Great food, good service, surprisingly affordable as well. I had the mushroom ravioli special and I thought it was fantastic.

Isabella is tucked on a small street in the North End and the space is cozy with roughly a dozen tables. My party of three made a last minute reservation last Friday night, just 2 1/2 hours before closing. We arrived an hour later and were immediately seated. We experienced excellent service from beginning to end. Delicious Italian cuisine, from the appetizers to the entrees. Thank you for the meal and can't wait to return! read more

Came for dinner with a reservation. Interior is rather small and space is tight. We ordered a bunch of appetizers like the mussels, clams, etc., different pastas, and a few cocktails. Everything was tasty though we felt the pastas could have been more al dente. The complimentary bread wasn't a hit - wish they served higher quality, warm bread with nice olive oil. The drinks were a bit weak, watered down, and too sweet. Service was effectively nonexistent once they dropped our food off. read more

Absolutely wonderful Italian dining experience. It's unusual to start a review by talking about the free bread, but honestly -- it was amazing, and from there everything just kept getting better. We tried the house specials along with a few other menu items, and every single dish was outstanding. The desserts were on another level entirely. Both the creme caramel and the tiramisu tasted like they came from another world -- rich, balanced, and perfectly prepared. Service was excellent throughout, attentive without being intrusive. I'm definitely recommending this place. read more

Not busy in a Thursday night. The interior is pretty small but cozy. Service is friendly and helpful. The food is pretty good, but I can't say it is my favorite spot in the North End. But if you ever need a last minute dinner spot, you won't go wrong giving them a try. read more

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We had the most lovely time here. The space is small and quaint, but clean and inviting. The staff gave great recommendations and everything was delicious! I recommend making a reservation if possible. read more

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Wow! What a fantastic dining experience. We are visiting Boston for a few days and I was dying for some spaghetti marinara (my go to order at Italian restaurants). This spot had great reviews and I can see why! The restaurant, like most places in Boston, is small but quaint. The ambiance was charming and I loved the paintings and decor inside. Our waiter, Max, was awesome and I can tell this is a family owned business. The service was excellent, I don't think my water glass was ever low haha the bread they gave us as a starter was so fresh and the olive oil with Parmesan cheese nicely complimented it. My boyfriend loved the pasta carbonara and my spaghetti marinara was everything I was looking for and more! It absolutely hit the spot. If you are craving some Italian food, this is the place to be. read more

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Wonderful service, delicious food, great atmosphere. Isabella is in a sweet location surrounded by north end history. We were sat right away with reservations. We ordered meatballs to start which were delish. For dinner I got the scallops with risotto, and my husband got chicken parm. Both were delicious. I completely recommend Isabella to anyone looking for good Italian food. read more

I recently visited Isabella Ristorante in the North End and had a really enjoyable dinner overall. I'd definitely recommend making a reservation because the restaurant fills up quickly, especially during dinner hours. One small thing -- maybe it was just me, but the entrance was a little difficult to find at first since it's mainly just a door from the outside. There were also tables seated very close to the entrance, which made it feel a bit cramped and awkward walking in and out. Our waiter was friendly and nice, though the service did feel a little rushed at times. That said, the food was absolutely delicious. We started with the calamari to share, and it was beautifully prepared -- crispy, fresh, and not overly heavy. For my entree, I ordered the seafood pasta and really loved it. The seafood tasted fresh, the pasta was cooked perfectly, and the flavors all came together really well. read more

Isabella Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Overall, I had a good experience here. I feel like the prices accurately reflected the location (touristy area) without making you feel like you overpaid. The portions are generous and the food is actually good. But I feel like the dishes were very hit or miss: The calamari was whatever, very standard. I'd skip unless you're a calamari die hard. The cacio e pepe was the biggest disappointment, it's my favorite dish and I was looking forward to it based on photos or reviews. We thought it all tasted just like buttered noodles :( Lobster ravioli was the standout by far. Gnocchi was also just okay. But their lobster ravioli is fantastic and absolutely worth it. read more

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We went here on a whim while visiting Boston. What a great choice! Very small restaurant, but wonderful food and service! read more

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The north end Boston is full of Italian restaurants. Isabella is a smaller sized restaurant but seemed to be run well. Very busy and dining room was a bit cramped. However, the food, service, and ambiance were great. I would return if I am in this area again. read more

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Isabella Ristorante is a wonderful little Italian spot in the North End of Boston. Such a great little Italy vibe. The staff are really warm and attentive. The food was excellent. I had the veal parm (waiters reco) and Sue had the chicken parm. They were both delish! The sauce was tasty and the dish was balanced excellence. Our guest had the scallops and she enjoyed them. I do hope to return to this spot on my next trip to Boston. Definitely check this spot out! read more

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What a gem! I arrived at 5:30 on a Friday night with no reservation. In spite of this, I was seated quickly. There were already several other diners at 10 of the 14 tables. I ordered the Veal Parmigiana which arrived quickly. It's usually served with a steak knife but there was no need here. The veal was so tender that I literally used my fork to cut it! The red sauce was flavorful and fresh and the breading on the veal was delicate and enhanced the flavor without overpowering it. I ordered the fresh pasta instead of the standard penne and it too was delicious and al dente. Everything was cooked perfectly and I had a difficult time saving anything for leftovers in spite of the large portions. The noise level increased as more people were seated, but it wasn't so loud to prevent good conversations. I highly recommend this restaurant if you're in the North End! read more

Now THIS was great Italian! We made a 7:30 pm reservation for a summer Saturday night and got in right away. The restaurant is adorable, although the tables are small and very close together. It was quite loud and hard to hold a conversation. Service was great. I had the chicken parmigiana with penne and my dining companion had the fettuccine Alfredo. We both thought this was our favorite Italian we've had in a long time. read more

Good food, friendly service and a small by cozy dining room! This was a solid meal! They work around a hour and a half table rotation so keep that in mind. I won't lie. It kind of felt rushed but it's doable. Myself, when I am out spending a good amount of money, the rushed feeling is the one I don't want to have. But our server was awesome. Knew the menu and wine list well. Did his best to not make us feel rushed. So apps were Bruschetta, antipasto, clams. All were awesome and very well proportioned! Entries were amazing and again well proportioned. Their homemade pasta was yummy!!! And Finally I got my Tiramisu!!' Inside joke with my friends. All in all this was a great dinner, two thumbs up and definitely on my list to visit again! read more

Isabella Ristorante - Mushroom Ravioli - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Made a reservation on a weekday, which was not necessary but with a family of five in a small restaurant you never know. We all enjoyed the bread and our meals greatly. Gratis Limoncello afterwards and everything. Waiter was great, place is charming in the North End. This was a big hit with adults and children both. Not busy either which is what we were looking for. Didn't want a crazy tourist restaurant. read more

Tidbit!!! Get a reservation. Onto the review -- We expected the food to be touristy, since it's in the North End. While the bread initially felt like that tourist vibe (cold, served with... little cups of oil... weird), the main dishes were outstanding. We enjoyed the caprese, the lobster ravioli, and the clam linguini -- all really good. If you're looking for dessert, while my boyfriend would've preferred a sweeter cannoli, I was a big fan of the tiramisu, both for its size and taste. I would recommend getting a reservation, as the spot is cozy and can get a little cramped. We did see people leave after being late to their reservation. Lastly the service was very attentive. Our initial server may have been new. She didn't chat much, but she checked on us often. The second server was super chatty and really listened to what we wanted. read more

Isabella Ristorante - Cannolis, tiramisu - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Excellent! We ordered bolognese and was not disappointed. Could have had two servings! Very small dining area so probably hard to get into but we came after lunch. read more

Isabella Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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I can't wait to be back in Boston to visit! Such a beautiful charming little restaurant. We did have a reservation and ended up waiting an additional 5 to 7 minutes, which wasn't horrible except it was cold and rainy. Obviously not anybody's fault due to the size of the restaurant. Our waiter was very knowledgeable and attentive. The owner did walk around quite a bit that was nice. My husband and I shared a couple of dishes and everything we had was perfectly seasoned and delicious! You can't go wrong with any choice on the menu. read more

Isabella Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Great Italian in the north end! Very cozy inside with a good vibe. No one was rushing us. Went with my grand daughter and everyone was so nice. Portion sizes were large, food was excellent, and we left with enough for another meal the next day. I had the bolognese and she had gnocchi. read more

Isabella Ristorante - Bolognese - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Delicious dinner! Smaller restaurant with great service and food. The table next to us had clams and my Dad was jealous... they told him they were great, next time... read more

Note to self they have a 10 minute grace period for reservations and we made it right on time or so we thought, because they had trouble finding us a table. We ordered the branzino which was cooked perfectly - blackened crispy seasoned on a bed of cooked veggies and the sausage penne pasta with veggies was also delicious. You can't go wrong with any burrata in my opinion especially when it's paired with arugula balsamic and prosciutto. read more

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10/10. If I could give this place more than 5 stars, I would!! This cozy spot is extremely underrated but right in the heart of North End. I visited this place with my family about 2 years ago and remember it being delicious, so I had to come back again with my boyfriend to make sure it wasn't a fluke. It was just as delicious as I remembered it, but even better. The interior is beautiful with the dim lighting, and it does get a little cramped because it is a smaller restaurant, but it makes the ambiance even more cozy. We ordered their calamari and roasted clams for appetizers and my goodness. The calamari came out piping hot and had a beautiful light crispy batter and tender squid. When paired with the sweet marinara, it was perfect. The clams were soooo delicious. They're cooked in a garlicky white wine and lemon sauce and it was everything you would ever want and more. Our main courses of that night were lobster ravioli and fettuccini alfredo. Both pastas came out hot and cooked perfectly. The ravioli was filled with lobster and cheese and it was perfect. Don't forget to save extra pieces of bread to dip in your leftover pasta sauce! They do not skimp out on the sauce! Oh and for drinks, we got an aperol spritz and a limoncello martini. Both were sweet and refreshing! The servers are so sweet and so patient. The service was fast, they check up on you often, and they even have my boyfriend and I limoncello shots on the house. They also offered extra bread to eat with our leftover sauces, but at that point we were so full. Every time I visit Boston, I will always go to this place for an amazing Italian dinner experience and I hope you all do too! Service was amazing read more

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It was fine. Not great. Standard Italian fare. The pesto pasta was okay but did not have a strong enough basil or garlic flavor. The tagliatelle didn't have enough mushrooms. We didn't get any fresh grated Parmesan cheese on top and we could have used it. The server seemed mildly annoyed with us the entire time. read more

Back after a couple of years. Had the calamari and asparagus as appetizers. Lasagna as a main dish. The lasagna was very tender and flavorful. Great service as last time. Definitely recommend. We were able to get reservations the day before. Recommend getting reservations as it was full for dinner. read more

Isabella Ristorante - Lasagna - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The service was so friendly and helpful, the ambiance is exactly what I would expect from a smaller Italian restaurant(in the best way) My family of four had reservations, were seated immediately, and instantly felt welcome. We ordered the antipasto, which I forgot the photograph, but it was delicious. We ordered spaghetti and meatballs, tagliatelle bolognese, branzino, and penne chicken vodka. Every dish was scrumptious, even the bread fluffy and flavorful. read more

Isabella Ristorante - Spaghetti and meatballs - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Amazing little spot in the Boston North End. We walked in just before lunch and were seated immediately. Recommend reservations for dinner as others have mentioned as it's relatively small, but cozy and reminiscent of some of my favorite Italy spots. Service was personal, immediate and wonderful. Bread was great as appetizer and filling. We ordered two specials and were VERY happy we did (see photos). read more

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Excellent service and food, reasonable prices a great selection tonight. Three thumbs up from our entire party this evening. The chicken cacciatore, the chicken piccata and the veal roll were all excellent choices tonight. Right around the corner from Mike's Pastry helped top off a perfect evening. read more

With all the wonderful choices of restaurants in North End Boston, what is one more review. But this, this dinner was a fantastic end to our vacation. Caden greeted us at the entrance Isabella Ristorante with a professional smile to politely ask for a few minutes to get our reserved table ready. With a dozen table tops in the entire place, the ambiance was intimate and well attended. Cadens professionalism is noteworthy because for me. His attention to detail. On point recommendations and friendly yet polished disposition truly elevated our dining experience. Moreover, every bite of everyone's meals were so delicious. The menu has a great selection but i would strongly recommend any of the homemade pastas. Great flavor and texture. The pics will show which ones we chose and we all practically licked the plate clean but more tastefully done with bread. The calamari with the peppers and the burrata was phenomenal. Our dishes were chicken Marsala, shrimp diabolo, spaghetti and meatballs with arrabbiata sauce and the special mushroom ravioli with the porcini mushroom sauce. All top tier! We ended with affogatos and limoncello and a great conversation with Damon to commend him and the chef. Located just around the corner from The Paul Revere House, we had to walk by to walk off some of the worthwhile calories. I would strongly recommend seeking out a time to make this place your meal in Boston read more

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We discovered this small cozy restaurant while walking the freedom trail with friends in from Utah. Service was quick and excellent and our meals were great. We recommend it to you. read more

Wow!!! Just wow! Was looking for some good Italian while in the area. Isabella was suggested and we are so glad we went. Everything was delicious.. the meatballs, lasagna, special scallop and risotto, dessert.. just delicious! We highly recommend a visiting in the area! read more

Make sure to book your reservations in advance because they typically don't have space for walk ins. The restaurant seems smaller inside but it had enough space. The servers were friendly and helpful in recommending dishes. The pasta was tasty and filling! Pretty flavorful and I liked how there was variety in the sauces and types of pasta. read more

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Any time I've dined in a restaurant on a side street in the North End, I've felt as if I've gone off the beaten path - it has always been quieter, a bit more zen, a little bit more to yourself rather than heavily interacting with the folks there. That was the case at Isabella as well. It's not a bad thing, it can add to your enjoyment of your meal. We were fortunate that we could be squeezed in without a reservation on a Friday early evening, but told we'd need to be out by a certain time, which wasn't an issue at all. The drink selection is small, no doubt to what I perceived as a limited amount of alcohol on the shelves. That was more than made up for by the wines available. Water and fresh bread came out quickly, including ramekins of olive oil and grated Parmesan cheese. We ordered the Mozzarella Caprese as an appetizer, which also came out quickly. But we were scratching our heads when we saw it was just tomatoes and cheese and a few dustings of dried basil flakes instead of fresh basil. When we asked our waiter about that, he mumbled something about customers not liking the flavor... not really buying that, but yeah it does say Mozzarella Caprese instead of Caprese Salad. No issues with our dinners. The vodka cream sauce on my chicken cutlet and spinach dish was terrific. The other dinner, salmon piccata, was equally tasty, the salmon was cooked perfectly. Isabella is a nice choice for a good dinner with fast service in a low key atmosphere. read more

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Told the server I was avoiding gluten. I have a gluten sensitivity but not celiac. I ordered the cod puttanesca since it was one of the few things on the menu that was not pasta and did not list pasta. It came out with penne pasta. When I mentioned this to the server she said it always comes with pasta. This is something she should have said up front when I was discussing what was best to order to avoid gluten. My partner did enjoy his dinner but after Martina's condescending response I'm lowering this down to 1 stars instead. I dont think the server knows what gluten is. She brought out a tiramisu on the house to make up for me not eating my dinner. In response to Martin I did not touch the tiramisu my partner was the one that ate it while I laughed at how funny it was that the restaurant apologized for the gluten mix up with more gluten. We 100% told the server I was avoiding gluten and ran three entree options past her asking what was the best so no your servers are not trained on allergy sensitivity. read more

This is a very small, but romantic restaurant. My partner and I were seeking an authentic Italian spot and went to the "Little Italy" area. I'm not a local, so I'm not sure how authentic the area's restaurants are but the food was good. It could use more seasoning (not sure if thats a personal preference, but everything tastes fresh; yet bland). The service could use some work. Upon entering, a man rushes over to say 'hurry and close the door.' There's no host area when you enter, just people eating; the restaurant is a small room, with long glass windows, that fits about 10 tables. It's a bit confusing for people just aiming to walk-in or stop by for dinner. Rather than the employees running to close the door like we're being reprimanded at granny's to keep the door shut, I'd recommend a "reservations only" sign on the door or perhaps place a host outside to greet guests. It'd help with avoiding guests starting off on a negative note. For the rest of the evening, our waitress and service was fine. read more

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A classic Italian gem in the North End! We stopped by for lunch on a weekend and the place was fairly busy, but we were seated right away. We ordered the calamari, the scallop special, and the chicken piccata, and everything was absolutely delicious. The food came out quickly enough and the service was excellent throughout our meal. The ambiance had a traditional white tablecloth feel. Definitely a great spot to check out in Boston. read more

Isabella Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The food is outstanding. Some of the best Italian in the North End. Service is fantastic and the ambiance is cozy and warm. I highly recommend read more

Isabella Ristorante - Veal Parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

What a nice Italian restaurant! This place has such a romantic, family atmosphere to it. Truly felt like I was somewhere in Italy. My girlfriend & I made a reservation a few days in advance for a romantic date lunch. We were running a few minutes late to our reservation the day of, but called the restaurant and the host was very friendly and accommodating - they held our table for 15 minutes. When we got there, were seated right away and were served bread with fresh olive oil. The bread was warm and the oil was very tasty, but the complimentary portion was a bit small - we weren't sure if it was socially acceptable to ask for more LOL! To start off, we ordered the burrata appetizer, which was absolutely delicious. The burrata was super fresh and was served over prosciutto which was very tasty. The only thing I think that could've made it better was if they served it with something to dip it in, perhaps some more warm bread. For our entrees, I ordered my favorite chicken parmigiana, and my girlfriend ordered a sausage pasta veggie dish. Chicken parm was good - the portion size was perfect. Two pieces of chicken with melted mozzarella cheese over it, which tasted amazing. Their homemade sauce was really tasty as well and was very light. The penne pasta was pretty good, though I think it would've been even better cooked a bit more al dente. My girlfriend's pasta dish was very good as well and super colorful. The sausage was nice and not too overpowering, and the buttered penne itself was tasty. Overall, this is a 10/10 spot for any occasion, date night, or family lunch. Definitely one of my new favorites in the North End! read more

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We took an Uber over to the North End specifically to go to Isabella. It was a wise choice. We went in around 2pm so it was not busy. Very quiet. They have maybe 10-12 tables? I bet this place is hard to get into at dinner. Service was quick. The staff seemed to all be Italian with their wonderful accents. They start you with fresh bread that is warm from the oven with olive oil and fresh grated parm. So damn good. We were not looking for a heavy meal. We ordered the meatball appetizer and the bruschetta. Both were excellent. The meatballs were a combination of pork and beef. Highly recommend. read more

Isabella Ristorante - Wine wall - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts