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.

Larger than expected portion sizes. Overall decent food and drinks. The cocktail menu was fun and…read moreinventive. Our table of 6 was seated on a Saturday night at 7:30pm. The server did rush our meal which was disappointing. She kept asking to take away our plates when they weren't finished, and emphasized twice there was a time limit on our reservation. Sort of frustrating when you're just trying to enjoy a meal with your friends and the server is just incessantly trying to wrap you up. I don't know if I would choose to come back, only to be rushed out again.

Totally worth the hype!…read more Came here for drinks with friends and was blown away with the creativity of the cocktails and the warmth of the staff. This place is tiny and you need to fight for your life for a reservation but it makes sense why it's so popular. The drinks are spectacular and the staff are extremely knowledgeable and will guide you through the whole experience. Will definitely be returning!

We had a wonderful visit to Farmacia for the Korean chapter…read more The cocktails were masterfully formulated and Susie was such a delight throughout the evening, being able to chat while also preparing the drinks. The other couples during the seating were lovely as well. Things I loved: *pay in advance--you pay when you make the reservation so you can just leave at the end *the cocktails--among the best you can find in boston. You can taste the care that goes into the menu preparation. *the service--we had such a nice evening that flew by Things of note: *the seating goes by pretty fast--for the volume of alcohol (3.5 drinks), the 90ish minute seating is too short. We ended up having to drink faster than we wanted to *the bar snacks--while tasty, they were teeny tiny. See my photo of the banchan--meant to be shared among two people. I was anticipating slightly more volumous snacks All in all, I totally recommend this experience and would definitely go back

Interesting ambiance, though it's really hard to visit as a single person, since everything is set…read moreup in little clusters of couches, and there's no bar seating. Cocktail menu is ambitious but doesn't deliver on the ingredients and vision promised in the description, and certainly not for the price.

One of my favorite bars in Boston. Visited for the first time with my husband and we made…read morereservations in advance. There is no bar seating only couches and bathroom is downstairs. Ambiance is very chill and great music. Our server was Lou and she was great. Idk what people are talking about in other reviews but she was great. She gave us recommendations on drinks and food and our service was on point. We tried 4 drinks and for the hummus ans everything was delicious. We will be back!

My friends and I stopped in here on a our first night in Boston. It was Friday night and a random…read morefind. We just happened to park across the street and noticed the bar but it was closed until later in the evening. We did did our thing and explored the area and decided to check out this spot before leaving. It's a little unassuming from the outside with the words Local Bar painted on the wall, but the little neon flamingo sign lets your know you're at the Flamingo. Walking in, the vibes were cool. They have this retro 80's Miami thing going on. It was cool. That's about all that was cool though. Customer service wasn't all that. The staff seemed more interested in their regulars. Since we walked in and used their facilities we decided just to have a shot and keep it moving. The shot wasn't even all that good. If it weren't for the cold customer service, we would have potentially spent alot more money here. It's a one and done for me!

Laid-back spot with cute drinks and a fun atmosphere. Service is so so! I like my flamingo drink…read morethough

You go because of the amazing service the ladies provide. You leave because of the terrible music…read morethey play.

Decent priced cigars, had a Churchill Late Hour and it was divine. Drinks were not worth it but…read moreits not a cocktail bar so much as a place for bros to smoke indoors and have a drink. Bros, tech bros, finance bros.. .all the bros

Such a fun experience and honestly such a deal for how many drinks and food you get! Definitely…read moreneed reservations, even on a weekday. You have to enter the building with a small fox picture, go down a set of stairs and check in at the counter of said restaurant before they lead you into the back where the speakeasy is. The menu is "set" in that they have a particular cuisine focus for the night and the four food dishes are predetermined as well as the first drink. That being said, you get to order three more drinks from their cocktail menu that range from lighter to more spirit forward, ending with more dessert type cocktails. All the drink flavors were so unique and a fun twist. The food was actually very substantial. Good flavors as well. Our favorite dishes were the lamb cigars (large egg roll shape with eggplant and spices) and the whole branzino. Everything was good though. Service was a very friendly and they were open about the fact that if you didn't like a drink they'd make you another one.

Man I love this place…read more Reservations are a must and it is a little tricky to find. Look for the fox on the outside door and go downstairs. We sat at the bar and Ada was our bartender. She was great! Really enjoyed talking with her and she had great drinks recommendations. The food was delicious and very unique which was refreshing. Its a 2 hour experience with 4 drinks, 3 food courses and a dessert. You definitely wont be hungry after. Highly recommend for a date night.

Continues to be one of my favorite cocktail bars!!!!! The drinks are so good. We stopped in this…read morepast weekend and of course got the pistachio martinis. You really can't go wrong with them and they are a must try. I love the gelato in them, it really kicks them up a notch. I also got the espresso martini which was very very good too. Definitely a top 5 espresso martini. We also got an affogato and had baileys added to it- this was AMAZING! If you're into dessert drinks this is the best place for them. Sometimes you have to wait in line but once you're seated the service is great. The staff checks in often and is extremely helpful. This is a great date night or hang out spot, it has a very relaxed atmosphere and feels like a cafe. Highly recommend!

Service has a lot to be desired. They're rude and don't focus on customer service…read more We ended up walking out because they just gave attitude from the first words out of their mouth. I had my laptop and was NOT doing any work on it. I just had it with me and I wasn't even planning to do work on it. I was there to get coffee. They came up to me and gave me attitude over it and them not wanting screens. I was like okay but then they walked off and didn't take our orders. They saw us leaving and asked if we wanted anything. We said "No! I said we respected your wishes and never disrespected your policy but instead of taking our orders you gave us shit and walked off." They obviously don't want customers.

Solid Italian restaurant in the North End. Loved that on a Saturday morning it was nice and quiet,…read morewith the sun shining through the large windows. Ordered the burrata (nice and creamy, and lightly salted), and the lobster gnocchi. The potato gnocchi was soft, and cooked to perfection, vodka sauce was rich and creamy (but not toooooo heavy), and there was a large amount of both lobster claw and tail in the pasta. Really enjoyed our pasta dishes and would definitely return.

The smell inside Nando was horrible but I'm not sure if that was just the day we went ? The food…read morewas pretty good definitely really enjoyed it, spaghetti and meatballs was good nothing to write home about. The Spaghetti Cacio Pepe Tartufo was better would recommend that. The vibes are okay.