Bars and Cafes in North End (Boston)

Florentine Cafe

This Italian restaurant is a very popular North End establishment. Filet minion, lobster ravioli and swordfish are the most requested menu entrees. The restaurant also serves the old standbys with new twists like twice-breaded Chicken Parmesan. There is an open-air bistro effect at the Florentine Café, which features red oak woodwork and Italian murals on the walls. This restaurant has a full liquor license and a fine wine selection.

Caffe Vittoria

Since 1929, Caffe Vittoria has been serving espresso and gelati to the Italian community of the North End. On weekends, a lively post-dinner crowd keeps the place humming until late at night. Chrome dominates the four levels with three bars, numerous parlor tables and shiny bakery cases. The enticements include tiramisu, connoli and biscotti. Lounge at the bar that serve a fine cappuccino with Sambuca!

The Boston Sail Loft Restaurant

This seafood restaurant serves old-fashioned New England fare in a great waterfront setting. Some might call the decor tacky, with ship wheels, lobster pots and fishnets adorning the wood-paneled walls, but it is reassuring that places like this are still around. Get a table by the window, order the twin lobster special and watch the boats come into dock, and you will be glad that you did not go to a crowded tourist trap and pay twice as much. The restaurant has a full service bar.

Pomodoro

This Italian restaurant is smaller than many other eateries in the North End with capacity for 24 patrons but it is quite popular. Space is tight and the tables are small, but the food is outstanding and portions are large. Start with a casear salad followed by a large choice of pasta selections, including a linguine marinara. Braised pork and beef and seared salmon are also among the offerings. Serves beer and wine. Accepts only cash and no credit cards at all.

Ristorante Eclano

Labeled one of the most authentic Italian restaurants in the North End, Eclano is perfect for a quick meal after work or a nice relaxing evening out. All of the meals are prepared to order with all ingredients made from scratch! The wine list is almost as impressive as the meals, boasting 131 wines. Wild Striped Bass and Spicy Tuna Tartar grace the menu, being sure to satisfy even the most picky of Italian eaters!

Pagliuca's Restaurant

Pagliuca's Restaurant is another one of the very small Italian restaurants that calls the North End home. Pagliuca's serves traditional Italian cuisine which is standard home-style fare with several antipasto choices and many pasta selections. The menu also features some quality seafood or chicken entrees. There isn't much in the way of atmosphere here with paper place mats on the tables and linoleum-covered floors but the food and prices more than make up for it. Alcohol is served.

Assaggio

A hidden gem on Prince Street in Boston's North End, this intimate eatery offers great food in a warm and elegant atmosphere. Sculptures decorate little alcoves and white linen cover the tables. Chef Jam Navaraj creates memorable Italian cuisine. Try tortellini in a lobster cream sauce or spaghetti alla puttenesca. Loyal patrons love the risotto. The wine cellar features more than 120 vintages sold by the bottle and/or glass. After dinner, retire to the handsome bar for bit of cognac.

Meritage - The Restaurant

Chef Daniel Bruce offers a seasonal, wine-friendly menu at this restaurant. It has an outstanding collection of 12,000 bottles of wine, with 1500 on display in sub-zero cases. With over 850 varieties to choose from, this place is a wine lover's haven. Specialty items such as Kobe beef, ostrich, partridge, New York State foie gras, Nantucket scallops and Vermont pheasant are imported from all over, and only the finest of ingredients are used in all preparations.

Caffe Graffiti

Caffe Graffiti serves up authentic Italian café fare in a fun, contemporary setting. Located in the heart of Boston's Little Italy, Graffiti has been voted best imported/homemade pastries and offers an excellent yet inexpensive espresso menu as well as Italian sodas and gelati. If you're looking for something a little stronger try some Sambuca or limoncello from their list of Italian liqueurs. A favorite with locals, students and tourists alike, be sure to leave your mark on the graffiti wall before you go.

Bacco Ristorante & Bar

Bacco, located in Boston's historic North End, offers everything for the couple hoping for a romantic dinner. Elegant decor and music, grand views of the surrounding neighborhood, warm service and an impressive wine list. And that's even before getting to the menu, which is extensive to say the least. From antipassti to insalata to pasta/riso, from corntoni to pollo vitello to pesce and bistecca, Bacco has the works. Try the crowd-pleasing Butternut Squash dish or the sublime Chicken Marsala. You'll leave with an unforgettable dining experience.

Porters Bar and Grill

If you wish to have a bite pre or post TD Banknorth Garden event or working on that side of North Station, there is no better option than the sports bar Porters Bar and Grill. You will notice as you walk in that this pub is a casual place with a wide range of beers and the best wines to choose from. Buffalo Wings, Boston Best Burgers, sandwiches, steaks, Beer Batter Fish and Chips and Chicken Satay wrap are delectable! An acoustic music set and a game on the tube keeps guests entertained.

Goody Glover's

Goody's Grover is right opposite Faneuil Hall which is chock-a-block with tourists. However, it still has a local feel to it. The pub is in a quaint red brick building with two floors of seating area. Like the other pubs in this area of Boston's the cocktails are expensive. It has a nice friendly ambiance and is being promoted as a meeting place for locals and tourists alike. In all a nice neighborhood Irish pub.