Mezzo Mare — Restaurant in Hull

This is...sui generis. Mostly 1970s "family" dining. But its own thing.

This is a difficult review to write because this restaurant is neither operating at the standards of 21st Century Italian-style cuisine nor does it seem to want to...and nor does it need to. It is its own thing, like the ghost stories of walking into a pub and finding out it burned down in the 1970s.

The price is as if you are at a highly rated restaurant in the North End. The quality of the food is like something your very Midwestern mom made because it tasted basically like Olive Garden. The decor is like something COMPLETELY out of time. Maybe 1970s? Never updated, never dusted. And goodness, the bulk bent-square-stock event room chairs are museum pieces. You get butter in plastic fast food cups but the prices approach $30 for entrees. They can't manage a pat in a ceramic cup? But I would completely expect that, again, in 1970s family dining.

It may be that the prices are justified in the owner's calculus because of the grotesquely large portions. But then, Hullonians can really get a value. I mean we are talking TWO POUNDS of american style spaghetti. The kids can eat for a week.

If that marinara wasn't canned/jarred I would be stunned. Because it was. Newer items do indeed seem creative and homemade. Butternut ravioli for instance.

So I'm absolutely torn. This would be a 1-star review with animosity in the city. And I'm talking Boston, not even NYC. BUT it is a really, really different experience for locals, and extremely of its own thing. Seemingly unapologetically. Can't accurately be judged or compared. Sui...

The wood fire drew us in as we were walking along the beach, but that's not where our connection to Mezzo Mare began.

Many years ago, we were looking to go to dinner with friends, who also had 2 children of nearly identical ages. The forecast wasn't great, so the other family suggested Mezzo Mare because of the fireplace.

We had a wonderful evening, even as the weather worsened. The large portions invited sharing across all eight of us, which I've found always helps conversations. The fire kept us warm and comfy as the Hull winds raged, and rain fell sideways.

Since that visit, when the weather is bad, we often call the same family to visit the same restaurant, as we know we'll be comforted by the location, the atmosphere, the company, and the delicious food.

6/6/25 Friday night and didn't feel like cooking, so we walked to Mezzo Mare. Space for a nice size graduation party was set up, but there was still room for us, and we were seated next to the quiet fireplace. Each of us tried a glass of Caymus Conundrum [both white & red], and we opted for the veal piccata. It was just what we were looking for; only needed S&P. Fresh ground pepper at the table would have made a difference. The desserts looked great, but we passed and took quite a bit of our meals...

We were looking for a casual spot with authentic Italian food. I was surprised to find the restaurant in such need of update and thorough dusting/painting/window cleaning but we had hopes this was a hidden gem and I don’t mind a funky atmosphere if food is worth it. Staff was awfully nice, so I regret not giving the place a better review. My husband and I both had pasta dishes with meatballs. As stated in other reviews, portions are ridiculously large. Each enough for four people. I don’t think pasta or sauce was homemade but it was good enough. Real disappointment for me was that my otherwise tasty meatballs were burnt on the bottom, as if they had been scorched from sitting in a pan too long. Salads could have been bagged mixed greens and only option of dressing given to us was what tasted like a bottled balsamic. A nice oil and vinegar or homemade Italian would have been a nice option. Dinner rolls were warm and delicious but not plentiful—one per person despite paying nearly $25 per entree that included the roll and salad. Due to all of the above, I would say skip if you are looking for a hidden gem in Hull....