Saraceno
286 Hanover St, Boston, MA, 02113
Saraceno Menu
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Appetizers
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Homemade Soups
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Salads
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Homemade Pastas
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Seafood
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Meat Dishes
Healthy Meal suggestions for Saraceno
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Appetizers
-
Homemade Soups
-
Salads
-
Homemade Pastas
-
Seafood
-
Meat Dishes
Visit below restaurant in Boston for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Boston for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
286 Hanover St
Boston, MA, 02113 - Phone (617) 227-5353
- Website https://ristorantesaraceno.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :6:30 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : No
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : No
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Intimate
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
Categories
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
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T J.
Always have dinner here whenever in town. My wife and I are big fans. The go to dish is the frutti di mare. You will not be disappointed. My wife had a veal dish with eggplant and loved it. We sat upstairs on a beautiful night and enjoyed a bottle of wine as we people watched. I've yet to have a bad Italian meal in the North End, but for some reason I always get drawn back to this particular restaurant. Prices are fair, ambiance is great and food is always a hit.
(4)Lily C.
Honestly, we stopped in here because it could seat us the quickest. Seating was plentiful and the food was surprisingly decent. I had the gnocchi, which is my go-to for pretty much every Italian restaurant I visit for the first time. The restaurant itself is dark and seems super italian to me, if that makes sense. I almost felt like a member of the stereotypical tv italian mob was going to pop out at any moment. The service was just okay but there wasn't really anything to complain about.
(3)Lindsey R.
We came here because all of the 5 star rated places had crazy long lines. Food was not bad. Pasta was not homemade but overall the experience was not bad. just a tip... do not use the bathroom if you wear anything larger than a medium. It's the smallest bathroom I've ever used.
(3)John M.
Wow was I sad after dropping 130 bucks for two for dinner here a few weeks back... Yelp usually leads me in the right direction so I think maybe the chef was having an off night. We were dining with a group of 13 people so sometimes that creates problems. I don't know what happened, but I felt cheated... For apps my wife and I had the escargots which were delicious, perfect for mopping with bread. We also shared calamari which was OK. The problem was with our entrees. I ordered a veal chop that was tiny, it seemed like a lot of the meat was trimmed off of it. Maybe they were cutting it down and using the meat in other dishes, I really don't know. I really was not impressed, not what I paid for it. My wife ordered a chicken dish that was essentially inedible. It was dried out, overcooked beyond belief and tasted terrible. In years of dining out together I've never seen her so disappointed in a dinner. Literally three bites and she was done. I guess I should have manned up and told the waiter how bad it was.
(1)S G.
I was looking forward to eating here, but left disappointed. Our first trip to Boston and kept hearing about the great food in Little Italy. Well, I have had better veal Marsala in Tampa. To begin, the portion was very small. The Marsala sauce was very clear, and watery. I did not know it was possible to get chewy veal. My brother had the lasagna. Amazingly, it did not have any cheese. He had to doctor up his dish with cheese the waiter brought to the table in a separate bowl. The 3 stars basically go to the table we got, which was right up front with view to the street on a lovely cool, Fall evening.
(3)Beau S.
Great food! Good value! This was our second choice after the wait was too long at Giacomo's. We're glad we stopped! Great place. Our party of 6 was seated quickly and we had good service. Note - I split the chicken piccata w my wife, and there was a $4 fee! (no warning from the staff BTW). It was split in two plates and presented well. Also delicious was the lasagna.
(4)Maickel C.
After reading reviews in Yelp we decided to go and check it out. We called to reserve a table for 4 people, just to be on the safe side (the area gets packed and lines can be long). Excellent!! Real good experience overall! And you should go for it!! The restaurant layout is deceiving: it is a collection of small, few tables rooms, next to each other. You would tend to think the place is small but it is not. The attention was very good, our server was very nice, although the place was packed for being Saturday night. As appetizer, I HAD THE BEST ESCARGOTS EVER. Simply delicious and I was surprised to found them there: most likely you find them in French restaurants. Anyways, this alone was worth the visit and could bring me back again. Friends had a Caprese Salad: nothing can go wrong with it. We got a Montelpuciano of the house as companion. Very good and loved it: it was gentle, smooth, and tasty. Not the best Montel I have had, but this particular one needed not to be. My entree just didn't make the cut though. After looking for some seafood in the menu with variety, and there are some, I decided to try the Fritto Misto: shrimps, calamari and scallops fried with a marinara sauce. In my head: delicious, fresh seafood slightly sautéed in olive oil, with a delicate crust covering them, seasoned with some herbs and a delicious marinara. In reality: heavily deep fried packed seafood covered in a hearty crusty batter, with a Ragu-esque sauce. Their fault? Not necessarily. There are many things that can go wrong when ordering fried dishes and I should have been aware of that. I won't grill them for this one, but please stay away from this dish. All of the other dishes were awesome: mostly pasta and spaghetti. And wasn't too bad on the price side.
(4)K. E.
Places like this are the reason I avoid the North End and let the tourists have it all to themselves. Other places in the neighborhood had lines out the door. This one did not. I guess there's a reason. The restaurant was empty, plenty of empty tables on the first and second floor, but we were taken down into the basement, through the kitchen and into the wine cellar. Why? And why the grumpy attitude? They bring stale bread and weird looking oil, and it immediately strikes us that this is NOT olive oil. We ask the waiter and he tells us that it's a mix of vegetable and olive oil and is genuinely shocked that we don't like it. Yes, folks, an Italian restaurant serving vegetable oil with its bread. Is nothing sacred anymore? We ask for olive oil and are told that he would go ask the owner and "maybe he'll give you some of his own." His own? The owner is hoarding olive oil? He disappears for a while and a younger waiter comes within earshot so we flag him down and ask for olive oil. He cheerfully acknowledges our request and departs on Operation EVOO. He returns with balsamic vinegar. Wha? The older waiter eventually comes back with a tiny little sample of what looks like good olive oil. On to the entrees... They sold us on the seafoood. Whatever it was I ordered was supposed to come with a variety of seafoods but it was 95% calamari and had exactly 1 shrimp and 2 scallops. The other entrees were equally unremarkable. That is all.
(1)Michael M.
We've been here twice and will come back again and again. Our new home in the North End. The pasta is to die for and the seafood is fresh and flavorful. Had the veal chop the second time we were there. It literally melts in your mouth. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it now! My wife is generally not one for Italian cuisine but she is now and loves this place, the food and the staff as much as I do. Go there with confidence. You will NOT be disappointed. Not a fancy place by any means so if you're looking for a pretentious experience you won't find it here. You will find a genuine homey experience at a great price.
(5)Grace E.
There are so many choices in the North End, but my family and I love Ristorante Saraceno. We have been here multiple times. It is simple, delicious, authentic Italian food. The bread served here is some of the best bread I've ever had! All the pasta dishes are excellent. My parents have been all over Italy and love this restaurant. It's our choice when we want a solid Italian dinner.
(4)Kaitlin O.
I have never been to Boston before and I was in town on a work trip. A co worker of mine said that the North End was the place to go to for Italian.. I yelped and found Saraceno's. First, I just have to say that it was a particularly busy Saturday night. I believe the Bruins were playing the Rangers and the time was around 8:30. Being turned away from another restaurant with an hour wait, I called and they said they had a table for four and they would hold it till we parked and got there. Um, wow. The house wine was very reasonably priced and delicious.
(4)lella b.
When we could get a last minute reservation, we should have skipped. Disinterested service, ate in the sub basement where we got lost trying to get out. Salty lasagne. Never did get that diet coke refill. Just average. And what's with that weird bread?
(2)Alexander L.
I forgot what the name of the dish I ordered, but it was the one with baby squids / ?octopus? ?octopii?, black olives, tomatoes in a marinara sauce. I'd have to say it doesn't sound like the most appetizing plate, but the food was pretty good in my opinion. The squid / octopus with the olives in the marinara sauce made for a combination of flavor that allowed each to play to their strengths and create a unique food experience of seafood-iness, black olive-iness, and tomato/marinara-ness. No pasta in this dish, so for those protein people, this could be a pretty awesome dish. I know it doesn't sound like much, but there had to be at least 10+ of these full little squids / octopus on the plate, and I was full at the half-plate mark. I enjoyed it, and I showed it by finishing everything. Even the leftover sauce. With my fork. I was desperate. It was good. If it weren't for the restaurant having to be in the North End and less accessible by car, I would probably be here more often.
(4)Beth W.
EAT HERE! This restaurant is amazing. My friends and I had planned on going to a seafood restaurant a couple blocks away, but stopped in front of this restaurant. Lasagne- awesome! The red sauce is phenomenal. I'm not sure if it's the crack they mix in it what. Seafood special with scallops and shrimp. With spicy red sauce. Awesome! The scallops were firm and tasty. Perfectly cooked. Chicken piccata- good. Wine- a super tuscan. Excellent. The service was fantastic. The restaurant has a total of ten tables. I can't find anything to criticize. The bath rooms are tiny, but since there are only 10 tables it doesn't really matter.
(5)Kel Vin W.
We were able to get a table for 7 on a Saturday night. The wait staff were really attentive and attentive to our needs. The food was ok, I thought the portions were very generous for the price, at least relative to the area. I got the Zuppa di pesce, unfortunately, it was underwhelming. I tasted my friend's seafood risotto, which was a little on the dry side for a risotto and also lacked in flavor. The food was ok, the sauces could do a little more with flavor. Our group had a great time and the service was good.
(3)Sharon F.
Veggies will be pleased! Eggplant Parm melts in your mouth and Potato Gnochi is excellent. Best is the red sauce... Superb! House salad ... Fresh with perfectly blended dressing. My non-veggie friend adores the chicken piccata! Intimate and romantic setting. Don't wait, go right now!
(5)Jen L.
Delicious lunch date with a friend. We went all out for no reason in particular, and I'm glad we chose here. The older gentleman that waited on us was a complete DOLL, he could tell how hungry I was and hustled up our appetizer order so we didn't have to wait to eat anything. (The Chianti was great, thank you for that suggestion too.) The portions were on the larger side, the restaurant was on the smaller side, but if I could highlight anything it would be that you should be prepared for a very European (read: long, slow) meal, which was a great thing in this case. Thanks for the great lunch!
(4)Bergen E.
I've lost all faith in yelp. How the hell is this 4 stars? God awful in every way. Service, food, ambiance (none in the basement), and food quality. We were all sick to our stomachs after and the bill was high as he'll for such low quality.
(1)Stephanie S.
We love this place! There are many fine restaurants in the North End, but this is my family's favorite by far. Completely authentic, the atmosphere is great and the food is outstanding. The service is impeccable, with waiters who have been working at the restaurant for years. I order mussels every chance I get and these are the best I have ever had, hands down. The red sauce is amazing -- our guests swoon. No food trends here, nothing "fusion", but every dish is perfectly prepared. We held a wedding rehearsal here a few years ago and people who attended are still telling me it was the bet Italian meal they ever had.
(5)Roy K.
We were in Beantown for the Garth Brooks concert on January 24th and chose Saraceno for dinner. We ate in the "basement". It was very charming. A gal came to our table and asked if we would like something to drink. We asked for soda and waters. This was while we were listening to a waiter introduce himself and go through the nightly specials at a table nearby. The lady returned and it became apparent that she was our waitress when she asked if we wanted to hear the specials (I felt like saying "what, are you kidding?"). Without going into detail, the food was all very good. The most remarkable item was the fried calamari. It was dusted and deep fried to perfection. Never had a serving that was this tender. Seafood Risotto was tremendous, as was my wifes spaghetti carbonara and my daughters tortellini in vodka sauce. Pricing is reasonable for the quality and quantity of the food you are served. Waitperson could have been a little more personable....maybe introduce herself, but I rarely let a server influence my opinion, so long as the food is good that is.
(3)Shaily S.
Love this place! I've been here countless times. My favorite is the tortellini in a pink vodka sauce. The mussels are great and so is the chicken cacciatore. Love dipping the bread in the marinara sauce that comes with the mussels. Great service and great food! Ambiance is lovely. I've sat on all three floors. Upstairs is very nice and romantic, the window seating on the main floor is good if you wanna people-watch, and the "basement" (that many Yelpers have referred to as a bad ambiance, but I disagree) is lovely. It's got beautiful paintings and a romantic feel.
(5)Lauren G.
Saraceno's is a hidden gem! Reasonably priced, consistently great food on Hanover Street, and you never have to wait for a table given it's sprawling (albeit strange) set-up. Not a place to bring a fancy date (the waiters are lovely but mostly over 75 & hard of hearing and the decor is a little dusty) but a fantastic place for a family meal! The Eggplant Parm is outstanding, as is everything else on the menu. Gnocchi, carbonara, amatriciana, veal saltimboca are all amazing. They have the same specials every night and they're also delish. As a resident of the neighborhood, this is my go to place!
(4)Caitlin F.
Stumbled upon this place right outside the craziness in the Fisherman's Feast Italian festival. Don't be fooled by the small store front of about 6 tables - 2 more floors of seating upstairs. Authentic all the way from the staff to the wine to the food!
(4)Jeremy W.
I honestly don't remember what I had here, It might have been a clam pasta dish, but it was great! I liked this place, but not as much other North End restaurants I've had. It wasn't the most memorable experience, but if you need a new place to try I definitely recommend this place.
(4)Val W.
After looking at the menu outside, noticing a 4 star rating on Yelp, and having been recommended Italian food in the North End, our party of three, much to our future demise, felt confident walking into Ristorante Saraceno. The host greeted us and promptly led us around the side of the restaurant to a narrow, steep staircase that led us up to an experience that we will regrettably never forget. Our first server (since they apparently use an "organizational structure" of random wait staff assisting tables whenever they feel like it) asked us if we'd like drinks, and as we looked back at the menu to decide if we were ready, she awkwardly crept away: Warning Sign #1. When she returned, we ordered appetizers, a bottle of wine, and our dinner. We began to notice the nearly empty room, observe the cheesy Italian décor and eye longingly the happy customers in the restaurants across the street. Our wine could've used two more years (so that you'd have time to leave it in the cellar and forget about it) as every sip was topped off with a painful grimace. The calamari was decent (second only to the white bread served with packs of butter), but our other appetizer looked like canned mushrooms in melted butter. They then ASKED us if we were ready for them to bring out our main dishes. Each of our three dishes looked and tasted like it could have been outranked by Lean Cuisines, the difference being that these were garnished with an excessive amount of grease. Our servers were comically rude, at best, and we left with mild food poisoning and a $130 check. So even when their dining room looks pleasantly busy, every other restaurant has lines around the block, and you're so hungry that you've been eating the year old gum at the bottom of your purse, don't go here. It is the absolute, utter opposite of amazeballs.
(1)Christine S.
I have been eating at Saraceno since the 90's when I was in college. The food is consistently authentic and fantastic. The prices are beyond reasonable. The management and staff accommodate pretty much any request...I ate there today with my in laws and my 8 week old daughter and they made sure I had a place for her stroller and a place to change her (when you go there, you will realize why that's a big deal with their limited space). It's a great place to bring friends from out of town and if you go, say hi to Yasamin at the door. She's a lovely hostess.
(5)Carl V.
Horrible. Oh god. Save yourselves. The food looked like it was microwaved, and tasted worse. The best part was ease dropping on awkward first dates, and watching them regret their life choices.
(1)Hanna L.
Been here 3 times with friends so far, and we keep coming back because the food is delicious, the basement atmosphere seems authentic and not too loud, and the prices are reasonable. I've ordered classic pasta dishes, as well as one of their swordfish specials of that day, and everything has been good. The waiters have also been helpful and knowledgeable when you ask them about the menu. Probably one of the better and affordable restaurants in North End.
(5)Hana T.
A friend came to visit Boston for the first time, and I was excited to have dinner with her in the North End on a Friday night. Not feeling particularly picky, and too hungry to wait in line for half an hour, we stumbled upon Saraceno, which didn't have a wait line. I was surprised when the host greeted us in the main entrance, and then proceeded to take us next door, and up two flights of stairs to a covered rooftop seating area. Well, the atmosphere was nothing short of adorable, and I was glad to have not been seated in the dark and ominous lower levels. But then, we were served a basket of bread. As far as I can tell, the cold, unseasoned, little loaf of white bread came straight out of a package. It tasted like Wonderbread, and even worse, a few pats of cold, packaged butter were tossed into the bottom of the basket. Our waiter came to take our drink orders, and we chose a $32 bottle of the house Sauvignon Blanc. Tasted like a $12 bottle, but whatever. For entrees, my friend ordered a simple fettucine, and I ordered the mushroom risotto. Our food took quite some time to arrive - we actually ended up eating the tasteless, spongey bread. When it finally arrived, there was a feeling of definite anticlimax. My friend's fettucine was a tangled blob of pasta with white sauce sitting in a small puddle of oil. She said it tasted alright, though. My risotto was a little better in presentation, but tasted overly salted. For dessert, we decided on the chocolate mousse cake. Good, as one would predict chocolate to be, but far from mindblowing...or even memorable. We sat around after our meal for about an hour as it got darker outside, and some nice, soft lights lit up the roof. Nice. But our waiter was nowhere to be found for that entire hour, although we were ready for the check. Luckily, we didn't mind, as we had plenty to catch up on. All in all, I felt like the food here did not live up to North End standards. I left with a full stomach, but short about $100, and feeling distinctly unsatisfied.
(2)Jonny F.
Definitely check out this restaurant. Saraceno served the best food that we have eaten in the North End. The tortellini and linguini fruiti di mare had us wiping our plates with the bread. The staff were also incredibly friendly. And the owner (frank) even comes out to greet the customers as though each were an old friend.
(5)Bill K.
The place has great decor. It is probably the nicest basement I've ever eaten in. The prices are good, and the server was very professional, knowledgeable and attentive. Food was decent. Not the best Italian I've ever had, but good nonetheless. Worth a stop if you are in the area.
(4)Michael J.
This was a great little (it's very tight inside, but I think that's par for the course in that neighborhood) place for lunch. The food was excellent. I had one of the lunch specials which are extremely affordable on any budget. No complaints at all.
(4)Channa P.
This is one of many Italian restaurants on this street and choosing one can be overwhelming. My friend and I were just dying of hunger, and the door woman here caught our eye. She then confused the crap out of us as she left the door she was standing in front of and walked us to another door that just had small, steep stairs covered in sawdust. It was very Godfather. Then she opened the door atop the stairs and, SURPRISE , it's a restaurant full of people. We had to climb another level of stairs through a mini prep station to be seated. The room had great decor and lots of character and we loved every bit of it! My friend's Bolognese was good and so was my Chicken Marsala. Go, but don't be thrown off it you walk up some creepy stairs to eat. To me the character was better than the food.
(4)Brianna R.
I was really hoping for more after reading the reviews. Unfortunately this place just didn't live up. I would've gotten more for my money, with better service at a pizza place. The service was really lousy. The man who waited on us was very grumpy. The oil for your basic italian bread was just oil. The menus are broken on the inside and the glue sticking the menu to the booklet has worn off. There were four of us, my boyfriend ordered a fried seafood platter, you can't really screw that up. They didn't provide him with any tartar sauce or ask if he'd like any but they gave him marinara instead. My sister and her boyfriend got chicken parm, that's a no brainer meal as well. I ordered the shrimp cacaitorre (spelling?) and it was pretty awful. It was literally 6 pieces of jumbo shrimp that still had that wirey part on the back with the shell on, with some slices of green peppers, onions and a few sliced tomatoes in a sea of bland sauce. For a total of $120.00 (tip included) we could've so much more in the North End with better service. As we were there, the table behind us wasn't being attended too to their liking i guess because they got up, said "you're not working for us" and left before they ordered their meals. Overall, we should have went to pomodoro across the street. Good news - Mike's Pastries was within a 3 minute walk. Amen!
(2)Mike S.
Our family loved this! Reasonable prices, good service, and the food was solid. Veal was good. Wife had the frutti di mare, and I'll get that next time. :)
(4)Patty S.
Wow! Had not been here since college - forgot how fabulous a solid red sauce place could be...we were showing people from VA the sights and ... They were blown away ... "Sauce like may Nana, then my dad, then me and now my daughter made" my guest said choking up. The gnocchi, veal Francesca, veal saltimbucca pasta &sauce and eggplant parm were are order - the saltimbucca was the only one that didn't hit it out of the part - define fly the go to place for that traditional North end experience - the fact that the four top next to us only spoke Italian all night was wonderful!
(5)Catherine S.
The antipasto was delicious, as was the Multapucciano and fruita de mar.
(4)