First the place is cramped. The waiter had zero personality a kinda tough guy persona.Not welcoming at all! Not attentive, we had to ask for more water even with sitting empty glasses on the end of the table.The pricey food was mediocre at best. Below olive garden chain restaurant food.Not sure how all the positive reviews happen but there are four dinners that were less than impressed.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
chandra d
Love love love. They give you bread immediately upon arrival. Cozy atmosphere with wonderful Italian wine selections. The meatballs are unlike any meatball I have ever tried with a hint of garlic, melt in your mouth texture and fresh, no frills tomato sauce. I got the Gorgonzola penne and bolognese and everything was delicious served in a cool sauce pan. Recommend reservations after 6 on weekends.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Chris C.
As soon as the scratching hot bread came out we knew this place was going to be amazing. Ridiculously fresh tasting ingredients, warm hospitality, and a cold crispy glass of Rosé to boot
Mohammad A.
Best Italian that I have ever had. Highly recommend it whenever you visit Boston. Everything that I tried was really good
Ethan M.
Rating: 9.5/10 Veal, pork, and beef steeped in a , rich 24-hour stock that coats each strand of fettuccine prepared to al dente perfection. The whipped ricotta added pleasant creaminess and sweetness to the sauce! Rating: 9.5/10 Plump tiger shrimp twirled in a zesty white lemon sauce that bursted in flavor from the medley of garlic and capers! I especially loved the pronounced lemon flavor from the wine that cut through the butteriness of the sauce. The capellini pasta does a great job of tangling itself in the sauce; and, though thin, still retained a great chew - not as mushy as I had feared it would be. Honestly may be the best scampi I've ever had! Rating: 8.5/10 Earthy trio of cremini, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms perfectly sautéed with roasted garlic and sage. As for the sauce - vegetable stock added depth, sweet butter added silkiness, parmigiana added cheesy savoriness, and the breadcrumbs provided a delightful crunch. Rating: 7.5/10 Outrageously tender, melt-in-your-mouth, massive short rib! Fell straight off the bone with absolutely no effort! Beneath it was a bed of saffron-insured risotto Milanese that absorbed all the meat juices dripping from the rib. Unfortunately, the dish lacked the profound depth of flavor found in the pasta dishes; really just felt like meat resting on top of flavorful rice porridge. Still a good dish, but definitely not the best. Third time talking about @carmelinasnorthend. I had to book this reservation four months in advance!!! I've already said what needs to be said in my other review of this North End icon, so I'll just leave it at this: come to this place! There's a reason why it's so hard to make a reservation - the food is THAT good!!!
S G.
I spent the weekend visiting my family and we came to our FAVE Italian North End restaurant, Carmelina's. The food is always great. The Tuna Arrabiata appetizer is amazing and my fave, the Chicken Parm is also wonderful and my fave pasta is the mushroom penne. The service is always great too. When you're done, cross the street for Mike's Canollis!
Anwar J
This place is a must visit while in Boston! If you are craving some authentic and delicious Italian comfort food, this is the place for you in the middle of little Italy at the north end of Boston!The appetisers such as the calamari, the mussels and the beet salad are fresh and well prepared.The main dishes of chicken parm and other types of pasta are freshly made, served at a perfect temperature and seemed of high-quality.The servers are nice and professional. I recommend booking in advance, as walk-ins would potentially require a minimum of 30 minutes wait time.I would definitely come back next time!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Calamari, Lamb Lollipop, Chicken Parm, Mussels Fra Diavolo, Calamari and Mussels
Hazem Kamel
The food quality and cooking are excellent, leaving nothing to say except thank you for the fantastic meal. Reservations are a must.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Burrata Caprese Salad, Gnocchi Al Forno, Black Angus Beef Carpaccio, Chicken Parm
Isabel Sola
We had a reservation for 9 p.m. We arrived at 9:10 p.m. and they received us reluctantly since they did not have the table ready. They left us standing waiting, without inviting us to go to the bar that had chairs, saying that the bar was closed. They gave us the menu to choose from. When we sat down they told us that we had to choose quickly because the kitchen was closing!! But we just arrived! They brought everything quickly, rushing us as at 10:15 they started lifting the chairs, cleaning and practically inviting us to leave!! Within an hour of arriving! Terrible experience!! And the food didn't say anything, you might find it anywhere. I DO NOT recommend it at all
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 2
Haley S
the food was delicious however it was tainted by the poor service. Watched a server rub his nose multiple times and then touch the plates. I know restaurant dining isn’t 100% sterile, but I’d expect more from an almost 5 star restaurant. It felt like they were annoyed we were there…. Never even checked up on us to see how we were enjoying the food or if we needed anything. Overall disappointed.
First the place is cramped. The waiter had zero personality a kinda tough guy persona.Not welcoming at all! Not attentive, we had to ask for more water even with sitting empty glasses on the end of the table.The pricey food was mediocre at best. Below olive garden chain restaurant food.Not sure how all the positive reviews happen but there are four dinners that were less than impressed.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
Love love love. They give you bread immediately upon arrival. Cozy atmosphere with wonderful Italian wine selections. The meatballs are unlike any meatball I have ever tried with a hint of garlic, melt in your mouth texture and fresh, no frills tomato sauce. I got the Gorgonzola penne and bolognese and everything was delicious served in a cool sauce pan. Recommend reservations after 6 on weekends.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
As soon as the scratching hot bread came out we knew this place was going to be amazing. Ridiculously fresh tasting ingredients, warm hospitality, and a cold crispy glass of Rosé to boot
Best Italian that I have ever had. Highly recommend it whenever you visit Boston. Everything that I tried was really good
Rating: 9.5/10 Veal, pork, and beef steeped in a , rich 24-hour stock that coats each strand of fettuccine prepared to al dente perfection. The whipped ricotta added pleasant creaminess and sweetness to the sauce! Rating: 9.5/10 Plump tiger shrimp twirled in a zesty white lemon sauce that bursted in flavor from the medley of garlic and capers! I especially loved the pronounced lemon flavor from the wine that cut through the butteriness of the sauce. The capellini pasta does a great job of tangling itself in the sauce; and, though thin, still retained a great chew - not as mushy as I had feared it would be. Honestly may be the best scampi I've ever had! Rating: 8.5/10 Earthy trio of cremini, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms perfectly sautéed with roasted garlic and sage. As for the sauce - vegetable stock added depth, sweet butter added silkiness, parmigiana added cheesy savoriness, and the breadcrumbs provided a delightful crunch. Rating: 7.5/10 Outrageously tender, melt-in-your-mouth, massive short rib! Fell straight off the bone with absolutely no effort! Beneath it was a bed of saffron-insured risotto Milanese that absorbed all the meat juices dripping from the rib. Unfortunately, the dish lacked the profound depth of flavor found in the pasta dishes; really just felt like meat resting on top of flavorful rice porridge. Still a good dish, but definitely not the best. Third time talking about @carmelinasnorthend. I had to book this reservation four months in advance!!! I've already said what needs to be said in my other review of this North End icon, so I'll just leave it at this: come to this place! There's a reason why it's so hard to make a reservation - the food is THAT good!!!
I spent the weekend visiting my family and we came to our FAVE Italian North End restaurant, Carmelina's. The food is always great. The Tuna Arrabiata appetizer is amazing and my fave, the Chicken Parm is also wonderful and my fave pasta is the mushroom penne. The service is always great too. When you're done, cross the street for Mike's Canollis!
This place is a must visit while in Boston! If you are craving some authentic and delicious Italian comfort food, this is the place for you in the middle of little Italy at the north end of Boston!The appetisers such as the calamari, the mussels and the beet salad are fresh and well prepared.The main dishes of chicken parm and other types of pasta are freshly made, served at a perfect temperature and seemed of high-quality.The servers are nice and professional. I recommend booking in advance, as walk-ins would potentially require a minimum of 30 minutes wait time.I would definitely come back next time!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Calamari, Lamb Lollipop, Chicken Parm, Mussels Fra Diavolo, Calamari and Mussels
The food quality and cooking are excellent, leaving nothing to say except thank you for the fantastic meal. Reservations are a must.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Burrata Caprese Salad, Gnocchi Al Forno, Black Angus Beef Carpaccio, Chicken Parm
We had a reservation for 9 p.m. We arrived at 9:10 p.m. and they received us reluctantly since they did not have the table ready. They left us standing waiting, without inviting us to go to the bar that had chairs, saying that the bar was closed. They gave us the menu to choose from. When we sat down they told us that we had to choose quickly because the kitchen was closing!! But we just arrived! They brought everything quickly, rushing us as at 10:15 they started lifting the chairs, cleaning and practically inviting us to leave!! Within an hour of arriving! Terrible experience!! And the food didn't say anything, you might find it anywhere. I DO NOT recommend it at all
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 2
the food was delicious however it was tainted by the poor service. Watched a server rub his nose multiple times and then touch the plates. I know restaurant dining isn’t 100% sterile, but I’d expect more from an almost 5 star restaurant. It felt like they were annoyed we were there…. Never even checked up on us to see how we were enjoying the food or if we needed anything. Overall disappointed.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
Great Italian restaurant. Hard to get a walk in seat.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Ahi Tuna Arrabbiata, Crazy Alfredo Pasta
Had the bolognese and Crazy Alfredo, both were incredible. This is the best Italian food I’ve had in the North End.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I expected better on the pastas. The service so so.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 2
Excellent welcome. Very generous dishes. Very good!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Not only did the waiter sell the pasta to us (which was stunning- the best outside of Italy) he also sold Boston. In love.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5