Ristorante Molise — Restaurant in Amesbury

My wife and I had our first date night here since our first child, and we actually had catering from them which was phenomenal, so we decided to investigate the source.

Location: downtown Amesbury, for those who haven't been this resturant has its own parking lot. You don't need to park on the street.

Walk in: welcoming hostess was very nice and tried to see if any tables were open before giving a wait time. We were told 45-55m. I think we waited 20m.

Waitress was very friendly and polite. We ended up sharing a few stories between us throughout the night. Very accurate and descriptive with food options and recommendations.

Bread& Oil: The oil has capers in it and it's something I have never seen before but is great. There was also peppers and spices in the oil. The bread was super soft and airy which worked great for the oil. Grated cheese comes in a dish as well and is fresh and tasty.

Appetizer was the rollini di melanzane which was a breaded eggplant rolled with peppers, cheese, and spinach sitting on a bed of creamed tomato sauce with basil. It was fantastic.

Side salads or soup come with the entree. The vinegrette dressing was refreshing and flavorful (house salad). The ceasar dressing on the ceasar salad was very tasty. The Romain lettuce was fresh. My only let down was how salty the croutons were for caesar.

My dinner was the pollo vodka. Chicken was juicy and bite sized. The penne was really tender and cooked perfectly. The sauce was blended well between the tomato sauce, cream, and splash of vodka. It also had tomatoes and cherry peppers which added a zing. Was nice and refreshing.

My wife got the gnocchi sorrentino which had a similar sauce to mine. The gnocchi was soft and thick a bit dense. The cheese added another complexity of flavor that pair great.

The portions were huge. The picture for the gnocchi bowl doesn't do it justice, it's a big bowl. The prices are very good as well.

Highly recommend this place to anyone going on a date or who likes...

Ristorante Molise deserves every bit of 5 stars! From start to finish, the experience was nothing short of perfect. The service is outstanding—professional, attentive, and they have a way of keeping the flow of food just right without ever making you feel rushed. The owner is incredibly friendly and went above and beyond to make our night feel extra special, which truly set the tone for the evening.

The dining room itself is elegant and welcoming, with an open layout that makes the space feel lively and inviting. Because it’s all open, it can get a little loud at times and make conversation harder to hear, but when we went toward the end of the night the atmosphere was quieter and even more enjoyable.

The meal started with their bread—perfectly crunchy on the outside yet soft and fluffy inside, the kind you can’t stop eating. The Calamari Fritti was hands down the best I’ve ever had: tender, melt-in-your-mouth, never rubbery, with a sauce that balanced savory richness and just the right amount of kick. Despite being fried, it felt light and satisfying, the ideal appetizer.

For my entrée, I had the Ravioli di Aragosta, and I honestly can’t praise it enough. The ravioli were generously sized and stuffed with flavorful lobster chunks—both inside and piled on top. Each bite was rich, savory, and carried that perfect seafood finish that lingered beautifully. Absolutely phenomenal.

Drinks are another highlight—the bartender pours them strong and tasty, just the way I like them. And to top it all off, the desserts were gorgeous and paired perfectly with an espresso. I loved the thoughtful touch of including a rock candy stick, letting you stir in sweetness to taste or just enjoy as a little snack.

All in all, Ristorante Molise checks every box: incredible food, warm hospitality, and those little details that make an evening memorable. I can’t wait...

We were having a very nice dinner outside when the manager or owner walked a man outside holding him up due to how intoxicated he was and then they were followed by 6 others in that party who were also helping each other stand and walk due to their level of drunkenness. They sat right by us outside of the patio, spoken to by the manager/owner and then one of the waitresses asking if they needed help getting to their car. They sat there for about 10-15 minutes and then stumbled to their car. I was so bothered by this experience, I couldn’t finish my meal and I left my table due to how loud and drunk they were. I was disgusted that the staff didn’t do what they should’ve done and called the local PD. This was my first time to this local restaurant and most likely my last. I have worked in the restaurant business and always cut people off long before a situation like this happened and am so disgusted that Ristorante Molise management would allow people to drive highly intoxicated when they can’t even walk without looking out for the community which they serve. Their saying is “ where you're treated as FAMILY” and it didn’t feel like that. The staff could see how upset I was and did not even make any efforts to apologize or relocate us indoors away from the scene. That is not the type of “family” I want to be a part of. It’s no wonder there are so many accidents in the area. Please do better and train your staff on how to be more aware of the amount of alcohol they serve their customers. As a mom of 2 young children, I am so grateful they were not with me last night to see what I saw but unfortunately other young...