Serving since
1931
95 years in Boston
Cantina Italiana
- Why go
- A sit-down Italian dinner on Hanover Street at a restaurant serving since 1931.
- Local character
- Locals + visitors. On Hanover Street and listed by Boston's tourism bureau as a Little Italy tradition.
Why it matters
Cantina Italiana has served traditional Italian food on Hanover Street since 1931, which makes it one of the longest-running sit-down restaurants in the North End.
Beyond the founding year, we haven't found a documented history: no founder, owners or timeline. We'll add them once they're sourced.
The story
- 1931Opens on Hanover Street1
- TodayStill serving Boston
Notes on the record
- Some tourism sites call Cantina Italiana the oldest restaurant in the North End. Regina Pizzeria (1926) is older, so we don't repeat the claim.
Details
- Address
- 346 Hanover Street, Boston, MA 02113
- Neighborhood
- North End
- Ownership
- Not verified
- Status
- Open · verified Sep 2026
OldScore
A secondary, editorial measure. The founding year above is the fact that matters most. How it works.
| Age | 27 | / 35 |
|---|---|---|
| Continuity | — | / 20 |
| Local significance | 5 | / 20 |
| Local food culture | 10 | / 15 |
| Independence | — | / 10 |
| OldScore | Not yet scored |
"—" means unknown. We don't publish a total until every part is verified.
Local character: Locals + visitors. On Hanover Street and listed by Boston's tourism bureau as a Little Italy tradition. This is separate from OldScore: a place can be popular with visitors and still belong here.
More like this
Sources
- Cantina Italiana (official site) Founding year, Address, Current status
- Meet Boston (Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau), Cantina Italiana Founding year, History
- Boston.com, 'What's the oldest Italian restaurant in the North End?' (Feb 13, 2023) Founding year