We had an awesome time at Lou's in Harvard Square! We stopped by around 10 p.m. on a Friday, and…read morealthough it was packed, we were pleasantly surprised to get a table without a reservation. The atmosphere was lively, with a DJ, live music, and a great crowd. For drinks, we ordered the Jason Bond and Dirty Work martinis, along with a few beers. The cocktails were delicious and definitely on the stronger side, which we appreciated! For food, we shared the Caesar wrap and the shrimp sliders. The portions were generous, and everything was fresh and flavorful. If you're looking for a fun night out in Harvard Square, Lou's is definitely worth a visit. We'll absolutely be back!

Came here for dinner on a Sunday evening and the space was relatively empty - not too full given…read morethe amount of tables. Ambiance felt modern and chic given the decorations and lighting which matched the overall vibes of the restaurant. Menu had a decent selection of dishes - nothing too standout as a typical American restaurant. The entree I got was okay, expensive and tasted fine. Overall, nothing special though. I probably wouldn't come back here again, but I had a fine meal with my friend. The price and quality just didn't match for me though and I probably would opt to eat somewhere else.

First the food: my very favorite cuisine Mediterranean and they do it so well. The crispy…read moreeggplant is like nothing else: perfectly fried with a honey feta sauce. The dips and bread so good and the watermelon salad divine. Our server was so nice and perfect and the manager was friendly and accommodating. It's a beautiful restaurant with outside seating: fresh, airy, and inviting. I want to come here every week.

Ilona is a Mediterranean restaurant in Boston, and my boyfriend and I came here for dinner on the…read moreFourth of July. He had a $100 Resy credit, which ended up covering our entire meal with a little left over. For the quality of the food and the overall experience, it felt surprisingly affordable and very satisfying. The ambiance is open, stylish, and inviting, with both booth and table seating. We were seated at a corner table, which made the dinner feel relaxed and comfortable. The menu is mostly tapas-style, so it is a great spot if you want to order several dishes and share. One downside is that the entrées were pretty meat-heavy. The kebabs, for example, were limited to beef, lamb, chicken, and swordfish. I would have loved to see a vegetable or tofu kebab on the menu. That said, I was still able to put together a really satisfying meal from the appetizers, mezze, and salads. We started with a dip assortment that came with Lebanese-style flatbread, or manakish. The dips included a spicy yogurt-based dip, beet hummus, and another grainier orange-colored hummus. Everything was flavorful, fresh, and really enjoyable. The standout dish for me was the crispy eggplant. It came as thin, tempura-style slices of eggplant with a pomegranate yogurt sauce and a honey glaze. It was definitely on the sweeter side, but it was absolutely delicious--honestly, I could have made a meal out of that dish alone. We also ordered the fattoush salad, which had the classic vegetables but felt especially fresh because of the watermelon cubes, cherry tomatoes, sumac vinaigrette, and capers. My boyfriend also tried the oysters, which were a special that day. Overall, Ilona was a great dinner spot: cute atmosphere, central Boston location, shareable plates, and tasty Mediterranean food. I do wish there were more vegetarian-friendly entrée options, but I still had a very satisfying meal and would happily come back.

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!

I came to Boston to celebrate my cousin's graduation and we had a dinner reservation here for 10…read morepeople. The space is absolutely stunning: high ceilings, dim lights, lots of natural colors and greenery. We got seated right away in this really cute table in the middle of the big dining room. Service was exceptional! I feel like our waiters went above and beyond to make the experience very special for us. They also really helped us with recommendations on how much to order for our table and what the best dishes to get were. For drinks we got a few bottles of white wine and I opted to get a lemonade which had cucumber and mint. It was so delicious and refreshing! We ended up getting an assortment of apps as well as mains for each person. I tried: - Dips and pita: assortment of 3 dips: spicy feta, tzaitziki, and fava dip. All were amazing but somehow the fava dip felt particularly good compared to others that I have had before. The pita came out warm and had a very nice flavor, like they toasted it lightly with a bit of olive oil. Super good to share! - Lamb meatballs: amazing! One of my favorite apps. The meatballs were tender without being crumbly, the lamb was flavorful without being gamey, and the tomato sauce added a perfect acidic/ sweet balance to the spices of the lamb. The touch of labneh on top also added a really delicate creamy balance. - Baked feta: literally amazing! The feta they use there is some of the best quality, creamiest feta I've had at a Greek restaurant. It was also not too salty. This came baked in a delicate layer of perfectly crispy phyllo, topped with a light drizzle of honey, roasted grapes, and olives. If I had known in advance how good this was, I may have actually asked for it as dessert. A table-wide favorite! - Caramelized carrots: another very solid dish. Perfectly caramelized carrots over a bed of dill yogurt. Really simple but good! - Eggplant salata: I'd probably skip this one next time. I was expecting a warm baked eggplant but this was cold and a bit difficult to eat since it came with the skin of the eggplant that was tough. The flavors were a bit flat but the presentation was definitely nice. - Whole branzino: usually comes with head and tail but we asked if we could have it deboned since we would be sharing between two. The two perfectly cooked fillets had a nice crispy skin and tender meat. The green herb dressing was perfectly tangy and complemented the mild white fish flavor very nicely, - Village salad: another hit for me! I'm usually not too impressed by "Greek" salads at places, however, they used such high quality product here, that it was impossible not to enjoy this. The feta was creamy and perfect, the peppers/tomatoes/cucumbers were so fresh, the olives and onions were not overpowering at all. It also came with a touch of capers which I have not seen before but really enjoyed. The olive oil they used felt 1A grade. Pretty filling and would recommend sharing. - Lamb chops: I stole a few bites from my husband's lamb chops which were perfectly cooked, tender, and had a generous amount of fat. The seasoning was amazing also though a bit salty for my taste. Not gamey at all! - Baklava: we thought this would be a traditional baklava but it was more like a reimagined baklava with some yogurt, pistachios, cranberry sauce, halva. While it has great textures, and nice healthy flavors, I think we were hoping for something a bit more traditional. Very big though so probably ideal if you have a larger group. Overall, I really enjoyed my meal here! The ambiance was super cute and the food was good. This is a perfect place to have a big celebratory meal since the dishes are so shareable and the set up is sufficiently smart casual- formal without being over the top or stuffy. Would come back if I found myself in Boston! Definitely check them out if you have a chance. PS: forgot to photograph a few dishes but sharing what I have!

Came here with a large group and this place did great!! Large venue with lots of seating and…read morebeautiful decor. SERVICE: Outstanding! The team here was super attentive and they handled our large group perfectly. FOOD: WOW! Everything came out very fresh and hot. We had a couple misunderstandings on the menu, but the food was great - so nothing to worry about. As you can see by the photos - the food also looked great! This is a great restaurant in the seaport area. Go give them a try!!

Kendall standards are, honestly, lower. If you don't charge $50 for a salad and $25 for a cocktail…read moreyou're already an innovator. If you provide reasonable quality and friendly staff you are downright a gem. Sulmona is a comfy vibe and acceptable food. It's nothing outstanding but it's a nice place to stop by particularly during the non peak hours because it has a good amount of space and the staff is friendly and accommodating. I find myself coming here when I'm just kind of out of ideas. But in a nice way.

The takeout was soooooooo awful! I'll never believe in "buy 1 get 1 free" again…read more Pollo Parmigiano: It tasted like Chicken Milanese topped with another layer of cheese--it was so greasy it was unbearable! The tomato meat sauce wasn't salty enough to mask the basil flavor, and it had a strange, gamey taste. It was better after reheating it the next day.

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.

Craving foie gras so found the best foie gras in town. This Michelin recommended spot in back bay…read morelooks low-key on the outside but is clearly hiding main character energy. Prix fixe menu ($125) and a minimalist vibe. Also... the silverware is hidden in a drawer?? So fun. The foie gras was easily the best I've had! Perfectly seared - melts like butter but somehow not greasy, and the shell thing added a crunchy texture. Another dish I was super impressed by was the cabbage, they gave this super common veggie a new lift by pairing it with a savory toasted bread sauce and most importantly truffle! The cocoa-rubbed venison with black garlic glaze was so unique. Meat was chewy, and the radish gave it a refreshing taste. The cauliflower came out like art, with the savory kale puree and crispy chicken skin. I don't love veggies but those dishes are seriously so delicious I can eat cauliflower all day. Service was pretty fast and attentive, but it would be nice to have some sort of acknowledgement for a special occasion celebration. Overall the dishes were mind-blowing, you could tell the chef sacrificed some brain cells to come up with those.

Four rustic vegetable-focused courses, striped bass and 3 thin slices of duck breast, 2 hrs.read more

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.