Umbria

I had the pleasure of going to my birthday dinner at Umbria, and it was such a treat! The food was unbelievably good, the service was exceptional (shout-out to our server, Ken), and it was a very pleasant experience all around. It's also quite fun to see a place like this among very traditional North End Italian restaurants. If you want to experience dishes that are beautifully crafted with other-worldly flavors, Umbria is for you! I MUST SAY... All of the negative-leaning Yelp reviews of Umbria must be from people who: 1) are trying to feed children, 2) are tourists looking for a quick bite, or 3) don't have an appreciation and understanding that artisanal food doesn't come in huge unnecessary portions. Don't write off Umbria over "small portion sizes." No tea or shade, but go to Maggiano's or the Cheesecake Factory if what you want out of a dinner in downtown Boston are huge plates of very regular food and a kids menu.

Umbria Restaurant was a fantastic dining experience from start to finish. I ordered the Mezzi Paccheri, and it was a standout dish. The combination of sausage, broccoli rabe, garlic, and chili flakes packed a punch of flavor, perfectly balanced by the rich crème di parmigiano. The pasta was cooked to perfection, and every bite was a delightful mix of savory, spicy, and creamy goodness.For dessert, I couldn't resist trying Umbria's Signature Skillet Cookie, and it did not disappoint! The warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie dough topped with vanilla gelato, salted caramel, and streusel crumbs was pure indulgence. It was the perfect sweet ending to an already excellent meal.The atmosphere at Umbria was cozy and inviting, and the service was top-notch!

Funniest racist experience ever. My brother in law was hosting a get together there. So we were invited guests (me and two ladies). We were coming from the Red Sox game. The Security at the front door, black haired rico suave guy, looked at us and said the bar wasn't taking anymore guests. It was 11 pm and the place closes at 1 am. I laughed cause it was obvious he didn't want me, a brown guy in. What is funny is this place is on a second floor and we were greeted by other people who worked there. So the place being closed wasn't an issue. My brother (he's white) had to walk down and get us. Security then tells him that if he's with us he can't go back in. LmaoMy bro in law proceeds to tell him that he has a tab for 10 people upstairs and the bar is empty so whats the problem? Against his better judgement he lets us in. Haha. All of a sudden, the bar has a no hat policy. He walks me down in the bar and makes me take my hat off. This place is nice, but not fine dining. It's a very nice bar. I take my hat off and point out there's two other guys (not my skin tone) wearing hats without issue. Then the no hat policy gets enforced. Clearly, only enforced once I walked in. LolWe have a great time except the guy keeps finding rules I was breaking. Nobody else, except me. He left his post greeting guests and stands in the hallway leaning out into the bar making eye contact with me for the next hour and a half. The night ends, we are walking out, and I put my hat on and he confronts me for wearing it again as we are WALKING OUT. lol! I'm laughing and talk back, and he proceeds to statt yelling and followed me outside the bar. Yes followed me for 2 stories out of the place. Comes on the sidewalk, which I told him, if he touched me, he's going to jail and he'd alone with a party of 8 dudes so he should relax. He came to his senses, thankfully, and proceeds to yell in his B town accent "You effing Lose-ah!" And left. Joke of the day. Not from Boston, so don't know him. First time here. Heard about the racism. But, hilarious to experience it. Beautiful bar. I recommend. Lol

This place was pretty nice, however a little dark when we were sat, we were greeted by at least four different servers at one time until we finally ordered with one. We had an appetizer and dessert and then order to takeout. The food was delicious. There's a roof too bar as well! Everyone was friendly

We stopped here for drinks before our dinner at another place. There is one bar per level of the restaurant (3) and they were all packed, standing room only. They offered us a couch on the rooftop if we ordered an app so that's what we did. My boyfriend loved his espresso martini- strong, mildly creamy with a coco powder rim. My peach mojito was a bit too sweet for my liking. The Surf and Turf appetizer stole the show! The mashed potato's, pork belly, and scallop flavors all meshed and everything was cooked to perfection. My only complaint of that would be that it was only a single scallop which sucks for sharing purposes.

Another Boston Restaurant Week visit, another delicious meal for a deal! Umbria did a great job making a menu for a low price of $46 per person. I enjoyed the iceberg wedge salad, a filet mignon and an apple pie for dessert. The wait staff was attentive and friendly, the overall ambiance was cozy and welcoming. Umbria would be a great place for a dinner with friends, or an intimate date. Hats off to the chef!

Hubby and I stopped in during their opening week and wow, what a beautiful modern rustic space. The top floor was not opened yet but it will be the spot for cocktails with a view once it's open. That said, we had a few kinks likely because it was their opening week and service was a bit mixed. Great detail to our table but staff didn't seem to be as knowledgeable about the restaurant's food and process. No one could tell us whether they validated for the Parcel 7 garage (they do in case you're wondering) and they got our order mixed up -- ordered Short Rib Caramelle but got the Braised Short Rib entree instead. Food ordered: Crab cakes, oysters, octopus, lobster dumplings, lobster tacos and short rib pasta. All tasted good enough though there wasn't a specific dish that had the WOW factor and the serving size leaned more to the skimpy end. We ordered 7 dishes between the 2 people and left "not starving". To put it in context, dishes were even smaller than single orders of spanish tapas. Overall, it's a great place to people watch and enjoy some cocktails but if you're not ordering a hefty steak dish, you will order quite a few dishes to make it a filling meal.

Sat at the bar and had great food and amazing service from our bartender, Francesco. Had oysters, the short rib pasta, Brussels sprouts, and gnocchi cheese side. Don't sleep on the short rib pasta! Also loved the cookie dessert. Great ambiance as well!

Went for a very early dinner on a recent Saturday evening. Many of the restaurants in the North End were packed even before 6, so we were surprised to get a table at Umbria. It's huge though, with multiple floors and lots of dining space. I'm not sure if they didn't have enough wait staff or people were new, but it look a long time to get any service, and that was only after I got up and asked.The menu isn't particularly Italian heavy, but they accommodated plain noodles and spaghetti for the kids. The adults ordered the Maryland Crab Cakes for a starter and Pappardelle and Gnocci as mains. The Gnocci was meh but everything was pretty good (3 mini crab cakes for $24 is kind of a lot),Desserts seem to be where Umbria shines. The kids liked the cheesecake and creme brulee. We rea enjoyed the Signature Skillet Cookie.I'd go back for dessert, but not on a Saturday night.

The bartender Rene makes a phenomenal dirty martini! I will definitely be back very soon. The ambiance of the restaurant is also very appealing. Everyone who worked there was lovely!