Tonno Gloucester — Restaurant in Gloucester

Well, we gave them another chance, to our regret. With the exceptions of the server, Keira(?), who was excellent, and the starter we ordered, this was a disappointing dining experience and 3-stars is generous.

When we arrived, we were greeted by two young women who were not welcoming and seemed to be dressed for the gym or a day off rather than a job at an upscale restaurant ... not even suitable for a neighborhood sandwich shop. The wait was not excessive, but it was uncomfortable.

There may be worthwhile things to order off the menu but the one dish we enjoyed was a starter of burrata with peas and fava beans and it was special, presumably because of the seasonal ingredients.

For my main, I ordered Cioppino, a dish which I'm very fond of (along with Bouillabaisse and similar things - seafood chowders and stews.) The shrimp in the Cioppino were overcooked and rubbery; at least one of the mussels seemed to be bad and that might have been what gave the broth an off taste. This dish was generally unbefitting a Gloucester seafood experience.

Because I insist on having something green whenever I eat dinner, I ordered a side of rapini ("Rabe" on the menu.) It arrived barely warm, got colder as the meal progressed and was tough enough that, in order to detach the edible part, I wound up using the steak knife that my partner had to ask for in order to get through her Veal Saltimbocca.

Both the Rabe starter and the burrata came with slices of bread that someone had made an attempt to toast. In both cases, it seemed to be a too-thin slice of yesterday's baguette, further dried out by sticking it under the broiler to give it some color. Even after soaking in the Cioppino for most of the meal, it was still not soft.

As I mentioned, the wait staff did an excellent job in what was a difficult situation: next to our table for two, there was a party of 12-14 and she managed to keep us all well-served (probably some other tables also.)

Mysteriously, Tonno seems still to be popular and, no doubt, it will continue to thrive, but it will have to do so without us.

---- Previous 3-star review from 2019 follows ---

Probably unfair to rate the restaurant based on my last visit. It was Fathers' Day and they were a little busy, and that may have adversely affected the quality of the experience.

The food was unmemorable and the waitress was poorly prepared to answer questions about preparations for choices on the menu. She promised to get answers but did not.

The table grouping where we were seated was crowded and the wait staff was having trouble taking care of the diners without running into one another or standing back waiting for a clear path to deliver the meals they were holding. We won't sit down there again but it shouldn't have even been an option.

There was a pleasant couple at the next table, new to the North Shore, and we passed the time waiting for our courses to arrive comparing notes on other restaurants. That made the visit more tolerable.

We've had better luck at Tonno on other occasions and will probably return, but I was...

Update June 2025: We recently had Tonno cater a home party for the Greasy Pole weekend...

Cheers to 9 Years, Tonno — and to Many More!

We absolutely love Tonno — it’s one of our favorite restaurants in Gloucester, and we’re so excited about Anthony Caturano's decision to expand upstairs for private dining and special events! We’ve been regulars for years and have also used their catering for office functions, which have always been top notch.

Most recently, we hosted a small home gathering to watch the Greasy Pole and wanted to focus on enjoying time with friends. Tonno’s catering was the perfect solution. Joe and Ashley were amazing — they helped us select the right amount and mix of food, and their guidance was spot-on. Everything was seamless from start to finish.

When I arrived for pickup, I was warmly greeted by two runners who loaded everything right into my car. The food was beautifully and securely packaged, still hot, and thoughtfully wrapped to keep it that way — a small detail that made a big difference.

As for the food? Absolutely delicious! From their signature bolognese with homemade shortcut rigatoni, to the grilled octopus, breaded chicken cutlets, meatballs, gem salad, and garlic bread — there wasn’t a bite left. Every dish was a hit.

Huge thanks to chef and entire kitchen staff who made our order feel special despite it being such a busy weekend. You all made my day easier and left our guests raving once again about Tonno.

Happy Anniversary to the entire Tonno Team, and here’s to many more incredible meals and memories to come!

Gayle

Earlier review below, 9 months ago:

Living in Gloucester, we have totally enjoyed Tonno...the vibe, staff members, cuisine and fantastic service!

How lucky are we when Tonno opened! I love addition born during the pandemic.

Food selection and quality is top notch! Was fortunate to have Tonno come to Gloucester! I love that others feel this way too as we are always meeting people from out of town visiting for their first or multiple times and fling in love too!

Last night we popped in for a quick bite and how often do 3 people say how amazing their food, drink and service was!!!! Everything was terrific - we enjoyed Chicken Parm, Veal Milanese and Pan Seared Chicken we're amazing! They also offered the Chicken Parm with their famous Bolognese with the Parm - GREAT call! New Kale salad was delicious too. Service was fantastic and a special thanks to everyone on and behind the scenes (thank you chef 😀).

Look forward to returning...

We have ordered pickup a number of times from Tonno when staying in Gloucester and decided to try it for dinner on a Monday night. Our reservation was early and the restaurant had a good crowd at the bar and quickly filled by 6 pm. I'd advise a reservation.

We opted for indoor seating though they have a nice spacious outdoor covered area. Indoors is bright, understated but anicely decorated: modern vibe with two rooms with exposed brick.

Our waitress was excellent: friendly and attentive but not overly so. Small basket of ciabatta and focaccia served with olive oil was very good. Our cocktails were superb. We had ordered their flatbread in a recent pickup order and it was excellent so decided to start with this. In the past, we have had the meatball app, garlic bread and arancini and all were excellent. Salad options are few and the Caesar was just average with romaine leaves served entirely too large to enjoy. I would not reorder.

Our entrees were someehat disappointing. It was not that busy so it was surprising that both were overcooked. I'm not sure how chicken parm gets overcooked in a popular Italian restaurant but it was. Great potential and the perfect size but the chicken was dry and not tender. The same with my husband's pork chop entree. Both were disappointing after a great start and our prior experiences here. Any restaurant can have an off night so I'll chalk it up to that. It was just surprising after our prior experiences ordering takeout the prior night.

We enjoyed dining inside and our waitress was great but I think in the future, we will stick with apps and some awesome...