Cantina Italiana - (857) 366-6287

• Warm & Charming Atmosphere
• Great for Couples & Groups
• Open for Lunch & Dinner

Just moved up from New Orleans. Expected more, but I guess I'm spoiled. (New Yorker too). The place was as authentic as you can get, complete with live accordian music, but we had the cold antipasto, gnocci and rissotto procini. The rissotto was dry, and the gnocci's sauce was flat and uninspired.. Not worth the 65 dollar bill (no wine or drinks). No wonder there was no wait to get in.

We made a reservation for 8:30 on Saturday night and were still waiting for a table by 9:15. Other patrons near the bar were annoyed with the wait when they made reservations as the hostess and manager sat other walk-ins. When I told the hostess to take off our reservation she rolled her eye's at me. As a hospitality professional myself I would never stake my reputation by recommending this restaurant to anyone. There are to many great restaurants in the North End to put up with this level of unprofessionalism.

I have been to this Restaurant 3 times, the first 2 times the food was good but the last experience was one of the worst I have had in any restaurant, rude waiter and terrible food. While the food was good the first 2 times, it is still overpriced. Not every restaurant in the north end has good Italian food, this one may vary on the day, you may have a good experience in one day and a bad one on another, but regardless, it is overpriced, you can get cheaper/better quality Italian food in a local restaurant or even Carrabbas.

We went to Cantina Italiana last weekend because we'd never been there before and were hosting some out-of-town guests. We were all pleasantly surprised by how good the food is at this restaurant. The homemade pasta is excellent, including the fusilli. Our service was sporadic, but it was very busy.

I actually found out about Cantina Italiana on Citysearch and decided to give it a try despite having some negative reviews. I am so happy that I went. My boyfriend and I regularly went to Cantina while we lived in Boston and make sure that we go there whenever we are back in Boston visiting. The lobster ravioli, fresh mozzarella, and fried calamari appetizers are all excellent. The bomboloti pasta with spicy sausage and goat cheese is a unique variation on the traditional baked ziti and I get it every time! They also have some great seafood dishes with scallops and shrimp. Anyone who knows Italian food can really appreciate the great food. And don't be fooled by the "small" portions - I thought the plate looked small but the food is so rich that you'll find it difficult to finish and end up taking it home. Also really nice is that they serve fresh bread with a different olive oil each night - flavored olive oils from spicy peppers to simple garlic. The only thing that I have ever had that I did not enjoy was the cannoli, but that was because I was expecting sugar cream, not traditional Italian-ricotta style. Make reservations and avoid having to wait - though they do have a newly redone bar in the front for you to wait. Enjoy! (also know they have a sister restaurant down the street that is also good - though Cantina is better - but it is a little pricier and dressier)