One of my favorite dining experiences all year…read more Service- exceptional. Everyone interacted with was amazing. My server had excellent recommendations and was super knowledgeable about the menu and the popularity of items. Food- we got 5 dinner items and 1 dessert item and that was enough for two. Zaatar Bread- our favorite item. Bread was thick but light. Buttery but not overpowering. And the dip! Wow was the dip so good. Whipped Feta- delicious but could've use 2 more chips as the dip to chip ratio was off. Sultans Delight- my wife's favorite dish. Super tender and extremely flavorful. Lamb Shwarma (special)- so good and I hope they add it to their menu going forward. Mussels- mixed. I enjoyed them but my wife did not like them as much. May have been textural for her, but I enjoyed it. Baked Alaska- a must. From the presentation to the flavors- amazing! Can't wait to come back, they earned their Michelin recognition for sure.

Oh, Oleana! Tucked…read moreaway in Cambridge, Oleana is a cozy Mediterranean restaurant serving small plates. My partner and I managed to snag a last-minute reservation on a Tuesday night, and even at 9 p.m. the restaurant was still lively. Between the beautiful decor and warm atmosphere, it made for a great date night spot, though it was admittedly a bit dim (apologies in advance for the photo quality!) Between the two of us, we ended up ordering quite a few dishes: Whipped Feta (4/5): This was good, though I was hoping for a stronger roasted pepper flavor. Nothing wrong with it, but it didn't quite stand out. Interestingly, we overheard the table next to us mention the same thing, so maybe this one's a bit hit or miss. Spinach Falafel (4/5): Another solid dish. It was bright, colorful, and fresh, though a little messy to eat. Our waiter rather bluntly told us to "just wrap it and bite," which caught us a little off guard, but it was good nonetheless. Fatteh (4.5/5): Our favorite appetizer of the night. The creamy roasted cauliflower paired so well with the crispy pita, and I especially loved the sweetness the onions brought to the dish. Sultan's Delight (5/5): As everyone else says, this is the one to order. The beef was incredibly tender and rich. In hindsight, I almost wish we'd had the potatoes from the Adana Kebab to eat alongside it because they would've been the perfect accompaniment. Vermont Quail Kebab (5/5): Tied with the Sultan's Delight as our favorite entrée. The quail was juicy, well-spiced, and surprisingly easy to eat. I'd absolutely order this again. Adana Kebab (4/5): By this point, I think we were simply getting full. The kebab itself was good, but not nearly as memorable as the other meat dishes. Ironically, the potatoes and peppers that came with it might have been my favorite part--they would've paired perfectly with the Sultan's Delight. Baked Alaska (4.5/5): Delicious. The toasted meringue paired wonderfully with the coconut ice cream, though we were a little mixed on the passionfruit caramel, which came across slightly burnt and more acidic than expected. After a while the meringue did become quite sweet, so we ended up pairing some with the Muhallebi. Dark Chocolate Muhallebi (3.5/5): Yes...we ordered two desserts. I was mostly drawn in by the kaymak ice cream, but the Muhallebi itself was almost completely unsweetened. I'm usually all for desserts that aren't overly sweet, but this one leaned more savory than I expected. We actually ended up adding some leftover meringue from the Baked Alaska to balance it out. Looking back, given both our appetites (and our wallets), I think we would've been perfectly happy just ordering the Baked Alaska. Overall, Oleana was a lovely spot for a date night. While it didn't quite live up to the lofty expectations I'd built up from all the praise, we still had a really enjoyable meal. Our main waiter was kind, and I appreciated that the dishes came out in rounds, giving us plenty of time to eat and chat. The meat dishes were definitely the highlights for us, but overall there's a lot to like here.

Amazing food. I also loved the ambience. It was reminiscent of the Mediterranean…read more The plates, plating, and serving ware were tastefully chosen. The service fast attentive and friendly. I'd definitely be back when on vacation again. The orange honey cake was mind blowing

Lovely ambience..perfect for a date night. We were seated indoors and realised it was too loud so…read morewe requested to be seated on the patio. We got the Tiropita rolls 5/5: the best of the lot. Crispy on the outside and doughy and cheesy on the inside. The Greek honey butter and olives were perfect! The butter was light and airy Tzatziki trio 3.5/5: the dips were great, especially the corn one and the beetroot one, even if a little bland Skopiteniki 3/5: the shell was good but the stuffing was okay..almost forgettable. The dish was also too dry. The wine was great! The server had us try a couple and helped us pick. My partner's wine was delayed so they took off the wine charges on our final bill.

Unfussy little joint with fresh Mediterranean flavors. The rice is pillowy soft. The beef and lamb…read moreschwarma is full of flavor and the side options could be their own stars. Great spot for quick healthy lunch.

Small portion sizes for the price, limited topping options, bland food. Not terrible, but was…read moreexpecting a lot better. CAVA is much better in my opinion. Ordered takeout, so it was quick and convenient, though.

Fabulous food and wine Truly the best hummus…read more Nice vibe, busy on a Sunday night First visit, we'll be back

Good spot for a night out. Cocktails and food were decent, and the service was spot on…read more We came as a group and tried a few different things family style. The mushroom hummus and the lamb hummus was good, but not memorable. The zatar pull apart bread was freshly baked. And the crudo was somewhat refreshing. The baklava was alright, I preferred the olive oil cake. Overall we liked everything, but LOVED nothing.

As if I didn't already get enough quality time with my kid on our Morocco trip. Instead of heading…read morehome to NY after we landed in Boston, I tagged along with her in Cambridge for one more night. That also meant squeezing in one more new restaurant together. Tucked in the corner of a cozy residential neighborhood, Desfina has that laid-back vibe. There's indoor seating if you want to escape the heat and outdoor seating. It was hot as hell- but we picked a table outside anyway. The service is exactly how I like it. Warm, friendly and attentive without someone checking on you every 10 seconds. Everyone was just full of smiles and it made our dinner that much special. Instead of going for big main plates, my daughter and I went for starters. The fried calamari is a must and tasty. The batter is light and crisp and actually stays on the calamari instead of sliding off. The grilled octopus is silky- the kind that melts the second you bite into it. None of that chewiness you get from places that don't know how to make a grilled octopus. This one in Desfina, is how it's supposed to be done! A Greek salad was a given. And the grilled shrimp with lemon potatoes hit the spot too. I'll admit, I was hoping for bigger shrimp(?), but these were juicy and tasty though.

Great spot near my new apartment. Big portion, good ingredients and perfectly cooked…read more Had: Chicken kebab plate

Mistral might be the best dinner we've had in Boston. We made reservations for 5:30pm and were glad…read morewe did; the place was packed right at opening. We arrived a little early and were escorted to a cozy lounge before being guided to our table, a corner spot right under the restaurant's big windows. From the moment you walk in, you can see how elegant it is, and yet it's not pretentious at all. I spotted people in sneakers and Birkenstocks alongside others who were dressed up which worked out since we'd spent the day sightseeing and were dressed a bit more casual. We started with the escargot, which was delicious, served out of the shell with toasted sourdough. The complimentary bread was also some of the best I've had and I'm not just saying that because it was free. The wine list was extensive but had something for every price range. We picked a delicious Bordeaux for just $80, which was less than I expected to pay at a restaurant of this caliber. My husband ordered the Cornish hen and I had the duck on a bed of risotto. Both were amazing, and the portions were huge. I ended up taking half my duck home which I really wasn't expecting. The duck was delicious but my husband's hen might have been just a bit better; it was so juicy. We also got a side of the horseradish mashed potatoes; divine. I went in expecting small plates and precious portions like most elevated French spots so this was a welcome surprise. We ended with the crème brûlée, it had the most perfect "glassy" top; might be the best I've had. The service was next level throughout. Can't recommend Mistral enough for a special night out in Boston.

Sat at the bar, and the service did leave a little bit to be desired. The bartender was pretty…read moreabsent due to being very busy with making orders for tables. Martini was OK - would have thought a place like this would have a better vesper. The grilled tenderloin was absolutely delicious and so was the creamed spinach and potato confit (I switched the sides). But not sure it felt worth $70+ Dessert was sadly a bust. Warm chocolate torte was so gooey inside that tasted like flavorless brownie batter. The bartender said he would put a scoop of mousse on the side since I was deciding between the two. Didn't really want to pay for two desserts (hence trying to decide on just one), but he charged me for both. The mousse was also super average. Front is pretty but rest of the ambiance is nothing super special

I had the Best Start of my Birthday here. The Staff went over and beyond for me to have a great…read moreexperience. S/o to the whole staff plus the two servers in the front & management. S/o to the lady that paid for my meal also!! Food was a 10/10 I will be back! Ambiance is was outstanding .

For nearly $55 for two people I expected better than bad service, pitiful portion sizes, no drinks…read moreand no sides. I am disappointed, from the very start to the end my experience was quite bad. The kitchen did not allow a bread substitution for the sandwich we ordered, they did not do waffles at this location either, and when we got our food the portion sizes were very small. The salmon was very overpriced for how much they offered; $27 for a piece of salmon only a few inches across was insulting, but apparently that is just how it is served there (picture below, you can see the pieces of broccoli are almost as big as the fish!) The other dish we got was the chicken sandwich, which is cut into two halves. The first half was normal but there was basically no chicken on the second half of the sandwich, it was essentially all bread. We brought it up to a manager and they got us a new piece of chicken, which fit entirely alongside the old piece of chicken on the bun because it was so small. On top of that we had to wait around nearly half an hour after finishing and had to flag down a waiter to get our check and go. The service overall was very slow. I will never come back to this restaurant.

My husband and I were walking on Newbury Street in downtown Boston and were hungry for lunch. This…read morewas a random pick and I'm so glad we ended up here. Aceituna Grill is a small, local chain in the Boston area with four locations. The menu has three main Mediterranean options (pita roll-up, rice plate, salad plate) where you can mix and match with different proteins and sides. I ordered a salad plate with falafel for protein. It came with pita bread and two sides so I got hummus and fried cauliflower. Everything was fresh and it was a TON of food for $15ish which you can easily make into two meals. We ordered at the counter and ate in the restaurant. Service was quick and the restaurant was clean. I highly recommend if you're looking for a healthy food option to check out Aceituna Grill!

This is like a Greek chipotle, wasn't expecting super high quality food but everything was pretty…read moresour tasting to me. The beef and lamb, the spicy orange sauce, and the vegetables were all too sour. The fried cauliflower was good but a little cold and soggy. Service was quick and efficient, and there's plenty of indoor seating and a tv like a sports bar if you need a place to chill on Newbury street.