What a fun place! Decor was intimate, dark, cozy. Bar area large and large dining room in the back. Bartenders were great, especially Sarah, who took care of our growing party graciously! I, unfortunately, did not get pics of everything, too much chatting and catching up with friends. Apps were the mozzarella fritte, and scampi shrimp - both delicious and delicate. Their in house homemade bread was divine. I don't know what everyone got in party, but hubs and I split this breaded chicken over fusilli and wine sauce, mushrooms, spinach, and cheese. The chicken was insanely tender, nice bread crust! This is a great place for a group but maybe next time will be intimate date night with the hubs. Kudos, Paradiso! read more

Paradiso Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Swampscott, Massachusetts

My mom and I came in for an early dinner on a cold night. When we ordered our entrees, we asked if we could have caesar salads with our meals and our waitress said, "Of course!", but neglected to mention that there was a $3 upcharge for each very small sized salad. We were then served rolls with a completely flavorless dipping oil. We each opted for the Chicken Voldostana, which came with very little spinach, one small piece of prosciutto, and was drowned in lemon sauce, which overpowered any flavor that the meal might have had. Neither of our meals looked anything like the photo that was displayed on the TV in the dining room. We decided to split the Dream Bomba dessert special, which was described as caramel surrounded by peanut butter gelato, encased in chocolate. We were hard pressed to find any caramel, and the peanut butter ice cream (too hard to be gelato) also had no flavor. Overall, it was a disappointing and pricey meal, and I wouldn't be inclined to return. read more

Paradiso Ristorante - Dream Bomba missing the caramel filling - Italian Near Me - Swampscott, Massachusetts

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We have had good food and service here in the past. Few nights ago my husband had the chicken voldastana. They suggested breading the chicken. He said great. He also asked for the fresh fusilli pasta. When the bill came there was a $9 up charge for breading the chicken and a very small bowl of fresh fusilli pasta. I had chicken piccata and opted for the salad instead of pasta. The bartender asked "house salad or Caesar"? I opted for Caesar and when bill came there was a $3 up charge. So an extra $12 for breading the chicken (at their suggestion), fresh pasta and Caesar salad - none of which was mentioned to us when we ordered. I guess the main point is if there is an up charge they should mention it to you when ordering. Otherwise we have had good experiences there with food and service. read more

I've lived in Swampscott Ma, my entire life, I've never eaten at Paradiso Ristorante. It's a cute Italian bar/ristorante. Went in early on a Friday sat at the bar with my daughter and sister in law I had a pumpkin martini so yummy ! My daughter had an espresso martini so good my sister in law had a key lime martini also delicious for dinner we had chicken Parmesan with homemade fusilli and Carrozza chicken also with fusilli so good ! I had a glass of Pinot noir with my dinner every thing was delicious! Our waitress/bartender was the best !! Highly recommended! read more

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a place for a great late dinner and the staff is amazing i have to go again to try there meatballs

Service was amazing - super nice server and servers assistant. They were always checking on us and had a smile on their faces while doing it. The outdoor patio was adorably decorated. Food was good and the pistachio martini was incredible. All in all a great little place with great service and vibes! read more

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Came here on a Wednesday night about an hour before they were closing with about half the seats open. Indoors and outdoor dining was available with decent coverage considering it was down pouring at the time. For drinks my sister had a traditional mule with Tito's and my friend and I had a Jameson mule, which I enjoyed more than the standard. A few sips in I could tell there was a fair amount of alcohol incorporated, always appreciated. For appetizer we shared the shrimp scampi including three orders of rolls before and after. Our server was kind enough to keep offering us more while we were waited for our entrées. The rolls were warm and perfect for the dipping oil and the scampi sauce, literally couldn't get enough of it. For entrées, my friend ordered the 14 ounce sirloin steak with the vegetables and mashed potatoes while my sister and I shared the fra Diavolo (lobster tail included) with linguini. The steak was cooked medium rare and it definitely had that bright pink center while being slightly bloody. My friend thoroughly enjoyed his meal and especially the vegetables. There was a variety of seafood including clams, muscles, scallops, lobster, fish, shrimp but surprisingly no calamari. The fresh linguini soaked up the flavorful and slightly spicy fra diavolo sauce. For dessert we shared the apple tart with the vanilla ice cream. It was a crispy outside layer with caramelized sugar on the top and bottom. The warm tart was a perfect contrast for the cold and simple vanilla ice cream. Overall, great experience. Our waitress was incredibly kind and even had other servers check up on us as well. Would definitely come again and support this local business! read more

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We went here as a group of 6 and sat at a table for 8- which was a little cumbersome but we made do. We are all a very tight knit group and we wanted to have some great discussions here. We ordered some wine and salads. Then we had all kinds of dishes from sea bass (got steamed broccoli as the replacement vegetable for the mixed medley), veal, pasta and some other goodies. The food was very good. We had Mike as our waiter. It felt like we were in a Sopranos movie but all in good fun. In the front of the house, a Boston Red Sox v Yankees game was playing-its located directly across fr the commuter line so it is a good location. This is a good ol' standby to go to! read more

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Paradiso Ristorante 15 Railroad Ave, Swampscott http://www.paradisoristorante.net/ Once again the food and service were top-notch at Paradiso Ristorante in Swampscott but the big story here is the new and spectacular dining room! The new dining area is spacious, welcoming, and as good as anyone else's around the North Shore! It quite possibly may even be the best! I highly recommend that every one make it a point to check this place out ASAP. Click on the link above to make a reservation. read more

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I highly recommend! I hosted my daughter's bridal shower here, and was beyond impressed with everything from the service to the most delicious Italian food! The chicken parmesan was excellent and made thin to perfection! Connie and Kim were both amazing and paid attention to every detail! The ambiance was perfect and made for a beautiful event! read more

Paradiso Ristorante - Beautiful event space! - Italian Near Me - Swampscott, Massachusetts

We have been coming to this restaurant for so long I cannot remember. The food is absolutely spectacular and the service is always incredible. Benny and Connie are the best make sure you go and visit them! You will not be disappointed. read more

Paradiso Ristorante - Chicken Marsala - Italian Near Me - Swampscott, Massachusetts

I love the blackened salmon entree with the sautéed spinach and soft creamy cannellini beans. It's something my beloved Italian grandmother would have made for me. Always consistent always delicious. Love this place read more

Great food and great atmosphere. Chicken Carrozza was amazing! Wish there was more servers to make waits quicker but doesn't take away from the great staff! read more

Best Italian on the North Shore by far! Our go-to! We get take out from here at least a few times a month. Friendly people, great portions, and consistently amazing food. The best eggplant parm around. I love that they don't bread it, it's thinly sliced and dipped in egg. read more

Paradiso Ristorante - Eggplant Parmigiana with Fusilli - Italian Near Me - Swampscott, Massachusetts

Not worth traveling to but reliable local restaurant. Staff is friendly and they serve well known favorites.

Definitely a middle of the road Italian restaurant. Nothing stood out as spectacular. Chicken parm was good, my husband said his eggplant parm was flavorless, but we both really liked the actual pasta. Drinks were fine. There are just so many other better Italian restaurants in the area. The biggest reason for the star deductions was the ambiance. It was so bright and there was a tv with just a running dvd of random images of the food/restaurant. Felt really cold and unwelcoming. Definitely not for a nice date night. The bar area was a lot nicer- if we ever return we'll sit in there. Nice server, though. read more

My favorite restaurant by far. The staff are super nice, except for the one time our waiter sat at her friends table while we were waiting for the check (one bad thing is not enough for me to make this a 4 star review). The food is AMAZING. Love the bread they serve at the table and I love the pasta here. The chicken parm is also amazing and I have only gone there once when it wasn't good (also not enough for 4 stars). The tiramisu is amazing as well. The place has a loud bar area with seating and a section that's more elegant and quiet so you can get the same good food and have your choice of two different settings. I highly recommend trying this place read more

Great food, and lovely service. The atmosphere is casual and fun. Easy place to go with the kids, and a "go-to" for an uncomplicated night out. read more

Food was awful. 4 of us went there after reading the reviews. My husband was born in Italy from the same area as the owner. After we were seated he asked to speak with him and share a little "Italian talk" but the waiter said he was " downstairs ". Then after we were served, that's when everything went downhill. The food was gross. Definitely not authentic Italian! The chicken parm breading was grossly soggy ; same with the eggplant parm. All you could taste was mushy fried breading. When we asked the waiter once again if the owner could come up, of course he didn't. Maybe he was afraid to be embarrassed, and he should be. His wife was working the hostess station and knew we had a problem with the food, but she would not address it either. If people leave good reviews it's because they are used to " American- Italian" not the real thing! I would have attached a photo, but we went there two months ago. I saw this site for reviews and Paradiso showed up and it triggered my memory of this awful experience. No sorry's, no owner, nothing. Oh and the ambiance is tacky. Go at your own risk... read more

First time here and definitely was not disappointed. Great little spot with great options from the bar to dining room. I had the veal piccata which was amazing. Veal could cut with a fork and ingredients were fresh and authentic. My wife had the salmon special and it too was perfect. Loved the high top seating with great view of the bruins game and the bar was pretty great as well. Staff was great and service was top as well. read more

Food is always very good and the service is pretty good as well. My last few visits have all been very good and I will still come in for the Rib eye, and Chicken Voldastana any day. The place can get a bit noisy at times, but that just means large parties are enjoying their meal. I brought my whole family in a few years ago for a reunion and we all had a great meal. read more

My friend and I went in for a drink here at 9:15 PM after seeing on their front door that they were open till 12AM. The bartender asked us if we were eating and we said no, but ordered our drinks. At 9:30 we were told "last call" and declined another drink, and the only other group of four people who were at the bar were just leaving. It wasn't much longer after that the bartender and an older man (either the owner or chef) put ALL the bright overhead lights on and had their coats on to leave and go home. We never felt so "unwelcome" and will never go back there.... and I live in Swampscott where the restaurant is located! read more

Great dinner tonight at Paradiso Ristorante! Warmly greeted at the door and escorted to our high top table behind the bar. Great spot, just the right amount of background noise mixed with oldies radio. My wife had the Limoncello martini, I had some Jamison on ice, both perfect, along with a huge app of calamari and marinara sauce which we totally enjoyed. Out came the mains, my veal piccata, my wife's chicken and eggplant parmigiana, both hit all the notes, outstanding. Our server Emma was great, stopping by often, we weren't left wanting for anything. Thank you! read more

Excellent service!! They made my daughter alfredo past even though it wasn't on the menu, they gave us extra rolls, and they found me in the parking lot to give me my purse I accidentally left behind. Plus the food was great! read more

Fantastic food. Fantastic service. Connie is great. Renovations to dining area are beautifully.

We ended up here after failing to get a table at.. Antique Table. Please note, the boyfriend and I are both Italian (his parents = off the boat, Italian speaking Italian). To get 4 stars from us is really good. The food wouldn't knock your socks off. But we were both pleasantly surprised by its freshness and tastiness. I would go back. read more

Best food! Every meal I've ever had here has always been delicious. The chicken paradiso is my favorite. Also they have the best rolls!! Everything is so good. It gets very busy early!! read more

If youwant to be treated poorly, then this is the place for you! I recently went into this establisment one evening and slipped on spilled water outside of the kitchen, I fell very hard and not one staff person asked if I was alright or offered to help. Someone did point out that they had been telling the staff to "clean up the water for an hour". At that point a woman came over with some "speedy dry" and threw it not only on the floor but all over my pants as well. When we asked for the manager and told her that I fell, her answer was "yeah, so". I never even got an apology. This woman claims to be the manager, but obviously does not even have the manners to pump gas. I have never been treated so poorly by a business, and I will never return! read more

Paradiso is a weekly go to for us. You have a choice of a lively bar area or a quiet dining area. The staff are great, friendly & attentive. The chef is Italian so you get authentic Italian food! The manager Connie is friendly, funny & runs a tight ship especially during these difficult times with the pandemic. I love all the chicken dishes & my husband raves about the fish. It's a friendly atmosphere where after a few visits they will know your name. read more

I love this place. I go every Tuesday night! Every Tuesday and Wednesday night they have a 2 for $20 deal which includes dinner and a side (usually pasta or salad) and dessert, and the food is so great every time! The waitstaff is friendly and prompt. I like sitting in the bar lounge area better than the back room where it seems like you need to be a little more dressed up. If you are looking for a quick bite, they also have a bar lounge menu which is super cheap smaller portions (pasta and meatballs, chicken fingers and french fries) and all of the bar lounge dinner items are under 10 dollars! I would definitely recommend this place to anyone in the North Shore area. Addendum: Prices went up! It is now 2 for 24 dollars... still not bad! read more

I have tried this place a few times and have always been underwhelmed. I cannot really say that is has been bad, but neither can I say it has ever been good. The portions are really small and the eggplant rolitini I had was obviously over-microwaved. With all of the other good choices in the area, don't waste your time here. read more

Have been coming to Paradiso for the past couple of years and always order the same thing: ravioli. My hubby orders veal parmigiana with fusilli. We hadn't been since the remodel and decided to stop in for a quick dinner. Renovations were made and the lounge is now larger. We got our bread and were aghast that the hot rolls of days passed were replaced with cold sliced Italian bread. Needless to say we were afraid what would come out of the kitchen if the new bread was any indication. We were, however, pleasantly surprised as the same high quality homemade food was served. Nothing like home made pasta and sauce with crispy flat veal parmigiana as a compliment. Good was fabulous but the new bread is not pleasing! read more

Paradiso is a regular Friday night dinner spot for my husband and I . We love sitting in the Bar area so that we can be served by Kim and enjoy her company. Although we usually get the same thing every time once in a while Kim will recommend a special and she's never wrong. We love the personal interaction and special treatment. The ambience is cozy and it's really close by to where we live. Right now they are doing a very good job with keeping the customer safe with Covid restrictions in place. Will see you tomorrow night with two friends! read more

I absolutely love Paradiso, the food is amazing, the staff are amazing, I can without a doubt say this is one of the top 5 Italian restaurants in the North Shore. I have been eating at Paradiso for about 3 years now; I was introduced to it by my uncle and aunt. The food here is absolutely amazing, I was told by one of the bar tenders that the owner uses all of his mothers family recipes and she grew up in Italy. I have never had a bad meal here. I judge an Italian restaurant on whether they know how to make Alla Matriciana, this place even has it on there menu, a dish that only true Italians typically know how to make. The drinks here are very good, the martinis will knock you on you azz, and they have a good wine list as well. The staff are all very friendly and knowledgeable, and the bartenders are all amazing to talk too. I defiantly think if you haven't eaten here and live North of Boston, you should get over to try this place, you will not be disappointed. read more

My husband is always searching for restaurants that will beat our favorite place in Peabody, Unfortunately this place looked promising but fell short in so many areas. The wait staff was outstanding..however the food was marginal. My husband ordered pasta bolognese and I ordered fusili with shrimp. My meal was tasteless and the bolognese was bland...It was so loud inside that we could barely hear each other talking. I can't give it another chance because when you know that the food is so much better somewhere else you don't want to waste time or calories! read more

I'll make this short and sweet.. We visit this eatery on occasion. Took a friend last night in from Germany. We dined at the bar and as always the service was great... Our entrees spectacular. read more

One of my favorites, always good whether it's the eggplant or chicken parmesan, friendly staff and clean restaurant. I like the outside dining as well. read more

Great sized portions, reasonably priced, exceptional service. Can't beat the homemade pasta and the great prices for wine by the bottle. Awesome specials too, always a great experience! We always look forward to going back. read more

new outdoor seating rocks! Every bit as good as north end if not better! Veal parmigiana! Arancini and mozzarella frittas delish! We'll take 3! really liked their marinara sauce. read more

Really want to like this place, and have given it a couple of tries, but the food is just awful - at least the fish is. I've had halibut and sea bass and both were so overcooked they were pretty much inedible. While I love a good seer, these were nearly eviscerated. The spinach was a dry, overcooked, under seasoned mess. Likewise for the roasted potatoes - which is actually pretty difficult to do to any potato. My wife had the grilled shrimp. That too was nearly inedible. Again, way overcooked, and the glaze/sauce was both cloyingly sweet and salty. Maybe we should try the pasta, but looking around the room/bar, it just doesn't look all that appealing. A lot of slightly oversized portions of overcooked, less than mediocre plates barely resembling real Italian food. Frankly, it all just looks tired, uninspired and poorly prepared - with no "love". Service was sufficient, but had we been given the specials menu when handed the wine list, we would have ordered one from said specials list. We ended up having two glasses each, which would have been $12 more. A simple thing you just can't miss as a server. Again, we want to like this place and add to our rotation, but with other places in the area like Firenze and Adriatic in Salem and Casa Mia in Marblehead making high quality, real Italian food with excellent Italian wines (as another reviewer stated) the time, cost and calories just aren't worth it. All that said, it seems like it wouldn't take much to make it so much better. We'll give it some time and hold out hope that some tweaks and changes will be made and maybe give it a try again in the future. read more