Giulia — Restaurant in Cambridge

Reservations are released two weeks in advance at midnight and go almost immediately, so set an alarm. I witnessed a few walk-ins that were seated at the bar, but most got turned away, so I recommend planning ahead. Giulia is on the same street as a lot of other poppin' restaurants, so you should also account for parking when you come (I was lucky to have found a spot nearby, and it was free thanks to the holiday!).

Logistics aside, I am happy that I finally got to try this place. The inside was larger than I expected. The vibes were casual but classy, with dim lighting, a bar, and comfortably spaced tables.

The plates are on the smaller side, so expect to order more than you usually would. 1.5 pastas were enough to satisfy me, though I could have finished both of the plates that I ordered had I not ordered sfizi. Chicken liver crostini with green tomato marmellata ($8): The crostini was fresh and crispy, and the chicken liver was thick and savory. The marmellata added a complimentary citrus flavor. Overall, it was a good appetizer to prep the palate, but it was not mind-blowing enough to get again. Warm semolina cakes ($16): Served warm indeed. The cakes were soft and sat in a bed of thick taleggio that did not taste as strong as the texture implied (more of a mild cheesy flavor). The apples added a nice crunch but weren't sweet. The truffles didn't add much, even though I believe they are the reason this sfizi is overpriced. Bucatini all’amatriciana with house-cured pancetta ($27): Some of the pancetta was overcooked and too hard as a result, but the pieces that were good were GOOD: crispy, fatty, and salty (a bit too salty for my liking, but I understand that that is one of pancetta's hallmarks as it is meant to replace salt in certain recipes). The bucatini was not al dente but still tasted good and homemade. The sauce was lightly sweetened but a bit boring. Pappardelle with braised wild boar ($30): Pepper was the dominant flavor, so if you are not a pepper fan, you will not like this dish. The pappardelle was al dente and flavorful. Like the pancetta, some of the boar was overcooked and dry, but most of the pieces were tender. There was a good ratio of pasta to protein. Overall, I enjoyed this more than the bucatini. Affogato with cinnamon gelato, dark chocolate nemelaka, and crumiri cookie ($14): I'm glad I was able to get the espresso decaf. This dessert was okay; not something I would get again. The star was definitely the nemelaka: silky, intense, and melted-in-your-mouth. Sicilian pistachio gelato with chocolate pistachio cookies ($12): I added this dessert last minute, and it became my favorite dish of the night, so I highly recommend it! The gelato was refreshing and not overly sweet, and the pistachio crumbs added the perfect crunch. The cookies were crunchy on the outside but chewy on the inside, with a brownie-like texture and taste. The chocolate dominated the pistachio flavor in the cookie, but that was compensated by the pistachio gelato.

I liked that my server called out which dishes were staples on the menu so that you could see what the hype was about or prioritize the dishes that are more likely to rotate if you plan on coming back since the staples are more likely to still be around the next time.

Overall, I enjoyed my dinner and did not feel like the effort to make the reservation...

We stopped in on a Saturday night and we were able to sit at the bar. They do a wait list, in person, for the bar but no reservations. First off, the food here is excellent and we will definitely be back. This place embodies everything I love about modern Italian food. Smaller portions, big flavors, and slightly adventurous. We were told that all the pasta being served is made within the last 24 hours. If you have been to the famous Flour + Water in San Francisco, this place is pretty damn similar.

Why the 4 stars? First the wait between appetizer and entree was almost 40 minutes, which is a little unreasonable especially for fresh pasta. When I asked our bartender about our meal and if she thought the wait between entree and dessert would be as long, she gave a response that was borderline unfriendly instead of sympathizing with the long wait. This was one of those waits where you find yourself staring at the open kitchen saying to yourself "Oh this must be my plate coming out" Then it isn't...

On to the food:

Sexy Americano (cocktail) - A mixture of rose champagne and St. Germaine, I expected it to be a little sweeter but found it dry. Not my style.

Fresh Bread & Olive Oil - Great room temperature bread served with some of the best tasting olive oil I have had in memory

Burrata - The highlight of this dish was not the burrata itself, it was the complex and outstanding mix of flavors the veggies and spices added around it. Small plate, only enough for 2 people at most.

Bucatini - Imagine if you put angel hair pasta on steroids for a few months, that is what bucatini is and it was excellent. The chucks of pancetta and and red sauce were simple yet extremely flavorful. I cannot emphasize enough the quality of pasta here.

Pappardelle with Wild Boar - Wide long noodles (imagine lasagna noodles) accompanied with some slow cooked wild boar. For those not into exotic meats, this tasted no different than a beef brisket in terms of texture and flavor profile. The black trumpet mushrooms added a nice flavor. I thought this was the best dish of the meal

Almond Torta Dolce - My favorite of the desserts I tried. Almond bread with some peach jam and whipped cream. The flavors were simple while going together perfectly all at once. This seems to be a theme of this restaurant.

Affogato - This dish is essentially a gelato/ice cream smothered in a shot of espresso. They use a hazlenut gelato and mix in some shortbread and real hazlenuts. Due to the shot of espresso the dish is slightly bitter. Great if you want coffee and...

This was one of the finest dining experiences we’ve had. We’ve heard about Giulia for months now, reputed as one of, if not the best Italian restaurant in Massachusetts, which meant we had extremely high expectations going in. Combined with the difficulty of getting a reservation due to the popularity (with many nights waiting at 12am sharp hoping that I refreshed fast enough), and finally we had secured a reservation.

The food is heavenly. We ordered the erbazzone and grilled rosemary flatbread for appetizers, and both were so delicious— especially the erbazzone, which was probably the tastiest appetizer I have tasted. I still crave it as I am writing this, and my girlfriend feels the same way. The flatbread was also amazing, though the erbazzone trumps almost anything from the night.

My girlfriend ordered the vegetarian bucatini, and I ordered their famous wild boar pappardelle. Both pastas were excellent, though not as standout as the appetizers. It was really nice to note that they deducted the price for the vegetarian pasta from 28 (which would include meat) to 18, which we really appreciated.

Finally, we ordered the yogurt panna cotta with beach rose, toasted coconut and winter citrus for dessert. Oh my god, this is the greatest food I have tasted in eons. My girlfriend thinks it’s the best thing she has eaten (and we’re both very judgy with food!). Neither of us had thought we would enjoy anything rose-flavored so much, with the taste recurring with each bit of saliva, slowly dissipating with time. It is as if rose bloomed in our mouth, slowly melted to our tongues, and withered away as we bit away and let it wither. The sweetness gave way for the rose, and the rose enhanced the coconut and yogurt tastes. We should have ordered another one.

Overall, this was probably one of the top three meals in my life, and certainly best in the New England area. I HIGHLY recommend everyone to go, and honestly it might even be better to just order their appetizers and desserts without pasta. Their pastas are good, but the appetizers and desserts are on a whole different level. 11/10 experience. Also cute seatings outside on a beautiful afternoon. A shame we forgot to take pictures of the appetizers and desserts because they were SO GOOD. Keep in mind the portion size might be a bit smaller than you would like, but in my opinion it adds to the experience. I hope they get a Michelin recommendation at least, if not a star this year.

Hope this helps to anyone contemplating on securing a...