O my dearest Bocelli, I wanted to love you so badly. I came prepared: I brought friends and an appetite. Greeting me at the door with a girl in gray sweats and crocs was not the reciprocation I had expected. After being seated downstairs -- where I was promptly frozen by a nearby AC unit -- I was greeted by a dumbfounded waitress who (1) did not know the specials (2) did not know the difference between shrimp and chicken and (3) did not know how to "put in" an order. My point: we asked about the salmon special -- she said "Oh, the sal mon (sal. mon.) tips?" .. well, no, the salmon special, "Oh I don't know what that is.." well you should, you do work here.. "I know I should, but I don't." (direct quote). Later, when my boyfriend asked for the "tortellini and shrimp" with chicken instead of shrimp, she seemed like she understood -- but later asked us "so the tortellini and shrimp was with pesto, not redsauce, right?" And finally -- we asked for more bread when we put in our orders; she seemed like the understood but about 10 mins later when we saw our busboy, as he was saying "do you need more bread?" she was interrupting him "oh, yah, they want more bread" -- clearly having forgotten the request. *Sigh* here's the thing - the food was great ... the tortellini with chicken was FANTASTIC; the manicotti was delish, the seafood casserole looked amazeeee. The quality of the food -- with the addition of the live accordion player -- will bring me back for a second round. Waitresses can be flukes; AC units can be flukes -- I am hoping for the best on round 2 because I want great service to match the great eats... stay tuned! read more

This is exactly what I'm looking for in an authentic Italian restaurant. The atmosphere is completely casual. Waitresses, patrons, homeless guys wandering in from outside, they all seem to know each other. Get ready to immerse yourself in a "Cheers" vibe. Part of the casualness means that service won't always be totally *professional* or people won't always be totally *prepared.* But what you get in return is service that's attentive, flexible, and personalized. You should eat upstairs. Downstairs is okay too. The food at most Italian restaurants tastes just plain forgetable. Sort of a "why am I paying $12 for this pasta that tastes like I could just make it from a box at home." Ingredients in standard Italian food aren't that wild. I think it's all in the preparation. At Boccelli's they know how to PREPARE their food. At Boccelli's, you'll savor the experience of chewing on the fresh ravioli dough, indulging in the texture...normally when I get ravioli it's like "why the hell did I order this?" Again, it's not that their ingredients are so unique, but they are so well-prepared and taste so fresh. And their red tomato sauce...jesus christ, their SAUCE. If you judge an Italian restaurant by how good their sauce is, then GO HERE. It's a tiny bit sweeter than I would prefer, but it is so rich and flavorful. I would go here just to get a bowl of their sauce. If you want an amped-up fancy Italian dining experience, then go to Strega or something. But if you live in Somerville/Medford and want a regular, go-to Italian eatery then PLEASE go here. read more

So good smaller place with good quality and good flavor.my friend got chicken parmigiana I had fruitti di mare- they were both so good

A low-key, no frills, Italian restaurant with dated decor circa 1972 and a lot of regulars who have been probably been dining here with their families since Bocelli first opened its doors. The restaurant is somewhat small, but offers adequate seating spread out over two levels. The lower level has a function room available by reservation for large parties. A small bar is located on the upper level and serves until 1am. We reserved a spot at Bocelli for our annual Christmas dinner with friends and they graciously accommodated our party of 12 by pushing a few tables together. The lower level definitely feels like a basement and is a bit stuffy, yet sort of cozy in a way. I think I would have preferred the upper level which is more open and allows for more space between tables. However, we had a TV right above our corner last night which made all the Celtics fans in our party very happy. Italian food is not my top fave, but every once in a while I don't mind a heaping plate of chicken or eggplant smothered in sauce and cheese. The menu here at Bocelli consists of classic Italian fare at average prices. Entrees include a variety of pastas, chicken dishes, seafood, salads, barbecue, and pizza. The appetizer menu offers eggplant rollatine, fried calamari, mussels, and much more. I was not in the mood for a heavy meal of red sauce and cheese last night so I opted for the chicken piccata with a lemon and caper sauce. I recently discovered I am absolutely wild about those mysterious little flower buds and purposely seek out any meal prepared with capers. My meal was decent, the chicken slightly overcooked, but I really enjoyed the sauce. The other members of our party seemed pleased with their meals as well. Our waitress was patient with our large group as we waited for late members to arrive and asked her to snap several photos. She was pleasant and efficient at her job, however seemed a bit overwhelmed or perhaps under some stress. I had hoped for a server with some more enthusiasm as it would have added to the spirit of our fun night out. We had some unexpected guests at our table last night we will refer to as the fruit flies. These pesty little critters kept appearing and circling around our food. This did not leave a good impression for me and I was a bit concerned about where they might be coming from. I believe Bocelli was most likely a shining star (or perhaps five shining stars) back in the day, but if it does not hold sentimental value or fond family memories for you there are many better options in the area. read more

I live right down the street, and only discovered this place recently. Have been back several times for dinner when I can't stand to cook for myself. As others have posted, you shouldn't go here if you require tablecloths and fine crystal. If you can deal with paper placemats and a little dust around the edges, you'll be fine. What Bocelli's lacks in snobbery, it makes up for with good food. It can't possibly be healthy for you, but oh Lord, it is good. And enormous. I have never finished a meal here. But, it always tastes just as yummy the next afternoon, cold and out of the styrofoam box. It is that good. I highly recommend the Chicken Orvieto. I hope that someday I will remember to leave room for dessert, but I doubt it. Make sure to be seated upstairs for prompt service, or downstairs for a more relaxed pace. read more

It is a sad day in my house hold and the house holds of other family members after our experience here last weekend. First off we have been going here since this was DePasquale's and have grown up in South Medford. Most of my family has grown up here. What was a staple in the neighborhood for good food, service and atmosphere has now changed. We are accustomed to always having private parties here be it post funerals, christenings, birthdays, or just big family dinner's out. Nick and the crew have always done us right. Recently we arrived for a birthday dinner. The place was not that busy for a Sunday. We all walk in and the first thing we see is a gentleman at the bar who was pretty much passed out at the bar. Why was he served that much I have no idea, this is a family restaurant and I have been in the bar scene for over 12+ years. Next we sit down. Our Waitress was a train wreck. TRAIN WRECK. Maybe she was drinking with the guy at the bar I don't know, maybe she was extremely tired, sick, on pain meds but what I can tell you is that she should not have been waitressing let alone working in her condition. From that point forward the night went straight to hell. We had to get up and goto the bar to order more drinks as we were forgotten, then one app was forgotten and never brought out and of course there was a missing dinner. We had a person with a allergy and all they could eat is plain pasta with Olive Oil and Garlic. Pretty simple. Well I guess not as by the time we all ate the meal was never brought out. After multiple complaints LOUDLY I may add it comes out and it was under cooked. We got excuses from its cooking, to they changed the water, to flat out blaming another waitress for canceling the order. To top it all off when complaining to the waitress her snark little attitude sealed the deal. If I was not with a large party I would have walked right out on this table and the tab. I blame allot of people for this poor outing but Nick is usually good about making things right and he could of cared less until we got up and left and came over with Limoncello Sorry Nick but too little too late. read more

I've been coming here long enough to get "special treatment" from their staff. A little here a little there makes you feel welcomed and brought behind the curtain if you get my drift. Always bump into someone I know which is comforting.. You must try: Bolognese Fettuccine Alfredo Strachietella Soup Schrimp Parmigiana Angel hair pasta with garlic and oil add anchovies add broccoli Pizza I've had all of these dishes and LOVE them all equally. It's hard to decide which one I get even I come here. Great downstairs seating for functions or large parties. Remember next time you have a christening or birthday party. Darlene or Donna are my usual waitresses and love them to death!!! read more

If you happened to see my yelp talk thread about kids coming out to dinner on what was supposed to be adults only night, this is where we ended up. Turns out, it's a pretty kid friendly place so it was fine. But, the poor girls were exhausted by the end of the night and were falling asleep at the table. Anyway this place is old-school and service is exactly what you'd expect. One of the guy's in our party teased the waitress about her Boston accent so she deliberately skipped him when it came time to order coffee & dessert. I was proud of her - he deserved it. The food was decent. I had chicken, broccoli and ziti and it was okay. I hadn't ordered it in years and I was feeling nostalgic. I'm realizing though, I just don't think I like it anymore, to no fault of Bocelli. My husband had a veal dish and he was pleased. Others had pizza, ribs, fettucini alfredo etc. It's a typical Italian menu - though I don't know where the ribs came from? Their bread was very fresh and their salad & antipasto really big and filling. The wine was decent and I'm pretty sure they have a full liquor license. Overall, this is a good place to go with a group when you are more about the company than the food. The coffee was surprisingly good but the chocolate cake was pretty dry. I think it's like that at most Italian places though. I think Italian pastries are just dry. Don't get me wrong, I liked it here. I have no complaints. It's very affordable. Much cheaper than many of the old-school North End places and just as good as many of them too. If I lived near here I'd probably stop in often. read more

So, I ate here on that very surreal Saturday in January when it was 70 degrees out. They had the front door open, and a balmy breeze was gently blowing through a red velvet curtain and into the dining room. I thought that was a little seductive, and good for them because it made the experience that much better! The staff were very friendly and helpful. I like an attentive waitress, but not one who's so attentive that it's irritating. But, I realize some people probably like to be left alone more than I do, The establishment also has a very decent wine selection, and a full bar. The make great, extra dirty martinis. I ordered a steak with shrimp, spinach, and roasted potatoes. The steak was done to perfection, and I was really surprised that they pulled it off. Most places mess up a medium-rare steak, but not Bocelli's! The coffee was simple but good, and was a nice companion to their decadent, chocolate torte. It was rich and delicious, and probably enough dessert for two. Over all, this place had great food at a fair price and I look forward to going there again soon! Mangi bene! read more

I went to Bocelli's for a late lunch at 5pm. It was dead, except for a big group of guys who looked like they had just gotten out of work. They were noisy, but i didn't care. The waitress came over and took our order. While she was asking questions about my order, the men at the bar were laughing about something and I couldn't hear her. When I told her this, she snapped at me and repeated herself in a diva tone of voice. The next 60 seconds of my interaction with her were very snippy and heated, filled with huffing and puffing. When she left our table, my friend and I looked at each other and had the same thought...get me outta here. Needless to say, we canceled our order and went to Bukowski's in Inman Sq. instead, where we were treated like valued customers. read more

Thisis old-school, above-average Italian food - like eating in the North End without the hassle of going to the North End. Food is fast, fresh and delicious. Very good portion sizes and prices. An excellent variety of fish and vegetarian dishes as well. Plus they are always fast to remind you that ANYTHING on the menu can be altered to your particular taste. Try the Stracciatella!!! It's escarole soup and fantastic. Last but not least ... THEY HAVE THE BEST FRIED CLAMS!!! These simply melt in your mouth and are fried/battered perfectly ... all three times we've ordered them, which speaks to their consistency. read more

Went here after a Red Sox game as some friends were staying in the area. This is a no frills kind of place that seems to have a lot of regulars and has been around a long time from what I can tell. Everyone was very nice and the food was decent and large portions, but we waited a long time for our food, over an hour after the appetizers had come and gone. We did have very good eggplant rollatine and some fried calamari that was not too greasy like it can be sometimes. My dinner was a special, the fusilli costa azora. It consisted of fusilli pasta and seafood including scallops, lobster, and white fish. The lobster was good, but the white fish and the scallops were overdone. My friend had the veal saltimbocca and I have to say it was better than my special. Overall, this is a good place to go if you live in the area and are craving Italian, but probably not a place i would drive out of the way for. read more

Bocelli's in south medford is a great italian restaurant--the food is fresh and awsome. the staff is great and they always make you feel welcome. Bocelli's has traditional italian food as well as good pizza. The bar is always a great seat in this restaurant--great martini's and a good wine list. enjoy this restaurant!! tell the owner nicky that Frankie sent you. read more

Meh. So we drive by this place all the time en route to someplace else and have never stopped in... Last night we decided to give it a shot and ordered a pizza for takeout. When I walked in to pick it up the place was packed (good sign I thought). There was no host for a few minutes, not sure where he was, but I figured since it was so busy he must be helping someone else. Made for a slightly chaotic entryway - since no one knew where to stand to check in or get takeout. The pastry case some a bunch of stuff in it, but it all looked a little dry - otherwise I would have gotten something. He handed me my pizza when I gave him the name - which it was great it was ready, but it didn't seem hot. By the time we got home it was lukewarm, but we were hungry so we didn't bother to re-heat. What a bummer biting into the first bite - it was painfully average. I liked that there was a taste of rosemary in the pizza, but other than that it was nothing special. Judging from the fact the place was packed my guess is the pasta must be better, or people have low standards. read more

Having eaten many times with my family here when I was younger, some friends and I stopped in at Bocelli's a few weeks back for drinks and dessert (originally coffee and dessert, but then somehow limoncello sounded a lot better than coffee at that point!) while watching the game. It was around 10 pm, and with the Sox game winding down to yet another win for the greatest team in baseball, the atmosphere in the upstairs bar at Bocelli's was surprisingly good, to the point that I would consider using the place as my weekday local if I lived in the neighborhood. As to the food it is solid good southern Italian food without costing you an arm and a leg, although my brother swears that the previous restaurant here, Di Pasquale's, was -better- and he has been here about ten times as much as I have, but still, the food is -good-. read more

Just moved to a new apartment right off Main St, so obviously this is an extremely convenient location. I have been here twice and it's been unimpressive both times. First time was a Sunday afternoon, ordered ziti with chicken and broccoli. Ziti and sauce was slightly watery, broccoli was undercooked, chicken was flavorless and on the gristly side. Our order also took a loooooooong time to arrive. Second time was a Saturday night. Order time was still long although this was slightly more permissible due to being a busier time. Went with the baked ziti this time. It was definitely a step up but still not much different in taste or composition than something you'd eat at Bertucci's. Certainly not anything that would rate the whole "genuine homestyle Italian" shtick they play up. Prices were reasonable ($12-15 range for entrees), actually a little on the cheap side so nothing to complain about there. Overall, meh. The extreme convenience for me makes this a more favorable review than it otherwise would be. I certainly wouldn't travel to eat here. However as their clientele is overwhelmingly Medford townies (common to have groups of cig smoking profane middle aged women with Boston accents talking loudly outside during dinner hours), they seem to have carved out a niche of people who like it enough to come back, with the convenience factor certainly not hurting. If you're hungry you could do worse. If you're looking for a high quality dinner, go elsewhere. The guy who gushed over this like "EATING IN THE NORTH END WITHOUT BEING IN THE NORTH END" must have stepped through a Quantum Leap portal and ate at a different universe's Bocelli's than this one. read more

South Medford was an Italian American stronghold over the past 100 years. After the Italians in Boston's old West End were relocated during the development of Mass General Hospital, many moved right up Rt 3 to East Somerville and South Medford. The original restaurant was a "speakeasy" during prohibition and survived until Nick and his family took over. We like sitting downstairs. There is a genuine Italian restaurant here, no need to fight the traffic and go to the North End! I have been a regular customer for years who enjoys all the classic dishes. The menu is extensive and there are always mouthwatering daily specials. Great spot for just a Pizza and drinks too! read more

This place is kind of hilarious! I was taken aback when I first came in, on what was the hottest day of the year thus far, a day where the temperatures magically changed from 35 to 85 within 24 hours. I unstuck myself from the car and sauntered into Bocelli's, looking to be in air conditioning and not really having higher standards than that. I thought the sweltering heat got to me and that perhaps I sweat myself into a haze as I glanced at the bar - there was nobody eating in the restaurant but there seemed to be 50 people hovered together in 10 available stools at the bar. And they were all having a grand old time, seemed like they were in the 1:00 a.m. hour instead of the actual 1:00 p.m. hour. Then I was seated at a big round booth and treated to someone else's family pictures and an LP cover of John Denver. And then I had some of the best pasta primavera I've ever had. I was raving so much about this place that it took me a good half-hour afterwards to remember that it was so ridiculously hot that I swore I'd move to Alaska. I'd say that's a thumbs-up for Bocelli! read more

Not a bad place to get some casual Italian food. The place is not fancy, but it doesn't need to be. It has a friendly and down-to-earth atmosphere, in which pretty much everyone would feel welcome. I had a lunch plate of Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken and broccoli, and while it wasn't the best I've had by far, it was tasty enough and I'd come back if I were in the area. read more

This is the place I go when I want 1)Great Italian food 2) Casual and fun atmosphere and 3) Reasonable prices I find myself regularly needing a Bocelli fix. I CRAVE the meatballs. I always order the same dish (I'm a creature of habit), plain old spaghetti and meatballs. The classic marinara sauce is perfect. I love the bright red color, it just looks (and tastes) so fresh and healthy. The meatballs are huge and have just the right amount of garlic. My boyfriend ordered the eggplant rolatini and I can honestly say that it is the best I have ever tasted. Whenever we order it at another restaurant we find ourselves saying "This just isn't as good as Bocelli". The atmosphere is very casual and lively. The crowd ranges from age 25 - 60. Everyone just seems to want to have fun. The service is fantastic. The servers are very friendly and attentive. We always sit in the bar area but I have heard that the room downstairs has a great old world Italian type of vibe. I'm also dying to try one of their cannoli's. They look delicious and fill them when ordered (which is the proper way to prepare them). Next time! read more

My boyfriend and I went here for the first last night to celebrate a late valentine's day. This restaurant is old school and authentic italian. We had bread and oil to start, as well as wine and beer. Wine is $6 a glass and they fill it to the top, and a beer is $3-4. For entrees I got the gnocchi in red sauce with mozzarella and my boyfriend got chicken parm with ziti pasta. They were amazing and only $15 each! Big portions and very reasonable priced. We ended the night with more drinks and a cannoli. Also, our waitress Karen was amazing. We will 100% be back. read more

Bocelli's - Italian Near Me - Medford, Massachusetts

I came back to the east coast demading good pizza. My friend offered me a "fancy" place and a "divey" place as dinner options. Of course, I chose the divey place. When we arrived at Bocelli, I asked where the divey place was....this place is fantastic! It's not a dive at all. It's very charming and comfortable. The pizza is EXACTLY what I was craving. I will return on all future visits to the Boston area. Yum. read more

The food is really good however the service is ehhh- the waitresses feel like they have been here forever and that this is their career yet they don't know much about the menu....weird Anyways I would go here again in a heartbeat because the food is so fresh and delicious. read more

This place is very "meh." Not horrible, but not great. Our server was fast and friendly but seemed to lack basics. For example, when you ask if we need clean app plates and we say yes, that implies you should take away the dirty ones too. My chicken parm was "very OK" ... not bad, not great. My fiance was not a fan of her calamari dish. The decor is old. The bathroom had a lot of words carved into the door and it felt like one you'd see in a dive bar. read more

My neph was trying to tell me that Boccelli's is a cool place "to hang.", and I had that, "let's wait and see" mindset thing going on. I mean, my neph and I enjoy a lot of the same things so I figure maybe he's right. Well, he's right! It was a Thur night and it was nominally busy. There was no wait. My neph told me there was a cool downstairs but we didn't go there. We first got seated in the "booth" section. And let me put it to you nicely... the booths are for SKINNY people. Not even big FIT people... but for SKINNY people and skinny people only. Don't even let 'em take you to one unless you're skinny, OR unless it's really crowded and that's your only hope. We ended up being seated at the tables on the left. And it was a pleasant, little room with a nice wide screen TV showing the Red Sox game. The feeling was really nice. It was like a bunch of local yokels yukkin it up all over the place... plenty of fun, friendly, wild conversations going on between groups of men, groups of women, families, etc... There's also a bar of NORMAL, RESPECTFUL looking types having just as good a time and by that, I mean, it wasn't a drunk, dive type bar. More like 35-50 somethings just having a nice night out. We went there only for a Capuccino, which was great, and the Tirimasu, which was home made and delightful. I'm not a Tirimasu expert but I've had it a lot and know what I like and I liked it plenty. The waitresses were nice, local sweetheart types who were obviously picked by a "local owner" because they had a feel to them like they were a normal part of the neighborhood.. .unlike restaurant chains who'll hire anyone that can manage to pin a name tag to their chest. The parking was a bit of a mess but I don't take points for that... they can't help it. It's street parking and they have no control over that but a spot opened for us after 2-3 turns around the block. I've no doubts that anyone who goes here for dinner or dessert will have a great time but I can only vouche for the quality of the decor, the waitstaff and the coffee and dessert! Enjoy! read more

I have a bias towards this place because I have been going for years with my family when it used to be DePasquales. I started getting my girl friends to go with me. Now they are always there when I sadly cannot be because I live in Manhattan. First off if you get to know owner Nick, who is always there...he is one of the sweetest guys in the world and always makes us feel welcome with perks such as free wine, homemade limoncello amongst other complimentary dishes. The antipasto is kinda old school North end style with pickled veggies, and it is the best! I typically go with the shrimp scampi over spinach, but all their chicken dishes are piping hot and good. Plus Monday through Thursday you can get a large cheese pizza for 6 bucks, and its delicious! In addition to the fresh food, its a little piece of home and you are always made to feel like family when you are there. I'm always sending my kisses for Nick through my friends! read more

I love this kind of restaurant; unchanged for decades it has the basic lived in look. Tables was a bit wobbly but nothing that a paper napkin under the leg could not fix, chairs are old but comfortable and the bathrooms are a bit used. Service: Excellent. Our waitress was a hustler. Parking: Challenging but manageable. Atmosphere: Lively vibe; very casual Drinks: My only complaint; a bit thin on the pour Food: Excellent. The egg plant rotini and shrimp scampi appetizers were delicious. The veal piccata with sauté spinach was terrific. Portions are wonderful; not the over powering sizes that will put 10 lbs. on you but decent manageable portions. Price: Reasonable. read more

Usually love this place but after last night I am never going back. My birthday was last night. Waitress was so rude there was nine of us we wanted to do three people on one check and the other checks all separate the waitress said she was to busy for that. Then I asked for a medori sour which is the medori mix with sprite she gave me medori on the rocks. Then my boyfriend good his pasta and meatballs it tasted like the sauce came straight out of a can no flavor what so ever and it wasn't even hot. Then when it came time to pay the checks she tried to put the bill all on one persons card and keep the cash. Needless to say so disappointed. read more

Well let me start by saying once again I forgot to take pictures of appetizers and main courses I just can't believe it. I did it this morning at Breakfast with the wife and now dinner with the guys. I'm gonna be stripped of my Elite status :(. Now for the Review I grew up in Medford and have been going to Bocelli's since it was DePasquale's and it has been and still is one of my favorite Italian restaurants. They have incredible pizza regular and square it's so good. Tonight we started with a couple shrimp Scampi appetizers they were fabulous lots of garlic oil and a bit of wine sauce with slices of garlic bread drenched in the sauce definitely my favorite appetizer we also got the fried Calamari which was good and a couple orders of garlic bread with cheese. All the appetizers cane out about same time nice and hot. For main course I had chicken Pizzaiola with Fusilli one friend had Pasta Frutti Di Mare with red sauce and linguini and other one had the Veal Saltimbocca with Fusilli. Everything the cooked perfectly and it all came out together and timed perfectly with short break after appetizers. For desserts we had 2 pieces chocolate mocha cake and 1 creme brûlée 1 cappuccino and 2 espresso's. All the desserts were great as were the coffees. The entire dinner was topped off by our server Cleo she was such a doll she put up with our joking around was very attentive and an excellent server and person so glad we got her and will definitely request her from now on. If your in the area definitely worth a try read more

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Got the chicken parm with a side of meatballs it was so good I finished everything and it was a lot of food. Good whiskey selection just an Ok pour, but I have a feeling the regulars get taking care of with a better pour. The waitresses here crack me up, oh yeah I'm in Medford! Id probably go here a lot if it was close to home read more

Bocelli's - Italian Near Me - Medford, Massachusetts

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My girlfriend and her friend just recently moved to Medford and we were looking for a good place to eat after a long day of moving things into their apartment. We were promptly seated when we walked in and the place was pretty dead for a monday night. The waitress we had was a bit snarky and had a bit of an attitude towards us when asking about the menu. We ordered our food, and was given a bread basket. I will say the waiteress was quite good at bringing us fresh bread to eat while we waited for our food. 10 minutes past and my girlfriend and her friends food came out nice and hot. My pizza though was delayed and I was alerted that there was two separate kitchens and my pizza would be out shortly. I ended up waiting 20 minutes for my food and awkwardly sat their while the others ate. Finally the pizza came out, after the others ate and the waitress was not sorry and all she said was "well here you go, better late then never..." The pizza was okay and a bit generic. My girlfriend and her friend enjoyed their pasta dishes at least. The place is just okay. The atmosphere is okay if not too dark and old. Would I go back here? Probably not, there seems to be better choices in medford for food. read more

Italian food is not something I go out for, it's easy to make at home so I don't ever seek it out. Bocelli was a pick for an after work dinner by a couple of my office ladies. What a cute place! It feels like going over your Italian grandmother's house for Sunday dinner, no matter what day of the week it is. I had the Chicken Piccata and it did not disappoint. One thing that deserves a special mention: BEST ESPRESSO MARTINI EVER, holy crap. read more

This family-run restaurant is a hole in the wall treasure! Great, authentic food and friendly staff. They have a full bar and can make any drink you want. The portions are large enough to share among two people. The clams casino and shrimp grand marnier are delicious appetizers. My parents got the mussels marinara and shrimp scampi - excellent dishes! I tried the stuffed calamari. It was so good that I would get it again. Make sure to save room for the dessert because the flan/caramel custard is delicious! read more

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I read over the glowing reviews of this place and have to wonder, are we talking about the same restaurant? Or is it simply a matter of experience-type bias that more often those who really like or dislike a place will review it? Something to ponder. But here's my two cents. I can't recommend the place. The service was slow, the food average, and parking impossible. I just didn't get it. And I'm not vegan or queer like the other guy. (I mean, this is Medford we're talking about here, wild man, not SF or Provincetown or whatever alternative place is hip to the hipsters. Give the unhip a break). It didn't help that the next table over was a condo-owners association meeting that only ordered water, and who talked loudly about paint color or something equally annoying. Speaking as someone who's eaten Italian food good and bad, here and there, in the USA and Italy, blah blah blah, I gotta say, this place was below average. read more

Bocelli's is a homey local restaurant with solid Italian food, and often their meat and fish dishes are scrumptious. If it involves meat and a wine sauce you are in for a treat. Lot's of old fashion things standards on the menu made with good quality fresh ingredients they way momma used to make it. The staff is friendly in a neighborhood way if you let them, and Nick the owner is genuinely concerned about what is going on and what you think. The wine selection is good from the house to a respectable wine list. The bar is a buzz with regulars and people lucky enough to get in and get a seat. The place is much bigger then you would think with a bar and 2 dinning rooms upstairs. A large dinning room in the basement, and a private large function room with small bar in the basement. A old school place with lots of energy and mouth watering entrees. There is a reason the place is always hopping, and full Thurs to Sunday. When I want to be treated right in a nice way I go here. It's a family place yes, that is some of the charm. And then it is a family place with pride that shows through there concern for you. Don't be shy let them know how you like it. Oh, and the deserts are worth a whole other post. Take it from me go, turn your phone off, relax, and enjoy yourself. The prosciutto wrapped asparagus, clams Diavlo, Shrimp Dialvo, any stuffed chop especially with mushroom in Marsala wine, Primavera Salad (some pickled veg), and tiramisu are some my favorite. read more

Very happy I decided to come to Bocelli. My family was visiting from out of town and wanted Italian, and just having moved to Medford, I figured I would yelp it, and the reviews are correct! As an Italian American and a native New Yorker, I do like to think I know Italian food, and I can be a bit of a snob about it, but this place did not disappoint. When you first go inside, it seems kind of small- the dining areas we saw when we first walked in were both packed, one with a private party, but there is a huge downstairs area with a dining area and another banquet room, that was also filled with another private party! 2 private parties on a Thursday night! Our waitress was very sweet and funny, and a great waitress. Made great recommendations. I just wish I remembered her name. We ordered calamari as an appetizer and it was great. I ordered the chicken parm and it was phenomenal. The cutlet was perfectly fried and not soggy and the cheese was perfectly crusted/melty on top. My mom ordered a veal dish and said it was terrific. Everyone else at the table enjoyed their food. We all left very full. It was great because it felt like a "real" Italian restaurant, if you know what I mean. Not a place trying to pass off some fancy, gourmet or fusion style dishes. This was authentic southern Italian food. Great meats and a great sauce can be hard to come by but Bocelli had it. read more

The best old school Italian in Medford. Any veal dish is great. Creme Caramel for desert. read more

Bocellis I went here for a quit Sunday lunch/dinner to ease my soul before my poker game. This place is not bad at all. The hostess was very sweet, my waitress was ok. She was pleasant but could have been better. She didn't acknowledge me when I said thank you, but a lot of my friends don't either (bugs me). I had the oysters to start, not bad but I like know where they come from and I like to see the price on the menu or somewhere in the restaurant. I saw that a fellow yelper went to this establishment a few days before I did and paid $9 for 6 oysters I paid $10.50? The food was good, I had the lobster raviolis. It was very good and very filling. The portions were great. I will go back again for the food and I hope to have time to try the deserts. read more

I can definitely recommend this place for take-out, but I have only dined in once a long time ago, so I'm not sure how that experience would be these days. However, they actually have GOOD PIZZA. Being from NJ makes me kind of a pizza snob, but I really do like Bocelli's pizza. Never got just cheese (I usually load up the toppings in Boston to make up for the sauce/crust), but pizza with artichokes, black olives, and broccoli is our go-to here. Lasagne is really good, antipasto is delicious and enough for a whole meal, and meatballs are good. Portions are pretty big, which is good for sharing or leftovers, and prices are decent. Take-out is pretty quick (15-20 min). Would definitely recommend Bocelli's if you want a quick, easy Italian meal. It may not measure up to Mom's home cooking, but, then again, what does? read more

In all honesty, I cannot say that Bocelli's is the greatest Itailian food I've ever had. What I can easily say is that the owner, Nick, is one of the kindest restauranteurs I have ever come into contact with. Upon moving to Medford just a couple of months ago, I ate at Bocelli's on my second evening in the area. I shared a great meal with my girlfriend where I ordered the veal saltimbocca (probably 4 stars, just above average). However, after letting our waitress know that we were new in the neighborhood, the owner (again Nick) came by our table to personally welcome us to the neighborhood and offered us a free drink to celebrate the occasion. Since our initial visit we have returned often with similar results. We have showed up to the bar well after hours and been invited in with open arms for a glass of wine. I even had friends visit for my birthday who ordered the pizza from Bocelli's on a Friday and insisted on a second pizza order the following the night on which they additionally received a complimentary tiramisu and instructions to let us know that he "appreciated our business". I can't help but admit much of my 5-star review goes toward the friendliness and atmosphere of a wonderful restaurant owner and his kindness to his local patrons, but if you don't want to be treated in the same manner, fine, leave the place alone. Otherwise, please visit Nick and his establishment if you're in the area. read more