Antico Forno

Antico Forno is a family-owned Italian restaurant on Salem Street in Boston’s North End, built around a wood-burning brick oven. The name means “the old oven,” and most of the menu passes through it: brick-oven pizzas topped with house-made sausage and mozzarella, baked pastas, and even lamb, chicken and mashed potatoes with a crisp, caramelized crust. The Southern Italian cooking is paired with a cozy, mom-and-pop feel and prices that students and families can afford.

The restaurant has been part of the North End since 1996, and Carla Agrippino-Gomes is the owner. Beyond pizza, the kitchen turns out homemade pasta, fresh seafood, veal and classics like saltimbocca di pollo and linguine ai frutti di mare. The spacious restaurant has two dining rooms, a full bar with wine and cocktails, and TVs for sports, and reviewers note that it gets loud. Groups can also book the restaurant for events.

What to Know

• Gayot named it the number one pizza in Boston, and Yelp included it among its Top 100 pizza spots.
• Boston Magazine recognized it as one of the best restaurants in the North End.
• Reviewers have singled out the salsiccia e broccoletti pizza with broccoli rabe, homemade sausage and buffalo mozzarella.