Boston's Best Italian Restaurant Is A Must-Visit When In Beantown

If you're looking for top-tier Italian food, Boston is where you want to be. A stronghold for European immigrants since its foundation, Boston's rich food culture was shaped in large part by its implants, many of whom came from Italy in the late 1800s. The Italian American cuisine we know and love grew into its own during this time, and there are still countless old-school restaurants honoring the best of it around the city. At the same time, there are also plenty of chefs providing more modern takes on traditional dishes.

Everyone has their favorite spots, but in our books, there's one that's a must-visit: Bar Volpe. The brainchild of Chef Karen Akunowicz, Bar Volpe specializes in Southern Italian cooking. Akunowicz learned how to make pasta from a group of "nonnas", or Italian grandmothers, in Modena and spent time working in top kitchens around the historic city before landing back in Beantown.

The James Beard-award winner and former Top Chef contestant went on to experiment with a number of other cuisines before returning to her roots with Fox & The Knife, a renowned Southie restaurant known for its warm stuffed focaccia. In 2021, she followed up with Bar Volpe, which fuses fresh pasta making with wood-fired cooking. The result is a Michelin Guide-recognized eatery that dishes up plates so memorable we gave it a nod on our list of the best Italian restaurants in every state.

Bar Volpe stands out amongst the rest for many reasons. There's the buzzing atmosphere, creative cocktails, excellent staff, and perfectly-proportioned dishes to begin with, and then of course you have the layered sauces, drool-worthy desserts, and unforgettable flavor combinations. Think shrimp toast paired with lardo and chili crisp, farro arancini with truffle and orange blossom honey, and caviar-topped ricotta gnocchi.

The Sardinian culurgiones are a must, along with the tiramisu and negronis. Customers also love the squid ink pasta, and the arancini is always a hit. One Yelp reviewer calls the spaghetti al limone "heavenly — light, delicate and rich", while another praises the "decadently fabulous" truffled rotisserie chicken. People love how you can see the pasta being made in the restaurant, and the staff are constantly called out online for their efforts.

"An absolute must if you have not been. Food is beyond incredible and service is very kind," one Google reviewer writes. A Reddit user says, "Both the Fritters and Arancini were deep fried to perfection. Creamy and crisp with just beautiful flavors. The orange blossom honey on the arancini was such a delight on the tongue...The spaghetti al limone with Jonah crab was truly amazing. I was so sad having my last bite." Most of the plates are meant to be shared, so it's best to try out as many dishes as you can if you get to visit — just be sure to leave room for dessert.