarella that tastes like it came from a store. It does not taste homemade, and the tomatoes should not be hot on this type of dish. The garlic bread, pastas are very good. The Bruschetta tastes good, but it is to huge pieces of bread that will need to be cut to eat. I personally like smaller pieces. Overall decent choice, but if you have chance to go to surrounding restaurants I would choose others. read more