Bambola and the Girl Next Door Bring Date-Night Glam to the Seaport

Bambola. / Photo by Armani Thao

The Seaport’s latest nightlife destination is a sister act. Please, welcome to the stage: Bambola and the Girl Next Door, who made their double-headlining debut on April 3. Theatrical, sumptuous—and dare we say seductive?—the side-by-side Italian restaurant and cocktail bar are collectively the latest venture from Sneaky Good Hospitality, the group behind local bars Foxhole, the Flamingo, Blondie’s, and Rock & Rye.

Bambola executive chef Bartolo Bruzzaniti. / Photo by Armani Thao

SGH founders Tyrone Di Stasi, Jairo Dominguez, and Richard Sullivan worked with Boston-based design firm Arrowstreet Hospitality to completely reimagine the former Seaport Social space at the corner of Northern Avenue and Harborview Lane, setting the stage for drama—or at the very least, your next Instagram post. It starts at the entrance, a curved, high-gloss, red-tiled vestibule: Standing here is like waiting in the wings and deciding what kind of show you want to experience. To the left, Bambola (Italian for “doll”) awaits, slightly hidden from view, featuring cozy alcoves for banter over pasta. Up ahead, it’s the Seaport-meets-Southern-Italy Girl Next Door, facing Northern Avenue and tailored for a more social experience. Roman-born chef Bartolo Bruzzaniti, who moved to Boston in 2020, oversees both, inspired by memories of sprawling Sunday dinners that he translates into personal plays on Italian classics.

Start with dinner at the glam Bambola, styled with an exclamation point (Bambola!) that you can almost hear as you step inside. Luxe gold wall coverings splashed with oversized foliage shimmer in the dim light cast by crystal-dripping, Murano-esque chandeliers. Tile floors with an undulating pattern evoke an Old-World villa, with mirrored ceilings and a dramatic gold-draped and illuminated bar capturing the eye. Drapes, carpets, and oversized velvet booths set the stage for hushed, romantic conversations. It’s easy to imagine diamond-draped Sophia Loren tucked in the corner twirling spaghetti with her fork.

Bambola’s spaghettoni alla carbonara. / Photo by Armani Thao

“We’ve always thought of going out to dinner as a celebration,” says cofounder Di Stasi, and the luxurious digs are a backdrop for everyday and special occasions built around Bruzzaniti’s cuisine. “The menu starts with the four pillars of Roman cuisine: carbonara, amatriciana, cacio e pepe, and pasta alla gricia,” says Di Stasi, “and then spans to Southern Italy, all the way down to Sicily.”

Bambola’s paccheri ai tre pomodori. / Photo by Armani Thao

For a date night, cofounder Dominguez says, “Start with a couple of the antipasti,” such as briny fried olives or beef meatballs swathed by a dollop of umami-rich tomato sauce atop crispy crostini. Next, he says, share a pasta or two before splitting a secondi, such as pollo saltimbocca or a whole branzino in white wine sauce, and ending with tiramisu crafted tableside.

Those pastas are designed to let the ingredients “shine on a plate without overcomplicating it,” says Di Stasi. Take the carbonara: Instead of padding the dish with cream, Bruzzaniti makes the silky sauce with only a mixture of Parmesan and pecorino cheeses, plus egg. And there’s only guanciale—a traditional salt-cured pork cheek—instead of bacon or pancetta. The team uses the fat of the guanciale to emulsify the egg mixture, and also to quickly sauté the pasta for added indulgence.

Bambola’s tonnarelli alla cacio e pepe. / Photo by Armani Thao

To drink: classics, with a decidedly Italian spin, such as an alpine Negroni with the bittersweet Amaro Braulio and rosso vermouth, or a Sicilian Old Fashioned with an herby kick from the Italian amaro Averna, or a martini with a bite, courtesy of pepperoncini brine.

The Girl Next Door, the chatty younger sister of the duo, beckons for a nightcap—or perhaps it’s the single destination of the evening. Where Bambola is dark and moody, the Girl Next Door glimmers with light and playful electricity. Glow from the chandeliers and the giant disco ball play off the glossy wallcoverings that feature flaming lips. A Dolce & Gabbana leopard-print wallcovering swathes one wall, echoed by cheetah-print, faux-fur banquettes.

Bambola’s rigatoni alla amatriciana. / Photo by Armani Thao

Here, you’ll drink cocktails that flirt with flavors from beyond the classic Italian canon (a lychee martini, for instance) and ingredients that feel a little fancy (such as a spritz with Veuve Clicquot Brut and Grand Marnier).

Then, there’s the espresso martini. It’s available in both spots, but the sisters have quite different views on the drink. Bambola sticks to her Italian roots, serving the elixir dark—just a mix of Three Olives Espresso vodka, Caffè Borghetti espresso liqueur, and fresh-brewed espresso. The Girl Next Door, on the other hand, is perhaps an American who studied abroad in Naples and headed to Ireland on break, if her version of the cocktail—with Irish cream—is any clue. The great thing about these two spots, though, is not having to choose: Hit up both, and let the drinks, dishes, and vibes fuel a dolce vita night out.

Bambola. / Photo by Armani Thao

225 Northern Ave., Seaport District, Boston, bambolabos.com.