With its exciting, modern Italian menu, one of the North End’s smallest restaurants delivers large culinary rewards.

• “Fantastic!”
• “quaint and delicious ”
• “Great Food & Service”
• “One of the Best Italian Ever !”
• “Top of Italian food”

Tips: Hoping for a sweet-or caffeinated-finish? Expect to head down the street to one of the North End’s famous bakeries, as Terramia does not serve dessert or coffee.

Terramia Ristorante
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A classic Italian menu plus an elegant atmosphere equals a most-soothing dinner experience in the North End.

• “Great!”
• “gret place”
• “Bad Food, Good Atmosphere”
• “Food is good but small selection”
• “Most Outstanding Italian dining in Boston!”

Tips: The restaurant’s downstairs mahogany-and-glass wine room provides a quiet spot for private parties.

Lucca
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A favorite of area families and hungry tourists, delivering gargantuan portions of straightforward Italian fare in kitschy environs.

• “Will never go there again.”
• “they’re too proud of their homemade pasta to provide whole wheat substitute”
• “Don’t bother ordering takeout”
• “Consistently good”
• “Picky Italian eater”

Tips: At the end of a meal, diners get to play “Italian bingo.” You might win a gift certificate worth $50 or $10.

Vinny T’s of Boston – Back Bay
email Vinny T’s of Boston – Back Bay

Multi-faceted dining and nightlife destination provides the Ladder District with an affordable spot for an upscale casual Italian meal.

• “Very Poor Customer Service”
• “Great Group Dining Experience”
• “Bad service on multiple levels”
• “Ruined my sister’s birthday”
• “Where trendy doesn’t mean pretentious”

Tips: Ivy provides one of the city’s more affordable wine lists, with more than 60 bottles costing $26 each.

Ivy Restaurant
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Eclectic, outstanding Southern Italian cuisine spices up the North End.

• “Best place for client dinner with awesome food and service”
• “Great fusion of Italian and Peruvian cucina. A must in Bosotn!”
• “Great food and customer service”
• “Great food!”
• “be prepared to mill your own pepper”

Tips: Head straight to the Parcel 7 garage on Congress Street. The restaurant validates for up to three hours ($3).

Taranta
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Look for the line and you’ll find one of the North End’s most popular restaurants for hearty Italian fare.

• “Pumpkin Tortellin – Awesome – Great Service (Donna was the terrific!)”
• “BUTTERNUT SQUASH RAVIOLI…NUF SAID!”
• “Best Italian”
• “Amazing food!”
• “Great Italian food.”

Tips: Your credit cards are no good here, so come with cash. If you forget, there are ATMs all over Hanover Street.

Giacomo’s Restaurant

Popular restaurant team branches out with authentic Italian fare and diverse atmospheres.

• “Best Italian Restaurant in Boston”
• “Great dining experience!!! L@@K”
• “A Bad Experience”
• “Perfect”
• “poor service”

Tips: Other than an endless stream of cabs (the restaurant is across the street from the Park Plaza Hotel), there isn’t much of a view from Via Matta’s outdoor seating area.

Via Matta
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Welcoming Southern Italian fare mixes with a comfortable atmosphere in Arlington Center.

• “DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY…”
• “Refreshing Homemade Italian food in a simple setting”
• “we love this place!”
• “Delightful!!”
• “Delish!”

La Buona Vita

The beautiful and the Botoxed come to play at the Theater District’s best-catered casting call.

• “Nice decor, good service”
• “Good food, service and atmosphere did not meet expectations.”
• “Used to be better”
• “Excellent appetizers, fun pulse, RELIABLE FOOD, wide choices of wine, good customer service”
• “Great Theatre District spot!!!”

Tips: Nearly two-dozen wine choices by the carafe (half-bottle) allow diners to switch wines with each course.

Teatro

Accommodating North End eatery serves up Italian favorites in a wide variety of seating options.

• “Avoid the roof deck if you do not like to be surrounded by second hand smoke.”
• “Not worth it”
• “Not up to North End standards”
• “Excellent Mother’s Day lunch!!”
• “Best Italian in Boston”

Tips: With the North End’s storied lack of parking spots, patrons should take advantage of Fiore’s valet service or take the T.

Ristorante Fiore
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Beacon Hill Italian spot serves up authentic dishes in an historic setting with a classic “Boston” feel.

• “Try the gnocci!”
• “i like it very much”
• “intimate, casual, elegance”
• “Best Lobster Ravioli”
• “Authentic in the Hill”

Tips: Though the restaurant is usually closed on Sundays. They are opened on that day in February, but be sure to call and make sure before you go.

Antonio’s
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One of the North End’s hidden gems delivers scrumptious Italian fare in a charming setting.

• “I hope no one’s special occasion gets ruined like mine!”
• “Good traditional Italian fare”
• “cozy and won’t empty your bank account”
• “Insulting ”
• “Impeccable”

Tips: Budget-minded diners can cut back on their bill by skipping a second appetizer and indulging in complimentary bread, olive oil and imported olives.

Rabia’s Restaurant

One of the North End’s oldest restaurants serves up satisfying Italian cuisine and plenty of charm.

• “Classic North End”
• “Below Average Quality, Overpriced”
• “Awesome homemade pasta”
• “Don’t be fooled by the tacky neon side outside! The food is excellent!”
• “Good Food but a Little “Buggy”“

Tips: The good news: This is one of the few restaurants to offer valet service (during dinner only) in the parking space-challenged North End. The bad news? It’ll set you back $20 (which still beats a long walk from the nearest T stop).

Cantina Italiana
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Satisfying favorites and a touch of decorative class score a hit among the bullpen of Italian joints surrounding Fenway Park.

• “Cute Place, Great Food”
• “Great pizza, but they claim they close at midnight and if you call at 11:01 pm they will tell you they are closed.”
• “Outstanding, casual dining”
• “Nice, laid-back, comfortable…”
• ””

Tips: Keep an eye on the baseball schedule; when there’s a game down the street, the whole area becomes a mess and parking is nearly impossible to find. Stay home and take advantage of the restaurant’s free, limited-area delivery.

Sorento’s Italian Gourmet

Countryside-inspired Northern Italian eatery, located minutes from Paul Revere’s house in Boston’s historic North End.

• “SUB-STANDARD STANDARDS”
• “Still So Good”
• “Great food & very accomodating staff!!”
• “One of Boston’s Best”
• “Go Somewhere else!”

Tips: This place gets very busy on weekends, so reservations are recommended.

Ristorante Villa Francesca

Hidden, casual pizza joint near the Fenway impresses with standout ingredients and pleasant surroundings.

• “Best Taste of Boston Pizza!!”
• “The Best Pizza on Earth”
• “Best Pizza in Boston!!”
• “Best Italian in Boston”
• “Canestaro Does It Right!”

Tips: Stop in before 3pm to enjoy one of the inexpensive express lunch specials (net a large plate of steak kabob with rice and salad for under $7).

Canestaro Restaurant & Pizzeria

This restaurant offers an authentic and traditional Italian dining experience to the North End.

• “Brought me back to childhood…and that’s not a compliment”
• “amazing!”
• “Worst dining experience in Boston”
• “A disappointment”
• “Great deal”

G’Vanni’s Ristorante

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