Sat outside at BenCotto for our anniversary. Service was good, good was amazing (lobster ravioli, pumpkin ravioli, and home made fusilli). They also have a reasonable wine list and make excellent bread in-house! If you go, make sure you make a reservation, as the restaurant is not large, and it seems quite popular!
On a terribly hot day we headed in here hungry, thirsty and dropping from the heat. Looked very traditional and a family type restaurant, and staff were indeed welcoming. Food turned out to be quite average Italian, all a bit 1980’s off the mark for us taking a European perspective. Wine was expensive and average, food just OK. Think this may have been due to it being in such a tourist area, and think we should know better! Every day is a school day!
Amazing Italian food. The restaurant offers all the classic Italian dishes. Didn’t notice anything very unique to the place but all we ordered was excellent.Price is fair specially considering it’s in a very touristic area.The place is not that big and gets full quickly. Make sure to make a reservation beforehand.There’s also option to seat outside by the sidewalk.
Didn't expect to like this tourist-zone restaurant so much! Lovely shrimp scampi with fresh, plump shrimp, plus a filling spaghetti bolognese with very tender veal. Service was good too. Can recommend BenCotto!
Best pasta I have tried in my entire life! I came to this restaurant because a friend recommended it to me. I have no expectations since I had already gone to really good Italian restaurants before. I went on a Wednesday afternoon and I had to wait around 20-30 minutes for a table (I was told initially 10 mnts) but I tried to be understanding, and didn’t care about the time since I was with some friends.When it was time to order, I got a pasta carbonara (you had the option to choose the type of pasta you wanted; spaghetti, fettuccine, penne), and they also had other different types of pizzas and pastas as well. Their menu was very extensive.My pasta was the perfect portion for me. It was very creamy but the best of everything was the flavor. I cannot even compare it with something I have tried before because it was simply delicious and enjoyable.I totally recommend this place with my eyes close. The only thing is that you should be mindful of the waiting time if you are going to dine in.
Randomly walked in Thursday night after strolling North End for a while. Tiny place and it was busy, but Anthony greeted me and sat me at a table right away. He stopped by during my dinner to ask how things were, and gave recommendations on my meal(which I went with, and it was great!) I ordered the bolognese with fusilli pasta and it tasted amazing! Being Italian, I’m highly critical of Italian food, and Ben Cotto does not disappoint. My server was very attentive as well! Food was served quickly and piping hot! I’ll definitely be back and I highly recommend this place!
I've been going to the Northend for over 30 years and decided to try Bencotto's restaurant. The food was very good but the service was unacceptable when comparing to other restaurants in the Boston area. The server spent all his time sitting and talking to other servers instead of attending to us.
We had a great experience in this place! We ended up here just randomly, we had 2 strollers (with kids sleeping) and we were turned away by a couple of places because of it. But we came to this amazing place and they changed our day! They moved their tables and made us fit. When my daughter woke up, while I was trying to get her out, they helped me move the stroller away and rapidly brought a chair for her to sit. We totally felt welcomed and were able to really enjoy our time. The food was great! Fresh pasta and everything very tasty, the waiter was very busy but still tried to be nice and friendly with the kids. Portions looked big so we just ordered a bunch of appetizers and pasta to share and without even asking they brought us big plates. Overall it wasn’t just a meal it was a very nice experience.
Excellent, friendly service, charming north end ambience. The pasta dishes are world class, but I was a bit disappointed by the vinegar, peppers, and potatoes. The salami board is fantastic and enough for a table of four. Priced as you would expect for the neighborhood. Reservations highly recommended.
One of our favorite north end spots. The pumpkin ravioli is amazing, we get it every time. The broccoli rabe sautéed is also good. Can’t really go wrong with anything on the menu!