From North End red-sauce institutions to South End tasting menus and Cambridge trattorias, the Italian tables Boston critics keep returning to.
The full ranking
From North End red-sauce institutions to South End tasting menus and Cambridge trattorias, the Italian tables Boston critics keep returning to.
Giulia (Cambridge)
Chef Michael Pagliarini's intimate Italian trattoria between Harvard and Porter Squares, open since 2012 and celebrated for hand-crafted pastas made daily at a custom chef's table in the open kitchen. Umbrian-influenced and a Michelin Guide listing.
SRV (South End)
Boston's first Venetian-style bacaro, named for the 'Serene Republic of Venice,' serving cicchetti, risotto, and housemade pastas from grain milled in-house from Four Star Farms in Northfield. The all-Italian wine list and aperitivo program make it as much a wine bar as a restaurant.
Tonino (Jamaica Plain)
A 28-seat Jamaica Plain trattoria from chef Luke Fetbroth (formerly of Sarma and Giulia), known for handmade pastas, Sicilian-style pizza, and a food-focused beverage program. Named to the New York Times' 25 best Boston restaurants list.
Fox & the Knife (South Boston)
Chef Karen Akunowicz's James Beard Award-winning South Boston enoteca, inspired by her years cooking in Modena, Italy. The house-made pasta is the centerpiece, supported by bright antipasti and one of the city's best Amaro and aperitivo programs.
Pammy's (Cambridge)
A Central Square trattoria from husband-and-wife team Pam and Chris Willis, known for Italian-inflected New American cooking and a Lumache pasta with gochujang-Bolognese that has become one of Boston's most talked-about dishes. Boston Magazine's Best Pasta winner.
Carmelina's (North End)
A Sicilian-inflected North End Italian and Michelin Guide listing, known for its Sunday macaroni served every day with meatballs, sausage, and beef rib in tomato sauce topped with whipped ricotta, alongside Maine lobster ravioli and littleneck clam pasta.
Geppetto (Cambridge)
A Cambridge Crossing Italian restaurant from 2021, known for pastas made daily in the dining room, a rotating roster of local seafood and butchered meats, and an in-house Amaro cart. Chef Gilson draws heavily from Northern Italian traditions.
Delfino (Roslindale)
A Roslindale neighborhood favorite since 2001, known for authentic Italian family-recipe cooking with a particularly strong seafood-pasta program and fresh bread from Iggy's. An open kitchen and warm atmosphere have made it a beloved alternative to the North End.
Mamma Maria (North End)
A landmark North End fine-dining room spread across a 19th-century townhouse on North Square, the oldest public square in America, steps from the Paul Revere House. Nationally acclaimed for its seasonal, New England-sourced approach to regional Italian cooking since the 1990s.
Bricco (North End)
A North End ristorante and enoteca celebrated for boutique Italian cooking, an all-Italian wine list, and brick-oven pizza with premium toppings. The espresso martini program, led by bartender Glenn LeMaitre, became so popular it spawned a bottled product sold across Massachusetts.
Ranked across 6 sources: Time Out Boston 2025; The Infatuation Boston · Best Italian 2026 (by 0–10 score); Boston Globe Magazine · Best of the Best 2025 (unranked); Boston Magazine · Best Italian Restaurants (unranked); Yelp · Ranked by Rating (May 2026); Google Reviews · Ranked by Rating (May 2026). Full scoring is on the Methodology tab above.
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