I was in the city for one night and had picked several restaurants from the myriad of Italian spots in the North End. From those, I ended up choosing L'Osteria, and I'm glad I did.
I was seated quickly and brought a glass of water. After a few minutes, the server took my order of ravioli bolognese and a beer. I didn't time it, but the food came out in a reasonable time. The servers checked on me a few times, pleasant with each pass.
The ravioli was delicious! There might have been 10 ravioli, and they were stuffed. The sauce was tasty and they had used a good amount to cover the ravioli. The bread was a bit overly crunchy, but that was truly the only negative.
Also, the place was clean from the dining area to the restroom. The music was mostly Old World Italian and 1950s-60s pop music. It felt like visiting my Italian grandma's house. Nice place!
I waited tables through college so I can forgive a waitress having a crazy night. We had an 8:30 reservation. We arrived a little early and the hostess was able to seat us. The restaurant was packed and the atmosphere was high energy. Our waitress came and since we already knew what we wanted, we placed our order to save time.
This is when things for our waitress went downhill. She was seated several tables at once and then another gentleman client seemed to stand over at the staircase and argue with her for 10 minutes or so. Other tables around us started to complain about not having their order taken or being ready to go and not being able to get a check.
Our entrees arrived then our appetizer arrived. You know what makes everything better? The food was incredible. The flavor, the heat and the textures were so, so good. I’ll go back just for the food.
I was walking around the North End with my mother with no intentions of eating at any specific place. We found L'Osteria by chance and I'm very glad we did. It seems like just an average restaurant with some touristy looks to it but the food is where they shine the brightest. I'm not sure if these are family recipes or what but they are delicious and the portions are extremely generous. We got the stuffed mushrooms and while the mushrooms were ok, it was the sauce that added the kick they needed to soar. I wish the waitress would have told us to drizzle the sauce on them before we were already halfway done but I'm glad we thought outside of the box and did. The carbonara was perfectly cooked and had the right amount of sharpness from the cheeses but the creaminess from the egg and cream. Savory from the guanchale made everything sit in harmony. Definitely a place I will visit again just to see how the other dishes are presented.
Italian Restaurant that is among the very best of the best in Boston. Sauce is delicious, their Parm (I got veal) is some of my favorite anywhere. Prices are very good, and the service was quick and friendly.
A great choice in Boston!!!
All the food was fantastic! The chicken francese was so soft and juicy it basically melted in my mouth.
Went here twice, had the shrimp diavolo both times - and still can't have enough of it! Their bottles of house wine are also a good deal. What I love most about this place though is how chill and laid back they are - such a welcome respite from the long lines and packed tables of the restaurants just a block over on the Hanover street.
My family has been coming here regularly for years. The service, food, and atmosphere are always consistently good. We have tried most other places in the North End, but always seem to find our way back - highly recommend!
Super delicious food, no wait outside time, amazing service and friendly staff. Definitely recommended lasagna and pasta with bolognese!!!
Great quick service. The veal and eggplant was Devine. Their red sauce is so simple and delightful. Also, they were able to make a side of asparagus and garlic which was not on the menu. Salad or pasta with any entree. Very delightful, very family friendly
My group picked this place because it looked nice from the outside, and the inside surely didn’t disappoint! Everything was absolutely phenomenal.
I asked the waitress which veal dish was the best and she said the Veal Triestini. I asked her what was second best and she said the Veal Triestini. I asked her what was third best and she said the Veal Triestini. At first I was puzzled by her unwavering goal of getting me to eat this veal, but she was super nice and I trusted her, so I ordered it. And WOW was she right. Without exaggeration, it was one of my favorite Italian dishes of all time AND I’m not even a huge fan of pink sauce. Everyone at my table was jealous of my meal. You need to get this veal when you go! You need to get this veal when you go! You need to get this veal when you go!
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