Sportello

4.2 (2589)

$31 to $50

Italian

348 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210

About this restaurant

Lively
Good for special occasions
Innovative

With two U-shaped counters situated around an open kitchen, Sportello (Italian for counter service) offers a menu from Chef Barbara Lynch featuring a range of regional Italian dishes for both lunch and dinner. A modern interpretation of the classic diner located in the Boston Fort Point neighborhood, Sportello features an approachable, artisan wine list. Snag a stool at the counter and enjoy a bowl of handmade pasta!

INDOOR DINING: Reservations can be made 30 days in advance, and due to the small nature of our restaurant, table seating is limited. Be sure to make a note on your reservation if you'd prefer a table over counter seating, and we will do our best to accommodate on a first-come, first-serve basis.

We are currently not offering outdoor dining at this time.

Permanently Closed

This restaurant is permanently closed.

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Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Italian
Hours of operation
Dinner Sat 5:00 pm–6:00 pm
Website
http://www.sportelloboston.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Barbara Lynch
Private party facilities
Sportello does not have a private space, but we do offer semi-private space during service and private space via buyout.

Location
348 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210
Neighborhood
Fort Point Channel
Cross street
A Street
Parking details
Please note due to COVID-19 restrictions we are currently not offering valet services however there is on-street parking, several open air lots and garages within two blocks of Sportello. There is a large garage on Stillings Street, a small lot on Farnsworth and several large lots on Boston Wharf Road and Congress Street.
Public transit
For those taking public transportation, we are a short walk from South Station (Red Line) or Courthouse (Silver Line)
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Vegan, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at Sportello.

4.2

(2589)

4.5Food
4.0Service
4.0Ambience
3.7Value

Noise • Moderate

2,465 Reviews

OT
OpenTable Diner
Greater Boston1 review
2.0
Dined on January 1, 2024
1. Overall 2
2. Food 4
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 2
Overall the service was not great, it felt like the team was understaffed. Food and wine pairings were very good. It was overall very cold in the restaurant, we ended up moving tables but we're still very cold.
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M
Marvan
Greater Boston2 reviews
1.0
Dined on December 31, 2023
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 1
Worse experience ever. Waited over 1.5 hours for first course. Looks like chef quit during dinner. We literally left before we got all our options from our dinner. Barbara Lynch you are the Boston Chef Queen…..get it together!!!
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MM
MelissaM Gold
Greater Boston6 reviews
2.0
Dined on December 31, 2023
1. Overall 2
2. Food 4
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 2
Very disappointing New Year’s Eve experience, starting from trying to make the reservation. We wanted to book a table for 7 but OpenTable will only accept reservations if 6 or fewer. I tried calling for 3 days during the advertised business hours as well as emailing, in an effort to confirm as reservation for 7. I was anxious to confirm a reservation because it was a milestone birthday for my husband as well NYE. Finally, after 3 days we got confirmation of our reservation for 7 people. When we arrived at 5 pm (the moment they opened), we were led to a small table that would have comfortably seated 4 at the most; 6 if we squeezed to the point of discomfort. There was no way the table could accommodate 7 plates let alone 7 people.. It took 5-10 minutes to sort out that we needed an additional small table to accommodate a party of 7. Fine - we were finally seated. Service was painfully slow and disjointed. There was a 4 course prix fixe menu which should have made things efficient, but it took nearly 45 minutes to get our first course - even though we were the first party seated, and even though several tables around us were served first. We were not given a wine menu or wine pairing option until the second course. We had to ask repeatedly for basics like an extra napkin or a bottle of wine that we had ordered at seating. The food was as fine, but honestly the service was so bad it put a damper on the whole experience. I had mentioned in our reservation request that it was a milestone birthday for my husband, but there was zero acknowledgement. Disappointing overall and certainly not what we would have expected. I doubt we’ll be back.
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JL
JohnL
Greater Boston24 reviews
5.0
Dined on December 30, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
From the host to the wait staff to the bartender and the kitchen staff. They knocked it out of the park . Exceptional food and exceptional service.
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N
Nick Gold
Greater Boston21 reviews
5.0
Dined on December 15, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
solid meal, nice simple dining room, great wait staff, and good value
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Greater Boston3 reviews
5.0
Dined on December 10, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I loved this place. My fiancé and I spent an incredible night here
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f
fitforfood
Greater Boston19 reviews
5.0
Dined on December 9, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Started with a delicious bourbon cocktail, Gulfo, then the artichoke starter, grilled Caesar salad and finally the lobster gnocchi! All presented by the perfectly attending wait staff.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
New York City3 reviews
4.0
Dined on December 6, 2023
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
The fresh pasta dishes were delicious, especially the lobster gnocchi with truffle.
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DC
DavidC Gold
Greater Boston15 reviews
5.0
Dined on November 26, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Food was delicious. Menu is small and the cocktail I ordered tasted great but was tiny!
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MP
MikeP
Greater Boston2 reviews
4.0
Dined on November 19, 2023
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
Wonderul entrees. The strozzapreti and the gnocchi were incredible. Skip the tutti antipasti. It was very basic. It was a $25 antipasti board that they chharge $55 for. Server forgot to bring my glass of wine. Had to ask for it. Unfortunately, they sat us at a table 8' from the restroom doors and beside the front door. Every time a new party arrived we were blasted by cold air rushing into the restaurant.
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Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Italian
Hours of operation
Dinner Sat 5:00 pm–6:00 pm
Website
http://www.sportelloboston.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Barbara Lynch
Private party facilities
Sportello does not have a private space, but we do offer semi-private space during service and private space via buyout.

Location
348 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210
Neighborhood
Fort Point Channel
Cross street
A Street
Parking details
Please note due to COVID-19 restrictions we are currently not offering valet services however there is on-street parking, several open air lots and garages within two blocks of Sportello. There is a large garage on Stillings Street, a small lot on Farnsworth and several large lots on Boston Wharf Road and Congress Street.
Public transit
For those taking public transportation, we are a short walk from South Station (Red Line) or Courthouse (Silver Line)
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Vegan, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Permanently Closed

This restaurant is permanently closed.