Parla

This place is so fun and DELICIOUS! Do not pass up this tiny little gem at the North End or you will be sad. Hubs wanted good cocktails and I wanted Italian food. After some searching, this popped up on his radar. We made a reservation at the recommendation of many reviews and boy were we glad we did! Why? Read on to for the details -This place is small, probably seats about 30, maybe 35 (?), so it's an intimate setting. The other diners were all polite and friendly! The staff were fantastic! We checked in right away and guests were leaving so we had a table right at our reservation time. Guests don't linger because it's the right thing to do in the small place like this. There's so much to say about this place! First off - if you don't know what you want to drink, you can take the Dungeon Master Challenge. You get the cup & roll your dice for a number. The number matches with a secret drink that bartender will make for you. The challenge is that you're putting your hands in the bartender and you'll drink whatever number you'll get. No returns, no refunds and no requests. Hubs took 3 challenges and enjoyed each one! I ordered Shrub mocktails - choosing Pineapple & Hibiscus for my first (YUM) and Raspberry & Basil for my second (Soooo good!)We started with the seared octopus and the fried brussels sprouts. The seared octopus was AH-MAY- ZING! Seriously, so freaking good I want some right now but I'm already back home in IL (booohooo). The fried brussels sprouts were cooked to perfection, crispy and tender. Hubs ordered the lobster ravioli as his main and I chose the spaghetti carbonara! Neither skimped on the proteins or the sauce. Both were delicious and luxurious tasting! I honestly don't think there's a bad dish here. Don't expect a big extensive menu and expect the food to be extremely well prepared! We were so full we didn't have dessert but they had cinnamon sugar beignets and lil' baby cannolis on their menu which both sounded good! The service was truly incredible. Our server was so friendly and she was extremely knowledgeable. She told us what was in each drink challenge after hubs started it. Nope you don't get to know what they are and what's in it until you've had it, but that's what adds to the fun and charm of Parla. This place is on our MUST dine list when we return to Boston. It's a must for the vibe, the service, the food and the drinks!

I hope the owner sees this. The past five negative reviews are all about the service from his waitstaff. Cut them free and you'll be on to something -- clearly, whatever waitress you have employed weekend nights is solely responsible for your dredged down reviews. We were entirely bummed -- we really wanted to try this place. We walked in around 6:30pm and were excited to see two open seats at the bar. That was short lived, as the waitress told us we could not sit there because she was moving one of her current tables to the bar once they finished their meal. I have never once been turned away from two open seats at a bar. Her attitude was enough to prevent us from ever trying this place again. Too bad, because the drinks and food looked delicious. If you're going to reserve bar seats, announce it on your website somewhere. And since the owner (or perhaps it's the waitress that is commented on above, since I'm not clear on how someone who WASN'T present would be able to objectively weigh in on the tone of an interaction) has so unprofessionally rebutted the Google review I left, I've decided to leave it here too. In fact, the snarky replies to reviewer comments are both a trend and a theme throughout other reviews. Zero accountability or ownership of any of the issues that patrons outline. I will make entirely sure that I spread word of this to every outlet possible, both online and in person, from the virtual mountaintops. I shudder to think of how they react when people send back food or comment negatively in person... or maybe the keyboard warrior persona takes precedence and they like to suppress their lash outs to internet review rebuttals. McDonald's has more business acumen. Avoid at ALL costs. Read all of the other review rebuttals all over the internet, the proof speaks for itself. Can't wait to see what they come back with this time!

Somehow, every time I've come here we've been able to be seated immediately even though it's packed with people! Parla is a great place to take people; the ambiance and atmosphere speaks for itself.I took my mom and her friends here to roll the die and get surprise drinks: they loved it. We also ordered the cinnamon sugar beignets and they were so fresh and delicious!Every time I visit Boston, I make it a point to stop at Parla. The game is fun, the drinks are reasonably priced, and it's a unique place to hangout!

I absolutely loved this place! My wife found it through a Yelp search, and it turned out to be one of our favorite stops in Boston. Parla is a small speakeasy-ish restaurant/bar with fifteen to twenty people at once. The fresh and clean cocktails are mind-blowing; pick your liquor and the mix to go with it and get back something that you will order repeatedly. We had three cocktails each and rolled into a small snack (their kitchen opens at 4). We had the grilled octopus and beef meatballs, mouth-watering, and could have ordered a second round. Seriously, it's a fantastic place; we will be back during our next Boston trip.

The vibe. The drinks. The food. Wow. Wow. Wow. So glad i found this spot. Very speakeasy vibe in here. The menu has tons of drawings from people that have been here. The cocktails a twist. It's odd yet so fun. Roll the dice and your drink can be chosen for you. The servers were on top of it, not missing a blink! Very prohibition , lots of secrets hidden in this gem!

The Good: Parla was close to the federal building I was working in, it provides a convenient after work gathering spot. Although it is a small location it fit a party of 12 comfortably. We were promptly seated and given menus. The menus are quite unique to say the least... they have great options for apps meals and drinks. We selected this location because many of us dont drink alcohol and they have a great selection of mocktails. The Beignets were nicely paired with syrup and cream. The beef meatballs were paired nicely with fresh bread and marinara. Overall it was reasonably priced. Clean too.The Bad: nothing much to say bad except once we finished and paid the 21% tip, they kicked us out abruptly and rudely. Rolled eyes and all. For that reason I wouldn't go back.

My friend and I accidentally stumbled on Parla in the North End on our travels. What an absolute gem. We only intended to stay for one round of drinks not realizing this is the spot where you can role the dice for a mystery cocktail. I got the Moscow Mule with pineapple (you can also get hibiscus instead of pineapple). Adding pineapple is an absolute game changer and I only want pineapple moscow mules going forward. We rolled the dice for two rounds after we realized where we were. I won't say what we got because I don't want to spoil it for others, but we had some crazy tasting cocktails. This was one of the most fun drinking experiences I've ever had. The staff is also very friendly and very allergy aware! If you have lots of allergies like me, the servers will alter the mystery drinks for you! The ambiance was very cool. Each tablecomes with a menu/notebook for customers to sign. It is also a ten minute walk to Haymarket station, and you'll pass the infamous cop slide if you walk that way!

This is my first time coming to Parla for their brunch menu and like every other time I've been here it was amazing. Our wait staff was so attentive and even gave us a complementary shot. The coffee drank was everything I expected from here and was delicious. For food I got the artichoke omelet and it was super good with lemon zest and ricotta. I'll for sure come back not just for the fun craft drinks, but also the food!

One of my favorite spots. The drink dungeon master game is so fun and all the food is superb. Really. I would take time to review it ach item I've had but they'd all be 5 stars (except the octopus but that is a personal preference!! My friend loved it). This location is not like the assembly row one at all. Here it is cozy and speakeasy vibes, Wooden and olde timey. The staff take the cake and are absolutely the best. Can't go wrong here!! And now I'm a level 2 dungeon master so will be back for more!

Stopped over for a quick drink before dinner. We didn't have a rez and there was not space at the bar. The servers were friendly and found us a table for two. The drinks were fun. A few combos I have not tried and they even have cute names. I ordered the parla marg with the mango, lime, and guava shrub. It was delicious. My friend ordered the old frendo and she liked it. It took about 20 mins to get our two cocktails, which seemed a bit on the longer side. They were pretty delicious tho. We would def come back with the expectation it might take a little longer.