SRV

"Once you’ve been to Coppa and Bar Mezzana, come to SRV - a spot on Columbus that focuses on pasta and has great small plates - and decide once and for all which place deserves the title of best Italian restaurant in the South End. Although come to think of it, maybe deciding once-and-for-this-week is a better option, that way you can re-evaluate and do it again a few days later." - dan secatore

"The pleasant string light-bedecked, 40-seat patio behind the restaurant is surrounded by brick walls and ivy — the perfect place to enjoy SRV’s outstanding Venice-inspired small plates, pasta, and other Italian cuisine." - Tanya Edwards

"“Arsenale” is the name given to the nightly chef-curated menu at South End barcaro and wine bar, SRV. For $65, enjoy a selection of cicchetti — snacks like arancini, marinated olives, and other delights — followed by three courses, with espresso-pomegranate-rubbed short ribs among past plates." - Celina Colby, Nathan Tavares, Eater Staff

"SRV (which stands for Serene Republic of Venice) is a bacaro and wine bar serving cuisine inspired by the Adriatic right in Boston’s South End. Go with friends and get at least one of each cicchetti option (Venetian small plates), but also try some of the creative pasta dishes, such as the balanzoni with espresso, pork, mushrooms, and smoked ricotta, or the agnolotti in brodo with beet, orange, and poppy seeds." - Erika Adams, Nathan Tavares, Celina Colby, Eater Staff

"It’s a feat in and of itself to keep a restaurant alive and well for nearly ten years and one pandemic. But the Venetian-inspired SRV — which stands for the Serene Republic of Venice — isn’t merely still standing after all that time in the South End. The restaurant keeps giving us reasons to return again and again: the chefs are always adapting the Italian menu to showcase fresh, new ideas (but they don’t overdo it; old favorites stay on for a reason) and the staff’s hospitality is second to none. It’s no surprise that so many diners keep coming back here for a consistently outstanding meal. Can’t decide what to order? Try the restaurant’s $65-per-person Arsenale option, a shared tasting menu for the table that pays homage to Venice." - Eater Staff