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Start a Top 5 for ItalianEditor’s picks
Press picks, until locals rank their own Top 5s. Sourced from the local food press. As seen in The Boston Globe and Boston Magazine. Updated September 2026.
Giulia · Cambridge
Chef Michael Pagliarini's seasonal Italian restaurant near Porter Square. Known for consistency and the pasta-table experience.
Pammy's · Cambridge
Classy but unpretentious. Bolognese is the headliner, with cuts of meat and fish typical of Michelin-starred spots.
La Padrona Boston · Back Bay
Jody Adams' splurge in the new Raffles Boston. Fellini-era steakhouse vibe, with secluded banquettes and muted lighting.
SRV · South End
A Venetian-inspired South End bacaro built around a street-facing cicchetti bar for standing-room small bites like orange-and-herb-marinated olives and baccala mantecato, salt cod spread on jet-black bread. Chef Michael Lombardi's bold pasta dishes use grains milled in-house, and the back patio is a favorite for dessert at twilight.
La Morra · Brookline
An under-heralded northern Italian trattoria that has quietly anchored Brookline Village for more than 15 years. Chef-owner Josh Ziskin's seasonal menu runs from lasagne with rabbit and crispy polenta to a signature tagliatelle Bolognese and a wood-grilled hen served under a brick.