Went here for one drink on a Friday around 10. There were plenty of open tables and it wasn't very busy so a friend and I sat at a table had our drink and left within 30-45 mins. My friend paid and tipped around 15% I believe. As we were leaving the waiter took the receipt and very l rudely and loudly stated "how was the service buddy" insinuating that the tip was inadequate. Made both of us extremely uncomfortable. Will not be going back. read more

Just do yourself a favor and go to another Italian restaurant in the North End. This is a tiny 10 table place that wants to be more than they can handle. AND since they cannot afford the square footage, they surcharge every table. We were upcharged $40.00 on our tab because we did not meet the minimum. They took it off after we complained but certainly not the best thing to do to gain a customer. Will NEVER go back. We went across the street to finish our dining. If you are not good enough to serve classic and/or authentic Italian food in the North End of Boston than you don't belong. read more

Legit spot with great food,vibes and employees. Hit up Bebe for some Midwest fun & shots and Dan for their awesome drink recommendations.

The host was very rude. Could learn to treat all guests equally. I was very excited to try the cocktails but walked out because I felt very unwelcome. ________________________________________________________ The reason we didn't dine with you has a lot to do with the tone you took in your reply. I could always use the same language as you but I'd like to be the better person. Please please try to be courteous before you reply to anyone the next time. If possible take the advice we gave you and make your service better instead. read more

Loved my first visit to Parla! It is a place that the North End needed badly and I know his place is going to be packed every night this summer. The drinks are fantastic. I tried the Sacco & Vanzetti and the Old Fashioned. The Sacco was so tasty and not too sweet. The service is also great along with the modern interior. The place is super small (4 bar stools and ~10 tables) so I can see there being a wait most nights. The food was also incredible and again, not something you typically see in the north end. I had the meat & cheese platter, house salad and oxtail arancini. All of them were delish but I especially liked the arancini and the salad. I can't wait to go back and try all of the dishes. I hope to go here often...if I can get a seat! Other restaurants in the NE should take note of this pioneer in the area. read more

Love this little hidden gem right in the heart of The North End! Amazing drink selection, and my husband always does the Dungeon Master where you roll the dice for a surprise drink! Everyone raves about the cocktails, but the food is also very good! A nice refresher from all the surrounding Italian, yet my favorite dish is the shrimp pasta and for dessert the beignets! Service is always great, the menu is so fun and quirky, love the décor and speakeasy vibe! read more

We got the chef's tasting menu the other day. Well I guess we should have known better. The best way to describe Parla is a sub-par restaurant hoping to fool its way into being high end. Sampler: Diced tomatoes and mozzarella on a spoon. First Course: Salad. - Salad greens with a balsamic and sesame oil with a bit of cheese and peas thrown on top. Okay, edible. But was extremely one dimensional. Second Course: Butternut Squash Ravioli in a butter sauce. It was sweet on sweet. It needed contrast. The sauce could've been any number of things but it was again simple and missed an opportunity to be much better. Third Course: Arancini. The only saving grace of the meal. Fourth Course: Chicken & vegetables with a brown sauce. I was optimistic about this place prior to this meal, and well it failed miserably. The chicken came out and one bite I knew it was off. It was a distinct texture that I experienced when being a younger person and not knowing as much about cooking. The chicken had a texture that easily resembled it had been frozen, thawed, refrozen, and thawed again causing the meat to be rubbery and dis-pleasurable. Both of our meals were the same way, so we sent it back. In exchange we got beef sliced up and served with the same type of sauce and vegetables. The meat was just a shade moister than jerky. I was astonished at how a restaurant daring to have a chef menu could try to pass off food that was likely made be a novice. Fifth Course: Sugar Doughnuts. Okay. Odd presentation in a bowl. Very similar to a Chinese donuts. Overall a dissatisfying meal. Would not recommend. There are plenty of other options in the North End to experience high end cuisine. This is not one of them. read more

Listen, for cocktails, Parla is a MUST! Philip is hands down the best bartender in the North End (and maybe all of Boston???). He makes hand-crafted cocktails that are to die for. I had the best old fashioned in Boston here. His habanero-infused whiskey is pretty legit too (but not for the faint of heart - it has some HEAT!). If you're looking for a great cocktail, you must check out Parla. read more

This place tries a little too hard to be cool. While nothing was bad about Parla, nothing was amazing. I appreciate the addition of this tiny speakeasy-style loungeto the North End, I'm not sure if I would rush back. We had the arancini and the burrata with a glass of red sangria. The drink was rather watered down with more juice than wine, and was served in a glass smaller than I would have liked. The burrata was a little cold, which made it a little stringy. The arancini was not bad, but I had a better version of this dish elsewhere (Boston Chops). My dining companion mentioned that the single red rose may not be the best idea, as it can limit the restaurant's patronage. He mentioned that two straight guys dropping by for a drink might think the decor is a little much, though a couple having a date night night appreciate the romantic touch. It's still a cool place to grab a drink and hang out, so I'd probably come back. But not with a guy I'm afraid of sending the wrong message to, haha. read more

Parla - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Truly enjoyed my visit to Parla! It was the most AMAZING. Super small and intimate with an awesomely fun drink menu. You can roll a die and get a drink that corresponds to that number! Such a brilliant idea! The bartenders Phil and dan were the best! Super knowledgeable and friendly, we were visiting from out of town and they gave us some fabulous suggestions for things to do on our Boston trip. Would def make this a reg spot if I lived in the area. read more

this review is based on 2 Parla visits, and personal experience working at a high end cocktail bar - our 1st visit was amazing. we didn't book a reservation because the website recommended reservations for people interested in dinner, and we were more interested in post-dinner cocktails. but when we got there, the host seemed surprised that we respected that sentiment? ... at the end of the day, we waited like we should and had an amazing server, amazing cocktails, and amazing experience. our server asked what we thought of the cocktails and would give a brief intro to them. overall would definitely come back. and then we came back! the same week actually (former bostonians, but only in town a few times a year now). we made a reservation this time (based on the last time) but the experience was AWFUL! the second we were seated the server was pushing entrees or else 3 drinks for everyone within 1.5 hours. unfortunately very obvious. we had some apps, some entrees, some drinks for our first round - (which overall wasn't enough for them) but we were willing to look past it. but this pushing CONTINUED. they came by way too frequently asking for our next order - never failing to mention that our reservation ended at xyz PM. sometimes we could even see someone whispering in our server's ear. at this point we didn't feel welcome, and felt it was forced & rushed. if I had been in charge of the bill I wish I could have docked from the restaurant/bar and not our server. such a different experience for me because I work for cocktail bar owners who actually CARE. unfortunately that is not this place, all they care about $$$ more than anything else. so maybe we will be back (?), but it's definitely not a first choice. read more

Stumbled across this place whilst on a quick visit to Boston. The North End is a giant tourist trap with a lot of Soprano-esqe old mob havens mixed in with some cool little gems. This is one of those gems. Food is great, I had a bunch of appetizers all of which were terrific. Great service with a smile (very important). Great ambiance (small but perfectly formed, clean, great background music that is loud enough so you can talk and don't have to shout) and a great cocktail selection (didn't get to the wine list, cocktails were too good...) We had a blast. Well worth the visit. read more

Fantastic hidden jewel in the north end. Loved the atmosphere, the service and the whole experience. Great for intimate settings and even large groups. Def going again. read more

Parla - Parla restaurant - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Girls Birthday Night Celebration hit out of the park with this experience. Waitress, Heidi, was AMAZING, food was fantastic, and we rolled the dice for a drinking experience like nothing else. Highly recommend, small restaurant, very unique experience. HIGHLY RECOMMEND! read more

One of the coolest bars that I have ever been to, especially in Boston. It is quite small, but they do take reservations - luckily, my friend was able to get one of the last tables that they had available. We only stayed for one drink, but it was lovely. The menu comes in a leather booklet with some pages that people doodle in and leave notes, and the rest of the menu is quite quirky as well. I recommend getting the mystery drink, as you can come back and try to get all 20 of their mystery drinks. read more

Drinks were good but Business Manager was extremely rude to us. Next time will just go to any of the places nearby who I am sure can provide similar quality drinks but will treat their patrons with some respect and politeness. read more

Visited here with friends, looking at the reviews on a Saturday night. The server was extremely arrogant and rude ! Hope they learn to respect diversity and treat all people equally. I would have given zero starts if possible. --------- In response to your comment Parla: The issue was never the ID card. You made us feel unwelcome the moment we set set foot in your door. It was very evident how you were with other guests vs our table. For your information, we headed to Briccos from your restaurant, where my friend was not severed alcohol. But the staff was warm and welcoming, which is what we are trying to tell you. If you really cared about your customers, you would try to understand what went wrong instead of calling people names. Your response to us proves our point. read more

Parla's Chef Chris is a fresh of breath air in the North End. My husband and I tried Parla's 7-course tasting menu. It provided us with a wonderful sampling of what's available on their menu. We really enjoyed his creativity with layer various textures within each of his dishes. Some highlights from our meal included the Sea Bass, which was cooked to perfection. It was really crispy on the skin and the meat was just right. The sea bass was paired very well with a black quinoa. Our meal was topped off at the end with the S'mores dessert. The chef was not only serving a dessert, but he recreated the whole camping experience on a table with the smoke infused creation. read more

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I went to Parla for the first time last night on a friend's recommendation. I'm very glad that I did. I knew I'd like it as soon as I saw it, walking up Hanover St. It's a tiny place with a great atmosphere and decor. The staff was excellent and friendly throughout our entire meal. The drinks were creative and delicious. The food was excellent. I'll definitely be going back to Parla. Probably soon. Tip - Call a few days ahead and make a reservation. Calling day-of or trying to walk in won't work as they are always pretty full. read more

This place was mediocre, avoid it. The cocktails are $12 on average, which is mid level prices for a cocktail bar, but the quality is all over the place. Maybe the bartender I had was new and untrained, she put a negroni, and later a martinez, into a shaker when it should be stirred, to limit dilution, and didn't use any citrus peel nor maraschino cherry. She didn't use sweet red vermouth, instead used dry white vermouth with simple syrup, didn't have any orange bitters, and later called me a difficult customer for requesting custom cocktails. It's a craft cocktail bar, ordering custom cocktails and paying a lot of them is the point. On the upside, they used Bar Hill gin (amazing quality and local from Vermont), and had 2 bottles of Genever. The food was good, entrees are about $25, but had smaller portions, so expect to order an appetizer too. Great location right near the entrance of the North End. Overall, until they train their bartenders more and improve the quality, pass on it and check out a place like Drink, Wink & Nod, or Saloon. read more

My partner and I make a point of stopping in to Parla at least once every 2 weeks. We 'roll the dungeon master' and are always delighted by the surprise cocktails, crafted by Matt, and we always get something to eat and enjoy the atmosphere. The team are all extremely knowledgeable about their trade and especially the speciality ingredients in their cocktail menu, and I can say, without question, that if I or my partner have had a long day, we will always come in, be greeted by welcoming faces and enjoy a laugh with our server. 5 star experience every time. The creativity in the menu, the service level of the staff, the atmosphere, music and overall feel of the place - in its own category. Highly recommended. read more

This review is for cocktails only. I absolutely recommend this place for cocktails. The place is small, and the bar only seats about 5, but 9 of us came in and enjoyed 9 different cocktails from the menu. The bartender was on her first day, and the managing bartender helped her make everything perfectly. Every single drink was rockin'. They had an impressive selection of liquors, and house-made infusions like the crowd-winning habanero jack honey whiskey. Try the French Connection, Blackberry Aviation, French 75, Bee-Sting Julep, and French Connection. read more

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Parla is a super cozy spot in the North End and perfect for celebrating a birthday with a loved one. The decor is very cool and exuded lots of warmth from the lighting and wood accents on the walls. We ordered the pork belly, arancini, and the lamb fettuccine to share. It was all so tasty! The lamb fettuccine is a must; the lamb was so tender. I've never had anything like it and would def order it again. The two small plates and one entree was the perfect amount of food for two! Reservations are definitely a must! read more

It took 45 minute to bring our order. The had ran out of coffee. Eggs were over done in both dishes (eggs Benedict and steak and eggs) and also tasted vinegary. Clearly not enough lobster to be called lobster eggs Benedict. Doughnuts were delicious though. read more

Parla - Good doughnuts - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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My friends and I came here for a farewell dinner for one of our roommates and we couldn't have had a better evening. The food was incredible, the servers and bar staff were filled with personality and happy to crack a joke, and the drinks were inspired and delicious. For such a small venue nothing felt cramped. The bartender was kind enough to make us his own version of a green tea shot (which was better, as expected). This spirited hole in the wall is truly a gem. Thank you to all the staff for being part of such a memorable night. read more

My wife and I went here a couple weeks ago for dinner. The decor is really trendy; sort of a prohibition style. Drinks were really good, as with most trendy mixologist type places. I got their take on an old fashioned. Very nice. Food, not so much. We got the pork belly, Arancini, and polenta. The pork belly was just little pieces of unseasoned, over cooked pork belly. The Arancini was cooked right, but had absolutely 0 flavor. The polenta was pretty good, but again, just basic. If you want a small, trendy place with awesome drinks and good food, go down the street to Ward 8. read more

Absolutely the best! From the service to the food this is a must visit on Hanover Street. We have been here twice in the last few weeks and this will now be our go to place in the north end! read more

The drinks were outstanding. We walked by the restaurant as a party of 4 and decided to check it out - we had heard great things! We were seated immediately but were told that we would have about forty minutes until 6:30pm when a party with a reservation arrived. Totally fine! We ordered cocktails and they were incredible. We would have liked to order food but we waited too long to decide. Next time! The next reservation arrived early so our table was cleared a little earlier than expected. I only wish I'd been able to finish my drink first :). We would love to come back to experience the food soon. read more

Food and staff are amazing! Incredible cocktails and food. Best time you will have in Hanover st!

I was traveling on a plane on my way to Boston. I went to put in a reservation. But the reservation required a credit card. If I was to miss the reservation time it would cost me $30. Not having control of when the plane will land and I could depart, I did not make a reservation. I get to the restaurant later no reservation let them know what happened they said we can sit you in 20 mins. Then when 20 mins past I ask how is it looking now they said we can sit you here but you need to be done within 30 mins or at the bar. I said how much longer for a table for at least an hour as it will take a hour to just finish the bottle of wine. They said we cannot accommodate you sorry we made wait try another restaurant. The staff doesn't know how to treat people professionally and didn't care if they wasted my time. I would not go to this restaurant as in my 52 years I never been treated like this. Do not let someone wait in the cold for 20 mins and just have an attitude I was just trying to have a nice dinner. Good luck eating here... read more

This place was amazing! Every drink and plate of food was beyond delicious. We split the calamari (great portion and not overly fried, also came with fried zucchini which was surprisingly delicious), the meatballs (so delicious and fresh- came with some yummy slices of bread) and the burrata (most amazing I've ever had in the North End- tomatoes, arugula and bread all fresh and delicious). We tried a variety of drinks and the waiter made great suggestions! read more

Parla - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I went here for weekend brunch with a friend. They had one of the best veggie omelets I have had - mushroom, havarti and asparagus made for an unexpectedly good combination! read more

Really cool 20's style bar, it's small so I recommend making a reservation if you want to secure yourself a seat. The place is really cute, the open window concept added to the experience and enabled easy people watching. Great place to grab and drink and chat. Food was surprisingly good too! read more

The food was extremely good and I think the raviolis are the BOMB. Get the butternut squash thing it's the GOAT

Came as a large party for a birthday dinner. The vibe is cool and they seem to hire exclusively bros. Our bro waiter messed up our order a lot by the manager came out and more than made up for it, with free entrees and drinks of those affected along with a round of shots for the table on the house. My food was very satisfying! Definitely lives up to north end expectations. read more

I really wanted to like this place more. First off - based on the reviews, I was pleasantly surprised how wonderful the service was. They couldn't have been more accommodating. Although, they looked completely surprised when I showed up for my 8:30 reservation. They apologized they didn't have a table ready and gave us a round of free wine. The atmosphere is beautiful. Unfortunately the food is mediocre at best, which was really disappointing considering how many wonderful restaurants the North End has. I would probably eat somewhere else and just come here for a cocktail next time. read more

Visiting from New Jersey, and came across this place as we waiting for our place. Day drinking on a Monday What!? Well guess what we do and We came in here and Phil the bartender as awesome. He Recommended all the good place to go and have a good time. The Service was amazing and the drinks great !!! read more

Food is good and affordable for the North End. Rolling a die for a 'mystery' cocktail is fun. Nice ambience. The place is tiny, so I'd suggest reservations. read more

Came here before a dinner reservation for drinks and honestly didn't want to leave! We bellied up to the bar and enjoyed our drinks while talking to the bartender, who was awesome! Great experience!! read more

I went to Parla on one of the soft opening nights with my girlfriend for appetizers and drinks. We got the bone marrow and oxtail arancini. Both were delicious. The oxtail arancini were especially good, with chunks of oxtail mixed with peas and cheese. The portions (3) were sizable, comparing to arancini I get from other establishments in the North End. The atmosphere was unique, not your typical Italian restaurant in the North End, which was refreshing. The cocktails were very good, according to my girlfriend (Fire & Blood), which was a spicy tequila-based drink. The beer selection was excellent as well, some staples mixed in with some options you don't see all the time. I had the Union Jack IPA last night, but am looking forward to trying out others on the drink menu. The service was great, especially for only being open one day prior. I also noticed that they were taking names and contact information for people waiting for tables so they could go somewhere else and grab a drink before sitting down. That will help as the space is small and it will be busy. Only negative was that there was no bread to snack on before getting our apps. Other than that, no problems I could see and I think they are well positioned to be successful. Definitely will be going back! read more