Ciao Somerville — Restaurant in Somerville

Excellent pizza and pasta, just like their original restaurant in Chelsea.

Didn’t realize this was the Somerville outpost of the famous Ciao Pizza and Pasta (their website oddly omits the connection). What I’d assumed was just a neighborhood pizzeria turned out to be a sleeper hit, with a kitchen that clearly took its craft seriously. After looking at the chefs in crisp white uniforms, we quickly changed our minds and decided to dine in, and it was absolutely the right call.

For the pizza, we opted for the Salsiccia. Definitely not your minimalist Neapolitan. This one came fully loaded with fennel sausage, mozzarella, and chopped basil, covering the entire surface. The crust had those signature puffy corniciones and a soft, foldable center with a beautiful char that played nicely with the sausage's extra grease. Easily one of the best Neapolitan-style pizzas I’ve had in the city. The default spice level was pretty high though, so I recommend asking them to go light on the pepper flakes.

What really surprised me were their regular Italian entrées– Duck Confit risotto & Spaghetti. I’m not usually a fan of squash-based risottos, especially when paired with savory proteins, but the duck confit here was shockingly good. Fall-apart tender, deeply savory—honestly better than most duck confit I’ve had at Boston’s French spots.

Spaghetti was the biggest surprise. Looked like a basic shrimp pasta on the menu, but it ended up being the best shrimp pasta I’ve had in Greater Boston (slightly better than the one I had at MIDA). The rock shrimp were delicately poached, almost silky, and paired perfectly with a bright, tangy white wine sauce, crunchy breadcrumbs, and parsley.

Without a doubt, best spot in Somerville for pizza and pasta. Highly recommend...

I’ve been a loyal customer of Ciao Pizza in Chelsea since 2016 and was excited when the Somerville location opened. Since its first day, I’ve visited many times. While the pizza here is very good compared to most Neapolitan-style spots in the area, I’ve consistently noticed differences when comparing it to the Chelsea location.

The main issue has been balance in flavor. At Somerville, the saltiness—especially in the Funghi and Salsiccia—often runs much higher than in Chelsea. On several occasions, it’s been so salty that I couldn’t finish the pizza. Because of this, I still find myself making the 20-minute drive to Chelsea, even though Somerville is only five minutes from me.

The dough at Somerville can also be somewhat inconsistent—sometimes coming out denser and harder in texture, rather than the light, airy, and fluffy quality I regularly enjoy at Chelsea.

That said, Ciao Somerville is still far above many other Neapolitan pizza options in the area. My feedback comes from a place of hoping it can reach the same level of excellence as Chelsea so that more people nearby can experience the same quality that made me a fan in the...

I am OBSESSED with the crust of the Neapolitan pizza here. I am typically a Sicilian lover and enjoy the fluffiness of a good focaccia-like, doughy crust…but this place shook up my pizza-verse. My husband fell in love with the OG Ciao location in Chelsea, so I surprised him for dinner last week by stopping by this new location in our Somerville neighborhood.

UPDATE: If you like truffle flavors & arugula, try the funghi pizza: rich and you can taste the deep umami from the truffle cream. If you like meaty red sauce pizza with a tinge of spice, try the salsiccia. But my personal favorite by far was the burrata pizza…that fresh, ripe cherry tomato flavor was SO succulent, and they top their pizza with fresh burrata after the oven, so it’s a pleasantly cool and refreshing touch! They also have wine and beer now! 🍷We’ll be back to try the Milanese pasta, prosciutto pizza, and...