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Nestled in a row of cozy Cambridge restaurants is Giulia, an Italian restaurant that prides itself on its natural ingredients from local farms and straight from the motherland — Italy.

Upon entry into the dimly lit restaurant, guests are greeted by a bustling bar on the right and tables on the left. Towards the back of the restaurant is a table for 12, at which the restaurant’s chefs make fresh pasta everyday and where large parties can eat in the evening. Behind it, the open kitchen bustles, and guests can see the staff working away to craft their food.

The low lights and candlelit tables create an intimate and classy atmosphere, complimented by the Italian themed decorations, including maps and paintings, along the walls. As beautiful as it is, the dimness can make reading the menu difficult.

Regardless, Giulia features excellent service. The waitstaff have incredible knowledge about each dish as well as Giulia’s culinary processes and philosophies. In addition, the service is incredibly attentive, down to the presentation of food. Between each course, cutlery and dishes are presented on artisanal trays — creating a high-end, artistic dining experience.

The Giulia menu features four courses: sfizi, antipasti, pasta “dalla nostra tavola,” and secondi, before their separate menu for dessert. Though the menu initially feels quite pricey, Giulia’s commitment to local or Italian produce and meat makes up for the expense. As it is white truffle season in Italy, Giulia also currently offers a separate white truffle menu, with dishes fit for each course that feature white truffles imported from Italy.

The sfizi course is chicken liver crostini featuring green tomato, which blends beautifully with the crostini and liver but leaves a slight aftertaste that may be jarring for those unfamiliar with it. That being said, the dish is reasonably priced for the large portion.

Giulia’s warm semolina cakes with roasted squash crema, fresh burgundy truffles, and apple melt in the mouth. The semolina cakes are sweet and soft, without feeling like a dessert. However, for their price, the portions are small.

For a perfectly portioned savory delight, turn to the castelvetrano flour focaccia. Topped with Umbrian fava crema, smoked onion, dandelion, grana padano, the dish tastes like a high-end deconstructed pizza, with each ingredient standing well on its own and blending together in simple but flavorful bites.

For antipasti, look no further than the burrata, surrounded by local beets, fresh apple, toasted walnuts, grilled sourdough, and arugula. In the bottom of the plate, the fresh produce blends with oil and apple sauce, which cut through the fresh, creamy cheese imported straight from Italy. Each ingredient seems meticulously chosen to taste delicious on its own and to work together combined in one bite. The combination of flavors in the burrata is truly a triumph of Giulia’s menu.

For the main dish of the night, Giulia boasts two classics as old as the restaurant itself — the bucatini all’amatriciana and the pappardelle with wild boar. The bucatini features house-cured pancetta, a rich, homemade tomato sauce, and pecorino imported from Italy. While the bucatini itself is slightly too al dente and the pancetta a touch overcooked, the tomato sauce shines through with vibrant flavor and richness — an ode to the Italian staple.

Before dessert, be sure to linger on the secondi for Giulia’s Longest Acres butcher’s beef cut. Giulia works with butchers at Longest Acres Farm in Vermont who use the entire cow, and presents different cuts at different prices throughout the week. Thursday night’s cut featured sirloin steak accompanied by potatoes, escarole, bagna cauda, and grilled lemon. The overall dish is excellent. The escarole and sirloin are cooked perfectly and pair beautifully with the bagna cauda and the juice from grilled lemon, creating a beautiful harmony of tartness and saltiness.

For a sweet finish, order the bronte pistachio gelato for its subtle and fresh taste, and perfectly creamy texture. For those daring enough to mix savory with sweet, try the roasted banana cake accompanied by white truffle gelato and a toasted hazelnut and shortbread crumble. While the gelato and banana bread themselves are perfect, the white truffle paste atop the bread is jarring. When combined, the flavors pare down enough for an enjoyable bite.

The affogato offers a taste of traditional Italian dessert. But with the tasteless brown sugar crème diplomat and ginger crumble, and a toffee stracciatella, the espresso overpowers the subtler sweet flavors and only exacerbates the overwhelming chocolate in the toffee ice cream. In the end, the affogato makes for a slightly too strong and too bitter dessert. In the end, Giulia’s pistachio gelato — which has been part of the restaurant’s menu since 2012 — emerges as the best dessert of the night.

While Giulia boasts many successful dishes, some of their culinary choices are best suited for specific palates. Still, their burrata, bucatini, and sirloin are stars of the menu. Moreover, Giulia’s dedication to fresh, whole produce and authentic ingredients is evident in the taste and presentation of their food. With exemplary service, an intimate and welcoming atmosphere, and delicious bites, Giulia remains a must-visit spot in Cambridge.

—Staff writer Dzifa A. Ackuayi can be reached at dzifa.ackuayi@thecrimson.com.