This review is a little over a week old. My sister came into town just for two days and she wanted to go to ... of course "Little Italy" (!!) Why??, because someone did some PR on the Food Network about it, naturally! Personally, I think the area is somewhat over-rated. Their are a couple of great Italian restaurants there, but I think over-all they are OK'ish.
We had a nice time walking around the neighborhood and she soaked up some history/culture. The Horth End is yes, a fun destination spot. Â Love the bakeries ... that's worth venturing to the area for if one wants Italian Pastry.
She saw the roof deck at Fiore and insisted on eating there despite me telling her I'd heard negative things from people "In The Biz".
Where should I start, at the end ....Substandard at best.
The space is "dated" in a bad way, like something out of a 1970's bad Italian mob movie and the roof deck was a mad house so we sat downstairs in the main dining room kinda/sorta looking out onto the street.
The salads were the only acceptable thing served at Fiore.
Our entire meal was bland and under seasoned. The tomato sauce was watery like a bad marinara something 3 yr olds' start out with. My sister said her Chicken Parm. was dry and over cooked (she asked for a steak knife) yet her pasta undercooked. I only ate two of the ravioli I ordered (I deided to take the rest home and doctor 'em up). The bread they served seemed like it came from the bottom of the bin it was also very dry more like croutons.. Â The dessert was "old school" Italian style. I imagined it had been sitting in a deep freezer for a good long whille and recently defrosted. For me to only take a bite outta anything with sugar means, I just can't do it. Waaahh
The server was (bluntly) a mess a total disaster! A ten year old would have known more about Italian food from eating at chukee-cheez than she did. I had to correct misinformation the server told my sister on a couple of the questions asked.
We couldn't bring ourselves to return any of our food because nothing was really wrong with it But (!!) nothing was really right with it either. It was, substandard and for Ristorante Fiore that's what you are going to get.
So I had two of my friends come in town for my birthday weekend (technically our since one of them shares a birthday weekend), and one evening we figured we'd just have a relaxing night in the North End. It was a beautiful evening, and I heard Fiore had a sweet roofdeck, so I figured it would be a great place to grab some dinner and drinks.
We were hoping for an 8pm reservation on the roof, so I called late afternoon asking if we could make a reservation. They only had openings for early in the evening or after 9, so when I was like "Oh okay thanks, I think we're good then," planning on looking elsewhere, the hostess piped up and said "You'll be fine if you just come in. You shouldn't have to wait long." So my friends and I showed up around 7:15 and put our name in. The hostess said it would be about 35 or 45 minutes waiting for a table on the roof. We said that was fine and waited, but about after 50 minutes I went up to the hostess table to check in. She said it would be just another 10 or 15 minutes. We went back and waited another 25 minutes or so, and then I went up and said we didn't need a place on the roof, that we would sit anywhere since we were starving at that point. She said she could seat us in 5 minutes at the patio. So we went back to wait another 20-25 minutes. At that point the manager was assisting the hostess and it looked like they were having trouble keeping track of all of the reservations and names. Then a guy just strolls in with his family and asks "How long would the wait be for the 4 of us?" to the manager. The manager says "Oh, I can seat you right now!"
...I have never seen my two pretty quiet, pretty composed friends scream so loud or jump so high in my entire 6 years of friendship with them. He had no idea that we had been willing to sit ANYWHERE and had been waiting over double the maximum time we were expected to wait. Luckily we got seated at an open table on the patio immediately, but I was ready to flip, and I never get like that.
Luckily our waiter was an absolute delight and the food was delicious, but I don't think I'll ever go without having a reservation ever again. Although I never did get to experience that roof deck...
More like 3 1/2 stars, but I'll let them slide with 4.
My boyfriend took me here for my birthday this past Saturday and while the food was good, the service was meh. We had a reservation for 7 and upon arriving, were told we could be seated inside immediately, or wait about thirty minutes for a table on the roof deck, which we elected to do. We went to the bar, where I enjoyed a very well-made Negroni. Our pager rang about 25 minutes into waiting, and we were directed to Dennis, the host on the roof. We gave our name up there, and instead of greeting us at all, he started talking on his mic, something like "where are we putting them? 23? 31?" That really turned me off. Another hostess or waitress came over and they chatted in this manner for a little bit, trying to figure out where to "put us". It made me feel unwelcome. We were seated quickly though, and tried to forget it.
We ordered a bottle of Sterling Aromatic White (on special for $36), and that took a while to come out for some reason. Fresh bread was next, with plain olive oil for dipping. We started with a Caesar salad to share, which came out quickly and is probably the best Caesar I've had. The dressing was very flavorful, and didn't weigh the lettuce down at all. If I was judging on the salad alone this place would get 5 stars. But I'm not. The boyfriend has the swordfish special, which he said was good, but I didn't try it. I opted for the Garganelli all Salmone, which was a salmon and pasta dish tossed in a tomato cream sauce. It was tasty, but needed acid or some fresh herbs to lighten it a little. The description mentioned basil, which I didn't taste or see at all. I think including some basil would have improved the dish. We didn't try dessert, since we were planning to go across the street to Modern for a cannoli.
I don't recall our waiter's name, but he was an older Italian gentleman, who wasn't rude, but also not particularly friendly. All-business, I'd say. Â Overall it was a good time, and I would probably return, but more for the chance to eat on the roof deck than for the food or service.
You can definitely do better in the North End! Â Stopped in for late lunch on a lazy Memorial Day afternoon, and the service was less than stellar. Â European waitress kept trying way too hard to get us to order more appezitzers, drinks and food for the table. Â Annoying!
Outdoor seating was great on such a beautiful day, and I really liked both the watermelon and traditional red sangria. Â The food, however, was only so so. Â Farfalle with shrimp and cherry tomatoes was wayyy too al dente and oily. Â Pizzas were average, I guess I'm a spoiled New Yorker when it comes to pizza. Â Rigatoni with sausage was good.
Overall food and experience were very average, and service / ambiance didn't do anything to sway me towards coming back in the future.
Good solid Italian restaurant in a place where you should be able to stumble in anywhere and get an authentic meal. Â I had a seafood special that was in a fra diavolo sauce, with scallops, lobster and pasta. Â Was very good. My wife had the risoto, which tasted fresh and delicious. Â A bit pricey for what you get but it was delicious. Â It wasn't busy at all on a Tuesday night and we didn't have to wait. Â Service was excellent and I really have zero complaints. Â Very delicious meal.
Review Source:We ended up here accidentally and we had a wonderful dinner with excellent service. Â We enjoyed the patio (too windy for the roof) and a very attentive server, Jack. Â The chef cheerfully accommodated the special request of one of our party. Â The seafood was fresh and flavorful and the pasta was excellent! Â This is a neighborhood treasure!
Review Source:One of the better restaurants in the North End. Food was great. Sat on the second floor and the noise level was perfect. We could actually have a conversation within our party of 4. They offered plenty of seafood options but not enough vegetarian options. I would have liked to have seen more dishes with vegetables incorporated in them but I feel like that is a problem with most restaurants. All in all a great restaurant. Spoken from an Italian girl who likes to cook.
Review Source:We went here Saturday night and were excited to get a table on the roof deck. However, it quickly went downhill from there as we waited 20 minutes for a waitress to approach us, and when she did, we were shocked by the service we had. We spoke to the manager on the roof deck, but he too was an asshole.
We quickly left after that and had the manager downstairs ask us to come back in, but at that point, our experience was ruined and we will not be returning.
The food was ok but the server ruined the experience for us.
Our waitress ripped a strip out of the busser when he was the one running around and doing most of her work for her. Not impressed.
I ordered the eggplant which was tasty but not good enough to return.
If I went back to Boston I would not make it a point to return.
I've been here for drinks on the rooftop deck twice now and I love it. Â It's a great atmosphere to enjoy the warmer weather in the city. Waitresses are great upstairs and very helpful. Â I love the sangria ($10) here- simple and delicious. Â We also had a raspberry lime ricky ($10) and a cucumber mojito ($10)- very refreshing and not overpowering on the mint.
I haven't tried the food but I can definitely recommend this place for drinks and an appetizer on the deck. Great atmosphere, diverse crowd, friendly wait staff. Come in off the street in shorts and a T or dressed up for a fun night out and you'll fit in.
After 4 years I finally returned to Fiore! This time on the awesome roof deck. I loooved it up there. It was spacious and had that Italian patio feel to it. It was also still pretty chilly so they had the heat lamps going.
The drinks were really delicious (strawberry mojito = amazing) but service was iffy. We were basically ignored by our first server but got switched over to someone way friendlier and more helpful. We also ordered the antipasto plate which got the job done. It featured a few different meats, vegetables and some mozzarella balls. Nothing crazy but a pretty good starter!
My friend and I decided to to here for restaurant week since we liked their fixed menu. The service was excellent except they did not give us a plate for the bread they served. Â It was slightly messy eating crumby bread on a white table cloth. Also they only filled up our water once towards the end of our meal - we had an empty glass from our primi to desert. There was no one around to ask for more water. Â OTHER THAN THAY the food was amazing GREAT portions! I highly recommend the fried calamari. I would come back here for lunch and/or dinner. Great experience!
Review Source:Boston Restaurant Week!
This is the first restaurant week meal I've been available to take advantage of.
3 course lunch for $20.13!
Fiore came highly recommended by a couple local coworkers, we were in the area, and yes - they participate in Restaurant Week.
The fresh bread brought to the table was perfect - hard crust on the outside, pillow soft on the inside and perfect yeasty flavor. I would have preferred some herbs in the olive oil poured for dipping, but can't complain at just the good quality extra virgin oil.
Starters - I opted for the Caesar salad (homemade dressing - not skimping on the anchovy - yay! and my coworker had the minestrone. Both were fresh, flavorful and good sized portions.
Entree - The coworker had the homemade cavatelli baked in a skillet with ricotta, parmigiano, mozzarella and tomato cream sauce. It looked and smelled wonderful. I opted for the homemade Taglioline pasta (between angel hair and spaghetti) con frutti di mare. Bay scallops, bay shrimp, mussels and calamari in a spicy tomato sauce. It was perfect! The seafood was all incredibly fresh, the pasta done to a perfect al dente and the sauce had just enough bite to make it a phenomenal dish! While I generally opt for chianti when ordering red sauce - I was in a celebratory mood, given the gorgeous area and light snowfall, and opted for prosecco. It paired quite well and offset the spice quite nicely.
Dessert - we both ordered the lemon mascarpone. Decadent, light, refreshing and great fresh lemon flavor in the creme.
We were well taken care of by Shawn - who was quick to answer our questions, always ready with fresh grated parm and cracked black pepper, and had a fantastic sense of humor - making us feel quite welcome.
Definitely a lovely lunch!
Went here on a Saturday night and there was no wait for 4 people, which was really nice.
I ordered the Veal Parm, which I was fine, except for the homemade pasta which was great. My boyfriend, however, ordered the Cavatelli Con Rapini E Salsiccia and it was incredible.
I'll definitely be back in the summer to experience this roof deck that I've read so much about.
I am quite surprised with some reviews about this place. I have just been there and found it better than expected. The food is great, to say the least. I had pasta with clams and white wine sauce, it was amazing. The Calamari as starter was really good, and the tiramisu for dessert was perfect. The service was extremely polite and friendly, the place quiet and nice... what else do you need? Ah, they also validate 3 hours at the Haymarket Parcel 7 Garage which is very close.
Review Source:I came to Fiore on Christmas Eve with my parents and husband without a reservation but was able to get a fantastic table near the window within about 10 minutes. Despite it being very busy, they had excellent customer service. We ordered straight forward chicken parm, chicken saltimbocca and a special antipasti with the most fantastic buratta- my favorite part. Overall, a solid place.
Review Source:Friends of ours who frequent the North End suggested Fiore's over Briccos nearby because Fiore's has more classic Italian dishes. Â When we were finished they apologized that they had taken us there. Â I am part Italian and raised by a mom who grew up in the North End so I have a good idea what a good Italian dish is.
My wife's pasta, shrimp and lobster dish was not fresh. Â The seafood tasted several days old. Â I had a veal medallion dish, the veal was rubbery and tough although the gnocchi was good. Â Our friends had a pasta and salmon dish and the salmon was dry and had no flavor.
The table they sat us at was suitable for two not four people. Â All in all we would not return here in the future. Â A disapointment since we live in the burbs and rarely get into the North End to eat. Â This place caters to tourists who probably are in town for one meal and then gone, not for repeat customers.
Even with reservations it took awhile to get a table on the rooftop but in the middle of summer on a lovely weekend night I guess that is to be expected. The atmosphere at this place is absolutely electric especially on the rooftop which is split evenly between an outdoor bar area and a waited tables - which gives the place a very lively feel.. During the summer, there are few places in Boston I would rather go to for a fun meal with a couple of friends.  The food was very good  - we started with a calamari (as we usually do at Italian restaurants) which was nice - one of the better fried calamari that I have tried. The seafood spaghetti in white wine sauce (Spaghetti allo Scoglio) was near perfect with an abundant amount of fresh seafood and really delicious pasta. The chicken parm was solid too.
Food - 4/5 - excellent Spaghetti allo Scoglio. solid chicken parm
Service - 2/5 - indifferent to say the least - charged me for a beer that I ordered but never arrived
Atmosphere - 5/5 - mostly lively and fun meal I have had in Boston
A large party of my work colleagues, in Boston for a conference, ventured to the North End and had dinner at Fiore's.  We were early enough to get a group of tables on the rooftop on a beautiful summer evening. The three levels of the place make it diverse and interesting- though having to descend to the first floor for the rest room  could be very challenging with people rushing up and down the stairs constantly.  Also, the second and third floors did not appear to be ADA accessible (though I could have missed an elevator).
Service was attentive for such a large party (14). Appetizers arrived - calamare, proscuitto/cheese/artichokes, mussels, shrimp cocktail etc. Â The mussels were outstanding! Tender, in a nice tomato spiced sauce. Â And the calamare had a spicy tangy marinara which enhanced the experience. Â The bread was salty and a bit dry- they only offered oil ( no butter nor vinegar) and in insufficient quantities for the table size.
Entrees arrived and some folks raved about their meals (such as the Bombolotti alla Vdoka- seafood and homemade pasta. One person's entree was ten minutes later than the other 13- so that caused some discomfort- do we eat, Â wait etc. Â I ordered the Papardelle al Sugo di Agnello (papardelle with lamb ragu). The pasta was fine- though I remain puzzled why there also were several strands of spaghetti in my dish? Â Hmmm- perhaps the kitchen was careless? Â The lamb ragu was uninspiring. Â The menu says it's made with fresh herbs. Â I wonder where they were? The sauce was bland, bordering on sweet. I ate less than half of the entree.
The wine list was relatively extensive and, I must say, EXPENSIVE! While this was the North End of Boston, let's be real here- why have so many wines that are $300+ per bottle. Â Do people really waste that much on an inflated bottle of wine in restaurants? Â If they do, the economy is doing much better than the rhetoric indicates! Â Or maybe the 1% order it? Â Oh by the way, the place and all of the North End was packed! Â The economy sure looks active. I get better and more affordable wines at my usual haunts in Albany NY!
The group had a great time- so that's a plus. If you go, enjoy the atmosphere, drink cheaply, and choose from the menu wisely. Â BTW- go across the street for dessert to Modern Pastry: killer canoles! :)
There's a lot of hype surrounding some over-priced and over-rated North End restaurants.
Ristorante Fiore, along with Strega, are two of the primary examples.
I went there for lunch today and had a case of the runs so bad that I had to write this review 4 hours later.
My friend and I ordered off their 3 course lunch menu, starting off with the Insalata di Mare, which was decent seafood.
My friend ordered Rissotto con Pollo. Let me explain something about Italian food and clear any misconceptions: Italian food is flavorful, hearty, and very rich.
Bad Italian food is either flavorless or way too rich and decadent: exactly what the Rissotto con Pollo was. It was creamy and heavy, like it was trying to mask the flavorless chicken and rice. It should have been a side dish, instead of a main course meal.
I ordered some type of gluten-free pasta dish with bacon bits and tomatoes. The bacon bits tasted like the kind my dog would eat. The sauce was okay.
The only good thing I can say is that the Lemon Mascarpone desert was delicious.
But seriously pass on this one. Roof deck or not, Fiore is all show. Walk one more block down to Giacomo's and enjoy REAL Italian.
My fiance and I love Ristorante Fiore. Not only does it have the only rooftop deck in the North End (which is adorable!) it has great food and excellent service.
The last two times we've gone has been when my family was visiting in May and again last week. The minute our server, Andre, walked up to the table last week, he remembered our family's first visit from three months earlier. He was extremely sweet and attentive.
The menu has a great selection and they had great specials both times we were there. I would definitely recommend it to others!
Timing was perfect on a Saturday night to sit outside up on the roof. The service
was superb. The waiter was patient with us as we could not decide what to have. He gave perfect suggestions and all the specials for the night. Food was fabulous. Salmon, a pasta house specialty, Calamari appetizer, Swordfish......all perfect.
Will go back, will recommend to everyone. There were dating couples  to families all could enjoy the atmosphere. Perfecto!
Ehhhh, the food here is pretty good, but the service is terrible. Â I've been here a few times and I feel like it keeps getting worse and worse.
I came here with family from out-of-town this past Sunday evening and was really disappointed. Â Our waiter was incredibly slow (it took him about 20 minutes to even take our order) and he completely forgot about the bottle of wine we ordered. Â It hadn't appeared as we were finishing our appetizer, so I finally managed to get his attention and ask him about it. Â He tried to play it off like he hadn't heard us order the bottle, but he had repeated the complete order back to us so I know he knew we wanted it. Â Everyone makes mistakes and forgets things sometimes, but his attitude about it was really off-putting.
The food was delicious (as always) but again, the lack of service really overshadowed our dinner. Â For the prices you pay here, I'd expect much better attention to detail. Â I would consider coming back here again and giving it another shot, but it definitely won't be a go-to North End destination anymore.
It's actually more like a 3.5, but that's because it has stiff competition only steps away. The pasta is very fresh and lovely, the atmosphere is great, the service is good. The price is on the high side and the portions on the low side. I'm not a fan of their bread because it gave my jaw a serious workout, but I just stopped after two bites and waited for my main dish.
It's sort of sad that I don't go here more often despite the fact that it's a perfectly lovely restaurant, but that's what happens when there are that many Italian restaurants crammed into a few blocks. Since they're in a pretty prime location, I think many of the diners are tourists who amble in off the street.
Fiore is Great!
I come here frequently and i have never had a sub par experience. The food is always great and they have a wonderful roof deck and street level outdoor seating.
The antipasti special with prosciutto, cheese, olives and vegetables is the best authentic app around. The gnocchi melts in your mouth and all the pasta is always perfectly cooked. Their drinks are also fun and reasonably priced. In addition the wait staff and especially Curtis the manager make every dining experience that much more enjoyable!
I would say 3.5 stars
Had a very enjoyable dinner here tonight with the family on a very sticky humid evening! Ordered the oysters (6 half shell) as an appetizer, then wife and I shared a spinach salad ( which was amazing!) and a veal parmigiana and our girls had a chicken parmigiana. Only disappointment was that the Parms didn't come with pasta. It's an ala carte add on. This place is definitely more expensive but quality and ambiance are excellent! Although I didn't order wine because of a long day out in the sun I glanced at it. A very solid wine list!
Inner monologue: Oh! Â I should review Fiore! Â I love their roof deck! Â Wait, no! Â I can't, because then more people will know about the roof deck and it will get crowded and then I won't be able to get a seat there ever again! Â But don't they deserve a good yelp! review? Â No, do you really want the masses to find out about this place, and have a Rattlesnake-like line to get up to the deck?!
Clearly I'm conflicted. Â But the Fiore roof deck is awesome. Â I went there for some sun and some drinks a few weeks ago. Â My adult beverage lemonade was superbly refreshing. Â The kind waitress gave me bread because I was about to eat my arm off, but didn't feel like paying $10+ for an appetizer (my only complaint. Â Really? The food is good, but you can literally fall off the roof to another three Italian restaurants.) Â I have had the food before, and it is good... and my friends' pizza looked divine. Â But overpriced.
3.5-4 stars only because there's so many great places in the area that you have to weigh this restaurant against the rest. I only came here to drink and can say that I really enjoyed their rooftop balcony area which was a great setting for drinking with some friends. There's a bar on the rooftop, and a retrackable roof in case it rains. On a sunny day, this would be a great place to go with friends to drink on the roof.
House bottle of wine is $36 (it was mediocre).
We really felt at home in the North End of  Boston. A great deal of American History and a number of restaurants. Again we relied on a good friend for this recommendation. We dropped in for lunch without reservations and we did arrive at a good time.
The place was not busy and we were graciously seated at a table by the large window facing the street. We ordered some choice bourbon for a drink and the bartender made a very fine and stiff drink for the couple from New Orleans.
A favorite vintner of mine is Benziger. And this restaurant carried wines from this wine maker and I found the cost reasonable.
We started out with Bruschetta and it was very good. We knew we had a winner after our first taste.
Our choice for lunch involved a chicken dish that was full of flavor and tasty. And had us cutting the chicken in small pieces to make it last longer. The Syrah went well with our selection.
We concluded our long lunch with, Â of course, Cannoli. The lunch went very well. The service was very attentive and at the same time allowed us our privacy.
We were told by our friend and also by our waiter that the roof deck is the place  to check out on our next visit to Fiore. And to be sure to make reservations for dinner. And we shall do just that for our return to Boston this year.
And for those who have a need for gluten free food, they do have gluten free pasta.
This was my first time eating at Ristorante Fiore. Me and two others came in for lunch. The service was not good at all. When we walked in their was no hostess to seat us, so we just stood around until a waiter told us we could have a seat where ever we wanted. Then after sitting we were not given a menu. We eventually got water, and later a menu, but were never given a wine list, or offered beverages. The service the rest of the time was just OK. They were really pleasant just not attentive.
The food was also just OK aside from my dish, which was AMAZING! I ordered the butternut squash ravioli in a sage sauce, and OMG it was seriously one of the best things I have ever eaten- everything about it was perfect. The two others ordered stuffed manacotti, and a veal dish. Both were below average. The veal was chewy, and had little flavor, and the pasta just fell apart. The manacotti also lacked in flavor, and consisted mostly of pasta, and not filling. The bread they gave with the order was nothing special either.
The service didn't bother me so much. It just would have been nice to be offered a drink, and maybe see the wine menu, but the three star review is mainly due to the not-so-good food.
My date and I arrived earlier than our reservation but the staff was able to accommodate us. Overall, the service was spectacular. Very knowledgeable wait staff, answered questions patiently, very good at describing the specials. Our food was very good. Top notch. I had the lamb, which was prepared a little blue but was tasty nonetheless. My date even tried a bite (she was not a lamb fan) and enjoyed it. The tiramasu dessert didn't survive long because it was so good.
The ONLY reason this wasn't a five star experience for us is that our waiter (again, he was spectacular throughout the evening) left at the end of our shift and for some reason no one else came around to give us the bill. So we were left waiting seemingly forgotten about, for about 20 minutes. Other than that, a perfect experience.
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