The food is excellent. The wait staff helpful and attentive. The space is warm if a bit cramped. Our only complaint is that the restaurant opened its doors to a long line of walk-ins whom they seated first ahead of people (like us) with reservations. We had a 5:30 reservation and arrived early. The hostess apologized while seating us that there weren't any menus left to give us when we were seated. Then, after our waitress enticed us to order one of the sfizi specials, she came back to tell us that they were already sold out because the walk-ins at the bar had grabbed them all up. Wouldn't it make sense to seat those with reservations first?
Spike
Giulia is our go-to for celebrations. The food is consistently excellent and the service, always top-notch, just keeps getting better. Little touches, like a server noticing that I'd dropped my napkin and offering me a fresh one, stand out. Reservations are a challenge, so consider getting there early for a seat at the bar if you can't get a table.
Every step of the dining experience was superb. The hostess was warm, courteous and welcoming. Our waiter, Mike, was also warm, very knowledgeable and attentive. The food was well prepared and delicious. All in all a great experience. I would definitely return and highly recommend to others.
MarciD
Giulia's was outstanding! The freshly made pasta was fantastic. In particular the wild boar pappardelle and the Brussels with prosciutto were fantastic. Service and atmosphere were top notch. Highly recommend giving this place a try.
EmilyW
The space is lovely, and everyone was attentive and friendly. The food ranged from good (e.g., semolina cakes, tagliatelle) to great (e.g., brussels spouts, bucatini). Given the hype and price tag, I was a little underwhelmed, but maybe we didn't order the “right” things. I'd be willing to give it another try!
SamR
We had wanted to come here for a long time but could never get a reservation. We finally managed to get a 5:45 same-day reservation, and everything completely lived up to our hopes. Atmosphere was perfect, food was amazing, service was delightful. We would definitely go there again. It was a bit pricey, I think just a little too high to give 5 stars on value (especially one starter that was $16 for barely two bites). We will definitely go back again, if we can manage to get a table!
LynneF
This was our third visit back to Guilias and it does not disappoint. We had the same waiter we had last time over six months ago, which to me always speaks well of a restaurant that they can hold onto their good staff. Every bite of every dish is so delicious. Absolutely well prepared great spin on all the classics. The prices are high, although not outrageous, and the portions are moderate, not huge, but not small either but given the richness and flavor of most dishes that really works in this case. We certainly walk away, feeling very satisfied. I wouldn't hesitate to go again, and I hope that will be sooner rather than later. My husband kept oohing and ahhing over his duck!
MadelineC
This is a pricey restaurant, but the food was very good, specifically the secondi meals that three of the four of our diners ordered. The other diner ordered a pasta dish and was disappointed due to the small portion and flavor considering the price of the dish. As it was difficult to obtain a reservation, we were the last sitting of the night. The waiter seemed bored / annoyed by the job, so that was unfortunate considering the cost of the food/drinks.
We had an excellent dinner here! Great service. Cocktails were perfect. Salads and pastas were excellent. We went to a lame touristy Italian restaurant in the North End the night before and this was such a better experience. Highly recommend!
BruceAndMaria
We ate at Guilia to celebrate two birthdays. Everything was EXCELLENT! They honored our Open Table reservation request for the best table in the house, and it was. They remembered our Open Table note that this was two birthdays and sent dessert with candles and very little noisy fanfare. The drinks and food were imaginative and delicious. Cassie, our server, was attentive, friendly and understated. She explained everything clearly and called us "sir" and "ma'm" and "dear" instead of the ubiquitous "guys" that has polluted the restaurant lexicon. The runners who delivered our food and cleared the table between courses were the same, smiling, quiet and efficient. It was a great evening and we recommend Giulia to anyone looking for a fabulous dinner.
This restaurant never fails to please. The wild boar and duck were just delicious as was the beet salad, chicken liver crostini starters. Food presentation, waiter service, attention, knowledge on wines was all great and added up to a very pleasant evening.
Emma
I had received multiple recommendations from friends about Giulia, so I was quite excited to try the restaurant. However, my party and I had probably the worst service experience of our lives here. First off, the food was excellent. We ordered the semolina cakes, burrata di andria, bucatini all'amatriciana, and duck and prosciutto ravioli. In particular, the semolina cakes have a strong truffle presence, the pancetta on the bucatini was delicious, and I loved the flavor pairings of the burrata. The ravioli was a bit too salty. I think they have also cut back on the serving sizes compared to a few years ago. The atmosphere was also great; it fits the cozy spot in Cambridge vibes well. The service, on the other hand, was utterly horrible. To preface the following review, my party and I have all worked in the food service industry, meaning we understand the complications and frustrations associated with this job. We always give servers the benefit of the doubt, never have complaints, and tip well. I say this because we are not the ones to nitpick a restaurant's service, especially during the holiday season, but the fact that I am writing this review right now goes to show how dissatisfied we were. We had planned to go light on the dishes as we weren't particularly hungry. Our waiter made some snarky remarks about the amount of food we were ordering. Maybe he was trying to be funny, but he just came across as condescending. It honestly felt like he thought we couldn't afford the meal or something. I hate to make assumptions, but perhaps his attitude was racially charged. Our waiter held this snide attitude throughout the night, to the point where we just wanted to leave as soon as possible. We didn't even want to order dessert because we felt unbearably uncomfortable in his presence. His service genuinely ruined the entire experience for us. I never want to return, which is a shame because the food was delicious.
Our waiter Mike was lost and uncommunicative. He only managed a smile when he presented the bill and it was time to tip. Food portions were small and the desserts tasted medicinal. Overall the $300 we spent were avoidable.
Anon
One of the best meals of my life. Giulia is the only restaurant I've been to where every dish I've ever ordered on the menu has been good, and 90+% have been truly exceptional. I'm an NYC native, and I travel to Boston often. I enjoy an meal at Giulia more than any NYC restaurant, including some of the most celebrated Italian restaurants in the city. Special thanks to the dessert chef, the dark chocolate cake with fig jam and red pepper gelato as well as the caramel tart with frosted almonds and apple cobbler gelato were both superb. It is so so nice to see an Italian restarant that doesn't limit itself to just tiramisu and panna cotta. The food at Giulia is creative, and never at the cost of being delicious. Highlights include the oysters, chicken liver crostini, and caponata for apps. They also usually run a great salad, often citrusy which is a nice lightness. For pastas, the boar, bucatini all'amatriciana, and bolognese are always great. The halibut main was also delicious. I'd say this is the most consistent restaurant I've ever been to; feel confident about ordering anything
JamesW
Excellent food, service and cozy atmosphere. The flatbread appy with pea green pesto, pine nuts and prosciutto excellent; roasted squash agnolotti entree was amazing; pappardelle with braised wild boar was good but not quite tasty enough; caramel mousse tart was to die for. We were recommended a big bold Italian red wine which was also very good.
The food is excellent. The wait staff helpful and attentive. The space is warm if a bit cramped. Our only complaint is that the restaurant opened its doors to a long line of walk-ins whom they seated first ahead of people (like us) with reservations. We had a 5:30 reservation and arrived early. The hostess apologized while seating us that there weren't any menus left to give us when we were seated. Then, after our waitress enticed us to order one of the sfizi specials, she came back to tell us that they were already sold out because the walk-ins at the bar had grabbed them all up. Wouldn't it make sense to seat those with reservations first?
Giulia is our go-to for celebrations. The food is consistently excellent and the service, always top-notch, just keeps getting better. Little touches, like a server noticing that I'd dropped my napkin and offering me a fresh one, stand out. Reservations are a challenge, so consider getting there early for a seat at the bar if you can't get a table.
Every step of the dining experience was superb. The hostess was warm, courteous and welcoming. Our waiter, Mike, was also warm, very knowledgeable and attentive. The food was well prepared and delicious. All in all a great experience. I would definitely return and highly recommend to others.
Giulia's was outstanding! The freshly made pasta was fantastic. In particular the wild boar pappardelle and the Brussels with prosciutto were fantastic. Service and atmosphere were top notch. Highly recommend giving this place a try.
The space is lovely, and everyone was attentive and friendly. The food ranged from good (e.g., semolina cakes, tagliatelle) to great (e.g., brussels spouts, bucatini). Given the hype and price tag, I was a little underwhelmed, but maybe we didn't order the “right” things. I'd be willing to give it another try!
We had wanted to come here for a long time but could never get a reservation. We finally managed to get a 5:45 same-day reservation, and everything completely lived up to our hopes. Atmosphere was perfect, food was amazing, service was delightful. We would definitely go there again. It was a bit pricey, I think just a little too high to give 5 stars on value (especially one starter that was $16 for barely two bites). We will definitely go back again, if we can manage to get a table!
This was our third visit back to Guilias and it does not disappoint. We had the same waiter we had last time over six months ago, which to me always speaks well of a restaurant that they can hold onto their good staff. Every bite of every dish is so delicious. Absolutely well prepared great spin on all the classics. The prices are high, although not outrageous, and the portions are moderate, not huge, but not small either but given the richness and flavor of most dishes that really works in this case. We certainly walk away, feeling very satisfied. I wouldn't hesitate to go again, and I hope that will be sooner rather than later. My husband kept oohing and ahhing over his duck!
This is a pricey restaurant, but the food was very good, specifically the secondi meals that three of the four of our diners ordered. The other diner ordered a pasta dish and was disappointed due to the small portion and flavor considering the price of the dish. As it was difficult to obtain a reservation, we were the last sitting of the night. The waiter seemed bored / annoyed by the job, so that was unfortunate considering the cost of the food/drinks.
We had an excellent dinner here! Great service. Cocktails were perfect. Salads and pastas were excellent. We went to a lame touristy Italian restaurant in the North End the night before and this was such a better experience. Highly recommend!
We ate at Guilia to celebrate two birthdays. Everything was EXCELLENT! They honored our Open Table reservation request for the best table in the house, and it was. They remembered our Open Table note that this was two birthdays and sent dessert with candles and very little noisy fanfare. The drinks and food were imaginative and delicious. Cassie, our server, was attentive, friendly and understated. She explained everything clearly and called us "sir" and "ma'm" and "dear" instead of the ubiquitous "guys" that has polluted the restaurant lexicon. The runners who delivered our food and cleared the table between courses were the same, smiling, quiet and efficient. It was a great evening and we recommend Giulia to anyone looking for a fabulous dinner.
Restaurantji Recommends
This restaurant never fails to please. The wild boar and duck were just delicious as was the beet salad, chicken liver crostini starters. Food presentation, waiter service, attention, knowledge on wines was all great and added up to a very pleasant evening.
I had received multiple recommendations from friends about Giulia, so I was quite excited to try the restaurant. However, my party and I had probably the worst service experience of our lives here. First off, the food was excellent. We ordered the semolina cakes, burrata di andria, bucatini all'amatriciana, and duck and prosciutto ravioli. In particular, the semolina cakes have a strong truffle presence, the pancetta on the bucatini was delicious, and I loved the flavor pairings of the burrata. The ravioli was a bit too salty. I think they have also cut back on the serving sizes compared to a few years ago. The atmosphere was also great; it fits the cozy spot in Cambridge vibes well. The service, on the other hand, was utterly horrible. To preface the following review, my party and I have all worked in the food service industry, meaning we understand the complications and frustrations associated with this job. We always give servers the benefit of the doubt, never have complaints, and tip well. I say this because we are not the ones to nitpick a restaurant's service, especially during the holiday season, but the fact that I am writing this review right now goes to show how dissatisfied we were. We had planned to go light on the dishes as we weren't particularly hungry. Our waiter made some snarky remarks about the amount of food we were ordering. Maybe he was trying to be funny, but he just came across as condescending. It honestly felt like he thought we couldn't afford the meal or something. I hate to make assumptions, but perhaps his attitude was racially charged. Our waiter held this snide attitude throughout the night, to the point where we just wanted to leave as soon as possible. We didn't even want to order dessert because we felt unbearably uncomfortable in his presence. His service genuinely ruined the entire experience for us. I never want to return, which is a shame because the food was delicious.
Our waiter Mike was lost and uncommunicative. He only managed a smile when he presented the bill and it was time to tip. Food portions were small and the desserts tasted medicinal. Overall the $300 we spent were avoidable.
One of the best meals of my life. Giulia is the only restaurant I've been to where every dish I've ever ordered on the menu has been good, and 90+% have been truly exceptional. I'm an NYC native, and I travel to Boston often. I enjoy an meal at Giulia more than any NYC restaurant, including some of the most celebrated Italian restaurants in the city. Special thanks to the dessert chef, the dark chocolate cake with fig jam and red pepper gelato as well as the caramel tart with frosted almonds and apple cobbler gelato were both superb. It is so so nice to see an Italian restarant that doesn't limit itself to just tiramisu and panna cotta. The food at Giulia is creative, and never at the cost of being delicious. Highlights include the oysters, chicken liver crostini, and caponata for apps. They also usually run a great salad, often citrusy which is a nice lightness. For pastas, the boar, bucatini all'amatriciana, and bolognese are always great. The halibut main was also delicious. I'd say this is the most consistent restaurant I've ever been to; feel confident about ordering anything
Excellent food, service and cozy atmosphere. The flatbread appy with pea green pesto, pine nuts and prosciutto excellent; roasted squash agnolotti entree was amazing; pappardelle with braised wild boar was good but not quite tasty enough; caramel mousse tart was to die for. We were recommended a big bold Italian red wine which was also very good.