3 Killer Italian Spots in the North End

With what seems like an endless amount of Italian restaurants in Boston’s North End, not all pastas are created equal.

There are plenty of tourist traps you can fall victim to, but the three Italian spots we are talking about today are the real deal.

Florentine Cafe

You have probably heard of Carmelina’s, Strega, and Giacomos (a personal favorite), but right up there with the Hanover Street heavy hitters is Florentine Cafe.

We love their homemade pasta, which has a chewiness you just don’t get with boxed pasta. Both the fusilli and rigatoni are perfect vessels to help transport the array of sauces to your mouth. Their slow braised beef ragu is a hearty, rich sauce that is perfect for a cold winter night. The vodka sauce was also a fan-favorite, boasting a bold flavor with just the right touch of creaminess.

Vibes-wise, Florentine Cafe gives the quintessential North End feel that you’d expect.

The exposed brick, wooden bar, and small basement area with grapes hanging from the ceiling makes this a perfect spot for a romantic dinner.

After 10pm, you will start to see the crowd shift from dinner-goers to a younger bar crowd. In a city where espresso martinis are the drink of choice, the one at Florentine is top-notch. It has a delicate balance of creaminess from the Bailey’s, and that distinct coffee flavor, while still being extremely rich in texture.

Riccardo’s Ristorante

Riccardo’s has a true family-owned feel to it.

We sat at the bar just before the dinner rush and the manager himself was sitting at the end of the bar. He was enjoying pasta and chicken while shouting out commands. We asked what he recommended on the menu and he said the Costata di Vitello, A.K.A veal stuffed with prosciutto and mozzarella.

This isn’t our normal order in the North End, but we’re happy we took the recommendation. The veal was tender and juicy, and the saltiness from the prosciutto played nicely with the port wine demi glaze.

The espresso martini was right up there with most of the best spots in the North End too. The pistachio martini was not what we were expecting at all, but we didn’t hate it. We were expecting a pistachio-flavored twist on an espresso martini, but what we got was a unique variation that is light, slightly nutty, and sweet.

For that mom-and-pop feel, Riccardo’s is definitely worth taking a trip off the beaten path.

Bricco Salumeria & Pasta Shop

Down a small North End alley, there is a pasta and sandwich stop which feels straight out of Europe.

The bread is all made fresh at the bakery next door, and the pasta is as fresh as can be.

The only thing not European about Bricco is their portion sizes. We stopped here for a sandwich, and with the size of their sub rolls, it felt like we ordered a whole baguette.

A lesser bread would have become soggy due to the sauciness of our meatball sub, but this homemade baguette stayed crunchy and firm even though it was overflowing with sauce. The meatballs were super moist and the entire sandwich was covered in melty provolone and sharp romano cheese.

We love grabbing a sub here and going to the end of the Greenway to “people watch,” or taking a walk to the other side of the North End to hang out by the harbor.