We came back to Viale to celebrate our anniversary, and we were pretty impressed this time! It was a weekday evening, so there were quite a few people at the bar taking advantage of the $1 oysters but the dining area wasn't too full. The service was very attentive, making sure our water glasses were never empty and checking to see if we needed anything else. The staff were very friendly and offered suggestions on menu items and portion sizes. The arancini appetizer, which was stuffed with cheesy rice and served with pesto, was decent but not something I'd miss if I skipped it next time. I had the cavatelli as my main course. The pasta was delicious and seemed very fresh, although I found the dish a bit salty and oily with how much pesto it was coated in. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who loves pesto. My husband had the grilled duck breast, and he thought the duck was amazing and cooked perfectly but that the sauces were way too sweet. Overall, the service was amazing, the food was all high quality and very well cooked, but the sauces used on the dishes were rather overpowering and could definitely be used more sparingly. read more

See all

Went here for oyster happy hour and was fairly disappointed. Had heard great things but unfortunately found a huge hair in one of my oysters. When I let someone know they said huh, and looked at me like "so what!?" We were in a rush and ended up finishing all of our hairless oysters before my drink even arrived. I told our waiter we were in a rush and wanted to cancel the drink. he was incredibly surly and said it was being made but then left it sitting at the bar for another 5 minutes before bringing it out. Overall: food and drink were fine, even good but the service or lack thereof ruined the experience. read more

Aight here's the run down. Went here on a Wednesday night and it was pretty busy! Nevertheless, we had a reservation for Restaurant Week and were seated immediately. We chose this place because their RW menu appealed to us the most, plus we wanted to get dollar oysters which Viale offered before 7pm. Unfortunately, we missed that memo and missed out. Poo. The items we chose on the menu were very interesting. I love their usage of citruses, especially in the cod entree. The stars of the show was were the first course appetizers. One of them was like a rice ball mixed with provolone, which is then fried and sits on a healthy layer of pesto. Very unique mix of flavors that I appreciate. In essence, the food is solid! Now I deduct a star because the service was a bit on the slow side. After the first course, it took about 20 minutes to get the next course to us. Also would have appreciated the courtesy "how is everything?" a couple of minutes into the dining. All in all, I wouldn't mind coming back and trying their main menu. The table next to us ordered some pretty interesting dishes that looks great. read more

The hubby and I enjoyed dinner here last week. We were eagerly anticipating our meal since we knew the co-owner from Spoke, which we have enjoyed in the past. We were not disappointed! Their pasta game is rock solid! The potato gnocchi and the duck cappellacci were both on point. Super flavorful and fresh. We also loved the crispy fried polenta and the swordfish special. To add icing to the cake, our waiter, a tall gentleman who was sporting awesome Doc Martens, was well-versed on the menu and gave us great recommendations. Overall, great atmosphere, tasty food, and delicious drinks. We're definitely coming back to this place and bringing some friends with us! read more

I really wanted to like Viale more than I did, and other Yelp reviews made me think I would. I went with three friends last week. We were excited to try the homemade pasta so many have raved about, so we split the mushroom agnolotti to start. Maybe we ordered wrong but it tasted pretty chewy and greasy, not nearly as rich/tender/flavorful as I expected. For my entree I had the Arctic char which was cooked perfectly, and came with a yummy pea risotto but the plate was literally drenched in olive oil. Don't get me wrong I appreciate a good olive oil drizzle, but there was so much oil on the plate I could hardly taste the risotto. All three of my friends had the monkfish, which they all said was yummy but no one raved about. Between the four of us (each ordering one drink) we paid $50 each which seemed pretty steep for a meal that was not amazing. Two stars seems harsh but Yelp says that means "Meh I've had better" which is exactly how I felt leaving Viale. read more

Delicious $1 oysters. The oysters are on the smaller side compared to some other places in Boston I've been to, but I like these because they have a light flavor to them and aren't overly fat. Tried the flatbread here. It's absolutely delicious, dough consistency just right. The atmosphere is great for chatting: not overly loud like the places next door, but not quiet to the point of 5 star restaurants. There were always at least two attentive servers making sure you got everything. read more

We recently popped in to Viale for dinner before catching a show at the Central Square Theatre. I'll be honest here - I'm currently pregnant, which means my food tastes shift about every 60 seconds. Dining out can be a gamble when 7:05pm has me wanting Mexican and by 7:13pm nothing but Pad Thai will do. Viale does Italian favorites with an interesting spin - which was fantastic because we could order some small plates to experiment and a more traditional bolognese entree for a sure thing. Luckily for me it didn't end up mattering because almost everything we ordered was delicious. The highlights by far Saffron Arancini (that pesto? ridiculous) and the Pappardelle with wild boar bolognese. Drinkswise, I've had some hit or miss luck with ordering mocktails since getting knocked up - but sometimes a girl's tired of ordering Shirley Temples, so I decided to give it a go. Not sure this has ever made it into one of my reviews before but Viale's mocktail game is strong. The bartender was excited to tinker and came up with two delicious non-alcoholic drinks for me after our server asked me a few questions about preferences (sweet? citrus? savory?) And about that server- she was fantastic. In fact everyone was fantastic. The servers were down to earth, friendly and informative. Only thing I wasn't crazy about here was the space itself. A little bit too utilitarian and chilly for me. read more

Before we get all bogged down in the details... did you know this place used to be a Burger King. True story. OK, now that I've gotten that out of the way... Viale is a pretty nice place to eat. I like the ambiance, I like the service, I've enjoyed the food. But there really hasn't been anything there that has wowed me. Its pricey, but not over the top pricey. This place comes in as a solid 3 star would go here again but probably wouldn't be my first choice place. read more

So pleasantly surprised by Viale! Wine was affordable, and the dishes we ordered were perfect (lobster fettuccine, calamari pizza, shishito peppers, gnocchi, to name a few). Service was super friendly and helpful which I appreciated since I was in a larger group. Will definitely come back when I'm looking to fill a pasta craving. read more

Went here last Friday, a little difficult to find because of the small sign. Inside was pretty noisey and there wasn't much separation from other tables even being at a booth. We first got the Antipasti Plate (cured meats, house made charcuterie, grilled carrot hummus, pepper agro dolce, grana) which was delicious. The selection of meats was diverse and authentic, the hummus and grana was excellent additions to the meats and crustinis. I then ordered the Rhode Island Swordfish (golden beets, fiddleheads, avocado-dill yogurt) which was cooked to perfection and the sides complemented the entire dish. For dessert we ordered the cheesecake with a lemon curd and a chocolate cookie. The description was a tad misleading because i thought the cookie would be the crust of the cheesecake, instead it was plated beside the small cheesecake on top a bed of lemon curd. All around delicious, great service, excellent wine selection. read more

What an amazing experience! The restaurant interior was very modern and clean. The service was phenomenal and such a genuine staff from beginning to end. The waiter was attentive, the owner came and greeted us and multiple people said goodbye on our way out. We came for the $15 deal and since they did not have anything vegetarian on the special for the night they simply switched out the pasta for me with no fuss. Although I would have just gotten something else on the menu, this was greatly appreciated. New monday night spot? Possibly :) read more

The bone marrow they used to offer is amazing. Too bad they don't have it anymore. Food is decent but nothing special. The $1 oysters are good for quantity but not quality. read more

My husband and I would have gone to Viale for my birthday if they'd been open. However, Viale offers take-out (pick up or delivery), so we did this, and it was excellent. We started with the harissa roasted carrots and saffron arancini. Both were very flavorful. As main courses, I got the pan-seared shrimp and my husband got the potato gnocchi with wild boar bolognese. Both were excellent! The shrimp were perfectly cooked. I tried the boar bolognese and, to my surprise, it wasn't gamy: the meat was smoky and tasted like a cross between beef and pork. Really delectable. Some reviewers have commented that Viale's portions are small, but the portions we got last night were generous -- and I like to eat!! Overall, it was a wonderful birthday dinner! read more

This place is really, really good. I was extremely impressed. The chicken was incredibly tender and very flavorful. It's also not that expensive given the quality...definitely 50 bucks for 2 but I really felt like I got my money's worth. The pasta was good but slightly less satisfying than the chicken. This is the only thing holding it back from 5 stars (I think it should be a 4.5). Excellent flavor, but a little bit too hard in my opinion. But I'm really splitting hairs for the most part here; I enjoyed this place a lot. Ambiance is cool and the staff was good. Recommend this. read more

5 stars for servers and bar tender! Food was okay- we can see the effort of great creativity of drinks and food but yet a "wow" read more

What a great, affordable meal! My boyfriend and I came here for my birthday dinner. We decided to start with ordering 3 small plates, intending to get pasta afterwords. We had the antipasti plate, the veal sweetbread, and the special flatbread of the night: with razor clams and bacon. All three were delicious, especially the flatbread. They were also very filling so we ended up skipping the pasta. To be honest, I was bummed cause it sounded delicious, we'll just have to come back for more! For dessert we both got the affogato (vanilla ice cream with liquor and espresso) and split a fabulous apple crostada. With a couple rounds of drinks this was all only a little over $100. Can't wait to come back! read more

The food was excellent and couldn't be compared to anything I've had in city for Italian. Ambience was great and the staff was nice . They had great many options for gluten free as well. read more

I stumbled upon this restaurant when visiting Cambridge, and it was one of the best meals I've had in a long time! The food was delicious and reasonably priced if you get the 3-course special. The kale salad and the steak were absolutely perfectly done. I will definitely be back next time I visit the area! read more

My fiance and I had date night at Viale last night and I absolutely fell in love. I usually hate tapas, but the small pasta plates and wine pairings were great. In this case, the tapas option was great because the food was so delicious I was happy to try multiple plates. I had the gnocchi and cavatappi. The gnocchi was especially delicious. My gnocchi was paired with my new favorite red wine: Negroamaro. I thank either the chef or the sommelier for that delicious pairing. For dessert, we had the apple crostada. It was DELICIOUS. I am not a dessert person, but I was enamored with this dessert. Overall: I highly recommend this restaurant. The ambiance was not the best, but the food definitely made up for any deficiencies. read more

Came here with a few friends but Viale left a lot to be desired for me, but I did leave feeling full! The ambiance was good, but perhaps that's because I was there with some great company! Service, however, was lacking. To make my point, I was here not too long ago and can't for the life of me remember what we even ordered. *Googles Viale's menu to supplement my memory so that I don't have a lame review* We had: -Fingerling Potato Pizza - okay, but potato slices don't make the best pizza toppings, I've learned now -Crispy Fried Polenta - good especially with the sauce it came with -Saffron Arancini - this was delicious, probably the only item I enjoyed -Chitara - okay We also shared a Gingersnap Bread Pudding which was good, and different. My friends got a few of their cocktails made into non-alcoholic concoctions, and they seemed to enjoy them. read more

Don't come here for the dollar oysters. I made that mistake last night. They were, honest to god, the worst oysters I've ever eaten. And they don't have proper cocktail sauce or horseradish and the minionette was super oniony and had a weird flavor. Which also did nothing to cover up the super fishy, raunchy taste of the oysters themselves. Everything else was pretty good. We shared some apps and drinks and were very happy with all of it. The lamb ribs in particular are soooo tasty. Very small portion for the price but damn, they were good. I'd come back for drinks and maybe dinner, but never again for oysters. read more

Ate at Viale on Friday night before Patriots day. Although quite busy, the staff was quite attentive, service was prompt but not bc rushed. The waitress assisted in pairing wines with what was ordered or by describing what we were looking for, and she was shot in without going to top end of wine list. I bring this up first because I had read (and heard) reviews raving of food but warning of sub par service for restaurant of this class. The atmosphere is finally fine casual. We were greeted by general manager in jeans and collared shirt ... No stuffy shirts or linen table cloths here! But the start of the show was the food. I ordered the special ... Which you should do here. The chef married the fresh fish with a sauce that complemented the star without over powering it. The other six in our part ordered six different dishes, all of which we shared ... All of which were spot on. Viale has a reputation for the best farm to table restaurant in the city. And the us no doubt the ingredients made life easier for the chef. But what this chef did to each course, each step, was truly remarkable. read more

Viale is as a worthy successor to Rendezvous In Central Square -- which I liked a lot. The room is bright and attractive. The servers are skilled at making guests feel at home, and at ease. A friend and I began with a shared antipasti plate ("cured meats, house made charcuterie, white bean purée, pepper agro dolce, grana"). Everything on that plate was most welcome, but nothing struck me as being off scale in any way. Unfortunately, I had the same reaction to the pan-roasted halibut that I ordered as my main dish. It was served with "kale, farro, pumpkin seed pesto" (to quote the menu once again); the dish was A-OK. Was I suffering from jaded palate syndrome? I liked the wines that we chose. We each started off with the Finger Lakes riesling; looking online, I see that this must have been the Lamoreaux Landing 2012 riesling. Here's the winery's description: "classic Seneca Lake minerality frames soft flavors of lemon curd and hints of passion fruit on the finish." No expert on Finger Lakes wine, I can't comment on the "classic Seneca Lake minerality." I did think that the stuff was excellent. One of the suggested complements to this wine is grilled bratwurst smeared with grainy mustard; surely, the antipasti plate could be viewed as a reasonable substitute. With the halibut, I had a glass of Falanghina. Consulting the restaurant's web site once again, I see that this was very likely the Lava 2013 from Campania. On the web, I see: "subtle citrus aromas and flavors and a touch of toasted almond and smoke. Try it with fish soups, grilled and roasted fish and cold meats." I did! The "pan-roasted halibut" counts as roasted fish. Conclusion: food A-OK and wine a bit better than that. This is a very comfortable restaurant for unwinding at the end of a long day. Viale you should try. read more

Three of us went to Viale last night and everything was good. The restaurant seems to be fairly new, based on other reviews and the fact that it doesn't show up on Google Maps street pictures, but the important thing is that they've been open long enough to have their act together. The food was all really delicious. I could quibble about the fact that they were a bit heavy handed with the capers in the Pimenton Fettucini and with the five spice in the Heirloom Pumpkin Soup, but I'd eat them both again without any changes. One thing I'd like to see change is the size of the pour for a glass of wine. It seems small enough that I found myself wondering if there was someplace else that they were cutting costs. The service at Viale couldn't be beat. Multiple servers were always checking in to see how we were doing and that's way better than being ignored. The restaurant also seemed very clean, so not too much could be better. I found Viale because of Yelp and I wouldn't hesitate to go back. read more

Came here on Sunday just for the oysters (they have the $1 deal). Ended up sitting and getting drinks at the bar instead of getting the food, which I wish I had gotten because of the great reviews. The ambiance, however, was not too fancy, but definitely a great atmosphere with a classy feel. The dozen oysters we had were very fresh, my only slight complaint being that there was a little bit of a sand-like taste/texture in some of them, but it didn't bother me. The service at the bar was great and very quick. Wish I can come here for brunch or dinner another time! read more

Viale - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

See all

Overall, it was a pleasant dining experience. But for other foodies, we would not recommend this restaurant unless you need to stay within the central square area and want to try a different place other than Central Kitchen. I can think of better venues to spend the same amount of money in Harvard Sq or Kendall Sq. If you are going to try viale anyway, go with the large portions for the entrees. If your portion is similar to my fiance's (easily finishes the chipotle rice bowl with a steamed tortilla on the side), the larger portion alone will not satisfy you. You will need an antipasti and additional rolls to fill you up! Overall, we thought that viale had a lovely ambiance, dimly lit and seated by well-behaved and quiet crowd of patrons (mostly older), and provided good service. We don't remember catching any music in the background. We had a bottle of Syrah along with the following items: Viale Antipasti Plate - 17 cured meats, house made charcuterie, white bean purée, pepper agro dolce, grana Duck Cappellacci - 24 marsala, foie butter, cipollini onion, don trumpet mushrooms Steelhead Trout - 24 mushroom risotto, grilled rapini, balsamic brown butter Braised Pork Shank - 20 sweet potato purée, red cabbage, burnt orange Everything we ordered was good but not incredibly delectable. The burnt orange on the pork dish was visually memorable and the pork shank was tender and juicy but not very flavorful. I remember the duck cappellacci being delicious but the portion was too little for a larger portion we paid extra for. The trout and the rapini were badly burnt. Perhaps this was intentional but I did not like having such a strong burnt flavor and smell overpowering my entire dish. And lastly, the mushroom risotto was disappointing, I could have had a much tastier and satisfying mushroom risotto at a much cheaper price at the Basta Pasta several blocks down the street! read more

The dining experience in terms of food and a service snafu was a disappointment after the high ratings seen here. The Hanger Steak itself was done right but the grated lemon? rind was extremely strong and so overpowered whatever the sides served with the steak. My friend's entree was 1/2 hour late so I had to send my entree back while we waited for his to get ready. The server dropped off my entree and didn't come back for 15-20 minutes and only then the process of getting my friends entree ready started. They did apologize but I expected higher level of service for the prices. Ambiance and noise level of the place was pleasant. read more

Original and tasty food at reasonable (not cheap) prices. I am looking forward to try many dishes from the menu. Wine selection was good too; if I remember, a Val de la Loire 2012 for $10 per glass ($40 bottle) is affordable and nice. Service is average/good. Not to invasive and they provided good recommendations. Ambience is ok, not an extraordinary cosy location, but ok and informal. I would go more with friends than looking for a romantic evening. read more

My youngest daughter recommended this restaurant and we were not disappointed. Our table of six enjoyed a number of small plates and entrees. Everyone was impressed with the fettuccini dish and the calamari pizza was quite remarkable. At 61 I was the Methuselah of the patrons. It is a restaurant of the young beautiful people of Cambridge. Seemed to be a happening place. read more

2nd time here tried lunch unbelievable huge delicious authentic chicken parm sandwich to die for dinner is equally amazing including craft cocktails. Very warm inviting love this place unassuming gem read more

Had a nice dinner at Viale on a busy Fri. Service was slightly awkward at points but not a huge deal (had to ask for things twice, give them glasses to take away, etc). We split an app portion of a mushroom w/ ramps pasta that was delicious, maybe a bit too salty. My pork w/ polenta, greens and rhubarb sauce was tasty if a tad overdone. Friend's special of halibut was also very good. Prices are good in the $22-28 range. It's a fun atmosphere and although not without a few bumps, enjoyable overall. read more

YES! Ambiance: bar-restaurant feel to it, with nice music. Hardwood floors, large glass windows, nice tables and a comfortably warm environment. Small plates: Honey Glazed Lamb Ribs are a must!!! They literally melt in your mouth. Absolutely delicious. Viale Antipasti Plate was also very appealing and highly recommended. Pasta: Duck Cappellacci was superb. As was the Potato Gnocchi Larger Bites: Duck Breast and Hanger Steak! Excellent choices! Will definitely be coming here again. Transportation: right by Central station, red line and buses that are also in the area. Waiter was friendly and answered questions we all had. Plus to this place? They serve bread with olive oil, not butter! read more

Really cool atmosphere. Menu is pretty large, but limited options for gluten-free/vegetarian diets. But there is a GF pasta option, and I believe most of the pastas could be adapted to be gluten-free. Good place to go for a nice dinner. Lots of wine options and oysters. Very kind and helpful waitstaff. read more

Selected this place, because Central Square has few upscale classy places for a fun celebratory evening (though there are many delicious places). The owner was incredibly down to earth--he happened to be working as the host the evening we went. At one point during our meal, introduced himself & was delighted it was our first time. He shared a brief story. Beyond the owner, every single staff person was incredibly warm & friendly. I appreciated the fact their pasta dishes can be ordered in full & half sizes too -- so you can order to the scale that you are hungry for. Also loved the fact the bartender was so knowledgable about both the beers & wine available. She let us sample when we couldn't decide--again something that I love because I truly found the wine that made my tastebuds explode. Their beer special was unlike any beer I have ever tasted--in a good way! Found both the beer & wine menus to be relatively unique & engaging for my palette. The atmosphere of the room was also great for conversation. The night we went the dining space was maybe half full, but you could still hear every party member a-ok. As for the food, we ate a lamb pizza, spaghetti squash, & kale pesto pizza which was phenomenal. I ate a goat cheese pasta dish, Cappellacci, that was an explosion of lemon & goat cheese flavors--such freshness!! And other members in my party ate the Gnocchi with boar & rosemary, again an explosion of spices & heartiness & the Pappardelle, a rag dish. All were delicious. We were also able to try the Pimenton Fetticini, which had a spiciness too it. The seafood bits in that dish were plentiful. This place demands a definite repeat visit! And if you're looking for a more formal date night, pick this place! read more

We were looking for a place that made us say "wow". Viale made us say wowo, yum, soo good, etc... Amazing taste and friendly owner (gave a comfort from home because he was from PA as well. Not as crowded as most new restaurants but ithad a good atmosphere I had the hanger steak and my girlfriend had the special- Scallops. Taste was amazing! I tried an experimental drink but didnt like it and the owner let me get another drink instead, very nice of him. Portions were good and and i can't enough how satisfied we were with the quality of our meals. Would absolutley return next time i am visiting cambridge. read more

Our server (name probably began with a k) was phenomenal. Her suggestions are spot-on and not overbearing. She s funny and attentive. This matters more to me than quality of the food sometimes. Speaking of food, we enjoyed multiple appetizers and entrees and were never disappointed. The only appetizer that fell short was the mushroom pizza. This was virtually burnt over 100% of the surface. Not being scientific here but it almost tasted as if it was reheated and forgotten until it was burned. Three pasta dishes are superb. Insanely fresh. Server stated an interesting story about the person who makes the pasta. Apparently, that is his only task; a task he executed perfectly. Their house negroni made my experience perfect. Great job! read more

Viale had some really incredible dishes that I haven't really seen around anywhere else, including a bacon wrapped rabbit and caper dressing fried cauliflower. They also have house made pastas and a great wine list to compliment! In addition to their great food and drinks, the service made us feel at home and very welcomed. This paired incredibly well with the smooth and well-curated atmosphere of the restaurant to create a perfect dining experience! read more

Viale - Caper sauce fried cauliflower with our 2 pasta entrees - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Food was sufficiently mediocre, and overpriced for what it was. The seating is comfortable though atmosphere isn't exciting. Probably won't be back. read more

Lovely Italian locally owned restaurant on the main strip of Cambridge. Forget the super trendy annoying restaurants and support local business owners! We got to hang out with the owners who aee super cool guys and care deeply about their customers. The food and wine is as locally sourced as possible - and they offer organic and biodynamic wines. The wine the bartender recommended was delicious as well as the food. I had the salmon and it was cooked to perfection, incredibly tender. I recommend this spot highly! read more

Great meal. My wife took one taste of my wild boar gnocchi and immediately switched plates. Her seafood fettuccine was pretty damn good so no complaints. We loved the busy buzz of the place but it was not overly loud. A trendy Friday night crowd in elegant settings. I gave this 5 stars because it was good on so many levels including the service. Next time I may not share the wild boar gnocchi so quickly. read more