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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. Updated August 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.