Uninspired glop for the touristy masses. We had two salads, arancini, and mussels. The mussels were overcooked. The arancini were nothing special, likely out of a Sysco freezer pack, and the salads were overdressed with gross sweet dressing. For mains we had The House Special, particularly appalling mess of gloppy indistinguishable proteins swimming in a salty but flavorless sauce. The pasta was mushy and over cooked. The Veal Parm was what you'd expect, but not at all special. Likewise for the sausage with broccoli rabe. Not horrible, but not at all notable. There was no real flavor, heart, or finesse in ANYTHING. Just going through the motions to serve buckets of glop to the tourist crowd. Never again. read more

Fresh pasta Food was great Nice atmosphere too small inside but tables are not crowded together read more

Great North End Boston Italian food. Very nice hostess sat us and told us specials and her favorites. I went with veal parmigiana which was very good. Salad and stuffed mushroom appetizer also good. read more

La Summa is my go to for classic family feels in the North End. I love the bruschetta and the manicotti, especially on a chilly night! The space is cozy and intimate, a great spot to take a date or catch up with an old friend. The staff are friendly and can give recommendations on the best dish of the moment. This is a place I have come back to many times. read more

Stumbled upon here with no reservation and were happily surprised! The waitress was incredibly friendly and the food was amazing. We got the pasta special and chicken parm and enjoyed both. New favorite spot in the north end! read more

La Summa - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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An absolute must-eat while you're in Boston and the historic North End! Quaint, beautifully decorated, and wonderfully friendly hostess/owner! Our first time here, but came with sister & brother-in-law who dine here frequently. Delicious arancini and stuffed mushrooms appetizers. Red sauce is sublime...not heavy, slightly sweet....yum! Hubby & I had the veal Parmesan...a hearty portion, and oh so good! Brother in law had "Barbara's Special" (veal)...looked amazing! Sister had chicken limone....huge portion! Equally amazing looking! Bread basket was fresh and yummy, too. Wonderful experience! If we lived closer, we'd definitely be back over and over again! read more

This restaurant has a terrific atmosphere. Outstanding food - great menu especially the meatballs and ravioli! The service is superb! You'd be smart to ask for Nicole! LFG! read more

What can be said for the best food of our trip, and reasonably priced where the entire staff stop by your table and chat a bit. Totally unexpected find for my wife and I on our last night in Boston on a Fall Color road trip. Our waitress, Sharon, guided us through the menu and was an absolute delight. She so cared for the restaurant and their history, it was just totally absorbing. Every item would be a top pick after the fact, so we wouldn't change a bit. The brucetta was unique and fantastic, sirloin steak "perfect", vegetables, same. The creme brulee and cannolloni (sp) out of this world. The risotto my wife had was the best she's ever had. We promised a review and here it is, a MUST stop on any Boston trip, IMHO. Totally reasonable prices, after experiencing much higher ones for lesser quality/quantity. Do yourself and your party a favor by trying this (and, no relation, never heard of the place, just chose as they were a $20-30 choice in my search v. $30-50 or higher, so I tried it.... So good)! read more

Delicious and affordable! Found this on resy and liked the menu, so we made a reservation and loved the whole experience. Would definitely eat here again. read more

La Summa - Espresso martini - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I was looking at the dishes here on Yelp, I seen a photo of the Veal marsala with fagioli Pasta, I showed it to the waitress, she said it doesn't normally come with fagioli pasta but you can request any pasta you like. So When she came back I once again showed her the photo on my phone with the Fagioli pasta & said I want this the way it is shown. It came back with these short little light egg noodles you see in soup. (photo) My wife ordered a pumpkin tortellini special with chicken & the chicken was tougher than leather. She gave me a piece to show me, & had trouble cutting it with a sharp knife. Bullet proof chicken. We told the waitress, she apologized but did not offer us any discount or free dessert despite seeing the chicken that was not consumed, (left over in the dish). Yes no place is perfect, but they could have handled the hiccup of the leather chicken better . Never again. read more

La Summa - Veal marsala - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Dinner with mom on a weeknight, we came in February so there wasn't much of a crowd. A few tables busy and two waiters hustling around. We got the bruschetta to start and it was okay. Four pieces of crusty bread topped with chunked tomato and shredded cheese that's been grilled. It was closer to Sicilian pizza than what I was expecting. For mains, mom chose the Pappardelle e Melanzane. A very good portion in a rich marinara sauce. She enjoyed it but it did need some Parmesan on top. I went with the "House Special," a combination of meats (chicken, sausage, beef) on top of pasta and mixed with capers and lemon and artichokes. Two pepperoncini on top were a bit of an afterthought. The meals were good but not great. I thought my pasta was overdone. Our waiter was a bit hard of hearing and a little tough to get drink refills. But we enjoyed the meal which went at a good pace and the flavor was there. read more

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My wife and I had a decent midweek dinner here. My sausage and broccoli rabe dish was good with the pasta cooked al dente. The pasta in my wife's dish was slightly overcooked. The tiramisu for dessert barely had any chocolate. It consisted mostly of cream. The bottle of chianti classico we ordered was reasonably priced with a nice flavor. It has a charming ambience and the service was great. read more

Saturday night at around 8 PM and most restaurants around the area had at least a hour wait. We were able to split our party of eight into two separate tables of four and four without waiting. Service was decent and the waiters/waiters were very clear with informing us what the special of the day is. Cozze(Poached mussels in a red or white sauce): Got it with white sauce, it tasted extremely light (tasteless). The mussels was also not cleaned well, had sand in a few of them. Frutti di Mare ( A bunch of Seafood:shrimp,scallops,calamari,mussels and clams with their fresh pasta in red or white sauce): Tasted exactly like the Cozze (the appetizer). For market price ($30), a good amount of muscles but very little pasta. It was too plain, I expected more. Barbara's specialty the boneless breast of chicken was not bad but pasta and mushroom had an overwhelming with whine. It was unbearable to eat for the pasta and the mushrooms. I guess everything happens for a reason and the reason why there is no wait here. Service was overall was okay (by the time we left around 9:30 PM, the service died down) but the food in my option was very unsatisfying for me. read more

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Very small restaurant with a great menu and high quality food. Service was very good. Had gnocchi with a side of meatballs and a glass of Pinot Grigio. Highly recommend it to everybody. read more

Come here every time we visit Boston and it always gets better somehow. Favorite Italian spot in the city, small and intimate, great service, and fantastic food. Will be back for sure. Easy 5 star. read more

Highly recommend this place for dinner, esp if you are looking for a quieter old school place with great personal service and excellent food. Staff was very fun, effective and knowledgeable . If you like crowded loud Italian food scene on Hanover - this is not your place. But if looking for a very fun small Italian restaurant with fair priced excellent food - this is definitely your place. Have traveled the world, and like to try new places to eat and drink - but we 100% would return here on next visit! Do not hesitate - book it! read more

I must say I was very impressed from the very beginning. It's a very cozy atmosphere as you walk in. We were seated by the decorative fireplace in the corner. It was a fantastic spot. The service started immediately. They brought out fresh rustic bread with butter. It was so good. We were initially disappointed that they didn't have mussels, but the server (who I believe was the owner) immediately offered to make my mother a shrimp scampi which was not on the menu. Mom loves shrimp scampi so she was very satisfied. We decided to get 2 salads as the appetizer. We got the caprese and the arugula salad. We almost ordered one for each person but were told that the salads are large and could be shared. That was a great suggestion. We loved both salads. I've never seen my 91 year old mother eat so much salad. The arugula salad had chopped fennel with this wonderful olive oil lemon vinaigrette. I've never had anything like it. I'd order it again and again if I lived in Boston. The caprese salad was also unique in that it had a pepper and olive garnish surrounding the tomatoes and mozzarella. My husband and I took some of the leftover bread to soak up some of the oil. It was that good. Our meals came out not too long after that. I had the Frutti di Mare in a white sauce. Now, as you remember, they had no mussels. They sold out of them the night before. With that said, they gave me more clams and calamari. It was excellent! It had a nice light sauce that complimented the fish without it be overbearing. The calamari was cooked perfectly. In other words, it wasn't rubbery and overcooked like most restaurants do these days. These people know how to cook their seafood. The clams were plentiful and sweet. The pasta was also cooked perfectly. I loved every bite of it. Mom loved her shrimp scampi. She raved about the sauce. I've read other reviews that say their sauces are bland, and I have to disagree. This is authentic Italian, not the Americanized Italian. They cook basic sauces with fresh herbs. The sauce is supposed to compliment the dish, not overpower it. Don't expect anything to be spicy unless you order fra diavolo. Just saying. We ended our meal with espresso. It was a very good cup of espresso with great flavor. I was just a little surprised that they don't serve cappuccino. Also, the price of the espresso was a little high (we thought). I suggest getting your coffee at one of the many pasty shops nearby. Other than that, I'd do it all over again. It truly is a hidden gem on Fleet Street. Most people don't venture far from Hanover Street, and that's a big mistake. Our tour guide told us that she's never had a bad Italian meal in the North End, and I've heard that from numerous people. She also told us that the best ones can be found away from the street that everyone flocks to. Just remember that when researching and planning your visit. Oh, and make sure you make a reservation because there won't be any seats left in any of these restaurants on a busy Friday or Saturday night. read more

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La Summa is a phenomenal family owned restaurant. The owner lives across the street, and looks out her window to make sure the service is up to snuff. Priceless! If you're lucky, Barbara, the owner, will come out, cross the street, and talk to you. My wife had the baked manicotti, and I had the tagliatelle with red sauce and meatballs. Amazing! In a male dominated North End, La Summa is owned by a female entrepreneur who has run the restaurant for 40 years. Do yourself a favor... Take a turn off Hanover Street onto Fleet Street to get a real taste of Italian in the North End! read more

La Summa - La Summa - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Just had dinner here for the first time. First thing you notice is the simple dining room conveying to you that the food you are about to eat will be equal to the surrounding. The Italian bread comes...simple Italian sliced loaf with butter packets... not warm and not a chiabatta type of crusty loaf. Ordered the bruschetta as an appetizer. It comes more like a garlic bread covered in mozzarella. For dinner ordered the house specialty dish. A mixture of veal , chicken and sausage over fettuccine. Not bad but nothing worth ordering again. Lemon chicken was huge but covered in mozzarella. Who does that? Risotto with chicken was good. Again , not bad but why make the effort to go to the north end for dinner when the food is only average?? One shining moment was the ricotta pie. Homemade and delicious. One item to note was they had a guy come out and walked around singing opera!! This was a nice feature until he came around to each table and presented a tip jar. Tacky!!! read more

Well, that was the most annoying and tackiest dinner I have ever had and will never return to La Summa. I came to Boston to visit my daughter. After a great day together, we headed up to the North End for some Italian. Had a reservation, so we didn't have to wait. As we were eating our appetizers, some guy came in with a speaker and started singing very loud. Great ambiance completely ruined. On to of that, when he was done singing his 2 songs, he came peddling from table to table for money. WTF?!?!?! I'll make sure to never set foot in there again. Couldn't be any tackier!!! read more

La Summa is my favorite restaurant in Boston. A beautiful little spot with a wonderful ambiance. The food is perfect and the service is always excellent. A great family owned restaurant that I highly recommend. read more

A very traditional Italian restaurant that's very small and intimate. The staff is very kind and the mood is very warm. We started off with the arancini which was very tasty. I liked the sauce but wish there was more risotto in it instead of meat. I got the pasta spinaci which was a lot creamier than I expected. I also like a higher pasta to sauce ratio than this dish has and couldn't even finish half of my dish because it was so heavy. The cream also didn't have any flavor, it was just very thick. My friend got the baked manicotti which is a crepe filled with spinach and cheese and said it was very rich. She wasn't a fan of it because it felt like spoons of cheese. Overall I'm not sure I'd come back but I'm glad I came here and tried it. read more

Amazing place to have authentic Italian food, this place is fantastic, very family welcome, the hostess I mean every single person who works here are very respectful, and friendly at least that's the experience I have every single time go there to enjoy their heart warm food. And their bread wow amazing I just love it. read more

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La Summa is a cozy and intimate Italian restaurant. The food is great! We each ordered a different dish and they are all satisfying. Their menu has four sections:starter, salads, pasta and other entree. I tried haddock with red sauce, zmon and the sausage which are all great. I love the fish dish mostly. The serving size is big enough so we didn't order dessert. This is a nice place for group! We made a reservation for 15. There are a few big groups around us, family or friends. The have a good collection of wines, so we ordered two bottles of red and white wine at the beginning and then added two bottles later. The wines were both good. We ordered two more bottles mainly because we waited for a while for the food, but we are not complaining. They are good. I'm curious why we waited for a while for food today. We were hungry and asked for extra bread for maybe two times until our food was served. Maybe because it was a busy time during the day? It seems also popular for family with kids. I like the ambience in this place, too. Will definitely come again. read more

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I have recently had dinner here, it was my first visit someone treated me. I'd like to start off by saying the staff here are phenomenal. They're so friendly!! The food was soooo good, I absolutely love Italian food so I had pretty high expectations that were definitely met. I know I'll be going back here soon. Thank you for the good service and even better food. read more

La Summa - Appetizer - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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I wish I could give 6 stars for this AMAZING dinner in the North End. Wow. Just wow. We started with the caprese salad which was a nice light appetizer to go with. The peppers and olives added some good flavor to it. My dish (the Alfredo dish) was the best thing I have ever tasted. They make their Alfredo from a different cheese than usual so it's more sweet than salty. The prosciutto and spinach inside of it give it great flavor conflicts. The seafood dish was also delicious. The mussels fell right out of the shell and the shrimp were so delicious. This was a special that normally comes with a spicy red sauce but they easily supplemented a white garlic sauce. It was so delicious and paired well with the Pinot Grigio. Our waitress was so sweet and the outdoor seating was perfect. Overall a great Italian meal in the North End!! read more

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La Summa has always been one of those restaurants that I daydream about going back for another meal. However, this time I debated as to whether to leave it at 5 stars, or not. My husband and I talked about it and agreed to keep the 5 stars. This time, instead of soup and/or a salad, we started out our meal with a caprese salad. We had eaten a big lunch and wanted to keep dinner on the light side. The caprese was good but not mind blowing. The tomatoes could have been riper but the mozzarella was good quality. For my main course, I got my favorite dish on their menu, papardelle e melanzane. The papardelle is freshly made in-house. While the freshness of the pasta came through clearly, the sauce seemed a little oilier than usual plus the eggplant was cut into larger pieces. My husband got his favorite dish, Gamberi. This dish consists of linguine plus a generous portion of shrimp. He thought that his dish was up to par and enjoyed it. One thing we noticed that was different on the menu --- some main course items had an asterisk next to them. That meant that the pasta was freshly made. The linguine in the Gamberi wasn't freshly made. I think that we should have stuck with the soup of the day. The soup here has been wonderful with fresh homemade flavor. However, it is almost a meal in itself. The restaurant owner and founder, Barbara Summa Sullivan, often is the one doing the cooking. The recipes she uses came from her grandmother, a Sicilian immigrant. However, this time, we saw her exit the kitchen and leave before our dinner was made. I'm thinking that's why the cooking wasn't quite up to snuff. As usual, service was good. The dining area isn't large but the tables are well spaced which gives it a nice atmosphere. So...we still really like La Summa and have recommended it many times to others. Those who went on our recommendation have been happy that they did so. Perhaps, we hit them on that off night---or a new person was in the kitchen. Too bad the owner wasn't there. Not only would she have been doing the cooking but sometimes she even brings out the food to you. We will go back next time we're in town. read more

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Had an 8:30 reservation this past Saturday. What was that Seinfeld line? "You know how to TAKE a reservation, you just don't know how to KEEP a reservation". Listen up folks, an 8:30 reservation should be seated within a reasonable time of the actual reservation. We were seated at 9:20. Not a great start! The food was ok but decidedly not great and under no circumstance was it ok given the time we waited. Our server indicated that he couldn't hear very well which became patently obvious when he brought a bottle of wine which I did not order. That chicken especiale was sitting in a pool of a very sweet sauce and while it was cooked well it was not a dish I would ever get again, the bruschetta was essential a slice of bread covered in sauce and melted cheese. Umm, don't mean to sound petty but that isn't bruschetta, it's basically an English muffin pizza made with Italian bread. The mussels were good. The stuffed artichoke was good as well. My son had the Frutti di Mare and he enjoyed it, the other three in our party had pasta and all three said it was "ok". I heard so many great things I am assuming I caught them on an epically bad night.....not sure if I'm up for trying it again. read more

La Summa - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The service and food here was amazing! The outdoor seating was great too. Their espresso martini was fantastic. The espresso was absolutely delicious!! We ordered the chicken parm and the pasta spinaci for dinner and they were both some of the best pasta dishes we've had. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants an authentic and delicious Italian meal :) read more

Good, homemade food from their family to yours Barbara is charming and Although not on the menu, get a half order of the pastas for a starter. The niocci is made fresh there and nice. Nothing special on it, just plain and good. Chicken Marsala rocks with big mushrooms and just the right amount of chicken over pasta. Nice. If you like garlic, order up the steam muscles and try the bread. It will blow you away and might even burn a bit with all the garlic. Not recommended for vampires. The decor is loose and looks like my great great grandmothers old house. No points there. On my two visits, the service bounced from great to ok but we were never ignored. It just got a little slow. Call ahead if there's more the 2-4 of you since the restaurant is cozy. Side street eatery filled with locals. Don't stand in line around the corner, grab your table here read more

La Summa - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

If you're looking for a night of cozy Italian dinner where you feel at home, this is the place! We went on a Thursday night so not too busy but still there were a few groups dining. I imagine this place gets busy on weekends though. We ordered arancini and mussels for appetizer and two pasta dishes. They were all delicious - not too strongly flavored or salty. It felt like home cooking which I liked! You have to order one dish per person so no sharing. But the serving size isn't too big so it wasn't a big deal. Overall, I enjoyed my night with good food with good price! read more

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Loved our dinner at this charming little spot. We arrived early for our reservation but were seated quickly. We shared the arugula salad which was a hearty portion. Fresh ingredients and well dressed salad with a good amount of Parmesan. We shared a lovely bottle of Montepulciano, not too heavy and paired well with our pasta dishes. I highly recommend the gnocchi, again a hearty serving, the gnocchi were pillowy and served with a tomato sauce. My companion had the Tagliatelle with the meatballs. She was very happy with her selection and felt her dish was well seasoned with tender but not mushy pasta and hearty meatballs. The only minor thing we were confused by was the bread being served cold and it was also little underwhelming taste wise. We were too full to order dessert! Service was attentive and since we were early we had a little extra time to linger over our meal but we kept an eye on the door to be sure they didn't need our table. We were there on a very cold evening and sat by the fireplace which felt very warm and inviting. I would happily return! Enjoy. read more

I ate there on Saturday March 9th chose it based on reviews. Food and service from Destiny were excellent. I would recommend to anyone visiting Boston read more

Romantic and charming atmosphere and the food is excellent. Such great value in Boston! Go vidit Barbara and enjoy a traditional home cooked Italian dinner! read more

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This was not great food. Honestly Olive Garden would have been better. The Chicken Leomon was very bland. This place was very overrated for the North End. I hope the other places are not like this place. The only good thing about this place was ambiance and appetizers. I spent $200 here. read more

From the Fanueil Hall area, I walked down Hanover Street, took a right onto Fleet Street, and there lay La Summa on my left. It is a nice simple establishment that gave off a family feeling through the school portraits and other family photos decorating the bookcase by the door. The friendly waitress casually dressed in a tee shirt welcomed us to sit anywhere we liked. As one of only three parties during the hour lunch we were there, we had no issues with service, except perhaps that my water wasn't refilled - but it did last me my entire meal. A dinner menu arrived along with the shorter, cheaper luncheon menu. So we ended up selecting lunch entrees and a dinner appetizer. Bread here arrived cold with wrapped chilled butter patties, with olive oil on the table, and a parmesan shaker that was brought out later. Sufficient, but it would have been nicer served warm. We started with the Arancini - Italian rice balls filled with parmagiano cheese, mozzarella, chicken and peas $9.95 - which arrived 6 golf balls to a plate with a center dish of tomato sauce. Once cut in two, the mozzarella center oozed. I didn't really notice any chicken or other protein, but still, I liked this dish. My friend had the Ravioli $8, while I went with a house special - Pappardelle e Melanzane* Fresh wide noodle pasta gently tossed with thin pieces of eggplant, lightly flavored with basil, garlic in Marinara sauce $9. Both arrived with thick pasta - hers surrounding the ricotta center, mine as fat ribbons snaking around flat pieces of breaded eggplant. The ravioli were 3 pillows perhaps 3x3 inches in size. I was worried it might not be enough for her, but with the bread and appetizer, she was fine. I very much preferred my selection. The sauce itself was tastier than the redder marinara that came with the ravioli. And I really like breaded eggplant. Yum! A very good choice. On my way to the individual women's room, I passed by a separate dining area in the back that had perhaps 4-5 tables, most of which had seating for 4, with one smaller table set for a twosome. The 3 stars is more like a 3.5. If entree luncheon portions were slightly larger so that they would satisfy my lunch sized appetite without the assist of an appetizer or the bread basket, this could be a 4. * indicates a fresh pasta. read more

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Our party of 8 are here and we loved it! The food was delicious, we all loved the arancini and stuffed mushroom appetizers. Everyone loved their entrees as well. The staff was also super friendly and accommodating. read more

It's not because of the quality of the food. I've eaten here before, and it's always been delicious. However, I will not be coming back. Several weeks ago, I went on first date with a woman where I brought her to the restaurant given it has a romantic vibe, and some of the best Italian food in Boston. However, I have been battling a medical condition that does not allow me to eat a significant amount of food at any one time. When I took my date here, I ordered the Gnocchi as I can only eat incredibly soft foods given my medical condition. While I did not each much, I did have some of my meal, but my date did not notice until the server came over and noted that they had comped my meal given I had barely eaten anything. I told the server to charge me for the meal, and the server said they would not. I proceeded to tell them again to charge me, and they said they would still not charge me. In effect, they made this a big deal about an issue that they knew nothing about, and that I am quite frankly embarrassed of, and was not ready to reveal to my date given it was a first date. I understand that they were trying to be nice, but if a patron says to leave them alone, and to charge them, please leave it alone and do as they ask, because this became a very embarrassing situation. To folks who would say I should not have gone on a date that involves food, it is incredibly difficult to progress past a first date these days when a date does not involve some type of food. Given this, I will not be going to La Summa for quite some time. read more

Outstanding Italian dinner last night at La Summa. The stuffed mushrooms starter was amazing. The Cesar salad was satisfactory as it lacked some dressing. The veal parmigiana and the house special with homemade pasta, veal & sausage was excellent. We also had a bottle of the Tommasi Poggio which was perfect with the dinner. We're just visiting Boston or La Summa would be a regular spot for us. read more

Good menu, great vibe, awesome staff. A little less hectic than a lot of North End places. Didn't feel rushed like they were trying to get you in and out in 45 minutes. I'll definitely go back read more