This was a first visit for both of us to Massimo's and we were totally delighted with the experience. The service was first rate, friendly, available without being over bearing, and efficient. The food was fantastic. We started with the small cheese plates, then had a fettucine with crab, garlic, and caviar appetizer that was out of this world. I had the Tuna, and my lady friend had the scallops and were both completely pleased. An outstanding wine list as well. It's not an inexpensive place to dine by any stretch, but it is worth every penny. Also a beautiful setting, warm, romantic, and although it was filled when we were there, it remained quite enough for conversation. The owner stopped by to say hi as well, which is always a nice touch. Highly recommended, and we will certainly be returning.

Special attention by the owner in welcoming us. Wait staff went out of their way to please. Delightful setting. Intimate.

Delicious food, great service! Perfect place for a special occasion! We went for our anniversary and were totally impressed.

First time. Excellent in all ways. Classy and top shelf. The owner and staff couldn't be nicer. The food was fantastic. The waitstaff caters to every detail. Cozy and beautifully decorated. We were there for a business dinner, but will definitely return for pleasure.

Exiquisit setting. Very attentive service. Food was excellent!

The food is top notch, it is as good as any Northern Italian themed restaurant I have ever been to. My wife loves this place and we went for her birthday. I made a reservation and I surprised her by flying her mother up from Florida. The flight was delayed and Massimo worked with us moving the reservation twice. They never pressured us on the timing. They even removed a place setting so when we got there and set down early she was not suspicious! It all went off without a hitch and we had an amazing dinner! I love this place and can not say enough good things about the staff or the food! Amazing!

I've been to Massimo three times and it is always great. If you're going for a date ask for the small alcove booth. Delicious, creative dishes and consistently wonderful service.

Restaurant week menu was a big disappointment. Nice atmosphere, great wait staff.

Massimo and his staff truly delight their customers and never disappoint...whether restaurant week or a business meeting or special family event or a romantic dinner with your honey, always excellent food, great service and a place where you feel like you are dining in Italy!!!

Last night three couples returned to Massimo’s for restaurant week. Just to put our crowd in perspective, two of the couples have lived in Italy (one for 20 years and the other for 3 years). In addition, one of the guests has very sensitive stomach issues to which Massimo and his chef were very understanding and accommodating. The three courses were amazing...flavored the way Northern Italian dishes should be. No complaints from the six of us!!

We truly thank Massimo, Candace (our waitress), Sam (the bartender who makes some mean cocktails), the Chef and all of the other servers who were attentive and congenial.

We will see you again soon...ah, yes, tomorrow night!!

Compliments to Massimo and his team!!!!

So delicious, can’t wait to go again. Great restaurant week menu, too.

This is the best Italian restaurant in Portsmouth! The lobster bisque was excellent. My daughter loved her spaghetti and meatballs! I loved my Italian gin and juice cocktail! We will be coming back soon!

The service was excellent and well paced. We each selected a different entree and they were all well presented and delicious. Next time we visit Portsmouth we will return to Ristorante Massimo. Highly recommend.

It’s always very delicious at Massimo’s, intimate dining, great food, friendly service.

Dined during Portsmouth’s Restaurant Week. Food and service was great. Sam was our server. Perfect Sunday night out.

The ambiance is amazing and the food is absolutely delicious. Massimo himself is warm and friendly and makes one feel truly welcomed. We did find our waiter distracted as the wrong appetizers were brought out and then he couldn't remember what entrees we ordered and then again desserts arrived that were not right. In the end, after he left the check another waiter came and picked up the payment. Perhaps our waiter had something else going on but he really seemed not to have his head in what he was doing. However, we would go back as the food was memorable. This restaurant is special!

Our experience was wonderful. The food,service and atmosphere were all outstanding. This is a lovely restaurant to celebrate a special occasion. You can not go wrong at this restaurant.

Restaurant week, where your cuisine needs to shine. Totally disappointed with the menu. More time was spent on the menu description then the meal itself. A bunch of mush paste... All courses where awful and would not frequent again. I enjoyed a simple pizza at the Rosa much more and that isn't saying much either. Get back to your roots Massimo or time to hang it up along with the Rosa.... Chow!

Massimo’s is always outstanding!

This has been and remains my favorite Portsmouth restaurant -- even with the serious competition. Every presentation shows attention to detail and extreme care. The food is delicious and the service is excellent. Never disappoints.

Hands down the best service we’ve experienced.

An incredible meal with great service and knowledge staff. Definitely going back!

Probably the best Italian cuisine in New Hampshire. Very elegant and the best thing is how totally gracious the staff is. This place is classy but it is NOT pretentious.

Had a wonderful experience, delicious food and fantastic service. Atmosphere is cozy and historical, the building is from the 1800s. Recommend for someone looking for authentic, top notch Italian cuisine .

Outstanding start to finish; the ultimate gem of Portsmouth!

Very nice. Traditional ambiance, but creative menu. Server's suggestions were right on target.

My wife has gluten dairy allergies, before I made the reservation I called, someone called back about two hours later which was nice, I explained her situation, and she explained that since everything was made to order, almost everything on 5he menu probably could be made to accommodate her and they even had gluten free pasta.
The waitress was great, but as we discussed the menu over 90 percent of it went away as options for my wife.
While her meal was good, she ended up with a steak minus items, that’s not what we were presented by phone.

Server was well knowledgeable about the food the ingredients and the way it was prepared. It was my 40th and everyone there made a point to say happy birthday. I felt amazing. Everyone enjoyed their meals, which included cheese board, dinners sides and dessert. So great! Only comment would be the ribeye(I think) was a littler rarer than expected and chicken was way overdone but we didn’t complain. I know chicken is hard to get right especially when prepared creatively. The sides were to die for!! Thank you for helping create a great memory!!

Food and service were both excellent! We will go back!

The whole dining experience was great! Good service, GREAT food and we were seated in the small dining room where it was quiet which I so enjoyed.

Massimo’s is the perfect place to go for a special evening. The food is fabulous, but the service and personal attention is what makes this restaurant so special to those of us in Portsmouth. We have many restaurants here, but Massimo’s is the best...for its ambiance, food, and comfort. The nicest thing is that Massimo, the owner and host, stops by everyone’s table at least a couple of times to check in, chat, and make sure your needs and expectations are being met. This restaurant is unquestionably unsurpassed by the many restaurants in Portsmouth. Thank you, Massimo!

We always enjoy an evening at Massimos. The owner is always on site and ready to enthusiastically greet diners. The staff wearing formal dress gives a feel of elegance. the food was outstanding. We could not get over the crispy pork chop.
This is our favorite restaurant in Portsmouth.

Excellent service and ambiance and the new menu was incredible. Candace was amazing as always!

Very good meal, even though not that biliary it was a bit loud

As soon as we walked through the door, Ristorante Massimo quickly became a favorite. The setting was cozy and intimate. The hostess took our coats and we were seated at a private table under a brick archway. Although the bench could have had a bit more padding, it was perfect to me. The paintings were real and not prints. Our server, Olive, was very attentive along with a very pleasant gentleman. The food far exceeded expectations. We ordered a 3 selection cheese board (excellent) Kobe meatballs, and octopus appetizer. I don’t eat octopus, but my other half said it was delicious. Kobe meatballs with the ricotta were amazing. My entree, the Carbonara, threw me off a bit when it arrived as it had a raw egg yolk in the middle. I stirred well, as instructed by another pleasant server, and it turned out to be the creamiest and most delicious carbonara I have ever had. My other half got the veal, and he says it was perfection. Both desserts were beautifully plated. Mine tasted of a Black Forest cake in its most elegant form. I didn’t even get a taste of the pear dessert as it was eaten too quickly. The drinks were also top notch. Mr. Massimo checked in to see if there was anything he could do. We assured him it was fantastic, not knowing who he was. We will definitely be returning.

Very nice date-night dinner, with friends.

Celebrated my husband’s birthday! Evening could not have been more perfect! Every aspect was 5 star. I have dined here a number of times before and am always delighted when dining at Massimo’s.

All in all it was a great dinner

Our first time dining at Massimo and we were impressed.

Had an awesome experience at Massimo. Alexandra was a great waitress and Massimo wished us a good night on the way. Great dinner!

This was our first time here. We were a party of four. Our food was outstanding, carbonara, beet salad, scallops, beef sirloin, artic char, veal chop was enjoyed. Our server was friendly and had very good knowledge of the menu and wine list. We can’t wait to return!