The Red Fox
Italian restaurant · North End ·
Retro Italian restaurant with a hidden martini bar
Retro Italian restaurant with a hidden martini bar
"We can’t believe we’re saying this about a restaurant in the North End, but The Red Fox is kind of sexy. The underground space (look for the handwritten “restaurant” sign and head down the stairs) hidden beneath a financial services office doesn’t feel like any other in the neighborhood. The dark, wood-paneled room is as sultry and louche as a Nick Cave song, so go with a date, slink into one of the clubby red booths, and order a drink from their martini- and Negroni-heavy cocktail menu, which is filled with genre-bending versions of the old standbys. The dinner menu is a murderer’s row of Italian classics, like cappelletti al ragu, with a few unexpected twists, such as dessert-like zeppole, thrown in." - Team Infatuation
"Sometimes, it's nice to drink a martini in a dark, windowless room. The Red Fox is underneath a financial services office in Boston's North End, and while it does technically have windows, they've been plastered over with old newspapers to block out the light. This is a place where you can give a martini your full and undivided attention, which is exactly what you should do while sitting in a blood-red clamshell stool at a bar that feels like the type of place Philip Marlowe might drink a gimlet. Our advice is to stick to the classic gin martini, but if you want to explore the bleeding edge of the savory martini trend, the Aglio e Pepe, made with pepper, garlic, and shaved parmesan cheese, is an option." - bryan kim, team infatuation
"We can’t believe we’re saying this about a restaurant in the North End, but The Red Fox is kind of sexy. The underground space (look for the handwritten “restaurant” sign and head down the stairs) hidden beneath a financial services office doesn’t feel like any other in the neighborhood. The dark, wood-paneled room is as sultry and louche as a Nick Cave song, so go with a date, slink into one of the clubby red booths, and order a drink from their martini- and Negroni-heavy cocktail menu, which is filled with genre-bending versions of the old standbys. The dinner menu is a murderer’s row of Italian classics with a few unexpected twists thrown in. Served with prosciutto and honey, the zeppole is closer to struffoli in texture than the globs of dough you get at the fair, and we could have eaten three orders. The mains don’t disappoint, either. Brisket stuffed into little pasta pillows in the cappelletti al ragu is near perfect, and the orecchiette manages to get more flavor out of pistachios than we thought possible." - tanya edwards, grace kelly
"We can’t believe we’re saying this about a restaurant in the North End, but The Red Fox is kind of sexy. The underground space (look for the handwritten “restaurant” sign and head down the stairs) hidden beneath a financial services office doesn’t feel like any other in the neighborhood. The dark, wood-paneled room is as sultry and louche as a Nick Cave song, so go with a date, slink into one of the clubby red booths, and order a drink from their martini- and Negroni-heavy cocktail menu, which is filled with genre-bending versions of the old standbys. The dinner menu is a murderer’s row of Italian classics with a few unexpected twists thrown in. Served with prosciutto and honey, the zeppole is closer to struffoli in texture than the globs of dough you get at the fair, and we could have eaten three orders. The mains don’t disappoint, either. Brisket stuffed into little pasta pillows in the cappelletti al ragu is near perfect, and the orecchiette manages to get more flavor out of pistachios than we thought possible." - tanya edwards, joel ang, dan secatore
"If you’re looking for a fun, ready-to-party spot in the North End, the Red Fox is the place to go. It takes its hideaway location seriously — the only indication that there’s a restaurant at this address is a tiny sign marked “restaurant” with an arrow pointing down a set of stairs — but once you’re in, prepare to feast the night away. Must-orders include the savory-sweet zeppole with prosciutto plate and a luxurious dish of cheesy, saucy rolled lasagna for the table." - Erika Adams