I was visiting a friend and we decided to come here on a Thursday night. The restaurant is lively with dim lighting and good music, definitely a great choice for a girls dinner. The food was good, but the portions are a bit small and the menu is not all that exciting. Our server was attentive but they really try and sell you on the drinks! Overall, a good spot for apps and drinks with friends! read more

ilona - Pikilia - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

It was fine but I'm a vegetarian and these small plate places are NOT for us. Just way too expensive for the product of like 2 vegetable plates. These small plates places are not for people with dietary restrictions but I didn't have much of a choice but to go here at the time. If you eat meat it's probably fine but if you have dietary restrictions stay away from these places even though they're everywhere. God help us against the tapas crusade OMG read more

Best restaurant in Boston! If you can get in you're in for an amazing meal. The lamb pasta was the star of the show but everything was very good. Buck a shuck was a welcome surprise! read more

Loved ilona! You can only make reservations the day before, which didn't deter folks at all because the place was PACKED on a Thursday night. We came to realize that they offer "buck a shuck" oysters all night on Thursdays, which may also contribute to the crowd! The space is hip with a cool mural and red lighting in the bar area. It's also quite loud, so may be more comfortable if you come with a smaller group. We got glasses of wine (a white with skin contact from Slovenia and a Georgian red), which are served in branded glasses that are great for pics. To start, we got 4 raw oysters (all local from MA/RI) and one fried oyster. Then we split the khachapuri, ribs, roasted cauliflower, and goulash. Everything was delish, and this ended up being a great mix & amount of food for the two of us. One of my fave dishes was the ribs, which were tender and sweet from the honey but also tangy from the yogurt sauce - unique and flavorful! I also enjoyed the goulash a lot more than I expected. The spinach & ricotta gnocchi were super pillowy, and the meat and veggies in the stew were tender and comforting. 100% would devour again. read more

See all

I love the aesthetics of this restaurant! The plates, decorations, and furniture were beautiful. The oysters were also a great deal and you really can't find a great deal like this in Boston anymore. It's $1 per oyster on Thursdays all day and Fri/Sat 4-7pm. You can order 1/2 dozen at a time. The oysters weren't big but still fulfilled my cravings for oysters. The crispy eggplants apparently are a very popular item but I would only get it in large groups. I couldn't taste the eggplant and it tasted like funnel cake. It was also pretty sweet but the yogurt sauce balanced it well. The ribs were also well cooked and on the sweeter side once again. The ceviche was also delicious and refreshing. Overall, I'd go back again to try the other dishes! read more

See all

While the indoor decor initially wows you when you first walk in, our group had a very mediocre experience for Sunday brunch. First indication was that the restaurant was practically empty on a Father's Day Sunday morning. The food was good but falls short in terms of flavor, the two people who got the Benedict both said the potatoes were under seasoned and under salted. The salad that came with the chicken shawarma had an amazing dressing, but the shawarma was fine. Additionally, if you plan on drinking alcohol, you either need a Massachusetts driver's license or a picture of your passport, which definitely caught our group by surprise. read more

See all

One of the best bar in the south end neighborhood of Boston. Please visit. It's very popular so be prepared. read more

ilona - Menu - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Every dish we ate tasted fantastic. I am allergic to pine nuts, which can be a bit nerve wracking at Mediterranean restaurants, but the staff was super accommodating and communicative. Great service, great food and drinks, would love to come try more things! Very creative menu - the hibiscus ceviche was particularly memorable for me, though the group favorite was undeniably the fried eggplant. read more

Amazing food! Tapas style so definitely get a few dishes to try. My friend and I ordered fried eggplant, octopus, halloumi, and beef kabab. The star of the dish was the fried eggplant!! It was sooo good. Everything else was also really good but I will say, it's a splurge. 4 dishes. 2 drinks for 2 people was definitely enough for small people but it definitely won't feed someone that's really hungry or probably guys. Service was slow tbh and we came on an afternoon that was quiet where there was maybe 1 or 2 extra tables. Overall, glad I came here and I'd come back again but probably once in a blue moon or special occasion read more

ilona - Crispy Eggplant - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

See all

We came on Thursdays and got their $1 oysters, crispy eggplant, octopus, and fried oysters. There were 3 oysters to choose from; Norumbega, Moon Shoal, Petite Crowe's. We got 4 of each and enjoyed the Norumbega the most so got another dozen of it. It was fresh, big, and very smooth. Would definitely come back for it. Crispy eggplant was a miss for us. I was excited because of the reviews but it was underwhelming. The eggplant was so thin it's just the batter (I took an up close photo for reference) I couldn't tell it was eggplant. It lowkey tastes like fried dough with honey and yogurt. Not worth $18 in my opinion. I LOVED the octopus. It was cooked really well - not chewy at all. Super fresh! Fried oysters were good but I prefer raw oysters. It was quite busy on a Thursday night but we got lucky and got bar seating. Would recommend making a reservation. read more

See all

We went in on a Saturday night at 5:30 as a party of two walk in and were able to get a seat at the bar. Our bartender was so wonderful and just the best, I think her name was Alejandra? Ambiance is loud and dark, it is a tight space. Drinks: cocktails were great and I would argue some of the best in Boston, they go down pretty easily. The passion fruit martini is a must and I had one with bourbon and it was phenomenal. My husband had a gin cocktail that he didn't care for (heavy on the licorice taste), but the bartender was so sweet and made him another drink. Food: everything is more of a shared plate vibe and I loved this. The crispy eggplant was insane, I don't even like eggplant but a 10/10. The ribs were just okay, wouldn't get again, nothing special about them. We had these lamb dumplings which were really delightful. The Georgian cheese bread was heavenly. The octopus was probably one of our favorites, just so simple and prepared perfectly. They had an oyster special at the bar $1 oysters from 4-7, so of course we crushed some of those as well. Deserts: these were just okay, good but nothing to write home about. I got the chocolate cake and my husband got the pistachio gelato, which was more like an ice cream. All in all it was refreshing to have a different restaurant vibe of Mediterranean, as I feel they knocked the food out of the park. Would recommend making a reservation, or calling ahead. read more

Me and my two girlfriends came here a few weeks ago and it was great. All the food was good, the service was good, no complaints here. The vibe is darker / moody and would be great for a date. There is even a cute jazz bar down the street you could go to after. Overall 10/10. I will be coming back. read more

See all

I'll call them above average when it comes to 1$ oysters - they at least have three different kinds to choose from, where numerous places only stock the one kind if your party is too big though, you can only order 24 at a time so what ends up happening is your platters come out really slowly, and it's engineered to make you feel pressured to buy other stuff to fill in the void, so bear that in mind Quality and staff were quite alright though read more

See all

one of the best waitstaff experiences I've ever had. My dear friend has some severe allergies, but after an active day we had completely forgotten to eat and just ducked into the nearest restaurant hoping they'd at least have bread options that they could be safe with. Thank goodness we went into Ilona. The staff went above and beyond to accommodate my friend, going as far as to collaborate with the chefs to cross off anything on the menu that would contain allergens. and continued through the meal to check in and make sure cross contamination wasn't an issue. A huge shout out to Ally who originally set this new menu in motion, Ramon who served us throughout the meal and was so kind, and the manager Antonio who personally checked in on my friends allergies as well as made sure I and their partner were just as closely attended to. I cannot recommend this restaurant enough, especially if like me you are just a visitor to Boston and in need of a delicious meal with kind waitstaff read more

Great oyster choices for their $1 deal! Despite it taking a while for each round to come to our table , Our server was attentive read more

See all

A wonderful evening, excellent service, value and tastefulness. We especially liked the buck a shuck oyster offering.

From the start to the end, Ilona was a fantastic experience! From the Guava cocktails to the lamb dumplings to the lamb souvlaki and slow roasted lamb to the baklava, everything was perfection. This place was really classy, loved the modern decor and great vibes. Service was also impeccable. Each and every server was extremely attentive to our needs. I cannot wait to come back to Boston and try more dishes off their menu! Highly recommend checking this place out! read more

See all

These mediterranean shareable plates were delicious and filled us up in a good way! We also got the fried halloumi read more

See all

This place is a hidden gem in South End! I made reservations for 3 at 8pm for a Wednesday night. They were pretty busy and we had to wait around 15-20minutes. The staff were very friendly and apologetic with the situation and they offered a free round of drinks. The drinks were .... unique. My friends and I couldn't really drink it because of the strong floral alcohol taste. It just didn't taste like a cocktail and it was hard to drink overall. The food was great though! We got the crispy eggplant, octopus, calamari, halloumi, and seafood risotto. It's tapas style and 5 dishes was perfect for a party of 3. The crispy eggplant and octopus were my favorite!! I don't even like eggplant in day to day life but I can eat the ones from here any day! There is a yogurt sauce below and they go really well together. The octopus was perfectly cooked and melts right in your mouth. You can taste the charred flavor on the outside. read more

See all

We visited this restaurant just before Halloween. Cute interior and nice patio, didn't really appreciate the Halloween decorations as they felt out of place with the overall vibe of the place (and one of them kept blowing into my face). Otherwise though the food was great - crispy eggplant as everyone else says was definitely a highlight, though was sweeter than I expected. Mussels, octopus, and ceviche were also solid. Cauliflower was okay, probably would not order again. Overall the dishes felt unique enough from each other in spicing and flavor profile that it kept the meal fun. As with many small plates restaurants, it is a little on the pricier side, but overall consistent with other similar places in Boston and worth trying at least once. read more

See all

Overall dinner at Ilona was an great experience. We enjoyed the Pikilia (3 dips and pita), but they did charge us for extra bread since there wasn't a lot that came with it for 3 people to share. The 1 buck oysters were great and fresh. The crispy eggplant were unique and our favorite item we got! We also enjoyed the brussel sprouts and sultan's delight. The cocktails were unique and delicious. Highly recommend the passion martini and espresso martini! Our waiter was attentive and friendly. read more

ilona - Passion martini - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

See all

Come for the eggplant, stay for the eggplant, and that's about it! The space is girls night out vibes and cute, we had a table of 4 and sat in a middle aisle of tables. Tempura style Eggplant chips - 5/5!! A bit oily and they could be even crispier but the combo of salty feta, sweet honey, refreshing yogurt and basil is fantastic! We got another plate at the end of the meal for dessert since it straddles salty and sweet! Grilled octopus with lemon olive oil - 4.5/5, grilled wonderfully so you get crispy savory edge bits and the suction cups get extra crunchy! Shish barak - 3/5, basically a lamb dumpling in a milky soup with pine nuts, fine but didn't stand out / not memorable Grilled swordfish - 3/5, also pretty average with some tender pieces and some very chewy tough pieces Lamb shawarma atop hummus - 3/5, lamb was tender and tasted as expected, hummus was very chunky and thick and lacking tahini flavor. The bread was like a pizza crust since it was crispy on the bottom but soft and doughy inside! Goulash - 4/5 because I love mush! Spinach ricotta gnocchi were super soft and flimsy unlike regular potato gnocchi, almost as if it were dollops of sauce amongst the beef short rib Seafood risotto - 2/5, the seafood was cooked perfectly but the rice was quite raw and undercooked. It felt like it a blander, more soupy version of paella, that also doesn't have the bottom crispy crust. read more

See all

TACKY. Avoid at all costs - worst "Greek Night" ever! If you're considering coming here for their so-called "Greek Night," save yourself the headache and just don't. We arrived excited for a fun evening but ended up waiting two hours in line to get in. During that time, we watched as other people--friends of the staff, I guess?--were allowed to cut in front of us like it was no big deal. No explanation, no apology, just blatant favoritism. When we finally got in, things somehow got worse. The drinks were incredibly weak--barely a splash of alcohol, which is insulting given how overpriced they are. And let's not ignore the crowd. Half the people there were dressed like they were attending the Grammys, but you know they're just pulling up in their Priuses outside. The whole vibe was pretentious and obnoxious, and the event was poorly organized from start to finish. If I could give zero stars, I would. This place is a joke. Spend your night somewhere else--anywhere else! read more

A little too overhyped in my opinion. Our group of 6 ordered quite a few dishes but I think even so tapas are still too hard/small to share to really appreciate how things taste, so maybe that's my fault. Most of my group loved the food but there were a few of us who were left a little bit hungry still and also feeling it was a bit pricey for what we got. We tried one of the breads, crispy eggplant, a couple skewers, shishito peppers, halloumi, a salad. Some specifics: - Cripsy eggplant tasted like chips which was awesome - I was disappointed by their limited dessert options (which isn't even on the menu). There were three total. One of them was greek yogurt with blueberries, strawberries, and honey which I could make a poor man's version of. The other was baklava with pistachio. - The white sangria was too sweet, even for me, but all the cocktails looked very good They only book one day out, so we jumped on it to get a reservation for 6 but even so, we ended up with a table for 4. We had to give them a call and they were able to accommodate our party by seating us outside. Adorable vibes. read more

See all

I don't know how long this place has been around, but I'm happy I was able to check it out when I was back in town. Parking may be a bit tricky, but if you're patient enough you'll find something. Masks are required upon entry, and all staff wear masks. This place can get packed, but we were by the door and even though it was cold it gave us peace of mind that some air was circulating. The menu is amazing! We ended up going on a Tuesday and chose to try the $3 gyros. We each ordered about 4 but only finished 3. The friend calamari was delicious and their drink options do not disappoint. This place is perfect for a date night or catching up with a few friends. There is a large table in the back for a larger group, but I would recommend a different place for large groups because of the size and layout of the restaurant. read more

ilona - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

See all

Stopped by for oyster happy hour. The fried oysters weren't great - lots of breading compared to actual oyster. I honestly couldn't even tell if there was an oyster in there (but perhaps that's the point!). Otherwise, the dozen raw oysters we ordered were great! Would've appreciated if the server had pointed out which oysters were which (we ordered 3 different types), but either way, they were all quite tasty and fresh! read more

ilona - Fried oysters - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

See all

First of all, I really love this place. The wait staff, the food, and the cocktails are all really nice. I like the decor and the lighting. I haven't been in the summer, but I'm sure they open up the garage windows on nice days. The oyster happy hour is a must-go! The only area where Ilona needs improvement is the hostess. I have been on two separate occasions and the same hostess was rude. The first time, I didn't have a reservation. I came at 4pm to an empty dining room and she was hesitant to seat me. She eventually told me I would only have 2 hours to eat. I thought this was common knowledge and was not planning to stay for that long. She gave a member of my party a dirty look. I went back tonight with a reservation at 4:30 and the host again was hesitant to seat me again warning me I would only have two hours. I have worked in the service industry for many years and the warning for time usually comes at the end of the meal if the party is approaching that time limit. The hostess does not making a welcoming environment for the restaurant. read more

Came by for the "buck a shuck" deal on a Friday evening, and that was such a steal! The oysters were delicious, and as was everything else. The Shish Barak was so rich and flavorful (though small in portion size) and the Manakish was a great complement to everything. Definitely stop by for an oyster night if you can! read more

ilona - spritz, Manakish, oysters, Shish Barak - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

We went tonight a Sunday night. The place was cute and pretty, they had the restaurant open to the outside which was nice. The service was good, I don't love when waiters keep coming by to try to take food away when you're not done which they kept doing but outside of that it was good. The food was good but so expensive but for the small sized plates and amount of food. The falafel was good and the 3 dips with the pita were really good. The halloumi was tasty but so small, and the salad was good but nothing crazy. I'd recommend, but don't go too hungry bc the plates were small. read more

ilona - Dip trio - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

See all

Tapas and mediterranean food, what's not to like!? The BEST was crispy eggplant, tempura fried, light and savory yet sweet because of the honey.. 11/10. The chicken kabobs, although simple, were also delicious, very well seasoned. Also recommend the octopus (so so fresh and tasty), the manakish, shishitos and the Mkhlovani (stufed bread). Almost forgot, we ordered the white sangria, perfect for a hot summer night. The friendly and welcoming staff adds to the experience! read more

ilona - Crispy eggplant - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

We went for lunch on a weekend. Ordered about 4-5 dishes and found it sub-par. To the point it was hard to believe this was the output from a trained experienced chef. The decor and furniture was not substantial and looked tired and chipped. The entire vibe felt superficial and aimed towards a very specific demographic. If that is you then you might love this place. For those that have more elevated tastes and looking for something substantial this would be a pass. On the positive side, no complaints about the service. read more

Came here on a dinner date with a friend! The seafood was pretty good but there was nothing I was dying to come back for. It is quite expensive as well. Still, the atmosphere is great and it was a fun experience! read more

ilona - Oysters - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Food is amazing especially the hummus and lamb dishes. Everything is cooked perfectly and spiced well. read more

ilona - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I really love this restaurant for a Sunday morning Brunch. The ambiance is perfect for showing a friend around the South End! The restaurant itself is super cute with its cutlery and decorations, and it has outdoor seating. Service is also great, they are friendly and attentive. Shakshuka - have come here for brunch at least 3 times, and the Shakshuka is definitely one for the books. It has such a savory flavor in the tomato sauce, and paired with the crunchy toasted bread it is so so good. Crispy Eggplant - All of the reviews rave about this dish and I see why!! I get it every single time I come here and it never disappoints. The eggplant's outer fried shell is perfectly crispy on a yogurt sauce, so good for sharing. I have brought multiple people to this restaurant, and this dish is consistently their favorite. Halloumi - Not my favorite dish I have gotten here. Its more on the rubbery side for halloumi, which is not my personal preference, but the flavor is nice. Everytime I come here, I switch out the third dish to try aside from the Crispy Eggplant/ Shakshuka-- the third dish is usually good, but the rest of the menu doesn't seem to compare to these two dishes. read more

See all

Located in the snug Southend of Boston, Ilona impressed me with its delectable and creative tapas dishes. First, the interior is adorable with paintings, intimate seating, and a beautiful bar. Our server was attentive and wasn't mad when my group stayed a little past closing. We had a really late reservation for 8:45PM but the restaurant was still packed to the brim. For food, we got a wide variety of dishes. We got Pikilia, Arugula salad, Shish Barak, Grilled Octopus, Seafood Risotto, and Crispy Eggplant. The Pikilia includes seasoned pita bread with 3 types of dip. The dips actually tasted different from each other and had beautiful colors! I liked to mix the dips and eat it with the other dishes. The arugula salad came with red onion, figs, candied walnuts, goat cheese, lemon dressing. The ensemble worked perfectly and the textures of the walnuts with the salad worked great. I love goat cheese in a salad but if you're not a fan of goat cheese, this isn't for you. Shish Barak was my favorite of the night. It is a warm almost dumpling-esque dish, filled with onions, lamb, pine nuts and topped with yogurt sauce. The wrapped was incredibly soft but held the dish together. The flavors were so unique and I wanted to eat so many! Ilona's grilled octopus was different than other octopus tapas dishes I've had. It was doused in a lemony olive oil so wasn't as charred or warm as I wanted it to be. I was pleasantly surprised by the seafood risotto. They were not skimpy with the seafood! Each bite had some sort of seafood in it whether it was octopus, shrimp, calamari, or mussels. It wasn't dry at all and the skillet it came out on allowed the risotto to get nice and crispy. The eggplant was a perfect sweet treat at the end of the meal. It is topped with honey and its sweetness mixed with the salty eggplant was absolutely delectable. For my drink, I got the Pom 75 which is a gin-based drink. It was citrusy and a little bit sweet which is good because I don't like when drinks are sweet. Overall, I would definitely go back. Because it's a tapas place, it has an extensive menu that I want to try more of! If I went back, I would 100% get the Shish Barak again!!! read more

See all

Everything here was delicious! We got a number of appetizers/plates to split and were really pleased with everything we got. Definitely recommend the crispy eggplant, octopus, and the pikilia. Cocktails are a little pricey but not outrageous. Service was pretty good but the place was definitely packed on a Friday night! read more

See all

My friend and I came here on a Thursday night for dinner. ilona's space is super cute and trendy but a little snug given the layout of the room and the ample seating. I recommend making a reservation because tables started filling up quite fast by 6 PM. We had a reservation for 5:30 PM and there were already a few occupied tables when we arrived. We tried a few dishes which I'll rank below: The best dish of the night was definitely the tempura-style crispy eggplant ($17). It was plentiful and each piece had an amazing crisp despite the honey drizzle and cheese garnish. It was plated on a thin bed of pomegranate yogurt. I've never had eggplant served this way before and I absolutely LOVED it. It was sweet yet savory and slightly tart from the yogurt. The combination works. 11/10 would recommend this dish. The second best dish of the night? The Halloumi ($16). I've already made plans to recreate it on my own sometime. It consisted of four thick slabs of pan-seared halloumi cheese on a bed of citrus honey. It was topped with sesame seeds which added a nutty, roast-y taste to the ensemble. The thickness of the cheese made it feel quite meaty (so it held up well) and the citrus honey added a yummy sweetness to each bite. Drizzle some lemon on it for an enhanced flavor! Shishito peppers ($13): These were super good! Each pepper was evenly coated with a zesty parsley vinaigrette and the sesame seed garnish was truly the icing on the cake. There was also a good helping of creamy manouri cheese crumbles which added some texture. Harmonious, delicious and flavorful. Batata Harras ($13): A simple yet flavorful dish. It consisted of fried potato cubes and spicy harissa. Each cube was packed with lots of zesty flavor, but I grew a bit tired of the taste after awhile. Kalamarakia Tiganita ($17): I expected something more from this calamari dish! I thought the breading was a bit plain and lacked dimension- I was hoping for some more spices, herbs, and crispiness. The red pepper dipping sauce it came with didn't taste like much, either. I'm not a shellfish fan so I didn't try the Mussels Buzara dish ($16) my friend ordered, but she really enjoyed it! The dish came with three pieces of seasoned bread on the side, so I had to try one with the tomato-white wine sauce. I was blown away by how flavorful and zesty it tasted! For my mocktail lovers: they don't have mocktails specifically listed on their extensive beverage list, but they were able to make their Passion Martini non-boozy for us. :- ) Everyone was super kind and friendly. We both really enjoyed our time here! I think ilona is a nice place if you enjoy tapas-style dishes and don't mind splurging a bit. read more

My friend and I went to iLona for dinner and we enjoyed our experience. We mainly order a lot of sharable appetizer plates and it was more than enough from the calamari, to the salad, to the beef skewers. Calamari were large pieces and salted/fried well. The skewers were cooked very well and was on the medium rare side which was great. I thought the decor of restaurant was classy and romantic, a great place for afterwork or a date night. read more

See all

Cute vibey South End restaurant with unique bites! Loved sitting at the outdoor patio and sampling some amazing finds. The ribs were our favorite order but we were pleased with everything. Also loved the cocktail menu! read more

Great place. Me and wifey were visiting from nyc and this delight was the final place we ate before coming home. The waiter Eli was great. $1 oysters!!!!!!!!!! I mean come on where else are you getting that deal. The ribs and watermelon salad were out of this world. Cant wait to go back. read more