Isabella's Restaurant

02/26/08

too bad, not quite there and lacking in warmth

by qualitative

By the time we paid the bill we felt as if we had wasted our money. Our server delt with us in a cool and efficient way. Wine by the glass was so over priced we decided against it. Would have loved the pork had it not been dry dry dry and way over cooked but, the flavors were there. The fresh pasta (way too al dente) ginormous mushrooms, raw peas and charred leaks competing with the delicate lobster was out done by the overwhelming amount of pepper in the dish. Peach cobbler was good flavor wise but really should be served in a more low profile dish. My big clunky spoon couldn't dig it out easily. Over all the prices were a tad too high even if the food was cooked well. This makes me wounder what lack of attention is waiting for you there during lunch.

• Pros:  local neighborhood
• Cons: cold service poorly made dishes

Editorial Review

by Contributor

Upscale casual restaurant offers an eclectic variety of creative continental dishes ranging from salads and pastas to steaks and seafood.

01/23/07

Best in Dedham, it can be crowded and noisy. The food is very good, not outstanding.

by uubuntu

I live in Dedham, and I consider this to be the best restaurant in my town. The food is good, if not spectacular, and the service is consistently helpful and prompt. The cuisine is hard to pin down geographically (some form of Pan Asian/South European combination), and does seem to change over time. It can get crowded (as can all good restaruants) on the weekends, and I do recommend making a reservation, though you won't need to make one days in advance. Keep in mind that Isabella has an open eating area, and so it can get quite noisy. It's a good place for first dates and for small groups, and it will provide a nice compliment to the Dedham Community Theatre (an independent movie house) next door as an evening. We've eaten there many times, and usually spend between $25 and 40 per person, depending on whether or not we order drinks and dessert. As with most restaurants of this caliber, there is no children's menu, and most children under 10 will not appreciate the fare.

There is nothing on the menu that I would especially recommend, nor anything I would avoid. The food is consistently good across the menu.

• Pros: Consistent quality, reasonable price, good ambience, nice location.
• Cons: It can be noisy, and it can be crowded on weekends

10/22/05

another gem in the suburbs

by margmei

Isabella's has been serving delicious food for a few years now. I've eaten there many times over the past 4 years, at least, and the quality has been consistently high. There's a good variety to choose from and the portions are very generous.

If you haven't been there yet, you must check it out!

• Cons: crowded weekend nites