Al Dente Ristorante Review

The place looks amazing, the food is delicious and the service is prompt.

Small and cozy with AMAZING food. The pasta was perfectly cooked and the vodka sauce was to die for.

The best pasta I ve ever had in Boston! We even bought the Marsala sauce because of this!

Excellent Italian food! Sauces on everything were worthy of soaking up every bit with a piece of bread!

The food truly reminds me of the home cooked meals my family made growing up! I truly recommend coming here just once and I guarantee you will fall in love!

Nothing special here. Huge portions, uncomfortable seats, in a city where you can't find parking. Very limited vegan options. High prices for what it is.

We have been going to Al Dente for years and they never disappoint. The homemade pasta is excellent. Get there early before they get crowded, or else make a reservation.

The ambiance is awful. The service, let's give them a 2. The food is good, but the pasta is not 'al dente' the sauces are excellent. The manager was not there, and the people at the kitchen were having an argument about worked schedule and hours. It was the most annoying meal I have ever had. It was an Italian argument that never ended. Annoying and disturbing. Would never never go back, neither recommend it by any means.

Really enjoyed our lunch here. Service was fantastic, and the house made pasta was delicious.

Nice place in the North end. Pasta tasted very fresh.

This place is the worst to have dinner In the vicinity of Hanover street. It was our first visit to this restaurant. The waitress who took our order was very rude (almost a racist). Owner of the place is not around so staff can take you for granted. Moreover, the food was really disappointing. They give you a bucketload of food in one plate with no taste. The pasta was not cooked properly and it felt like eating raw dough with some vegetables and tasteless sauce. Not sure, how do they manage to have such a high Google rating. Their furniture, pots and cutlery were pretty rundown. And yes even after complaining about staff behavior and the bad food, they didn t care to adjust the bill. Don t burn your pocket here.

The pomodoro came out hot and it was delicious! The servers are extra nice. The place is a little tight but the food is worth the wait.

Fantastic service and excellent food. Waitress and hostess here were sweet as punch, but they asked us to wait at the bar next door for the table so they could come get us and the hostess at that bar (benevento's) was so rude i wouldve waited outside if I'd known. Definitely come to al dente for the food though. Everything was excellent.

Came by a few nights ago on our first night in Boston as it is one of our favorite places to eat in the North End. It was pretty busy for a Thursday night, so I would highly recommend reservations for any night. We started off with a couple house salads and the calamari. For dinner we ordered the homemade fusilli with quattro formaggio sauce and chicken, chicken umberto and the Shrimp/Scallops ala vodka. All were absolutely wonderful! You feel like part of the family from the moment you walk in to the moment you leave!

Visiting from Orlando FL. First night in Boston. One of the best dinner experience's we have ever had. From the gentleman at the front door "Michael", who seated us, and took time to talk to us while we waited. to our waitress Marion, it was awesome.
The Jumbo Shrimp Grand Mariner appetizer is now my favorite shrimp dish/appetizer ever. Wow Incredible!!!
The wine was great. Hot bread and then timed perfect we got our main meal, hot, straight from the stove to our table. I had the Veal Saltimbocca. It was like nothing I have had before. The taste was unbelievable, the portion size was huge. I mean huge! I swear the plate was the size of the plate you carve a Thanksgiving Turkey on.
Having had what I thought was good Italian food over the years, in restaurant's from the East Coast to the West Coast and in Europe multiple times. But after eating at Al Dente I now know what Italian food should taste like and how it should be served.
I must of shared my dinner experience with over 100 people since getting home and I will continue.
Thank You Michael, Marion, our Chef or Chef"s and all the other wait staff
that came by our table.
You made a vacation memory we will never forget.

Al Dente on Salem was so good! We went twice before leaving Boston. It was highly recommended by a friend & she was right!

First, I choose this restaurant because of the raving reviews of their attention to detail for people who are gluten free or have Celiac disease. I personally have Celiac disease, so finding an Italian restaurant that is authentic and understanding of cross contamination is super important to me.

I had the gluten free pasta and gluten free garlic bread. The garlic bread was not what you would imagine; it was more like a dense flat bread. It was worth the purchase though. I had the pasta dish at the top of the house specials page with veal, shrimp, and chicken in a garlic wine sauce. I thought it was rather tasteless and the gluten free pene was nothing better than I could've bought from any grocery store. Pretty disappointing for close to $30. Maybe it's because we came 30 minutes before the kitchen closed? But I felt that we were early enough to not be THAT customer.

Al Dente is my girlfriend and her family's favorite Italian restaurant. I had only been here once before about year ago. I would try it again, but more because it's safe place I can find sustainance for myself and that it has awesome food for people without Celiac disease. I wouldn't return simply to enjoy their food on my own though.

Celiac friendly? Yes. Delicious? Meh. Go cook your own Udi's pasta and save $30.

First time in Boston and We just Walked by this restaurant.and asked the man standing outside if they served bread with the meal. He said do you have a reservation ? to which we replied do we need one? The man said you might tonight ; however, the restaurant only had a few patrons in there. We responded Ok we can go somewhere else to which the man replied well there is plenty of other places ! Totally rude man!

Shared the lobster ravioli, gnocchi and then had the chicken parm for my meal with the homemade pasta. Not the best I've ever had in the North end but we'll definitely be back! Great experience and wait staff. Thank you!

Best Italian food in Boston located in the North End.

Good customer satisfaction. They worked with my request to prepare a unique meal. The food was delicious!

Visited Al Dente over the summer and sat outside. Al Dente followed all proper COVID-19 protocols and the staff was very accommodating. Rachel was our server and she was the sweetest and very attentive. I look forward to returning!

Delicious food and awesome waitstaff, even on New Year's Eve. The restaurant itself is small and loud and the food and wine were plentiful, which is what I'm used to as part of a huge Italian family. Our waitress (didn't get her name, but she was a young brunette and had a thick Boston accent) was awesome despite all the other craziness she was dealing with. I was very impressed with everything there and will be back in the future.

Made reservations on a recommendation of a friend. Glad we did, place was packed. The food was excellent.

Delicious food and awesome waitstaff, even on New Year's Eve. The restaurant itself is small and loud and the food and wine were plentiful, which is what I'm used to as part of a huge Italian family. Our waitress (didn't get her name, but she was a young brunette and had a thick Boston accent) was awesome despite all the other craziness she was dealing with. I was very impressed with everything there and will be back in the future.

This place is the real deal. Don't go looking for quiet romance. Al Dente is for food lovers and a CLASSIC Italian-American vibe. Better make a reservation, or you'll like wait over an hour. Worth the stop!

Great food, great service! I had gnocchi in vodka sauce and if I didn't have leftovers I would have ordered a second portion to bring home. So good!

I visit this great spot a lot! This is my favorite place to have a bite. I visit this place frequently. The food is of high quality, the team is friendly and the prices are reasonable. I like eating in this place over a tasty dinner.

EXCELLENT FOOD AND EXCELLENT ATTENTION TOTALLY RECOMMENDED !!!

Friendly staff, gluten free pizza, great soup though served with undersized spoon.

Amazing amazing amazing! I love pasta and this such a nice place from the door service to minute we left. Best Alfredo I've ever had!

The price we were charged was $1 higher than the menu price!

Great Italian restaurant! Fresh homemade pasta. Friendly staff!

One of the best in North End, perfect when you're looking for traditional italian food.

Delicious food, calming atmosphere, and very clean bathrooms! I enjoyed everything about this place.

Excellent food and location. Perfect place to visit in Boston.

This place is amazing! Came to north end to experience authentic Italian food. There were so many choices but Al Dente stood out. Next thing we knew there was a long line outside the restaurant. The portions are more than generous and the alfredo sauce was the best I have ever had. The waitress made you feel like italian family and couldn't have been more gracious.

By far my one of my favorite Italian restaurant in the world. Great staff, lot of options with both food and alcohol and is situated in the great Little Italy neighborhood of Boston. Suggest getting a recommendation early in the day since it gets full pretty quickly, you can also go to Beneventos which is right next to it and have the same kitchen so you will get the same service.

Excellent meal in North end. Pasta and lasagna were outstanding. Thanks to Marge for her great service.

Excellent food. Welcoming environment. Friendly wait staff. Perfect restaurant after a long day.

The staff was rude, The Gluten Free Garlic Bread for $9 was just stale hard flat bread with a smear of garlic. I am Celiac and came here because they offered Gluten Free choices. I did not get cross contaminated , that was the best part of the experience because none of us were happy with the food it just was not what we expected for the North End Italian food "Standard" red sauce was tasteless. I don't recommend this restaurant

On a scale of gross to great, this places gets an "edible." Portions are ample, so if size is your game, you'll win with this place. We had the gnocchi (their most highly rated dish) and the Alfredo. Both dishes went from "alright" when we were hungry to "meh" half way through. Service was equal to the food. Several points through the meal, the entire front of house staff were huddled at the stairs gossiping (prevent patrons from getting to and from the bathroom). Let me tell you, the salaciousness with which they were treating the subject of some staff member seeming to take advantage of the good nature of their boss was lost on those of us preferring the subject of getting good food and better service. North end has tons of great places, I'll be skipping this place for one of them next time.

One of my favorite spots in the North End. Can't go wrong with anything on the menu. I particularly enjoy their lasagna and calamari. Make sure you make a reservation, as it's usually very busy. Like most places in the area, it's a bit small, so I wouldn't go with a party bigger than 4 or 5.

Love this place. Located in the north end so it's a bit snug but never uncomfortable. Staff is always pleasant. Sangria is tops - you have to try it. Everything I've ever gotten here was delicious from the eggplant to the puttanesca, you can't go wrong.

Make a reservation like I said it's in the north end. You also can't reasonably be upset with the restaurant if you have to wait. Often times people finish their meals and stay longer than what they really should and it's a busy place.

Food is fresh but pasta heavy. Don't bother with the wine. Overpriced for what it really is. Unlike real Italian, their more saucy dishes are better than the simple ones.

The food and service is incredible! I would come back anytime. Especially if our waitress JoeJoe is working again! She is amazingly nice and has a great, fun personality. Ps I hope I spelled her name correctly.

I entered the store because I wanted to eat vongole. It's hard to understand, but it's a tremendous amount. The big clams were plentiful and delicious.
I entered around 3 o'clock, but quite a few customers came.

When I tried to eat it on the patio, my aunt said, "Isn't it cold? Isn't it better inside?" After all, I moved inside, but it was also that he kindly responded without a disgusting face

Great food and AMAZING service, it felt more like I was around family then wait staff.

Awesome sauce. We had a big group and Al Dente was super accommodating. Everything we ordered was fantastic. Particularly, the Tenderloin and Risotto.

Food was great, price was reasonable. Will definitely return to again.

The worst experience of my Life ! Service is terrible, and they do not know how to take constructive criticism, instead of construction they decide to use destruction! I ordered a Veal milanese and my veal was a soggie specimen on top of a soup with gbocci pasta, it looked like vomit on a plate. When I confronted the waitress she answered "milanese is not the same way in all restaurants" the uncultured waitress obviously had no clue what she was saying and decided to argue their OBVIOUS FAULT of having disgusting food. Vibes were terrible too, and it SMELLED LIKE COW MANURE inside !

Great food, friendly staff, reasonable prices, awesome spinach crepes!

Good, homestyle Italian food. Big portions and some homemade fresh pasta. Less wait than giaccomos.

too busy and crowded .... tasty and ok service .... had to wait 25 minutes outside even though we had advance reservations

Frequent traveler - This super cozy place is always busy so make reservations. The serve Italian cuisine with specials.

We had the caprese salad to start and it was fantastic. The tomatoes were huge and fresh and flavorful. The mozzarella was fresh and creamy topped with a large basal leaf a drizzle of balsamic and olive oil. It was both a masterpiece to look at as well as on the palate. It was followed by a shrimp cocktail. We got 5 large shrimp in a wonderfully fresh cocktail sauce with fresh ground horseradish. Watch out for the kick but it was fantastic. We ended with veal Marsala with angel hair pasta. The mushrooms were clear fresh and not canned and the angel was cooked perfectly Al Dente. The veal was thin and tender and plenty of it. A hint the bread is served with butter in tiny individual containers. Very low class compared to the whole meal. So ask for olive oil for the bread and they will bring you a delectable concoction of spices and herbs with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Definitely the way to go. The only problem was the nats. They seemed to be Flying everywhere.

The food is delicious and the prices are good. Specially for the big portions that they give. My sister, boyfriend and I loved it!
Our waiter Liza was so awesome, very kind and attentive. We recommend this place 100%.
We will be coming back for sure

Service was fantastic - I didn't know which wine I wanted and our waiter brought me two samples to try. The plates are HUGE and so delicious! Would definitely go again.

Good reasonable Italian, make reservations, it's small...

I live in the north end and this is my go to place. Huge selection and delicious food. Do yourself a favor and order the shrimp scampi for an appetizer. I would also recommend making a reservation.

Great food & huge portions! Authentic Italian atmosphere!

Always a favorite. You're really packed in there. So don't expect a romantic dinner. But the price is right and the food is delicious and a generous size!

Worst meal I ever had the waitress had no customer experience and I returned a full meal because it was pretty bad but paid for it. The soup was supposed to be home made but tasted like canned food. I m disappointed

Absolutely fantastic food and atmosphere. Do yourself a favor and book a reservation to save yourself a wait.

Really good Italian food. Good location in North End Boston.

This place is the perfect place for a romantic date. It s quaint and cozy and the food and wine menu is phenomenal, but what stood out most to me is how gluten and lactose conscious they are. Our waitress Anette went ABOVE and beyond to help us with ordering a made to order meal and substituted everything from the bread to the limoncello for my date. It was the best experience he had ever had as a GF LF diner.

This restaurant will forever be our favorite Italian restaurant. We ate allover the North End and had to come back to Al Dente for our final meal of the week. I actually got the same dish I had earlier in the week here, the Veal Valentino. Simply amazing, hands down the best Italian dish of my life. The staff was great and the restaurant was very clean.

5 stars for the staff - the hostess (whose name I sadly missed, but she's a petite brunette) and our waitress Jojo were both lovely - funny, friendly, and just a real pleasure to chat with. Complimenti!

Awesome food and Annette our server was the best! Can't wait to come back!

Had a lovely time at this restaurant! The atmosphere is lovely, the meal was incredible, and the servers felt like family! Will definitely be coming back!! :)

Generous portion, warm service, and authentic recipes.