First Look at Orá Trattorizza in Copley Square

Check out the opening menu at the long-awaited trattoria and Neapolitan-style pizzeria.

By Jacqueline Cain· 7/10/2018, 10:03 a.m.

Orá Trattorizza. / Photo by John Wilcox

The time is now for a long-planned Italian restaurant to open in the Back Bay. Well, nearly now. Orá Trattorizza—which translates to “Now,” and a portmanteau of “trattoria” and “pizzeria”—officially opens Friday, July 20, at 5 p.m.

First reported by Zagat as a highly anticipated 2017 arrival, Orá Trattorizza is the follow-up to Josephine Megwa’s 17-year-old Newbury Street wine bar, Piattini.

With Orá Trattorizza, Megwa is going for the comfort of her Italian-American upbringing (per her bio, she was the only one of 10 siblings born in the U.S.) combined with nearly 20 years’ experience as a Back Bay restaurateur, with dishes like herb bucatini; pan-seared chicken breast with capers, mozzarella, and basil-tomato sauce; smoked eggplant and house-made ricotta dip; and Neapolitan-style pizzas.

A gilded, Marra Forni brick oven anchors the main level, and cranks out the pies in less than two minutes. Gold, sleek white, and metallic design features also twinkle in the two-floor space, located next door to the Charlesmark Hotel. Megwa has partnered with the hotel on her latest venture, and Orá Trattorizza’s bar menu pays homage to the friendly neighbor with a lineup of familiar martinis and more cocktails. There is also a large list of wines by the glass and bottle, including house labels from Tuscany.

Orá Trattorizza has a 60-seat patio at its prime location at the Boston Marathon finish line, and will eventually serve lunch and dinner every day, as well as Sunday brunch. To start, it’s open 5-11 p.m. on Friday, July 20, and Saturday, July 21.

653 Boylston St., Back Bay, Boston, oratrattorizza.com, 617-247-1212.

This post was updated Monday, July 16 and Thursday, July 19 because Orá Trattorizza delayed its opening by a few days.