Strega

What a pleasant surprise Strega was last evening! We happened to walk by & stopped to ask how long a wait there was for a table because things looked busy. How nice it was to be greeted by a smiling hostess who didn’t seem stressed (there were two large groups dining when we arrived) and offered us a table in the bar area if we would like. Friendly & accommodating! That was only the beginning of the great service.
When seated, we were given some wonderful crusty bread with olives and olive oil. All three were fantastic! A young server happened to notice how much I was loving it all and he even brought me more olives/​olive oil. We were just in Italy last fall and we felt all three were as good or better than in Italy.
We split a caesar salad and it was one of the best we’ve ever had. From the fresh parm. cheese to the perfect amount of dressing, we were very happy with them.
I had the lobster/​crab ravioli which was very good and my husband couldn’t quit raving about the veal he had which had some delicious melted cheese on the top. The whole meal just felt very fresh.
A shout out to Samantha who treated us well throughout the dinner and even tolerated my husband’s weird humor.
Thanks for lovely evening & great dinner. If we are ever back in Boston we will visit again.
*We noticed all the TV’s but didn’t find them bothersome. The place had a good vibe.

My husband accompanied me to a business event in Boston. In the process we did some sightseeing and decided to get some of the famed Italian food of the North End. We stopped at Strega because it was the first place we saw after discussing how hungry we were. It was early (I remember noticing that it was close to 4:30) and the place looked mostly empty. We were «greeted» (I use this word loosely because the girl at the door never said hello, gave us blank looks, and made zero eye contact while talking with us) at the door and asked if we had reservations. No, we didn’t but I asked if it was possible to wait. We were told that there were no reservations until 8pm, but we could eat at a bar table. That was fine with us… However, I was less fine with it when over the course of our stay we proceeded to watch anther couple walk in without reservations and then a group of 3 walk in without reservations and be seated at tables in the dining area (our bar seats had the advantage of seeing and hearing every conversation of the hostess with people coming in the door so I know they had no reservations). The table staff was marginally better. In general, the service ranged from bad to meh. It gets two stars for the good food. Unfortunately, the food wasn’t good enough to overwhelm the feeling of being totally unwelcome. Maybe the experience is different for locals. But, I’ll make sure me and my colleagues steer clear of this place on future trips.

So far, I have only been here for drinks and dessert (I mean, what more do you really need in life?). But I have always been impressed. One of the things I love the best about this place is that it is one of the rare restaurants in the North End where you are not crammed in and basically having dinner with your neighbors. They recently renovated and the space looks sparkly clean and high end. The drinks are wonderful (especially the sangria) and the desserts are to die for. I have been trying to find ricotta pie like the one I had here and I have so far been unsuccessful. The waiters are great as well — special shout out to Sabatino who always makes the visit feel special. I can’t wait to come back and have a full meal!

Had a very nice happy hour here. Glass of wine and their meat and cheese appetizer plate. Sat in the open window spot and watched life go by in the North End. Perfect hour

Meh. Just ok. Nothing to write home about. I left feeling like it wasn’t worth the time or money to eat here. Nothing was wrong, per se, but nothing was right either.

Always a special treat when visiting North side.
We had lunch there. We shared their calamari which was breaded to perfection. I had their crab salad w avocado. so yummy and healthy. Hubby had an excellent pasta… Can’t remember the type of pasta. Thick spaghetti noodles… So good!
Celebrity photos all over and large tv screen with the classic Italian movies!
A great place for all foodies!

All I can say is wow. This place is possibly the best Italian food I have ever eaten and very likely the best lunch I have ever had. I came in on a whim while wandering around the north end and left very happy with my choice. I ordered off the dine in Boston lunch menu which meant that I got three courses for only twenty dollars. The server was very attentive and picked out a wonderful white wine for me when given the choice.
Food:
I started with a grapefruit salad with arugla, walnuts, parmesan cheese and a citrus vinaigrette. The grapefruit was generous so it was a wonderful with the mild spicy of the arugla. The next course was the fettuccine carbonara that was to die for. Pasta was fresh and thick, sauce was beautifully creamy and panchetta was crispy. Finally, the canoli was a religious experience. Perfectly filled with a good ratio of chocolate chips.
Definitely a must visit on the north end, I will be back soon!

Went here for an early Valentine’s Day dinner with my fiancé. The waiter was excellent and the food came out very quickly. I had the seafood pasta special which came with half of a lobster, giant scallops, clams, calamari, and mussels it was amazing! Exactly what you would expect from an Italian restaurant in the North End.

Came in on New Year’s Day for dinner and was surprised to see that it wasn’t too busy. There isn’t much seating but were seated right away. The service was decent, we originally had a kind man who filled our waters but then he must’ve went home because we were from there on served by a woman who seemed very rushed and stern, not very friendly. Instead of introducing herself she started with «did you get the blue moon? I need your ID». I appreciate her checking ID’s but jeesh, our tab came to about $ 100, the least she could do was be friendly. She just didn’t seem very happy and that goes a long way service wise. Overall, the food and atmosphere were great, location is perfect, and the wine list was very impressive.

Really great, fresh Italian. Been here several times when in the North End. Not sure if it’s the house speciality of stuffed veal chop, the homemade mozz, or the North End vibe but I always check in at this place. It’s tough to get a table but it’s a cozy place with a great atmosphere and friendly staff.
Started with the Wed night app special of housemade mozz and prosciutto. The mozz is somewhere between cheese, crème fresh, and ice cream. Was great with the salt of the prosciutto. Then salad and homemade cheese ravioli. Took a walk to Mike’s for the cannoli though :). Great meal again and I’ll see you in 2 months.

We were hanging around Hanover street so we decided to have some appetizer and drinks. They sat us and when we finished ordering the waiter said this is a restaurant… I didn’t understand his meaning so I ask him to repeat himself. He proceeded to say this is a restaurant you can’t just order appetizers and drinks… It was not during rush hour and they had plenty of tables open. I don’t like the way he spoke to us. If that’s their policy then they should say that when they seat us or have it stated somewhere.
I like the food but not enough to go back there again with that kind of attitude.

I rarely venture from JP to the North End for Italian food, so I’ll preface this review by saying I’m in no way comparing Strega to any of the other Italian ristorantes/​trattorias on and around Hanover Street. I’m sure everyone has their favorite.
My girlfriend and I decided to try out Strega sans reservation to celebrate the end of a great 2015. For 730PM on a Wednesday, it was pretty busy but the hostess was able to seat us within a couple of minutes and we had a lovely high-​top seat by the window. The ambience is cozy, but not cramped, and the table spacing is just enough so that you don’t feel on top of each other. They have old school movies playing on a tv above the bar; I can see what people say when they talk about Strega being a restaurant with a personality.
Service here was excellent. Our waiter was very well-​versed in the menu, no need to write anything down, and he gave us a great wine pairing for our meals. He totally sold us one an appetizer special, ravioli with wild mushrooms and black truffle oil, which we split. Spot on. My girlfriend got casarecci di marina, which is fusilli w/​eggplant and sundried tomatoes, and I had the marsala. Really nice, not too heavy, with a couple of whole carrots, asparagus, whipped potatoes. Declined dessert. Total $ 111 before tip, enough leftovers for another meal.
Overall, a great romantic little night that makes me more inclined to try out more of Nick Varano’s restaurants. I am hesitant to give 5 stars, because I know that somewhere, tucked away in the North End, there is a little place that will make my jaw hit the floor and weep with joy some day.

4 of us were visiting Boston on Christmas. We were super hungry after most of the restaurants were closed. We asked a local firefighter what was good and he highly recommended this place.
Pros:
+ really tasty food
+ servers know the food well, explained everything of the tip of their head.
+ very unique atmosphere
Cons:
— some of the tables are weirdly positions
Ambiance (5 stars):
They have a very unique atmosphere, they got 4 large TVs playing American Italian Mafia Movies (The Godfather, Casino,…)
We were slightly undressed, most of the men were wearing blazers and the ladies were wearing expensive jewelry.
Service (5 stars):
The waiters are very knowledgeable and polite. They knew the specials of the top of the had, took orders without writing them down. They were attentive and came continuously to pour more water…
Food (5 stars):
We ordered calamari as a appetizers. It was one of the best calamari I had. It came with a marinara sauce, which was good but not my personal favorite. (5 stars)
I ordered Ravioli all’ aragosta (lobster ravioli), it was smaller than the other dishes but still filling enough. (5 stars) (there is a good picture of it)
My girlfriend had Fettuccine Strega, the dish was filled with super large scallops and a hand full of shrimp. The sauce was the key ingredient. (5 stars)
Once the food came they got fresh parmesan cheese to be rendered on dishes. They applied it very generously and it was in not shredded to small bits.
The total bill with tip and taxes and came to 133 for 4 meals, and an appetizer.
Overall, I would go there again, the dishes were large

Came during restaurant week and were in and out in about an hour.
I had the calamari, seafood pasta, and cannoli. All were good, but there was something about each of them that I wanted to be different. The calamari was not crispy enough but was not overcooked, so that’s a huge plus. The seafood pasta had some HUGE chunks of seafood but then some small pieces so it was inconsistent. The cannoli was said to be a chocolate ricotta but was really ricotta with chocolate chips so that was a let down.

Let’s try Italian again, after a disappointing Scampo for lunch. Strega was much better, with very friendly (and helpful, as I’ll explain later) service. At the waiter’s offer, we started with a kind of…“omakase” (if the term works for Italian food) appetizer course — some calamari, some meatballs, some eggplant rolled with ricotta, and some butternut squash ravioli. The calamari were OK — a little chewy, if I’m honest. The meatballs were the star, super tender and moist, with great flavor, money says they had veal in them. Eggplant was rich, in a nice flavorful red sauce, but I’m not the biggest eggplant fan. And finally, the squash ravioli were good, but a little too sweet this early in the meal. We’re 0 for 2 on ravioli in Boston now…
My main course was a special — I don’t actually know what it was, as the restaurant was loud and I didn’t catch some of what the waiter said. But it was something about a steak rolled up with cheese in a red sauce. Uh, yeah, I’ll have that. It came out as a sort of «meat lover’s» platter in heavy red sauce and was actually pretty good. There was Italian sausage, another of those super tasty meatballs, and a sort of tender braised beef roll-​up with the aforementioned cheese, all over some rigatoni. All pretty tasty, although the beef was a little dry and definitely lost out to the tender sausage and meatballs. I couldn’t even come close to finishing this, it was a huge portion. Other ordered a sort of extra lemon-​y chicken picatta and a huge rib eye, both of which got pretty good reviews.
We skipped dessert since there were cannoli right down the street, but here’s where the helpful part comes in. We were just going to go to Mike’s, but the waiter recommended Modern’s, and… well, you’ll have to read those reviews. But big points for recommending «competition» instead of talking up his own offerings.
I didn’t partake (desperately wanted to) but we were also given shots of «blood orange limoncello» as a complimentary after dinner drink. You had be at blood orange, but I managed to abstain. It was described as drinking sherbet however, so I wonder if it was limoncello mixed with some blood orange gelato or something like that.
One thing that kind of put me off a better rating here was the band of wandering scream singers that were terrorizing the room. First off, they were bad. Not… horrific? But certainly not good either. And are you not noticing that there are all these tables of people having conversations, and when you showed up, everyone had to stop talking while you bellowed songs at them, and only when you finally moved on, did the conversation restart? And no, I’m not tipping you, please leave. I didn’t ask for you to come and interrupt my meal. I know I sound like a total ass, but… this is just obnoxious. Very disruptive to the meal.
So, this is really a strong three, but still a three for me, just based on some hit or miss appetizers and the annoying singers. Definite points for the entrée and the helpful waiter. I’d return to try other menu items… I’d just steel myself for the singing.

Love Italian food? Of course we do. We all do.
Don’t waste your time trying to figure out where to go. Save the time, and just go here.
I’ve had Italian food all across the USA, and this is the best one we went to.
Ask for the house specials, you’ll be surprised at what they have on a normal basis.

I’d heard amazing things about Strega, it has a good reputation for authentic Italian, and if a restaurant has a personality, it definitely has a «Goodfellas» aura. Actually, Goodfellas, The Godfather (I and II, forget III) and Casino, play nonstop on large TVs on one side of the restaurant, so I think they welcome that association.
We had a Phantom Gourmet gift card we had to use, and my boyfriend owed me a fancy North End dinner, so I picked Strega. I was looking forward to it, but was disappointed. The menu is split between veal and chicken dishes mostly. I had a pasta dish and the sauce was unremarkable. You couldn’t differentiate any flavors, it had very little depth, no texture. It was just ok.
The house antipasto plate was a big plate of cheese and meat (some of which didn’t taste great) covered in vinegar, accompanied by pickled vegetables. I would not recommend it as an appetizer. Thankfully, the bread was plentiful.
The waitstaff was very friendly, the drinks were expertly made (although they couldn’t make my boyfriend an old-​fashioned) and my wine was very good.
Glad I had the experience, and that I won’t be pining for it again.

Honestly, i expected more. Either the food was amazing and the service was eh, or the service was the ‘OMG we’re so glad you’re here!’ kind of Italian and the food was unremarkable. To me, the service was a half-​assed version of the latter (A perfunctorily profuse welcome and frequent check-​ins that lacked enthusiasm or urgency, i guess is the best way to put it). And like i said, in the North End, on a Friday night, you’d accept meh service for awesome food, but i kinda expected one of the two, at least.
The appetizers were pretty darn good. The prosciutto-​wrapped cheese was awesome, and the antipasto was good too. My carbonara was extremely disappointing, though. Soupy, not very flavorful, heck, i don’t even know if it took even half a year off my life. Good carbonara should be lethal. My wife had the pasta with pancetta and tomato sauce and that was much better.
Maybe in not being a seafood fan I’m not even doing it right, but still, for a place that’s such an institution, i expected a lot more.

AMAZING traditional Italian food. Our party of 10 shared plenty of appetizers and when a second round of drinks was ordered, we put in for another round of apps as well. My favorites included the meatballs, Caprese salad, and garlic shrimp.
For dinner, I ordered my usual linguine & clams entrée and must admit that I prefer my own dish to theirs. For some reason, it lacked salt? Next visit I will be having the lobster ravioli which was quite delicious.

Went here for my birthday dinner last night and I had a wonderful time. Our server was a sweetheart! I had the lobster ravioli and it was Insanely good! For dessert, I had 3 haha… Wish I remembered what I ordered but by that time I was feeling drunk off the wine.
I would definitely come back again! It was a lovely experience!