Great restaurant inside of seaport hotel. We ate here 3 days in a row. The service was excellent & friendly. The weekend breakfast buffet is amazing. Eggs Benedict, pancakes, eggs. The potatoes were so good. Also fresh honey comb. So cool. read more

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Aura is located inside the Seaport Hotel. It's great for breakfast! We had a reservation for 12 for breakfast, and they accommodated us and got the orders out quickly. The portions are great, and the prices are decent. The staff is nice. If you want water, be sure to ask, otherwise they assume you're good with coffee/tea and juice. Really great food. read more

I stayed at the Seaport hotel for a business conference and I stopped in for breakfast on a Thursday. It was rather empty but the service and food were great. They have a lot of vegetarian and vegan options, which was amazing. It's not often I can find a full breakfast plate like their Vegan Breakfast Platter when eating vegan at an upscale hotel restaurant. It included impossible sausage, JUST eggs, toast, and a side of fruit or potatoes. Truly great! read more

Aura Restaurant - Vegan Breakfast - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

First time dining at Aura. First of all, extremely friendly service. Waiters were very attentive and sweet. Belgian waffles were delicious! Some of the best I've ever had. Beautiful presentation, too. read more

Aura Restaurant - Belgian waffles - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Service was outstanding--friendly, quick, attentive, accommodating and efficient. Food was delicious--Breakfast buffet had many delicious options, and it was all hot and fresh. One of the items included in the buffet is pancakes which our son really enjoyed as it tastes similar to donuts. My Seaport signature Benedict (made with corned beef hash) was super delicious! The poached eggs were cooked perfectly and the corned beef had sautéed bits of green and red peppers in it which added a nice flare. Ambiance was clean, cozy and welcoming--a smaller size hotel restaurant, but just right for a quiet, satisfying breakfast to start your day right. read more

Slow service, mediocre food. Ambiance is bland. Expensive buffet but has a lot of options.

Ordered off menu. 1 basic breakfast. 2 eggs, potatoes and bacon and toast. $22.00 Coffee $3.00. I would say for $22.00 you'd be better to walk across the street and go to Tatte' for a Breakfast sandwich $10 or Croissant for $11.00 and a real good cup of coffee. The breakfast wasn't bad but for $22.00 I would have expected 2 pieces of toast per plating. I would say for $3 a cup of their Boston best coffee, you'd be better off ordering a cup of water which might have more flavor. Highly disappointing. I hope you explore the many options and more affordable options the seaport has to offer. The staff were super nice! The noise level was loud compared to other places I have been. We were charged 18% for 2 people automatically for tip. This should not be for parties of 6 or under. I would not go again. read more

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Solid breakfast option if you're staying at the attached hotel. I think most people choose to order the all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet option. I went and took a peek, and the line-up doesn't skimp. There was a dish of plain eggs benedict, hotcakes with different types of fruity syrups that looked homemade, some fresh local cheeses, and all sorts of other goodies. This isn't your typical hotel breakfast. I was craving lobster, though, since it was my last day in Boston, so I ordered the Lobster Eggs Benedict off the menu. It was decent, but the lobster portion was blended with breading and corn bits, so it was more of a seafood cake than anything else. Not my favorite lobster dish I had during this trip. Next time, I would probably skip this and go straight for the buffet option. read more

My husband and I agree this was one of our worst and most expensive breakfast. The service on the other hand was one of the best with a very attentive waiter he made sure our cups were always full of juice and even pulled the chair out for me to be seated. When we were seated my the waiter said we could take a look at the buffet options or order from the menu. The food from the buffet looked good so we opted for that option. The taste was definitely not good. The potatoes were hard/dry and flavorless and the breakfast sausages were also hard/dry. The scrambled eggs were fine but also flavorless. The only option that I enjoyed was the French toast with berry sauce. We didn't order off the menu so I cannot say if the meal would have been any better. The total with automatic tips was $75. We could of gotten a great breakfast elsewhere but we decided to try it out here . We left dissatisfied and would not eat here again. read more

First class breakfast in the Seaport hotel. Eggs, bacon, and toast better than almost any hotel restaurant you will find. A fresh strawberry or two with toast and good but not top quality coffee. Would return often if I lived in Boston. read more

Aura Restaurant in the Seaport Hotel used to serve dinner. Now they only serve breakfast, while lunch and dinner is handled by the adjacent Tamo. No one was manning the hostess stand, so I peeked in and got the attention of one of the waiters. We were given our choice of seating in the space semi divided into two sections. Round tables are available in the back half for larger parties, but since we numbered but 3, I opted for a square table in a corner. We had the choice of their All-You-Can-Eat breakfast buffet for $21 or to order a la carte off their egg heavy breakfast menu. Two of us opted to pig out on the buffet, while the lighter diner among us selected the Avignon Signature Omelet ~ seasonal wild mushrooms, caramelized onions, Boursin cheese, chicken apple sausage, Red Bliss home fries $16. Our waiter sensed that the two of us were hesitant to get started on the buffet while our friend was without, so he suggested that we could start with some fruit, and he hurried the kitchen along - by the time I returned with my plate of fruit and a crescent roll, her omelet had arrived! The portion was generous and more than enough for her appetite. I ate a lot! My favorite were the plump squat little ricotta cheese blintz. In addition to the maple syrup, there were banana's foster and blueberry compote offered as accompaniments for the pancakes. The bacon was thick-cut and quite crisped. When I inquired about the empty plate of shortrib hash eggs benedict, I was told that it would be another few minutes. What I did not expect was to have a serving brought out to me pipping hot by the fellow manning the buffet, and for our waiter to then retrieve it and to top it off with hollandaise for me. The coolest thing at the buffet was the raw honeycomb, all natural wax and all! But be careful when handling the serving utensils - they can get quite hot when mistakenly placed on the hot surface by your fellow diners. I got burned, and had to cool my finger against the chilling surface under the smoked salmon and cheese plate. I gave the buffet handler a head's up that he might want to check on the utensils every so often to avoid a similar occurrence to any other diners. An automatic 18% tip off the base was clearly added to the check. Yet, service was not lacking! Sunday hours: 7am - 12:30pm PS - We loved our Italian waiter! read more

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This restaurant claimed they served brunch. They do not. They do serve an incredible tasteless breakfast. There wasn't enough salt and pepper on the table to add flavor to the eggs Benedict The smoked salmon bagel was served with a stale bagel. Coffee was weak. They have the nerve to charge an 18% service fee which is kind of like the hint that food and service will be lousy so we get our tip no matter what. read more

Good place for business breakfast. Quiet, basic and full breakfast offering. Service is reasonably attentive but distracted with work in kitchen (given regularly not in floor in dining room) read more

The food was great but the service was not that great. Our server barely came around and we waited for a while. They brought all the appetizers and entrees together. read more

This week's Elite event at Aura was actually my 2nd time there, and I was very excited as I thoroughly enjoyed my 1st visit! I went for Restaurant Week a while ago and the best part of the meal was our waiter. I didn't catch his name, but he was a 30-40ish year old Italian man who was just hilarious, accommodating and nice. I would go back just for him! The restaurant itself is so nice. Clean, quiet, great decor - just the way I like my restaurants. Although not quite for lunch. I felt very business-womanish! The host was extremely accommodating, as we showed up for our 14 person reservation with only 10 people (oops!). He changed the settings immediately with no complaint and they put us at a huge round table, which was great for conversation. For my appetizer, I got the Verrill Farm bibb lettuce and spinach salad with marinated red onions, cherry tomatoes and roasted peach vinaigrette. I have to say I was disappointed in this. I am a HUGE fan of onions, but these just tasted weird, and the peach vinaigrette was thick (I expected it to be thin, like raspberry vinaigrette) and not all that appealing. Maybe because I ordered it on the side? Not sure though. I would not get this again. For my main course, I decided to splurge on calories and I got my first ever Reuben! Corned beef with fresh sauerkraut, Russian dressing and coleslaw. Now, I was worried that the slaw and sauerkraut would be a bit much, as a normal Reuben has sauerkraut and a Rachel has coleslaw. However, the slaw was on the side and was not mayonnaise-y at all. Very nice. I had asked for the dressing on the side (yes, I'm like Sally in "When Harry Met Sally" and get almost everything on the side) and the waiter told me he couldn't do that, as it's baked in or something. I said fine. However, when it arrived, the Russian was on the side! That made me so happy, as I was able to dip at my own desire and not get too much. That's my way of cutting down on calories. The bread was SO good and the Reuben itself was very enjoyable. I wouldn't get this again at Aura, just because it's a fancier restaurant and I'd want to try other menu items, but it was definitely a tasty treat. For my dessert, I opted against the chocolate coffee bean ice cream sandwich because, as much as I LOVE an ice cream sandwich, I do not like coffee. Good choice, as the coffee flavor was overwhelming (I tasted a coworker's) and the orange blossom anglaise tasted just like sunblock (seriously). I got the buttermilk panna cotta with house-made organic blueberry jam and Fleu de Sel shortbread. Now, the only thing I recognized about this was blueberry and shortbread. Those are what signed me up. I had looked up panna cotta before going, and according to Wikipedia, it's "an Italian dessert made by simmering together cream, milk and sugar, mixing this with gelatin, and letting it cool until set." I assumed it was like flan. The panna cotta itself was pretty tasteless, but the blueberry jam was pretty good and they complemented each other nicely. The shortbread, which had a layer of sugar on top, was definitely the best part of the dessert. So, while a 3-course meal is definitely a bit much for a work-day lunch, I'd say it was a really good deal for $20.07. I was super impressed with the hospitality of the staff and the presentation of all the meals. It makes me want to go back to Aura for a nice dinner one night. (And the Elite event & $20 gift certificate just add to that!) I recommend! :) read more

Chose this for our restaurant week outing this week and it was another great meal. This was easily one of the most friendly menus for non-meat eaters with many options that fit our specific needs. I started with the Gazpacho, very nice with watermelon added in and just a little bit of pepper to counteract the sweetness. The lady had Rustic Burrata with some amazing gold and red tomatoes. Not normally a fan of so many tomatoes, but this is easily a dish that could convert me. My entree was the Wild Salmon with Risotto, Asparagus and Herbs. The salmon was fantastic, the risotto was great and the portion was much, much larger than I had anticipated - which is fine because I have lunch for tomorrow now! The other entree was her Primavera with vegetables and grilled peaches. The pasta choice was a little thick (Strozzopreti - never heard of it before) and made the meal a little tough but the peaches were the real standout of this dish. By the time dessert came around I was ready to explode but somehow managed to power through the chocolate mousse parfait. I do also want to give a special shout out to our amazing waiter, Christopher. He was a complete breath of fresh air - seemingly taking joy in just talking to us and was very attentive to make sure we made the right choices and that our meals were pleasing. When we mentioned it was our anniversary he brought the dessert out with a special message written in chocolate. Thanks Christopher! read more

Aura Restaurant - Grilled Peach Cobbler during restaurant week, with a special note. - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

As a long time customer (hotel guest, and now local resident), disappointed about recent price increase in their two egg breakfast. From $12 to now $22. I understand an increase due to inflation, but 80% ?? Even in seaport, Mr J would question that competitive pricing. Otherwise, great staff, and food quality is consistently very good. Highly recommend for business breakfast read more

Aura is the breakfast only restaurant inside of Seaport Hotel. Fiance and I decided to stop here one morning for a hearty breakfast before the beer festival across the street. He opted for the breakfast buffet, I ordered eggs, bacon and hashbrowns. Our waiter was friendly and attentive to our needs, he even opened the small bottle of tobasco I requested for my eggs. The restaurant was not overly packed for a Saturday morning but we did show up around the tail end of service. I wish i had opted for the buffet. My fiance came back with wonderful options; french toast, fresh fruit, eggs benedict, sausage, bacon, fresh blueberry compote and I was completely envious of the fresh honey! My breakfast though seemed to take forever as he was finished his first plate and went back for more and I still hadn't gotten my food which is why I gave it a lower rating. My eggs were a bit watery, maybe even underdone but fluffy and it felt like more than 2 eggs were scrambled and put on my plate. Bacon was crisp and the potatoes were delicious! It was nice to have a decent sit down breakfast which was tasty! Prices are a bit steep but I think the buffet is worth it if you are a big breakfast fan. Be aware they do automatically at 18% tip to your bill. read more

Me: Hey man, let's grab dinner Saturday night. Friend: Sure, what time. Me: Seven sound good? ==================================== Me: Wow, this place looks fancy. Friend: Def. Me: Holy eff, look at the prices. It'd better be good grub. ==================================== Me: Umm, why is the skin on this duck so hard to cut through? Friend: I can't really cut through to the chicken through all this skin! Me: I don't think I've ever eaten such tough salmon before. Me: That was some good ketchup! Oh ... it was cranberry sauce, you say? Friend: Those beans weren't canned?! ==================================== Friend: Yo it's 9:30 already. Me: I'm really thirsty dude. Friend: That's because they haven't refilled our waters. Once. ==================================== Menu: It is not necessary to tip. An 18% service charge is added to the menu -- DEAR AURA, MAYBE YOU COULD BUY YOURSELF A THESAURUS FOR CHRISTMAS. THANKS. Maybe it was the fall menu, using all those late-season pumpkins and beans and whatnot, but a lot of the sides were not tasty. My friend's cranberry bean + apricot was nasty and partially inedible. My sides (the maple-glazed bacon and Brussels sprouts) were really quite good, but the mashed potato puree was really just mashed potatoes. The best part of the meal was the hot cocoa and cookies -- three types of cookies with rich coconut-infused hot cocoa. SO GOOD. Service was horrible. The waiter had no idea what he was doing, and couldn't even give us a recommendation as to what to order. He was really nice, but not attentive whatsoever. We waited 12 minutes between closing down our entree menu and having our order taken, and the lagtime for the dessert menu was 8 minutes. Aura is trying way too hard to make itself seem swanky. But peel away the fancy hotel restaurant setting and the expensive prices and and take it down to the food, and it's like this girl in my lab who cakes on makeup and needed surgery to make her face presentable. And we can see through it. read more

Horrible experience. First, if Aura is marketing itself as high-end dining, then they should offer a consistent menu seven days a week. We went on a Sunday after calling ahead for reservations, only to find that although Aura was open, they were serving from the menu of the forgettable restaurant NEXT DOOR. The waitress told us that the only Aura-specific item available was the three-course chef's tasting, which she warned us had portions that would never fill you up. I don't know whether she was purposefully steering us to the more expensive a la carte menu of the restaurant next door, but we did not want to be hungry so we took her advice. Her actions later indicate that she was probably trying to boost up our final charge. Second, the food was horrible. We had raw oysters which were thoroughly gritty. The clam chowder was disgusting and consisted of diced tomato, chives, and sparse little bits of clam floating in a greasy thin cream broth -- it was neither the classic thick New England clam chowder nor the broth-based Rhode Island clam chowder. The only small reprieve we got from throwing up was the very small lobster roll ($24 for about six inches) which was flavorful. Oh, and they didn't mess up the fries. Third, we presented our Groupon which the waitress had the nerve to reject by claiming it was a Sunday and therefore the discount was not applicable. She obviously was illiterate because she continued to insist that we couldn't use it despite us showing her that there was no fine print excluding Sunday. The only reason she relented was because we told her to get her manager. The final point: Aura automatically charged us a ***20%*** service fee on the final bill -- after the Groupon discount, which thus explained all of our waitress' actions in steering us away from what would have been a cheaper tasting menu and her losing it when we presented the coupon. Hey, we would have tipped on the nondiscounted subtotal, but Aura evidently disagrees with us by using its autocharge. Thank goodness we had the Groupon because our total bill cracked $100, for horrendous, worthless food. DO NOT GO TO AURA! The place deserves to go under. read more

First off all, I am soooo disappointed to see that others have had a less-than-wonderful experience here! I am staying at the Seaport Hotel for a conference and just happened to stop in for a bite to eat after not wanting to eat the cold sliders served at the reception. My server, Chris, was delightful from the first moment he laid eyes on me. He suggested the steak and eggs and ....oh....my...holy....bejeezers.... lemme just say....it's one of the best things I've ever tasted. It's a filet mignon, with a poached, then deep fried (in truffle oil) egg on top....when you cut the egg, the perfectly runny yolk runs down over the steak. It was amazing. I actually started out with their ceasar salad which was served with fried white anchovies and red peppers on the side. It was also spot on....the dressing was soooo smooth and didn't have that strange after taste that so many caesars do. I was so full at this point...that I thought I was going to have to be rolled out of there, but he said I "had" to have some dessert....so, hold a gun to my head, why dontcha! *didn't take much proding* I settled on the Lemon Merengue, again at his recommendation...and it's a lot more like a lemon tart with merenge on top...served with blueberry compote on the side (ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!)....in Texas, a lemon merengue is not so dense....Let me just say, though, this may be the best dessert I've EVER had in my 24 years of living and LOTS of eating out. I enjoyed my meal and the service so much last night that I just stopped in again tonight and enjoyed yet another fabulous meal. I had the wild salmon with chimichurri sauce....perfectly cooked....sooooo fresh...with a side of brussel sprouts. The brilliant thing about the brussel sprouts is that they were sauteed with pine nuts....which is sooo smart because it cuts any of the bitterness that the brussel sprouts might have contained and gives it that smokey flavor. We usually douce ours with a vinegar-based hot sauce like Frank's at home....but it was not needed as they were perfectly flavored. Rachel Klein is ah-mazing. oh and I had them wrap up the lemon merengue for me to take to my room....you're supposed to pack on 15lbs in a 3-day vacation.....right?.... read more

I had the worst experience here. The service was rotten. I had to ask for a bread basket (other tables had it, but for some reason, was not given to me), the soda was flat, and when I was confused, as I thought all sandwiches were served with fries, and none came with mine, all I got was a blank stare. Then, I saw my fries sit at the end of the bar, and they were never delivered to me, I just asked for the check because I really just wanted to get out of there. A bad experience all together. read more

I kept meaning to try Om as I had heard alot of buzz around Chef Rachel Klein. I recently found out that she is the new chef at Aura and decided to try it out for restaurant week. The steak & peaches first course was unique and was absolutely delicious. I went for the lamb for my entree, my wife tried the kajiki both were fantastic, cooked perfect, amazing flavors. Dessert & wine pairings were very good as well. Last night's dinner was easily some of the best food I have ever had. I will be back for sure. We parked in the garage at the Seaport which the restaurant validates down to $5.00 for up to 4 hours, I had banked on $15 parking tab, so this was nice as well. read more

Monday: Aura at the Seaport Hotel 8/14 The atmosphere was nice.. however my expectations were a bit higher.. located inside a hotel, i should have known better than to expect anything more. our waiter had this sexy french accent of which i can not resist... semi intimate setting.. The bread: sourdough came with humus, butter, and oil for dipping - the bread was chewy and cold. Apps - Sea Scallops with potatoe puree and something green puree / baby spinach tossed salad in light vinagrette dressing .. paired with chardonnay... the scallop was good of course, the potatoes looked like apple sauce, but actually tasted pretty good, reminded me of banquet's $1 tv dinners when you pop it in the microwave for 2 minutes in hopes that the mashed potatoe side is cooked enough to eat.. then realizing its not when its not thick.. but watery and piecey.. yea it taste like that but better. the salad wasn't good, lacking of dressing. Us carnivors are not fond of our greens. Entree - beef tenderloin with sliced baby potatoes / pan seared swordfish ...paired with cabernet souvagnon from napa valley... it was also good. The beef came in two good sized pieces, one piece was very tender like brisket and the other was like a filet.. though im sure it wasn't. Potatoes were marinated and full of flavor drenched in chef's beef gravy. Swordfish was huge, a little fishy at first, but tasted a lot better deeper into the center of the fish. Desert - Vanilla creme brulee / Stawberry angel food cake... paired with ice wine... creme brulee wasn't very good... very light whipped texture.. rather than flan-like.. it's like eating a non-fat creme brulee.. and angel food cake im not a huge fan of. looks cheap.. i'm better than that. read more

Normally I'm not a fan of dining in hotel restaurants, but we decided to try Aura after a day at the WTC. Our server Chris was fantastic. Not only did he know the menu very well, but he gave us excellent recommendations for our meal. We had the tuna poke for an appetizer and the steak option for dinner. Everything was prepared perfectly with excellent presentation. We finished off our meal with the peanut butter chocolate dessert. Wine and beer options would satisfy any diner. The food was delicious and Chris's awesome service made our experience even better. We will happily return anytime. I recommend this place as a nicer dining experience prior to a Laugh Boston comedy show too, since it's a short walking distance. Please note that 20% tip is automatically added to the bill per hotel policy. Some diners may not like that, so be aware. read more

I went here for restaurant week, and we got less than stellar service. The location is nice, easy to find, right in the lobby of the Sea port Hotel, parking garage right under it. Or, accesible by the Silver line from South Station. On a Wednesday night, we initially had reservations for 7, we got there about 6:30 because we didnt hit any traffic on the way in. We went to the hostess, and she seated us immediatly. It was very quiet in there, there was 1, may 2 other parties in there while we were there. For dinner I ordered the Burrata, Salmon and Chocolate espresso cake. The Burrata was okay.. The portion was big, but there was just too much tomato in there, my mouth was very acidic by the time I was done eating it, and for it being late August in Boston, the tomatoes were not as fresh as they could have been. However, the cheese was super fresh, and flavorful, and the basil 3 ways was good too. The salmon was not very good, it was over cooked, dry and was swimming in a bath of whatever sauce they used. The sauce was salty, I think if there were less sauce and the fish was cooked 3 mins shorter it would have been a great dish. Again, this portion was good as well. The cake was very fudgy/dense, tasted like a truffle, which I loved. If you were expecting a fluffy light cake, this isnt what you would get. This portion was small, but considering how dense the cake was, it was the perfect size. Our server was okay, until he brought out the check. I knew from reading Yelp reviews they add on gratuity, so that was a non issue, however the issue was what we were charged for our drinks. My friend and I each ordered 1 glass of wine each, hers was $10 and mine was $8. We were charged $24 on the bill. We pointed it out to the waiter who told us that we got the wine pairing option for RW. We then told him that the wine pairing option is $50 each and that would give us a glass of wine with each meal. He then argued back with us saying that he split it for us. We had to explain and argue with him for several minutes before we ended up convincing him that we each just ordered off of the normal wine menu. He finally got it, and fixed our bill. I think that the arguing with us went on for longer than necessary though. I dont think I would come back, the food was okay, and the service was bad. There are plenty of other places in the city to try out instead. read more

The waterfront area is the new area to be in and around. With the opening of new venues and restaurants, Aura is a seasoned veteran. The Seaport Hotel is newly renovated in their lobby which is welcoming as a sitting room. The restaurant has also had a facelift and I was surprised that it looks so nice. The picture that is on the website here is old and the partitions that sit in the lobby are no more. A wall of frosted and unfrosted glass create a degree of intrigue. The hostess was sweet and delightful asking if the table near the wine cellar was good. The plates and flatware is minimal but modern. The Server was very sweet and knowledgeable and the seaport's inclusive tip was well spent. He helped us select a red wine which we were very pleased with. To start: We had the Okinawa Purple Potato soup. The color was beautiful and the taste was amazing. With small amounts of scallops, mushrooms, and lime. We had the tuna tartar with was light and fresh. With currants and toasted sugar on top. Very unique. We had spring rolls and a grilled sea scallop with grilled vegetables with a pureed cauliflower. The vegetables were wonderfully paired with the scallop which was cooked wonderfully. We tried the Tofu which was wonderful. I am usually not a fan of Tofu but it was crisp and soft on the inside and came with a spicy chili sauce. It was on a bed of Bamboo rice which had a delightful color from being grown in bamboo fields. The Block Island Swordfish was delicious with a slight seasoning and the portion was filling. It came with a jumbo asparagus spear garnish. For dessert, the meal was so wonderful and the cookie plate disappointed. The cookies should have been warm and melty. Not this one part could have ruined the meal for me. Chef Rachel was a delight and she came out and asked how the dinner was. I will definitely return and try another Asian inspired/ seafood fusion dinner. read more

My wife and I dined at the Aura for their Christmas Brunch. As I was flying out that evening, we figured the Brunch would be a good substitute for our normal lackluster Christmas plans. Who knew we would be getting such a downgrade. As we sat outside the restaurant waiting to be seated, we could hear the service staff getting "pumped up" and being told to make sure to offer mimosas. Now I understand, getting the staff ready to serve is a parallel to getting the team ready for a big game, but in a fine-dining experience, I don't want to be a spectator. We were seated for our meal, and I saw the wilted flower that made up our centerpiece. Little did I know that it would be such a fitting analogy for our experience. I asked for a water and milk. The milk was relatively warm. First, in a string of clues that there would be a vacuum of attention to detail. I then went for the breakfast selections. Mushy French Toast, check. Undercooked scrambled eggs, check. Very strange tasting sausage, check. And to top it off, not a lot of selections. Breakfast fail. Off to the lunchier stuff. Here, much of the same. Bland prime rib, check. Dried out sole, check. I will say; however, mashed potatoes where great. Really great. Also, the serving pan that contained the sole was in disrepair, so it slammed open when you touched it, alerting the entire dining room that you'd like some fish. You want to embarrass a fat man at a buffet, just set up that warning bell. All in all, for a $25 or $30 a head brunch, I would have been satisfied, but not wowed. However, for what turned out to be, with no alcohol, but an 18% gratuity (for a buffet!!!!), a $160 brunch for two people, I felt like I should have filed a police report. Aura restaurant, you should be ashamed of yourself. read more

Let me start this review by saying that I think Valentine's Day is an asinine holiday. If you're single, you're lamenting the fact that everyone you know has a date and you're relegated to pounding shots of Absolut citron in your sweatpants watching old episodes of Seinfeld. If you're in a relationship, well, that scenario doesn't really seem so bad when compared with the alternative - overpriced restaurants like this. But I'm not a bitter guy, I just play one on the internet. I'd say that the whole experience at Aura Restaurant was very average for my girlfriend and me. The atmosphere was nice - think dim lighting, candlelit tables, and light jazz in the background. It was busy, but quiet enough so that we could have a conversation without having to yell. The bathroom seemed like it could have been in a Southie bar on St. Patrick's day - someone's aim was a little bit off. The service was a little too attentive. My girlfriend commented at one point that she felt rushed - our waitress hovered over the table and came back every five minutes to ask us if we were done. What's the rush? The food was pretty good, and it was served quickly. I had oysters on the half shell with steak and potatoes, and my girlfriend had a vegetable plate with the steak. They were good, but at $210 for both of us I was a little underwhelmed. Good - not great. I wouldn't recommend making a special trip to the Waterfront for this restaurant, but if you happen to be staying in the area, it's a decent option. read more

I just ate the most delicious minimeal of my life. I will return every day this week for more Ricotta Gnocchi with morel mushrooms, Brussels sprout leaves, fava beans, shallot cream, and aged Marieke Gouda. What this place lacks in atmosphere it more than makes up with Chef Rachel Klein's inspired and well-executed dishes. (Usually excellent with self discipline, I couldn't help but polish off the truffled potato purée with herbs that I had intended on saving for tomorrow's lunch. It was perfect.) read more

The breakfast buffet is solid in the sense that every basic item you'd expect is available (breads and pastries, scrambled eggs & eggs benedict, bacon & sausages, potatoes, rotating veggies, yogurt, fruit, etc.) The poached eggs are consistently good (e.g., runny yolks) and one morning there was poached bok choy which was fantastic (savory and tender). In terms of drawbacks, the main one is that the sausages (which come in both link and patty form) are very dry. These were definitely not quality sausages, which if you're a vegetarian doesn't matter, but if you aren't vegetarian and you're looking at ~$25 breakfast (inclusive of mandatory 18% service charge), it's hard to argue you will get enough value from eggs and yogurt alone. read more

Went here for lunch with a friend. Was pretty good - I had the lobster duo (club and salad). The clientele was mainly professional/business people, so we felt a bit casually dressed. The server was very nice and made some recommendations based on his personal experience. Can be a bit on the pricey side since they automatically added a 18% gratuity tax for service, so watch out for that read more

Not bad for a hotel restaurant - particularly breakfast! The buffet is fantastic - benedict, lox and all the fixings, yogurt, regular buffet eggs and meats, chorizo, waffles, fruit... wonderful selection perfect for vegetarian, glutten free, etc. Something for everyone, coffee, tea and juice included. BUT the 10 star show stopper is Ilir! Ask for him, he is phenomenal, friendly, professional - delightful! read more

Man, this place was great. Now, full disclosure: the only way I ever considered going in for meals at these prices was because at the Yelp event at Aura last January resulted in me having a letter for $20 off my meal. That made the whole thing a bit more palatable. And thank goodness for that, because this place was great! First of all, the service was fantastic. Very friendly, accommodating staff, who even gave us some free fried oysters while we waited for our actual appetizers. Sweet deal, right? As for the food, it was magnificent. I had a chicken dish that came on a bed of polenta and mushrooms. It was delicious, and totally worth the menu price. The rest of my table seemed to enjoy their food as well, as much as if not more so than I did. Aura is fantastic. If you've got the bank, and are looking for a nice night out, this should definitely be on your list. read more

I was taken here for my birthday, as I had heard so much about Rachel Klein at OM and unfortunately missed her at that location. I've been to a number of "fancy" restaurants in Boston and was really excited to try Aura. Sadly, it didn't impress me too much. Don't get me wrong, it was very good, just not the knock-your-socks-off kind of meal I was hoping for giving her reputation and the prices. -The bread basket was excellent. -The green salad was delicious and huge, with an awesome garlic vinaigrette. -The short rib pappardelle, which was suggested by the improper bostonian review, i could tell was exquisite, it just wasn't really up my alley in terms of flavor profile. Very aromatic - cinnamon + clove - with short rib, plums, olives. The pappardelle was really well done, just didn't love the dish. -My stuffed lobster dish could have been better, but I think the bigger issue was in the concept of the meal. It was very all over the place and challenging to eat, and I felt the stuffing was too lemony. -Dessert was the best part - got the Dark Chocolate Creme which was amaaaazing, and they brought us a little after-dessert treat - little cups with thyme raspberry foam and lemon curd. Awesome. All in all I probably won't go out of my way to go back, but if I do I'll probably try the Eggs en Concotte and the Steak and Eggs. Should have gotten those. read more

Phenomenal Thanksgiving Day Brunch My extended family and I have dined at Aura for Thanksgiving Day Brunch for the past 2 years. It seems to be getting better and better! The first time was amazing but the last was off-the-charts. Aura is located at the Seaport Hotel. Parking is available in an adjacent garage and by valet. The ambiance is classy and warm. The service is excellent: attentive and helpful. Thanksgiving Day Brunch includes a larger breakfast buffet with french toast, eggs, waffles, pancakes, breakfast meats, cheeses, and fruits, etc. A second buffet table included caesar salad, mixed green salad, clam chowder, butternut squash soup, incredible plump and plentiful shrimp cocktail, turkey confit cassoulet (amazing) and salmon. A third buffet table included, cornbread pudding (sinful), brioche bread stuffing, roasted brussel sprouts, butternut squash, buttermilk mash potatoes, homemade mac and cheese, and green beans. Adjacent to this was the carving station with roasted pork loin and Thanksgiving Turkey. The turkey was tender, juicy, flavorful, and had an excellent tangy gravy. Buffet table #4 had a fondue station with almost anything you can think of to immerse in rich chocolate (potato chips, pretzels, fruit, marshmellows, etc.). Finally buffet table #5 had an incredible selection of desserts and cookies. From mini-cheesecakes to dulce de leche pudding, French macaroons, and spice cakes. Thanksgiving Day Brunch at Aura is a masterpiece. Plain and simple. If Sunday brunch is even half as good, it must be amazing! We will definitely be returning for Thanksgiving next year but will also be dropping by a lot sooner! read more

Since I was staying at the Seaport Hotel, where Aura is located, I decided to try their dinner menu on my last night in Boston. I wish I had gone elsewhere. I don't often dine solo, and my experience at Aura did not help - the last thing one wants to feel while dining solo is lonely. I was largely ignored by the wait staff at Aura. In fact, I watched as my waitress helped other tables (like the one right in front of me), and left me alone. And while it is not unreasonable to expect the wait staff to pander more to larger groups than solo diners, it didn't matter. Because of the setup at the hotel, all wait staff and bartenders are automatically tipped 20%. So it didn't matter that I received crappy service, because my waitress would be tipped regardless. As for the food, I've seen more diverse menus. There are seafood specials on weekdays, but since I dined on a Saturday, there were no specials. I ordered the Ribs and Grits for my appetizer - an intereresting spin on the traditional shrimp and grits. Even more interesting - the ribs were lamb meat, with traditional Mediterranean flavor. For my entree, I had the sirloin with mashed potatoes, a dish that I found uninspiring. Of course, all taste might have been tainted by the unsatisfactory service. read more

BAD Business: We reserved a table on Open Table. WHile we were on our way there they called to say they were closing and cancelling our rez. They rcommended the place next store, which was glorified bar food. When we went to leave they refused to validate our parking even though it says : "validated self-parking parking is available in the underground Seaport Garage." The definition of "validated parking" is a term-of-art: "Parking validation is a co-operative effort between businesses and local parking laws that gives customers the ability to waive parking fees. Garages and parking lots will often offer validation to customers of nearby shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues. The goal of this system is to promote business by offering free parking, while the businesses return the favor by paying the city a small premium." This experience was disappointing part of our trip. We were improperly charged, delayed and not believed. Not the result of hospitality in out opinion. This review cost $11.00. Aura: Change your advertisement or procedure, and the way you mistreat customers. read more

The price does NOT match the quality. I got a certificate on WAAF.com fworth $50 for which I paid $25. Even so, I regret ever paying what I paid for that meal. The service was so extremely slow even though there was only one other table in the restaurant. The server hardly ever came by and when he did, he'd rush off so quickly, forgetting to ask if we needed anything (like water to wash down the less than mediocre Eggplant I just ate). I do not recommend you spend you're money here. read more

It is conveniently located in the hotel which was nice since I was too lazy and tired to go somewhere else. The waitress was friendly. I ordered the lobster mac and cheese which was really good but expensive but I guess anything with lobster will be expensive. I did NOT like that 18% gratuity was included in the bill. Seriously? read more