Excellent meal, excellent drinks and excellent service by Elsa! Give the steak frite a try.read more

Buttermilk & Bourbon is one of my new favorite spots in Backbay! The food was really good, the…read moredrinks were great, and the whole vibe was fun and lively. Everything we ordered was flavorful and came out really good. The service was also great and everyone was friendly and attentive. Definitely a good spot for brunch, dinner, or just coming in for drinks and good food with friends. I had a really good experience and would definitely come back! Our waiter was super great and had great recommendations throughout dinner

Loved the food and the vibes of this place. I didn't even realize a gem like this exists downtown…read morebut upon entering, you get transported to a really cool and eclectic bar. Food was really good, I had the Salted Caramel & Vanilla lava cake and didn't expect much but I like the menu and the serving

Had a really nice night at Hobgoblin catching up with a friend! We ordered a few rounds of drinks…read moreand some appetizers. The piano bar was a fun atmosphere and the drinks came with fun "spells" that fit the restaurant's theme. We especially liked the Oath Binding cocktail. The food was really well done, fries were top-notch, and the cucumber mango salad was great! Will be back.

I came here to celebrate my friend's birthday, and let me start by saying... a time was definitely…read morehad. Our waiter was amazing--attentive, friendly, and full of great recommendations. Always a good sign when the service sets the tone early. For starters, we ordered the ceviche, and whew--so fresh and delicious. Absolutely did what it needed to do. We also tried the plantain bowls. While they could've benefited from a sauce or a little extra something to really bring it home, the portion size was impressive, so no complaints there. Now let's talk about the mocktail, because it quite literally blew my wig back. Delicious, refreshing, and the presentation? A full 10/10. Cameras were definitely out. The aesthetics of this place are beautiful--clean, stylish, and very much a foodie influencer's playground. If you enjoy a good ambiance with your meal, this spot delivers visually. For my main, I ordered the steak frites. The fries were crunchy, well-fried, and nicely seasoned--no notes there. The steak, however, was a bit underwhelming. Not bad by any means, just missing something I couldn't quite put my finger on. My taste buds were searching, but the spark never fully showed up. We ended the night with tres leches for my friend's birthday, and honestly, it was one of my favorite tres leches I've had. Moist, flavorful, and the perfect sweet ending. Don't come for me--I'm just speaking my truth. Overall, I'd rate the food a solid 3.5/5, but I'd definitely return to try another dish because the service, drinks, and ambiance were all strong. Parking can be a bit of a challenge, but you'll manage. Worth the visit.

Came here to celebrate a few friends birthday so we had a pretty big group. We made a reservation…read morebeforehand with a $20 deposit each person so we were able to get a long table in the middle. Despite it not being busy when we arrived, the service remained slow throughout the night. I know we had a big table but half the time our waiter was nowhere to be found and we constantly had to ask the hostess. The water cups were a little small than other restaurants but refills were slow as well. There is one stall so later in the night the line for the bathroom started to get long so keep that in mind. We got a few apps, I definitely would recommend the asian style chicken wings and the calamari those were the best in my opinion especially the wings the sauce on that was delicious. Other than those two, the other tapas had smaller portions and weren't worth getting in my opinion. The main dishes weren't worth getting. They had ran out of bolognese which most people had planned on getting. The other pastas weren't good, the bread was also stale, almost tasted like they reheated it from frozen. I was also expecting a crispy chicken but I think it was grilled and was just really hard. The drinks were good, on the pricier side but worth it compared to everything else.

Our first dinner with our daughter and fiancée in Boston!…read more They recommended Tres Gatos! Such a unique experience! Restaurant and bar with a book and record store!! Vinyl records!! Awesome music selection playing! Like Nina Simone! Tapas style menu! We each ordered a couple and shared! Everything was so flavorful! Highest compliments to the Chef for the vegetable paella! And the cheesecake! Enjoyed the cocktail! Loved exploring the back room with the books and records! Appreciate the postcard! Loved the 3 cat decor throughout! ‍‍‍ Walking distance from my daughter's residence!

We really enjoyed our visit to Tres Gatos. It's a small, intimate space, but it's cute inside. We…read moremade a last minute reservation so we were sat at the high top by the kitchen. The table was a bit tight, but we made it work. Our server was kind. We started with chorizo and cheese. The chorizo was similar to meat from A charcuterie board, so for the price, we would definitely skip ordering the cheese and chorizo. Other than those 2 dishes, we would order everything again! The potatoes, carrots and mushrooms were bomb! They were each so good. I'd order all 3 again. The chicken was also really good. The potatoes tapas is the same as the potatoes that come with the chicken, so no need to order both, unless you love potatoes. that being said, the potatoes were so good that we couldn't stop eating them. We'll definitely come back since this is in the neighborhood. I recommend giving it a try.

I feel like a lot of my reviews these days are post-mortems…read more.. Sad to see this place close recently, but I saw the warning signs. I've mainly visited here mid-week. While I know mid-week is a slow period, but it can't be dead. Every occasion I've visited, you might see a couple of people at the bar but the tables are all empty. Which is sad because... The food was pretty solid and affordable. The tapas fare is pretty conventional, which can be good. The croquettes were crispy enough and flavorful. The lamb chops were also flavorful, while being tender and not over-seared. The patatas bravas were hot and crispy. The paella for two, at a decent $35 price, had a good amount of rice and seafood. The seafood might've been a little overcooked but it's hard to time it. The churros made for a nice ending, with a lovely chocolate dipping sauce. They had vegan tapas options, which was good for some in my party. However, the menu was a bit too extensive. They had menu options from seemingly all places and that does not make life easy for BOH. Service was generally okay, but seemingly stretched. Even though there weren't many customers in mid-week, staff appeared to have a variety of tasks. So sometimes we weren't checked on for long stretches. The spot was a former bar, so it had that bar atmosphere. It's located in a decent area, so I hope something good rises out of the ashes.

Solid tapas spot in Watertown if you don't feel like trekking further into Boston. From a quick…read morecompare of the menu here versus the menu for Barcelona Wine Bar, the prices are about the same or cheaper, especially for the seafood paella for two ($35 at Olespana, which was a sizable portion, versus BWB's $56). Plus, Olespana has a parking lot in the back, as well as abundant metered options along Wells Avenue, which is always a plus in my book. Here were the dishes we ordered, ranked from favorite to least: 1. Patatas with garlic aioli - you cannot go wrong with the combo of basically french fries and mayo but definitely eat this as soon as it hits your table. Otherwise the fries turn mushy, doubly so from the sauce. If you're with a large group, definitely order two of these. 2. Seafood paella - I'm by no means a paella expert but I was impressed by the crunchy bits of rice on the bottom and how flavorful it was. A good amount of different seafood, including shrimp, mussels, clams, and squid, but I would've liked to see the shrimp a little less pink. 3. Garlic mushrooms - I'm a fiend for mushrooms and will order it any time I spot it on the menu, though I'm partial to when they either fry or sauté so the mushrooms get these nice crispy edges. These were a touch too heavy on the sauce, which was very acidic, but I finished pretty much the whole plate of it on my own. 4. Croquettas - Wasn't a fan of the mushy insides though my cousin loved them. 5. Beet salad - Eh. At this point, I should give up on ordering salads in restaurants when I can make them easily at home. The balsamic vinegar dressing was way too tart and I've decided I'm not a fan of oranges in salads. Overall, a fun eclectic spot to eat some tapas and drink whiskey. I got a kick out of how their menu has a section of tapas from other countries, including the USA - our featured options were wings and steak tips. That said, the menu is way too sprawling for its own good - tapas, burgers, pizza, and nachos? That might explain the inconsistency in the dishes we ordered.

My gosh, I don't even know where to begin. I haven't eaten such delicious meals in Boston in a long…read moretime. And I eat out a lot. Valsos served the most delicious dishes, fresh and perfectly spiced. I literally ate myself into a food coma. The service was a 10 out of a 10. Very accommodating and friendly. And the space is sparkling clean. Highly recommend this gem. I'm already planning my next visit.

The three of us returned here for lunch. We were the first customers, chose a table, and were…read morepromptly given menus. This may be more of a weekday or dinner venue, as we were the only patrons throughout lunch. This tapas-inspired restaurant offers both small plates and entrées. We ordered: * Sophia's Shrimp ($13): Parmesan-breaded shrimp with Colombian tartar sauce. * Beet Salad ($14): Baby arugula, shaved fennel, goat cheese brûlée, lemon-infused vinaigrette, candied walnuts, and crispy shallots. * Ay Caramba ($16): A vegetarian tapa packed with corn, peppers, spinach, mushrooms, and more. * Oriental Salmon Special ($34): Teriyaki-glazed salmon with rice. Reactions were mixed. One diner liked the salmon, and another enjoyed the accompanying rice. I found the salmon a little fishy. The Ay Caramba, the standout dish on our first visit, was prepared differently this time, and we didn't enjoy it as much. One diner thought Sophia's Shrimp was good; another found it too heavily breaded and a little dry. The beet salad was okay, nothing out of the ordinary. Our waitress was very friendly and accommodating. However, a loud noise from the bar, apparently from making or crushing ice, continued for several minutes while we were eating. It was disruptive enough that I eventually stood up and asked them to stop. With only one occupied table, this should have been done before opening or after we left. We also had to track down our waitress to get the check which I found a little annoying, as the place was empty. Overall, we were less impressed on this visit. If we return, perhaps we'll try some different dishes.

My family and I went to Toro last night for the first time in a very long time, and it was…read moreextraordinary; we'll definitely be back again soon. There were loads of options for vegetarians (which is not something I remember from our earlier experiences), I had a couple delicious vermouths, my wife had a lovely orange wine, my kids were happy, and the service was friendly. As always, Toro was packed (I think it's been packed consistently since the day it opened) and lively. What a neighborhood gem. Long may it remain.

I've been here twice and both times I had a good time. Food and ambiance are pretty good but has…read morespace for improvement. Firstly, many items were overcooked, including the octopus/pulpo and hangar steak. The flavor was great for both but the tentacle had gotten a tiny bit rubbery and steak was more well done than I liked. Eggplant tapa was great. I loved the lamb empanada. Paella was standard. Not too much seafood flavor and I thought the pieces of chicken seemed to not fit with the rest of the dish but rice was very well prepared. We really didn't enjoy the tuna on toast and the gambas (shrimp). Overall, some dishes were good but could be better while some were not to my liking. We were seated outside but staff were attentive. Wish there were heaters for the outside area though!

Jimmy and his team delivered last night. I had the Tonkotsu Ramen with Chicken and Corn added to…read moreit. It hit the spot. Everyone was friendly, and the drinks were amazing. Must try the Lychee Martini. This was my first visit, I'll be back for sure.

This place used to be so good, but boy have things gone downhill here with regards to food quality…read morelately. Our most recent visit was probably our last. I was absolutely astonished at how bland and flavorless the broth was for both the Tonkotsu and especially the chicken ramen. Almost like it was just hot colored water poured through a strainer that had a piece of chicken in it. For what they're charging here, you'd think the food would be better. Too bad to, food used to be so good here. My wife and I have had many excellent meals hear going back to when they first opened, but last 3 or 4 times it just hasn't been good. On top of that it's really just too loud in there most of the time. Loud hip-hop music almost every time we've gone in here last few years. And the service is a mixed bag now, sometimes it's spot on and sometimes it's just downright non-existent. With the current economic climate, I'd really rather spend my money on a nice dinner out at a place that I know I'll be able to enjoy it. It seems this is no longer that place.

A lovely restaurant, classy & approachable with a lively atmosphere & fun vibe. Great, tasty…read moreSpanish tapas, we usually go during a birthday or celebration. Food is adventurous & bold; memorable meals over the years: Fried Goat cheese with charcuterie meats, manchego cheese & french bread, have to do The Bocado Experience for 2 or 4, Jamon Iberico, Pato (duck pastrami w sherry glaze), tuna poke, atun de bocado (seared yellowfin saku tuna), braised pork belly, Spanish octopus, mussels in cream sc, twin mini Kobe style beef burgers, venison, fried calamari, lollipop lamb chops, seared beef tenderloin, classic paella & Paella de Mariscos, & baked flan for dessert. Just so fascinating - their chefs can put out such tasty small plates so quickly, each packed with such fresh & exciting flavors, always cooked to perfection (never over or under cooked). Get the sangria pitchers, bar is always packed & hopping. Dining room just got a refresh, but was beautiful even before with a great atmosphere also. Our least favorite was the rabbit (way too many small bones to pick out).

Okay, well. DO NOT EXPECT TO PHOTOGRAPH YOUR FOOD & HAVE YOUR CAMERA EAT FIRST here (this also…read moreincludes the cocktails). The food presentation just aint it.....there is none. I would suggest to them using smaller appetizer platters so the food doesn't look like it got slapped on them straight outta the pan with literally no care & respect for the ingredients. The Gambas Al Ajillo deserved more than 2 pieces (NOT SLICES) of croutons, The pork belly & polenta dish was unbalanced & there was hardly any polenta to be evenly shaped between a party of 4, It was the saddest looking octopus dish I've ever seen next to a pile of spices potatoes. Just because it is a tapas wine bar, doesn't mean they're given a pass to ignore how appealing it looks to guests. Hit or miss for the mai tais (the bartenders need to work on their ratios). Bcuz why am I can just order a screwdriver with the amount of orange juice we were given. HOWEVER, everything is edible & incredibly delicious. The authentic Spanish flavors absolutely shine thru!