Aqua Pazza

I cannot recommend this place. Unlike Umbria, you will not be dragged in to the wine cellar and beaten within an inch of your life.I came in for a simple dinner on a Saturday night, because I was down in the North End for a show at Improv Asylum (more on that in my next review today). Even the bar was very crowded, and no tables were available for a walk-in, but unlie unlike the executive staff at Umbria (the owner himself dragged me into their wine cellar, along with 4 mafioso GOONs and proceeded to beat me to a pulp (they then chased me knocked me down on the curve and tried to continue their "work" until I went into Improv Asylum (ie, no dinner for Stu last night) and locked myself in a bathroom for three hours, until the police came, to escort me to South Station, whereI then took the T home. I am still limping from the after effects of my beating last night.Totally different story at Aqua Pazza - the manager greeted me warmly and escorted me to the remaining seat at the bar, telling my neighboring diners to make room for me (I usually do that myself, politely, but to his credit, he knew how to treat a customer).Now, to the food. I had a vegan pesto pasta (I am extremely lactose intolerant IBS, but can still eat as much as I want of the aged cheeses, like parmesan, romano, asiago, cheddar, etc.). I had the minestrone, a goat cheese salad, and the entree. All were top notch.I hope that Umbria goes out of business (but I know that their "best practices" will continue to be implemented.An enormous hats off to Aqua Pazza. The North End is notoriously spotty for consistency of quality service and food, but you cannot go wrong with Aqua Pazza - they excel in both.'Nuff said.

Really enjoyed Aqua Pazza the first time I came here, easily would have been 5 stars. However, the second time really tarnished my overall experience here, and because of that visit, I won't be back here again.First time here: Great service, most likely because we were one of the few tables here. Drinks were tasty yet strong. Food was so beyond amazing, and the complimentary bread came out piping hot with a delicious side of pesto. Calamari and the homemade spaghetti vongole was cooked to perfection. Everything was so great, that we decided we wanted to bring the rest of our family here.Now onto the second time.... HORRIBLE service from the get-go. Reservations were made in advance but pointless. We had to wait 40 minutes after our reservation time in order to finally get a table, and they brought us to a tiny table they insisted we must squish in.Bread was cold and hard like a rock. Felt like they took it out of the fridge and served it to us. When we asked about it, they said they didn't have time to warm it up. Shouldn't quality be the same every time regardless of when you dine at a restaurant? The food was quite average this time. It seems that they sacrifice on quality when there's a higher demand for quantity. So if you are planning to dine here, I'd recommend choosing a day when they're not busy.

As a vegetarian, there weren't too many dishes for me to try. However, the ones that I did saved this review. I ordered the pesto pasta and it was amazing. I think about it a lot. The ambiance was very fancy and it really felt like fine dining. The view from the window felt like a movie. One day when I return to Boston, I will make sure to stop by.

Food was amazing. The bread, which you could tell was fresh, was served with one of the best pesto I have had in Boston. The diners at the table next to ours had ordered the spaghetti with clams, and it looked and smelled so good that it made our order decision very easy. We left no crumbs on the plate. The flavor profile of the dish was perfect. Aqua pazza does not get five starts because our server, while very professional, brought us our check without even asking if we wanted dessert. Bear in mind that we were in no way overstaying our welcome, as we had been in the restaurant for 40 minutes at that point. Simply thought it was rude and put a bit of a damper on the experience.

Came here for dinner with family. One of the best restaurants I've had the pleasure of trying in the North End. We started the the oysters and the octopus appetizers. Although, I did not try either, my family really enjoyed it. I did try the eggplant bursts that were served with the octopus and it was delicious. The complimentary bread was also so good: the pesto tasted so fresh. I love that all the pasta is freshly made. The gnocchi melted right away and was delicious. The restaurant has dim lighting and is very intimate, making it the perfect date night place. I do wish the entrance/waiting area for the estuary was a bit larger, but aside from that my experience was excellent!

Everything was perfect! They didn't have a table available but immediately offered us the bar. The bartender was amazing: professional, attentive, great honest recommendations. We had 6 oysters and they were perfect: prepared correctly so they came out of the shell easy, very fresh. Then we had the charcuterie board which I would not recommend as it didn't have a lot of cheese or bread or crackers and most of the meat was mortadella. Then we had the fettuccine Alfredo which was the best I have ever had, obviously fresh pasta and a true Alfredo taste, not the goopy jarred flavour. Great ambience, packed to the brim but we like the small and busy feel.

Absolutely magic meal. In town for a weekend with my wife and did not know that one should have reservations for fine Italian... We were fortunate to get a seat at the bar.Wonderful ambiance. Great vibes...Super friendly staff yet professional. And the food was to die for. You know that meal when you say to yourself, "I am going to remember this particular moment for the rest of my life..." It was that meal. I had the Seafood Risotto and my wife had the Lobster Pillows (ravioli). The bread and pesto was amazing. And trust me. Get the Parmesan.Highly recommended.

The restaurant is pretty small but the food was so good! I would definitely come back to this place if I was in the area. The pesto pasta was my favorite thing here. The wait time was not bad at all too. I came on a Saturday evening and they were able to sit 9 people right away. Overall, I recommend this place if you are in the area.

Went to Aqua Pazza for a birthday tonight and have been a few times before. Service, food, drinks, and atmosphere were all incredible. The staff was attentive and did a birthday celebration for dessert. The appetizers were good portions which I find is rare, the entres were just what we wanted, and drinks were strong. Would recommend.

Had a reservation for 8, they sat a couple with no reservations ahead of my party of 4 a and we ended up leaving by 8:30 as we did not see the possibility of getting seated anytime soonWould not recommend as reservations are not honored