We had reservations for 7:30, and when we got there, the place was decently busy - a few empty…read moretables here and there - so we were seated immediately. We ordered quickly after perusing the (rather short) menu, most of which was either small plates and cocktails . Our first plate was the hainan chicken arancini. I really liked the contrast in textures between the crispy exterior and the tender chicken and rice mix on the inside. Overall flavour was not bad, too, but I'm not sure that it was exactly good enough to merit the price point of $18. Next was the Xi'an street noodles, which was probably my favourite dish of the meal. The noodles were very well cooked - chewy but not too soft - and I loved the sauce, with the gentle peanut aroma on top of the various spices they used. One comment was that the chilli crisp, which was tasty, was very lacking (in amount) and as a consequence the dish was really not spicy at all. Finally we had the chilli crisp buffalo chicken. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the chicken was boneless (I was expecting something more like chicken wings), which made for very clean eating :) The buffalo sauce was nice (and perhaps a bit spicier than the aforementioned chilli crisp) and the chicken itself was very rich and juicy. Portion size was quite large too and overall I was very happy with this plate. For drinks we ordered the Jaded, which was a fun matcha-themed cocktail (even the marshmallow was matcha-flavoured) and a (spirit-free) cranberry limeade, which was surprisingly refreshing and sweet. Overall a yummy meal, but definitely very expensive. I would be interested to try some more of their cocktails, which seem very creative, but I'm not sure if I would be keen to come again primarily for the food. (To be fair, though, this is often the modus operandi of these restaurants that specialise in small plates and drinks )

Great Cocktails, Average Food. I hovered between 3 and 4…read morestars here - ultimately deciding on 3 because while this is a great place to hang and grab drinks, the food is disappointing. Everyone was friendly and attentive but the food took a while to come out and it was just average. The best thing was the curry noodles and even those were a little bland. Also it was fairly expensive so I expected bigger portions or at least better flavor. Drinks on the other hand were delicious!

Got the chicken Egusi with Fufu.... TOP TIER. Flavorful, rich, layered. Truly a stand out. Cannot…read morewait to try more! New go to spot!

A filling foray into Nigerian fare! We got the Chicken Suya, Beef Efo-Riro, and Beef Taushe. The…read moreChicken Suya was solid pieces of fried chicken. The Efo-Riro was a tasty spinach stew a bit similar to collard greens. The Taushe was a delicious peanut stew. The Fufu was a necessary and great addition to both of the stews. The Zobo and Kunu Aya drinks we also got were both refreshing, with the Kunu Aya having a unique, indescribable flavor. Definitely worth a try!

We had a great meal at Bey. If half stars were a thing, I would have given 4.5, so I rounded up…read morebecause service and hospitality matter and they were excellent in that regard. The restaurant is small with nice decor. As a new restaurant, I think they are experiencing the growing pains of design vs functionality (like some of the bar seats can't be reached by the bartender and they have to pass things down or go around). I love everything about the menu. Some of my faves. The cocktail menu was innovative. We had the grape leaves, hummus the Bey way, halloumi, arayes, and chicken shish tawook. The grape leaves were good, but kinda skinny (I would have preferred more filling). The hummus with beef tenderloin was tasty and the fresh pita was perfection. The true star were the arayes. Every staff member was kind and welcoming. It wasn't a transactional dining experience. From the hosts who waited outside to greet us (in the 100 degree weather) to every bartender, server, and runner. Great service. I'll be back for the arayes.

The best Lebanese food around! Fantastic restaurant! A must try. When your Lebanese gf gives it…read morethe thumbs up, you know! Beautiful place but small, so make reservations! Service is amazing, especially out waiter Aysar! We had so much food, grape leaves, raw meat, kibbe, fatoush, mixed grill, drinks. Cant wait to check out the speakeasy!

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.

Came here for a Tasting Collective dinner and loved every dish! There was so much thought and love…read moreput into each dish and the flavors were incredible. Can't wait to come back!

Never say no to bread. It sets the tone…read more Zucchini chips came out first - crispy, salty, and a real portion. Business. Then the Paros IPA - crisp, refreshing, and immediately made it clear I would have 2. Lamb meatballs followed - more oval than ball, but I'm not here to police shapes. Sat on a bed of tzatziki. No complaints. Moussaka was next: warm, rich, comforting. I love beef and potatoes. Then pork vs. chicken souvlaki. Waiter warned: pork's fattier, chicken's his preference. Got both. He was right - chicken wins. Only critique: One less dish and we would've had room for baklava... Would go back. Would order less. Would always say yes to bread.

6/5/26: My visit to Kava neo-taverna on a Friday afternoon was great! The waitress was very…read moreattentive and friendly, making the experience memorable. The waitress walked us through the menu recommending her favorites as well as explaining the specials. It was recommended to have 2-3 small plates per person. The food quality was very good and their take on traditional greek dishes was creative! I highly recommend checking this place out whenever you are in the South End. Note: Inside seating is very cramped. If it is a nice day out, I would recommend grabbing a seat outside.

Have eaten here a couple of times over the past 3 years. Like everything about the place: food is…read moregreat, service has always been good, and I've found my favorite cocktail (Moor's Last Sigh) here. Nice interior and nothing is rushed. We've eaten at a lot of the Boston tapas places and some in the 'burbs too and there's nothing about this place not to like. Full disclosure: Most recent meal they were slow to bring the coffee out with dessert but it was fine as we wanted to hang out for a bit after eating.

My friends and I just landed in Boston and we were hungry so our local buddy brought us here…read more Very cute inside, but it is on the dimmer side so you may need your phone's light to see the menu clearly. To start off dinner, we ordered a pitcher of the HIBISCUS MARGS and this was very good, so good we almost got another pitcher but didn't because we figured we would be too full to finish a second pitcher. For food, we ordered the CROQUETAS DE JAMON, RABO DE TORO, CALAMARES FRITOS, and CHURROS. The rabo de toro was bland, croquetas were salty, and not only was the aioli for the calamari was awful but the calamari itself was not tender, but chewy. Overall, if we were to return, we probably would only come here for drinks.

Ordered takeout on a rainy day from The Silk and did not regret it. I got the chicken noodles…read more(street style), chicken manchurian, and cauliflower manchurian - fantastic food! I got everything mild with sauces on the side and that was definitely the way to go. The chicken manchurian is quite hot/spicy even at the mild level so I was glad about the mild selection.

Went to this restaurant as in walking distance in Brookline. This is an apparently elevated Indian…read morefood restaurant. The food was interesting, the saag was blended to smoother creamy sauce with a hint of mushroom or truffle which was unexpected. The food was generally too spicy hot for mild. We are glad we didn't order spicier. naan was delicious. Salad was huge - enough for four to six people. Food tasted good. Good presentation. Staff could work on clearing plates earlier or using smaller plates. The table was absolutely cluttered unnecessarily. A few things stood out as questionable. Our waiter seemed a little spacy. Order didn't go in on time and then also forgot details. So maybe our food was spicier bc he forgot that we ordered mild. Also, I noticed water dripping from the kitchen ceiling and this kind of took away my appetite. Staff very apologetic for delays in our food order.

This review falls somewhere between 3 1/2 to 4 stars…read more Ever since I heard about Don't Tell Aunty opening up last year I've been itching to get in and try it, especially as someone who loves Indian cuisine and someone who is often intrigued by fusion concepts and modern twists on classic dishes. We finally decided to go for a mid afternoon meal on a Saturday in the beginning of June. We looked at the menu online ahead of time to refresh our memories on their offerings, and the food was listed all together in a section called "all day menu". We had some dishes in mind that we wanted to try, namely the tikka tots, the mirchi bhajji and the rasam ramen. Unfortunately none of these items were on the menu when we went in. I realized that they have separate menus for lunch and dinner with the lunch menu being more limited, which I know lots of restaurants do. Nevertheless we were still excited to try the food there. The atmosphere of the restaurant is very nice. Beautiful design, very comfortable and the music was a vibe. Contrary to some of the other reviews here saying that the service was aloof and lackluster, we found that it was prompt and down to earth. We opted for some Indian beers over cocktails. For food we decided on some curry dishes. Boyfriend ended up with paneer butter masala, I had Goan fish curry and we split some garlic naan. The guy did warn ahead of time that the fish curry was a naturally spicy dish, to which I stated that I was totally cool with that since I love the spicier dishes. Boyfriend asked for his butter masala to be extra hot. The presentation of the entrees is absolutely stunning. The rice was fluffy and the curry hit all the flavor notes as it was a little sweet, a little spicy and a little tangy. In hindsight I think I should've asked them to make it a tad spicier for me, but the flavor was definitely there and it was a pretty solid, filling dish. Boyfriend really enjoyed his butter masala, saying that they delivered on his request for extra heat. The bread wasn't bad, though the portion is rather small and it kind of reminded me of the packaged naan bread you can get at the grocery store. Overall it was a good experience at Don't Tell Aunty. I did see on the website that they were making changes to the menu, so I look forward to seeing what else they can do.

I stayed at the CitizenM hotel in Backbay and just needed something to eat. I planned on going to…read moreanother place on the street but Don't Tell Aunty caught my eye and am I so glad it did so! The food was phenomenal. Hands down, no notes, fantastic. The portions were shockingly large. The atmosphere was club like which felt a little odd but also added to the vibes. Service was quick, recommendations were given without fanfare and they were absolutely correct. Absolutely would go back in a heart beat and I was texting friends with upcoming Boston trips to make sure to stop in.