Pomodoro

This place is amazing. We get there and the waitress brings my brother and I a bowl of noodles without even asking. It’s like she is psychic! The bread rolls and butter were to die for. My parents thought their food was very good as well. ¹⁰⁄₁₀ would go again.

Seats 25 people. Dark, intimate with nice background music. 1 Waitress handled the room no problem. She always knew exactly when to appear and disappear. She immediately brought free bow tie pasta for each of my kids. Based on Unilocal reviews, I ordered the chicken carbonara and it was out-​of-​this-​world fantastic. My wife had linguine with red sauce and she enjoyed that as well. Caesar salad enough to split. When I consider the quality combined with reasonable prices, that’s why I’m giving 5 stars.

Wonderful! Great food, excellent service and can’t beat the setting and the overall ambiance! Next Boston this will be a must stop!

So we went here for our 10^th anniversary and it was quite nice. Definitely a romantic spot, but you are cozy with your neighbor so it didn’t feel quite as intimate as I’d like.
We got the sampler type appetizer and I got the fra diavolo, one of my favorite dishes. It was very good but didn’t blow me away, it’s just the four star rating. Our waitress was very friendly as well. Overall a great experience. Definitely a place to try in the North End.

I wish I could give them 6 stars — or perhaps if I could turn back the clock so that we had eaten here years ago instead of wasting our time at too many mediocre Italian restaurants. We went here for our anniversary on a Friday nite. It was busy, but not to busy for them to have perfectly paid attention to every detail. We had the Chicken Carbonara and Wild Mushroom Ragu with pappardelle noodles. Both dishes were exceptional, far better than anywhere else we’ve been to in the North End, rivaling the restaurants in Bologna. The tiramisu was equal to the very best we had in Italy! I don’t know why anyone would rate Pomodoro anything less than 5 stars. (And the ridiculous whining about accepting them accepting only cash — there’s an ATM about 20ft away. Is that too difficult for you to deal with?)

We all thought we all die and went to pasta heaven !!! Every single dish was done perfectly ! Each sauce has diatonic flavones ! You can taste everything! we were a party of 10 in this little restaurant and like I said this place is heavenly !!!
The staff was attentive ! Simply put the best Italian in Boston !!!

Pomodoro is one of the best restaurants I’ve been to in Boston. Trusting other Unilocal reviews, I decided to take my girlfriend here for her birthday, and made a reservation a few days before.
The reservation was a great idea, because the place is really small: There are only five 4-​person tables and three 2-​person tables. Only one woman (presumably the owner) was taking care of everyone, and whenever anyone came in, she said frankly, «If you don’t have a reservation, I don’t think you’ll get a table.» This was on a Sunday, but it was Memorial Day weekend, so who knows, but I’d make that reservation.
The place is very casual and unassuming — almost everything is wooden, with wine bottles covering the walls, and no one cares what you’re wearing. The place is very quiet with the lights dimmed, making for an intimate feel.
The menu was concise and every entrée was $ 23 or $ 24, which made deciding on a meal very straightforward. The fresh salads (which we got) for $ 10 were definitely worth it, but the fried calamari and antipasto the owner kept bringing out made me want to come back.
The tiger shrimp linguini was delicious — as everyone else has said — and so was the white bean pasta my girlfriend got. Everyone always gets complimentary tiramisu that melts in your mouth, and my girlfriend’s tiramisu came with a little candle. This dinner couldn’t have been better.

**cash only** The line at Giacomo was too long so we settled for their neighbour. The waitress asked us to wait 30 minutes even though there were tables available. They simply don’t have the service and kitchen staff to serve the whole restaurant. I had the chicken carbonara which was tasty but the portion was huge. It was great that almost 50% of the dish was chicken! Taste wise it wasn’t anything mindblowing but still good. The complimentary tiramisu was a great way to end the meal. I would probably return as they are one of the few places in north end that take reservations. They also have cute décor which offers a nice date-​night ambiance.

Not great. Arugula salad was bland with too much olive oil. Pasta dishes were alright but certainly
not great. Took forever. Service so so. Went to La Summa the following night and was WAY better.

With enough food shows, blogs, Unilocal,and magazines for every good restaurant in the galaxy to be praised a thousand times over, it can seem like there’s no such thing as a hidden gem anymore. But thanks to a street dense in Italian restaurants and a tiny spot with horrible signage that makes its easy to overlook, Pomodoro is the closest thing to a place that feels like a well kept secret in Boston (even if everyone who has ever been there falls in love with it).
Pomodoro is maybe my favorite restaurant of all time (and certainly my favorite place suitable for a date night). I don’t know why the food is so much better than any Italian restaurant i’ve ever been to, but it is. I’ve had most of the menu several times, and it always feels like the best meal I’ve ever had. The pasta carbonara in particular is unbelievably delicious, but you really can’t go wrong.
The service is also really awesome. One time we were waiting outside and it was a little cold out, so they brought us free calamari to keep us warm (and their calimari happens to also be incredible). I’ve never had a bad experience or even a «just okay» experience. It’s a must visit.
Tips if it’s your first time going:
Cash only. There’s an ATM across the street if you forgot to bring cash ahead of time.
The signage is horrible, and it’s easy to overlook. My fiancée and I have gone there several times since they moved we still always walk past it. Easy way to spot it: It’s right next to the ever-​crowded (and far inferior) Giacomos.
The place is small. Your best bet is to go with just one person. Because it’s pretty romantic, it’s a great date choice.
No online reservations, but you can call to make a reservation. You’re usually ok for a Fri-​Sun (non-​holiday) reservation if you call a day ahead or morning of. Because the place is so small, expect to wait 5 – 15 minutes even with a reservation.
Their Calamari is the best I’ve ever had. Absolutely worth it.

I had a reservation made to take my wife, my 18 old month daughter, and my friend to celebrate my wife’s graduation in obtaining her master’s degree from the Boston Architectural School. We did not feel welcome since the beginning as they wanted to leave my daughter’s stroller (umbrella and foldable) out in the street since they claimed they had no room for it. We left in a heart beat as there are many other choices to chose from in the North End. This place is probably great but not family or kid friendly so please take that into consideration when planning on going there.

First off, bring cash! This place was «fancy» enough that we figured that we were safe but a little glance at the front page of the menu told us otherwise. Luckily, we had plenty of cash on us at the time.
I had a beer (they only serve one kind and it’s a light, crisp, and slightly bitter Italian one) and we shared the antipasto place (omgggg was it delicious) and I had the seafood fra diavolo and he had the salted cod pasta. All of our food was delicious and well flavored. I would not change a thing about what we ordered!
They offered us complimentary bread (honestly probably one of the top three breads ever and came with the most delicious olive dipping sauce) and a small piece of tasty tiramisu after dinner.
Finally, this place is insanely small. Like the size of someone’s bedroom. Come ready to be squeezed!

While visiting Boston for a small vacation, I stumbled across this restaurant FOUR YEARS AGO. I am just now writing a review about it because I realized that I often crave the food and to this day I recommend it to people visiting Boston. I ate here only ONCE, people. and I STILL think about the food. Everything we had was soooo delicious. The bread, calamari, the pasta. SO DANG GOOD. If you are wanting the best italian food of your life, look no further. This is by far the most passionate review of a restaurant that I have ever made and it was well deserved.

I mean every single review was accurate before we came here and I couldn’t be more proud to add a few words on my experience here. Some teammates and I flew out to Boston for a conference from SF, and were obviously excited to get some good food. Its funny because one of our teammates had been in to BOS in the past and had some mixed recommendations where to get some good Italian. We were all on edge from a previous experience, but one of one of us found this complete GEM which we waited all day to visit. We made a reservation and got there in the freezing rain on time. (btw, I would tell this story every single day if anyone asks.)
The owner came out and said «I will be with you in five minutes, feel free to jog in place ;)) We started to jog in place before she brought out a complimentary order of fried calamari which was delicious. We sat down and ordered a bottle of Wine from her recommendation and enjoyed what other reviewers accurately said was an «experience to remember for a lonnnnng time.» Constant bread flowing, and the owner brought out complimentary mussels in broth!
The food came out and my eyes are actually watering just thinking about the Chicken Cabonara (Pic to follow) It was the best Italian dish I can say I EVER had. I actually ate it slow. We had free tiramisu which was great to end the evening. We talked about this experience the next day and all agree it was epic, to say the least.
As long as I live, I won’t go anywhere else for Italian as long as Pomodoro is existing. Huge thank you to the owner and staff for such an amazing dining experience!!!

This place is one of the better date spots I’ve E cornered in all of Boston. The interior is more uniquely, cozily, and tastefully decorated in all the north end! The seating is very tight, but you won’t mind because everyone is happy to be there and large/​loud parties can’t really fit. The pasta was ALL about the sauces, seafood, and portions. I’ve had homemade pasta better than the linguini I had here, but it was cooked perfectly al dente and the sauce was on point! Generous serving size too. The service was great — Because it was Valentine’s & I was with my lady, they gave us a free order of perfectly cooked & breaded calamari, AND tiramisu for dessert! I heard the latter is given freely all year long on occasion. Attentive and friendly people all around. It also seems like s great place for wine and Italian tapas. We will definitely be back.

Yesterday 3÷5÷16 my wife and I enjoyed a wonderful meal @ pomodoro to sum it all up it was amazing. We were in Boston for only one night and as always I wanted to go to giacomos
Which is right next store. Anyhow, my wife wanted to try somewhere new and she found this place and it also takes reservations. (Waiting in line in the cold @ the place next store would have been awful) We made a reservation a month ago and we arrived 25 minutes early and the owner who is also one of the servers say is right away.
We started with hot rolls with Olive oil
Ceaser salad
I had the shrimp W/​garlic wine sauce
My wife had chicken carbonara
We each Had two glasses of wine
The owner gave us a complimentary calamari which we thought was so nice
And at the end of the evening top off our glasses of wine and also gave us desert which was divine
We already our making plans to go back when we are in town next and felt like home at this place.
If you are in town you would be silly not to try this place

Omg… This place.
This was a random, «let’s walks cross the street to the North End and just see what’s up» night. We didn’t have a plan, and stumbled upon a small, darkly lit, and romantic, (yeah I was with my BFF, all about the gal-​pal love), treasure.
The complimentary bread that came with olives was warm and phenomenal, and the antipasto made me want to lick the every crevice. Amazing, amazing.
The service, however, is what brought this place to STAND-​OUT status. The hostess was no bullshit, clearly a freaking badass lady veteran in the industry — knew you needed her before you did, left you alone when you didn’t. Halfway through our outing we were moved to the high chairs by the window, as she had several large group reservations coming in, (tiny place, I get it), and as a thank you we got comp tiramisu… And she would come around & happily fill up our wine glasses with a cheeky smile & a wink.
I cannot wait to come back here!
Heads up! Cash only fellow eaters!

I recently went to Pomodoro’s new location on Hanover and I loved the atmosphere of the new space! It was cozy, the décor was great and I never wanted to leave!
The food was ah-​mazing. We started with the calamari, which I’m fairly picky about. It was really lightly breaded and wasn’t too heavy so it was an A+ in my book. Also, the bread that they give you in the beginning was fantastic.
So I was scoping out the menu for a couple of days before going to Pomodro because that’s just what I do. I had my heart set on the carbonara… for days. And it did not disappoint. It was everything I was hoping and dreaming (literally) it would be and then some. My mouth is watering thinking about it now. I need to go back and get it again.
We obviously got a bottle of wine, I don’t remember the name or anything but it was good so there’s that.
And I’m not sure if we got this because we went on Valentine’s day but we got free tiramisu at the end which was just a fun, surprising treat!

Food: 5-​stars
Service: 5-​stars
Atmosphere: 5-​stars
Food:
The free bread with olive oil and olives is insanity — SO GOOD. Recommend the mussels as an appetizer — they’re served in an incredible white wine sauce with tomatoes, it’s delicious. The seafood fra davola was solid (had clams, octopus, mussels, cod, and shrimp all cooked to perfection).
Service:
We went to Pomodoro the night of a Celtics game — made a reservation the night before which was good. Even though it wasn’t too busy when we arrived, the place was packed by 8pm on a Wednesday. The woman serving was incredible, she had spot on wine and food recommendations and was great all night.
Atmosphere:
Absolutely perfect. It’s very small inside but that only adds to the charm. The décor inside is simple but elegant and comfortable. The energy of the place is great, the music was PERFECT all night long (lots of Billie holiday vibes).
Overall:
Can’t recommend this place enough, it’s our favorite spot in the north end now!

I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed this place yet. It’s been a while since I last stepped foot in this place, but it is one of those places I will remember for the rest of my life. The place is TINY, and there is barely room to get up and walk around, so take care of restroom breaks prior to the meal or something… It’s dark but you’re still able to see what is going on. Our waitress, THE waitress, it seems, brought over some bread and olive oil, and then brought over a complimentary appetizer to snack on. The shrimp fra diavolo is to die for! It was the perfect amount of spicy and sustenance and the portion was just perfect, although I had to wrap mine up. I think I got too excited to finish.
She also topped off our wines for free, which I thought was really generous, and of course our night ended with the free tiramisu. I can’t say enough about this place! Like everyone said though, don’t forget to bring cash as they do not accept credit cards.

I was sad when I left because I didn’t have leftovers to enjoy again the next day, but happy because with a few good friends and some wine, Pomodoro was a great place to meet n eat. Warning though: It is TINY inside. Like… tiny, but well worth it. We started with nice rolls, olive oil and olives.yummy.
I then ordered the chicken carbonara which was… omg so delicious. I wanted to lick the plate. So I kinda did… discreetly.
Surprise! Our hostess brought ugh a plate of calamari… but, no one ordered it. «It’s on the house, enjoy!» Wow. This has never happened before. Ok, then we got our meals which were amazing. Our water was never empty which was nice.
Next surprise! After we finished, and sat around for a bit, our lovely hostess brought us a each a small plate of tiramisu. Wait, no one ordered it though. On the house. It was delicious, and just the perfect size too.
Surprise #3…Earlier I had mentioned that I was all set for wine, however, we got a «splash» of wine which was about half a serving, enough to enjoy while sitting with my food mates, laughing and having a great time.
My overall experience was 5 stars or more. I really felt like I was at an Italian mama’s house with all of the extras provided. I would definitely come back again.

My parents and I found this gem about 2 years ago when we didn’t feel like waiting for the famous Giacamo’s restaurant. And we are glad that we did! Now every time we are together in Boston, Pomodoro is our go to italian restaurant. Since then, they relocated to this new address (which happens to be right next to Giacomo’s now). Pomodoro is very intimate with only 22 seats available. The interior is very cute with a dim light setting. Because the restaurant is so small, there is only one server; she was our server 2 years back. She is very italian and knows everything on the food/​drink menu forwards and back. She is great with recommendations for drinks that will compliment what you ordered.
Food:
–complimentary bread served with olive oil: The bread was okay. I liked that I wasn’t too fond of it so that I had more room for the meal.
–classic Caesar salad: Nice crisp romaine lettuce with a generous amount of thinly sliced parmesan cheese complimented by several croutons. The kitchen was nice enough to split the salad into 3. The salad was dressed perfectly.
–Fried Calamari: The dish comes with a big portion of calamari. It was nicely seasoned with salt and pepper and went well with the rustic garlic plum tomato sauce along with the aioli. Calamari was nicely fried and the batter was not too thick.
–Tiger Shrimp Linguine (with white sauce): The pasta was cooked to perfection. The shrimp was delicious and fresh. The sauce was on the lighter side, but paired well with the linguine. The white sauce isn’t like an Alfredo sauce.
–Baked Cod Fillet: The cod was delicious! The fish itself was very moist and just melts in your mouth with every bite. It was complimented with a small garlic and olive oil linguine (with an anchovie broth i believe). My mom thought that went very well with the cod fillet.
The best part is that they give a complimentary slice of tiramisu at the end of the meal. It was a small treat at the end. Not the best, but it was free.
Overall with all of the food and drinks we ordered, we were very satisfied. The pricing is very reasonable. Because the place is very small, I recommend making a reservation if you have a party bigger than 2.
Like every italian restaurant in the North End, this restaurant is CASH ONLY! There is an atm conveniently across the street if needed.
Getting here: I would recommend taking an über/​cab or the T because parking is impossible in the North End. The closet T is Haymarket (green line).