LoLa 42

Go visit Nautilus and thank me later. I was pleasantly surprised by the very cool, dark, and cozy…read moredécor--and even more surprised by the food. Every dish exploded with unique, fresh flavors. Definitely try the fried chicken. Epic. Another big hit was the scallion pancakes with caviar, topped with a perfectly fried egg. The combination worked shockingly well with the pancakes and caviar. The only dish I'd recommend skipping is the Spicy Szechuan Dandan Noodles. Not bad, just a very heavy anise and dill flavor that overpowered the entire dish. That being said, the service was amazing. Our server, Robin P., took that dish off the bill, which was incredibly thoughtful. I can't say enough good things about this place. Go try it. Get blown away. Thank me later.

Total bummer. I wanted to like this place but they messed up our reservation and sat us in the very…read moreloud, very cramped, very busy bar area. We were crammed in the corner of the bar where we had to constantly tuck our arms in as the wait staff walked by with food and drinks for patrons of the restaurant. I also got the lovely view of the waitress area. Not exactly a mood setting location. Plus, our table was so tiny we could barely fit two dishes at a time and had to figure out how to keep our cocktails on the table. Also didn't help that I was tucked in because the table next to us was back to back with me. Also, had to listen to the man's obnoxiously loud conversation behind us because we were packed like sardines in the bar area. We booked a comfy table for my friend's bday dinner and they gave us a crappy bar table. I was very disappointed and displeased. Also, my high top chair was missing a leg cover and was super wobbly. I asked the manager about switching chairs and she said she would bring a new chair for me. She never did. I ended up switching my own chair with one from the bar. Not something I should have to do for a place that charged about $30 per "tapas" plate. We did bring this to the manager's attention at the end of our meal at which point we were just ready to leave. It was by far the most uncomfortable I have ever been at a supposedly higher end restaurant. The manager said if she had known sooner, she would've done something to rectify it. Almost sounded like she blamed us for not telling her soon. Although she was very well aware that they had screwed up some reservations. She should've fixed it then when she came around asking our name that was on our reservation to ensure they had marked their books correctly. She knew then that they had made a mistake but did nothing to fix it. And she was running around like crazy and our multiple attempts to get her attention during our short dinner there went unnoticed. Trust me, we tried to get her attention. So, I'm not taking the blame for their mistake. Sure she comped some food but $90 for a crappy experience still feels like a waste of time and money. We ended up walking over to Tuscan Kitchen to get a cocktail and ended up with a much better drink, much better service and actual room to breathe. Will be skipping Nautilus in the future and recommend you do the same.

0.4 mi•Waterfront, South Boston

Two Hawaiian Tuna Poke

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Hand Rolls

Citrus & Salt

3.9(1.1k reviews)

We walked in to Citrus & Salt on a Monday evening and were seated right away. The ambiance and…read moredecor were very lively - we felt like we were in Miami. I had been craving fish tacos for a really long time, and I was delighted to find a whole section of the menu dedicated to them. We started off with margaritas - one of the best companions to fish tacos - and I ordered mine spicy with jalapeño. For food, we shared the lobster empanadas and chorizo and potato taquitos. I ordered the tempura fish tacos for myself. Our margaritas were brought out shortly - mine was refreshing but lacked the kick from the jalapeño that I was hoping for (there was only one thin slice of pepper). Our food was brought out shortly, and I found it a bit overwhelming when our appetizers and tacos came out together. I started with my tacos, and these were excellent. The fish was flaky and fried to perfection, and I loved the rainbow of sauces and toppings. Plus, the tortillas were nice and sturdy and didn't tear. The lobster empanadas were super decadent, and I appreciated the substantial amount of lobster stuffed inside. I was too full to eat much of the taquitos but took a few bites. These also had good flavor but weren't standouts. Next time, I'd just get the tacos and maybe a light app. Towards the end of our visit, the restaurant seemed to clear out, and we had a difficult time trying to locate our server for the bill. Overall, we had a nice meal and satisfied the fish taco craving.

I was really excited to try Citrus & Salt for my birthday, especially since I've been to their…read moreother location and loved it. The Seaport space is just as stunning--decked out in pink, super aesthetic, and definitely a fun, photo-worthy vibe. Unfortunately, the experience didn't quite live up to expectations. For drinks, I ordered a pitcher margarita with jalapeño, and it was disappointing. It didn't taste fresh and came across more like artificial jalapeño flavoring rather than real infusion--and it wasn't spicy at all. For food, we ordered a variety of small plates to share. Everything was decent, but nothing really stood out. It felt a bit underwhelming compared to the atmosphere. The biggest issue was the service. It was very slow throughout the night, and getting the check was especially frustrating--it took about 30 minutes, and we had to ask multiple times before finally receiving it. Overall, the ambiance is beautiful and perfect for a celebration, but the drinks and service didn't match the vibe. Hoping this was just an off night.

Interior

BEEF BIRRIA TACOS

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Yummy coffee beans that come w/ espresso martini

Moon Bar

4.8(40 reviews)

1.3 mi•Back Bay

I am over the MOON with Moon Bar!…read more If I could live here I would! :) Another excellent experience here and it just happened to be restaurant week. We also spent an hour at the King Tut exhibit across the street! This restaurant/bar always seems packed. And, with reservations for 645pm (highly recommend) the bar was quite busy. The buzz from this high-end cocktail bar is exactly what you want on a Friday evening; From girlfriends sipping their wine to couples laughing and swirling their cocktails, Moon Bar is for the classy and sexy. Abby our server is excellent! A mixologist who knows all the cocktails and can recommend based on your preference. I tried one of their new cocktails with bourbon and did not care for it. Abby made me my mezcal drink that I have ordered before...its the 305 cowboy, an extremely popular drink. A must try for sure! Note: Some bartenders make you feel guilty for saying something about a drink you ordered and did not like. But, here at Moon Bar, Abby was so gracious to make me something that I will enjoy. Hats off to her:) Food: Since it was restaurant week we just shared everything. For starters we ordered the Tuna Tartare that was excellent. Then, we had Piri-Piri Chicken Thighs that were also good but quite spicy. For dessert, we shared the Caribbean Tiramisu, which was great. It was a tough choice between this and the Guava Cheesecake. We were so full that we ended up bringing home leftovers. Oh, I also forgot to mention we always order their Curry Fries - a must try when coming here Trust Me. My husband doesn't love curry but he loves these fries and you will too. #friesaretodiefor Moon Bar, thanks for being amazing in every way. Thanks for your splendid service, crafty cocktails, delicious wine (try the Pinot Noir from Germany), and your amazing food ---Love those Curry Fries! "Alexa, make reservations for 2 at Moon Bar for tonight." Cheers~

Had some incredible post dinner drinks at Moon Bar! The ambiance of the space is great and the…read moreservice was impeccable. The ladies shared a bottle of wine and we had a few cocktails. The cocktails were refreshing, creative and fun. Since we had just eaten we didn't have any food but will be back to try something soon.

Interior

Banana leaf wrapped black bass

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Green mango salad

GRECO

4.2(171 reviews)

Greco begins with a traditional take on Mediterranean with a fresh twist and an atmosphere that is…read moreas bright and relaxing as that part of the world, even with a life-sized olive tree on the walls. We enjoyed both the kababs and shawarma. The rice is fantastic and we tried their custom drinks which were refreshing an enjoyable. The pita is soft and a good accompaniment to the fresh hummus, which is just the way we like it. We would come back for sure. This was our first time so the staff was helpful as we made our choices. We noticed that there were many, many to-go orders that were picked up as we were dining and the drivers were quickly given their orders, they were even kind to a rather rude driver as he picked up his order. I was impressed.

Popped in for lunch because our other spot was closed, but we are happy we did!…read more Located right by pier 4, we walked in minutes before the flood of people coming for lunch! Quick and easy order of the: + classic pork + tzatziki meats were tender, but wish it was hotter. fries could have been crispier a great Gryo! + truly Greek chicken the honey mustard slapped on this! Enjoyed my ladies gyro more than mine haha. I thought the portions were just right for us, they have the meats already cut from the rotisserie and slapped together our gyros efficiently and quickly! There's a reason they have so many locations! Only tidbit i would say is i wish the meats/fries were hotter. I get it though, can't be hand cutting off the rotisserie every order during rush hour. Place was super clean, ample seating. There is also a kiosk you could order from and wait for your order to be called when ready!

SD Chicken Gyro & SD Pork Gyro

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Greek cola

Barcelona Wine Bar South End

4.4(1.7k reviews)

1.4 mi•South End

My 5 friends and I made reservations for brunch after attending Oedipus El Rey at the Calderwood…read morePavillion Theater next door! We were starving after having a wonderful experience at the play. At the restaurant, our host person explained the menu and answered our questions We ordered tuna, octopus, chicken thighs,beets, asparagus, hummus and other tapas to share. Excellent food, drinks, atmosphere and our waitperson... We will go back!!

Gorgeous and romantic vibe! Decor is awesome and great for a late night tapas and wine…read more Drinks: the sangria is delicious (has guava nectar mixed in) and for a mocktail, tea time is delicious! For tapas: we had the skirt steak (4/5) (delicious but so so small of a portion), pulpo (octopus, amazing!! Best thing we tasted - 5/5) and Zucchini (nothing special - 3.5/5). The seafood paella (2.5/5) - the rice and seasoning is so delicious but the seafood doesn't taste very fresh - especially the muscles had a very gross and off flavor. I'd skip this. Free bread - so delicious - fresh baked sourdough was perfect! Service was great - they were very sweet and knowledgeable!

Chorizo with Sweet and Sour Figs

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Pulpo a la Parrilla

Toro

4.2(2.6k reviews)

2.0 mi•South End

•$$$

Toro is Boston Southend's classic! The food was incredible! I love the street corn!! The service…read morewas amazing--our server was attentive despite how busy it was. We also tried the gambas and the tortilla, and everything was seasoned to perfection. Can't wait to come back!! We came during lunch so although it was busy, it was doable! This place is fully packed after work hours!

Food was absolutely delicious! Definitely recommend the crispy octopus, the grilled shrimp, tuna…read morecrudo, and the asparagus - very well made, excellent flavors, and good portion sizes for two. The food came out very quickly. Only note is that given the popularity, it is very tight inside and can be hard to hear conversation.

The corn with sexy grill marks and dressed with aioli and cheese

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Our lovely spring salad

The Block At Woods Hill

4.1(17 reviews)

Having been to woods hill pier a few times and loving it, I wanted to try this spinoff out. The…read moremartini flight was really fun, with a classic, spicy, and sweet drink. Tuna crudo was delicious though the portion was on the smaller side. Focaccia and the charcuterie were surprisingly large if you're hungrier. Decor was nice but not as cohesive as woods bill pier next door. The staff was awesome and super knowledgeable about the menu.

The food was all pretty good. I really liked the duck on the charcuterie and the seed mix on the…read morefried artichoke was yummy. Tbh all the appetizers were good. The mains were just alright. The dessert were really good. The tiramisu sundae was super yummy and both desserts balanced out their sweetness super well. Service was quite slow, it took around 20-40min for each of our courses to come out and a while for the check too. BUT, everyone who served us was so accommodating and nice, they also knew a lot about the menu!! Our total dining time was over 3 hours.

Beef short rib and swordfish

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Parla

4.0(559 reviews)

0.8 mi•North End

This was my first time here but everyone was so kind and tall and we had so much fun thank you…read moreeveryone

We finally got some redemption in the North End. For two straight years, my top-tier chum who…read moreliterally went to the school of hospitality and I mistakenly thought we could just wing it in the North End prior to Celtics games on the weekends and find a decent place to eat without a reservation. We were burned two times (not egregiously, but where we had to go to mediocre establishments that had seating availability for a reason), but no more. Parla isn't an off-the-charts Italian restaurant, but it was above average and the cocktail situation is excellent. I stumbled across Parla last year when we were looking for dining options, but alas, not in time to secure a reservation. The cocktail menu looked intriguing (particularly their ye olde shrub cocktail mix and match section) and the location seemed convenient. This time around we made dinner reservations about two months in advance, which I'd pretty much recommend for anything in this neighborhood if you have the ability. We came by this past Sunday before the Celtics/Timberwolves (there were multiple patrons wearing jerseys, including us) around 5pm in the rain. The entrance is a little nondescript but ultimately easy enough to spot. It's a pretty intimate interior with limited seating (maybe 10 tables or so?) and only four bar stools at the bar in the back. We were seated by the front window which was nice but again, offered at that time merely an excellent view of early spring weather. The food we had was good, and yet not the selling point - sort of a compliment, sort of not. We split the seared octopus app, which was interesting but ultimately not my favorite way to eat that particular seafood; I'm used to it grilled. We were both a little surprised to see it in salad form and had to refer back to the menu, which did mention one of the other ingredients as arugula (a fair clue). I would recommend they put the word "salad" in the official name of the app though; my guess is we probably opt for something else if we had that additional information. That said, it was fine - I wasn't crazy about the pairing of octopus and balsamic vinegar/arugula, which to me and my chum dominated the palate over the octopus, which should totally be the star of the dish. For my entree, I went with the chicken parm, which was very good - decent portion for sure and I almost finished it despite eating two other meals fairly recently. Interestingly, the best part is the sauce - it's a sweeter sauce that's thick but not chunky. Really good, and something I'd get again in a pinch. The cocktails are really something. For me, I stumbled a little out of the gate with the shrub section, opting for a mule with strawberry peppercorn. It wasn't bad but for my palate, it felt off - that's a drink I should be getting in July, not a nippy/rainy March evening. On me completely. My chum got the margarita equivalent and liked it enough to order it two more times. But I shifted to a very cool gimmick they had, which I believe was called Dungeon Master (an homage to D&D?), where you rolled a 20-sided die and had to pick whatever cocktail was associated with the specific number, no questions asked. My chum gets a little naughty with gin so couldn't risk it and had to just watch mournfully on the other side of the table as I played twice. Both of my mystery cocktails had gin in it, so...probably the right decision, at least from my perspective. I don't want to provide spoilers and damage the integrity of the game, but the nuanced layers to each drink are exactly why I love mixology/a good cocktail - the only kind of science I truly get behind. (I also liked learning about clouds in 5th grade). Very cool feature and something I'd love to make an annual tradition. Our waitress was great. She initially seemed a little eccentric/ditzy (in a good way), but it was clear that that was a mirage - she was VERY observant and at the end of the meal knew my first name for my specific credit card because earlier she'd noticed my head tilt when someone at another table used it. Really impressive stuff and a huge asset for the restaurant. She also was super knowledgeable about the menu and the cocktails specifically, and it was fun to guess what was in each of my mystery beverages with her after I took a few experimental nips. Very cool, very unique establishment. Glad to finally find a selling point for the North End.

Inside the restaurant

Spaghetti con Gamberi

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Lookout Rooftop

3.1(360 reviews)

•$$$

Finally went out to this rooftop after passing it by many times and it was worth it! The rooftop…read morearea itself is quite large and was very busy when we went. Drinks are well priced and service was quick and easy. Perfect for a night out with friends!

Stay away. Don't waste your time…read more I've been in the bar/restaurant industry for 8 years and even own my own business (sick brag I know sorry) so I know the difference between a bad night and a bad operation. This? Absolute trainwreck. Drinks? Fine. Views? Gorgeous. But everything else? Trash. Food came out on cafeteria-style trays, glasses were dirty, and our server looked like she wanted to walk off the roof rather than take care of guests. I get that it's Labor Day weekend and nobody wants to work, but wow, that was baddddddd. We slammed our drinks and got out. For a Marriott charging these insane prices, this level of quality is embarrassing.

Rooftop Bar

Truffle fries

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W XYZ Bar

3.5(18 reviews)

0.8 mi•South Boston

This is a cool little hotel bar, and if you've ever been to an Aloft, you know exactly what to…read moreexpect. There will be live music, a slamming bar and really tasty food. You would think since it's bar food that it wouldn't be any good, but the five times I've eaten here? I've never had a poor experience. This last time was no different. I ordered their pepperoni pizza with hot honey sauce, and let me tell you. I am loving the hot honey trend. Please cover me with hot honey LOL. I also got an awesome drink called the bumble; no idea what was in it, but I took it out to my room and I promise you it is a sleeping aid. Absolutely delicious. Doesn't taste like it has alcohol in it, and will sneak up on you and then you're done for the night! I had a great experience sitting at the table top and listening to live music and when I stay at another Aloft, I'll make sure that I check out the bar!

Located in the lobby of the Aloft hotel in Boston's seaport section, this bar/restaurant is a mixed…read morebag. We went the first night for food and drinks since we were tired after day of travel and didn't feel like going too far. Adult bevs were excellent..but the food ...not great. We had a mix of "small plates"; the best thing turned out to be the oversized tater tots. The pretzels were almost inedible - beyond chewy...perhaps microwaved? Popcorn seems stale and the salad was average. The second night we just had bevs....and they weren't as good as the first night. Different bartender. One of the nights there was live music-an open mic night that was a very interesting experience.