A new Italian restaurant is on its way to a Boston neighborhood, and it has a family connection to a familiar name.
According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Leonardo's Bar Ristorante is planning to open in West Roxbury, moving into the space on the VFW Parkway that had been home to Mission on Fire, and before that, Sofia's, Vintage, and Fontaine's. A job post within the Zip Recruiter website indicates that Leonardo Testa, who is the son of restaurateur Vinny Testa, is behind the upcoming dining spot, saying that "He has all his father's recipe's and has updated all of them to today in 2026. Many of his father's old favorites are here plus many new ones." The listing also says the following:
We are a restaurant reminiscent of the family-style Italian restaurants found in lower Manhattan, Brooklyn from the 1940's with modern cooking techniques and flavors. We welcome our guests with open arms, lavishing attentive service, along with the familiar, comforting Southern Italian specialties. Abundant portions for all but "family-style" dining we offer for any size party. We specialize in sharing all our food. Our atmosphere is with rich woods and decorative interiors with red and blacked tablecloths; hand painted murals, photos and Italian artifacts cover the walls. Music from the big band era fills out the atmosphere with memories of yesterday. Everyone will feel right at home.
The address for the upcoming Leonardo's Bar Ristorante is 1430 VFW Parkway, West Roxbury, MA, 02132.
(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)
[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]
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