Saraceno

I had been here with my family on a handful of occasions, and was impressed each time. So, I was in town and took a friend here on our first date, and it was a night to remember. We didn’t have a reservation (and it was the Saturday after New Year’s) but the owner took us to a primo table right away. The waitress was gracious and polite. First question was about drinks– I thought the house Chianti was agreeable the other times I was here. The restaurant is in a space that is… close. Well; a neighboring party got up to leave, and they accidentally hit our table knocking our wine over us and the table. After many apologies from the fellow customers, the staff (and the owner), we got another table. The food was delicious, and the atmosphere couldn’t have been better for a great first date. The owner insisted that we send him the bill for cleaning our clothes, but I think that was not necessary. The prices are very reasonable for the middle of the North End, and the food was prepared very nicely. I can’t thank the staff and the owner enough for a memorable evening. Grazie!

What a great find! I had the pasta amatriciana which was flavored with pancetta — who knew something so simple could be so decadent. My daughter had the fettuccine alfredo — again, delicious. My mother in law enjoyed the veal. Service was excellent.
The only thing I would change is that the space where we were seated was very small and a little too dark for my taste.
We will definitely be back!

The food was great. The taste was fabulous. Yummy. Only problem was my plate was empty and I wanted more. Tasty!
But, they dont manage reservations well. We Open tabled, and they just dont seem to pay attention to number of customers coming in. We sat in front of the door. The freezing continuous blasts of wind made dinner unpleasant. Not a good compliment to such wonderful tastes.
Also… $ 6.99 for a dinner salad? Rather pricy for lettuce and olives.

Delicious!!! We were on our way for ramen, when I asked our über driver about great Italian restaurants and he ended up taking us here. From the appetizer to main course everything was fresh and filled with lots of flavor. Definitely wish I wasn’t leaving the city tomorrow so I can come back again! All well next trip

Saraceno was recommended by our hotel (Sheraton) and wow I want to go back now! We actually ate here twice during our 5 day stay in Boston and the food and prices are spot on.
The first visit, I had the Carbonara and my mom got a veal dish. Both were incredible — we practically licked our plates. Loved the ambiance too — it felt so old fashioned and we were seated immediately once we arrived on a Saturday at 7:30pm.
We came back on Monday during lunch and were happy to see they had some great lunch specials ranging from $ 6.95 (pasta) to $ 14.95 (veal shank). We also had a caprese salad (the mozzarella was amazing and so fresh).
The wine list is a bit pricey — starts at $ 10 a glass — but they gave pretty nice pours.
Will definitely be back here on my next trip to Boston. Oh, and the pasta is homemade mmm!

We made a reservation for a Friday night at 7:30 here, which was completely unnecessary as no one even checked our reservation and there were lots of empty tables. The place looks tiny, but they actually have a number of rooms upstairs and in the basement. They took us through what seemed like a maze, without exaggerating we probably went through 4 or 5 dining rooms until they sat us. What was interesting is we passed a number of rooms with empty tables, and yet they sat us in the furthest room in the back with not a single other diner in the room. It was nice to be alone, but I felt like we were being isolated on purpose, perhaps because we were dressed more casually in jeans? It didn’t feel good to be honest.
The service was meh. The servers were all very Italian and very standoffish. Not sure if that’s a cultural thing, but for a $ 300+ dinner for 4 people I expect a higher quality of service.
The food was actually delicious here and I think reasonably priced for the area. Still expect to spend $ 50-​$ 75 pp with drinks of course, but they had many reasonable options if you’re not looking to take out a second mortgage for dinner and can stay away from their expensive bottles of wine. They have great specials, I went with the veal chop and was very impressed.
I most likely won’t be back, there are too many other Italian places in the North End that serve equally delicious food with better attitudes.

Our party of three all ordered the same dish — without planning to do so — the Linguine Al Frutti Di Mare. An excellent dish. Lots of seafood of which all tasted like it was just pulled from the water. The clams still had the wonderful brine within the shell, huge scallops, huge shrimp, plenty of Mussels and al dente pasta. And if that wasn’t enough, the bread was nice and crusty for, as my grandmother would say, «doonking» up the sauce. Priced correctly and honestly. Saved just enough room for a trip to Mike’s Pastry, which was mobbed at 8:30pm on a Tuesday night [not that I expected anyone home watching the opening game of the World Series this year]. My only complaint has nothing to do with the restaurant — parking. If you need to park in a lot, be prepared to pay more than for a single dinner and a cannoli. I’ll be back!
Funniest thing heard on Hanover Street after dinner was someone asking where they could «get good Italian food around here», which was greeted by a lot of «are you kidding me’s?»

This is a delightful little restaurant. Cozy, friendly, with food that is very very good, at prices that are very reasonable for the excellent quality you receive. (It’s priced about the same as all its neighbors, but the quality seems a bit better to me.) I’ve been eating here for over a decade and I’ve never had a bad meal. Everyone I bring here raves about it. We always leave happy. What more can you ask for? It’s a real stand-​out in a neighborhood of excellent restaurants.

Loved the atmosphere — it appeared so small until we were taken upstairs via a separate entrance. It was a lovely surprise with an intimate, romantic feel. The food was also very good. I had the chicken piccata and it was very good. We also had a mushroom risotto appetizer which was to die for. Service was quick and efficient. Definitely would go back again!

A delicious and friendly experience. I stopped here for an early dinner with my mother before the airport and had already eaten brunch, but was along for the ride (and became a taste tester).
We were seated by the large open window and the dining room was very inviting. I already had a glass of water poured for me when I sat down — I had been waiting in line for cannolis before — and my mom was already making friends with our waiter. The staff was all super friendly and went out of their way to make sure everyone was paid special attention.
I ordered a glass of house wine and was surprised when a cannoli was placed at our table while my mother was away talking with some regular customers. They had seen my box from mike’s pastry and sent me over a modern pastry cannoli. They let me in on a little secret that I wasn’t too surprised by — mikes cannolis are frozen! — but were so friendly and admitted that it is all indeed good. Moderns is just fresher, and that’s what Saraceno offers for dessert.
The regulars were very representative of how the whole staff comports itself, and our service was amiable, quick, and memorable. My mother ordered the chicken piccata and let me share a bit of it. The sauce was to die for — it came with 3 chicken breasts, potatoes and broccoli. She left with some leftovers, but could have easily eaten it all.
The food at the tables around me were also raved about while we were there, and I’m sure we’ll be stopping back in.

I made a reservation on a busy weekend (parent’s weekend for multiple Boston colleges). My reservation was for 7:15pm. There was no one to check in parties, I had to flag down a staff member who sent someone along about 10 minutes later. This woman was probably doing the best she could, so this review isn’t about her, it’s about the ridiculous system the restaurant apparently uses to seat guests.
After we were waiting for about 15 minutes past our reservation, we started chatting with the huge crowd waiting outside. Multiple parties had reservations for 30 minutes earlier or more, who were still waiting, and and had been told to wait even longer. The hostess would not take down any names, just said she would remember who came first and call people out. Other people told us that when they tried to make a reservation over the phone, the person refused to take down their name, and also refused to give them an actual time – «7pm, 7:15pm, doesn’t really matter when you get here” – is what they were told.
Well, I can see why it doesn’t matter. If you don’t honor reservations, DON’T OFFER reservations! If I want to stand in line for over an hour for amazing food, I’ll go to Giacamo’s because I know what I’m getting myself into. I specifically chose a restaurant that offered reservations, and was disappointed to see that the reservations meant nothing. Seeing the fate of the other diners, we left after 20 minutes and went to Carlo’s in Allston, which totally blew us away with their amazing food and hospitality!

Pros: My pasta dish was above average and serving staff were attentive and polite.
Cons: Hosting staff were rude to my wife, dingy atmosphere upstairs, portions were small (food was overpriced), my wife’s Cesar salad and pasta carbonara were bland, and staff would not split the bill despite repeated polite attempts asking to do so.
Verdict: Would not recommend.

I should have known what my experience was going to be like when I had to ask for the drink menu (and they never brought it to us…). The rushed waitress listed a few beverages off hand. May I also add that we went at 4:30pm on a Sunday — not prime dinner hour. The restaurant wasn’t even half full.
We are college students, so she probably didn’t expect us to pay much for dinner. Believe it or not, we actually would have ordered something more expensive had we felt welcomed in the establishment.
Bread was fine, but wasn’t even warm.
My cheese ravioli came. For $ 15.99, I got four, yes four pieces of ravioli sitting in a plate of marinara sauce. I thought it was a joke. My boyfriend, meanwhile, got a heaping plate of pasta for the same price.
Our waitress never checked in to see if our food was good, never refilled our water.
It doesn’t matter if you are paying $ 30 for a meal or $ 200, you treat your customers with the same respect.
I’ve had better food at the Olive Garden. Save your money and buy pastries at Mike’s.

My return after two-​ish years of reminiscing from Hawaii has me… Well, disappointed.
Within the first week of my visit, I hit Saraceno up hoping for that amazing taste I remembered, but what I got fell short of my expectations. The Alfredo was creamy but not nearly as flavorful as I remember it being, and the noodles were a little over-​cooked that day. Everything else was great.
I’d have to say that my customer service was friendlier this time around, despite how busy and short-​staffed the business was that night.
I’d come back again, but not with the same expectations. Disappointed, but not displeased.

Our «source of all things good Cab Driver» advised us that Saraceno’s in the North End is where the local’s eat good Italian food. I called and asked for a rez using the owner’s name, «Frank», and told the receptionist we were from Texas (per advice from our new best Boston friend, «Restaurant Guide Cab Driver»).
At first glance it is a small, cozy restaurant but we learned soon that there is a downstairs and an upstairs. Frank, a charming man with a wonderful Italian accent, came over, shook our hands and led us to a very nice table for four. The menu is rich with seafood, meat dishes and pasta but they did have a Seafood Risotto dish that I zeroed in on. We opened a bottle of Bella Sera Chianti and plates of bread, butter and olive oil were offered. I had a tasty house salad chock full of olives, greens, red onion, cheese and tomatoes.
My eyes bugged out like a cartoon when the platter of Seafood Risotto was set before me. It was huge and filled with pieces of fish, whole fresh scallops, shrimp and lobster. And, an unidentified marvelous little thing that looked like a shriveled flower. It was delicious. Frank came by once more to check on us and here is our final conversation:
Me: This dish was absolutely wonderful but I wanted to know what the crispy little flower like things were.
Frank: Those are the squid’s testicles.
Me: Testicles!!!
Frank: Yes, they are the best part of the squid.
Me: I ate squid testicles???
Our server (who happened to return just then, thankfully): Oh, no no no… he means «tentacles»!

Worst Italian food I have ever had. Everyone in our party of 4 was unhappy with the food.
$ 13 for a sad, tasteless Caesar salad.
Overcooked chicken, barely chewable sausage.
Bland, watery risotto.
Boring penne.
Save your money and go anywhere else.
Service was fine. Very nice servers.

My colleague and I had a very specific mission this night. I am happy to report that, thanks to Saraceno, Operation Find Excellent Gnocchi in North End was successfully accomplished. Our meetings ran late into the evening and involved quite a few drinks and appetizers, so we were late to the area and our bellies weren’t exactly growling with hunger. Still, this was the mission. Looking back, I wished we’d staved off the appealing drinks and appetizers earlier to really dig into this menu. I wish we’d indulged in no less than a four course expedition.
A table of six or so were walking out as we were studying the menu. They happily proclaimed the food was excellent and encouraged us to give it a whirl. As we entered, I was enchanted by the atmosphere. Quaint and intimate, it was the perfect place for some relaxing conversation and good food. As long as the food was good.
Oh, it was. My colleague promptly ordered the Gnocchi Alla Napoletana and I the Lumache Alla Parigina. As I mentioned, I wasn’t that hungry, but who can pass up the opportunity for escargot? Not this girl. Not at all. And, thank goodness I did! The little buttery delights were some of the best I’ve ever had the opportunity to savor. And the gnocchi? Deeee-​lightful. Perfect pillowy puffs in a creamy sauce that sent the senses soaring. Bursting with pure joy and very, very full tummies, we left with our only regret being we couldn’t eat more.
Saraceno, I will be back. And, I will devour all I can from your menu of happiness.

I came here as part of a group for my friends birthday. Nothing was up to the level that I would expect: the bread was stale, the olives were fake, the pasta was tasteless, there was a static, probably google-​image-​searched picture of Rome displayed on a TV with a nice burned-​in image of a beach faintly behind it.
I’m never coming here again.

When family comes to visit, it usually means a trip to the North End. I had settled on a quick lunch at Galleria Umberto but alas, they were closed for Colombus Day. Across the street, this place caught our gaze and we decided to give it a try.
Of course, it was only after the fact we were seated and I opened Unilocal.I was nervous because of the reviews, but in reality nothing about the meal was terrible. The only complaint I have was that the «olive oil» at the table looked and tasted like it was blended with Crisco to stretch it out. The calamari and stuffed mushrooms were fine, and the shrimp fra diavolo is a great lunch deal.
Unlike other reviewers, I had no problems with our server. Historically, and at little fault of my own, my track record with waiters in the North End is on the negative side, but maybe if the restaurant was busier it would have been another story.

The service here sucks but the food is good.
I had dinner here today and I had called in advance and made a reservation for 6pm. Well when my date and I got there they seated us immediately in the front street window and ignored my reservation, which, is not bad at all. After we had finished our bread basket our orders were taken. When we got our food (which was delicious) we never got any bread, our hopes to sop up marinara sauce in bread were never fulfilled. No waiter ever came to check in on us and our meal, long after we had finished we got our plates cleared, then MUCH longer we got our check and even getting the check back took too long. THE SERVICE HERE SUCKS BUT THE FOOD IS GOOD.