Hands down one of the best places to eat in Worcester. You need to call for a spot and must get on…read morecall to do so. Freshly made pasta, great wine selection. Sparse, rotating menu that varies weekly. I think I couldn't make this at home--a test for a place being worth the bill--so it's worth the price. It certainly felt authentically Italian. Service was great. It's a tight ship but they make it work. Ambiance was energetic being around the public market but the food is good enough that you can dress up. Wonderful date night/foodie spot. A few bar seats so definitely a partner or friend at max. Not a place to bring kids as it's dine in. Teenagers can walk around of course if you're having a couples night.

I usually take reviews of Italian restaurants very lightly in Massachusetts because if you use a…read morelarge restaurant review site to find suggested Italian restaurants in most cities, Buca de Beppo and Olive Garden usually make their filthy little way into the top 10, eroding all my trust in that site. (... and humanity) Case in point, most of the Italian dishes being reviewed by diners in cities like Worcester as 'very authentic' are fairly foreign to actual restaurants in Italy. There is TRUE Italian food and American Italian food (classic 'red sauce' joints) I will never besmirch a good classic red sauce joint like Dan Tanas, Rao's or even some of the Federal Hill joints. There is a place in the culinary pantheon for amazing spaghetti meatballs and veal parm ... however 'authentic Italian' they are not. What we got at Pasta Mani is TRUE Italian. In fact, we ate here not more than 2 weeks after coming back from Italy and I can honestly say that we enjoyed our meal here (from a taste perspective) more than many of the restaurants in Italy we ate at. (One with a Michelin star!) This chef's philosophy here is one embraced in Italy ... simple, fresh, cooked with care. The reason tourists go to Italy and geek out over the food is because we've grown up eating Italian food here which is good ... but not made with the same level of passion. Eating a dish of spaghetti carbonara in Italy vs. the US is like listening to the Beatles for the first time on vinyl, in mono! It's hard to find a chef with the knowledge and respect for the ingredients that are displayed here. The servers are knowledgeable about the menu. She was not afraid to make recommendations. She knew the dish's ingredients as well as the chef ... and she was as friendly as could be. The accompanying beer and wines matched the menu perfectly and also were mostly Italian. The menu offers not a lot of choices ... but there is something for everyone. It's not heavy on meat ... but nor are menus in Italy. Maybe a reason why folks over there are not often over 6 feet tall or 200 lbs. vs. many Americans whose 4 major food groups are bacon, burgers, chicken nuggets and occasionally lobster rolls. We had the octopus, which was done perfectly ... the flavors were spot on and the chef clearly knew taste profiles as well as technique. Watermelon and octopus! Who knew? He did. We had the peach pesto cavatelli pasta and the pasta Amatricana with pancetta. Both were amazing ... the favors combined so effortlessly but perfectly. Red pepper flakes, pine nuts, grease from the bacon, tomatoes. It was all just so ... great! All the pasta was perfectly homemade ... and available for purchase as takeaway. Before we knew it, we were regrettably too full for dessert. The chef came out of the kitchen, where 80's and punk music was blasting, and you could watch the cooking happen, to greet us. He had worked in some of Seattle's better Italian restaurants and apparently learned a thing or two. If he had said he worked in Napoli, Sorrento or Rome for many years, we'd have believed it! The only thing we weren't in love with was the actual 'food hall' setup which felt a bit industrial for our liking. But, it was oddly cool and comfortable in a Momofuku type of way. This chef and his team deserve a restaurant. 5 seats and a chef's table are too small for the talent level. This was one of the best Italian meals I've had outside Italy or NYC. In Worcester, near a ballpark ... go figure. We also noticed that everything in the 'restaurant' was spotlessly clean ... and I mean spotless! We'll be back for sure. Places like this that don't serve a fried brick of chicken smothered in cream sauce and melted cheese and call it Italian are few and far between in Central Massachusetts. A great vibe, a great staff, a great meal! If ya know ... ya know.

Amazing restaurant, the chef hails directly from Florence and has extensive experience in cooking…read moreFlorentine cooking. His rabbit and wild boar pepperedelle are heavenly

An authentic Italian experience, briugh to Bloomberg NJ. Their selection of boar, rabbit and wines…read moreis exceptional. But ultimately, what truly won us iver is their world famous carbonara. And Garo is very friendly!

Great Italian Menu Quality dishes…read moreService is excellent and the restaurants vibe is also nice and relaxing. Perfect place to grab a bite.

Eh... just a quick update. Got an order of penne and meatballs to go and it was better than…read moreexpected. The meatballs this time around tasted good lol. Adding a star.

The food here was really good, and we were lucky enough to get a table right by the window, which…read morewas perfect for people-watching and taking in all the activity outside. I also had a great cocktail that I really enjoyed. The only downside was our waitress. She wasn't rude, but she just didn't seem very friendly or personable, and it honestly left me wondering if I'd done something wrong. Service can really make a difference in the overall experience. Overall, I'd still recommend Nuovo. The food and location make it worth visiting. I'd say it has a bit more of an older, quieter crowd, so if that's your vibe, you'll probably really enjoy it.

We decided to go out for some pasta on a Saturday night in Worcester. There's a lot adjacent to…read morethe building and it was packed, but thankfully we found parking. We didn't have reservations and didn't have to wait to be seated. The restaurant decor was nice and lighting was more on the dimmer side. Our waiter was very friendly and quick. We had the Chicken Milanese with Italian sausage and the Steak with potatoes and broccoli. It was very good and plentiful enough to take leftovers.

It had been a while since I came back to Shrewsbury Street in Worcester but here I was. It was…read morelunch and my son and I wanted pizza. I remember two of my children going to school out in Worcester and many visits to Volturno. Where else would I go in Worcester for pizza but here. We walk in to high ceilings, large windows and clean polished woodwork. Like a restaurant in a museum. The server Abby, was great. Attentive knowledgable and passionate about her restaurant. So- I wanted broccoli rabe and sausage sandwich. That was gone from the menu. Abby convinced me to try the Amatriciana pasta. It was amazing. Total shocker. It was as good as my favorite North End Spots. Why 5 stars- The excitement around the food creations. Quality and authentic Italy. The thing that caught me was the place still looked brand new. It wasn't a sign of a restaurant that had been there running out the course. This place was alive. I will be back.

once again! I never leave 2nd reviews... that's how good this place is!…read more this place is 10/10. food is fresh & delicious. love the ambiance, great service. we will be back!

Pure entertainment... some of the best talent in Central Massachusetts playing pure music and even…read morebetter their open 6 nights a week... .... Check percussionist "Yuri, The Furi". Keep your eyes open as Yuri joins many top bands... check this great venue... 5 stars

Great people Great prices…read more Great food Great music On of my favorite places to listen to live musicians

The food was good, the service is great! The pistachio cake that everyone raves about is no joke!…read moreThe restaurant itself is so cozy, really makes you feel like you're at home. My boyfriend also left his whole satchel there that contained his passport, wallet with credit cards and cash, etc. (all the important stuff) and when we came back for it, everything was still in there, untouched. We were so relieved and will forever be grateful for good people that still exist in this world. Thank you La Scala for such an all around great first experience here!

My wife and I went last Sunday and were seated right away. Our waitress arrived within minutes of…read morebeing seated and through the meal was friendly,helpful and engaging. Both of our entrees were excellent as well as the rolls. Unfortunately now a days eating out is expensive so if your going to pay a lot at least it should be excellent which this was. I want to add a note regarding rude customers. We last dined there about 18 months ago in the middle of winter on a Saturday night. The restaurant was packed as expected but we had reservations so no worry. Unfortunately there were 2 large tables (6-8 people) who had already eaten and paid their bill but wouldn't leave backing up the entrance out the door. To this day I regret not confronting them about their rudeness. Please go this restaurant is filled with people who care.

Alright. Updating my review because things are so different today…read more While they did cut out their included side salads years ago and portions aren't what they were 10 yrs ago, the food is solid and the service is above and beyond. It's back to being one of our favorites. Their entrees have not skyrocketed in price like other places - portions aren't what they used to be but still better than many other spots. And the food has a fresh, delicious taste. My perspective post-covid has definitely changed.

I have been looking to try Dino's for a while now based on a recommendation from a friend. I was…read moregoing to a holy cross lacrosse game so decided to try it out. I ordered the clams casino appetizer they could have been hot instead of warm.... and after discussing 2 options with our server she strongly s the veal saltambucca ..... very different from any saltambucca I've ever had.....a tomato sauce base we got there at 4:30 on a Friday and it was pretty crowded service was kinda slow.Maybe I just didn't order the right thing