This is the quintessential neighborhood Italian restaurant. Family-owned and operated, cooking delicious food with love and care. Outdoor dining was a hit during the pandemic, but inside is a perfect cozy Italian dinning vibe. If you're looking for good food, friendly staff, and a classic Italian dinning experience in Arlington, this is your place. read more

Yummy yummy pasta night! My bf surprised me by bringing me to this nice and cozy Italian restaurant in Arlington heights on Saturday night. It wasn't too busy so we were lucky to get a table. They only have a few tables so making a reservation would be a good idea. Soon after we were seated people started showing up and the tables were starting to fill up. We were served complimentary bread and olive oil which was very good while we decided on our dish. They had a few specials that were not on the menu and sounded delicious but we decided to try their shrimp pasta and their chicken cacciatore. We also ordered the house Nina salad which had delicious pears and a light and tangy vinaigrette dressing. The waiter was very nice and I also think he was the cook since you could see into the kitchen and there were only two people behind the counter. Our pasta dishes came out nice and hot and we quickly devoured them. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the shrimp were nice and juicy and fully peeled. The shrimp pasta had a nice lemony and tangy flavor and there was plenty of sauce. The chicken cacciatore was also very good. The chicken was nice and tender and the pasta was super flavorful. They were even kind enough to bring us more bread so we could finish our sauces! We will definitely be back! read more

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Best Italian food around hands down. This ipalce is tiny, so definitely make a reservation. Looking forward to coming back again and again.

Food - so fresh, so flavorful, so delicious. Everything we ordered was amazing, simple ingredients and delicious Service - one person, the owner, on top of the tables Ambiance- small intimate seating - call for reservations, they only have seating for 14 people at a time read more

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Food was homemade and delicious. I have shrimp and pasta and partner had eggplant. We shared a Caesar salad that was yummy. The ambience is a small Italian restaurant in Italy with music. Simply delightful! Service was excellent as well. Reservations strongly recommended and street parking available. A memorable dinner. read more

Lovely small restaurant in arlington heights. Food was fresh and service attentive. The place is cozy and warm. Excellent evening.

This place is tiny which means that you need a reservation to make sure you have a table. The service, I believe by the owner/chef was really attentive and casual. I had the ravioli and they were excellent. My husband had a dish with pasta and meat and he said it was very good. The ambience is old and it is clear that the food is what you are going for. Overall we thought it was good, didn't sweep me off my feet. read more

This place is tiny. A tiny diamond. I love sitting close to other diners and potentially having a nice chat. I always have a nice chat with the chef. There is something special about watching the cook prepare your food like you are visiting and he lets you sit with him in the kitchen. Except he cooks Italian food better than my friends. (I love you all, and you are amazing cooks, but just not him). There are old records he plays on his phonograph. To top it all off, the wine and the food taste delicious. Really scrumptious read more

What a treat! A small, quiet, intimate, and authentic Italian restaurant with delicious food. The special, braised lamb over home-made pasta in a red sauce, was just delicious. read more

I was craving the real Italian food. If you like the small and cozy restaurant environment, this is the place. Everything is made when you order by the chef and it's so simple and yum. Enjoy! read more

Trattoria NINA - Tiramisu - Italian Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

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Nice family run neighborhood restaurant with good food, quick service, and a nice outdoor section. Burrata was underwhelming and tiramisu was frozen, but gnocchi and lobster ravioli were great. Solid wine selection and everyone enjoyed their time here. read more

What a hidden gem. Adorable, cozy spot for a date night. Great food, great prices and just loved supporting local business who was putting their heart and soul into the food and service. We've been here 5 years and while we wish we'd found it sooner- we will definitely make up for it! read more

Really great food. Stopped in on the way back to the city and definitely would make my way again!

Aside from an ergonomically challenged dinner plate, which resulted in my silverware taking a quick swim in the delicious chicken piccata lemon sauce, I throughly enjoyed my experience here. My fork went flying across the room (slight exaggeration) at one point after becoming quite slippery from the lemon sauce. The waiter kindly brought me a new fork, which I almost lost again soon after. There was something odd about the shape of my plate and I could not keep my silverware in control. Otherwise, four shiny stars for last night's visit. I feel very lucky to live within walking distance of this rather new, hidden gem. Due to rain, I drove the two minutes down the hill last night, but walking here is certainly a goal I've set for the near future. Yes, that's right, I absolutely plan to dine here again. I say 'hidden' because it is located on the outskirts of Arlington Heights, close to the Lexington line, in a small building on a corner lot. The owner chooses not to advertise in an attempt at crowd control due to the restaurant's small size. However, the word is out and this restaurant appears very busy most nights as I drive by on my way home. The dining area is small with about 4 tables that are comfortably spaced between neighbors, yet close enough to eavesdrop on conversations, whether you want to or not. There is a table for two tucked in a corner that seems a bit uncomfortable. Be sure to make a reservation, especially on weekends, as tables fill fast. As a last resort, there are a couple place settings at the small counter area. It's a family venture and the owner wears many hats as chef, manager, waiter, etc. I believe his son(s) help as well. He is friendly and takes the time to chat/get to know his customers. There were many specials available last night, which all sounded amazing, but we went for the standard chicken piccata and lobster ravioli. My friend gave two thumbs up on the ravioli and I enjoyed my dinner as well. The chicken was well-cooked and tender, covered in that delicious lemon sauce. I thought my portion of penne pasta was a little small, but I was a bit ravenous last night, so maybe I was just being ridiculous. The menu has a decent amount of classic Italian entrees, sides, appetizers, and salads. Prices are competitive with other similar restaurants in the area. I also like the selection of wines. Welcome to the neighborhood Trattoria Nina! read more

Trattoria NINA - Caprese salad - Italian Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

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Great dinner by Angelo tonight. To simplify I ordered in advance--caprese salad, Caesar salad, lobster ravioli, veal piccata. All delicious! Angelo- keep cooking. We are coming back soon. We miss seeing you but love your delicious creations. read more

Trattoria NINA - Veal piccata dinner with pasta, fresh zucchini, carrots. - Italian Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

A small but charming little Italian restaurant run by an Italian chef and his son. It was the night before the Bomb cyclone so the night was dead with us four being the only diners. They paid us a lot of attention and we felt like royalties! The pork medallion was well seasoned and tender. The Haddock was just great served in a seafood broth - very comforting. The penne with eggplant was a vegetarian's dream and the spag Bol was just wonderfully prepared like how a mother would cook for their children - with love! The dessert of tiramisu and canolis were just a perfect way to end the meal. I'd also mention that they let us bring our own bottle of wine with corkage of $15 per bottle even though they serve alcohol on premises. As this was our first time, we didn't know that they have a great wine list too. We will certainly be back and can't wait to try their seasonal specials. read more

Trattoria NINA - Italian Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

Tiny place, maybe 7 tables. The food is reliably tasty. I recommend giving it a try. read more

Just what you want in a neighborhood restaurant: satisfying, homey food perfectly executed! We enjoyed burrata, lobster ravioli, penne al Norma, and tiramisu. Wonderful vibe with charming father/son duo. Angelo was sweet and came over to explain how he cooked the eggplant into a tender yummy dish. He even brought a plate of the plain eggplant so we could taste it! The place is tiny and the waitstaff energetic but stretched. If you're a chain Italian lover, this isn't that experience. Trattoria Nina is so much better: authentic and served with pride. read more

Great neighborhood Italian restaurant run by a father and sons. Always a great meal with personalized service. Great seafood specials. Anytime we go out it is on the short list of destinations. read more

Superlative experience last night at this tiny neighborhood gem. Unusually, we both ordered the same entree. The seafood special was terrific - homemade pappardelle pasta, fresh scallops and shrimp in a very light white wine, lemon, saffron sauce. Just splendid. Solicitous but not cloying service. Easy, family atmosphere. Quiet enough to actually have a conversation - imagine THAT! Glad we made reservations. So pleased to find a new favorite place; we'll be back and we're looking forward to bringing out of town guests. read more

Amazing entrees - great homemade pasta, great steak. Could have been better with ambiance. It was very dark inside, and also quite cold. Desserts were ok (Tiramisu and canoli)... not amazing. Also - you can make reservations through Facebook Messenger using their Facebook Page. Pretty nice actually! read more

Can't wait until things get back to normal so we can enjoy this intimate dining experience again. Until then, the takeout still lives up to the same high standards as before. Everything is super fresh and prepared right in front of you. Seafood is definitely his specialty but all the dishes are amazing. read more

Totally recommend! We went here on a whim when we felt like having real Italian food (beyond the takeout scene). The seafood here is absolutely divine and the ambiance is so wonderfully intimate. The chef is from Sardinia so I figured the seafood would be amazing. It was just him and his two sons there making up the entire staff and they were all really attentive and nice. The bread you get before dinner is a nice simple olive oil loaf, very unique and I loved it. Very decent wine selection. There are maybe 6-8 tables max here so no matter what it's going to feel very cozy and intimate. John Coltrane's A Love Supreme was playing on vinyl as we walked in so that charmed me right away. We can't wait to go back again and try more dishes! read more

My wife and I were disappointed in Trattoria Nina after reading the mostly good reviews. For a small place, we had to wait a while for the waiter to get our attention. People who came in after us were served bread before us. Also, they received their order before us also, so the service was poor. The waiter was also not that friendly. We had to ask to be served bread. More importantly, the food was disappointing. My wife had the red snapper which was bland, and I had the spaghetti bolognese which was also bland. Keeping in mind that the entres took over an hour to arrive. I know this is a small operation, but not worth spending over $100 for dinner. We will not return, sadly. read more

Good food, but a limited menu. Very small place with only 2 people operating it. The Italian owner is always in a hurry and he is not driven to service, he is rude sometimes. Net benefits vs cost and service is not a good equation. read more

Only seven tables and a real cook in the kitchen. ... Fresh ingredients. The right amount of species. I love this place! My hubby ordered a caprese and a chicken envoltini with ham, chard and a wine sauce. I ordered my spaghetti bolognese. The wine was really good. The bread was fantastic too. For dessert we ordered the mousse and also loved it. We will be back! Very important: he cooks from scratch so do not expect the food to be ready to go. Come with a friend and be ready to take a little time to dine like we all should. read more

We were generally dissatisfied with our experience. The food was OK at best after waiting a little under an hour with only one other group at the restaurant. The gnocchi was bland and portions were small. The salad was tiny for it's cost ($14). read more

My favorite place to eat in Boston...Angelo, the owner-chef from Sardinia, cooks up incredibly flavorful dishes from scratch from a variety of Italian regions ("That's the advantage of growing up in Sardinia" he explained- you get an excellent working familiarity with the entire Italian cuisine".) We talked about our Italian mothers, drank chianti and I got my fill of cannolis on the house (after revealing being I was scarred for life while frying cannolis at age 16). Bravo, Maestro! My only regret was getting too full to keep getting impressed. read more

Trattoria NINA - Italian Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

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Shhhhhhh, I want to tell you a little secret. But don't tell anyone because it needs to be kept on the down low. My husband and I went to this little gem last Saturday for dinner. The place is tiny, about 8 tables, and it was completely full. I think just about every table had made a reservation, including yours truly. I'm not sure how long was the wait if you didn't have a reservation. We did see a couple leaving after a short inquiry on a table. This place has an old school feel to it. The decor is plain and simple, with a little jazz in the background, and the owner and his son made us feel as if we were guests in their own house. And most importantly, the food was amazing. We started the evening by sharing prosciutto with roasted pear drenched in maple syrup. It was so good and that pear really made it a hit for us. Then for entrees, I had lobster ravioli and my husband had seafood risotto. Both of us absolutely loved our dinner. You can actually see chunks of lobster in my ravioli and the cream sauce was so full of flavor. Since the owner is from Sardinia, we decided to try a bottle from that region, Sella Mosca Cannonau. It was fantastic and went really well with both of our entrees. And of course, we couldn't leave without sharing a slice of their delicious homemade tiramisu. Now let's get back to keeping this a secret, just between you and I. Now that I think about it, I'm guessing the owner feels the same way because as soon as we were situated, he gave us the menus. The menu doesn't even have a cover page, it's a blank page! They don't a website, nor do they have take-out menus (so feel free to take pictures of their menu). I love it. It's like we've stumbled into this exclusive secret club. Oh I cannot wait to go back. I already have my eyes on that veal cutlet with prosciutto for our next visit. But only if we can get a table. So shhhhhh........... An article about them from Wicked Local in Arlington: http://arlington.wickedlocal.com/news/20170427/behind-plate-arlingtons-trattoria-nina read more

Really wanted to like this new restaurant, but the meal wasn't even "meh." The pasta was drowning in olive oil, the amount of shrimp in the dish skimpy. The waiter was friendly, but his apron was dirty. The wine selections were "meh." If you decide to go there, be aware that the seats at the counter facing the kitchen are too low for the counter. On my first visit, we were supposed to sit there, but the seats were so low that it was impossible. The next time we visited, we noticed they had yet to deal with the seating problem. I really hope this place improves, but until it does, I won't return. read more

Long flight from Phoenix, airport food, overnight stay at Lahey, miniscule breakfast, no lunch led to desperate Yelp endeavor to find good food open later than Suburban dinner time hours of 5pm -7pm and most every good restaurant not open on Monday. A bit further than expected since we needed to stay close to hospital and all three siblings were pretty exhausted. We wanted, no needed the boost one gets from the soothing effects of comfort food, which on the East Coast translates to ITALIAN, yes all CAPS ITALIAN FOOD PLEASE AND NOW. There was a mall place close by but Three and a half stars has yet to deliver a good meal for me so off we went on our quest for Michelin worthy food, which by the way I have not ever had nor can afford, if it counts, I have watched "The Thousand Foot Journey several thousand times. It was a dark, chilly Arlington evening when we approached to tiny Trattoria and peaked into the dining room there were two tables of two seated at almost 9pm. They were finishing up which soon led to the three of us getting undivided attention from the Chef/Owner and his son (me thinks it was his son). My sister wanted tea which they normally do not serve but he boiled water in a sauce pan and tea was served! That was the beginning of an above and beyond approach to food service and delivery. Ok so you wait and wait to hear about the food...Mozzarella lightly beaded and pan fried, stuffed with ham and served with marina sauce, squared not in sticks, this mozzarella dish knocked it out of the park, i could have eaten just the appetizer - alone siblings, all mine next time! I did however, order the Lobster Ravioli, big brother ordered the Rack of Lamb and baby sis had the Veal Saltimbocca. There was seriously nothing left on our plates, brothers bones being the exception, had to pass on dessert due to level of saturation, really wanted a cannoli, small stuffed pastry for a small stuffed person = ideal match, yet not this time cried my overextended girth!!! The Chef/Owner was incredibly talented, gracious and a perfectionist which is what I would like to see in the mirror (female version of course). He said he prefers that his customers get a fine dining experience over making a ton of money just filling and re-filling the restaurant. Well that is exactly what we got, a perfect meal and a very fine dining experience, too bad I live in the friggin barren dessert (exaggeration) it's a dry heat, they say "you don't have to shovel the heat ha ha ha. Tell that to a culture deprived East Coast Native like me and I will tell you to relish the Boston Foodie culture and be grateful for the Gems like Trattoria NINA you have! read more

Not sure what we missed that everyone else liked, but this place just wasn't good. When we arrived, they had misplaced our reservation, and we had to pull out our phone to prove to the surly host that we had called earlier in the week and made the reservation. The food was remarkable only in how unremarkable it was. The Caesar salad was small for the price, swimming in dressing, and lacked the fresh anchovies the menu promised. The chicken picatta was average at best, the seafood risotto was as bland as we have ever had, and the roasted potatoes with rosemary were more like French fries (with no rosemary in sight). Don't expect fresh grated Parmesan either--more like what you would get at a pizza place. The appearance was on the cute side, but as others have noted, the service was spotty at best. All in all, Nina's was authentic, in the sense that it reminded us of any number of charmless, overpriced café's that spot the main drags of Rome. Disappointing. read more

My taste buds are in heaven. This tiny restaurant had incredibly fresh and delicate flavors that makes me smile with every bite. This is not your chain Italian restaurant. It is real homemade taste. We spoke with the chef/owner. He called it a family operation. Sometimes one of his two children help out. Sometimes he is on his own. He will only take the number of people here can handle on a given night, even if the tables are empty. There are a total of 20 chairs in the place. My wife and I took one of the small tables near the open kitchen. Big band music was playing in the background, and, surprisingly, it fit perfectly with the ambiance. I ordered the cod and mussels in a tender broth that was amazing. I would have no idea how to make a broth like this. It was flavorful and really added to the taste of the fish. My wife had an eggplant and penne dish that was amazing. The penne was perfectly cooked. Yet, the wholesale was the real star. I strongly recommend a salad or vegetable with the meal. The wines are reasonably priced and are specially selected. There are only a handful of tables, do, be sure to get a reservation or call ahead. I think the dinner was a full 5 stars. I am just afraid that it will be hard to get a table when the world learns of it. Enjoy. read more

Went last night with my family and the food was amazing. Your food is made to order but worth the wait. Very small location but all the more reason to go. The chef has one goal and that is to make a meal that you are going to love. He did exactly that. Oh alfredo is not offered... think of it as the chef saying if you want alfredo you can go anywhere for that but if you want a great food experience then eat here.With that said we will be returning frequently! Thank you! read more

Not great. Light on the seafood good stuff in the pasta dish. For a $30 takeout meal, you ll expect a lot more. Move on. Chain-like quality with boxed pasta taste. I won't be back read more

I had the veal saltimbocca. It was served with roasted potatoes and spinach sautéed in garlic. The spinach was perfectly done. The potatoes were crispy and nicely seasoned. The veal was delicious. read more

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A delightful new neighborhood spot, albeit an intimate one. We decided to walk in and found the intimate space packed, but only waited a few minutes before the guests started leaving, all of them raving about the food to us as they walked out. We enjoyed the PEI mussels, which had a savory sauce and a good amount. The veal was good, cooked well with prosciutto on top and the spinach had a great garlic kick without getting mushy. The pesto sauce was rich and tasty and the pasta was cooked well. The tiramisu was good -- nice and light -- but not the best i've had. The wine list was not large, but had some interesting choices and glasses for $8-9. We will be back. The food was great -- nothing exotic, just classic recipes with quality ingredients, and well-prepared. Service was attentive, if a tad quick, but good overall.. Welcome to the neighborhood, Nina! read more

I have tried it 4 times and always loved it. They are Italians from Italy and that makes all the difference . Try it , everything was good. read more

Just had dinner there with my family. Intimate family run Italian place in Arlington. Food was outstanding. Great fresh bread. Excellent salads (tried the Caesar and Burrata), tried the mussels (delicious) and the chicken piccata (best I've had). Service is a little spotty but that is to be expected after a month open and being packed every night. Make a reservation! read more

We love this place And have never been disappointed by the food or service. Wish they had a few More chicken or fish options but highly recommend this family owned restaurant. read more