Cantina Italiana

Someone from this business manages this listing.

742 reviews

#64 of 2,387 Restaurants in Boston$$ - $$$, Italian, Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options

+1 617-723-4577+ Add website

Hours

Mon

11:30 AM - 11:00 PM

Tue

11:30 AM - 11:00 PM

Wed

11:30 AM - 11:00 PM

Thu

11:30 AM - 11:00 PM

Fri

11:30 AM - 11:00 PM

Sat

11:30 AM - 11:00 PM

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Ratings and reviews

4.5

742 reviews

#64 of 2,387 Restaurants in Boston

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Details

Someone from this business manages this listing.

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CUISINES

Italian

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, Drinks

features

Location and contact

346 Hanover St, Boston, MA 02113-1911

North End

+1 617-723-4577

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Does this restaurant offer delivery?

Yes

Unsure

Details

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About

We have been serving generations of families, locals and tourists in the North End since 1931. People crave the taste of our food. Some say their mouths water just thinking about eating here. That’s why when we change even the slightest thing, they let us know it. We’re set in our Ways and Proud of It!

CUISINES

Italian

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, Drinks

FEATURES

Delivery, Takeout, Reservations, Seating, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service

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4.5

742 reviews

Excellent

391

Very good

223

Average

Poor

Terrible

virginiawise50

Cambridge2 contributions

Wonderful variety of chiices

Oct 2019 • none

Three of us went directly from Logan Airport to Hanover street, took advantage of valet parking and randomly chose Cantina Italiana. The menu presented a wide variety of choices. The service was friendly and knowledgeable. We ate and were back to Logan well in time to pick up our fourth friend at the airport. Will return.

Written January 9, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jgold10529

Portland407 contributions

What a Great Meal!

May 2021 • none

We went here as boston was opening up and it was hopping! Food was outstanding and service great!. One thing is they wont seat you till your entire party arrives so be prepared as traffic around there is terrible. Highly recommend reservations as well We had 6 people in our party and everyone thought their dish was amazing

Written May 21, 2021

hulagirl98

371 contributions

Nice Meal

Jun 2021 • none

We ate here on a Saturday night and it was extremely busy. I had made a reservation a few weeks prior, knowing how it would almost be impossible to eat somewhere in the North End on a weekend without having one. We arrived about 10 minutes before our set time. Just prior to our arrival, the restaurant had an unruly (drunken) customer (Which we saw and heard the end of) and I think it threw this place into a "what was that" for the staff for quite a while. The restaurant owner did handle it in a classy way. With that said, we were seated around our set reservation time. Service was slow overall, but given how busy this place was and the general lack of staffing at most food establishments, we weren't upset at this (and we were not in a hurry anyway). Our waiter was kind and did try to attend to us in a timely manner. I thought the prices here were in line with other establishments of the same caliber in the area. I had the Chicken Gino and my husband had the Bombolotti Alla Buongustaia. The food we had was good and I enjoyed what I ate, but I can't say it was some of the best Italian I've eaten. Portions were of good size. We did not leave hungry and had we not been leaving town the next day (and driving quite a while) we may have not finished and grabbed some to go boxes. Overall a good experience. And I can't stress enough to make a reservation if you are wanting to come eat on the weekend here.

Written July 13, 2021

Claude B

United States41 contributions

Magnifico!!

Apr 2021 • solo

This was my first visit to the restaurant. I was very pleased with the food. The pasta e fagioli soup was hot and very hearty on a cold Boston evening. Bombolotti con Aragosta Fra Diavola! Saying it correctly burns at least 50 calories. This lively lobster and shrimp dish featured massive shrimp and delicious lobster pieces in a deep, flavourful sauce.

Written April 2, 2021

jcklenklen

Columbia23 contributions

Classic restaurant with excellent service and great chef specials in a neighborhood loaded with good restaurants.

Sep 2021 • couples

On a very busy holiday weekend, we secured a reservation at this classic restaurant in a very historic neighborhood. Omar our waiter did a fantastic job of recommending a wine to match our meals which were the best we have had on this trip to Boston. The fresh seafood and pasta special which Omar guided me to was superb and be sure to take his advice on desert. A knowledgeable professional waiter who takes the time to interact with customers and a kitchen that can deliver high quality food is a recipe for a great night out.

Written September 5, 2021

Gemineye671

Beacon Falls4 contributions

Great Italian food

Apr 2021 • none

Amazing Italian food here. Ate here back in August for the 1st time and was very impressed, so we decided to go again while in area. Did not disappoint . The homemade Bombolitte pasta is great. Veal Chop parmesan was amazing as well as their Picatta. Fresh homemade bread served with olive oil... can not rave enough.

Written April 13, 2021

Ellen W

Philadelphia195 contributions

Great dinner experience

Sep 2021 • none

There are so many great restaurants in Boston’s North End it was hard to make a decision for Saturday night dinner. So, thank you to other Trip Advisors for recommending Cantina Italiana. Not only was the food excellent but the service was also spectacular. Our waitperson, Judy, was friendly, helpful, and efficient. The hostess, Maria, can come off a little gruff on the surface, but her banter with everyone was so entertaining. We ordered a pasta dish and the chicken saltimboca, both of which were delicious. Special kudos to the bartender for mixing excellent cocktails and not skimping and to the pastry chef for the best tira misu in a long, long time!

Written September 18, 2021

Elise B

86 contributions

Choose somewhere else!!!

Jun 2022 • family

We made a reservation here for our first night in Boston. We had high hopes. We were seated right away and had waters filled and bread immediately. Then, we waited. And waited. Finally, after 20 minutes someone came to take our order. Then we waited for drinks and salad. We watched three other tables that were seated after us get their drinks and food. Our server seemed very frazzled and disorganized. We finally got our salad and drinks. When we received our food we had one incorrect order and the rest of the food was rather mediocre. The waitress was not very apologetic about the mistake. She half heartedly apologized and then disappeared yet again after she dropped the bill at the table. We finally got up and gave the bill to the hostess so we didn’t waste any more time. We would not go back because the food truly wasn’t special and the service was even worse.

Written June 28, 2022

Amy S

Dunstable153 contributions

Not a good experience.

Sep 2021 • couples

Tonight 9/17/21, I ordered the special Fruitti de Mare with homemade pasta. I ended up complaining because the two large lobster claws were both inedible, dried out and tough. (Additionally my meal had an unopened clam and a couple off tasting mussels.) They apologized and gave us a free tiramisu. The meal was expensive. My husband had an app and veal piccata, I also had a Cesar salad - we only had water to drink, with tip, $120 for the two of us. On the walk home I had to run to the bathroom twice. Sadly, we would not go there again.

Written September 17, 2021

keepmovingmom

Boston194 contributions

A standout in this standout neighborhood

Dec 2021 • none

My husband and I have eaten at quite a few of the North End restaurants but had never been here. After a slight hiccup with our reservation, we were seated and well cared for, especially by Steven, our amiable and hardworking server (he had a large and boisterous party to serve but he never forgot about us and remained unflappable and friendly). We began with the polpette (best ever) and clams oreganato; my husband loved his veal saltimbocca and I loved my papardelle pesto (topped with pine nuts and parmesan). All reasonably priced and accompanied by a sturdy Chianti, also reasonably priced. Truly, a delicious North End meal. Would have rated "excellent" but it is noisy and crowded....because it is so very good. Next time I'll start with dessert.

Written December 19, 2021

aksasquatch

Anchorage149 contributions

This was maybe the worst Italian

Apr 2022 • solo

This was maybe the worst Italian food I’ve had in years, maybe decades. Shocking as it’s Boston’s North End but hear me out. First obviously the hostess had other things on her mind other than her job; she probably had a first date with the dishwasher across the street. I was seated and ordered a house wine and garlic bread. I got bread covered in cheese but where’s the garlic? I then ordered a main course of the house fettuccine carbonara which I thought strange as normally it’s made with spaghetti but what the heck; give it a whirl. What I got was a gooey mess of pasta and overcooked egg stuff. Carbonara is a simple meal with few ingredients. This was overcooked egg and something, cream (they said), and maybe some cheese. And something called smoked peck. Which is a northern Italian/German/Austrian cured meat. Traditional carbonara is made with guanciali or pancetta not smoked peck. And lots of pecorino and fresh crushed black pepper. I saw none of that. And it does not include cream. The cream is made from the meat fat and eggs and cheese. Not cream. And the egg was overcooked and dry. I could do better in my sleep. I asked for pepper and instead of fresh cracked, I got a little shaker out of a can. Simply the worst carbonara ever.

Written April 19, 2022

Jennifer C

World1 contribution

We should’ve gotten takeout.

Jul 2022 • family

The food was pretty good. It’s too bad the service was SO atrocious that I would never ever go back to this establishment. It’s a wonder that this place has stayed in business for as long as it has. Perhaps it’s because we came on the 4th of July, but the staff working this evening clearly did not want to be there, nor did they want any of their customers to be there. There were two busboys working, neither of which who were properly trained. We ordered appetizers and finished. One of the busboys brought our entrees out without first clearing the table, and basically left us to clear the table for him so he could set our food down. I asked for more water, an extra plate, and some lemon for my daughter’s water. He brought exactly none of those items. The server came by to “check” on us, so I asked for the same three things. We got 2/3. We saw our server twice: once after we asked for someone to come take our order (she did not take a drink order, and had some words with the hostess prior to coming by our table), and the second time as previously mentioned. Once our plates were empty, nobody came by to see if we wanted dessert or bring us a check. We got tired of waiting after about 20 minutes, and asked the hostess to pay. More waiting. My dad, who has been in the service industry, had had enough and did not leave a tip. The server then had the audacity to ask for one! As I’m writing this review, it’s hard to believe that we actually endured such a ridiculously terrible experience at a place with reasonably decent food. I asked my husband if we were on Restaurant Impossible, because a proper restaurant owner would be utterly embarrassed by the behavior we experienced tonight.

Written July 4, 2022

wheelswillroll

Weatogue270 contributions

Love this place! Accessible and tasty!

Jul 2022 • family

I am a wheelchair user. The restaurant eagerly pulled out their ramp for me to access the restaurant. My battery was low and the host found a place to plug it in while we enjoyed dinner. (Thanks, Luca!). The dinner was incredible. I definitely recommend the lasagna, spaghetti, rice with meat appetizer and ESPECIALLY their homemade SANGRIA!

Written July 24, 2022

Theresa1771

Jersey Shore19 contributions

Good and not

Oct 2022 • none

First the good … the food was outstanding , everyone in my group loved their food ! Came out pretty quickly as well. The not .. once we sat , we asked for the specials and was told about one only. She walked away and we heard the waiter next to us tell them a few specials . Our water glasses remained not filled a few times , we had to flag down someone . The waitress never checked on us once the food came , we again had to go find someone to get us salt , pepper and cheese. We finally said something to I believe the owner , she then took over our table . Once reading reviews , I see the service is a theme . Such a shame because although food was great , lot of other places to spend our money in the area.

Written October 10, 2022

pandccoppola

Methuen137 contributions

Lost It’s Mojo

Jun 2021 • none

The Cantina has been a staple in the North End for decades. I know because I have been eating there for almost 70 years, since going there as a child. I grew up in that neighborhood. My wife and I loved to sit at the end of the bar, share a bottle of wine and watch people walking by on the sidewalk. This past week, we took our daughter and grandson out for dinner. We ordered several apps and different pastas with various sauces. The food was good, but simply not what it was. The biggest disappointment was the service. I asked to be seated close to the front of the restaurant. We were told those tables were reserved and we were seated in the back. During our entire dinner, the tables in the front sat empty. One waiter took our drink order and never came back. A different waiter came over after 10 minutes and asked if we wanted to order drinks. After we received our drinks, the original waiter took our food order. It took wel over 30 minutes to get our food. There seemed to be a lot of confusion. I hope the owners get their act together and return the Cantina to the quaint, welcoming landmark restaurant it once was.

Written July 4, 2021

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CANTINA ITALIANA, Boston - North End - Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Reservations - Tripadvisor