Giulia

Wow. It’s true. This is one of the best restaurants in the Boston area. Creative, high quality Italian with excellent cocktails.

My friend suggested it and he joined us. He had been 12+ times and I’m sad we did not make the effort earlier. W went on a Tuesday night and the three of us had an amazing meal.

The starters were generous. The mains were very generous.

And! The prices were better than we thought. .

This visit to Giulia completely blew me away and I literally do not have words to describe how good it was. Every single dish we had was simply amazing. We had the unicorn oysters, the prosciutto plate, the nostrale, hamachi crudo, the halibut, and then for pasta we got the ricotta and fresh herb agnolotti which was incredible. Pictures below in that order.

To top it off we got the pistachio gelato with chocolate pistachio cookies and it was the second time I’ve had the pistachio gelato here (I love it so much) but the cookies made it even better. We also had the coconut panna cotta with rhubarb sorbet which was delicious.

My girlfriend said it was a 20/10. We will definitely be back.

One of the hardest Italian restaurant to book, so we just stopped in at 6. You can just see how much thought and effort the chefs put into creating and preparing those dishes. Also the portions are small, so you can try lots of different things.

Reserving a spot here is tough. Like waiting for it to turn midnight 2 weeks prior and racing against others doing the same thing via Open Table app tough —but it is incredibly worth it, and I'd do it again and again.

The food here is masterfully crafted and every dish is on lock. These people own the pasta game out here. The papardelle with wild boar is the king of savory and is a MUST have. The roasted squash agnolotti is the marriage of savory & sweet which is my personal favorite.

We had to come here for their V-day 5-course pre-fixe menu and it was phenomenal. They had hamachi as an appetizer choice. I've never heard of any Italian restaurant having any kind of sushi and I'm a huge sushi buff —and this was a top shelf omakase level dish.

The dark chocolate cake with passion fruit curd and brown butter gelato is the dessert to get. Insane. I will never look at Italian food the same. I'm ruined. I'll be back. Thank you.

Reservations are released two weeks in advance at midnight and go almost immediately, so set an alarm. I witnessed a few walk-ins that were seated at the bar, but most got turned away, so I recommend planning ahead. Giulia is on the same street as a lot of other poppin' restaurants, so you should also account for parking when you come (I was lucky to have found a spot nearby, and it was free thanks to the holiday!).

Logistics aside, I am happy that I finally got to try this place. The inside was larger than I expected. The vibes were casual but classy, with dim lighting, a bar, and comfortably spaced tables.

The plates are on the smaller side, so expect to order more than you usually would. 1.5 pastas were enough to satisfy me, though I could have finished both of the plates that I ordered had I not ordered sfizi.
- Chicken liver crostini with green tomato marmellata ($8): The crostini was fresh and crispy, and the chicken liver was thick and savory. The marmellata added a complimentary citrus flavor. Overall, it was a good appetizer to prep the palate, but it was not mind-blowing enough to get again.
- Warm semolina cakes ($16): Served warm indeed. The cakes were soft and sat in a bed of thick taleggio that did not taste as strong as the texture implied (more of a mild cheesy flavor). The apples added a nice crunch but weren't sweet. The truffles didn't add much, even though I believe they are the reason this sfizi is overpriced.
- Bucatini all’amatriciana with house-cured pancetta ($27): Some of the pancetta was overcooked and too hard as a result, but the pieces that were good were GOOD: crispy, fatty, and salty (a bit too salty for my liking, but I understand that that is one of pancetta's hallmarks as it is meant to replace salt in certain recipes). The bucatini was not al dente but still tasted good and homemade. The sauce was lightly sweetened but a bit boring.
- Pappardelle with braised wild boar ($30): Pepper was the dominant flavor, so if you are not a pepper fan, you will not like this dish. The pappardelle was al dente and flavorful. Like the pancetta, some of the boar was overcooked and dry, but most of the pieces were tender. There was a good ratio of pasta to protein. Overall, I enjoyed this more than the bucatini.
- Affogato with cinnamon gelato, dark chocolate nemelaka, and crumiri cookie ($14): I'm glad I was able to get the espresso decaf. This dessert was okay; not something I would get again. The star was definitely the nemelaka: silky, intense, and melted-in-your-mouth.
- Sicilian pistachio gelato with chocolate pistachio cookies ($12): I added this dessert last minute, and it became my favorite dish of the night, so I highly recommend it! The gelato was refreshing and not overly sweet, and the pistachio crumbs added the perfect crunch. The cookies were crunchy on the outside but chewy on the inside, with a brownie-like texture and taste. The chocolate dominated the pistachio flavor in the cookie, but that was compensated by the pistachio gelato.

I liked that my server called out which dishes were staples on the menu so that you could see what the hype was about or prioritize the dishes that are more likely to rotate if you plan on coming back since the staples are more likely to still be around the next time.

Overall, I enjoyed my dinner and did not feel like the effort to make the reservation was in vain.

Incredible restaurant! I didn’t know much about Giulia prior to dining, but I was blown away by everything. Amazing Italian food, every pasta was cooked perfectly. The staff were so knowledgeable and helped with going over everything on the menu, with personal favorites of their own. I can’t wait to go back!

Probably one of the best fresh pasta we have ever had. Pesto and Bolognese are so nice and the best we’ve ever had. The Panna Cotta is unbelievably good. The Chocolate Chip Cookies were also soft, warm and delicious. Definitely come here for fresh pasta. We loved it so much that we came here twice during our 5-day stay in Boston.

IFFF you can manage to score a table you'll find as good of an Italian (mostly Northern, imo) restaurant as exists¹.
Must haves:

Semolina Cakes

Prosciutto Parm truffled

Wild Boar Pappardelle

Dear God, those semolina cakes near had me... Soooo good are they.

¹ Possible hyperbole. Srsly, it's soooooo good.

We had our anniversary here and it is by far the best dinner we had in Boston. The staff were very friendly. We could feel they’re welcoming us deep in my soul. The food was fantastic. We had bucatini (tomato base) and pappardelle (with mushroom). In terms of the amount of food, we had one sfizi (olive&amonds), one antipasti (broccoli salad), two pastas and one secondi and it was a lot. We had enough food, and the price was reasonable. I would definitely go there again.

Not a super fancy looking restaurant (a serendipity of some sort) but one of the hardest to book and tastiest place I've ever been to. Every dish had the perfect amount of creaminess and I didn't feel overly full or sick afterwards. The desserts were to die for— so refreshing and not overly sweet. The truffle dessert is very innovative and they truly made it work. It was SO delicious, and the aroma of truffle was almost infused in the ice cream it was scrumptious. The other dessert was more fruity: kiwi with Thai basil ice cream. The slight tanginess of the kiwi paired with sweet creamy ice cream created the perfect balance. If you are ever in Boston, try to book this restaurant ahead of time!

The Italian food and service were amazing, and they had great desserts. There is also a reasonably priced wine list. Reservations are open 2 weeks ahead, and they are usually fully booked within a few hours. For starters, we had the unicorn oysters, warm semolina cakes, burrata di andria, and the olive oil and sea salt focaccia. The starters were all really good, especially the burrata. We had seared scallops and beef tenderloin for the main course. Scallops were tasty, and the beef tenderloin was well marinated and tender. The dark chocolate cake was mildly spicy and just perfect. The sicilian pistachio gelato were super yummy.

We signed up for the bar wait list knowing it would be up to two hours. Had a drink across the street and got in after an hour as others had canceled. It was amazing. And we are picky when spending more than our standard restaurant budget. The bar service was great. The bartenders were knowledgeable and attentive. We had the cauliflower soup, the beef tortelli, a seafood special, and the cheese plate. The stand out was the cauliflower soup. Incredibly creamy with flavorful accompaniments. Everything else was wonderful as well. The total after tip was about 200 with two (excellent) cocktails and two wines. More than we generally spend but well worth it, even taking into account the 3.5 mile walk from downtown.

We had great food and our waiter was very friendly. The cocktails and our meals were well balanced. Definitely worth a second visit.

Went here on Halloween. Was here a few years ago on my birthday. Came back to see if it was the same. This time coming it was so much better! Had the potato focaccia with lardo. Warm seminolina cake with tallagio fondito. Wild boar with parpedelle (added 3 grams of white truffles). For dessert o tried the special. It was a white truffle meringue (toasted) white truffle gelato. Sweet seminolina cake. This was the first time I had any kind of truffle in a dessert.(other than chocolate )I wasn't disappointed! I thought it would overwhelm everything but no!. Service was top notch. Everyone was very knowledgeable about the menu, the answered every question i had. I will definitely be back. I really don't mind spending money for food this good! 15 out of 5 stars!

Wonderfully cozy spot in the middle of Cambridge!

A small and cozy Italian restaurant is one of the Cambridge staples and me and my partner were both excited to visit for a birthday dinner.

Ordered one sfizi, one antipasti, two pasta dishes and one dessert to share + in our opinion having foccacia with olive oil here is an absolute must!

Though the portions are not big, it was more than enough for the two of us.

Pasta and bread in Giulia are the absolute standouts - we both especially liked the wild board pappardele, which was one of the best, mouthful bites I've ever had. But the great quality fresh ingredients do stand out in almost every dish and that's what makes Giulia so popular!

I'd also highly recommend cocktails that have some great, creative twists on the well known concepts.

Two minor gripes:
- the service is very efficient, however not very welcoming - our waiter was a little reserved and very matter of fact, which made us feel a little awkward
- when making reservation we were ake about the occasion and stated birthday celebration - the "special" surprise we got was a candle in our dessert - honestly was expecting a little more, and if that's it - why ask about the occasion at all? But maybe that's just in comparison to other restaurants in the area that spoiled us with extras on other occasions :)

Overall - this is a staple for a reason - if you like good food in a rustic setting, you won't be disappointed!

My date and I walked in last night and were greeted with smiles. Asking for a seat at a bar, the hostess said that would be 45 minutes but that if we wanted a table there was one ready now for us. The waitress we had was spectacular. Knowing the menu, making suggestions, kind banter and knowing when to leave us for the meal. She was splendid. The food was also incredible. The citrus salad, the bucatini and the market meat dish were all done perfectly. I can't wait to go back. Thank you for a great meal.

Man I wish more places weren’t afraid to be creative and switch things up with their vegetarian food and non-alcoholic drink options. I feel lucky to finally find an upscale Italian place that doesn’t make dietary restrictions feel so… restrictive! Staff are so friendly and also, funny.

A past Boston local first introduced me to Giulia by donning it the only Italian restaurant they’d go to on that side of the water. So there’s that. Not only did they very kindly fit us in on a Friday night, the food and service was absolutely excellent. Top notch food and drink, great vibes. Will absolutely be back. Special shout-out to their incredible co-owner who very kindly sent me my Project Paulie hat I left there by accident. You guys are the truly the best! THANK YOU!

One of the best places to eat in the Greater Boston Area. Food is very good and service is excellent. Very few places offer this type of service which is very appreciated. The pasta is fresh and you find great dishes (not the typically ones you find in any Italian place). Very pleasant restaurant and I wish there were more places like this. Definitely recommended, good place for a date or special occasion.

When it comes to Italian food, I become very picky because I am half Italian. Actually I’m not. But I say so because I love the Italian cuisine. Giulia has become one of my favorite Italian restaurants in Boston/Cambridge since last weekend. We had chicken liver crostini with green tomato marmellata to start that we enjoyed very much. The liver flavor was mild enough for people who were not fond of it, and also good enough for people who enjoyed its usual pungent flavor. Beautifully married with marmellata. Our next dish, salt roasted beets with spiced labne, sesame and pea greens was delightful. Vegetables were well cooked, not hard, not soft but good enough to enjoy the texture and flavor embedded with delicious sauce. The anolini ‘in brood’ was a hit. I loved generous portion of black truffle and the depth and multiple layers of its flavor. I’m getting this for sure next time! We also had branzino with Macomber, radicchio, lentils and citrus. The branzino was grilled nicely and it made a perfect harmony with the sauce. Our last course was of course dark chocolate cake with stracciatella gelato and candied orange. Good portion to split between three. And brilliant ending to celebrate me and my friends’ birthdays together.