Award-winning restaurant featuring authentic, unique, Italian and Mediterranean cuisine.
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You walk into Tartufo and immediately know this is different. The aroma of garlic, fresh herbs, and perfectly prepared seafood fills the air. Your table overlooks an elegant dining room where soft saxophone jazz creates the perfect backdrop for conversation.
This isn’t your typical seafood spot. Every dish arrives exactly as it should—lobster ravioli with tender crab meat, pan-seared scallops over handmade pappardelle, linguini loaded with fresh clams, mussels, and calamari. The kind of meal that makes you forget about your phone and focus on the people across from you.
You leave knowing you’ve experienced something special. Real Italian seafood preparation, ingredients that taste like they came straight from the Mediterranean, and service that makes you feel like a valued guest rather than just another table.
Since 2004, we’ve been Newton Centre’s go-to destination for authentic Italian seafood. Founded by Anna Mountzuris, we’ve built our reputation on one simple principle: serve the freshest seafood using traditional Abruzzese preparation methods that have been passed down through generations.
Our chefs come directly from the Abruzzo region of Italy, bringing techniques you won’t find anywhere else in the area. We’re not trying to reinvent Italian cuisine—we’re preserving it. Every lobster dish, every seafood risotto, every signature preparation reflects nearly twenty years of our commitment to authenticity.
Local families trust us with their celebrations. Couples choose us for their most important dates. Business professionals know they can bring clients here without worry. That kind of reputation doesn’t happen overnight—it’s earned one perfectly prepared meal at a time.
Fresh seafood arrives daily from Boston’s fish markets, selected by our chefs who know exactly what to look for. Each piece of fish, every lobster, all shellfish gets inspected before it ever touches our kitchen.
Our preparation starts with traditional Abruzzese techniques. We prepare lobster with the perfect balance of garlic, white wine, and fresh herbs. We sear scallops to create that perfect golden crust while keeping the inside tender. We make pasta fresh in-house, then combine it with seafood in ways that highlight both ingredients.
Your meal gets plated with the attention to detail that comes from two decades of experience. Every dish leaves our kitchen at the perfect temperature, seasoned exactly right, presented beautifully. You taste the difference immediately—this is what happens when authentic technique meets the freshest ingredients available.
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Your Tartufo experience includes everything you’d expect from fine Italian dining. Our main dining room features elegant table settings, soft lighting, and live saxophone jazz on select evenings. For larger celebrations, our private upstairs dining room accommodates up to 45 guests with full bar service.
Cochituate area diners appreciate our attention to dietary accommodations. Our kitchen handles gluten-free requests, can modify preparations for allergies, and always provides detailed ingredient information. We understand that great dining means everyone at your table feels comfortable and cared for.
Parking is never an issue here—we provide convenient on-site parking so you can focus on enjoying your evening rather than searching for a spot. Whether you’re celebrating an anniversary, hosting a business dinner, or simply treating yourself to exceptional seafood, every detail has been considered to make your experience memorable.
Our seafood comes from traditional Abruzzese preparation methods that you won’t find at typical restaurants. We source fresh fish daily from Boston markets, and our chefs trained in Italy’s Abruzzo region bring authentic techniques to every dish.
This means our lobster ravioli gets made with house-made pasta and real lobster sauce, not cream-based substitutes. Our seafood risotto uses Arborio rice prepared the traditional way with proper seafood stock. Every preparation reflects nearly 20 years of our commitment to authentic Italian seafood cuisine.
The difference is immediately obvious when you taste dishes like our signature Grilled Calamari or pan-seared scallops with pappardelle pasta—these aren’t Americanized versions of Italian food, they’re the real thing.
Absolutely. Our upstairs private dining room accommodates up to 45 people for seated dinners, or 55 for cocktail-style events. We handle everything from intimate birthday celebrations to corporate functions and wedding parties.
Our event coordination team works with you to create custom menus that showcase our seafood specialties. Whether you want family-style platters of our signature dishes or individual plated meals, we tailor everything to your group’s preferences and dietary needs.
We provide full bar service, can arrange for live music, and handle all the details so you can focus on your guests. Many Cochituate area families have been celebrating their special occasions with us for years—we understand how important these events are and treat them accordingly.
First-time guests consistently rave about our lobster ravioli—house-made pasta stuffed with fresh lobster in vodka pink sauce with crab meat and arugula. It perfectly represents our approach to Italian seafood cuisine.
Our Linguini Frutti di Mare is another favorite, featuring shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels, and calamari in a light garlic and white wine sauce. For something uniquely Abruzzese, try our pan-seared scallops with pappardelle pasta in vodka mascarpone sauce.
Many guests also start with our signature Grilled Calamari appetizer—it’s prepared differently than you’ll find elsewhere and showcases why our Abruzzese techniques matter. These dishes give you a perfect introduction to what makes us special while highlighting the fresh seafood quality that keeps people coming back.
Our seafood arrives daily from Boston’s fish markets, selected personally by our chefs who know exactly what quality looks like. We never serve seafood that’s more than 24-48 hours out of the water, and our menu changes based on what’s freshest that day.
You can see the difference immediately—our lobster has that sweet, clean taste that only comes from proper handling and quick preparation. Scallops arrive with that natural ocean flavor intact, and our fish preparations highlight the ingredient rather than masking it with heavy sauces.
We’ve built relationships with trusted suppliers over nearly 20 years, so we get first choice of the best catches. This commitment to freshness is non-negotiable for us—it’s the foundation of everything we do in the kitchen.
We offer elegant but comfortable dining with soft lighting, white tablecloths, and an intimate atmosphere perfect for conversation. On select evenings, live saxophone jazz adds to the romantic ambiance without overwhelming your ability to talk.
Our main dining room feels sophisticated but never stuffy—you’ll see couples on date nights, families celebrating special occasions, and business professionals hosting important dinners. The atmosphere adapts to your needs while maintaining that authentic Italian warmth.
For quieter dining, request a table upstairs where the atmosphere is more intimate. Our staff understands how to read the room and provide attentive service without being intrusive. Whether you’re celebrating an anniversary or hosting clients, the atmosphere enhances your evening rather than competing with it.
Yes, we strongly recommend making reservations, especially for weekend dinners and our popular seafood dishes. You can call us directly or book through our website—we’ll confirm your table and any special requests.
For parties of six or more, reservations are essential since we want to ensure our kitchen can properly prepare your seafood courses without delays. We also accommodate special dietary needs and celebration requests when you book in advance.
Walk-ins are welcome when space allows, but given our reputation for fresh seafood and intimate atmosphere, tables fill up quickly during peak hours. Reserving ahead guarantees you won’t miss out on dishes like our lobster ravioli or signature seafood preparations that require proper timing to serve at their best.
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