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

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

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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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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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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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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

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

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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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

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

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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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

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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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

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

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

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

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

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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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

We like the food, but the last few times we have been there; the service from the bartenders has been terrible. Apparently, there are a LOT of regulars, so the bartenders spend a lot of time shooting the breeze and catching up with customers. So much so, that it is hard to get a drink or check. Frustratingly so. We waited 20 minutes just trying to get the attention of a bartender to get the check. There is no scanning the bar to see who might need something. Very focused on chatting with the regulars or with each other. read more

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

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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3.5/5 Dishes tried: White Bolognese, Rigatoni Toscano, Prosciutto e melone, chicken cutlet, polpetinne, veal Milanese What I liked: Service was good and the restaurant interior was very nice. Our server kindly provided a bag of ice for our leftovers so they wouldn't go bad before getting home. I thought the tagliatelle and pasta in general was very well done. It had a great chew and bite to it. The meatball was juicy and well seasoned without being too salty or sausagey. The chicken cutlet was also really tender and crispy and super large. The prosciutto was good but not standout. What could have been better: It was very noisy inside the restaurant. We were at a central table which may have added to the noise level but the acoustics were just not great. I thought all the sauces and flavors were lacking. The rigatoni toscano was a bit too bitter for my taste. The white bolognese had a good salt level but overall lacked other strong flavors which was disappointing. It was also very oily. Overall I think toscano is a safe pick for okay Italian food and in a nice setting. read more

Always enjoy going to Toscano for a nice lunch, as they have a well-lit space, great service, and delicious food. The food is consistently prepared to a high quality. I love their complimentary bread with olive oil (could eat an entire basket myself) and often start with the calamari in gratella -- grilled squid with frisée salad and mustard sauce. For our mains, we got the gamberi (like a shrimp scampi with chopped tomatoes, shrimp, and tagliatelle), and the sea scallops. The sea scallops were cooked in a way I've never had before -- seared in a delicate white wine sauce with fresh leeks and sautéed spinach. It was quite a generous portion size. The only slight disappointment was the dessert, as we ordered the frutti di bosco thinking it would be a berry tart, only to receive a cup of berries with some sauce drizzled on top -- definitely not worth $11! Food: 1. Complimentary bread (4.5/5) 2. Calamari in gratella (4/5) 3. Tagliatelle gamberi (4.5/5) 4. Capesante sea scallops (4/5) Dessert: 1. Frutti di bosco (3/5) Drinks: 1. Cappuccino (4/5) read more

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My sister and I visited last night for dine-out week! Toscano is a lovely little Italy restaurant in Harvard Square. There is street parking available or it's a 30 minute commute if you take the red line. The service was great and the restroom is clean. The food was good, but I didn't order anything on the menu that was out of this world. My sister noticed that they shaved the asparagus and that the salmon was well-cooked. I was surprised when I saw the tiramisu, I thought it was scoop of ice cream at first glance. It was rich and divine! I would need to try their normal menu to give a higher rating. read more

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OMG. This is where we had dinner our first night in Boston and it set the bar sky high for the rest of our trip. Every meal after this one was compared back to the amazing food and service that we had here. They were extremely welcoming and accommodating having just arrived from the airport and casually dressed. Pasta is excellent!!! Caution to not get filled up on delicious bread :) read more

My friend and I came here for an early dinner after spending some time in Charlestown Navy Yard. We ordered the bruschetta (not pictured), I had the smoked bacon pasta dish, and for dessert ordered the vanilla custard with berries. Bruschetta was good, the pasta dish was excellent - love the sauce! The dessert was ok, personally I needed it to be more sweeter :) Overall ambiance, service, and food was great! read more

Toscano - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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What a pleasure to find this restaurant. We celebrated our son's Birthday a few days ego and it was such a wonderful evening. The food was exceptional, service beyond amazing and a lovely ambience. We will be returning often! read more

The restaurant itself is beautiful, ... a great location, clean and classy. They have windows that open to the street and just has a nice vibe. 5 stars for ambience. The food was just Ok. The best dish we had was the grilled squid, although we had a much better version in the North End the previous day. Oysters were a bit small, but fresh. Risotto was just Ok, and the pizza was pretty bad as other people have said. Overall, maybe 3 stars for the food. Our waiter looked like Stanley Tucci from the Devil wears Prada. He was a bit overbearing and just didn't make us feel welcome, which I almost never complain about. In general, if they are polite and do their job, I'm OK with it. At one point, the busboy cleaned our appetizer plates and asked if we wanted to keep our unfinished bread. I said we did. The waiter came by a few minutes later and snatched it away saying "you don't need that". What?! Just weird. I've never had a waiter ever do that ... even at the French Laundry, they ask you what you want, not make the decision for you and take away your food. Towards the end of our meal, but not at the end, he looked at my wife's pizza and said "I can pack that up when you're ready to go". WTF? We are still eating here, and the waiter is basically telling us to get out ... absolutely weird. The dude absolutely had a weird attitude. So overall, just based on the service , I should probably give it 1 star, but the ambiance and food pulled it up (although mostly the ambiance). read more

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