Giacomo's Ristorante - Boston

★★★★☆ 4.2 (4299) • $$

"What a wonderful dining experience at Giacomo's in Boston's North End! There are so many amazing restaurants in the North End, but the reviews for Giacomo's were so high that I had to give it a try. I initially tried to visit during the long Labor Day weekend, but the line went down the block, so I decided to come back another day. I'm glad I did! I only ended up waiting a few minutes before being seated.I ordered 1 of the specials lobster and shrimp in a scampi sauce over their homemade fusilli pasta, and it was absolutely delicious. Giacomo's is a cash-only establishment, but there's an ATM within the restaurant, which is very convenient. It a fantastic, homemade pasta and sauces that are worth the wait."

The Beehive

★★★★☆ 3.7 (2515) • $$

"Omggggg! Now this place is a hidden gem!!!! We chanced not having reservations here and lucked out!! We arrived around 7:30, minutes before the music was to start and sat in the area. It was a great experience!! The musicians were amazing !!! We ordered the following food... *MUSSELS FRITES, LEMONGRASS, COCONUT MILK, LINGUICIA SAUSAGE, BREAD This was soooo tasty and plentiful!!! *DRY AGED BURGER, MALT ONION JAM, VERMONT CHEDDAR, AIOLI with BACON and truffle fries This burger was huge and yummy! * ROASTED CHICKEN, LEMON, GARLIC WHIPPED RED POTATOES, BROCCOLI This entree was on the healthy side but delicious. lol Overall, the entrees we ordered were great choices. We ended up leftovers to enjoy later. The music experience was AWESOME!! Our server Andrea was very kind and pleasant. We appreciate that. An amazing experience here!!! Look forward to dining here again and enjoying music!!!!!"

Barcelona Wine Bar South End

★★★★☆ 4.4 (1535) • $$

"I may have reached the point of no return where I've become the old man that yells "Get off my lawn, you rotten kids!" I realized that when Jamie W and I entered this darkly stylish tapas restaurant. We were drawn here because the name Barcelona evoked one of our favorite travel destinations. However, this was more of a Gen Z gathering spot given the deafening music they were playing over their speakers.One song that got on my nerves was "Don't Trust Me" by 30H!3 where they repeated the lyric "Do the Helen Keller and talk with your hips!" Ugh. How juvenile. Good thing we were separated from all the cool people who couldn't see me pinching my nose during the song. Fortunately the food was a marked improvement over the cacophonous music. We decided to share four plates since it was a tapas place after all.The rustic sourdough toast sticks and olive oil arrived at our table (photo: https://yelp.to/53BAII0AwY). We started with the $9.50 Grilled Chicken Thigh which was ladled with mojo verde (photo: https://yelp.to/LZ_3TVgz1N). Tasty and tender with a spicy kick. This was followed by a couple of veggie plates, the $9.50 Roasted Mushrooms with a thick scallion chimichurri sauce (photo: https://yelp.to/QfIdSmWRKs) and the $8 Grilled Zucchini with salsa verde and Calabrian pepper (photo: https://yelp.to/f6k8rh_Iv3). Both were just fine.The last dish was the $28 half order of Paella Salvaje where the savory bomba rice was mixed with chicken, pork belly, chorizo, chickpeas, green olives, carrot, and cilantro (photo: https://yelp.to/YGYir71IHS). That was easily the most satisfying part of our meal. Perhaps it was the curmudgeon in me, but the club-like atmosphere just wasn't enhancing our dining experience at all. I might be the wrong demographic to do the Helen Keller.FOOD - 4 stars...paella was stellar, everything else was pretty goodAMBIANCE - 2 stars...there's an audience for dark, loud and crowded...it's just not meSERVICE - 3 stars...they blitzed around usTOTAL - 3 stars...too dark and loud for my tasteRELATED - Exploring Boston? Here's my collection of places I've patronized and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3XtfnFc"

Bricco

★★★★☆ 4 (1455) • $$$

"This is an espresso martini only review, because that is why I come here.I travel to Boston for work on occasion. There are many places I like to stop for a meal but only one that I come to for an espresso martini - right here. It is actually made with espresso (you would be surprised to see what some other places do) and offers killer flavor.We prefer to go straight to a corner of the bar and make our order. It comes quickly, and then we get to just sip and relax. Sure sometimes there is a bit of hustle and bustle but nothing gets in the way of espresso martini nirvana. The menu says the martini is famous. I do not know if that is true but it should be!"

Panza

★★★★☆ 3.8 (1511) • $$

"Came here for reservations with 3 of my friends. I came a little later than the rest so they were already seated by the windows as well as a handful of other tables.For appetizers we shared their bruschetta, mussels, and fried calamari. The tomato and basil mixture was light and bright on the well toasted hearty bread. Mussels were plump and flavorful in the white wine sauce. Pretty standard fried calamari with slices of banana peppers too. Since we ordered so many appetizers for 4 people, we opted for only 3 entrees to share including the seafood risotto, linguine carbonara, and braised beef short rib dinner. The seafood risotto had a considerable portion of clams, shrimp, and veggies. It was perfectly cooked with an ideal texture. The carbonara was creamy and decadent. Even the short rib was jam packed with flavor with the soft wedges of polenta. Overall, my friends and I had a wonderful time from the delicious food to the wonderful service. We walked out super full and incredibly happy. Would love to come again and recommend others to check them out too!"

Grill 23 & Bar

★★★★☆ 4 (1297) • $$$$

"One of my favorite spots to go to for special occasions! Grill 23 & Bar has been around for many years now and does not have as much of a modern look as the newer steakhouses in Boston but the food still continues to win me over! I enjoy their fried calamari fra diavolo appetizerc seared scallops, and filet mignon oscar style! Desserts here are also a must. Lots of street parking available around, as well. I still think Grill 23 & Bar is a lot better than many of the newer spots... food quality & taste wise. An Oldie but STILL a goodie!"

Piattini

★★★★☆ 3.9 (1106) • $$

"Came on a Sunday night for a party of 3 and there was no wait. Service was friendly and quick. Our server, Christian, was knowledgeable and gave several recommendations based on what we were looking for.The bread for the table was a simple rustic bread with fluffy chewy interior and hard crust. They will ask if you want bread. Two of us shared the Boscaiola which was rich but because it is vegetable based, filling but light. I really enjoyed the creamy mushroom flavor and the peas were a sweet addition.We also shared the Burrata Raviola. I am not very familiar with burrata, but is like a creamier version of mozzarella cheese. There is just the right amount of truffle flavor in the dish.A cute, casual spot for an informal date night or girl's night out."

Limoncello Ristorante

★★★★☆ 4 (1020)

"There were many restaurants in the area to enjoy from but this one caught my eye the most due to the reviews and the fact that they had a patio in the back to enjoy the nice weather. We were seated fairly quickly and our server came over to take our order and explained the specials of the day. She was super friendly and charismatic. We ordered the meatballs since she said that's what the restaurant was known for as our appetizer and I ordered a limoncello spritz since they only had spritz, wine and beer as options. It was very tasty but a bit too strong. The meatballs were absolutely delicious, they were moist inside as soon as you cut your fork through them and the marina sauce they came in wasn't overpowering. I ordered their white clam pasta as my entree and also tasted my sisters plate which was a huge variety of seafood in a red broth. My pasta dish was light and the clams were cooked to perfection; I probably would have liked a bit more garlic and white sauce in the pasta since it seemed a bit dry but overall fantastic flavor. My sister's dish was absolutely delicious; the lobster dipped in the broth was perfection and it just came with a huge amount of seafood. The broth was definitely the star in that meal, at one point all I was doing was sipping on the broth. Highly recommend !"

Terramia Ristorante

★★★★☆ 4.2 (669) • $$

"We met family here while in town for a regatta. We had a reservation which is a must as this is a very small place.First impressions - Terramia is charming!I began with an Aperol Spritz that was just what I needed. It was refreshing and lightly sweet.While we perused the menu bread was delivered to our table. I was pleasantly surprised by the dip that accompanied the bread. It was a purée of seasoned beans and spicy oil. So good!For my main I chose the lamb osso bucco. It was tender and so flavorful. Along side were generous servings of delicious, creamy polenta and fresh spinach. For dessert I had the flourless cake. Lovely ending to the meal. I wished they served coffee or hot tea, because either would have been a nice compliment."

Nico Ristorante

★★★★☆ 4 (722)

SRV Boston

★★★★☆ 4.4 (586) • $$$

"Really fun and tasty dinner! I sat at the row of moving bar stools which were a unique and comfortable place to sit, but while I was there I observed one person fall off a stool and a second person almost fell! So be careful on the moving bar stools or get a table if anyone in your group may be unsteady on a chair without a back!The arancini and the baccala mantecato were perfect small bites for two and the pasta dishes were well seasoned and so delicious! The negroni had a tasty apple flavor and the Venetian Spritz cocktail was also tasty, not as sweet as I would usually expect for an Aperol spritz."

La Voile

★★★★☆ 4 (687)

"Having recently had dinner here I thought it time to update my lunch review from over 10 years ago.We had dinner with another couple and another friend so there were 5 of us in total. As we were going to an art opening later we had dinner early. Despite the early dinner hour, the place was full not long after we were seated. Reservations are a must.Our waitperson was lovely and greeted us with menus and water as soon as we were seated.One of our party with everyone's approval chose the wine for the table. I don't remember what it was but it was a delicious and crisp, dry white. We started with orders of escargot and spicy mussels in a traditional Marinière sauce...both delicious!For my main I ordered seared cod over quinoa which also had a pistou sauce (kind of a French version of pesto). It was quite delicious and beautifully plated.Two others ordered the whole sea bass which was deboned at the table...a lovely dish.Another person ordered the roasted duck with spring vegetables and sauce l'orange. My husband ordered the pan-seared ribeye with salad and frites.We all seemed to enjoy our food although later once we were home my husband confessed that he had not been happy with his dish. He found the ribeye was gristly and the frites came out cold. Not wanting to make a fuss as we were a group of 5, he didn't say anything to the waiter but he really should have! At the very least he should have asked for new frites that were freshly made and hot. Alas!For dessert three of us shared the French meringue floating in creme anglaise with almonds and caramel. The two others did not want dessert. The meringue was light, tasty and not too sweet. That said, I am not sure it was the dessert for me. A couple of tastes was plenty.My husband would have rated his food a two he told me. He had never been to this restaurant before and unfortunately he was not impressed.I have been here for lunch have been good experiences. This was my first time for dinner and it matched my expectations. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their food selections. The restaurant is small and for some it might feel a bit tight particularly those sitting at the tables for two. We had a fairly nice sized table in a corner and mostly out of the way although my husband who is a tall guy at 6'3" felt a bit cramped. He's a man who likes his elbow room and La Voile is tight on space. The interior design as I mentioned in my earlier review remains lovely and beautifully appointed. There are incredible black and white yacht and sailing photos on the wall from the 1970s. (Recall the La Voile means The Sail in French.)The zinc bar is a particular treasure. The service was attentive. Many of the staff do speak French although ours did not...one of our group is a French speaker and had started conversing in that language to no avail.I would return and probably will at some point for lunch as I am often in the area during the daytime. My husband has made it clear this wasn't the place for him other than the company we were with. Perhaps the restaurant should look into the sourcing of their ribeye steaks and work a little harder to ensure that frites are cooked to order and come hot piping hot. Overall in addition to his subpar meal, I think the place also felt a little too small and fussy for my husband. Prices are in keeping with the Newbury St. location and the times we are living in, which is to say thing are on the expensive side."

Lucia Ristorante

★★★★☆ 3.6 (817) • $$

"Rant: Some of the reviews for Lucia are mind-boggling to me. I get that service can really derail a meal, but the blatent blasting of the quality of the food makes me question what kind of food these people actually enjoy. The one thing that I was able to correlate was the complaints were primarily lumped in 2 major categories: service and lunch (sometimes BOTH). /rantLucia lived up to it's roots - a 1970s mafia-capo-approved restaurant. It blends traditional with modern touches in the space and makes you feel like you are in a true trattatoria in Rome, Florence, or even Venice (minus the smell) when they have the windows and doors open. The food is perfection: pasta with a firm texture, calamari dredged and fried to perfection, meatballs that my Italian wife approves (not many places get that approval), and the sauce that accompanied my buccatini and my wife's gnocci tasted as if it was simmered from the day before. The price is inline with the North End, but one of the few places I don't actually mind paying the price for this type of quality. The menu boasts house specialties FROM Italy, not bastardized American versions of Italian classics. We shared 6 different dishes that were paired with perfect Italian wine selections (super Tuscans and montepulciano wine d'abruzzo, which makes sense since the theme of the place is the d'abruzzo region). While the service was not necessarily superb, it didn't leave us walking away begrudging the experience like a lot of the lower ratings ranted about. Could it improve? Sure. Enough to draw away from the amazing food and ambiance? No, not at all. Lucia moves at the pace that things do in Italy, it's a bit slow and not overbearing. The entire feel of the place transported me from Boston to Italy in an instant. While it may not be for everyone, there is nothing negative I have to say about Lucia - but that's because Italy is one of, if not my favorite places in the world. It's not America, it's not rude and fast-paced, but that's WHAT I love about Italy AND Lucia."

The Brewer's Fork

★★★★☆ 4.4 (531)

"Wow! 5 star is just right. Thank you Kyle for fab service. Also every employee was super friendly. Aaron we are looking for you tomorrow. The pies are excellent. Ordered the oyster bombs plus 1. Excellent. Fresh nicely presented and shucked. The flatbread salad perfect for two. Plenty. The 'Roni pizza we twisted with arugula on top and hot honey. Perfect. Wanted more. Taste texture excellent. Large beer selection. Tripping Animals was tasty. had a couple Dipa's...just not my fav but the Pinot from Williamette was awesome. Atmosphere...vibe is great. Coming back to get our pre race pizza. Totally don't miss this fab place."

Metropolis

★★★★☆ 4 (543) • $$

"Had dinner here on a weekday evening with my wife. We've walked by many times, but never seemed kid friendly, so couldn't pass it up on a date night. It's very cozy inside, nice atmosphere and service. For how small it is, the menu has a lot of choices. I had the risotto with chicken and mushrooms, it was great. My wife liked her salmon. I had the pumpkin tart for dessert, which was incredible. My wife had the orange crème brûlée, which she loved.It's on the more expensive end, even for a South End restaurants, and they add a 3% kitchen fee, which they disclose in the middle of a big chunk of fine print on the bottom of the menu. I was okay with that, but I could see some people being annoyed (it's a fair argument to say just charge more, don't hide it)."

Strega Italiano - Seaport

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (697) • $$$

"The last time I was at a conference in Seaport was around 2017, and at the time, there really wasn't much there, so I was happily surprised to see how built up the area was. Strega is an old school north end institution, and I was surprised they had a location here. We had a very large party, which they were able to accommodate. Drinks: - Seaport mai tai: a bit sweet - Jeremy's Manhattan: spirit drivenFood: - Burrata: with grilled focaccia, pesto - Grilled octopus: good char and texture, really liked the squid ink aioli - Fritto misto: a huge plate - Cavatelli e salciccia: generous on the sausage, good flavor, good texture but not quite the same as the thicker type of cavatelli I'm used to Desserts: all best for sharing except the affogato - Affogato: classic, with biscotti - Torta di cioccolato: intense, good but definitely meant for sharing - Key lime pie: also huge- Berry crumble: served warm It was a different feel from the north end location. Portions were big, and j would recommend ordering family style. It's nice to see more options in seaport."

Vinoteca di Monica

★★★★☆ 3.6 (585) • $$

"Tasty. From the bread to the appetizers to the entries. The waitstaff were super friendly. The tables were comfortable. Worth a try."

Vinny's Ristorante

★★★★☆ 4 (434)

"So good. I don't even love Italian food. So good. I can't see how this place is less than five stars. The homemade pasta is to die for. Even when I was full I couldn't stop eating it. As were the meatballs. Honestly, the bread was the highlight. If I just had bread and butter here it would have been five stars! Amazing amazing bread. And let's talk cannolis. People at my table who don't care for them couldn't say enough good things. These were the best I've had anywhere. As for the place itself, it's pretty small and very local. We had a coworker who grew up here and told us to come. The best recommendation I've gotten in a long time and one I won't forget for a long time."

PURO ceviche bar

★★★★☆ 4.3 (340) • $$

"Came here for a brunch and got seated immediately outside which was what we wanted. Good: - The ceviche was good, a little expensive but I liked the tuna one. - The paella was good - lots of materials and flavor, some crispy rice too - You can choose outdoor or indoor seating which gave us plenty of options at 2 pm Bad: It took forever for the food to get there even though there weren't that many people eating, took about an hour for our paella to get there so don't come while you're in a rush It's pretty expensive even if you just share a few tapas and the paella with friends! Overall, might not go again due to the wait, but the food overall was decent."

Bacco

★★★★☆ 3.8 (429)

"I came here with my wife and a few friends while in town for a conference and we had a good meal overall. We were seated upstairs, which provided a nice quiet atmosphere, but it was fairly chilly up there (and I usually don't get cold easily). Our service was good and our waiter was attentive. We started our meal with some olives and bread and the olives were great. We also tried their bruschetta, but it was the worst (and strangest) bruschetta that I've had as it had sweet corn on it, which just didn't work. Their current menu has a regular bruschetta, which is great and I'm glad that they still don't have that other one. I had gnocchi with spinach and that was delicious and my wife had mussels that she really liked as well, so we had a good meal overall. It's a nice restaurant overall and we'd recommend coming here."

Artu

★★★★☆ 3.5 (492) • $$

"Great service at the bar. The chicken Marsala was great. The spaghetti bowl was good too. The sauce is fantastic. Large portion of sangria too."

Il Massimo

★★★★☆ 4 (369) • $$

"We came by for our 530pm reservation. The place is in a large very busy shopping center type area. There is a parking facility attached but we chose to take our chances parking in the open lot closer to the restaurant. We got lucky and nabbed a spot. It was extremely busy and crowded on a Saturday night.We were seated promptly and the table was set for a birthday - mine. Our daughter and son in law are hosting and our new grandson is with us. He slept through the whole meal. Our server came by and explained the specials and various dishes. The table was decked out with stars and a nice acknowledgement of my birthday. We got cocktails and they were perfect and as ordered. I got the octopus appetizer which was wonderful and served in a bowl almost like a gumbo. The octopus was delicious and well flavored. I thought that it could have easily been served as a main. For my main I got the Mediterranean sea bass, aka Bronzino. It was nicely butterflied and served with tail no head. It was excellent and well flavored. Others enjoyed their food. Service was great. The sommelier came by to decant our Brunello and the wine was very nice. Our server was attentive and friendly. The bus service could be improved. My main was brought before our cocktail and appetizer dishes were cleared. They messed up the orders regarding who ordered what. Minor negatives. Dessert was two nice coup glasses filled with lemon sorbet with a cookie and a candle. Very nice. Ambiance was an Italian bistro. Place had a bar on the right as you enter and booths of all sizes and various tables we sat at a round table in the center of the main dining area.No comment on value as we were treated by our daughter and son in law. We would return. Mark & Nancy."

L'Osteria

★★★★☆ 3.5 (456) • $$

"I just went here last night for my friend's birthday dinner and it was a huge hit. There were 6 of us and we had a reservation. We were seated within 5 mins of our arrival and got the best seat in the house. The service was quick and all of us really enjoyed our meals. They gave us a bowl of bread with parmesan cheese, crushed red paper, salt, pepper, and olive oil already on the table so we could create our own little dip for the bread. We all got drinks and dinner and everyone truly enjoyed it from start to finish. I got the chicken parm and it was delicious! Now for the star(s) of the show: midway through dinner, two guys started singing Italian songs while all the tables were seated and eating. Everyone loved it and started singing/clapping/laughing and all around was having such a good time. Moments like this truly makes going out to dinner a night to remember. The singers even asked if anyone was celebrating their birthday. 4 tables were! We had a blast doing a "cheers" with them and listening to them sing happy birthday to our friend and all those celebrating."

Strega Italiano

★★★★☆ 3.6 (395) • $$$$

"It was a slow, hot night. We enjoyed the tomato carpaccio. It was phenomenal. Seriously - get the tomato carpaccio. We then shared the meatballs with whipped ricotta. The server was attentive. The place was spotless.Again, get the tomato carpaccio."

Villa Francesca

★★★☆☆ 3.1 (520) • $$$

"Charming restaurant located in the North End.The space in the restaurant itself is pretty tight so chances are you will bump into your neighbor. The restroom is in the back and it a single toilet per gender. Service was quick! Our food came out fast. We ordered the lobster special (lobster/mussels/clams all over a spicy fettuccine) and the table side prepared brandy flambéd fettuccine with portobello mushroom and sundried tomato.The table side prep was fun to watch but honestly the meal was very normal. Nothing crazy stood out to me about the two dishes we ordered. The mussels and clams were kind of over cooked.We also got some bread for the table and it was ok. Not the best bread. Didn't seem fresh."

Frenchie Wine Bistro

★★★★☆ 3.8 (319)

"I had a great dinner at Frenchie and am glad to have come here. The staff were attentive to my previous phone call about it being our anniversary, and they brought over complimentary champagne for a toast. We were able to be seated in the greenhouse, which gave a more intimate feeling to the meal. The duck breast with purple sweet potato was exquisite. Perfectly cooked, and I wish more restaurants would use the purple sweet potato combination! My beef bourgignon was a bit dry and underwhelming, unfortunately, which is the only reason I'm not giving this review five stars. But the service was excellent and it was a special dinner that turned out great. I plan to return and try a new dish--or maybe back to the duck if it's still on the menu!"

Lo Conte's Restaurant

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (383) • $$

"I have always enjoyed this restaurant! I love how it is on Salem street, just one street over fromHanover! This street is more quiet and the food quality is just as good! I love the sauce at Lo Conte's. This was my first time getting the bolognese and I really enjoyed it. The food is delicious, the sauce is good and the environment is nice and peaceful! Delicious food in a cute setting right in downtown North End!"

Asta

★★★★☆ 4.1 (225)

"Insanely pretentious. Food portion is a joke. Courses tasted bland. Zero decoration. No ambiance whatsoever. Waiters gave out a really weird vibe. The whole experience is just preposterous.波士頓假裝B的餐廳。食物超難吃，份量少到一口就結束，餐廳零裝潢一點氣氛都沒有，服務生陰陽怪氣裝逼至極。吃到氣死人。離遠一點免得找罪受"

Mida

★★★★☆ 3.8 (187) • $$

"Our experience here was quite exceptional. We had a fairly large party (of 7) and our server, Livia was outstanding. She must get a shout out. She knew the menu well, she knew her wines and she knew how to have a conversation. She was super attentive the whole time and played a huge role in making the dining experience so exceptional. Now onto the food. Ordered the focaccia cheesy bread, braised pork tagliatelle and the ricotta donuts for dessert. Let's start with the entree - perfect slow cooked pork in a light sauce with tagliatelle al dente. Well seasoned and super light. The focaccia - mouthwatering, crispy at the edges, soft in the middle. Ricotta donuts - could only handle one as it was so delicious. Reminded me of good ole beignets. The ambience at this MIDA was amazing - it was full but not noisy. How they make that happen is beyond me but it's fantastic. Go!"

The Berry Tavern

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (233) • $$

"Out running errands, we needed a bit to eat to keep the energy going. We stopped at this tavern as it was less than a block from the butchery we needed to run to. Sat at the bar, Emma, the bartender, was great and swift with getting us water and a drink order going. Hubs had the Sam Summer; the lemon wedge was a nice twist, he said. I got the berry Cosmo, which is strong but really tasty. It came with a lil carafe to top off my drink when ready.For an app, we shared the Philly steak and cheese egg rolls. hubby said it took him back to childhood. They were very tasty, not greasy. I did need to add a hit of salt, though. Otherwise, def a repeat order next time. Since it was lunchtime, we decided to split a pasta dish. We opted for the scallop and shrimp dish; I can't remember the sauce name, and it's not on the online menu lol... But it was a light wine and garlic sauce that perfectly coated the pasta. The seafood was cooked to perfection and the asparagus in the dish was my favorite of the whole dish, blanched to perfection! We loved the vibe here.We will be back!"

Colette Wine Bistro

★★★★☆ 3.9 (156)

"First came where Colette just opened years ago, as I kinda dropped the ball on V-day dinner reservations, but found one here (since they were so new). Wish I came here a lot more afterward, especially now that they've changed the concept.The vol-au-vent was probably my favorite starter, with a velvety but flavorful mushroom sauce to go along with puff pastry. The restaurant does the French classics well, such as a well-executive French onion soup, a rich boeuf bourguignon, and a non-runny crème brulee. The entrees are generally excellent as well, with my favorite being their seafood dishes (bass, sole, or scallops).Service is excellent here, with friendly and accommodating staff. Sometimes, I've requested a different table (especially if it was for a special occasion), and they've already obliged. Admittedly, probably because it's French bistro food is why I didn't come, like, every week. While the food is excellent, it's quite rich. I felt like going to the gym right afterward. I'm skeptical about a "southern small plates" concept, but hopefully the restaurant will keep what was best about this spot."

Ravello Italian Kitchen

★★★★☆ 4.4 (116)

"In the mood for Italian and across this restaurant that was close by. The food is so good and it is a small restaurant in Watertown, which is near residential area. I ordered the muscles, meatballs, beet salad, and chicken Marsala. I also tried the lasagna. Finally I had the tiramisu .The food here is so delicious. The portions were generous and the flavors were Spot on fabulous. I love the homemade linguine in my masala. I also had a Mocktail. I don't know what it was, but it was definitely on the citrus side which I requested. The restaurant is a little small so we were squished in the corner but it was manageable. The place is casual and friendly. I liked our server named Sarah. I would definitely come back here again."

Putterham Grille

★★★★☆ 4 (140) • $$

"A voucher deal led us to the Putterham Grille located at The Shops at Putterham, just off a rotary.A sign posted on the restaurant wall clearly stated 1 hour parking, but staff told us that we would be fine. Good thing, since I figured that dinner would last beyond an hour.Bread was room temperature, sliced from a narrow baguette with a chewy rather than crisp crust. Olive oil and vinegar was available on the table.Along with their single sided regular menu, a daily specials menu sheet was also provided. I opted for the salmon dish from the specials as I was lured in by the promise of truffled sweet potato fries. Well, the promise was fulfilled with light crisp sweet fries - yum! - accompanied by a good portion of tender salmon and a respectable serving of sauteed spinach.The lamb (Braised American Colorado Lamb Shank $24.99) on the other hand was plenty tender lamb which was easily removed from the bone, but with a count of but 3 apiece of asparagus spears and carrot chunks, the veggie portion of the meal was a tad pathetic (though they tasted good and were appropriately cooked). I'm not crazy about mushrooms, but even I felt that the mushroom risotto went well with the dish.Okay, to backtrack a bit - the Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad $10.99 (baby arugula, crumbled goat cheese, roasted red beets, julienne pear, sliced strawberry, candied walnut, raspberry balsamic vinaigrette) was a shareable portion for 2-3 depending on how much salad you want. It was a composed salad, rather than tossed, which would please a finicky eater. Me, I mixed mine together although the soft cheese had to be treated with special consideration in order to enjoy some with each bite. The ingredients were fresh. The only negative was that the greens were overly dressed.Their dessert menu is simple and affordable, filled with homemade options from your Greek-American Yaya's kitchen, and topping out at $7.99 for a slice of Ricotta Pie. The cold Rice Pudding $4.99 was tasty and filling creamy goodness. The Apple Pie $5.99 was served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I preferred the pudding over the pie, but then I am partial to a crumb topping on my apple pies.Observation led me to believe that their clientele tends to be of the more mature crowd. Noise also carries through the room, though it did not hamper our conversation. Service was pleasant on the whole, and my water was refilled often enough.My DC is all for coming back.3.5 stars."

Suyajoint

★★★★☆ 3.7 (154) • $$

"This is HEAVENLY. This sent me to HEAVENNNNN Oh my goodness imagine alll the flavors BUSTING in your mouth like I can't take it! With every bite I just feel like I'm being sent back to being born. For each dish, you get to choose your level of spice. For new timers, get the egusi soup and pounded YAM fufu. This is literally advertized "as seen on tik tok" on the menu which was kinda funny lol. But yes this is the one you see everywhere and it does NOT dissapoint! So fff good I wish I could bathe in the stew. It is NOT spicy at all so don't fear! and even so the pounded Yam diles back the spiciness if anything. I can't really describe what egusi tastes like, its like something completly different on its own. The palm butter stew was super rich and creamy and I got it with goat meat. The goat meat was so tender it just kind of falls apart in my hand! So juicy and so flavorful, only thing was I wished there was more sauce/liquid. Service was also great! We came when it was relatively empty and there was only 1 server. She was very nice but she also had to handle other tables that were much bigger like family size. But none the less she was super friendly and got us what we needed. The place was beautifully decorated and had AC! Super nice environment to just chill and relax. You know its a nice family business when they are counting reciepts and working on the table beside you lol.Overall, I dream about this in my sleep."

Ruth's Chris Steak House

★★★★☆ 3.8 (140) • $$$$

"I dropped by this place after walking around Assembly Row. The restaurant had a nice outdoor patio underneath the arch of the Partners building. I ordered the Ruth's Classics prix fixe meal for $59. I got the caesar salad as an app, steak and shrimp as the entree, and creamed spinach as the accompanying side.The caesar salad consisted of romaine lettuce, croutons, shaved parmesan cheese and caesar dressing. It was spot on and delicious. As always, the medium rare steak never disappoints. The 6 ounce filet was warm and buttery on a sizzling plate. The creamed spinach was great as well.For dessert, I got the bread pudding with raisins, whisky sauce and fresh strawberries. Thumbs up!"