Panza

Fried Calamari 4/5Lobster Ravioli 5/5Linguine Alla Pescatore 4/5Came on a weekend night. Glad I came with a reservation, the place was packed and the atmosphere was bustling with excitement.The food~The fired calamari was soft and tender with a creamy aioli sauce that had a slight kick. But I wished it was more crispy, started to feel slightly chewy and soft rather than crispy. The lobster ravioli was a great deal with large real lobster chunks. Sauce was creamy and had tomato that helped bring a little bit of lightness to the sauce. The Linguine Alla Pescatore had a good amount of seafood, but felt a little tough and overcooked. The sauce was really good and when sharing with a friend, helped cut through some of the lobster ravioli.The logistics~The service felt really hectic, but can't blame them. The restaurant is small, packed, dark, and bustling. Not enough room for waiters and customers to really walk around comfortably, but the staff tries their best. It's right in little Italy, so parking is almost impossible. I parked closer to the government center area and walked.

To anyone expecting the reservation system at Panza to work: forget it. Your reservation means nothing--they'll seat walk-ins first because the waitress doesn't check reservations at all.I booked a table three weeks in advance since I was visiting from California and didn't want to waste time waiting for dinner. When I arrived, I gave my name and reservation to the waitress, but she didn't follow up or let me know how long I'd need to wait. I understand they get busy on Friday nights, so I waited patiently, but after 20 minutes with no updates, I asked the waitress how much longer it would be--and she asked for my name again. Turns out, she never checked my reservation in the first place. Her attitude was also off, almost like discrimination.I don't understand why Panza even takes reservations if they don't honor them. Why not just go first come, first served like other North End restaurants, so people who want a guaranteed table can go elsewhere?

Solid spot in the busy North End. They accept credit cards and reservations, so that was nice. The serving sizes are huge. We dude a few apps and 3 entrees for four men. Service is a bit rushed and keeps things moving, but this feels natural. Overall a good experience and would recommend. I would go back!

I'd go 4 1/2, but I can't. Good was really good. The service was adequate (reason for a 1/2 star off). The waitress did everything right and the food came out quickly and she checked on us, she was just very very quiet and soft spoken and far from exuberant. Like most of the North End, it's small with the best seat being in the window, especially on nice days. Again, great food as you would expect. One note, Yelp said they opened early, but their website said 4pm. It wasn't busy, which was surprising and maybe that's why. Good job Yelp.

The gnocchi and the sauce itself was very good, but the meat was slightly chewy. However, the service was very good and our server was very friendly. The restaurant itself was cute and cozy.

Located in the North End on Hanover Street, this authentic Italian eatery offers something for everyone. The restaurant is cozy but was able to accommodate our party of 7 as walk-ins. We were seated close to the front windows which were open as it was a very warm day.We started with a platter of calamari which was delicious and fried to crunchy perfection. I opted for linguini carbonara and was pleased with the balance of flavors and portion size (who doesn't enjoy leftovers?). The gnocchi bolognese was also fresh and delicious. My only regret was that I found the fresh bread and dipping oil irresistible before our meals arrived. (I actually could have made a meal out of that alone). Overall, our experience was very good.

The mussels are fire the lobster ravioli is fire squash, ravioli fire mushroom, ravioli amazing everything was great honestly thank you for putting up with my entire family. We kept dropping everything and spilling water all over the place. My nieces kept going through the open window and you guys were great thank you again. We will definitely come back. I love the North End. This is one of my favorite spots. Highly recommend it foods amazing. It's a very small place but it's very worth it in my opinion.

Came here for reservations with 3 of my friends. I came a little later than the rest so they were already seated by the windows as well as a handful of other tables.For appetizers we shared their bruschetta, mussels, and fried calamari. The tomato and basil mixture was light and bright on the well toasted hearty bread. Mussels were plump and flavorful in the white wine sauce. Pretty standard fried calamari with slices of banana peppers too. Since we ordered so many appetizers for 4 people, we opted for only 3 entrees to share including the seafood risotto, linguine carbonara, and braised beef short rib dinner. The seafood risotto had a considerable portion of clams, shrimp, and veggies. It was perfectly cooked with an ideal texture. The carbonara was creamy and decadent. Even the short rib was jam packed with flavor with the soft wedges of polenta. Overall, my friends and I had a wonderful time from the delicious food to the wonderful service. We walked out super full and incredibly happy. Would love to come again and recommend others to check them out too!

I'll start by saying the food is really good here. I got bolognese with baby rigatoni instead of gnocchi and it was a great portion and delicious bites. However, the reason for the 3 star rating is because 1) the host was incredible rude and 2) the restaurant is incredibly cramped.Starting with 1, we had a 5:30 reservation for 5 people. Two of us got there early and our table was ready but they made the 2 wait outside until the other 3 were present. Once we were all together, we asked to be seated and the host said "I only see 3 of you" to which I told him the other 2 were outside because there's nowhere to stand. He looked at me like I was crazy. After 45 minutes he came back and told us "I don't want to rush you but we need the table" while my cousin was still drinking her wine. I understand wanting to move tables quickly but it's inappropriate to ask people to leave while they're still finishing the meal.About #2- the restaurant is really cramped and even though we sat near the back, it was still uncomfortably close to everyone else.

Very good. Quality bread, fresh salad and nice and tasty portions. Very good and kind service. One of the better recent North End dining experiences.