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Ristorante Fiore is now the largest restaurant in the North End, with the strengths and weaknesses that implies. It’s easy to get a table, either small or very large; and three dining spaces give you every option, from the popular rooftop to a bar with a working fireplace. There is a Web-based reservation system at www.ristorantefiore.com. (It works, but doesn’t include the roof-deck seating.) And there actually is a Fiore, namely Fiore Colella, who was born in Avellino, Campania. Colella worked his way up from dishwasher to chef and owner of Cantina Italiana next door, then took over a music store to build Fiore. Service at Fiore was very good on a weeknight. The downstairs dining room is all beiges and golds, very nice colors to set off people and food, and it gradually filled up in the early evening. But the action in the summer was on the roof garden. I don’t like to eat outdoors when reviewing, because I find it hard to taste in the open air, between the breeze and the cigarettes. But the roof might be a very good choice for smallish parties if they don’t mind louder surroundings, because Fiore’s food is more hearty than subtle. The really large tables are on the street level — maybe so the servers don’t have to carry those five-liter bottles of wine upstairs to decant them. The middle floor, a long, narrow room, is done in Sienese maroon. One of Fiore’s best features is its sheer size, which makes it ideal for large parties. There are also some private spaces for catering. But it should be possible to walk in most nights, and have a pleasant if not epic dining experience. Zagat
Survey With it's beige-and-gold walls, gilt-framed paintings and floral carpeting, this “fine” new North End ristorante aims more upscale than it's trattoria neigbors, but its traditional Italian menu fits right in on Hanover Street; the relatively subdued room provides a comfortable backdrop for the kitchen's homemade pastas and classic veal, chicken and fish éntrees, plus there's a cute patio and rooftop deck for alfesco dining. From
“The Phantom Gourmet's Culinary Tour of the North End” special: “Here we have our lounge and bar area, cocktails, appetizers, very relaxing atmosphere. And then over here we have our first floor dining room, also another relaxing atmosphere where people like to see the street level.” "Here
we have our other dining room. We use it for large parties and also our
function room.” That's right...Fiore offers two outdoor dining areas, the charming street-level space and the romantic roofdeck...this is the ideal destination for a full meal, or a quick cocktail.
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