Carley Lemay

UNREAL. Every time I go to Tonino it’s a 10/10 experience. The food is absolutely incredible...easily the best Italian in Boston, and their specials never miss. The entire staff is warm, professional, and so attentive. Special shoutout to the lovely Taylor, who always makes the experience even better. I recently had my birthday dinner there, and the staff went above and beyond to accommodate multiple dietary restrictions and food allergies. Every single one of my friends left raving about the meal and is already trying to book a reservation to go back. I seriously can’t recommend them enough!

Chris Eng

Incredibly good in all respects. We've loved every dish across multiple visits. If for some crazy reason you're only ordering one pasta, pick the bucatini with chili anchovy butter and bottarga. Save room for the tiramisu, which is made using amaro (Meletti I believe), dark chocolate, and sea salt -- this combo balances out what in most other restaurants would be a cloyingly sweet dessert.

+2

Manasi Datar

Tonino is a little gem in the heart of Jamaica Plain. They have a small and simple menu, but you can't go wrong with it all the pizzas are delicious. Noteworthy pastas include the buccatini, cavatelli, rigatoni, and cappareli. They usually also have a seasonal pasta (for us it was a corn pasta) and it was sooo tasty. They also have a superb cheesecake on the menu. You must try it. We love this little place, and our hack is to go there either early or late on a weekday. Their bar seating is given to walk-ins and IMO the best seating in the house - it's almost a chef's table. Highly recommend this place; you won't be disappointed.

Hesam Azimi

Tonino has been one of the hardest reservations to snag in Boston, so our expectations were sky-high—and it did not disappoint. The restaurant itself is tiny, warm, and inviting, with carefully chosen art and soft lighting that create a charming, intimate vibe, and kind staff with amazing service. From start to finish, everything we had lived up to the hype. We started with both salads on the menu: the Trevisano and the Tomato. The Trevisano was tangy in the best way, while the Tomato Salad was even more impressive—fresh, vibrant, and beautifully balanced with stone fruit, tomatoes, and Fresno peppers. For mains, we tried the Pepperoni and Honey pizza, along with three pastas: Lumache with mushrooms, Cappelletti, and Bucatini with chili-anchovy butter. The pizza slice is served in two pieces, made on house-made focaccia, giving it a texture reminiscent of an elevated, crunchier Sicilian style. The sauce was beautifully balanced and paired perfectly with the spicy-sweet combination of hot honey and pepperoni. The Cappelletti was the star of the night—rich, cheesy, and elevated by a touch of aged balsamic that cut through perfectly. The Bucatini came in a very close second. Despite not usually loving anchovies, we were blown away by how harmoniously the flavors came together, with the chili butter adding heat and the breadcrumbs providing a satisfying crunch. The Lumache, while good, felt a little one-note compared to the others. Desserts were just as impressive. The ricotta cheesecake was incredibly fluffy and light, and while the panna cotta could have been a bit firmer in texture, the flavor was outstanding. The fennel and Snapdragon apple on top made for a delightful finishing touch. P.S , don’t sleep on the amazing tea selection they have, we tried the Yuzu genmaicha tea and it was delicious! Tonino might just be the best Italian restaurant in Boston right now, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it earn Michelin recognition this November. We’ll absolutely be back—if we can manage to get another reservation!

+6

Andrew Levenson

Tonino was a gem! Delicious food and wonderful service. I enjoyed the pasta, Pizza Bianca and tiramisu. I will say, though, try Via Cannuci nearby. Less hype, but IMO it’s equally delicious and much easier to get into. Leave extra time to find parking!

+2

Sabina Shorey

Amazing restaurant experience! Everything I've had has been great and left wanting to come back. The waitress went above and beyond helping us with wine and aperitif picks. Small restaurant, can be hard to get a reservation but definitely worth it.

+2

Cami Tussie

Had an incredible experience here - lived up to the hype based off the cappelletti alone. It is a MUST, I’ve never had a pasta experience like it before. The pizza Bianca is not a pizza, beware, it’s hot delicious bread. The ricotta and eggplant caponata we ordered with the pizza Bianca highly recommend. The tomato salad and mushroom pasta (lumache) were good, but not standouts. The tagliolini aglio olio pomodoro we wouldn’t get again (still delicious, but there’s better on the menu). Tiramisu is a MUST. Best I’ve ever had. Incredible and kind service!! Worth the stress to get a reservation

+4

Dave

Went with the wife for a date night. Reserved a table just in case because we saw how popular this place is and it doesn't disappoint in that regard, especially with the small yet cosy feel inside. I had done some research on the menu before we arrived, so although we knew what we wanted we were open to hearing recommendations from our server because this was our first time dining at Tonino. These recommendations would not be ignored, as coming in, we knew we would order a pizza bianca but didn't know which. However, as we told our server we wanted the "small" that consisted of mortadella, pecorino, and house pickles, our server knew that we should try the ricotta and hot honey with the pizza bianca. That recommendation did not disappoint as the sweetness of the honey and the creaminess of the ricotta paired perfectly with the crispy and crunchy, yet airy bread of the pizza bianca. Shortly after, the mortadella, pecorino, and house pickles arrived on a platter. Now the mortadella had a nice aftertaste and pecorino cheese is always great, but their house pickles were easily the best pickles I have had in my life, hands down, not even close. In the end my wife ordered the bucatini and I ordered the rigatoni. The pastas themselves on both dishes were clearly handmade as labors of love to the customer. I do want to preface my thought on my main dish by saying that am not too cultured in terms of palatte or food exploration. That being said my rigatoni dish's sauce and topping of guancile I believe it was, was a bit too rich for me. But if that is the only complaint I can find about this establishment, then so be it. My wife (a slightly more travelled diner) told me that her pasta and the culmination of the mouth feel, flavor profile, and freshness made her believe this is a top 5 dish she has had in her life. If you are ever in the southern part of Boston and want AMAZING italian food, stop no further than Tonino.

Katy Urda

An easy 5 stars. We’ve been here twice now and can’t believe that the second visit exceeded the high expectations set by our first. Everything we ordered was genuinely standout. Best Caesar salad we’ve ever had! Just go.

Jimmy Zhu

Perhaps the snowfall toward the end of our meal added to the magic of Tonino, but even on an ordinary night, this place would still be exceptional. On my first visit, I turned to Yelp for guidance and settled on the most popular dish—the Cappelletti. We each ordered it, no hesitation, and it absolutely blew us away. It was rich, comforting, and exactly what we were craving. The ambiance at Tonino was cozy, dim, and lively. Our table by the window felt slightly cramped, but it only added to the charm of the experience, making for a meal that was both intimate and memorable. We also tried the Pizza Bianco, which, despite its name, isn’t actually pizza but rather bread served with dip. Unable to decide, we took our waitress’s suggestion and opted for a sampler of all three. If I went back, I’d go straight for the hot honey or the eggplant caponata—both were standout choices. The clams were tasty but not the highlight of the meal. For dessert, we ordered one of each: the tiramisu, panna cotta, and ricotta cheesecake. If I had to rank them, the cheesecake took the top spot, followed by the panna cotta, with the tiramisu coming in last. If I find myself back in Boston, I’d return to Tonino in a heartbeat.

+8

Jea Kim

The rumors were true. Best Italian restaurant in Boston. Finally made my way here this past Saturday night. As expected, the reservation were extremely hard to get. When we arrived, a long line had already formed by the entrance, and it turns out the buzz wasn’t unwarranted - two bar seats are set aside for walk-ins, but with no waitlist in place, it’s first-come, first-served. Tonino’s menu didn’t follow the traditional Italian playbook. No veal chops, meatballs, or even crispy calamari. Aside from a few seafood dishes like the clams and the anchovies, there weren’t a lot of protein options. Here, it was all about the simple dishes - pasta and pizza. The focus on the pasta’s texture and balance of flavors was especially memorable, and overall, it felt like Italian cuisine distilled to its purest, most artful form where very bite felt like a celebration of simplicity done exceptionally well. Favorite Dishes: Pizza Bianca with Ricotta & Hot Honey, Bucatini, Panna Cotta Every dish we tried was amazing. From the first few dishes, my favorite was the Pizza Bianca. Essentially a deconstructed pizza, it came with warm, pillowy bread meant for spreading with your choice of dip. What made it even better was its versatility. We ended up using the last few pieces to soak up the clam juice from Counterneck Clams. The basil they used had a strong fragrance which played beautifully with the briny clam flavors. The Cappelletti, the most popular pasta on the menu, didn’t quite live up to the hype for me. The aged balsamic added a pleasant sweetness on the finish, but the Taleggio cheese felt a bit too overpowering. Wasn’t a bad dish by any means, but the balanced was tipped into overly salty territory. Among the other pastas, our favorite was the bucatini. Instead of relying on a heavy sauce, this dish let two powerhouse ingredients - anchovy chili butter and bottarga (cured fish roe pouch) - do all the work. In other words, a pasta that didn’t lean on the usual tangy seafood flavors but instead delivered a beautifully restrained, deeply umami rich experience. Most importantly, the Panna Cotta with basil sugar & apples. Easily the best dessert I’ve had in Boston. No description could truly do it justice, but here’s my best attempt: the panna cotta itself was exquisitely creamy and impossibly smooth, the kind that melts on your tongue. The finely diced apples added a crisp, refreshing contrast, while the basil sugar brought a delicate, herbaceous lift that made each bite effortlessly balanced. A masterpiece in simplicity and an absolute must-try.

+3

I have both good things to say and some critiques. Let me follow a chronological order. The wine selection was the most disappointing part since the restaurant didn't carry any natural (red) wine. The pizza bianca along with stracciatella was good overall but the breads were too crispy. I ordered 4 pasta dishes. Cappelletti was the highlight of the night. It was heavenly! I found the limache, bugatini, and rigatoni average. Even more that the bugatini was too heavy, and I personally am not a fan of bread crumbs. Desserts were too playful. Salt was excessive on both tiramisu and Panna Cotta. My wife didn't like the milk chocolate on tiramusu, she was expecting a darker chocolate. The restaurant was kid friendly. Though, I expect from any restaurant to be able to make simple pasta dishes with butter or tomato sauce. Overall, I would come back for the cappelletti, and hope they fixed their wine selection by then. Ambiance and service were great.

Alexander

Finally was able to snag reservation that worked after a few weeks of trying to corral people together. The restaurant itself was great. I thought it was a little too dark but overall had a great ambiance and cute, subdued aesthetic. The music and general noise was also at a comfortable level, a nice touch which many restaurants get wrong. The service was also great. Very attentive and helpful for guiding us through the popular items, specials, and personal favorites. As a hungry group of three first-timers, we ordered 4 pastas, 2 desserts, a pizza bianca and sauce, and a slice of pizza. This amount ended up being right for leaving satiated without overly stuffed. The pizza pianca, like breadsticks, and pizza slice, like a "granny slice," was surprising light and really enjoyable. If you like crispy new york style this pizza won't scratch the itch but for lovers of flatbreads this is exceptional. The stracciatella dip was so good (the tomato relish was incredible!) as was the hot honey and pepperoni topping combination. We skipped the starters and went straight for the pastas. We split the taleggio cappelletti and each ordered our own: a seasonal butternut squash filled pasta, bucatini with anchovy chili butter, and rigatoni amatriciana. The pasta itself was outstanding. I love pasta with a bit of bite and this delivered. I thought the dishes could have all been a bit more flavourful. The popular cappelletti are little pockets of molten taleggio, a slightly funky cow's milk cheese and one of the favorites. I also really liked the rigatoni amatriciana. It was a much more tomato-ey sauce than I am used to for amatriciana and I really enjoyed it. The butternut squash raviolis were well done and bursting with sweetness. And the bucatini had all the umami from the anchovies and roe without being too fishy. Everything was good but they all lacked anything extra to be particularly special. I thought each dish could have used one more strong flavour to make the dish a bit more interesting. I had extremely high expectations due to the hype and hassle to make a reservation so that could have led to me being a bit underwhelmed. We finished off the meal with the tiramisu and panna cotta. Both were delicious, my favorite was the panna cotta. Overall, extremely good pasta and pizza and would love to return but for me, not sure I think its worth the hassle of planning a multiple weeks in advance.

+4

Ivan Ang

We waited 2 months to get a reservation at this legendary Italian spot in the middle of Jamaica Plain. It wasn't worth the 2 month wait. I must add that our server was FANTASTIC. She was kind, attentive and immensely knowledgeable about the wines and menu. We just needed the food to be ½ as brilliant as she was. The bread sticks (Pizza Bianca) were good and the cheesy dip was worth the wait. The pizzas and pastas however, were painfully mid at best. We ordered the Cacio e Pepe, which is a Secret item available only upon request. When it came, the sauce was breaking apart and the dish was a little dull and lack a cheesy punch. We loved the Cheesecake but the Pina Colada and Tiramisu was boring. I feel the 2 month wait probably worked against the restaurant — after such a long wait, I think we expected way too much and it certainly did not meet expectations.

+1

Noyonika Parulekar

The pepperoni pizza slice with hot honey: nothing special. The bread was crispy and delicious, but the toppings were underwhelming. The sauce was perfectly tangy, but there wasn't enough of it, or the cheese. I also wish the pizza had come out more hot. Servers are very attentive here. I did notice that a lot of people with reservations were being asked to wait for a while to be seated. The small space is definitely the issue. Mushroom pasta - the mushrooms were meaty, pasta perfectly cooked, parsley was fresh and aromatic, and contrary to popular opinion, the portion size perfect (not sure if it was just this dish). However, it was a little saltier than I liked. I will say, it's nothing to write home about. Cocktail - I got the Bergamot Blush and it was delicious, strong, not too sweet, and very citrus forward. Overall, I think the food here is unnecessarily overpriced. While I would not come back here for the food, I might return for a cocktail in 3 years when I can finally get another reservation.

+4

Trinity D

I had a disappointing experience dining in here for an anniversary. It started with a 30 minute wait when we had a reservation for 8pm (it happens, but that is a long time and we were starving). The place is very small so seating is tight and you are very close to nearby tables. The service was good and friendly once we were sat. It is the mains that are really lacking. The bucatini was basically flavorless, just tasted a little spicy but not actually seasoned (noodles were a great texture). The cavatelli with Italian sausage was so heavy on the lemon I couldn't taste anything else; I could only take a few bites of this one. The lumache with mushroom and the taleggio were good but nothing special for the price tag. The pizza (tried the hot honey and pepperoni) was disappointing after having the pizza bianca; there was barely any hot honey and the sauce lacked flavor. There were a few exceptions: the pizza bianca with ricotta and hot honey is a 10/10, delicious. The tiramisu dessert is also good, even though I don't usually like tiramisu. The cheesecake was not really a cheesecake; it was more like whipped cream frosting on a biscoff crust (we did enjoy it, just don't order it thinking you're getting a typical cheesecake). I am just very underwhelmed and disappointed, as there were great reviews and reservations booked months out, and it's not cheap - plus they charge a 5% "kitchen appreciation fee" with a note that basically reads like "we don't pay our back of house staff enough so we're charging 5% extra," which I find a little tasteless. Maybe the chefs were having an off day, but I won't be back for dine in and I wouldn't recommend it. But I will go back for takeout for that pizza bianca, they have me there. The three stars are for the friendly staff and the pizza bianca.