Cantina Italiana

It’s always great place for a romantic night out, a little pricey but good.

Phenomenal service and just what you want for food. This will continue to be a regular spot for our family.

NEw years Eve

I truly understand the situation with the restaurant business trying to survive during COVID time. This is an old restaurant with great food but we were really disappointed with one thing. They did not honor the MA safety regulations for the indoor capacity. They told us they are running at 25% capacity, but we believe it was definitely above 60%, easy. Some of the tables were too close to each other because it was relatively a small place. And too many people inside while we were there.

Great meal and great service. Plenty of places to eat in the North End and this has to be one of the best.

Food & service were great, it’s a must try when in the North End

This is one of our favorite restaurants in the north end. We have been patrons for years and are never disappointed. The food is exquisite and the staff so friendly. I even got a place to park on Hanover street...another Christmas miracle.

The experience was such a treat after the Christmas rush. The polpette appetizer was delicious and the linguine with fresh clams and my husband’s bolognese was so fresh. The Canoli is large enough for two to split with an espresso martini as a great dessert drink.

The restaurant took Covid precautions and every staff member was masked and tables and patrons were distanced. Its so great to support our local restaurants in the North End.

Christmas Eve dinner was lovely. Great service, great food, safety protocols being followed.

My wife and I have gone to Cantina Italiana on Christmas eve for many years. We have always had a wonderful dining experience. I am already looking forward to going again next year.

Excellent service and food was off the charts!

The service was excellent! And Omar (manager) is a lovely person with fantastic wine suggestions. The kitchen was very flexible with a gluten allergy. We very much enjoyed our meal.

Food was amazing! The wait staff were really kind & efficient.

Our server Matt and the manager Omar and everyone who helped out with our party were all so wonderful and made the celebration even more fun!! Will definitely be coming back.

Try the gnocchi

Good food and service, prompt and quick. Nice area

From the start when you encounter the manager Omar, you feel that you are welcomed to a family. The food is always great and their signature pasta (Bombolatti) is amazing no matter which way you get it.

I would recommend Cantina for date night, a night out with friends and special occasions. The owner John is very accommodating and will help you plan your special night and requests.

-Mario C.

Great food and great experience! Nice social distancing.

Amazing restaurant, without the crazy prices of some of the other places in the North End. Truly delicious food - sauces and the seafood is spectacular. We loved the mussels appetizer and the lobster/shrimp fry diavola pasta. Top quality, and seems like a family-run place. Highly recommend instead of paying more at a more tourist-aimed place.

Outside dining was a bit cold but the food was hot and phenomenal! Our waiter was friendly and gracious.

Learned this is one of the oldest italian restaurants in the area and it didn't disappoint. Our server was actually Italian! Big portions and great food. Well priced cocktails and wine list. If you want a traditional italian dining experience this is a great choice.

I'd eaten here years before. I returned with friends as I still recalled how great the food & service. I misread the menu & ordered the incorrect entree. They were so generous to quickly correct despite this being MY mistake. I'd recommend & return!

Amazing food and great atmosphere! Main dish took a little long to come out but was worth the wait. Loved the Bombolotti pasta dish.

Great spot in North End. Was very busy. Service was slow as a result but still very enjoyable.

Excellent service. Food was good as well. We ordered two glasses of champagne, did not realize that it offers the champagne on the bottle. We asked the waiter whether we could switch to the bottle instead of the glass, though we have already consumed half of the glass. The waiter was very kind, he offered us the bottle without charging us on the glass order. This is unexpected kindness. Highly recommended for this family run customer friendly place. Must have desert!

Amazing service, they treat you like you’ve known each other for years. Amazing food every time I go there

We were visiting Boston and had a great experience here. The food was excellent as well as the service! Great portion sizes and great quality.

Great environment for casual dining. Best Italian restaurant in the North End!

Limited seating outside, but made reservations early and got lucky. The weather was perfect and our server was amazing. Since you sat roadside there was quite a bit of traffic noise, but all-in-all we really liked it. Definitely would recommend!

Phillipo was our server and he was such an attentive waiter. Made the evening so special! Food was delicious. We had both items on the menu and the special which was lobster ravioli in the vodka sauce. Phillipo recommended a wonderful bottle of wine to pair with our meals. It was my parents anniversary and they went above and beyond to make it very special. We will definitely be back! 10/10

Great food and Matt did a wonderful job taking care of us! We will be back!

The waiter Phillipe was great.

Busy, maybe to busy. Food was good took a little long and came out cool to the touch. You can tell it was sitting there for a period of time. I would try again and hope the food is hotter next time.

We really enjoyed our dinner here. We had the best seat in the house, at the front window which were wide open this beautiful evening. Given the COVID situation, the window open, and sanitizer right on the dining table to use as needed, all servers masked, we felt they gave good precautions to this virus.
Our only complaint was that the wine cellar seemed to be lacking. We ordered champagne that was not available and our first choice of wine was out as well. We will give them a pass as it must be hard to keep a full inventory during these trying times as a restaurant.
The place has lots of charm with the hand painted murals and friendly and prompt servers.

Awesome staff.

The staff was very attentive and friendly. Their homemade bread and pasta was out-of-this world. We will definitely go back.

Tables too close together. Hanover Street extremely noisy and disruptive. Many people without masks. Waited almost half an hour to be seated. No time limits in place as required. People sitting drinking at bar in restaurant without food. Food was delicious but our meals were mixed up and just an apology was offered. Prices high. $7 to add pasta to your meal.

We picked this restaurant based on availability at 7pm on a Saturday night. We were blown away! We shared the Polpette (meatball appetizer) and the Caprese. Both arrived plated beautifully and they tasted even better. Our waiter Matt was very helpful when we couldn't decide what to order. We all got 4 different dishes and loved all of them. Saltimbocca di Pollo, Parmigiana di Pollo, Shrimp Scampi and Bombolotti with chicken, hot cherry peppers and sweet sausages. I would definitely come back and recommend you give it a try.

The food here is 100/10. The service here is 10000/10. I would recommend this place to every single person. I felt like I was eating dinner with my family. Honestly exactly what I needed in these COVID times. This place brought me so much joy. Thank you !

Did not follow proper Covid-19 procedures, very overcrowded. Had a reservation for 730 outside, got sat at 815 inside... will not be back