May be the best restaurant in little Belmont, a block north of Watertown line in Cushing Square. Has always been a classy place, but service much improved since two years ago. Excellent wine list. A glass of French Sauvignon Blanc for $9. I had an endive and watercress salad with baby shrimp. Delicious. Then an entree of grilled tuna on a small mound of pasta surrounded by caramelized scallops. The tuna was not overcooked, perfect. My first glass was a Pinot Grigio, very nice. Desserts from Vickie Lee's around corner. Had tasty grandmom cake with a cappuccino. My partner was delighted with her choices. Nice presentations. We left pleasantly filled but not stuffed. Prices are very reasonable. Soft jazz in background. read more

My wife and I had lunch at this charming, chef-owned restaurant. The decor was pleasant, the food and service were great! Everything was freshly prepared and interesting. I recommend the white bean soup. We enjoyed the experience very much. read more

First visit, on a Wednesday night. Not too busy, service was friendly and good. We both had the warm spinach salad with bacon and mushrooms, it was delicious! For mains, I had the Zuppa di pesce which was cooked perfectly and so tasty; my husband had the pork chop (it was huge!) also delicious, he couldn't finish so we gladly took it home with us. So glad we decided to give Savinos a try! We will be back! read more

I ordered the tilapia dinner. Disappointingly, everything was covered in oil, the potatoes, the beans and the wilted lettuce. The fish it self, having been breaded, was fried. All in all a very greasy entree. Baking the fish and roasting the vegetables would have been in keeping with the Mediterranean style cooking espoused on the website. I was rather grossed out by the dirty fingernails of our waiter who seemed to, at one point, forgotten all about us. Three stars for very expensive fried platter I could have ordered at a diner and inattentive wait staff. read more

So, if you are at a restaurant that picked up your napkin while you visit the restroom and scraped the breadcrumbs off the white table cloth after whisking away the entree dishes but before the dessert course, you would expect that service matters to the restaurant. If you let the server know that the pasta is too mushy and overcooked when you are asked how you are enjoying your meal, and he tells you that he would inform the kitchen, and you end up leaving a large majority of the pasta uneaten on your plate (and un-doggie-bagged), wouldn't you expect that your dissatisfaction would be noted and that it would matter to the restaurant? Either of the server or the kitchen could have easily remedied the situation by offering a fresh plate of correctly prepared sauced pasta, with or without the inclusion of the protein (in this case - soft shell crab). Lacking this easy fix, I not only wanted a dessert, but needed one in order to end the meal with my appetite satiated, and left highly dissatisfied not only with the quality of my entree but with the quality of service provided. Appetizers **** Entrees ** for mine, ** 1/2 for my dc's Dessert *** Service ** Service is weighted, as it has a tendency to color my entire experience whether for better or worse... so that rounds down the all around Savino's experience to the lower end of 2.5 stars. More specifically, however, the crabcakes (Crab Cakes filled with scallions, vegetables and pancetta; topped with dill aioli dressing. $12) arrived as a pair of moist pucks on top of pile of dressed greens. The mussels (Steamed Mussels with leeks, capers and italian parsley in a mango, sailor jerry rum sauce; garnished with diced, crisped red potatoes. $12) were plump and sandless, the sauce tasty, the tiny cubes of potatoes browned but not crispy. I'd get both again, but the potato bits didn't add anything to the mussel dish - and this from a potato lover. I expected the pistachio crusted tilapia (Pistachio Crusted Tilapia with grilled sweet potato, sautéed greens and fried baby bok choy; with a thyme honey glaze. $23) to be crisp on the outside. It wasn't particularly, but the fish was moist, the tempura bok choy soft-puffy-crisp and interesting, the sliced sweet potato okay, but the best part ended up being the greens under it all which was well flavored and tasty. My special of the day soft shell crab with tomato basil pasta in a garlic cream sauce $26 was disappointing to say the least. The pasta was an eye catching red, but overcooked and mushy. You could tell that it had been sitting a while from the way the strands clung to each other and had developed that drier looking surface color. The twin soft shell crabs weren't at all crispy, which made the shell tougher to chew through - even the claws were only slightly crisped in certain bits. Perhaps they were sauteed rather than fried? The flavor of the sauce was really good though, but not enough to redeem this dish. Desserts were presented for our selection on a large serving plate. We elected to share two - the strawberry cream cake $8 and some kind of lemon tart with an Italian name $8. The thin slice of cake was perhaps 1/16 of a cake. The cake itself tasted okay, but the sliced almonds encrusting the circumference of the cake were soft. The lemon tart was perhaps 1/8th of a tart, and was one of those not too sweet sort of sweets. I preferred the lemon to the strawberry, but neither were a must-have-again. The restaurant was never more than 1/2 full the night of our visit. Free live jazz music plays at 8pm on Thursday nights, making it rather hard to have a decent conversation. In addition to street parking a short walk away, there's a public lot around the corner. read more

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Amazing food, friendly stuff, romantic atmosphere. We went on Wednesday night, 5 adults. Food was fresh, tasty, great menu. Stuff is friendly and helpful, kitchen is clean. Wonderful experience. Thank you! read more

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Yes! Finally, another nicer dinner option for Belmont! Savinos is your typical Italian joint, with a seasonal menu consisting of primarily protein, fish and pasta based dishes. The menu is smaller than I'm used to, but they do have a pretty sweet list of drinks. Their Blueberry Sidecar is flavorful, yet subtlety strong. We shared a plate of the osso bucco, which was simmered in a delicious reduction sauce, with pieces of lamb (I believe). For an entrée, I got their roasted duck breast. The portions were extremely generous, especially for this type of fare. However, my duck breasts were a bit overdone, giving it a harder texture than I would have liked. Judging from what my family got, it seems like their food tend to run on the more well-done side of things. Personally, I prefer my food (especially fine cuts of beef) more tender and juicy, so I recommend ordering rare/medium-rare. The décor was very nice, with a very minimalist approach to it. The simple lighting adds to the intimate and romantic atmosphere. Given the large portions, I thought the prices were extremely fair. While the food here wasn't out of this world or anything like that, it was good enough to get the job done. read more

Savinos - Blueberry sidecar - Italian Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

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This is my second time there. We went for our anniversary, and had a great time overall. I thought the atmosphere was great, and the service really good. Any waiting we did was because we wanted to stretch the night on. And this was a Saturday, and so it was packed. I think 4stars is about right. Not spectacular, but definitely worth trying. I thought the main meal was actually the best part (many places it's usually the apps and/or the desert). My wife had a decent salad with a too few shrimp, and I had the mushroom / sausage soup special, which was very good, but a winter dish and so felt out of place. For the main meal she had steak and I had the lamb. She ordered the former medium, but came medium rare, but that wasn't a big deal. The only real disappointment were the deserts. They tasted like they were not from elsewhere, and had a hint of a refrigerator. Even if that was just my imagination, they were middling. So again, I think 4 stars is about right. We'd go again this year, but not for a bit. read more

Food and drinks were great but the poor Service of waiting over an hour for just our entree ( when it wasn't that busy) detracted from our dining experience. May have been due in part to being short staff due to Covid, but Many diners who came in after us had gotten served faster & done before we got our entrees. Had to chase down the waiter for basics, ie bread, Water & our check. Dinner took three hours when it should have taken max two hours. Don't recommend Dining here if You have to make a show. read more

I love this place!!! The food is reasonably priced, the portions are large. The wait staff was very personable. The dessert was amazing... and I will be posting photos of it. My daughter is never happy with anything and she liked it. read more

Savinos - Italian Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

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We went to Savino's for the first time last week because we had a Nift gift certificate. We went on Thursday because the website offered live jazz. We were both very pleased with the meal from start to finish. Staff: Our server was knowledgeable and attentive. I have a gluten allergy and instead of offering me the one or two entrees that were gluten free she offered to swap the sides on any of the proteins on the menu that could be made gluten free. She was kind and didn't make me feel like I was being a pain because of my allergy. The hostess, bus boy, and servers were all friendly and attentive. Food: For an appetizer I had the soup of the day and it was exquisite. For dinner my boyfriend had the duck and I had Mahi Mahi with scallops, a gluten free mushroom risotto and broccoli rabe. Both entrees were excellent. Our server helped me decide between the two bottles of wine we were looking at and we were very happy with the choice. Atmosphere: The atmosphere was cozy yet elegant. The music was quiet enough to have a conversation but gave the restaurant a very romantic touch. We will definitely be back :) read more

Had a lovely experience. Food was fantastic, as was the service. I'm surprised the place doesn't get more business given how spacious the dining area is. read more

Overall, having lunch at Savino's is a pleasant experience. The food is very good, the service is good, and the ambience is pleasant. However, you need to be careful when ordering drinks, as there is no price list. A martini will cost you $17.00. Yikes!! Also, the owner has elected to add a 4% to you bill if you pay using a credit card. I find these ways to charge you more than you expect, a deceptive business practice. Just raise the prices if you have to, but don't slam the customers with exorbitant drink charges plus other fees. read more

This is the third time we have eaten here and have loved it every time. Unfortunately, we have not been in a while and randomly decided to go again tonight. We ordered the stuffed Swiss chard, lamb shank, duck confit, and house made desert. Everything was amazing! The chard with the sauce was spectacular, so much so my husband said we had to try and make this on the regular. I ordered the lamb shank which was absolutely cooked to perfection, tenderness with perfectly cooked turnips, carrots, beans and spinach in a delicious sauce. The duck confit was not as I expected, but honestly they could bottle that sauce and sell it. The duck was very good, with mushrooms and greens, and scrumptious al dente pasta in the most flavorful sauce. After eating every bite we could on our plates we ordered the house made desert, a flan like dish, but better, the perfect light sweet, but not too sweet, dish to end a decadent great meal. read more

Savinos - Italian Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

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Just really good food with very friendly service. Great for a special night out without having to get too fancy.

Our group had such a great meal here in late June. It was our first meal out together after months of social distancing and we had a great lunch outside. The street is relatively quiet and not many people walked by, which made us feel more comfortable. The salads and bread were delicious, and we appreciated that the chef popped out to say hi! Would definitely recommend. read more

Stopped in for dinner on a random Tuesday night and had one of the best meals I've had in a long time! The soft shell crab was outstanding. It had a very nice "light batter" fry and a good-sized side salad to go with it. My partner and I both had fish. My salmon was perfectly done and I enjoyed the olive and fruit compliment. My husband had the tilapia. He was served a nice sized portion, it was cooked well and topped with fried asparagus- which was very tasty. Other components of the dish (Yukon potatoes, bok choy...equally delicious!). Service was good and so were the drinks! We appreciate the chef stopping by to say hello. If you are looking for a great meal in Belmont--head to Savinos! read more

This was a delightful surprise to meet friends after doing errands in Belmont. We would definitely return when in the area. We met another couple and two of us had the flat iron steak, two had the confit duck. I ate only half of the steak - enjoyed the rest for lunch the next day. All 3 of the men finished their entire meal. The steaks were cooked to perfection and the accompanying mushrooms were delicious. The duck was also delicious with a well-balanced combination of seasonings. The stuff swiss chard appetizer was delicious and the mixed green salad looked beautiful. Service was attentive yet not intrusive. Excellent value for the quality of the food. read more

Absolutely sad and awful. Been coming here for years and won't go back. Last few visits have gone from bad to worse. Felt bad for bartender cuz day two on the job but forgot drinks, wrong orders etc. done read more

Reliably delicious food. The menu is not overthought or overdone, just beautifully prepared. It's a favorite place of mine to meet friends for lunch or dinner--excellent food and very nice ambiance. Quiet and a great place to have private conversations. Portion sizes are just right (not too big, not too small), and the prices are quite reasonable for the quality. Service can be inconsistent, which is why I don't give it five stars. read more

We have been going to Savinos in Cushing Square almost since it opened. We go there for dinner about four times per year (most recently for our wedding anniversary). The food is diverse and excellent. The staff are always very friendly and welcoming. We frequently are served by the same person and she always remembers us! The chef (also the owner?) is always there and frequently comes out to see how we are enjoying our dinner. We each have very diverse diets - one vegetarian and the other almost pure carnivore. There is always something yummy on the menu for each of us. The dessert is often our favorite part of the experience - there is always something new and exciting. There is on-street parking in Cushing Square. We never have had a problem finding a nearby parking space after 5:30PM. The restaurant's environment is comfortable and inviting. This is a good spot for a romantic dinner, a casual occasion, or a business dinner. The bar is fully stocked and can cater to everyone's taste. The specials are always changing and are always great! We recommend that you give Savinos a try. read more

Four of us came 2 nights after the Boston Marathon (we had a European racer in our group!) and were blown away by the food. The service was quick and very friendly. The atmosphere/ambiance was warm and soothing and it's set up so you have a bit of privacy, nobody two feet from your chair and a dividing wall in the middle of the dining room. The kitchen is open so you can see the chef cooking, which is always a good sign. The wait for the food was A) lengthy because everything is cooked to perfection; and B) well worth it! One of us had salmon over risotto with leeks and Brussels sprouts. Salmon was cooked perfectly and nice and hot when served. Two had the pork chop with sweet potato, and one had chicken breast with brie mashed potatoes. Every single thing was perfect. (We all tried a taste of everything.) The price was actually less than I would have expected (approximately $30 each for entree and one alcoholic beverage). We had no room for dessert so no comment there. This dinner was one of the highlights of our four-day trip to Boston. It's always nice to be pleasantly surprised. We will definitely go again as a family member lives in town and was the one who suggested the restaurant. read more

Gross. I have never eaten so little of my meal in my life. We had a gift certificate-tried it out-hated it. Wine list was decent but they had mistakes on the wine menu itself! Food looked good on paper but it was very expensive and inedible. My huz had steak with lentils and the lentils had a strange candy-corn type taste. I had scallops with pumpkin risotto-the risotto had no taste at all and the scallops were gritty. I actually envisioned food poisoning in my future after the first couple of bites. I feel gaggy just thinking about it. read more

Omigod. Just when I thought I was sure Belmont was dying a protracted cultural and culinary death...we get Savino's. Thank you! Fabulous authentic food, lovely presentation, crusty rustic bread, Chic interior, vigilant host, intense head chef; present in the kitchen, good bartender, competent wait staff..... Pet Peeve assuaged I want to give them an extra half star for joining the elite rank of restaurants in a 50 mile radius where people of most any dietary need can actually dine together by ordering straight off of the menu!! (without resorting to negotiating with the kitchen through the waiter) Dinner, drinks, and tip for two will easily run $100, but if that was in your budget you won't regret it for a second. They just opened in June 2007 so we can hope they expand the menu and improve the ventilation. read more

Best Kept Lunch Secret in greater Boston. I've been to Savino's often for dinner but just tried it for a business lunch. Wow. 5 star food at 2 star prices. Half the price of Boston and twice as good. The flat iron steak over Farro is amazing. read more

I went last week for drinks and some food with friends. They've been there many times for drinks and this is my first time. The good: Nice decor, friendly and attentive service, feels classy inside and romantic. Physically it's got everything it needs to be for a great success. The bad: They don't understand food. It's a fancy high priced menu. All the dishes try so hard and seemed to be created by people that don't eat. For example both types of steamed mussels had a weird sauce - chorizo and apricot?! Basically it's like someone discovered cooking, wants to show off but just has terrible taste. I don't like to write bad reviews because it feels lousy. However this place could be really good if not great if they just went more traditional. Do your mussels in garlic and white wine for crying out loud! My advice - stop experimenting and go get fantastic fresh ingredients to mix it up. This place is out in the 'burbs so simple and good food with a flair will work just fine. Working too hard with all these bizarre combinations is counter productive. Last point on this is value. The portions of both apps and dinners were pretty small and expensive. The price/value was way out of line. Get fresh, get simple, and be more italian and you'll be full of regular customers. read more

Service is so bad that we stop caring about the food. Savino's should be better. So we go to Porcini's instead. read more

The food was good, the waiter was terrible. We were growing old waiting for our dinner to come out of the kitchen. I ordered a cup of tea at the end of the meal, nothing special. I almost fell over when I got the bill . . . $8.50 for a cup of tea!!! Never again will I visit this restaurant. Lynne read more

Really nice Italian spot! I get bored with the Belmont offerings and this is a nice touch. Had an excellent and friendly waitress today at lunch, who was more Than accommodating and kind to the 4 kids I dined with. We had the bruschetta which had a nice variation with avocado, my son had the salmon which was small but cooked perfectly, I had the special Pinot Grigio ( well priced) with an excellent bolognese and my sister had the panini. Everything delicious. Will be back for dinner! read more

Savinos - Bruschetta with avocado.. My daughter loved it! - Italian Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

I just finished the pan-seared monk fish with sea scallops (I ordered takeout--so don't worry, I'm not Yelping in the middle of a date, or anything like that). My whole dish was cooked *perfectly* and tasted incredible. All of the flavors worked very, very well together. Check it out when you're there, and definitely get some of their Italian hummus and bread to start. The hostess who took my order and handled my payment was a true delight. Very kind, courteous, and professional--I felt welcomed. The atmosphere and bar looked very nice--modern and clean, open and inviting. Prices are on the higher end, but that's not a critique--you get what you pay for. My portion was very filling, and like I mentioned above, the quality was outstanding. I had a great interview for a new job today, so hey, figured I'd treat myself. I ordered my dinner at 5:00pm on a Thursday, so there was no dinner rush to truly test their mettle, but based on my experience, I can't see them losing much of their quality, if at all, on a Friday or Saturday night. Can't think of any real critiques. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to coming back! read more

I've been here twice: Once for a regular meal at a regular table, with a regular dish that I wasn't super thrilled about. That was then*. But NOW, I adore the Sundown Specials offer Savinos has created to draw in a Wednesday night crowd: three tapas plates and a potent cocktail for the bargain price of $22. You sit at the bar, you watch people walk by, and you soak in the rich ambiance of Savinos - Me heart Sundown Specials. Bonus: On Wednesday night, Savinos extends this special for the ladies, so you can order off this menu til 9 PM. Score! *Interesting side note: My first review from Savinos has disappeared. No matter, because they've much improved all the things I wasn't keen on before. The staff is friendlier now, the tastes more developed, and the presentation more interesting. read more

Here's the thing... The food is absolutely amazing but the service is horrible. I went here on a recent Friday night with someone special. I had a $50 gift certificate and the only restriction was that it could be not used Saturdays after 7 PM. It was Friday and, unbeknownst to me, it was also Restaurant Week. But that shouldn't have mattered. After waiting for 45 minutes between appetizers and the main course, and having to politely ask the server to hurry up with the desserts and the check, I attempted to use my gift certificate. As I see the server holding my certificate while speaking with one of the chefs, I'm realizing the chef is also the manager (NOT a good way to run a restaurant, BTW.) The server comes back and says he can't use my gift certificate because it's Restaurant Week -- that's what the manager said. Oh, really? I inform him that no where on the gift certificate does it say it cannot be used during restaurant week. There was very little fine print on the gift certificate, and the only restriction is that it can't be used Saturday nights -- it was printed clear as day. I won the argument, but the whole situation was really off-putting because it caused a back-and-forth between myself and the server. It was obvious that the manager arbitrarily decided to not accept my gift certificate -- and this was after we had extremely slow service, which he was oblivious to because he's also the chef. I worked in several restaurants in college and I have never seen the manager also working as the chef, especially when it's Restaurant Week and the establishment also rolled out a new menu (which the server told us earlier in the night.) The other thing that bothered me was, during the long time we were waiting for our meal, the server apologized and said it was due to the new menu, Restaurant Week, and being the busiest night they've had all week. The thing is, it wasn't that busy. It was moderately busy but there were a few empty tables the entire time. Again, another example of why the manager should get out of the kitchen more often. With all this being said, I have to say my food was exquisite. I had some kind of pasta bolgonese dish that was amazing. The appetizer was also a pasta-type thing loaded with fine cheeses -- sort of like lasagna but better. If the service was better I would consider going back there again, but that's not likely to happen. read more

This was our second visit since it first opened. A restaurant to try and decide for yourself. Very nice atmosphere and friendly informative service. Since my friend is a vegetarian he had very little to choose from. His salad was fresh and free form lasagna okay. My mushroom soup could have used something more. The 2 meat bolognese was tasty and the chorizo on top added a touch. read more

Excellent service, attentive waiter, delicious food, great menu selections, good wine selection, nice ambiance, just what we were looking for. Combo of tapas orders and entrees. Short rib excellent and tender and salmon crisp while juicy. Our compliments to the chef. read more

came here for my dad's bday and it was great! All the bad reviews are from 2 years ago. So it seems they have made some improvments for the better!! I do have to say though, for such a nice restaurant and great food. the service still needs a little improvement. it was not horrible, but it could have been better. All the appetizers were great. we had the mussels and pan seared fois gras. Since it was Monday, they have a special pasta monday menu, you pick a pasta and you get a salad or soup and dessert for $25. A really great deal if you ask me. For dinner my mom had the caramelized scallop pasta OMG so freakin good! scallops cooked to perfection and the sauce on the pasta was tasty and light. I had the swordfish special. I loveeed this dish. the swordfish was cooked perfectly. tasty mashed potatoes and green beans (extremely fresh and tender) My sister ordered the sirloin special, but we waited too long to order and they ran out, so she got the hanger steak instead. the sause was great and the steak was cooked nicely. The risotto was less saucy then usual, but still tasted great. All in all, I think we will be returning here. The atmosphere is simple and clean. read more

The good: Nice atmosphere, good service, a good cocktail, coffee and dessert. The bad: mediocre to poor entrees. My husband ordered the steak. We've had better steak tips from casual places for less than half the price. I ordered the fettuccine. Again, I've had a similar dish from a casual place for about half the price that was way better. If you're going to charge those prices ($20 - $30 per entree) you can't serve bland, overpriced food. No wonder there were so many empty seats on a Saturday night. read more

Went here for the first time last night. Very nice decor. Great food, got the mushroom and chorizo soup with spinach fettucine and chicken. The chicken was great, and not parmeseanated, with some bacon and tomato. Would prefer non sundried tomatoes, the bain of my existence. wifey got a nice dish as well forget what it was. Nice host staff and waiter and I totally kept the water guy busy filling up the glass. Overall very good and BlackBerry partner network paid for the dinner too, thanks Blackberry! We didnt get any desert or coffee but found ourselves staring at another couple's espresso and vowed to get it next time we're there. There are a lot of grey hairs there, which is guess is OK. the tables are very private given the way they laid them out, the benches, etc. read more

I've been there several times because it is there, it's never too crowded, you can hear the person you're with speaking (excepting live music nights) and it seems decent enough. Food's ok, just not so great it's worth getting so scary in the wallet over. The wine list isn't bad, it's just not my favorites. That said, it's still a lovely place to go. One thing I absolutely hate about it is the Home Depot type paintings on the walls. The room looks designed to put small artworks on certain walls, but the effect of cheap crap for art is almost enough to ruin the whole thing. I used to see those paintings in thrift shops in the 70's after motels closed down. No, no, and no. That's not art. On an up note, the chef does seem to understand pumpkin. Whatever he does with pumpkin has worked for me so far, I do recommend. read more

Although the first time that my wife and I went to Savino's we were underwhelmed, since then Savino's has surpassed our expectations! Usually, we eat at the bar and enjoy a few tapas. The portions are small but the food is exquisite! From the kobe meatballs, to the scallops, to the polenta; you really cannot go wrong! Also the dip for the bread is delightful. My wife would be upset if I did not mention the pomegranate plum martini's. Try it out! read more

Has anyone else noticed that low star, "negative" reviews invariably say more about the reviewer than the business they are reviewing? " Horrors there was a sprig of fresh thyme on my entree, I hate that" , " what's with no salt or pepper on the table?", restaurant owners have learned through experience that those items, if left on the table, often go missing. That said, I discovered Savinos about 8 months ago and was so impressed with the service, quality and variety of items on the menus (there is the regular menu, Tapas menu as well as at least two specials) that I have had dinner every Saturday night since. I work on Saturdays so it is my Friday and I look forward to ending my work week sitting at the bar and enjoying a delicious meal and fine wine in a very relaxed, civilized atmosphere.. read more