Giacomo's Restaurant

This restaurant was recommended by a parking attendant at our hotel and we are so glad that we tried it. Excellent food and fast service for such a busy place. We did wait outside for a bit but we were early for our reservation and felt we waited for a reasonable time. When seated, you may be practically sharing a table with other guests but everyone we encountered was friendly and even giving advice on what to order. Being a Mainer, I tried the lobster ravioli and (very unlike my usual meal) ate the entire plate in one sitting. I just couldn’t stop! My boyfriend tried the chicken and broccoli in garlic cream sauce and it was delicious too. Very enjoyable! And very reasonably priced too!

Mamma mia. Very good food and ambience. The service was very professional, helped us carefully from the beginning and provide good suggestions. First we were offered good bread and decent olive oil. Then we got fried calamari as appetizer which was good but there were better ones in Rhode Island. The home mode fussili pastas with aubergine as veggie option and with lobster & shrimp is delicious. The portion size is quite huge. And the tiramisu, one of the best in Boston. Words cannot define that.

Great service. Parking is difficult but they have valet. Everything was pretty good. The salad was not over dressed and remained crisp. The calamari was also crispy and felt made to order. The pastas were good. we even got the squid ink special. The wines were reasonably priced. The 2 person special was worth it but there is a split fee for more than 2 if you don’t have other entrees

We had a fantastic experience here. We came here too early before it opened but the owner was super nice to welcome us to take seats on their patio. He even served warm bread and water for us during the wait. His warmth really lightened our day after a long walk in downtown. The bread came with fresh olive oil and cheese. It tasted really good but save some to dip your past sauce! We ordered the fried calamari, salmon & sundries tomatoes in Lobster based tomato cream sauce, and the daily special fusilli shrimp and lobster (you can select whichever sauce you like!) Our palate was amazed and the portion was quite large. This is definitely an authentic Italian restaurant you shouldn’t miss in Boston.

DINNER REVIEW If you don’t want to wait in the long lines in the North End for some authentic Italian food, Giacomo’s is a great option in the heart of the amazing culinary neighborhood that is the South End. The restaurant is small but very homey...you will likely be nudged up next to diners at different tables. If you do have to wait, Anchovies next door is a great dive bar. We went on a Friday at 5:45 so we got seated immediately. We started with the Caesar Salad and Burrata (which was a special) both of which were fresh and tasty. I wouldn’t say these are “must gets” but they are good. What I would say is a must get is the pasta (as it should be no surprise, at an Italian restaurant). Per the recommendations of the waiter, I had the frutti di mare with fra diavola sauce. The pasta was chock full of beautiful mussels, clams, oysters, and more and the sauce was perfectly spicy. This sauce...WOW! Key things to know: It’s cash only and they take reservations, but otherwise the wait will be long.

Was looking for a great Italian restaurant in Boston and a friend recommended this place. The other locations in Boston don’t take any reservations. So this location worked out perfectly. If you are driving and are not from Boston you will have to park a bit further away because the parking spots near the restaurant are for the local residents of that area that have a parking permits. Our reservation was at 9pm and we got in at 9:30pm, we’ll worth the wait. We got the specials for that night (shrimp/lobster pasta, chicken pasta and the veggie butter squash pasta). The sauce and spices were very flavourful and authentic. The Chile red wine was also a great compliment with all the dishes we had. Great Italian restaurant in Boston!

This place has excellent food. I always prefer going to this location in Columbus since they take reservations, the Hanover location which is a nicer area for a stroll takes walk ins only. Food, prices and portions are great. Service is average not exceptional but good enough. We got the pumpkin ravioli, gnocchi with goat cheese and chicken/veggies. We also got the lobster/shrimp pasta. All tasted very good. Wine bottles are also well priced.

** NOTE: CASH ONLY ** I'm fortunate that this place is down the street from me as the place can get really crazy come dinner time on the weekends. If you want to have a good shot at walking in to be seated then I would suggest the middle of a weekday! Service the night we came here was prompt (Tuesday night) and fortunately it wasn't crowded to a point where one would have to shout for the other to hear which can be the case if you come in on a weekend for dinner. I went for the lobster ravioli which was quite good. The sauce was rich and creamy and there was a decent amount of lobster in each ravioli. The price is also quite reasonable for what you get. My partner enjoyed her Frutti di Mare as well (though she was disappointed they didn't let her combine the red and white sauce that night). The Caesar salad and calamari were quite fresh and delicious. No complaints there! So far the service and food have been quite consistent for us so we'll keep coming back! Do note that unless you have a South End permit residential sticker, parking can be annoying if you don't come early in the evening!