Last night I walked into Toscano's in Harvard Square and received the warmest welcome I have ever received in my entire globe-trotting business career from Lindsey. She is the strikingly attractive brunette who tends bar with humor and grace. She treats the lucky customers in her care for as if they were long-lost family members returning for the holidays. The food is spectacular, the setting is very comfortable, but the service is truly exceptional. Thank you so much Lindsey. i am now your newest regular! See you soon! read more

Great food and great service! The ambiance is amazing and the staff is so wonderful. Delicious food and convenient location. I was served by Nicole, and she was a delight. I will definitely be back! read more

After three weeks in Cambridge we finally made our way to Toscano's at Harvard Square. Toscano's is a Square staple with an inviting interior featuring a robust menu anchored around their superb house-made pasta. Our server Miguel appeared promptly and took time to walk us through their extensive menu, taking time to field questions and spending extra time on their Daily Sheet. Since it was our last night in Cambridge we went for oysters to start. Their only choice was Barnstable Harbors from the Cape which did not disappoint. The Barnstables are noted for being sweet and meaty and these finished with notes of seaweed and cucumber. Though accompanied by mignonette and cocktail sauces we chose not to mar the delicate flavors and ate them as nature intended. We ordered the Spada Picatta from the Daily Sheet, as recommended by Miguel, and could not have been happier. the generous swordfish steak was seared to perfection and served with a lemon caper white wine sauce that complemented the delicate fish. We also ordered the Pappardelle Bolognese Blanco. A departure from the more traditional red Bolognese, this featured veal, pork, and beef simmered in a ricotta cream and herb sauce that was a graceful splash over perfectly al dente pasta. Toscano's has a compelling wine cellar and we opted for the 2022 Toscana Sangiovese from Il Nero Casanova at the Casanova Estate in Tuscany. Crafted by noted wine maker Giorgio Rivetti, this vintage spends a year in French oak before release. This is a full bodied wine with dark berries and cherries on the nose with hints of spice and orange peel in the velvety finish. Now, I realize this pairs perfectly with the Bolognese and less so with the swordfish but we couldn't resist a Casanova Sangiovese. We mentioned that we were leaving Boston after three weeks at Harvard's AI Institute so Miguel gifted us their signature Budino-style Tiramisu which was a superb exclamation point to a wonderful meal. As usual, we savored the tiramisu with double espressos with a twist. Toscano's is a wonderful trattoria at Harvard Square that we recommend highly! read more

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I've been here twice now and have enjoyed it both times! The wine list is incredible, with tons of great options at really reasonable price points. The bread is always hot and fresh, which is a must for me at an Italian restaurant. My favorite thing about this place is that you can order "halves" of any pasta, so you can try two different pastas without committing to a huge portion of one. We absolutely love the rigatoni sausage truffle pasta -- it's easily my favorite dish here! We usually substitute the rigatoni for a different noodle, and it's perfect every time. The veal was probably my least favorite. It was pretty thick and wasn't crispy enough for my liking. Overall, a great spot for a fresh Italian meal, especially if you want to try a few different pastas and pair them with a good bottle of wine! read more

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We've eaten at the Beacon Hill location many times, and was disappointed by our first trip to the Harvard Square location. The atmosphere and vibe was very different and lacks the class of the Boston location. Didn't have the same "fine dining" vibe. Service was decent, but not the top notch professional service we're accustomed to in Boston. The server didn't really engage with us, and overall was a bit indifferent throughout the meal. Two in our party ordered t-bone steaks, which were cooked perfectly as ordered, but the cuts were on the thin side. The seafood mixed grill (one of the nights specials) was extremely disappointing, a ridiculously small portion, and the shrimp and fish were overcooked and dry. We had the cheese tasting as an appetizer, and the portion was laughably small. We'll stick to Beacon Hill from now on. Never been disappointed with anything there. read more

Used to be my go to Italian restaurant in Cambridge, but my last experience was awful. The prices are really high and always go up, ok whatever but the quality has gone way down. The special wine from the wine special card was truly terrible and I regret not sending it back. The salad was a very weak basic house salad like you'd get from a diner with unripe basic ingredients and felt like it was pre-made sitting in the fridge. The calamari was almost all lettuce, wtf. The mains were ok ingredients but cooked in tbe most basic ways, nothing you can't do yourself at home. Service was average. We didn't get dessert. I reiterate this place used to be good. read more

In all of my years visiting the Cambridge area, I haven't been to Toscano; I've been missing out! We made reservations for a Thursday night, but it wasn't terribly busy so I think we could have walked in. We ordered a bunch of things to share (listed with my favorites at the top): - Rack of lamb, not too well-done so had good flavor and the right texture; it came with a huge portion of mashed potatoes - Tiramisu - Veal scalloppine pizzaiola - Mushroom pizza - Broccoli rabe read more

The atmosphere in Toscano was both elegant and cozy. The light was a dim candlelit ambiance. The Falagina and Nebiolo were great sipping wines pairing well with the scallops and eggplant parmigiana respectively. The bread for the table was surprisingly tasty and fluffy with a fantastic olive oil. Our waiter Miles was very considerate and cognizant that we were rushing off to the show at the ART. The chefs easily accommodated my dairy allergy and made the scallops without butter. It was a very generous portion with the scallops being slightly seared, topped with shredded leeks, and a large heap of sautéed spinach in the center all swimming in a white wine sauce. It was delicious with many flavors, textures, and pleasantly light. Unfortunately the tagliatelle was disappointingly salty. The calamari were good, a bit chewy. The eggplant parmigiana was cooked well, soft and minimally breaded, although not very large it was in a pretty deep dish and since it is rich it could easily be an entree. It was a great experience nevertheless, very efficient and a nice vibe. The place was full even for a Wednesday night. read more

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After going to Toscano's for several years, today was very disappointing. The croutons for the ceasar salad were tiny and hard -- not as good as what one buys in a bag at the supermarket. The slice of cheese was like leather and impossible to cut with a knife. The pizza crusts were like cardboard. And the bill was expensive for what I had. I will not go back again! (And the waitress mixed the orders for my friend and me and there were only two of us!) read more

Was slim pickings for reservations for Mother's Day so ended up here. Had been a few times at the bar for drinks and apps before. Service was pretty good, ambience not bad. Small size of chairs was a bit weird - close to the floor, like for kids or something. Got cheese plate and bruschetta for apps - both very good. Main course pasta was absolutely horrendous - seafood was one, mushroom and something else was the other. Probably the worst pasta dish I ever had in my life - think getting home drunk at 3am, boiling some water and making a dish yourself. That bad - but worse. My wife's dish was terrible too. My daughter's food was ok - but it was just pasta and pesto so hard to screw that up, I suppose. Anyway, worst pasta dishes I ever had - by miles. So overall, not great. https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60890-d4083210-r1059754055-Toscano_Harvard_Square-Cambridge_Massachusetts.html# read more

Unfortunately the worst meal of my life. I understand the World Cup is an important event . Please close the restaurant for the staff and customers. I can see why and how my dinner was all just thrown onto the plate. The whole kitchen on their phones and the whole staff just standing at the bar watching tv. read more

Very pretty place, we loved the decor and there was good energy. We were excited for our dinner. And what a huge disappointment it was! I ordered from the specials - seafood dish with shrimp, scallops and salmon that was so overcooked I might as well been eating rubber bands. I had them take it back (that is the first time I ever did that in my life) and ordered the gnocchi thinking that was pretty simple but no - what I saw was a handful of gnocchi swimming in a soupy thin cheese sauce. It was gross. My daughter ordered the veal with mozzarella in a marinara and again, this thin tough piece of veal absolutely doused in a watery marina. Her meal really was awful. My husband actually created his own dish - getting gnocchi with a sausage topping from another pasta dish and that was reasonable. When you spend over $150 for a night out and the food is that bad - it's really indefensible. Was it because it was a Sunday night? What happened? I sent this letter to the restaurant and heard nothing. What a shame. I would not recommend this place to ANYONE! read more

Came here with my roommate and girlfriend for a fancy Saturday evening dinner. Service was fantastic, food was great, and the vibes were awesome. This is a great option for Italian food in Cambridge, located on the outskirts of Harvard Square. We made a reservation and were seated right away, started the night off with a charcuterie platter with various sliced meats (salami, soppressata, prosciutto), cheeses, and olives. It was fantastic, though a bit on the pricey end. For our main course, my girlfriend and I split the gnocchi and the soppressata pizza. The gnocchi was cooked perfectly, super soft and flavorful. The tomato sauce was good in flavor, but was a bit on the watery side. The cheese in the dish was great, not overwhelming at all. The pizza was just okay, the crust was a bit chewy and the sauce was watery again. The soppressata was absolutely delicious atop the pizza. Overall, this is a solid option for Italian food if you're in the area, but if you have the means, definitely hit up the North End for the real deal. read more

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Absolutely delicious. Would strongly recommend the paparadelle Bolognese and the osso bucco

Not bad - I liked the dressy/quiet atmosphere where you can actually hear the person from across the table. It's a solid place for a sit-down lunch or dinner in the Harvard area, plus relatively abundant street parking. Food-wise, the spaghetti pomodoro I ordered was all right. Good-sized portion and presentation but in terms of flavor, the dish was lacking ... something. I can't quite put my finger on it. It's a simple pasta dish that relies heavily on the quality of the tomato sauce. I found the spaghetti too much on the dry side and in desperate need of the grated cheese and basil and the black pepper I added. All in all, if you're looking for a lighter pasta on the menu, I'd suggest this one but I liked my friend's spaghetti vongole much more. Overall, just okay; I'd come back to try some of the other dishes like the scallops and white chocolate/blueberry tart. read more

Toscano - Spaghetti Pomodoro - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

This was our first time at this restaurant. Great ambiance and good food. A little noisy.

Went there for brunch and ordered asparagus with poached egg, brown butter and Parmesan should have been a perfect spring treat. The chef obviously didn't give a damn - didn't bother to peel the tough, woody bottom thirds of the asparagus and rather than a poached egg with a runny yolk, I ended up with a rubbery solid egg. My friend's flatbread was no better - doughy undercooked crust with bland toppings. Spend your money elsewhere. The food at Toscano is an insult. read more

Came for Dine Out Boston! Their lunch menu was a good deal at $36 since normal entrees are already around $30. Pasta and desserts were the best parts of the meal. Good service and upscale casual environment. * Apps: salmone affumicato, panzanella salad. The salmon was nicely smoked but a bit boring. Panzanella was meh but I generally don't like salads. * Entrees: rigatoni norcina, veal scaloppini. The rigatoni was perfectly al dente with the yummiest truffle cream sauce. SKIP the veal--so chewy and weird, almost like dog food. * Desserts: torta di mirtilli, panna cotta. Both nice but I preferred the panna cotta. read more

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Ordered pappardelle bolognese bianco, - was delicious, and near to al-dente , at least not overcooked as in other Italian places. Wife got pasta with shellfish - also delicious. Complementary bread and butter. We didn't try alcohol. I would come back. read more

One of the best Italian restaurant in the Boston area! The risotto was very moist and full of mushroom. Highly recommend the pizza. The decoration was like walking into a small Tuscan wine cellar. It's very suitable for celebration and friend gathering. read more

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The food was delicious and everyone was so helpful. I have celiac and they had great gluten free options (including pasta). I was there for a valentine's day date and it was perfect and the prices were also reasonable. read more

Toscano has a very cute environment, and we loved sitting next to the big windows that let in tons of light. The staff was also very nice and attentive! Food is where they fell a bit short, however. We started with the cheese plate- the cheeses were fine but the plating with apple and pear slices looked like something you'd make at home. The margherita pizza was just okay. Finally, the crab pasta we got was pretty good, but not good enough to go back for. read more

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Tonight I experienced the worst customer service I've had in a long while. We had a large group, which can be a lot of work, but there is no reason to be unprofessional from the word go. Several of us had had the GAMBERONI ALLA BRACE and the shrimp were overcooked and rubbery. Several others had the POLLO CASTELLANA and it was overcooked. Save your money and go to North End if you want good Italian food. This is not the place! read more

Upscale Italian place by Harvard Sq. The food is pretty good. I especially like the pappardelle and my friend likes the pizzas. Their shrimps are also giant. The service is always formal and polite, and the restaurant is less likely to be busy than other similar places around the square. Overall, they're a regular choice for faculty-invited speaker dinners and other department events, and I prefer them over many of the other usual options! read more

Highly recommend this spot if you're looking for a nicer, fancier restaurant in the area - it's less than a 5 min walk from Harvard Yard. I made reservations in advance just to be safe and came as a party of 4 on a weekday around 1 pm - the restaurant was still very busy and crowded. The interior is decorated nicely and we were quickly seated, though it was incredibly loud and noisy (which seems to be a common thing that previous reviews have also pointed out) - not sure if there are just poor acoustics all around. I ended up ordering the seafood risotto, which was hands down the best risotto I've ever tasted! The risotto was so creamy and truly filled with seafood (scallops, shrimp, calamari, the works!) - usually I'm always wishing that there would be additional protein in these kinds of dishes but absolutely no complaints! It seemed to have a tomato-y base and our server also asked if we wanted additional parmesan on top, which I gladly said yes to lol. The portion size is also huge, so even though it's on the more expensive side ($30-40 for lunch entrees), I say the prices are very reasonable. Service was a little bit on the slower end - we probably waited over 45 minutes for our food after apps were served, but they might've been especially swamped that day we came in. Overall, we had a really pleasant experience and enjoyed our meal, and I would definitely come back for a special occasion...and even though their menu is quite extensive, I might just have to re-order the risotto because it was just that good! read more

This is my one of go-to Italian restaurants in town. My favorite is bolognese. This time I wanted to try different dishes and ordered mushroom risotto. It was amazing! Two dishes were great combination. Actually, I liked mushroom risotto than bolognese. The best thing about their service I love about is, if you let them know that we share the dishes, they split the portions for two so that we both have one dish for each plate! They have different locations in town. I only try and go to the Harvard Square one. I visited around lunch time on Friday and it wasn't busy. But I also know sometimes they are busy and no available tables for walk-in but most of the time, they have! I recommended this place to my friends and they all like it. read more

Toscano - Pappardelle Bolognese "Bianco" - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Wow. What a great and unexpected find near Harvard University. I almost didn't stop here thinking that any restaurant near a university wouldn't tailor to my tastes (yeah, I'm a bit of a picky foodie) but boy, I love to be smacked into reality and be reminded not to make such silly assumptions. This place had excellent dishes all around. The filet mignon with truffle oil and foies gras combination really blew it out of the ballpark. Even their balsamic glaze was worthy of a picture to be had for home. Our waiter Sampson was also extremely friendly and attentive. Check this place out and let me know what you think ok read more

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Pizza was awful. I should have read the reviews, going back 10 years. Surprised that they don't seem to care about customer feedback, they just keep making the same terrible pizza year after year, soggy cornmeal cracker crust, tasteless watery tomato sauce. Better off getting slices of Pizzeria Regina (or frozen pizza) from Star Market. PS. If you order the smoked salmon, watch out for bones that the chef failed to remove read more

While the ambiance was lovely and the service was excellent, the food was disappointing. Six of us dined: 2 had pasta with red sauce that was just okay, seafood risotto had small fish lacking variety, 2 mushroom risotto were okay, but the veal dish contained low quality veal. Nice complimentary birthday dessert, but flourless chocolate cake was dry and not fresh. Credit to the manager for not charging for the veal dish. read more

The manager made us feel unwelcome and blamed us for something that wasn't our fault. Pro tip: don't accuse your customers of your own mistakes. We won't be back! read more

Was so excited to have an Italian restaurant nearby but fell short. Basket of bread was sad, and pastas were ok. It's nice with the windows but I'd rather commute to the north end or somewhere better read more

I always walk by this place and it looks so cute and bustling with guests. I was excited to try it but left disappointed. Ambiance is lively and classy. Reservations are recommended. But the food left more to be desired. We got the meatball appetizer which was pretty good! But our two entrees, the gnocchi quattro formaggi and the penne strascicate were bland. The penne in particular had no flavor - we felt both dishes were lacking and were dishes that you could make at home but better. read more

Toscano - Meatballs - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

This place is great for the indecisive and for people that like to try as many things as possible. I've never been to an Italian restaurant where they could do 50/50 on two pastas! The food was so tasty and you could taste the freshness of the ingredients. For example, the black truffle in the rigatoni and freshly made ground sausage is a flavor bomb. The pappardelle ricotta, cream, and veal was unbelievable - one of those close your eyes on the first bite vibes. The meatball appetizer is a must get with the combination of various ground meats. I'll be coming back to try the other stuff on the menu! It's definitely a good date night spot with an open kitchen, not-too-dim lighting, and not-too-loud music. Our waitress Daniella was so nice and made us want to stay there a while. I only wish they asked us if we wanted bread. Also food was just a little too salty. Fine dining without the super priciness imo. read more

Toscano - 50/50 option Pappardelle Bolognese Bianco and Rigatoni Toscano - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

First, for their vegetable pizza, it was not the best for 20$. It looked cold and was not as good. I could get a pizza thats way better than that for cheaper. Second when we paid for our food, me and my friends split the bill by three but the waiter mixed our cards up so we told him which person got what meal but then he mixed it up the second time. At last we thought he right so we left the restaurant. However, a day later me and my friends got our charges on our card account and we found out we got charged more than we were suppose to. I got a pizza and tipped 4ish dollars, my friend got a pizza and tipped 3ish dollars, and my other friend ordered pasta which was 32 dollars and she tipped 5 dollars. I got charged my friends meal which was 32 but I got a meal which was 24 with tip. My friend got charged for her meal which was about 23 with tip, but then got charged an extra 8 dollars out of no where. She did not order anything besides the pizza. AND THEN my friend got the pasta which was about 37 with tip so she got charged for that AND another 23 dollars. She reported the 23 dollars as fraud on her bank account since she didnt order anythjng besides her pa. The next day we went to the restaurant and asked the manager why this happened. He was very nice and told us to email him and gave his contact information. The next day i sent the email to him but he never responded so I am writing this. I usually never write bad reviews on yelp but this experience was one of the worst ones I have ever had. They took our money!! I hope to get an email back from the manager. Checked my bank acc again and he charged the right amount after it pended but still a little disappointed read more

Toscano - sausage pizza, vegetable pizza, and bacon pasta - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Really happy we stopped here. They were able to seat us and they do take reservations on open table if you need to schedule something out. They've got gluten free, vegan and vegetarian options. My partner was able to split her dish Into 2 different meals to try another pasta dish. The baked eggplant was large enough to split for 3 people. My mushroom risotto, was delicious and a very large plate. I recommend splitting meals since the portions are decently sized and they even split the desert for us which was delicious! I'd come back just for that. Lots of wine options to pair with your meal. Walking distance to the university and other shops around Cambridge. read more

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I don't recommend the sautéed shrimp. They were so tough I could not cut them with an ordinary knife. A serrated knife cut just fine but they had the texture and taste of wood. I'm guessing these shrimp were the victims of freezer burn. Expensive! read more

A-OK. The food was good and the place is very nice, but there are definitely much better places in Boston. The food isn't as flavorful as it should be. read more

Toscano - Pollo Catallana - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

My mom and I traveled to Boston for a family wedding and our flight was cancelled coming back to Denver. So we spent a fun day in Cambridge and stumbled upon this spot. We ordered takeout and it was 5 stars so imagine that eating there would be 6 stars! I got the white bolognese with pappardelle and my mom got the mushroom risotto. We spilt the burrata. Yum!! Everything was packaged perfectly. The bread was warm, there was freshly grated parm and we were so happy eating this in our hotel bed. The inside of the restaurant is dark and very tasteful. Perfect upscale Italian vibe. I can't wait to try this again when we're in the area. read more

Toscano - Pappardelle Bolognese Bianco - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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We felt very welcomed when we walked in and brought to our table. Water and menus were brought to table immediately. I was surprised that my glass of wine wasn't the usual 5 or 6 ounces. It was 9 ounces. That's what they do! We had the pasta with wild boar sauce as a starter followed by the mixed seafood grill. Don't get me started about the biscotti with Vin Santo dessert wine. I may go back just for that. read more

Everything! Nice setting, great view of Brattle Street, people watching g Harvsrd square. F r iendly servers. Huge menu. Everything our party of three ordered was devoured, rave reviews. Entrees reasonably priced. Classic Italian cuisine, old world vibe. read more