It actually should be named Ten Small Tables. :) The atmosphere is fun, festive, active, crowded and loud. The decore was nice, very upscale. The menu and food were good. I had the paprika rubbed steak with hash and it was good. The table was given a fresh turnip salad served on a chinese soup spoon for a complimentary first course. Then olives and bread were brought to the table. A very nice touch!! The menu is ecletic so if you are looking for traditional American cuisine this is not the place. The dishes have a flare and options that are not something one sees every day. We went on a Saturday night and the maximum number of people they could seat at that time was four. So this is not a group venue, look elsewhere. This was a destination for us and I'm glad I came. read more

I've come here before for the entire dining experience and remembered leaving confused about the ratings. A year later, I decided to give it a second try but only for their desserts and a round of drinks and unfortunately, I left not very impressed yet again. We ordered their version of the tiramisu and please be warned, it looks and tastes nothing like one. The bartender noted that they like to do things differently there. I'd agree that it's a great concept but it still needs to taste like a dessert, right? Instead, we ate two hard ladyfingers with bland cream cheese. We also ordered their olive oil cake with hazelnut ice cream which wasn't as bad as the tiramisu but that doesn't mean I'd ever order it again. A good try to make a cake differently but I think here, maybe sticking more with traditional preparation for their desserts would be a step in the right direction. read more

As a parent with a young kid, dinners out are rare and special. I want to ensure that I have a great meal and a great experience. For this, Ten Tables is one of my go-to places. The food is always excellent, and the intimate environment and attentive service make it feel special. Make your reservations early! read more

If you've never been to charming Jamaica Plain, just outside of Boston, you should go. When you get there, you should dine at Ten Tab. It's basically a farm to table, local restaurant with a unique ambient atmosphere. The people are extremely friendly and the service is on point. Thy never missed a beat. The burgers are phenomenal, but I will tell you, the smash hit was the bambouche! We ordered a cheese plate and they were gracious enough to accompany it with mushroom pate upon our request. At any rate, this bambouche I speak of is a liquid cheese that is simply mouth watering. Totally incredible! Words cannot describe. Go try it for yourself! read more

Ten Tables - Bambouche. Pictured, bottom right. - New American Near Me - Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts

Food is good, not great. Ingredients are noticeably high quality, but the taste just doesn't follow. Way too loud in the dining area; lots of drunk middle aged patrons. Not worth the money. Super attentive and friendly service! read more

We decided to try this for place after all the reviews. For NYE they had a pre-fixe menu. Our food was excellent. My husband had the mussels, duck then finished with the sorbet. I had the gnocchi, halibut then apple cake. The problem was the service. They completely forgot about us. No one checked on us once each course was delivered. Drinks were left unfilled. Our waitress never came back to us after we ordered. We had to call her over to get our check. Really disappointing since the food was so good. read more

I've heard a lot of great things about Ten Tables for years. I was excited to finally experience their food for myself. We didn't have a reservation but we're lucky to be seated quickly. Though the table we received was quite small. We started with the charcuterie board. The board consisted of a salmon patè and two pieces of chicken sausage, spiced nuts, and assorted pickles and Dijon mustard, accompanied with crackers. I would first like to point out that neither of these two meats are technically charcuterie. They are neither pork or cured meats. We were surprised meats weren't the focus of this board. Also, that it only came with two "meats". next we had the steak tartar. The tartar was VERY mayo heavy. The citrus and mayo overpowered the natural flavor of the meat. Next we decided to finish with a squash soup. We were actually delivered the wrong meal and received a roast squash entree. The server was very nice and told us she would only charge us the soup price. This was easily the best part of the meal. The squash was delicious. Overall, for the reputation and price point we were disappointed. We did not feel we got our money's worth and the food did not live up to the hype. read more

Ten tables is a great restaurant with fantastic food and staff. The menu rotates regularly and there is always something new to try. The bartenders are also personable and are happy to custom make a drink for you based on what you're looking for. Only negative is that it can be hard to get in to on a date night, which is a testament to their quality. read more

Came here finally for a dinner with my bf and a friend visiting from out of town. Nice cute neighborhood restaurant. Decor isn't super fancy and yes, it is a bit cramped. They do have some bar seating which is cool for a couple - you can watch the kitchen work while your dining. Surprisingly affordable, we had the tasting menu and had a wonderful meal for $40 each not including drinks. The first amuse bouche was a shot glass of cold potato leek soup. First course: butternut squash soup. creamy and delish. Second course: mussels in saffron broth with braised spinach and a hint of orange zest. really unusual combo of ingredients, but very nicely done. Third course: duck confit with roasted baby veggies. : ( blech....the confit was so salty. it tasted like a salt lick. i couldn't finish it. Second amuse bouche: Goat cheese with roasted hazelnuts and honey. Good solid flavors. Fourth course: Chocolate mousse with banana ice cream. Perfect creaminess and a good way to end the meal. We should have complained about the duck confit - but for $40 bucks - it's hard to complain when only one course is a failure. read more

Delicious, solid food with great service. I was recommended this place by a fellow server when I worked at a fancy french restaurant in Boston and so, decided to go here with the bf. We ordered the 4 course tasting menu for $40 and here's what we got: Amuse bouche- shot of squash soup with butternut squash oil and fleur de sel. Rich, creamy, but a bit too salty. Charcuterie plate with pork pate with pistachios, some kind of saucisson with anise that was DELICIOUS, pickled celery root and shimeji mushroom + mustard. The pork pate was good although some more crostini would definitely have been welcome. The saucisson was amazing and I wished I got more than the few thin slices that were on the plate. Pan Seared Moroccan Spiced Swordfish with Farro, Red Kuri Squash & Citrus Coulis- Really delicious fish. Separately, the farro and squash were alright but when it was all eaten together in one bite, the flavors melded perfectly. Much more than the sum of its parts. The lemon/citrus coulis on top was a bit too much though; it came in a big mound on top of the fish which resulted in some bites being way too lemony. Meyer Hanger Steak with Local Fingerling Potatoes, Collard Greens and Salsa Verde- cooked to a delicious medium rare. I think this was my favorite dish of the night and made me think, "Why don't I eat steak more often?!" That'll have to change. Plus salsa verde (also very citrusy) was an interesting choice but a good one. Dessert: The bf got the pineapple upside down cake with pink peppercorn ice cream. The cake itself was tasty but dry but the pink peppercorn ice cream! Amazing. First, the hit of sweet creaminess on your tongue then the lingering taste of pepper. I received the Boca Negra cake which was like the creamiest, most decadent ganache in cake form. Awesome. I wasn't a big fan of the spearmint ice cream though but that may be because I'm not a big mint fan in general. Anyway, awesome meal but I'm only not giving it 5 stars because nothing truly blew me away. Really solid and delicious cooking which met my expectations but didn't exceed them. read more

Service was excellent and so was the food. I was readily impressed with the "3 for $33" menu. The service was attentive and knowledgeable. The food was delish. What a great deal for dinner too. The pork chop was the winner at our table though we loved it all. Be sure to try one of the signature cocktails. Ask the server to make a recommendation. You won't be disaapointed. It's a great date spot! read more

Ten Tables - The bar - New American Near Me - Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts

Since there are only about 10 normal tables, you probably need a reservation. We came for a Saturday evening date night. The menu was slightly different than what was online -- probably because they change it up often, but it would have been nice to have it reflected on the website (looking at it a week later, it seems to be updated now). I ordered the hanger steak with farro and spicy cherry tomato salad, and she got the hake and shellfish stew. Brags (+): The spicy cherry tomato salad was awesome, and is even worth mentioning before the steak. There was a good amount of heat, and the flavor of the warm, melty tomatoes really complemented the steak. My medium rare steak was also nice and red (yay for not overcooking!). Great service, plus two items compliments of the chef, which are always appreciated (potato/leek soup I think and a mixed berry sorbet). Beats (-): It was a little too dim for my taste, but I guess that's for ambiance's sake. Also, for a pretty nice restaurant the paper menus on a clipboard seemed a little out of place. Variance (~): They leave water refills on the tables, so you can get your own water, but it takes up some of the precious table space. I didn't have much of the stew so I can't comment on that, but I definitely thought the steak I got was great! read more

Ten Tables - Hanger steak with spicy cherry tomato side salad and farro. - New American Near Me - Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts

Went for first time last night. Had the tasting menu. I am vegetarian and my friend eats meat. They did two different tastings menus. Highly recommend. Bartender and drinks were excellent read more

One of the best meals we have had in Boston. Charming restaurant with amazing food! The braised lamb lollipops were mind blowing. A great spot for special occasion! read more

The fact that this little place with such a minimalist interior has been reviewed more than 600 times says something about the food, which is fresh and original. It makes no sense to recommend individual dishes, because the menu changes often. Suffice to say that they make outstanding dishes in that little kitchen in the corner. read more

I went to Ten Tables with a friend after seeing that it had good reviews, and the Sunday pre-fix menu had many good looking options. The atmosphere and staff were very pleasant, but that is where most of the compliments stop. Do not go to this restaurant hungry, or if you want to get enough food for your money. My friend and I were both very disappointed with the food we were presented, most especially with our tiny entrees. Mine in particular had a $5 surcharge (making my meal $44) and what I saw stunned me. I had probably around 2 ounces of steak, sliced into four small pieces, on top of a small amount of beans. I was baffled how they could have charged me the money they did for such a measly portion. This was the theme of the night. My friend's fish dish was also quite small, and the mussel appetizer I received was all tiny mussels. I felt deceived by the pictures I saw online. Our meal was not to the standards that they should have been for the price. Don't get me wrong, the flavors were good. But we both left hungry and underwhelmed. After seeing the size of our dishes, we were also quite annoyed by the amount of time we had to wait to get our food. It was a good 30 minutes in between finishing our first course and the second and then another 30 minutes to get to the dessert. Overall, it was a disappointing meal. This was supposed to be a treat for us, and we ended up spending over $100 (no alcohol) for what seemed like scraps. Because of this, I wouldn't recommend. read more

Dinner for four was executed to perfection. The waitstaff is perfectly attentive and accommodating. We enjoyed all of the drinks and every dish that was served. Overall, I would describe this as elevated comfort food with a number of European influences. We will return. read more

I would like to give zero star to this place but unfortunately I can't. Today it's my birthday and my husband took me to this place. We get there and they sitted us next to the kitchen so close to table bar that I could hit my face with that. 3 waiter took our order which is really annoying because we had to repeat every single time and they also missed one order we made. The food was ok, nothing special and very expensive we paid 32$ for a piece of lamb swimming in water! They want to show up this place like a fancy restaurant but it's not, this is just a hole in the wall with dim light and wine glasses. read more

Abysmal service I am currently dining at this restaurant and I very disappointed in the service. It took 20 minutes to get our first round of drinks and we our currently sitting another 20 minutes with empty drinks without being offered another cocktail. The server has walked by multiple times seeing that we have both empty water and cocktail glasses. While I am a captain a fine dining restaurant I may have higher expectations but I must say this restaurant has severely fallen to when I visited it 3 years ago to the point that I was embarrassed that I talked this restaurant up to my friends as a major place to eat in Boston when we visited from New Orleans. I have never written a bad review of a restaurant before but the service was so sub par I must advise others not to dine here as it's the worst service I have experienced in dining in a long time read more

Man, it really pains me to do this. TT used to be our favorite date night spot. We'd go there when family was in town. We'd come for the monthly tasting menu specials. The Beergur Monday's. A couple of years ago we were coming so frequently that the staff started to recognize us and welcome us back - servers and chefs alike. We talked about it so much my mother actually called and got us a gift certificate for one special occasion. And then everything changed. I'm not sure what happened but it seemed to be around the time the owner, Krista, took an extended trip to Greece (Crete, I think she said?) and came back with a bunch of new ideas and products. The menu shifted towards Mediterranean, which is fine, but there was a very noticeable shift in service, execution, and the overall experience - especially the value. And it seemed there was a huge turnover in staff. I really feel like it was just decided to save money and coast on the awesome reputation they've had for so many years and cash in on that. I think it says something when your chef team leaves and you then take away the chef's table so you can't interact with the kitchen team in the same way. The chef's table used to be an incredible special treat for us - fantastic food, demonstrative entertainment, and when the night slowed down, some inquisitive dialogue about the menu and prep. So tonight will unfortunately be our last visit. Over the last year we had noticed we weren't getting the same experience but tonight sealed the deal and we are currently on the hunt for our new go-to JP dinner spot (probably going to be Vee Vee). My wife and I were at table 16 next to the door. We were in the bar area so I understand that you shouldn't exactly expect the same level of service. The server came over three times in the first 10 minutes or so to take our order and after we said we weren't in a hurry she backed off which I appreciated. I will say that the scallop appetizer and halloumi appetizer were both good (4/5). We had four cocktails and they all tasted like some version of lemonade and were quite weak and low volume. They very clearly had a really similar flavor profile. It seems all the liquors they use are "flavored". Maybe that's a trend now. I don't know. We entered our entree order and then waited a bit. Maybe a little longer than I would expect but not too bad. And then the server came over and asked if we would like the dessert menu. What? We explained we had not gotten our mains yet and she left for the kitchen. A chef arrived with them about 5 minutes later. I got the Moroccan chicken breast hoping it would be similar to the incredible Statler they used to serve. The breast did come out Frenched, but it was barely warm and the skin wasn't crispy, but kind of - not soggy, but just kind of limp and cold. Clearly it had sat for a while. I will say the flavor, juiciness and seasoning was on point though. It came with brussies, confit cherry tomatoes and spinach. However, still a severe let down for a $32 entree - that was chicken (when the check came I said the same and $16 was reduced from the bill). My wife's lamb meatballs were sitting in a watery sauce, almost a tomato broth, with the pasta - pieces of which were on the verge of burnt. Maybe that's the way it's supposed to be served but she didn't find it pleasant. I seriously feel like a traitor for posting this and I know there was some conjecture in here but it's really how I feel after moving into the area almost five years ago and loving this place. We dropped nearly $200 for an experience we could have gotten down the street for a bit more than half that. It's time to move on folks. TT just isn't worth what they are charging anymore. read more

my boyfriend and I had dinner at the JP Ten Tables last night and absolutely loved our dinner and service. We ate there a few years ago before you know what happened and felt the same about our experience. Hats off to the owner, the chefs, and wait staff. we will definitely be back. highly recommende! read more

Had the tasting menu, a cocktail and some wine. Best part was the drink, which was an Oaxaca Special, was really good and stood out from most standard mezcal cocktails you get. Waiters were pretty OK too. Unfortunately everything else was bad. Food was bland and lazily made and the wine (both Spanish and Italian blend) tasted like a $3/bottle trader joes varietals. One of our courses was literally some rolled up ham that I wouldn't have been surprised they had just picked up at the corner. The main course was a tiny piece of hangar steak covered in butter with mashed potatoes and spinach. I mean, that's fine, but not for $35 a plate. This place just needs to be honest about the quality of food and service they're giving. They're basically putting out low/mid grade bar food but they're pretending to be some kind of fancy farm to table restaurant. You can get a way better meal two blocks down the street either way for less $ and with a less pretentious vibe to boot. For the prices they're charging they need to seriously get better or just take an honest look in the mirror and cut prices in half (not likely). Too bad because it is one of only a handful of restaurants in the neighborhood. Needless to say, not going to be back until some pretty big changes are made. read more

This could have been a 4-5 star review. Waiter Bruce is great. Speciality drinks great. Food is wonderful. Mussels great. Sunday prix fixe is great. Worth a visit for those. BUT don't come here if you want to feel welcomed--not as accommodating as they can be. So based on competition for good food and drinks, go where price is similar or lower, but where everyone is welcomed Lack of knowledge about service animals in violation of ADA is just silly. Came here from moving from out of town because it had good reviews, but the basic ADA ignorance in this day and in MA is hard to believe . So not as welcoming imho-turned me off a bit. Also had to sit in bar area, despite disability, service animal even though all other tables were open and no one else was dining. But as mentioned above great drinks, great waiter, good food (fixed menu only on Sunday). read more

Quaint, cozy, perfect for date night. The service is AMAZING. Roberto, our waiter, noticed my fiancé and I were celebrating without us even telling him, and brought us complimentary dessert. Everyone here goes above and beyond to make sure their guests are taken care of and happy. The food is exquisite as well. read more

Great stuff. We went there last night to celebrate this one time when we totally did it, and we had a lovely time. Entrees are pretty much exactly $20 and they have a great deal for vegetarians - a $25 four-course tasting menu. Except watch out because if you're not a vegetarian you still have to order four courses or else you'll be just sitting there watching your wife eat, which would be weird, so your meal is now about $42 and she'll be all "Look at you wasting money because you eat meat, I'm so superior, la la la." But if you're both vegetarian, you can be cheap dirty hippies together and not my friends. I was all psyched to eat a bunny, because everyone knows a food's goodness is directly correlated to its cuteness (which is why I'm not allowed to babysit for my niece) and someone on Yelp said there would be bunnies, but Ten Tables changes its menu pretty often and this time I had to make do with boring old cow. But it was tasty cow. It was probably wicked cute back when it wasn't being eaten by me. My hippie wife had some homemade gnocchi that was really impressive, and also a salad made with fennel because that's what you get when you're a vegetarian: fennel. Lame. But even that was inventive, at least. Ten Tables puts an inventive twist on pretty much everything. Service was perfect: there when you need them, gone when you don't, just how I like it. They have a bunch of weekly specials - a four-course pris fixe meal with wine pairings for $35 per person on Tuesdays, for example - that are a screaming great deal. I do wish I could Yelp specific people so that I could give a scathing one-star review to the drunk cow shrieking at the top of her lungs behind us, though. Why would you scream as loud as you can in a restaurant? Okay, she was drunk, I get it, but we were drunk too - at least, by the end we were - and we weren't screaming. Like the name implies, this is a tiny-ass restaurant with only ten tables, which means one drunken yuppie whore can have a mild impact on your evening. I'm sure this is rare, though. We're considering moving to JP, and the fact that Ten Tables exists makes that thought considerably more attractive. read more

I made a reservation 3 weeks before the night I was going to dinner here. One week before the reservation an employee called me to tell me that they can't honor the reservation now because they booked an employee holiday party for that night. If they treat their customers with so little respect as to plan a holiday party on a day that reservations exist (instead of planning something enough ahead that you don't disrupt anyone's plans) and offer nothing other than a simple "I'm sorry" for ruining a special birthday dinner, I can't imagine that any quality of food would take away the sour taste in my mouth. read more

I stayed away from Ten Tables for nearly two years, due to the misapprehension that it was too rich for my blood. It took a comped four-course tasting for me to check out the menu and realize just how wrong I was -- did you know you can snag beer and a burger for $15 on Mondays? Or artisanal mac and cheese plus a glass of wine for $14 on Thursdays? Well, knowing is half the battle -- get your ass in there already! Any place with wine flights automatically wins my admiration, but when you add an intricately plated assortment of charcuterie items like house-pickled vegetables, innovative sorbet flavors like tarragon chartreuse and the best damn sea salt in five counties, the sum equals me becoming a regular, stat. Ten Tables is tiny. Unoccupied spots are at a premium, especially at the bar. Acknowledge and accept this, sip some wine and admire the flickering candlelight as you wait; they'll have you seated and smiling in no time. read more

"err yeah, I need a reservation for two tonight, name Tom E" "that's right - Tom E - the sausage king of Chicago" Ok, ok - it wasn't quite like that but I was warned that getting one of the ten tables for Tuesday night wine pairings was nigh-on impossible. The fact that I was duly offered one only 30 mins after I'd left my details on their system had me wondering if they weren't all scuttling around shouting: "Tom E from Yelp wants to come - get the secret Eleventh Table!" But, that illusion was shattered when I spoke to Ligaya about the night and she told me she'd had no luck with getting a table. Somehow I can't think of Tom E being more important than Lady L. So why all the fuss? Well, already Ten Tables is know beyond even New England as being an absolute godsend, a movement, a bargain and a romantic winner - but on Tuesdays it gets better when they serve out four courses with four wines for an unbelievably thrifty $40. Insanity! I was there on Rhone Valley night and was treated to a 2 and half hour session of small but delectable dishes with locked pairings introduced by the handsome young sommelier. I loved the intimate restaurant and the trip to the bathroom is a memorable part of the experience where you get to see first hand the kitchen and how it all operates so smoothly. If I'm honest I was actually a bit unhappy at points in the meal as I was hungry and keen to knock back a lot of wine, but the time between small servings of food and the small glasses of wine was long and arduous. I also had the seat by the door, so was given a view of someone's Jeep Cherokee and a blast of cold air on the side every few minutes as people cam and went. But then I woke up the next day and thought... "40 BUCKS? 40 BUCKS!... WOW." So I hope I get a chance to go back. Maybe next time to hit it up the a la carte, grab a seat on the counter by the chefs and choose my own booze in large quantities. read more

Why is it so hard to get a servers attention at the bar? It just took 10 minutes to be told you were out of the pasta special. I have had nice meals here in the past but this has been an issue before. read more

The first time I set foot in this cozy restaurant with literally 10 tables, was back in 2003 to celebrate an anniversary. I remember very well that I as enjoying a nice steak when my (then) spouse and I got into a huge fight and she left the restaurant abruptly. I was torn between finishing that delicious steak or go after her. I went with the latter, but later I wished I did the former. Fast forward to 2012..... I came back recently with my (beautiful) girlfriend who suggested it. So we met up at the bar around 5:30 in the evening, the place was empty. We asked our friendly waitress to whip us 2 Martinis of her choice. She came back with this awesome orangy looking Martini that was yummy! As we were sipping on our drinks we decided to share the $35 three-course meal special on Wednesdays only. We started off with the Roasted Beet Salad which consisted of Beet of course with Baby Arugula, Apples, Creamy Goat Cheese & Walnut/Black Pepper Puree. And for our main course we got the Pan Seared Organic Scottish Salmon With Roasted Sunchokes, Baby Spinach and Lemon Bread Salsa which was to die for. Then we ended up with the Traditional Bistro Creme Caramel which was okay. What I like about this place is that they specialize in traditional cooking techniques. All pastas are handmade and all meats and sausages are made on the premises. And most importantly, they try to support the local farmers whenever possible. Highly recommended date spot! read more

Ten Tables is now synonymous to the best Valentine's Day ever. Where to begin?? I had a whole paragraph describing the decor and ambiance, but deleted it. Just know this: It is near perfection. I see why this place succeeded Grotto as Best of Boston's Most Romantic (affordable). Get ready to drool... From the V-Day 3-course prix-fixe menu, he ordered the lobster chowder, cavetelli pasta and lemon something. I ordered the tagliatelle, duck and lemon something. APPETIZERS: The lobster chowder, complete with huge chunks of lobster and potato, was creamy, full of flavor, and nothing even close to ordinary. The tagliatelle appetizer was remarkably unique, with firm, fresh peas, richly flavored mushrooms and a crunchy something-or-other that made the texture of this dish unforgettable. ENTREES: The duck was like nothing I'd had before. It reminded me of the tenderest lamb chop, seasoned in a way that I'd never expect a duck to taste. The impressive thing about the cavatelli was that the pasta was definitely homemade and was extremely fresh! DESSERT: The lemon something. It was like a lemon ice cream (or custard?) with a blueberry compote and some candied nuts (definitely more "candied" than "nuts" - the way I like it!). The interaction of all the sweet, sour, crunchy and soft made for a really nice ending to our meal. There's very little I could've asked for to make this experience any better. This place IS all that! read more

You know a restaurant cares about service when, in the midst of seasonally crummy weather, it lets its customers wait for their table downstairs in the prep kitchen. That's what happened when my girlfriend and I visited Ten Tables. We were a bit early for our reservation, and the previous party hadn't left yet, so they offered us what space was available. It was the first gesture of an amazing night. The waitstaff were both friendly and professional. We opted for the 4-course tasting with wine paring - no fretting about what to get, or what goes with what - and we weren't disappointed. Delicious, creative, and seasonally correct. Holy cow this was good food. And the wine, a perfect complement to the food. We sat pretty much square in the middle of the small dining area, so we got to see the looks on everyone's faces as they ate, and their looks reflected what we felt. Great job, Ten Tables. We'll be back. read more

This is such a beautiful (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wedoitforlove/4181985081/in/set-72157622864759653/), intimate, little space (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wedoitforlove/4182746190/in/set-72157622864759653/) tucked away in Jamaica Plain, just outside of Boston. Some restaurants are tiny, and they feel that way, giving you a constant sense of being cramped, and making any service feel overbearing. The designers of Ten Tables did a fantastic job of taking a miniscule space and making it still feel very romantic, from the little details on the tables (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wedoitforlove/4181981429/in/set-72157622864759653/) to the very open air environment where you can see straight into the kitchen (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wedoitforlove/4182745032/in/set-72157622864759653/). Oh, and it also helps that the food here is phenomenal, constantly keeping you distracted with great flavors and equally good drinks. The Tuesday tasting menu here is not to be missed, and at just $42 for 4 course and 4 wines, is an even better deal than what's offered at T.W. Food (http://www.yelp.com/biz/t-w-food-cambridge#hrid:2m4Y4YkpYdjURJMDsgQznQ) for a few bucks more. I of course booked my reservation for a Tuesday with this in mind, and was happy to find out the tasting menu for the night would focus around Italian food and wines, a common theme during my stay in Boston. The menu was very well balanced, and I even told the chef the dinner was better than my chef's tasting menu the night before at Via Matta, which he though was pretty funny as he was formerly a chef there. We started the meal with a little fennel veloute, topped with a seared scallop (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wedoitforlove/4182743718/in/set-72157622864759653/), and served with a lovely Falanghina. The veloute was flavored wonderfully, and the char on the scallop was just perfect. The Falanghina was a great pairing, with just enough acidity to balance the rich flavors in the veloute. After the first course I was really excited for what would come the rest of the evening. The "menu" they give you just gives an outline of the theme, so all the dishes are surprises when they arrive at your table. The second course was spaghetti with a puttanesca sauce (which I learned a bit of trivia from the server, this is known as the "whores' sauce" because they used to serve it in the old days to their customers) which was filled with delicious olives and capers (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wedoitforlove/4182744386/in/set-72157622864759653/). They paired it beautifully with one of my favorite wines, a Negromara, which is really difficult to find good quality in most restaurants. The wine has a really strong, smokey flavor, and went perfectly with the strong flavors in the puttanesca. This combination was simply fantastic, and my favorite of the night. The main course was very good, but once again made me question why certain ingredients gain such popularity among chefs. The dish was an expertly cooked lamb loin, served with green olives, broccoli rabe and ricotta salata (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wedoitforlove/4181982181/in/set-72157622864759653/). The lamb was decadent, and the green olives really paired well with it, but I cannot for the life of me imagine why chefs insist on using broccoli rabe in dishes. The same goes for Brussels sprouts and beets. I really don't care for the flavors of any of these, but broccoli rabe is by far at the top of that list. Thankfully, this was actually the "best" use of this ingredient I've had to date, but it was still far from enjoyable, and really hurt the dish more than it helped. The Primitivo it was paired went was another hit, with the right amount of pepper complementing the lamb nicely. Our dessert sounded very simplistic when it was presented to us, but we were reminded at how good some simple things can be. It was an olive oil cake with a housemade orange marmalata, drizzled with chocolate syrup (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wedoitforlove/4182745740/in/set-72157622864759653/), and it was far more than the sum of its parts. The richness of the cake was amazing, so dense and so moist, with just a hint of the olive oil flavor. The orange marmalata I wasn't as crazy for, as some of the pieces were a little tough and chewy, but flavor wise it still went well with the chocolate syrup and the cake, as did the wine. They chose a very nice Moscato D'Asti, which is pretty much the perfect wine to serve with any dessert if you're eating Italian. The sweetness of the wine was not too cloying, allowing you to easily go back and forth between the wine and the food. Getting a reservation here can be a bit tricky because of the size, but I highly recommend it as one of your stops in Boston, especially if you can make it to one of their food and wine pairings. It's even better if you're bringing a date, as the restaurants layout forces a certain level of closeness for communication. read more

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I'll preface this with I don't know anything about wine and if I sound like moron please forgive because I am a novice. I attended a Tuesday tasting at Ten tables last night which is 4 courses with 4 paired wines for the dishes. It was a Greek themed dinner. Well, it's a salad, soup, entree, and dessert. The portions aren't huge so its not like you are stuffed at the end but it is filling. You have clean content feeling. First off, the bread was amazing. It was a crusty rustic wheaty italian sort of thing served with olive oil for dipping. Good stuff. We had a romaine salad with cucumber and feta. It was light and the feta was creamy yet firm. Everything was super high quality. That went with a white wine that I can not pronounce the name of that was similar to a Chardonnay. Next we had a "fishermans" soup with aioli. I was expecting something chunky but it was smooth puree that mixed well with the smoky tasting aioli. I wasn't crazy about the wine. It was a red and it was quite acidic and fruity but with the soup it seemed to be neutralized so I started to enjoy it. The Entree was braised lamb on top of cous cous with golden raisins. This was a show stopper. Oh my goodness. The meat was very tender and there was no "gamey" flavor. The cous cous was light and the sweetness of the raisins coupled with the sea salt that gave a bit of a crunch. The wine was of the same varital as the soup but had a much smoother oakier flavor. The dessert was a vanilla bean custard not that dissimilar to a creme brulee. The chef was more than happy to explain the difference. There was brulee topped on the custard but it wasn't as firm as a creme brulee and seemed to have more of rich creamier flavor. There was also a piece of honey cake with a light creme. It was nice but on the drier side. The dessert wine was nice a little too sweet for my liking but the bouquet was wonderful, like apricots. So, with that being said go have a wonderful night of dining and don't worry about cracking bad jokes, the waiter (who really knew his stuff) will laugh anyway. :) read more

Excellent food! Small place, but that really adds to it. You can see each of your dishes being prepared, which I really enjoy. I've gone their twice for the vegetarian tasting, such a great deal. You get so much food for $25. Plus, I love that it gets me to try things I may not have ordered otherwise. They also tend to serve a variety of dishes during the tasting, so if you go with others you may all be eating something different for the same course. This worked out great for dessert, as we pushed ours into the center of the table and shared them all! I highly recommend checking this place out, just be sure you have reservations! read more

This review is not likely to be useful, funny or cool because pretty much every thing that could be said about Ten Tables has probably already been said, but I'll repeat for those of you who either don't listen or have very thick heads: Ten Tables is phenomenal. I've had the pleasure of dining here twice- once at one of the ten tables and, more recently, at the "chef's table" which is really like sitting at a very small bar and getting a view of the kitchen. It doesn't sound fabulous with that description, but it is. I always worry about interacting with chefs at restaurants- probably because I watch too much Food Network, Top Chef, and Kitchen Nightmares. Chefs often come off as douchebag glad-handers that I want nothing to do with. Luckily David Punch, Ten Table's current head chef, is neither. He managed to hit that nice balance of being friendly and out of the way, while still cooking up a storm of food in the tiny kitchen (which is immaculate- I wish my kitchen was that clean- and it's really fun to see how a real restaurant kitchen works). I have ordered the vegetarian tasting menu both times and both times it was incredible. Inventive vegetarian food is very hard to come by in restaurants- even in (maybe especially in) fine dining establishments. So many chefs have problems with not centering a dish on some ridiculous "protein." Ten Tables transcends the traditional vegetarian option (risotto, usually) and gives those of us who don't eat animal a dining experience to really appreciate. (And meat eaters, don't worry, you are always catered to- Husband has loved every bite of his steak). Some pointers- you must have reservations- even on weeknights. Large parties are a gigantic, emphatic NO- it really is tiny. (However, you can rent the whole restaurant out- go hog wild!). If you don't live in the area have them call you a taxi because grabbing one in JP is a headache. read more

Ten Tables's formula is simple and unbeatable: local and seasonal ingredients prepared with flair in a rustic setting at reasonable prices. I went six months ago, so some of what I ate isn't available now, but every dish this place serves is fresh, innovative and delightful. The homemade sausage is lovely, but bf called my squid with garbanzo beans and arugula the best appetizer he'd ever had. It would never occur to me to pair squid and beans, but on my tongue they were so obviously meant for one another. The lamb ragout with pecorino on the tail of the squid was too much salt in the mouth, so I wouldn't pair those two dishes again, but the pork chop entree was simply heavenly. Chocolate terrine with sea salt and thai basil ice cream is a revelation. The food here is so simply prepared, yet flavors expertly manipulated. The people here are awesome, and the value is incredible. Three courses for $32, four-course tasting menus paired with wine for $42. You can easily pay twice as much for food of this quality. Truly tiny, gotta tiptoe your way around pots and pans in the basement kitchen to use the loo. read more

No one is going to read this because there is already a million reviews, so I'll keep it short and sweet.... I went for the tasting menu paired with wine. My beautiful date? Mom. We were able to get on the chef's table (reservation was almost two weeks in advance!) and it was worth it. The chefs really have an attention to detail, and we giggled as one chef lovingly positioned each hard-boiled egg on the salade Nicoise - carefully - moving it into position to compliment its surroundings =) The wine pairings were excellent, and the food was truly delicious. They could charge a lot more and still pack the house. Would recommend this place for a date, very cozy. read more

Dear Random Waiter, Do not ever reach across a patron's table as they are just beginning (literally first bite) their dessert and second round of drinks and give them the bill and tell them, "Whenever you're ready." Simply unacceptable. I am *almost* torn giving Ten Tables 1 star, I'd rather give it 0, but the service was absolutely NOT OK. The restaurant was not having an off night, the kitchen was not having an off night, there is simply no excuse for the poor service that we got. I went here for dinner with my GF (Kelsey A., see below), just the two of us. We had made reservations weeks in advance and showed up on time. Only had to wait a short while before getting seated. We ordered two drinks while waiting from their awesome cocktail menu. The dining room is to the right, and literally has ten tables (Why I didn't expect this, I don't know). The decorations are simple, I really enjoyed the ambiance, candles, simple pictures/paintings on the wall, and a very low volume music. Perfect! I really was very excited for our meal. We were seated at a two-top and given our menus. It's a Wednesday, so they have a 3-course Prix Fixe menu for $33. A great deal which we opted for. Shortly after being seated our drinks came over, a "KK" (ginger, passionfruit, and champagne) and a lemongrass-saffron martini. Both were delicious, very well crafted and balanced. One of the waiters came over and took our orders, we put in our choices for the prix fixe then. One waiter came over with our amuse bouche, a cantaloupe, yellow watermelon soupy thing with chive, some spice, and a drop of oil on the top. It was served in a shot glass of sorts, and I actually liked it. Kelsey did not. But it was refreshing, maybe a bit strong on the cantaloupe side, but it was good nonetheless. Our first courses came, a corn chowder with scallops and a halibut crudo with cantaloupe and grapefruit. Both were awesome. The chowder had a wonderful corn flavor with little potatoes & bacons swimming about. Then the big momma scallop, cooked to perfection, in the middle. It was such a hearty dish, and very flavorful. The halibut was delicious as well, clean and fresh, with very sweet cantaloupe. I loved both these dishes. However, right as we start digging in, one waiter motioned to another that we hadn't received our bread yet, which they promptly brought over. Not a huge deal, I don't think I would have cared or noticed either way since the apps came out fairly quickly, but it was a little awkward. Speaking of bread, it wasn't anything amazing. Cold rolls, a little too chewy and dense. But the olive oil was pretty good though. So we finish our appetizers and shortly thereafter come the entrees. They looked great, English pea and goat cheese ravioli for Kelsey, and a pork chop for me. The ravioli looked a little pasty, also, they didn't really give that much. It tasted pretty good though, but nothing to write home about. The chop, on the bone, was cooked to perfection, tender and juicy. It was topped with jalapeno butter which matched it perfectly. Accompanying the chop was a corn and bean succotash, which tasted sooooooo good. It reminded me of a campfire, just wonderful, earthy, hearty flavors. Dessert comes out and we order a second round of drinks and wait for dessert to come out. They arrive at about the same time, thre was some confusion as to what the drink I got was, but it ended up being right so no harm no foul. Kelsey got the Kristal Ballz, which was strong, sort unbalanced to begin with, but opened up and mellowed out and the ice melted. It ended up being good. I got the Pondside, a gingery brandy and mandarin soda drink. I love it, a little on the syrupy side, but great flavor combo. I enjoyed a profiterole with anise cream and a chocolate-orange sauce. The dessert was delicious, creamy, puffy, wondrous, and rich. The absinthe was a very subtle flavor and it was hard to finish it all. I honestly couldn't taste any orange at all in the chocolate, but it was all good either way. Ugh, now the terrible part. As soon as dessert and our drinks came, we were literally 1 minute into eating it, a waiter comes over, reaches across our table, and puts the check down. "Whenever you're ready." Are you kidding? It's not like we were taking our sweet-ass time to eat, there was no one waiting, and we had just begun our third course. I've had better service at an Applebees. It was so unacceptable, I'm still reeling in anger from it and at a loss for words. Nothing like finishing your third course to what would have been a great dinner, then having your bill stare at you the entire time. I don't really see any excuse to this, it wasn't an off night for anyone. Just a serious misstep. The food is good, the service is absolutely horrendous. I'm not sure I can recommend TT to any of my friends, and I know I won't be coming back. read more

So, I finally went to Ten Tables. It was quite the experience. There were highs, but there were some lows too. The highs included the pan-roasted pork loin on a bed of sweet potato puree with DEEE-licious collard greens and apple butter. The collards were the best collards ever. And, my friend loved her scallops. The complementary shot glass of potato leek soup was flavorful and smooth and a pleasant surprise. My dessert was the chocolate terrine. The combo of chocolate, Thai basil ice cream, and sea salt was perfection. Her Meyer lemon tart was also pretty wonderful. I had a great drink from the bar too--the Lavender Fizz. For the most part, I loved the food and the service was also pretty wonderful. I was surprised that we weren't rushed to leave after we finished. The lows? Our appetizers, the pork pate and the squash soup. The pate was not great (neither the flavor nor the consistency). The soup was okay, but the texture of pork belly was a little disturbing. I have never eaten braised pork belly before and I didn't expect it to be that fatty (I guess that's pretty ridiculous--it is pork belly!!). It had great flavor, but a wad of gelatinous fat in my mouth is anathema to me. The ice-cold dinner rolls were a little strange; they were very tasty, but they were literally just out of the refrigerator. The lowest low was not flavor-related. It was watching the sous chef (line chef?) use the same spoon to taste multiple dishes. Yuck! I am sure this happens all the time, but we generally don't see it. This, however, is an open kitchen. I would think the staff would be hyper-aware of this situation. (The chef didn't do it, just the sous/line chef.) I am sorry, but dropping the spoon in small container of water after every use and then picking it out again is unsanitary. (Imagine the nasty slurry that is in that container!) Use a new spoon each time you taste! The food was (mostly) great if somewhat expensive, but I am hesitant about going back because of one unsanitary spoon. read more