Massimo Ristorante — Restaurant in Providence

I was torn between leaving a 3 or a 4 star review. Ideally I would have left a 3.5 star review but that's not possible so I'll give it 3 stars and here is why. First let me say I am 100% italian, first generation in America. My father was a chef and both mom and dad cook authentic Italian cuisine. I visit my family in italy and i frequent federal hill. Ill start with the atmosphere, it is lovely. Nice place with lots of people. Their dishes are authentic Italian with plenty to choose from. The staff was friendly, no complaints there. Clean establishment and on the fancier side. For starters the bread given to us was bland. Seemed to be an attempt at focaccia bread. It was under baked while lacking flavor and spices . The oil given to us was a good extra virgin olive oil, though it was given in a very small dipping dish that wasn't enough for the two of us. Appetizers was fried calamari and burrata with prosciutto. The calamari was only the mantle (rings) when a good fried calamari dish is supposed to be a mix of tentacles and rings. I'm assuming it's cheaper to buy/serve only the mantle. The calamari wasn't breaded well, very large pieces (adult) squid that lacked breading and under fried (see picture of pieces of the calamari looks like a ring of raw mantle. Although it wasn't raw, the lack of a fried crust gave it that texture. The pieces cooked to my liking were tasty. The prosciutto was a good cut of prosciutto, a higher quality. Very delicious and sliced nice and thin. The burrata was a huge disappointment. It was American mozzarella/burrata. It was not imported which is odd for a fancier restaurant on federal hill. At the tune of 20 dollars and being on federal hill they should be giving imported burrata like other establishments in the area. The peppers under oil that came with the dish was absolutely amazing. A great touch and beautiful presentation. The fusilli with meatballs and burrata was good. The burrata on that dish had the texture of a true burrata unlike the appetizer. Sill did not taste imported. The sauce was good and the meatball was too.The next dish, carbonara. The guanciale was cooked to perfection, nice crisp pieces with tons of flavor. One of the best I've ever had. I enjoyed it immensely. The raw egg on top left for the customer to mix in is a very nice touch and adding to the presentation. We'll done. For dessert I got the bread pudding amd affogatto (Gelato drowned in espresso). The bread pudding was one of the best I've ever had. A generous piece with a nice crust and creamy center with amazing flavor that I absolutely fell in love with. So good I will order a couple to go next time I'm on the hill. Beautiful presentation and again absolutely hands down delicious. Perhaps my favorite of all the courses. The affogatto was nice and creamy, delightful texture and nice presentation. These dishes with a couple of drinks brought the bill to 150. Not bad considering. If it wasn't for the calamari, bread and burrata I would have given 4 stars. My experience was pleasant nonetheless and I would go back again. It was a pleasure...

I visited Massimo for dinner on 09/01 with such high hopes for a birthday meal in a gluten free paradise. I made a reservation and took the commuter rail over from Boston with my partner, making notes in my reservation about a birthday, gluten allergy, and preference to move indoors if possible since only outside was available at the time of my booking. The host was unable to accommodate an outdoor table under the awning (sporadically rainy night) or an indoor table, which is totally fine, and suggested the bar. We were told the bar was upstairs and were not escorted. It was our first time in the restaurant and since you cannot see the bar once you ascend the stairs, it would have been nice to at least know which direction to go. Sadly the notes I placed in the reservation were not relayed either, so the bartender had no idea about my birthday. Once we approached the bar, it was obvious that the bartender could use an extra set of hands. At some point during our meal he actually asked for help and the staff member he asked replied, loudly and rudely, "are you serious?". The bartender said no it's okay and seemed defeated. The service we received from our bartender (Harrold?) was the best part of the meal. He was really kind to us and was able to get me a gluten free menu and checked in throughout our meal. The meal started strong with calamari being the best plate and fell apart with our main course. The gnocchi al forno was really unappealing and swimming in grease. My partner barely ate his half and I ate the dumplings and tried to avoid the rest. I originally wanted to eat at Pane E Vino but changed my mind because of the lava cake. When it came out, no candle of course, the ice cream was visibly melting and the cake did not ooze when sliced. All of our drinks were good. Lastly, the guest sitting next to us was feeding another staff member from her plate and off of her own fork while we had our dinner. It seemed a bit unprofessional especially when the bar was a mess through the...

We drove over 80 miles to go to Massimo recently. It did not disappoint!

To begin with, Federal Hill is a great little section of Providence. It has been revitalized, and you can see that there are many eateries to partake in. However, Massimo is a clear standout. This city's Little Italy is wonderful!

My family and I took advantage of their 3 course presto lunch for $24. What an impressive menu...lots of options to choose from. I ordered the Caesar salad, spaghetti carbonara, and cannoli. Caesar salad was delicious, but their carbonara was out of this world. Do not hesitate on it, folks. It's that good!

Additionally, their bread is made in-house and is amazing. Make sure to get some with your appetizer.

Cannoli was yummy, but the food is not the only perk at this establishment...their service and attention to their customers makes all the difference. In my online reservation, I made note that we were celebrating my daughter on her 13th birthday. They walked us to a table and spread confetti on the table, placed a birthday placard on the table, and wished my daughter a happy birthday. To top it off, they brought out a complimentary cup of vanilla gelato with happy birthday written across the plate in chocolate. It was a touch that felt very special and personalized. That type of service makes all the difference in the food industry. Because of that (and their quality food!), I will profusely recommend this establishment to all who are looking for an Italian dining experience in Providence.

Massimo- keep it up! You will always have our business when we travel...