Festina Lente

Small, intimate dining area. It can get quite lively at times. You need to like Italian cuisine because that is what they do superbly. Service was very friendly but still professional. All though a a usual restaurant it wouldn’t be out of place for wining and dining clients. Well worth a visit.

Cacio e peppe is well done. Nice job. They don’t cheat and use cream like some American places. It’s correctly salty, just like in Rome. They don’t use tonnarelli pasta like in Rome, but other parts of Italy use variations of spaghetti-like pasta and the fresh pasta they use for it is a legit option. Cesar salad was outstanding. Nice wine selections, but would be nice if they added Ornelia or Sassicaia wine options for special nights out.

5 stars for food. infinite stars for our incredible server Leela (hope I’m spelling this right)!!!!! This diva made our entire day. wonderful conversation, very attentive service. Tonight is my last night in New England and she definitely made it special. The gentleman working alongside her mainly behind the bar was also a fabulous vibe. We left the restaurant with high spirits. Will definitely come back when I return to New England for a visit just to say hello to Leela!!♥️Thank you for an epic dinner, splendid conversation, and all around a truly divine addition to our evening. also the olives were SUPREMEEE😍😍as someone who loves olives enough to name my cat olive….I can say these olives have made it to my top 3…a high compliment from a self proclaimed olive connoisseur 🤣

I was so excited to try this place and I really wanted to love it. I’ll start by saying the service was exceptional. Our waitress was incredibly sweet and very attentive. The atmosphere is also nice, dim lit and cozy, nice bar seating area. That being said, the food was just not very good. I may be biased… I lived in Italy for three years and married into an Italian family who makes absolutely incredible food from scratch. The risotto was so soupy and just way too large and heavy. The focaccia was alright and the other pasta dishes that were ordered were underwhelming. They use the same pasta that we use at home. I can appreciate this place for a glass of wine and some snacks, they do have good wine choices. Other than that, if the quality of the food is super important to you when you go out to eat, I just wouldn’t recommend it.

My boyfriend and I happened to walk by and thought we would give it a try. Boy, what a great find! Homemade pasta dishes - the baked cannelloni was incredible! We will definitely be back!

Honestly 10/10. A small dining room allows this kitchen to take true care with every single dish and it shows. Every appetizer we got ( the carrots, burrata, and focaccia) were so fresh and light and you could tell were very high quality. The ambiance here is local and tasteful. The wine was perfect with every dish and exceeded all expectations. The baked cannelloni had such fresh pasta, you could see them making it in the kitchen. As a local in the Portsmouth area, this is the best Italian food I’ve ever had in the area. Go here!!!! Since it’s small there’s sometimes a wait so grab a drink across the street at the Dram while you wait!!!

We went here for our anniversary dinner. We started off with a wine and a beer. Our server made us aware that they were out of a couple of things. It was a deal breaker for us, so we decided to go somewhere else. They explained to us that they are a scratch kitchen. We just had bad luck on timing and them selling out of some popular items. The service we received was fantastic. 2 people were tag teaming hosting, bar tending, and serving. The guy and gal made a great team.

Absolutely loved our meal and experience at Festina Lente! Our family spends weekends in York and this is one of the best meals we have had this summer. From the service, to the wine, to the homemade pasta, it is worth the hype. Not to mention, we have three little kids, and the staff at the restaurant welcomed us with open arms!

We went here for our anniversary dinner. We started off with a wine and a beer. Our server made us aware that they were out of a couple of things. It was a deal breaker for us, so we decided to go somewhere else. They explained to us that they are a scratch kitchen. We just had bad luck on timing and them selling out of some popular items. The service we received was fantastic. 2 people were tag teaming hosting, bar tending, and serving. The guy and gal made a great team.

This is the best authentic Italian restaurant on the seacoast - period. It's NOT the pasta swimming in sauce, cheese-covered American Italian that most people favor; it's delicately seasoned, perfectly prepared pasta and meat dishes that real Italian foodees will appreciate. If you want that other stuff, there are plenty of places that serve it. This is a tiny place so it fills up fast. Service is excellent. Wine selection is fabulous and the homemade ice creams for dessert are soooo good!

Back again to leave another review. This place is just so good. Look how cute the plates are!! These salads were both phenomenal. I also got the monkfish but it comes wrapped in a little paper with fresh vegetables and so much flavor the photo just isn't as perfect as these. This dessert was heaven. The almond brittle was incredible and the goat cheese cake with the sauce was just ugh so good. Service always great. Sat at the bar this time and it was so nice. This pasta was unreal. We were fully like scooping up the broth in the bottom of the bowl at the end because it was that good. 10/10 recommend coming here it's amazing!

We enjoy dining at Festine Lente, a very small restaurant in Kittery Foreside. Given the small size and lack of reservations, it can be a challenge to get a seat and so you do need to plan accordingly. Some other things to know, they do not have a full bar, beer and wine with some aperitivios. They have a fun selection and flight of Amaro which we enjoyed after dinner. This is another restaurant that charges ($8) for bread service, but the foccacia is delicious. When they first opened they would serve some of the wonderful bread from Lil's bakery just across the way, but I'm glad they make their own now. Pasta is the star of the show here, and I've been through a few of them. One of my favorites here is the cacio e pepe, and while discussing with our waitress, I was swayed to try the pasta a la norma this time. Somehow, the kitchen prepared the cacio e pepe for me anyway, but whisked it away and our waitress said it would just be a few minutes to prepare. I really dislike having others wait for me, and so I decided to just keep the dish, and they thoughtfully comped it. It was as good as I recall, but I may have to get back to try that eggplant dish. Hey mistakes happen, but they handled it well. We also tried the Bigoli pasta with cherry tomatoes and stracciatella cheese, delicious! The menu is small, but I think most diners would find something to enjoy. Check them out when in Kittery

Loud and small, and wait time was nearly 2.5 hours after being told 45 minutes. The red sauce was basically diced tomatoes, so nothing special. Really don't see the appeal. Waitstaff was a bunch of kids, nice enoughh, but don't expect much in the way of service either.

Very pleasant space. Friendly and engaging staff. Meal was delicious. We will be back

My favorite restaurant Pre-COVID wasn't as fabulous tonight. I passed on their brilliant carrot with pistachios and mascarpone cheese appetizer and tried their rendition of tuna tonnato instead. The tuna was very salty and there wasn't enough of the tonnato sauce to make it a successful dish. I remembered fondly the classic dish as they prepared it in the 80's in NYC. As I contemplated my Clams with Buccatini I pondered what happened to the good old thin spaghetti days, when the sauce actually absorbed wnd worked with the pasta. I ended up chopping the Bucatino into little pieces so I could eat the tasty clam sauce and the pasta as a soup. The clams were a bit sandy. Everything tasted good but a little more parsley and thinner spaghetti would have been more to my taste. Maybe I just didn't order well tonight. I'll be back again since it's still a restaurant in these parts that comes close to true Italian food, but tonight was a disappointment. Oh well off to Italy in two weeks. Bye 5:00 the restaurant was full so go early.

Quaint little restaurant in Kittery. The food was phenomenal. Everything from scratch and you can TASTE IT. Incredible waitress helped me decide what to order, LOVED

LOVED! (and I'm picky about Italian) MENU Nothing too simplistic (not exactly a spaghetti and meatballs joint), but not overboard with being exotic/different. All of the pairings work very well. FOOD Ordered: Focaccia, 2x 'Shaved Roots & Greens' salads. 2x pastas with clams (seasonal). INSANELY delicious flavors in each dish. Focaccia was warm, with a crispy outside but light and airy inside. Salad was beyond delectable with great ingredients and dressing. Portions aren't large, but are more than satisfying. VIBE Quaint + simplistic. Cozy and snug but breathable. Also great outdoor seating out front in the warm weather. SERVICE Very accommodating, attentive and nice staff!

We really loved our meal here. I had the gnocchi with kale and sausage and loved every bite. My family members had the spaghetti and meatballs and the fish dish. All were incredibly tasty. That said, I find it ridiculous that we had to pay $6 for bread, when it's a common free accompaniment to an Italian meal (both at US restaurants and then Italian restaurants I frequent in Italy). Also their non-alcoholic menu is extremely limited (San pelligrinos and drip coffee). So if you don't drink wine or beer (as they also don't have a liquor menu), your only option is water. No sodas, juices, etc. Not having an option for an espresso after dinner in an Italian restaurant was odd.

The food was mediocre, the service was unattractive, and the price was even less inviting. My wife ordered a second glass of rose wine, however the waitress was so inattentive that she brought her a red wine instead. The portions were unusually small. An appetizer consisting only two bite sized pieces of goat cheese was $8. We ordered three pasta dishes, but the sauce lacked something and we had to ask for extra grated cheese and salt and red pepper flakes. The waitress provided us a table spoon full of cheese in a small dish. It's unfortunate that the restaurant charged us extra for the grated cheese, which is usually provided free of charge in most restaurants. It's quite understandable that we wouldn't want to visit this place again or recommend it to your friends.

The food was incredible and the service was excellent. The atmosphere was top notch. We will be back!

I went here with a friend on a Thursday night. We arrived at 6 and were able to easily grab a seat outside. The pub around the corner has live music Thursday's which was nice, it was a nice touch to the vibe. The service was excellent, we asked our server for suggestions and they were happy to provide us some guidance through the whole menu. Our server suggested a sparkling red wine we shared the bottle. It was absolutely delicious!! For apps, we got the olives, focaccia, and one of their rotating cheeses (pecorino). All apps were delicious and a great spread. The cheese plate came with a marmalade, pickled veggies and some light crackers. The focaccia was great, it came with whipped butter and olive oil. For entrees, I had the fregola & clams. It was unlike any clam dish I've had before, it was unique and delightful. My friend got the cannelloni and they enjoy it, it was a very large portion so they were able to take leftovers home. Overall, great spot. I will be returning! The service was really awesome. Hopefully they still have that wine when I do return because it was life changing!

This is our favorite restaurant on the Seacoast -- the fabulous food, attentive service and cozy atmosphere. We ordered the roasted carrots with marscapone cheese, lamb bolognese, spaghetti and meatballs, pasta with clams and the cannelloni. Everything was scrumptious and the wine the waitress recommended was superb. The restaurant is small and they don't take reservations -- plus they fill up quickly on the weekends. To navigate this on a Saturday, we usually skip lunch and go to Wallingford Dram for a cocktail at 4:00 (the Dram is an adorable cocktail bar across the street from Festina) and the walk over to Festina before 4:30 while we can still get a table.

Waited for 45 minutes to get a table. When finally got seated had a full view of the kitchen through the open door. The guy in the kitchen was cooking in his street clothes. He was constantly scratching his head and touching his phone while making food. The dirty dishes from the dining room were piled on the same table where the food was prepared. After few minutes of watching Festina stuff violating multiple health code rules got up and left. Can't tell you if their food is any good or bad but the local health department really should shut this place down.

Some of the best Italian food on either side of the Kittery-Portsmouth border. The space is small, but super cozy and has great ambiance. 100% recommend.

ordered the appetizer cheese and meat platter. $70 couple of tiny pieces of cheese and a few slices of meat. So disappointing... for that price impress me and make me happy. I'll never go back

If you want entitled millennial arrogance heaped up with a dose of argumentative wait staff served to you, as one of the highest spending and most loyal patrons, you found the right place. Refusal to apologize for insulting their customers, arguing about being tipped too little (12.5%? for five minutes of shoddy bar seat service with endlessly mismanaged timing of tiny dessert and coffee), children running the front of the house, ignoring polite emails to management, followed up with deleted IG comments. This is the place!! Avoid if you have self respect. Bye Festina, you're an embarrassment to your trade and the seacoast of NH/Maine.

This is a small, mostly, but not totally, Northern Italian, restaurant in Kittery Foreside. As they don't take reservations, it is best to arrive early. The menu changes seasonably. The appetizers and the main courses (I had some great pasta, made in house) were all deliciously prepared with obviously fresh ingredients. They also have a very nice wine list. Definitely one of the better restaurants in the area!

Wonderful meal outside. We put together a veggie/pasta dinner that was heavenly. Carrots. Fennel. Spring salad. Risotto. Great wine. Great service. Memorable meal.

Thank you Festina Lente for providing my first real foodie dinner in months. I just moved here and haven't found any restaurants in the Portsmouth area that were worth the money or a second chance. I guess Maine is where it's at for food. My husband and I had the Ribollita soup, the Buccatini and Clams, the Gnocchi, and the Chocolate Trifle. The Gnocchi was by far my favorite. It was perfect!! The gnocchi was browned just the right amount on one side. The sausage was devine and the crispy kale gave such a good flavor and texture to the dish. It was the perfect balance of every flavor and had the most delicious crispy garlic pieces mixed in. LOVE!!! The Buccatini and Clams was my second favorite. The clams were beautiful and huge. The pasta was amazing and obviously homemade. There was just the right amount of parsley sprinkled on that just gave the dish such a great pop. The broth at the bottom was so yummy and we drank every drop at the end. I can't say the Ribollita soup blew my mind, but I'll give it some slack since we did get the last bowl of it. I know how it goes on the last bowl and there isn't much umph left in it. The bread in soup was quite delicious though. The chocolate trifle was bland with a little too much flavor given to the hazelnut. I'll admit I'm not a fan of hazelnut but it was the only thing in the dessert that had any flavor. Maybe dessert isn't Festina Lente's thing. Not a problem for me...I will just gorge myself on all the other delicious food and skip dessert.

This is a very special place, easily one of the best restaurants in the seacoast area. The food is incredible and the owner/ head chef is there cooking every night so you know it is always going to be delicious. The service is professional and attentive, the ambiance is great, and the prices are very reasonable. The dining room is small and they don't take reservations so plan accordingly. If you are looking for an incredible meal and dining experience this is your spot.

We were anticipating the open of this restaurant in Foreside. Chef Sam is well known in the area and we wanted to try it out. Weekend nights were crowded so we chose to go to a lunch since it's identical menu. The menu is limited, leaning towards pasta. It's a small room but lunch was not filled at all. For the four of us, the check was $78 before tip. No drinks or desserts. Food quality was very high, carefully prepared and presented. The host / server was extremely attentive. We had the meat salumi and bread plate as appetizers. For entree, we had the rigatoni and pepper spaghetti. Portions were ample, the spaghetti was short pieces, not full length. Sauces were both very tasty and fresh. Overall, I agree with others that mentioned the high prices. Atmosphere was nice, AC working, and appropriate music. This is more in line Anneke Jens which is next door. Consider it a special occasion destination.

This little place serves up some of the best pasta in the area. We have enjoyed several meals here. They use the best ingredients. In fact, I was curious once and inquired about the olive oil they use. They were kind enough to share the brand and I ordered it as soon as I returned home. My Bride to be enjoyed wine spritzers here all summer. My son's jam is the homemade pasta.

I'm not sure how we missed this restaurant on Yelp map but I'm glad we found it! They don't take reservations so we opted for end bar seats. Our appetizers were delicious and we both enjoyed a glass of wine to get going. Our entrees were both fantastic, mine was made with home made pasta, sausage and amazing flavors. We are both looking forward to having dinner here again!

Wonderful new addition to Kittery Foreside. Warm, friendly service & interesting menu. The kitchen knows what they're doing. Delicious!

Came here for Valentine's Day and had a wonderful experience. (Normal Menu). All of the food sounded amazing, and the dishes we had were phenomenal. This is a chef (and kitchen staff) that really knows what they are doing! I almost don't want to write this review for fear it will get busier and harder to get a table, but on the other hand I loved the food so much we don't want it to not be busy and close-- SO PLEASE EAT THERE- just not on the nights I want to go. :-) Honestly, I could eat the roasted multi-color carrots served with mascarpone with cardamom and sweet basil (and toasted pistachios!) every night of the week. The breads they serve you are delicious, fresh, and a great variety (almost too much bread as it is so good you can accidentally fill up on it). Easily worth the $6 or whatever it cost. Huge sections of 4 different bread types. The Pastas were delicious- the Gnocci in particular was mouth-watering, and really solid wine choices. All at a great price. Also- Amanda was a terrific waitress. I'll be back every time I need an Italian fix or simply want a great meal and experience. Well done to the entire team here!

A charming little gem of an Italian restaurant... we normally go up to Wells for great Italian food but it was late and there was traffic so we tried this place that we found on Yelp. The food was fantastic, very authentic Italian... the service was impeccable, both friendly and attentive and the prices were very reasonable. There are only 10 or 12 tables so definitely make a reservation. Highly recommend!

We heard about this restaurant opening from some local restaunteurs. First of all what they did with the small space is very well planned out and goes with the theme of the restaurant. The wait staff was very attentive and charming "We maka da pasta, you eata da spaghetti!" The food is as they say, rustic Italian, the pasta is made in house and while some of the dishes are the typical American\Italian you'll also find more adventurous takes on Italian cuisine. While some people have complained about being charged for their bread, they source it from Lil's, a small bakery just down the street, so I say kudos to them for supporting local businesses and for taking time and care into making their dishes. For those looking for more reasonably priced fare with free bread, in Newington just over the river there's this place called "Giardino di Olives." I think they may like.

Festina Lente is just what we needed in Kittery Foreside; perfectly executed modern Italian comfort food at fair price points in a charming well designed space. We arrived hungry during a heat wave and really appreciated not having to wait on line or be crowded.. We all really enjoyed our meal here. We started with the beet salad (excellent but small portioned), some fine Vt cheese and some really excellent finocchiona salami. Next were the pastas, ridiculously low priced for the quality, all in large portions and under 15 bucks! I had the spaghetti and meatballs which were better than mommas and the kids really enjoyed their Cacio e Pepi and Amatriciana. Service was super efficient and pleasant. We were actually stuffed and passed on dessert. Festina Lente is the sort of neighborhood place you will revisit frequently. We look forward to returning.

This Italian restaurant is a great addition to the food Mecca that Kittery Foreside has become. I really appreciate a simple menu and fresh flavorful dishes, both of which can be found at Festina Lente. They make their own bread and have a good beer and wine menu. Pasta is the main staple, but a nice variety. Basic spaghetti and meatballs was excellent, as was the duck ragout. Using high quality wine glasses always makes for a better drinking experience and pretty, mismatched china is a fun touch. Our server was excellent, knowledgeable about the wines and attentive without being intrusive. We had a very funny conversation with her when we asked her to describe the taste of grappa but she thought we said rabbit! Prices are reasonable and portions are large. It's a pretty small space but open and airy, with a high ceiling and large windows in the front. They don't take reservations and were full by 5:30. Definitely will go back.

This was a wonderful surprise, we walked to Kittery from Portsmouth and took a chance with this restaurant for lunch. It was a great lunch, and a special way to spend my birthday. The carrots and the olives on the antipasto menu were memorable and the bean soup and pasta were first class. I would say that it will not be long before this chef makes a big name for himself, so try it now before it gets too popular. The wine was good too :)

I just finished having dinner with 6 people at this restaurant. It's very small and doesn't take reservations but we did call to advise them. We were told to arrive at 5 when they opened which we did. Coming from different places we arrived at different times. We were told we could not be seated until at least 5 people arrived even though there was no one in the restaurant. When we finally were seated the only waitress scurried to set up tables, level the tables and get us water. The menu is rather.limited but did sound like the food would be great. Not so! I had the clams with pasta and was told there was broth in the dish. I received a bowl of overcooked spaghetti with very little broth. There was a small serving of bread but no olive oil or cheese to accompany the food. Bread was available from a local bakery for an additional $6.00. Another pasta dish was basically plain pasta with black pepper- again no sides. The salad was good, desserts ok. This place has only been open since June and I doubt it will make it to their anniversary. There are too many good restaurants in Kittery or Portsmouth so much better and less expensive.

Good food, very pricey. Service was good, but they dont have air conditioning yet. Convenient spot with a good atmosphere, although the music wasn't what I would have expected. Stop in and give it a try, but you might not be able to dine out again for a while depending on your budget.

Incredible food, great atmosphere and the team working there were top notch. The bread was warm and flavorful and the gnocchi with sweet sausage and kale was excellent. A must!!

This new restaurant is a wonderful addition To Kittery Foreside. It is a small, intimate space with good service and amazing pasta. The charcuterie boards make great appetizers or accompaniments to a glass of wine or beer. Much of the pasta is made on site, and the cavatelli and cannelloni are my favorites so far. Plus the panna cotta is a melt-in-your-mouth dessert. Enjoy!

I had a great meal at Festina Lente. They do a very good modern take on classic italian comfort food. My table ordered the Spaghetti/Meatballs, Rigatoni all'Amatriciana, and Cacio e Pepe. All were delicious and recommended. Affordable and nice portion sizes. We all left satisfied. Highly recommended.

The atmosphere was nice as was the waitress but our food was extremely bland. The pasta with pecorino cheese was watery with very little cheese and had too much pepper to the point that it was not edible. Also the pasta with clams was extremely bland and flavorless. We had really looked forward to eating there but will not return.

Amazing staff. Delicious food. HIGHLY recommend a trip to Festina Lente, you won't regret it !!

Awesome. One of the best new spots in the Foreside. Rotating selection of cheese and meat boards. Nice variety of appetizers and entrees. Hard to please locals. No complaints. Will go back.

My friend and I were looking forward to trying this. We came early on a Tuesday night. Service was *very* slow: two hours for two plates of pasta. Appetite and enthusiasm faded. Food was fair, but we won't go back. If you're looking for Italian, Portsmouth is still the place.

We went to the restaurant and asked for a table for 5. It is a small restaurant with only about 8 tables. There was an empty table but the host/server said there was a party of 5 who were ahead of us. They were going to call them to see if they still wanted the table. Mind you, this restaurant does not take reservations. We waited 30 minutes and the party had not shown up. I went in again to ask on the status and stood at the door for 10 minutes, two staff members (one was the same host/server) said they "would be right with" me, were walking around laughing (not helping other customers). When he finally came to help me I asked if the other party were going to take the table they said they still had not heard from them but would call us if the table became available I said thanks and shared that we were going to go someplace else so they could take our name off the list. The owner entered the restaurant at that moment (he had been in the phone sitting on the neighboring home's steps for the 45 minutes we were standing outside) and nastily stated "we'll have a nice night then and don't come back". On our way back to our car after the most delicious dinner and amazing service at anneke jans, the table was still empty. I guess Festina Lente does not care that they are losing business.

This place is incredible. The gnocchi is so light & airy - just dreamy. The setting is intimate & the servers are knowledgeable and experienced. Stop perusing Yelp, you have found the ultimate pick.

A perfect little Italian restaurant. Delicious food and cozy atmosphere. We loved our meal from start to finish. Delighted to find this gem! We'll be going back soon and often.

The place is small and nicely decorated. There are only three red wine choices by the glass, but the one we tried was good. Bottles are expensive for this type of place. While our waiter was competent, he was not welcoming. He did not make us feel he cared if we came back or not. The appetizers were hit or miss. The beets were very good, and the sauce on the carrots was excellent, but the roasted vegetables were ordinary. In addition, the portions were small. I realize the sauce took time to make for the carrots, but it seemed there were three carrots cut into thirds--not enough of a portion. They charge $5 for bread and butter--not right. One pasta dish was nothing special; the other one we tried was very tasty but also a small portion for $15. Two entrees were unavailable--sad because I had previewed the menu and went there especially to try one of them. If they gave you more to eat or if they lowered the prices or if the bread was free, I would have given the place an additional star.