From its humble beginnings as a sneaky outpost towards the end of Hanover St, chef-owner Jen Royle has shot Table to the top of the North End food scene for its unorthodox approach to dining. Dinner is served family-style over seven courses (which might include limoncello shrimp, homemade tortellini, and torta al burro for dessert), Wednesday through Saturday. There’s also a six-course Sunday supper, which makes you feel as if you’re at an Italian nonna’s kitchen table. The Sunday supper might feature dishes like ricotta gnocchi and pollo alla milanese, and meals appropriately have sorbetto breaks to prepare eaters for the next course.

Next door, sibling shop Table Mercato offers a wide selection of house-made and imported goodies, and Table Caffé serves coffee and homemade gelato across the street.

A tried and true North End hot spot, Regina has been dishing out some of the city’s best pizzas for almost a century. Original owner Luigi D’Auria brought the flavors of Naples to Boston when he opened Regina in 1926. (D’Auria eventually sold Regina to the Polcari family in 1946.) Regina’s pies are cooked in the same oven that they were all those years ago — it was coal-fired in the beginning but switched to gas in the 1930s — and are known for having a charred outer crust and dough that ferments for up to six days. There are multiple locations around greater Boston, but the best way to experience Regina is sitting at its booths (or its bar) in the North End.

That feeling when it’s 2 a.m. and you need pizza, cannoli, calzones, arancini or all of the above... not to worry, Bova’s Bakery is open. Since 1926, Bova’s has been the go-to spot of the neighborhood, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Bova’s selection is a smorgasbord of all things Italian — there’s biscotti, cuccidati (Sicilian fig cookies), calzones, pizza, sandwiches, Champagne cookies, and an overwhelming selection of other baked goods.

The must-order, however, is Bova’s Florentine cannoli: A thin, Florentine-style cookie is shaped into a cylinder and pumped full of sweet ricotta cheese. The crown for the best cannoli in the North End is up for debate, but Bova’s is in the conversation.

“It’s like being at Nonna’s” is printed on the menus at La Famiglia Giorgio’s. What sets the Roman-inspired restaurant apart is the quality of its fresh pasta. Everything is good here, but “Little Al’s favorite,” which consists of chicken cutlet, broccoli, and gnocchi tossed in a pink vodka sauce, is compulsory. Classics like chicken and eggplant parmesan are among the best versions in the city. La Famiglia Giorgio’s wine list is vast, with hundreds of bottles to choose from. A note on accessibility: The entrance has two steps.

When it comes to Boston’s best cannoli, everyone has an opinion. Some say Modern (see below), but others swear by Mike’s. Whichever you prefer, you can’t really go wrong. Fair warning: You will absolutely have to wait in line at Mike’s. This is the original, but one can find other locations at Somerville’s Assembly Row development, in Cambridge’s Harvard Square, and at the Hub Hall food hall in Boston’s West End.

After you’ve feasted at your favorite trattoria or walked up and down Hanover Street browsing pastry-filled windows, you’ll want to step into Caffe Vittoria for a cappuccino. Decorated with vintage espresso machines, celebrity photos, and memorabilia from the Bel Paese, Caffe Vittoria has been serving coffee and pastries since 1929. There’s an unwritten rule in Italy that mandates cappuccino should not be ordered in the afternoon — but this isn’t Italy. Enjoy a cappuccino, tiramisù, or an affogato– hot espresso poured over creamy gelato. For those who want something a little boozy, the babà rum cake is a good choice with Neopolitan origins.

In the intersection of classic red-sauce dining and Boston’s historic old charm, find Mamma Maria, an exemplary model of good food in Boston. Overlooking the cobblestones of Boston’s oldest city square on North Street, Mamma Maria’s gorgeous storefront reels you in. As is done in Italy, expect an ever-changing menu — Mamma Maria focuses on seasonality, taking the best from what the local markets have available, like pumpkin for their pumpkin gnocchi with sea scallops. The bar is not to be missed, featuring artisanal cocktails with local liqueurs, including Boston’s own Black Infusions vodka.

Carmelina’s has massive windows that open directly to Hanover Street and a beautiful open kitchen. Its “Sunday macaroni” is served every day and comes with meatballs, sausage, and beef rib in a tomato sauce finished with a dollop of whipped ricotta. It is the star of the show at Carmelina’s, which aims to serve “traditional Sicilian comfort food with a Mediterranean twist.”

Tucked away on the less-frequented North Street, parallel to the notorious Hanover Street, Limoncello is a must-eat destination within the North End’s food scene, perfect for date nights, family get-togethers, or the single diner looking for the company of a good meal. Limoncello excels at setting the ambiance of how Italians really eat: Start with some wine, their Calabrian-style antipasto, then move onto the main attraction of “Rosette Al Montasio,” homemade pappardelle arranged like roses and cooked with prosciutto, cheese, tomato, and truffle. Of course, it all ends with a shot of homemade limoncello.

Modern is hard to miss, with its neon sign and brightly lit windows showing off cannoli, cakes, and other sweet treats. The cannoli at Modern are piped with ricotta filling fresh to order — a key factor that sets it apart from its touristy neighbor previously mentioned. Modern is also home to the city’s best lobster tail, which is a take on sfogliatella, perhaps the most famous dessert from Naples. Pair your baked goods with a cappuccino, and take some tiramisu and/or amaretto cake for the road. There’s a location in Medford, too.

It’s hard to write anything about Neptune that hasn’t already been written. There’s going to be a line, you’re going to have to wait in that line, but after you wait in that line, you’re going to have one of the best meals you can possibly have in Boston. And yes, the lobster roll is that good.

Mare is the Italian word for sea, and restaurateur Frank DePasquale brings the briny flavors of Italy to Boston at this chic oyster bar. The outdoor patio features a retractable roof for those hotter summer months, as well as fire pits that set the ideal ambiance for a date night. While the name-sake oysters are fantastically fresh, the menu stretches far beyond a raw bar. Tired of the numerous red-sauce spots saturating the neighborhood? Get the octopus positano — grilled octopus with burrata and basil pesto with eggplant a funghetto. Grappa and bourbon lovers will appreciate Mare’s extensive selection of nightcaps.