Ellen K.
Yelp
We had a reservation for Thursday evening, and we're so glad we did! The restaurant was packed with locals by the time we left. We're not from the area, but we took a chance to celebrate a birthday dinner here based on the positive reviews, and thankfully, Il Ponte did not disappoint.
This is an authentic Italian restaurant with fresh, handmade pasta, breads, pizza, and dishes that easily beat out the better known Italian places in the North End. We highly recommend the mussels and squid ink pasta. The piccante pizza was not spicy ar all and reminiscent of just pepperoni pizza, but the arugula salad helped balance everything out. The veal cutlet was perfectly creamy and flavorful without being too salty.
Be prepared to wait a bit for your food, as it's made from scratch and by hand. But the service is extremely friendly and attentive, and they're happy to accommodate food allergies.
Overall, we had a wonderful dining experience at Il Ponte. The food was delicious, the service was excellent, and the atmosphere was warm and inviting, albeit a bit too dark and can get loud for those hard of hearing. We highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for an authentic Italian meal.
TIP: Unfortunately not BYOB and expect to pay $50+ per bottle of wine & parking was difficult on the streets during evening hours. We did manage to find a parking at the nearby Salem bank parking lot way in the back where empty spaces were but not sure if this is normally allowed.