Extremely underrated pastry spot in the North End! Their service is super quick and they have a huge variety of pastries in addition to their well known cannolis. They also typically have a much shorter line than Mikes or Modern, making it super convenient as well. Has become my go to dessert stop after dinner in the North End! read more

Bova's Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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It's open late, nice. The food (microwaved "risotto balls" aka bad arancini and desserts aren't so great. Go wait for a few minutes at Mike's, or cross Hanover for Modern (the preferred bakery in the North End.) I'm sure the drunks love it after the bars close. Good luck if you don't have cash. read more

One of the suggested bakeries in the North End, so we had to stop in to try some cannolis. We ordered the pistachio and the creme brulee and both were tasty! Apparently this place can have quite a bit of a line; luckily, we walked in and were only behind two people. We grabbed our sweet treats and headed over to the large swings in the public park area (don't know what it's called, sorry) to enjoy the tastes and the view. read more

No doubt the best cannolis in the North End. Best pricing too! The staff are super sweet as well! read more

Bova's Bakery - Chocolate Dipped Ricotta Cannoli - Bakeries Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Okay, I have to say I wasn't super impressed with Bova's, but I do think it's because we didn't order some of the originals that would have allowed us to fairly judge this place. We had already eaten our fill of sfogliatelle and cannoli from Modern right before coming and didn't feel like trying Bova's versions at the moment because we wanted something more savory. We ordered a chicken parm panini, arancini, and two rainbow cookies. During this trip, we learned that a panini is more akin to what we know as a calzone. We got it heated up for us, but sadly, it wasn't heated all the way through. The flavor was there, but biting into lukewarm pockets was kind of disappointing. The arancini was also not the best. The one we ordered was filled with tomato sauce and mozzarella. Again, the flavor was there, but there was no crispness, and some of the grains of rice were hard. :/ The rainbow cookies were tasty (it was our first time trying them); that almond, raspberry, and chocolate combo and cakey texture is something I need more of in my life. Aside from the cookies, our savory choices fell kind of flat. We'll have to give Bova's another shot next time we are back in Boston--with a line like that, there has to be good stuff! read more

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Some selections are pricey but let me tell you, there's clearly a reason why. We were not expecting their treats to be that good, even with the many recommendations provided beforehand that would tell us otherwise. The rainbow cookies were OUT OF THIS WORLD delicious, and we've tried our fair share of Italian sweets. We dabbled in various cookies, coconut macaroons, and chocolate covered strawberries. Apparently we went at a great time on a Sunday evening after dinner as the service was quick and there was zero line. The space is your typical Italian bakery - homey and packed with an overwhelming amount of color and deliciousness. Open 24 hours, and again, I can understand why. Seriously, find the time to go! read more

Best classic cannoli around. The locals know. It's a tiny place off the beaten track and nothing fancy but their desserts are delicious. I regret posting this because others will now know too. read more

Late post - visited in October 2024 I felt like a little kid in a candy shop. There were so many options to choose from. We got a variety and to be honest, everything we ordered was dry except for the canoli. They were good as in flavor wise, but tasted days old. read more

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The wait was well worth it. 10/10 cannolis. While the line is intimidating, it moves fast. The cappuccino cannoli was stellar and the chocolate covered cannoli was heaven. We went on a weekend after dinner but this place is 24 hours! Which is amazing for tourists who have a late night sweet tooth. read more

Bova's Bakery - Outside sign - Bakeries Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Open 24-7 and always serving up the most delicious and satisfying treats! I stopped in recently and instead of getting a birthday cake from a supermarket I opted for an assortment of authentic Italian desserts. read more

Bova's Bakery - Ricotta Zeppole, Pistachio Tiramisu and Pistachio Macaroons. - Bakeries Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Do not go here! After stopping in here at least a dozen times, I was sold pistachio cookies that were rancid. I paid $20/lb. to get sick. I saw that they had more on the other side. Do they sell the old stuff to people from out of town? read more

Oreo cannoli: the best cannoli I have ever had! $7 cash Line was around the corner, the store get stuffy as you wait by the cases. We got to watch some of cannolis get filled, which was mesmerizing. The store looks dated but it's open 24 hours, people are coming in and out constantly. (What are people buying at 3am? I might need another cannoli...) read more

Bova's Bakery - Oreo Cannoli - Bakeries Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Came here for desert after dinner and had an ok experience. The line was very long so that certainly built up hype and anticipation. Our server was nice and we got a lot of things (cannolis, florentina, rainbow cookies, etc). The red velvet cake we had was moist but the frosting felt more like canned frosting than a homemade cream cheese frosting. The cannolis were meh and the cream was ok. Overall, the place was alright. read more

This is a must visit bakery in Boston and often has a line coming out the door. We tried the chocolate coconut macaroons and the coconut macaroons. While good, it was nothing extraordinary. There were a lot of options but the labels on the items were misplaced. I would still try this to get the authentic feel of Boston though! read more

Bova's Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Bova's came highly recommended to me by some friends that are local to the area. They insisted I skip the touristy place on the main drag and come here instead. They weren't wrong! This was a desert lover's paradise. All homemade, fresh, and incredibly good. I wish we'd been able to come back and try more, but we got the Nutella and pistachio cannolis - they were to die for. I'm still thinking about them. There's something for everyone here. Cash only. Come HERE for your Italian deserts. Nowhere else! read more

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So yummy!!! I want to come back and try everything!! The cannoli we ordered was the best I have ever tried. Such a cute bakery, a great atmosphere, and nice people. I'm glad it's open 24/7. Love Bova's!!! read more

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Really soggy Arancini. The crust wasn't crispy at all, the flavor was mostly just the tomato sauce and everything inside was just sorta mushy too. My friend got the steak croissant and that tasted better but overall pretty overpriced and even tho we were hungry late at night it unfortunately did not hit :') read more

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With all of the competition between Mike's and Modern, this is actually my favorite Boston cannoli place. And while I can't justify the price of a single cannoli in most cases, $5 isn't as bad as it could be. But the real draw of Bova's is the taste - these are by far the best tasting cannoli's I've had in a long time: Chocolate covered cannoli - I love the contrast in textures on this one. The cream is sweet and soft while the pastry is nice and buttery but has a crisp hard exterior when it's covered in chocolate. It's the perfect combination, and even though it's covered in chocolate, it wasn't too sweet. Peanut butter cannoli - This one was my favorite by far. The filling of this was a lot less dense than the other 3 I tried - almost as if it was whipped. It had a light peanut butter taste that wasn't too overpowering, and the cannoli shell was buttery and flaky. Absolutely delicious - and the chocolate and peanut butter chips on this added that nice crunch with the light and creamy filling. I would ABSOLUTELY get this one again! Creme brulee cannoli - This was recommended by the person working there, and it wasn't bad. The cream wasn't as light as the peanut butter one, but the creme brulee flakes on the ends added a nice sweetness. This was probably the most sweet of all of them, but it wasn't overpoweringly sweet still. Nutella cannoli - This was probably the most basic of the flavors I tried, and it was just okay. I couldn't taste much nutella flavor, and the filling was a bit dense for me. It also didn't have any toppings to add any texture though I suppose I could have paid for them. This wasn't bad but it wasn't as groundbreaking as the peanut butter one. All in all I will be back ESPECIALLY for the peanut butter cannoli. That thing is a 5/5 - the filling is absolutely to die for. The others were still pretty tasty, but the peanut butter one really stood out. read more

Bova's Bakery - Chocolate covered cannoli + Peanut butter cannoli - Bakeries Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Low expectations for this place, very pleased with the pasties I got. The Bavarian crème horn thing is amazing. As is the almond cookie and the pistachio cookie. I'd go here every trip to Boston for the creme filled horn thing:) read more

Bova's Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Great rugelach and linzer cookies! Quick and friendly service with cheap prices (in this economy a 2 dollar cookie is great). Also 24 hour bakery is mindblowing to me read more

A Bostonian my husband works with told him Mike's was a tourist trap and we needed to try Bova's. First impression: no one was out front and it took a minute before someone showed up, despite several worker out back who saw me there. Finally a woman showed up. Stone-faced, not friendly, and barely said a word. I point to the unfilled cannoli shells on the counter and explain that I wanted to get a few cannolis for my husband who wouldn't be coming home until the next day. I asked if I could get the filling separate, because I wanted to fill the shells the next day so they didn't get soggy. "No, we can't do that." Mind you, I was the only person in the bakery until someone walked in as I was leaving. Okaaay, I'm thinking. You CAN'T or you won't? I ended up getting a raspberry turnover, an eclair, a black and white cookie, and 2 pistachio macaroons. Everything was really, really good, other than the eclair, which was just mediocre. I love eclairs, but the shell tasted a bit stale. I'm glad we tried them out, but due to the dead customer service and inability to accommodate a simple request (or at least explain WHY you couldn't/wouldn't), I won't likely return. At least the staff was friendly at Mike's. read more

Went on a Boston Donut tour and this shop was the best donut (Boston creme) we had. So yummy!! Plan on going back to try other sweets as so much looked delicious! read more

crazy line to get food but definitely worth it!! been open for 100 years which is so cool. got their regular cannoli and a crème brûlée cannoli and very much enjoyed. i want to go back for the arancini read more

Update: Manager provided exceptional customer support to make this wrong right. I appreciate this business for handling things professionally. With that being said, I do I highly recommend their Calzones, which was extremely delicious when I had it all warmed up. It was the best late-night calzone I've had! read more

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Small place compared to Mike's but as many variety! I tried pistachio and creme brulé. The cannolis were smaller than Mike's but less expensive ($5 a piece) and they take credit/debit cards. The outer shell was crunchy but the filling was not as rich as Mike's. The pistachio one had minty taste. Service was fast. I ordered and out of the bakery in less than 1 minute. read more

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I give Bova four stars for the simple fact that they never close. The cannolis are ok. Shells not made in store. The place isn't exactly the cleanest. On the positive they have baked apples In pastry...yum. For those fresh out of a local bar they have hot food (pizza, Stromboli, etc) to help you conquer that long walk to the T. 24/7 with a guy at the door controlling the amount of people inside so it's not too crowded is well worth four stars. read more

The amount of options available were insane - pretty much any baked good you can imagine was available. We tried 2 cannolis, a Crème Brûlée & Pistachio, and a Florentine and they were all top tier. They were packed, but the lines moved quick and the service was great. They are take out only and open 24/7! They have been family owned since 1926, which is really incredible. A must-stop while in Boston on the North End. read more

**Cash only** Line was pretty long on a Monday night so we were surprised. Service wasn't great as the people behind the counter were unfriendly, rude, and impatient. We got some cannolis - original and creme brulee. The outside was crispy and crumbles when you bite into it. The ricotta filling wasn't creamy, sweet, and heavy. The creme brûlée was my favorite because it add extra crunch and some flavor contrast to ricotta filling. Chocolate dipped milano - the cookie was thicker than the store bought milanos. It felt a little heavier and more buttery. read more

Bova's Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This place does tiramisu really well. It's an old school bakery with no seating, rapid service, and plenty of sweets. It's perfect for grab and go, not so much of a hang out spot. read more

Waited in line for a wide variety of cannoli-all ready to eat... the line tells you all you need to know. Did not disappoint. read more

Bova's Bakery - Line out the door - Bakeries Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

We were told to go to another pastry spot however, upon my checking trusty yelp, I came across Bova's and I was NOT disappointed. I unfortunately didnt get any photos of the amazing pastries however, take my word for it, there is something for everyone!! From Rice Krispie treats to cannolis and everything in between. We came out with a whole coffee cake, 8 different cannolis, a ginormous Rice Krispie treat, Italian wedding cake and a parmesan chicken croissant. 2am and it was busy but the line wasn't crazy long and SO WORTH IT!! Open 24 hrs so stop by!!! read more

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We went for the cannoli. Locals told us it was the best and it was very good. Be careful when you develop your craving though because at peak hours there's a really long line. We also got some créme brûlée and it was delicious! read more

Bova's Bakery - The main counter - Bakeries Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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We met the owner and she is SO FRIENDLY! She gave my nephew a free cookie, and me one too for the one in my belly. So many options to choose from. I got a chocolate chip muffin and pistachio biscotti both were SO YUMMY. My sister got a variety of cookies and they were AMAZING! BEST PISTACHIO COOKIE! We will be back for sure!!! read more

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Really yummy place with very fresh cannolis and off the beaten norm of modern or mikes. Enjoyed various cannoli types (Oreo and chocolate chip). Great atmosphere with tons of baked goods- anything you can imagine. Such a nice treat to the end of the night- so yummy and worth it. Had to wait in a little line but it moved fast. read more

Bova's Bakery - Cannoli- Chocolate Chip and Oreo - Bakeries Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Some of their items here seem more expensive than you'd think but they taste good! I got a regular cannoli and it was delicious! read more

Bova's Bakery - Cannoli - Bakeries Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Most overrated bakery in the north end. Go to Mike's or modern for quality, this place ain't it despite what "locals" swear. It's just no good. Always stale, improperly mixed cream. I guess the prices are good considering the low quality Locals who recommend this place don't care about good pastries they care about fewer tourists. read more

So glad I came to Bova's after leaving Mike's Pastry where there was a super long wait. Loved the crème brûlée cannolo which had an amazing, authentic filling. I also got their enormous chocolate brick. Layers of moist cake with velvety buttercream. I think it was around $7. read more

Bova's Bakery - Chocolate brick and Creme Brulee Cannoli. Very good. - Bakeries Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

It's so good we went back 3 times in the week we were there! We tried quite a few of the items but our favorites were the pistachio cannoli, the coconut cake, and the ricotta pie. We were always there in the late afternoon and never had a line outside the door. The cannolis are best eaten immediately but the other things kept well for a few hours. We will be dreaming about this place until we can go back! read more

Heard about Bovas from a friend as we were having dinner in the North End. Sounds like usually a line but we wandered in around 9pm with no line. There was like 10 of us and could tell the guy was annoyed as we clogged up his place - totally understandable of course. Got a bunch of different items and between bites people were saying best they ever had. All were outstanding. read more

Told the owner I'd let her know about the coconut cake- was it as good as my mother's who baked from scratch always??? Yes! Super moist, great coconut frosting! read more