This restaurant made us realize that Salem is not a foodie town. The cute vibe and rustic decor couldn't disguise the fact that the food was just okay. The pizzas were quite small for the price and a little burnt. Interesting choice to pair Italian and Japanese menus; our pizza + ramen combo gave us some fun culinary whiplash. Despite mediocre food, service was great as the staff seem to know how to show tourists a good time. read more

Disappointing for the price and the overall product. Limp soggy bottom, subpar ingredients, and a lack of any fermented taste ( even though I saw firsthand that they make their own dough from scratch.) The ingredients of cheese and sausage barely come out. The tomato sauce is a little sweeter than I would like. The only positive was the crust was springy and soft. Other than that, what the hell was I doing eating here at the end of the day?? I thought I was going to have an exceptional experience but rather I get a half ass attempt at an artisanal pizza. read more

The restaurant's timing is awful We came in 1:30 when the restaurant was not busy. We ordered pizza for the table as a starter and 3 main courses(one of them originally from the starters but was supposed to be served as my second course.) We waited for 30 mins to receive my second course - first. Everyone at the table were hungry so they helped themselves. 15 mins later (total of 45)the pizza starter and the 2 ramens for my husband and daughter were brought to the table. A bite from Italy, and then a spoon from Japan... I had to watch them eat their ramen for the longest time. I complained to the waiter about the bad timing, long wait and wrong service order and he could only say he is sorry - that the kitchen is working under pressure. No offer of compensation of any kind. He did offer to take back the ramen, hold it and serve it later(no thanks). I would think that if a restaurant is struggling to serve dishes on time they should put out some bread or something. To wait 45 mins is way too much. Pizza was very good but not worth the wait. read more

Came to Salem for the day and decided to eat at Bambolina half a day later when I was starving. I was really excited to order their Grilled Octopus for a starter and the Soppressata pizza for a main course. However, I was really bummed out when they said they didn't have any octopus. Couldn't find another appetizer that I wanted so just got the pizza. My disappointment vanished when I tried the pizza. It was so delicious and flavorful! The traditional pizza oven they used brought out beautiful notes of smokiness and charred pieces on the crust. It came right out of the oven and the cheese was still bubbling. Yum! The service was great and the ambience was really comfortable and chill. Great for any type/time of dining. read more

Bambolina Restaurant - Soppressata pizza - Pizza Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

I've always enjoyed going to Bambolina. Seriously, their pizza is indistinguishable from what you will get in Naples , Italy and it is so so so good. I do wish that they had a few more flavors, and I also wish that they would bring back beef carpaccio on the appetizer menu, but it's a great place... We sat outside, and the service was fantastic. read more

So the service here definitely deserves a 5/5, they were really nice and all. The store was clean and big. BUT I order a raman which is REALLY SALTY. Like I literally can't take it, it felt like they accidentally put 600 jars of salt in it. But all the other food like pasta was good. read more

If I were going off the food alone, I would give five stars, it is the prices that drove this rating down to four. Anyways, the good thing about pizza is that you get to share with the table with absolutely no shame. Pizzas have our slices, so having three friends join you would be ideal... assuming everyone is willing to sacrifice three of their slices for three different ones. This pizza they call "Neo-Neapolitan". Having spent some quality time in Naples, it isn't exactly like Neapolitan pizza, but, that's why it's Neo-Neapolitan! Just like it was in Naples, the dough was extremely thin, stretched by hand, can't fold it over like New York Style pizza. It uses tasty, delicious crushed tomato rather than a plain, bland tomato sauce. Also, using fresh mozzarella the pizza is not soaked in grease! Where I find it differs in Neapolitan pizza (don't quote me on this, it's been almost 18 months) is in the crust. The crust on this pizza is a little thicker, and the ingredients in Neapolitan pizza start closer to the crust. Neapolitan pizza is also a hair thinner, and larger. Finally, and this is mostly cloudy in my memory, but I seem to remember a larger quantity of toppings (per square inch, not the whole pizza) I had the opportunity to try to Costatine, Prosciutto, and Forest Mushroom. Costatine was my favorite of the three. While I would have liked a little more short rib, it was delightfully shredded, tender, and tasty. I did not find myself looking for short rib, only to find a little piece hiding under some cheese. Pickled ramps added a wonderful spiciness, although with these I would have liked some more. As for the spinach, this was not a stand out flavor, and the caramelized onions... well, looking at the menu (again) after is when I realized they were there. These two most likely got blended into the general flavor of the pizza. Part of the reason is that this pizza was just a little burnt. I know go for some "flame blackened blisters", but this pizza spent way too much time in the oven. The Prosciutto was my second favorite. I was very pleasantly surprised with this one, because prosciutto, at least in my past experience, has been 50% salt by weight. However, biting into this pizza, I found just the greatest blend of sweetness and saltiness you could imagine. I didn't even know this was possible from prosciutto. Arugula was a great touch too, as it added a freshness, light crunch, and even lighter bitterness. With the balsamic reduction, however, same deal as with the caramelized onions, didn't know it was there until reading it post factum. The Forest Mushroom, although my least favorite out of the three, was still pretty great. This was a white pizza, and it is perhaps the innate lack of acidity that put it on the bottom for me. However, being the simplest out the three, the ingredients were given the greatest opportunity to shine. Mushrooms were in abundance and were very tasty. Truffle oil was noticeable too, but not at all overpowering. The only note I have for this pizza is I would have liked a little more spinach. Service was nice and fairly efficient. Big points go to our server (Thomas?) for great service despite it appearing that he was the only server working at the time. They have red pepper flakes in adjustable grinders, which I found an awesome touch. They also have little vials of chili oil with dropper like devices. A good additive, though I was expecting it to be spicier. The location was clean! Finally, the prices... I realize this is downtown, and that prices tend to be a little steeper than in Naples. Still, the pizzas we got were $16 for the Mushroom, $17 for the Prosciutto and Constatine. While the portions were filling, these were personal sized pizzas. I realize this is a matter of opinion, but paying almost $20 for a personal sized pizza seems excessive. read more

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Service was as amazing as the food! The fennel sausage pizza was perfection, but the Caesar salad! Oh! It's worth the trip to Salem alone! Many thanks to Joe for being so accommodating. We will be back! read more

Bambolina Restaurant - Kiddos get hooked up with crayons and tattoos - Pizza Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

The wait was worth it. The pizza is the best around - neapolitan style, thin crust with a good char on the crust. If I'm ever visiting Salem again I will definitely be back here! The hot pepper and pepperoni is sooo good. Of note, this place also serves ramen? It seems to be paired with an Asian restaurant so you can order that if you want. We didn't but it sounded good. read more

Love love their pizzas! Also so cool to watch them make the pizzas! I wish there was one closer to my house!

Wood fire pizza - perfect cryst softness with a little crunch - sauce of pizza is amazing - fresh ingredients and simple one person pizza!! Excellent! Perfection takes time! read more

Bambolina Restaurant - ROSSO & A MARGARITA - Yum!!! - Pizza Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Best pizza in Salem. Owner Tim is dedicated to Salem and a smart business owner. Kid friendly.

Very cool pizza restaurant on the Salem waterfront. The bare wood timber columns and beams along with the bare brick walls and iron pipe supports gave the place a very post-industrial feel, which matched well with the wood fired pizza oven and free form crust of the pizza. The menu is small and should stay that way, so that they concentrate on the food that they do so well. We wanted to try a variety, so we ordered a Forest Mushroom Pizza, Clam Chowder Pizza, Ragu alla Bolognese and the Grilled Caesar. The pizzas had very thin hand rolled crust in the middle with big rounded crust edges, which is typical when using very high temperature ovens and the pizza is barely in there for a minute and a half. This yields a smoky charred crust with good flavor. The menu said the clam chowder pizza had Yukon Gold potatoes, but ended up just being potato chips sprinkled on top. The Ragu alla Bolognese was orecchiette pasta with a braised short rib ragu and was mighty tasty! The star, however, was the Grilled Caesar, which was a twist on a classic Caesar salad. Split and charred heart of romaine was dressed with freshly shaved parmesan, anchovies, giant croutons and topped with a perfectly poached egg. This was so good, we ordered a second one after all the pizzas and pasta were gone. Keep that pizza oven hot and the 80's tunes cranking, because we'll be coming back! read more

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We had a great lunch today at Bambolina. We loved the fusion of authentic coal fired pizza and antipasto dishes, with the mash up of of funky Asian style apps and ramen. We decided to save the noodle dishes for a cooler fall day, because we'll definitely be back. Instead, we opted for a; garden salad, margarita pizza, and dumplings. The "side salad" was accidentally made as a dinner salad. They let me know that when they served it, and that it would obviously be charged for the smaller that I had ordered. Very kind of them to point it out. The salad was fresh as could be and the lemon Italian house dressing was so good. Pizza was piping hot and nothing could beat that CRUST! The dumplings are crispy style, with a hot/sweet sauce already on them. read more

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When you want handmade ~ stone oven magic Pizza... this is where you GO! The crust is perfectly crispy with the stone/brick oven flavor we all chase & love. The time/care into it shows! When each bite brings the sauce, cheese, toppings & crust to tickle your taste buds . . Zing! yatzi! read more

Bambolina Restaurant - Hot Pepper & Pepperoni Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

This wood oven farm to table pizzeria in downtown Salem really has it going on. I loved sitting front row orchestra for the food preparation show with the chef's feeding that amazing oven that just fills the room with an amazing smell of wood and fresh cooked pizza. Vaulted ceilings, open kitchen, waiters that know the menu, it's a can't miss. I started off with some of the best grilled Caesar salad I ever had, the salad had that smoky crunch enhanced by chunky bacon, white anchovies, a good homemade dressing, and toast points, winner. My fennel sausage and cheese pizza was very good, I would have just preferred the crust be cooked a little longer as it flopped when slices were separated. Would have been better served if the crust was slightly thicker to hold those amazing farm to table ingredients. With all that said, I look forward to dine here again. read more

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First time coming to this place with a couple of friends. We shared a sangria pitcher, artichoke, goat cheese & arugula pizza, marinated mushrooms, and fettuccini alla bolognese. Sangria was standard. The pizza had a great crust and fresh toppings. The fettuccine was also tasty with the delicious mushrooms. Overall, the food was good but definitely on the more expensive side. Will come again and share family style. read more

Sat for 10 minutes. No servers took a drink or food order. Asked for help and not a single peep from the staff.

This place has some really excellent pizza. The options are a little different from what you'd find most places, but well worth trying. We had their potato & leek pizza which was really good. It reminded me a little of the potato leek soup my mom used to make. The salad was also very good. I would definitely go back if I was in the area again. read more

Pizza was quite good, BUT the service could use some work. Pennywise attacked us and they just laughed.

Stopped in here for a quick relaxing meal after having apartment hunted all afternoon. They have a large outdoor seating section in the front of the road, but you are protected with large concrete barriers from oncoming traffic which is a +. Due to covid limitations they are currently serving there sister restaurant Asian inspired menu at the same location. This was great exposure for me as I was able to try things from both menus at same time! I had the Asian lettuce wraps with crispy chicken which were full of flavor and garnishes with such vibrant sauces I then ordered the mushroom pizza which has a white base and truffle oil. Pizza was delicious... a little small for the price would be my only call out, but soooo good! read more

Really good authentic Italian pizza. They have an wood fire oven and the pizza is excellent. I would definitely eat here again. read more

Bambolina Restaurant - Rosso & margarita. Authentic Italian pizza. It was very good (wood fire oven) - Pizza Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

What a nice place to stop on the way to catch witches...haha. a most place to stop for a delicious pizza, cordial staff and a nice ambience right on a busy street. Nice view and good music. Totally a most go place if you are in Salem MA read more

This place is super cool! Very deceiving from the outside! The pizzas are awesome. Beer selections are good and the service can not be beat! We did not try the roman noodle menu items but it did look good too. Pricing was very fair too! read more

First time in Salem, my girlfriend and I shared the Margherita with some added sausage, chili flakes and Parmesan. It hit ALL the right spots. Absolutely delicious! Fast and friendly service. We'd happily eat here again. read more

Tried this place for the first time on a busy touristy Saturday night. Ordered the 'famous' Back Alley Ramen, and while tasty in a spicy, unique way, very disappointed there were no actual chunks beef in the broth (my bad if I read the menu incorrectly). However, the pizzas and dumplings here get rave reviews, so willing to go back and try on a quieter day. Ordered a 'marble' soda, very tasty but a little embarrassed how long it took me to get the bottle open. A Kokeshi crew member came out to help me. RAVE reviews go to the Tiramisu however! While not the largest portion I ever had, the flavors and textures were incredible and actually make me want to go back and sample ALL the other desserts with a fine wine. Staff was busy, hurried and overworked but waiter did check in a few times. read more

Was one of my favorite restaurants in Salem. It's going downhill. Food tonight was bland l, chicken soggy and service absolutely terrible. 4 of us got meals at different times- 2 were half way done by the time I got mine. Ordered a beer when I first got there & 15+min in waiter asked me to remind him what I wanted! Owner must no longer be present & could obviously care less. I mentioned issue to manager, who was very nice, took 50% off my bill which I gave to waiter entirely as a tip. I'm not looking for any discounts, just a nice dining experience. Will avoid Bambolina & Kokeshi moving forward. read more

My friends amd I came up to Salem from Connecticut for the weekend. Unfortunately due tp covid-19 we had to eat outide. They were very clean and followed protocol with keeping everything disinfected and sanitized. Food was fresh and delicious and staff was amazing. I would have gave it 5 stars just wish they had more toppings. read more

Bambolina Restaurant - Salad - Pizza Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

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I tried this restaurant for the first time and will definitely return. The gluten-free pizza was delicious. There are many topping choices and the crust was excellent. The staff was friendly and the service was top notch. I have already recommended this restaurant to a few friends. read more

This place has gone so down hill. I used to come here often right when they opened and it was amazing. Went last night for the first time in years and it was shockingly bad. We got mussels for an appetizer, as soon as the waiter brought them over you could smell they were bad. Never got the chance to send them back because he never came back to check on us. Someone else brought our meals over, truffle pasta and the mushroom pizza. We watched our food sit under the heat lamp for 10 mins which somewhat explains why the pasta was Luke warm and the sauce was the consistency of toothpaste. Pizza was the saving grace, still not amazing but it was pretty good. Don't know if they started to go downhill after combining with Kokeshi? Seems like they have too much going on. Stick with the pizza and call it good. read more

Wow! So disappointing! We are giving them three stars because the service was fantastic! And we had their eggplant dip that was delicious, but the crostini's they served with the dip were perfect! The pizza was another story. Aside from the fact that it was burnt, and I don't mean lightly charred, but actually black was one thing but it tasted like they only used crushed tomatoes for the sauce. It was watery and bland. Needless to say, we would not come back or recommend this place. read more

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We passed here on our way up to NH, and we've always wanted to check out Salem. We yelped up places to grab some lunch and came across Bambolina. I'm so glad we did! I never thought I would come across the best ceaser salad in my life here, but I did. Their grilled ceaser salad is THE BEST I've ever had!! The smoky flavor really added to the homemade cesar dressing and croutons. Their pizza was also great! We had the soppressata, margherita, and fennel sausage pizzas. The salami was a bit too salty for my taste on the soppressata, but the wood fired crust helped balanced it out a little. I honestly would come back to this restaurant solely for the grilled ceasar salad.. and I'm from the Bay Area haha read more

Come for the wood fired pizza. Their ramen isn't my favorite, the broth isn't as rich as I'd like. Usually we eat outside and it's lovely. Recently we ate inside due to snow and it has a nice setting and feel inside too. Service can be a little slow outside, but inside it's faster. read more

Overpriced for what it is. The smoked lettuce was good on the Caesar salad but $13 for essentially five lettuce leaves is too expensive. They had run out of dough so we needed to wait while they finished up a new batch. Pizza bread is nothing special, and the pizzas were okay. Not worth $18 for a personal pizza. read more

Food taste was great, but the service was unpleasant. it was not crowd. Almost empty place. Monday evening.The waitress was doing something else but not his work. He just did not show up!! We had to bring dishes ourselves, we had a birthday party and people were starving. They should teach the waitress how to work: Did not pay attention on the big party: Did not bring a fresh water. It was a complete mess, the waitress knew we have a birthday party and he did bring a cake without a candle!!! So confused. Very unpleasant experience. read more

This is a little gem. It had all things pizza/ pasta lovers enjoy. My friend called the pizza "Italy" pizza. The fettuccine with red sauce and shredded beef was so good. We were just missing a side of good Italian bread to sop the sauce up. Great lunch spot or dinner with the sangria to add a little extra goodnesses read more

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Stopped in as we are here for the Salem thing as friends and family and wood fired pizza on a chilly day would be sweet. However all five in our party were disappointed. We got three pies to sample, Margherita, Fennel Sausage and the Beef and Blue. My favorite was the beef and blue and the rest liked the margherita the best. The service was decent with ample seating and the place was clean. You can see the nice wood burning oven from the seating area which jacked us all up. All three had the nice charred spots you expect from the fancy oven. The crust was thin and soggy and amazingly enough even the little burned spots were soggy and I don't understand that. Pricey for what you get even though you're in the city. read more

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I came here for lunch for the first time and I have to say this is my new favorite restaurant. I loved my meal so much. The mushroom fettuccine alfredo is incredible 10/10!!! We also had the lettuce wraps for an appetizer and it was so flavorful and yummy. I cannot recommend this place enough if you are in Salem. They also have the best music soundtrack going. Come check this place out! I know I'll be back :) read more

Bambolina came well recommended and I decided to give it a try on a recent trip to Salem. They have a good selection of beer and wine but very few cider and cocktail options. We ordered the Soppressata which wowed because of the simplicity of the ingredients and the amazing outcome. This pizza in particular had crushed tomatoes, which means there's no such thing as jarred pizza sauce at Bambolina. It had fresh flavor but no acidity, and paired perfectly with the oregano and cheeses. The salami was sliced perfectly thin, but managed to pack a lot of flavor. The pizzas are on the smaller side given the price compared to many other places. I could have finished one by myself!!! That being said, they offer unique flavors and quality across the board so it's worth it. I enjoyed our spot at the bar which let us watch as they cooked the pizza in the wood fire oven. read more

Bambolina Restaurant - Soppressata - Pizza Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Horrible service from the staff!! Waited and looked around and noticed everybody was waiting for food. The pizzaiola was SLOW and to busy on his cellphone!! read more