Oh my goodness, my favorite spot in Boston area. We go here every time we are in Boston. The food…read moreis delicious, especially that grilled octopus. The flavors are crisp and distinct. They activate all the senses and are wonderful. The tapas style servings seem small but my recommendation is to order many dishes and see which ones you like. Of course if you drink ask the waiter/waitress which wines go with the food. Pairing is great. The service is wonderful and they really take their time talking with you. I especially enjoy the fish here. Something important to me is how people treat my wife who is a different race than me. Many restaurants don't treat her with respect, so I leave and leave a bad review. However, KAVA is excellent treating her and me with great respect even providing free appetizers to try since they were new. When we were there in May, the place was packed but warm and the ambiance reminds you of being with friends and family in a close knit community. Really enjoy coming to the restaurant. Make reservations in the morning for the evening. You will enjoy it.

KAVA neo-taverna is one of those places that works well for almost any occasion. The zucchini chips…read moreare an absolute must-try--honestly the best I've had so far, and I've tried a LOT of zucchini chips. They never disappoint and are something I order every time. I especially enjoy coming here in the summer when the outdoor patio is open. It has such a relaxed, enjoyable atmosphere and makes for a great meal in the South End. The service has always been very good as well. Definitely a place I'm happy to come back to again and again.

Great lunch here. Got the clam chowder. Is was good. Needed…read moresalt. Waitress offered me cups to split. The bowl. Burger and fried was good. Turkey sandwich has awesome great flavors.

Five Stars -- One of the Finest Pasta Dishes I've Ever Eaten in Boston…read more I've spent the better part of six years exploring Boston's restaurant scene - an expensive hobby or a habit I can't break, from the North End to some of the city's most celebrated fine-dining establishments. Every once in a while, a dish comes along that is so extraordinary it reminds me why I love dining out in the first place. Chef Sarah Wade's Uni Cacio e Pepe at SJ's is one of those dishes. The menu describes tonnarelli pasta with uni crème fraîche, Pecorino, black pepper, grated cured egg yolk, and Osetra caviar. But that description doesn't begin to capture this dish. The magic is the uni. The photo posted, mind you, isn't a file photo or taken from their website. This is what I was actually served! I had never fully appreciated what sea urchin could bring to a pasta sauce. I'd always associated uni primarily with Japanese cuisine, which has never been a particular favorite of mine. Imagine the richness of the finest cultured butter blended with the luxurious, silky texture of exceptional olive oil. That's the closest I can come to describing it. The uni creates this buttery coating that clings to every strand of pasta, almost slippery in the most wonderful way, delivering an intensely rich flavor with every bite. I detected no seafood flavor. Instead, the black pepper provided a beautiful counterbalance to the richness, while the Pecorino and cured egg yolk added complexity. Everything worked together. Nothing overwhelmed anything else. I've enjoyed some truly remarkable meals at restaurants such as Sarma, Tonino, Field & Vine, and Mooncusser. I don't make comparisons to those restaurants casually. But this pasta belongs in that company. It's one of the finest individual dishes I've ever been served anywhere in Boston. Boston Magazine, I hope you're paying attention. This place better make your Top 50 Best Restaurants list next year. I expect nothing less than top 15. Your credibility is on the line . . . Absolutely extraordinary. Five stars.

Absolutely highly recommend Servia. We ate here last night by chance for a late snack and were…read more"wowed" by the staff, they superbly prepared and truly tasty cuisine. Along with the charming Lady who welcomed, seated, and served our orders, our server provided attentive, good customer service. We are definitely returning, probably sooner than later.

Food and wine were fantastic but Jordan really made our visit special. He was so friendly, helpful…read morewith menu suggestions and funny. He recommended a red wine for my husband and a white for me and both were excellent. We are vegetarian so we ordered the tomato and burrata salad, fried potatoes, hummus, and a mushroom farro dish, all of which were delicious, and paired so well with our wines. Thanks, Jordan for such a lovely evening.

We've Found a New Favorite!…read more Sabina Mezcaleria - Back Bay What a wonderful find! Sabina Mezcaleria is a cute, cozy restaurant with impeccable, genuinely warm service and absolutely incredible food. We always prefer eating at the bar--it feels more personal and less transactional, and we've met so many wonderful strangers that way. Last night reminded us exactly why we love it. Luis, our El Cantinero, took us on a spectacular journey through the world of mezcal and tequila. He was knowledgeable, engaging, and clearly passionate about what he does. We learned so much from him about tequila and mezcal, and he made the whole experience feel like an adventure rather than simply ordering drinks. And then came the food! I had the Enchilada Mole, and the mole was beautiful--deep, complex, rich, and perfectly balanced, without that powdery quality you sometimes find in lesser versions. The Chicharrones were enormous, thick, and cooked perfectly--almost melting in your mouth while absolutely exploding with flavor. Then came my favorite: the Empanada de Maíz. We had the one with chicharrones, beans, and mozzarella, and I almost cried. Seriously. SO flavorful, with this delicate little crispy coating on the outside that made it extraordinary. From Luis and the bar experience to every plate that came out of the kitchen, this was just an exceptional evening. Warm, intimate, delicious, and memorable. We came up from Providence by train, and Sabina alone is worth the trip. We've found a new Back Bay favorite--and we will absolutely be back!

Last night we went to Sabina Mezcaleria to watch the Mexico vs South Korea World Cup game. It was…read moregreat World Cup atmosphere. I must admit that based on some other Yelp reviews I was expecting the food to be ok but I was so very pleased because everything we ate was absolutely fantastic!!! I didn't take any photos but will say that the following were FABULOUSLY delicious and very much worth ordering. Esquite Tostada Cuadrito de Lechón Mini RibEye Tacos Guacamole with RibEye Chicharron You will need 4-5 of their small plate sized apps for 2 of you to share. BTW I always try to have a Michelada at Mexican restaurants. I ordered at Sabina with a Modelo and theirs was fantastic. All that being said, highly recommend this great place on Newbury Street.

While casually looking through Resy, I was able to snag same day reservations and finally try…read moreTonino! And now that I've tried it, I know I'll be back whenever I can get another reservation. Overall everything was solid but our favorites were what we started with: the pizza Bianca with ricotta & hot honey, and the wines we ordered. We loved everything about the pizza Bianca - the texture of the bread, and the ricotta & hot honey was so delicious we could just eat it by itself. The pepperoni & hot honey pizza was also quite good, but just not my preferred type of pizza. It is great for those looking for a slice that isn't too heavy. Flavor wise though I still really liked it. Among the pastas, the taleggio cappelleti was simply not for us. I could see some people loving it but it was just a bit too salty and rich for me. I felt like I needed more balsamic to counteract the strong flavor. The cavatelli on the other hand was more to my taste, a perfect alternative to the taleggio capellini. We finished the meal with the panna cotta that had great texture with the toppings. All in all a great meal with some favorites I already know I want to order again, and some really great service!

Pizza Bianca (9.5/10): Fantastic bread, bursting with aroma. Nice texture as well. We got the…read morestracciatella/tomato relish/balsamic/basil with it. Tasted SOO good. Very well balanced - I especially liked the stracciatella. Taleggio Capeletti (7/10): A bit too rich and too salty for my tastes. I think this dish just needed something to cut through the richness. Still really good nonetheless. Lumache (8/10): The chew on the pasta is impeccable!! The chew on those mushrooms is also insane. Texture-wise, this dish was a home run. For some reason, I kept getting hints of something resembling boar taint in the sauce flavor itself. Not sure why... I don't think there was meat? I feel like I would've given this dish a 10/10 had it not been for the hint of that flavor. Service was very friendly and fast. The restaurant is small, but the seating didn't feel too tight. Even though I gave it a 5/5, I actually don't know if I would come again. The pasta was very steeply priced for not that much food. Although the capeletti was surprisingly filling, I'd rather feel full on carbs than full on pure butter and cheese.

Such a beautiful space, tons of seating. I highly recommend making a reservation!…read more Service was okay. They told me I had to order my latte through their window outside even after sitting down but I didn't mind, just found it odd. Food was also just okay. Nothing stood out to me unfortunately, not even the coffee. I'll have to come back and try them again!

Went for a girl dinner and the place was packed to the brim with other girl dinners:) Servers were…read moreall super friendly and worked together to make the experience better. What we ordered: -Cocktails 5/5; great variety on the menu but modern lover was for sure my favorite. -Arancini balls 4/5; so good we got a second round but I took a point off because they are tiny. Crispy and came with a great mayo-based sauce. -Lobster gnocchi 4/5; basically a lobster bisque with gnocchi added in however the sauce was slightly boring and heavy...Great amount of lobster though. -Pasta alla vodka 4/5(guest rating); good portion, good sauce with a mild spice to it. You can ask them to turn up the spiciness if you're feeling adventurous. -Burger; my guests enjoyed it but did not give me a rating. I did try the fries and they were very crispy and flavorful. -Fig and prosciutto pizza 4/5; crust was perfectly crispy and full of flavor and the fig added the perfect sweetness to a savory meal, however there were a ton of greens on top and not a lot of prosciutto. We had a great time and are planning to come try out their brunch!

This place is a hidden gem in the South End Shawmut Ave neighborhood. Pleasant atmosphere. Rotating…read moremenu with awesome food. The kitchen is out in the open, so you can watch them hard at work. Cute outdoor seating area. I love the ambiance. Everyone is so friendly there. If you have a chance to sit at the bar while Peter is working, do it! He is a blast and one of the nicest people I have met!! You won't regret it

The Shawmut Inn is an American restaurant on a quiet corner in the South End. The atmosphere is…read morecozy, as the restaurant only has a handful of tables and bar seats, with an open kitchen. The dishes feature a nice mixture of flavors, sauces and vegetables. Drinks are well prepared and service is attentive and well paced.

Where do I begin- We had my best friends engagement party downstairs in the Queen's room in Monarch…read moreand it was truly an amazing evening. The staff went above and beyond other help us surprise the bride, they even had flowers on the tables for us. Th owner even called me personally to help me plan out all of the details. We had a big group and the service did not miss a beat. The drinks were flowing, and the food was also FANTASTIC! highly recommend Alice & Monarch for your next event, date night, or get together with friends. 1000% will be back soon. And if you were thinking about ordering the Creste Di Gallo pasta- DO IT!

I had a fabulous experience at Alice & Monarch! The décor, ambiance, and staff were all…read moreexceptional. The octopus was light, flavorful, and cooked to absolute perfection--honestly, better than some of the octopus I've had in Greece! The steak was phenomenal, and the wine selection perfectly complemented the meal. Then there's the downstairs at Monarch... a completely different level of atmosphere. Intimate, upscale, fun, and full of surprises. It's the kind of place that makes an evening feel like an experience rather than just a dinner. A must-see and must-experience for everyone!