Ponte Vecchio Restaurant

THIS PLACE NEEDS TO STEP IT UP BIG TIME!!! The prices were outrageous given the preparation, quality, and flavors (I had a gin drink, salad, plate of pasta with clams, and a glass of wine for a whopping $ 80 including tip). The service was ok but very slow catering to a local crowd and not very welcoming to those who do not frequent the place. The wine list was quite limited with more California and S. American selections than Italian. Overall, this was quite a disappointment and given the high end choices in the area (Pellana, Daniella’s, Ciea, Brine, to name a few), this place needs to up their game or face the same fate as Donatellos. I do not recommend this place.

Have to say first off this was my first time visiting and last. We had a nice bottle of wine and the sirloin meatballs appetizer was nice. Where we were lost … was when I ordered veal parm with pasta… and was given chix parm with pasta the chef had taken the liberty of adding PEAS to the red sauce… Odd. The chef was apologetic and brought veal, but by ten minutes later… My pea pasta was cold. I paid full price and honestly should have been offered to keep the chicken (it was better).
Nothing was deducted. The level of service and handling of the mixup is not acceptable for such a highly recommended establishment. Disappointed with the way all was handled. This could have easily been taken care of differently and we may have tried them again.

I was a little suspicious when I saw that it was across the street from the Honda dealership and part of a strip mall, but this place was really surprisingly delicious! Great Italian food, great service, white table cloths and napkins. it seemed like a lot of families who had been coming here for ages were at tables nearby. The owner came by the tables and said something nice and seemed so lovely. A really lovely family spot.

Best Italian food around! Real authentic Italian food make you feel like your back in Italy. Fresh brick oven pizza and home made mozzarella prices are great for the quality an service you receive.

review is forthcoming

Went on a quiet Tuesday and was really pleased with this small, comfortable restaurant. Had a business dinner and enjoyed the great service, fast and delicious food.
The restaurant has great access for travelers– right off the highway while still having a local feel. My group ordered antipasto to start– got the eggplant dish and it was perfectly sized and fantastic.
Collectively, our table got a swordfish special with clams, a salmon plate, and a chicken dish. All the plates were cleaned with broad smiles– a huge hit all around.
The only small tick may be that our waitress wasn’t versed in wine, and that hurt as I am also a wine rookie. Not a big deal; she was also extremely pleasant and served us with very high attention.
Very good restaurant. I would absolutely recommend it for anyone traveling through the Danvers /​Reading area!

Maybe they were just having a bad night, but I did not feel like our $ 50/​person dinner was worth the money. The chicken and pork were very tough. We had to send the pork back and we were told the pork was pre-​cooked. I expect freshly cooked food at a restaurant. Especially at that price. I felt bad for our waiter but he just couldn’t get anything right. Everyone has an off day. The pasta dishes were okay but nothing that knocked my socks off. The tartare was good. The arugula salad was very dry, could have used a tad bit more balsamic. They ran out of bread.
I won’t go back.

Great service in a clean fresh setting. We just had simple salad with grilled chicken. The Caesar dressing was excellent and perfectly mixed.

This is the best italian food in Massachusetts, I stand by that 100%. All these rating’s should be 5 stars.

Absolutely outstanding. Came in late night right before kitchen closed and boy was it worth it! Food was to die for and you can tell the chef knows his stuff. 100% authentic Italian food. This is the hidden gem of the north shore.

I am just eating the best Italian meal far away from Italy. I have been in Italy 10 times and I can easily recognized the real italian food, which is in this beautifully decorated restaurant. Owners themselves talk with guests and recommend the best options for meal according your preferences. I am looking forward to come back here again and it will be this Sunday May 3 rd for Operal Wine Dinner at Ponte Vecchio with 5 course and wines. I am very happy that my friends recommend me this restaurant becuase I live North Shore, so I don’t want to drive far away to have real italian meal with great touch of italian culture and tradition here near by and I will be back this Sunday.

Great food and great service. Went in on Thursday night 1−29−15. Ordered salad appetizer which they brought out and then split on to t I had the Orata which was great and plated in front of me. My wife had the chicken florentine which was also very good. The desserts were also good.

Can’t say enough good things. The good was exceptional. The waitress was great. We had young kids and they went out of their way to take great care of us. We will be back.

This place was good a few years ago. Since then, it’s fallen off a cliff. Expensive! Menu is Smaller all the time! Spotty service. Average food for the expense. As others have said, there were employees, not working, hanging around, blabbing on cell phones, giving a weird, unprofessional atmosphere. Overall unsatisfactory. Sorry, My whole family and I are done with this place.

Stopped by at Danvers to visit and decided to eat here with my mother, got to say I was disappointed. The staff was friendly enough and the ambiance was nice, but the food was below average. We ordered food and after a very long wait the appetizer arrived. The cooked octopus and calamari wasn’t awful but it was a little bland and overcooked. The food arrived after another long wait and was definitely not up to par with the price. My veal wasn’t awful but there wasn’t enough sauce and it was a little cold, the bad part was the side pasta that tasted like someone had seasoned it with medicine. My mothers ravioli was also way below average, it was kinda like eating a ball of dough that has been sitting on the counter for a few days with some okay sauce. It had very little filling and was as hard as steel.
Would probably not eat there again, unless it costed under 5 dollars and I was super hungry.

Not to bother. High prices, mediocre food and no service at all until you complain. Finally got bread and water after 25 minutes while host and hostess are hovering over a table of obvious friends. Avoid the bolognese sauce — pure salt and canned tomatoes.
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Absolutely and no question BEST and the only authentic Italian food in Boston! Owners are 2 brothers. One is the chef and one is the host. True and real enthusiasts of the traditional Italian gourmet culture. You just can’t compare it with North End. North End is for tourists, high traffic, production, production, production. Ponte Vecchio is exactly how all is done the right way! It includes décor, friendly and professional service, food is delicious. You can try anything on the menu and all is exceptionally and uniquely flavorful or you may even ask for something special to be prepared just for you (same way you do it in Italy). Luigi, the owner who hosts is always friendly and fun! I go there for past 10 years with my family, with my friends and my overseas guests and business partners and all love it! Try it if you in gourmet authentic Italian food. You will be happy you did!

Strange! We arrived at the beginning of the dinner seatings. We were treated really well by the ‘wait’ staff. Very pleasant. The strange part came when we ordered and were later served. I ordered their grilled vegetables appetizer as part of my meal and my wife ordered as her mail course grouper and shrimp.
A short time later the waitress came back to tell us they had no grilled veggies!!! On a Friday night in the middle of tourist season on the North Shore, you don’t have any vegetables for a serving that’s a regular part of the menu? Okay, I adjust and we are now being served the main courses. Someone new out of the kitchen came out and apologized to my wife that the chef just informed them as he handed the waiter my wife’s meal that he didn’t have any shrimp!!! Could they give her something in its place?
Ditto on being without an ingredient for a main menu offering on a Friday night…
I have to say, the food was very good. My homemade pasta with eggplant and tomatoes and my wife’s grouper were both tasty.
The chef (and as a result the owner) left me wondering what was going on. Don’t know if I trust these folks to give them any more than a 2.
Strange and somewhat disappointing.

This place is the worst place I have ever been and I eat out all of the time. One time I came and it wasn’t open at 1 pm, the door said they open at noon, I called and she said «well that sign is wrong» and hung up. I went in for just drinks another time and not 1 bartender knows how to make a martini. We went for dinner and sat at the bar. We ordered mussels as an app and 15 minutes later we ordered a pizza, how did the pizza come out before the mussels? Also, we were with 2 other people who did not get their app. Why would you bring out an entrée for 2 people out of 4 when the other 2 entrees werent ready, better yet, why would you bring it out before the apps even come out. I asked her to put it back in the oven because I didnt want it yet. She didnt say I am sorry, she looked at me walked away and had the other bartender wait on us for the rest of the night.
The staff is very unprofessional. THey are all closely related to the owner so they don’t take anything seriously or value happy customers. I will continue to go to 466 that is directly across the street.
Also — they have one guy park outside in the parking lot on weekends just to tow people if they park there and go across the street. Why cant that person ask the person to move — instead they wait for you to sit down to dinner and come out to no car. That is just rude and mean. Terrible establishment.

I have been coming here for over 20 years. Each and every time I am here the owner, Luigi, greets me and lets me know what he has on special for the day. His recommendations are always spot on.
My favorite dish is the octopus carpaccio. It is difficult to find around that area. Add that to the brick oven pizza and rigatoni ponte vecchio and I am all set!