I have to admit to being skeptical when a colleague invited me to dinner at a gluten-free Italian restaurant instead of heading to the North End for some old school red sauce joints. But as his wife has celiac disease, I understood. What a nice surprise that the meal was very good. Located on Newbury St. which is basically another restaurant row with a great vibe, the interior space has kind of a funky rustic feel. Equal parts trattoria and hipster club. Service was great and willing to explain how menu items might differ from the traditional due to being gluten free (mostly). I started with the Grandma Bread; a light square of focaccia topped with pesto. It was a bit gummy because of the gluten free flour, but tasty. My entree was Ricotta Gnocchi (not GF) with lamb sugo, nettles, pine nuts, and mint. It was very good, with all the flavors working well together, and the gnocchi was nice and light without any gumminess. Cocktails were creative and good, and there is a nice but small list of wines by the glass. read more

Faccia a Faccia - Ricotta Gnocchi - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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My fiancée and I celebrated my birthday here and this place delivered. Dim lighting, alive energy, and staff that is attentive without being overbearing. Built for date night or any time you want an intimate setting with food worth talking about. The menu is made for sharing and every plate had something to say. The grandma bread is focaccia done right, crispy on top, moist inside, and the pesto olive oil spread carries you through every bite without needing anything else. The lamb ribs fall off the bone with a smoky char and a date-based BBQ that pairs perfectly with the mediterranean herb crust. The Carciofi Fritti gave full vegan calamari energy, lightly battered, acidic in the best way, and crispy without ever being oily. The squid ink trottole was the experience of the night. Al dente pasta, subtle briny crab, and calabrian chili that added spice and crackle to every bite. Flavors that had no business working together somehow built on each other. Each bite leave confused, surprised, and ready for the next fork. Great spot to bring clients or anyone you want to impress. I'm CJ, Dorchester raised and Boston based. I help first time homebuyers find stability through faith, clarity, and confidence, and I review every spot worth eating at along the way. Tap in because knowing your city is part of knowing your home. read more

Still top notch I'm very pleased to come here on Mother's Day. Very pleased to come here for dinner. I really enjoyed the squid ink pasta and the ribs and a tenderized octopus tentacle, and the tuna tartare. Service was was delightful. By the way, I completely enjoyed the tiramisu. they put cardamom in it and it was delicious!!!! read more

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This is one of my favorite restaurants on Newbury st. Sometimes it's hard to get a table upstairs but the downstairs bar area serves the full menu which is nice. The Caesar salad is one of the best I've ever had! The branzino and pastas are always great as well! read more

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Truly incredible. As someone with celiac, finding pasta that doesn't just taste "good for gluten-free," but is actually better than I remember the real thing tasting, is pretty special. The squid ink pasta was absolutely to die for, and the Wagyu skirt steak was ridiculous. Everything we had was outstanding, and the service was excellent from start to finish. Easily one of the best meals we've had in a long time, and an absolute must for anyone eating gluten-free in Boston. read more

Faccia a Faccia - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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So good we went twice. The ambiance is phenomenal, the service is wonderful and they have so many gluten free options that taste INSANE. The lobster apps are unreal (GF) so are the mozzarella sticks (GF). Their GF pasta options were also really great. Grandmas bread was also delicious (def not gluten free, well worth it). Whether you sit at a table or a bar, it was a wonderful experience. I can't imagine visiting Boston and NOT coming here. read more

Such a cute place with friendly staff! And incredible food! Loved the stuffed olives, octopus, and black bass. The ink pasta was good but not my absolute favorite. I would definitely recommend. read more

Such a "hidden gem" in the middle of Newbury. I wanted a quick happy hour spot after pottery from across the street, and they had seating available for us. We ordered the Sorrento cocktail and Hugo Spritz with Lamb Ribs as a bite, and wow it was amazing. The meat fell right off the ribs and we knew we would have to come back for dinner one day here. So good, worth a visit and another! read more

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Food was good and vibes were great. I got the squid ink pasta and fried artichokes. Fried artichokes were great! My friend got the bolognese - we both felt our pastas were good but not out of this world. For the overall menu and ambiance, would definitely return and try something else on the menu. read more

Faccia a Faccia - Squid ink pasta - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Absolutely INCREDIBLE! In the top 3 gluten free pasta dishes I've had in 10 years of being GF (behind places in Italy and NYC). I sat at the bar and enjoyed attentive and friendly service, delicious food, and an amazing drink to complement the meal. read more

Faccia a Faccia - Gluten free BOLOGNESE - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The staff was helpful with my dairy allergy and celiac disease. My boyfriend also has a shellfish allergy that they accommodated. We shared the lamb ribs and got our own entrees. A nice small curated wine selection. The food did take a little bit longer than expected but they offered us another round of drinks on the house. The atmosphere of the outside dining was beautiful especially once the sun went down. read more

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Incredible celiac safe gluten free cuisine! Top notch service and lovely ambiance. Fried artichokes, pasta bolognese, chicken milenese and tiramisu were all excellent! Only complaint and reason for only 4 stars is that the hanger steak entree size is a joke, ridiculously small for entree size. read more

As soon as I walked through the door I was confused. I had been meaning to dine here, but this visit was unexpected. I went on a Saturday night, a party of 2, and quickly get dismissed by the hosts whom tell me to go downstairs... Never been here before, so I think it's all the same restaurant. It's not, they have a hidden moody room, bar faccia downstairs. No complaints at first it's cute. But I would've liked to know there was a difference. The wait is about 45 minutes, but again pretty normal for not having a reservation. This restaurant is only for aesthetics and hipsters that like artisanal food is my conclusion. Which is fine, I could have enjoyed it- Dim lighting, young professional crowd- but I will not simply like a restaurant for its atmosphere, the food is the main reason I came. Which was just mediocre. Could be cute for a night out with friends, but the price tag that came with it was hefty for the value of what I got. read more

Faccia a Faccia - CAVATELLI,SQUID INK TROTTOLE - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Weird dining experience but maybe I just made bad menu decisions. Stuffed olives looked like hushpuppies and tasted like mozzarella sticks filled with sausage. Good, but not what I was expecting. Very little olive taste under the fried breading. Corn cappellacci was strange. The entire dish just tasted like canned corn and was not well seasoned. Even the pancetta, which I'd expect to be salty, was bland. Unusual corn broth did little to help. I'd recommend it to anyone who wishes they were at home eating canned corn. read more

Faccia a Faccia - Stuffed olives, surprisingly - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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I am so surprised by the low ratings on Yelp! Our dinner here was absolutely delicious and such a wonderful experience. The restaurant itself is absolutely gorgeous and has a romantic vibe--but still proved enjoyable with a toddler in tow. They welcome us warmly and brought a high chair over for our toddler right away. Our server was super nice and brought a gluten and dairy free menu for me to start since I had noted the allergy on the reservation. I had lots of options to choose from and no concern of getting sick. I got the When in Rome and it was a delicious, refreshing drink--so much so I got a second! My husband got the Shacksbury Gold Cider and enjoyed it. We started with the Hamachi crudo and Copley salad, both GF DF, and they were SO good. Probably one of the best salads I've ever had? And that was without the dairy! My toddler ended up enjoying it too if that tells you anything. For mains, I got the gluten free rabbit ragu pasta and my husband got the branzino. Both were delicious, although my pasta was ever so slightly undercooked. Just a teensy bit hard. But still enjoyable. My toddler liked it too, mainly because they seemed to have forgot his butter noodles which usually come out first. They came after we had already finished our mains and by that time we had shared our food with him so he was already full. So we ended up paying $23 for butter noodles that ended up in the trash after a few bites (we left the next day so couldn't keep them). Overall, it was a very satisfying meal and good service. Great ambiance. Pricey, sure, but nothing you wouldn't expect from an upscale spot like this. I hope to come back if I am ever in Boston again! read more

Faccia a Faccia - Gorgeous interior - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Our second time at Faccia a Faccia and again it did not disappoint! So many gluten free options I couldn't even pick what I wanted. I had to get the duxbury oysters to start because I had not stopped thinking about them from the last time. Then the mozzarella sticks and lobster arancini, which were both great (and GF)! Finally we got the bolognese which did not disappoint- I would definitely order it again. The servers were SO attentive the whole time and we felt so taken care of (especially with my gluten allergy). Would definitely return! read more

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They serve quite a few hard to find gluten free dishes! I knew we were coming here from the moment we planned our Boston trip. And it did not disappoint. Service was amazing. I could take pictures of every inch of this place! And the food was great as far as I'm concerned. Most dishes were for me as we were making another food stop for my husband. He's just along for the vibes sometimes. Anyhow, overall I was pleased with every aspect of this meal. 5/5 read more

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Faccia a Faccia is located on the lively Newbury Street of the Back Bay district. This popular eatery is busy for both lunch and dinner and one of my favorites to dine when visiting Boston. Chef/owner Oringer is a James Beard award winner. Faccia a Faccia is known for their Italian costal fare dishes where the dishes are intended to be served when ready. There is outside and inside seating and basement seating. I prefer sitting upstairs or outside as it is more vibrant. Bolognese 5/5 - the pork and beef was tender Squid ink 3/5 - I've had this before but during this visit it was underwhelming. I'm surprised that it still remains popular here. Radiatore 5/5 - octopus was not chewy and the pomodoro had a nice spicy kick Oysters 5/5 - island creek and flavorful Service was 5 stars with smiles from both the front and back of the house. read more

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Newbury Street.. high prices OK .. but $36 for a small plate of pasta bolognese! No bread... Oh ..there is 1 slice of bread with pesto on top for $9 A pleasant bar area.. however Please go to the Nort End or really any other Italian restaurant for dinner read more

The staff is attentive, the food is perfect, the vibe is busy and cool but not obnoxious. As a celiac eater I am over the moon to be here a second time. Lobster arancini, mozzarella sticks with caviar, and a generous helping of tuna crudo--an indulgent yet light spread of deliciousness. Can't recommend enough! read more

A fun spot on newbury street. The restaurant was beautiful and has a modern Italian flair. The bar was a nice date spot. The food was interesting. The mozzarella sticks had caviar on it which gave it a mild salty taste. I wish it had a side of marinara sauce with it. The Caesar salad was my favorite thing on the menu. The dressing had a fresh lemon taste and lettuce was crisp. The bolognese was good service was quick and attentive. read more

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Stopped by during our visit to Boston. We weren't very hungry so decided to share a few plates. Ordered the mozzarella sticks and the order brings 4 pieces. Ordered arancini, it is only 1 little ball (arancini is plural in Italian, arancino is singular). $29 for one ball and $25 for 4 mozzarella sticks is ridiculous in my book. Food was ok but definitely overpriced. read more

I loved it here! They have a fun spritz menu so I ordered the one with peach and really liked it. For food I got the lobster arancini. It was expensive but so so delicious! It was very thoughtfully assembled as well. The Copley salad was also delicious. Great experience overall! read more

Faccia a Faccia - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Good Italian food but very pricey for the portion size. Squid ink pasta was the favorite. Grandma bread was like 3 bites of food read more

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The service was horrible. Told we could only have the table for an hour. Okay cool. Took the waitress 20 minutes to take drink orders. So by time we received food we felt very rushed. The menu is also stated as being designed for sharing. And when we received the food the portions were very tiny. Plus the food was just very mediocre. Better food and service at Olive Garden, and I hate that place. read more

Went back to Faccia after going a few years ago when it first opened and it remains good but with some drawbacks. The food was tasty but heavy and quite expensive (yes, an occupational hazard of Newbury St). Drinks were excellent and we tried most of the signature spritzes. We had to wait at least 20 minutes for our reserved table but they did comp a round of drinks. If you're looking for a charming spot on Newbury, then Faccia is a decent option. But, especially for the price, there are a number of better, high-end Italian restaurants in Boston... read more

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I thought this place was yummy! The service was super quick - they bring food out as it's ready. We sat outside on the patio and it was a great experience especially since it was open newbury. I'm vegetarian and there was a decent amount of options - the grandma bread was okay, I think the dough needed salt. But I enjoyed the cavatelli pesto and the buccatini al Norma - a little expensive for the portions but yummy read more

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To be honestly, I had always passed by this place and was curious about it as the design of it seemed so promising but I think upon actually going there and trying it, the food was very overpriced and kinda subpar and wasn't anything really worth noting which is unfortunate because I can tell that the chefs put a lot of work into what they're making and I very much appreciate that! read more

Five of us ate here for the first time last night. We sat outside as it was a beautiful night. Our waitress from Ukraine was very helpful in describing the menu and making suggestions. This is a Topas restaurant with many shareable dishes. We weren't in the mood to share so we all ordered our own pasta dishes. All the pastas were fresh and cooked perfectly. Attached is the menu so can see the prices. We were in and out in about 90 minutes which on Father's Day was perfect. We had our granddaughter with us and they made her pasta with butter and she wolfed the whole thing. A very pleasant place to enjoy a nice meal. read more

Faccia a Faccia - Fathers Day 2025 - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I had pretty high hopes for Faccia a Faccia. While the service was excellent -- they went out of their way to accommodate our table's allergies and specific food needs -- the food itself was underwhelming. It's disappointing, especially since the space has such a beautiful ambiance. The appetizers were the better part of the meal, but even they fell short. The fried artichoke tasted more like generic crispy veggies than anything special. The burrata came with greens on top, which wasn't mentioned on the menu and honestly detracted from the flavor. The octopus was good, but the portion was tiny for the price. As for the pastas, they were a letdown. The portions were small, and the texture was off-- our table described them as "gummy," likely from being overcooked. With 3 appetizers, 3 pastas, and two cocktails coming to over $300, it just didn't feel worth the splurge. Lovely ambiance and attentive service, but the food left me wanting more. read more

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Amazing meal here for a friends birthday! The service was friendly and really helpful. Sat outside but inside is also really cute. I'm gluten free celiac and was able to eat a lot on the menu. So thankful for a restaurant like this! read more

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We were surprised at how spacious the restaurant is for a place on Newbury. And just downstairs is bar pallino, a wine bar, which appears quite intimate. Although we enjoyed our meal, we concluded that some dishes were overpriced, some over salted, and others too small. Highlights were certainly the hamachi crudo, octopus, iberico secreto (we were lucky to have gotten the last one for the night before being sold out), and the branzino (the pesto and salsa verde was chefs kiss). The lamb ribs were actually really good as well. The sicilian crudo was extremely salty. The $48 price tag skirt steak was the smallest piece of steak ever served (aside from wagyu). It reminded me of two beef skewers. It had good flavor profile, but a little over salted as well. We also had the burrata, stuffed olives. For pastas, we got the agnolotti alla norma, maltagliati nerano, sweet corn risotto, and paccheri bolognese. All were good but were not blown away. For dessert, we got the affogato (can't go wrong), baked sorrentina (great for sharing), and panna cotta (tiny). All delicious. Espresso martini (comes dark, but can also accommodate for creamy). Dimas, our server was excellent. Had a great dinner overall. read more

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One of the best dinners I have had in Boston ever. Every dish was delicious! The cocktail program fantastic. Highly recommend you try Faccia a Faccia. read more

Great oysters and drinks! Very fun and engaging bar tenders! Quick service! I couldn't ask for more! read more

Faccia a Faccia - Oysters - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Fairly nicely textured pasta with a good variety of flavors. The squid ink pasta seemed to be a favorite for those on Yelp; the squid ink trottole was deeply colored into the pasta, and the flavoring was rich and plentiful. The maltagliati with oxtail ragu was also decent, with nice bits of soffrito mixed in that gave it a slightly different texture. Some of the pasta was sticking together a bit too much here. The rigatoni cacio e pepe was decent, though perhaps not much to write home about. The risotto alla vongole with littleneck clams was salty, and some of the clams were a bit too chewy. The paccheri bolognese with beef & nduja sugo was probably the best of the bunch, in part because the food wasn't oversalted. Biggest critique was the oversalting of most of the foods. The portions could also have been a bit more robust. Nice that the heirloom chicories salad with persimmon, kohlrabi, pinenut provided some contrast with the richer pasta dishes. read more

Overall a solid spot with a lot going for it. The drink menu is creative and refreshing, and the peach-forward spritz was especially enjoyable. The food was well executed the lobster arancini stood out for its flavor and thoughtful preparation, and the salad felt fresh and balanced. The atmosphere has potential, but it really depends on where you end up sitting. Some areas could use more consideration for the guest experience. Service was polite but a bit inflexible when a small issue came up, which slightly took away from the evening. With a few adjustments, this place could easily feel more polished and consistent. read more

Hanger steak has gone downhill, is stringy and tough rather than having that hanger steak snappy bite. The accompanying gratin was mush. Sicilian crudo good. read more

Awful phone service! Have eaten there several times and the food was fine. However, when attempting to make a reservation for Valentine's Day, it was cancelled by the restaurant and I was forced to rebook the prefix menu. Ok, that's fine. However, the reservation never appeared in my Open Table app, although I received an email confirmation. Upon attempting to clarify what was going on with the reservation, I tried calling the restaurant. After going through TWO separate automated lines, and then waiting about 5-7 minutes as the phone ring, I was finally greeted by an incredibly rude hostess who could not advise as to whether or not the restaurant could cater to my gf's dairy allergy (which was the main point of wanting the option to cancel through the app, since the prefix menu isn't available yet). What a mess. Never eating there again. read more

Outstanding experience. Alice was a wonderful and fun server. Old Back Bay brownstone but contemporary stylish interior, with the bar at the center, and the bar is an attraction in its own right. Can't say enough good things about the pasta. Perfect Al dente cacio e pepe. Rigatoni ragu also so rich and filling. Drinks also impressive. Try the beekeeper cocktail. Wide selection of Negronis. Well curated wine list. The chilled California zin was different and fruity. Apps--do the focaccia and the whipped ricotta, the latter was our favorite. And leave plenty of room for the tiramisu. So rich and creamy. Generous serving too read more

I like the spacious environment and it seemed like a great place for catching up with friends. I honestly was not impressed with the food. Nothing tasted off by any means, I just didn't really enjoy the flavor profile of the food we ordered. We also ordered the steak and potatoes which I forgot to grab a picture of. I did think the potatoes were yummy. The service was great, friendly and attentive. I am open to coming back and trying other items on the menu simply because of the good vibes and service. read more

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