Fun place super yummy just a bit loud. Different types of drinks which was fun to try

I went to Ilona Saturday night with a friend. We were able to make reservations the day before. The restaurant is really nice with a nice a ambiance. The food was amazing! Every dish we tried was truly amazing. the portions are also generous. It was hard to choose our favorite dishes but our top 3 were the octopus, the eggplant, and tuna, we also loved the fatoush. You can't go wrong ordering because everything was great. There are 2 reasons I gave this a 4 star review. First reason is that the recommendation is that you order 2-4 dishes per person because they're shareable plates. We ordered 8 or 9. About 5 of the dishes came out at once and the table was very small. I could barely fit my plate on the table to eat. We had to make them take away our waters salt and pepper and the candle on the table. Other dishes came but they couldn't fit on the table so they had to be taken back and held. It was overwhelming and we were rushing to eat just to clear out plates to make room. Other places I've been to kind of stagger the dishes so it's not coming all out at once. It also probably wouldn't have been as bad if we had a larger table but a 2-top can't fit 8 dishes at once. Next time I'm there I would definitely order like 2-3 plates at a time knowing what I know now. The second reason is the service. After we placed our order with our server he came back around once midway through our meal. He wasn't even the one who brought our bill. We asked if we could order dessert and we were told that the kitchen was closed although there was a party of 8-10 people that were ordering and getting there food. This was around 11 pm, and we were told they close at 12am. It would have been nice if our server came around and let us know the kitchen is closing would you like anything else as other places do but like I said our waiter didn't really come back and the guy bringing our bill said no to dessert. It was what it was. With that said I would definitely go back because the food is phenomenal. They could work on their service. read more

This is one of my new favorite spots. The menu is tapas style variety of Georgian, Turkish, and Greek cuisines. Best items we tried were the short rib over eggplant and the grilled octopus (which was better than any I've had, including on the Greek islands). Pass on the Georgian mozzarella filled bread and the roasted cauliflower (which had an odd curry flavor). The shish barak (phyllo dough with lamb) was more of a cinnamon bun stuffed with ground lamb; not what we expected but it was delicious. I had to knock off a star because I made a reservation on the phone a week in advance, called to confirm the reservation the evening before, and for some reason received a text the day of saying my reservation had been cancelled. When I called the restaurant to inquire, they said there was a glitch in their system which over booked them and they had to cancel me. I asked to speak to a manager and they ended up honoring my reservation, but it was a frustrating experience. read more

ilona - Cocktail list - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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I came here pre-COVID and just never had the time to write a review about this. Months later, I still can't stop thinking about how rude the management was. This place has the worst customer service I have ever experienced in my entire life. I would never support a restaurant, no matter how good their food is, if they treat me poorly or disrespectfully and that is why I am never returning to this restaurant. I came with a party of ten for my friends birthday. For reference, we are all over 21 years old and we are all from different countries. Four of us are from Florida including myself. The waiter we had was lovely but the manager for some reason did not let two of us from Florida get drinks, even when after speaking to him for a second time showing him our ID was identical to one other Floridian he had just given a drink to. This manager was so arrogant he couldn't admit his mistake and wouldn't let us get drinks. I even told him to call the police so they could scan the IDs and prove they are real. They should have a box scanner instead of judging by what we look like who and who can't get drinks. Me and my friend who weren't allowed to drink were so enraged we didn't even order food. The audacity of someone to look at you and decide whether or whether not you are allowed to drink based on looks rather than government ID issued proof is outrageous. I would not recommend this place to anyone. There are far more superior restaurants in Boston that have great food AND great service. read more

One of my favorite places in Boston - it's always crowded, but reservations are day of so I can always go last minute instead of planning a month in advance. Everything is incredible - the eggplant chips, the octopus (incredibly generous portion), the fresh salads, and the makhlovani are standouts to me. Accommodating of all dietary restrictions and lifestyles. A gem in Boston - service is always very friendly and professional. read more

ilona - Dips - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I wanted Mediterranean food and discovered this place while driving in South end. We ordered several appetizers and a salmon kebab. Service was good and food delicious. Found it a bit expensive for what it is though (for instance the salmon kebab was not generous and did not come with any side). Good place to go overall read more

So much flavor. Had the shishito peppers, flatbread and lamb and hummus. Small light meal on a hot summer night with a glass of wine is wonderful and Ilona didn't disappoint. Sat outside in the breezeway so we didn't have to deal with car exhaust. I hate going out to eat and paying good money for food I could make at home and this place rose to the challenge. Very enjoyable. read more

Dinner was fantastic! There is so much interesting food on the menu, we couldn't decide what to order. The swordfish kebabs were so tender and delicious. The beans were fantastic as was the imeruli Khachapuri (Cheese stuffed bread). Also, the felafel were light and delicious. I loved the red wine from Georgia, Saperavi. The service was warm and attentive. The room was warm and inviting...I love the turquoise banquettes down the center of the room. I look forward to going again soon! read more

Delicious food excellent service, terrific wine, very nice room. This is a keeper. We found it by accident on a Sunday night, and it made our evening. read more

We had dinner here on a Sunday at 5 and it was busy but not crowded. We got the table by the door which was good for ventilation due to some covid concerns in our party. The server was friendly and joked with us. He recommended certain cocktails and foods. The cocktails were creative and tasty. The pikilia is $22 for 3 dips and bread. We were encouraged to add another plate of $6 bread since the balance of dips and bread is not right. Felt a little pricey but the flavors were quite good. We enjoyed the fried eggplant with yogurt sauce - tasted like fried dough - barely tasted the eggplant. The fried halloumi was just 3 small slices and sort of over cooked. I had the mussels in a spicy sauce which were generous and actually a bargain at $17 -bread included. The ambiance felt light and airy and posh. It was a fun place to go. Be prepared to pay a hefty tab at the end of the night. read more

Delicious food but the place is so loud that it is impossible to converse. I cannot give it five stars because of this. We would have been better on outside at the patio tables even though it was chilly. The staff was friendly. read more

Amazing food and drinks! We sat at the bar and the bartender was so sweet and make gave us complementary shots. They were superb! The fried eggplant, lamb and trio of dips were great. One of the best Mediterranean restaurants in Boston. Highly recommend! read more

The best in Boston. Fresh, tasty and well priced. I'm a 3 day a week customer lately. read more

Best takeout I have had in months! Can't wait to try Ilona when restaurants re-open. I tried Ilona originally because they have Imeruli Khachapuri, which is one of my favorite foods (it's like the most delicious cheese pizza / calzone you have ever had). It's hard to find, so I was thrilled to see it on their menu! Ilona's version is EXCELLENT, I would eat it every day if I could. The rest of the food was also excellent: delicious hummus, insanely good shrimp kebab, chicken kebab, cauliflower. Everything we had was hot, fresh, and delicious. All items were lovingly prepared and carefully packed. Cannot wait to order again! read more

Came to try this place and they have $1 oysters on Thursdays! They are local and taste so fresh and the sauces compliment the oysters so well. My personal favorite was the crispy eggplant- the burst of flavor and balance of savory and sweet was perfect! Also I really recommend getting the pikilia. The beet dip was so vibrant and tasty. The restaurant has beautiful decor and a relaxing ambiance with lots of natural light. They also have a large patio! Most of the dishes are small plates and meant for sharing and they are pricey but I definitely think this place is great for a nice evening out. I will be returning! read more

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The restaurant manager contacted and corrected the overcharge. Thank you very much!

Went to Ilona on Friday night and I had the best food ever, we ordered Comiste crispy eggplant, shish barak, fish crudo, roasted cauliflower, and borek we all enjoyed it, the service, the music, and our amazing bartender Antonio who was extremely helpful explaining the many varieties of dishes and drinks for us. Coming back soon!!! read more

I really do not get the hype about this place at all. To start with the hostess is completely clueless. Mh friend and I came on a Friday evening with no reservation (risky ikikik). There were quite a few open tables. The hostess said they had one available and she would be right back to seat me. Great. She comes back maybe 6 minutes later and then doesn't acknowledge me and says nothing and starts tapping on the little iPad screen. After a minute or two I'm like ... hello? She's like can I help you. I'm like ?? Is the table ready? She says they're all booked for the night but my friend and I can sit at the bar. Okay that's no big deal but just such a weird interaction. We snagged a seat at the bar. Not only is it wildly expensive for what it is, the food really isn't that great. We both got mules and they were really really good. I ordered the halloumi and it came out cold and soggy. Super disappointing as this is one of my favorite foods. I make it better at home (and I rarely cook). Next I got the tomato and cucumber salad and it was also disappointing. $16 for maybe 8 pieces of lettuce and 2 crumbles of feta. My friend ordered the shish barak which was good but again an insanely small portion for $16. We ordered some manakish and it never showed up. After quite some time we asked for it again and then it came immediately. It was cold and sad. We had planned on eating more food but the experience thus far had been so disappointing that we literally went to my place and made a frozen pizza. Would not recommend and don't plan to be back. read more

What is your feeling after leaving a restaurant? Honestly, ask yourself that question... Mine, every time i leave "Ilona" is- damn! I want to come back! Not really to come back, but order everything i had and repeat/repeat/repeat. The craving of something (Pikilia-spreads, crispy eggplant, salmon kabob and many more) is the answer why Ilona is truly stole my heart. And stomach, for sure read more

Ilona is great for small groups interested in tasting different dishes across a range of Mediterranean cuisines (Greek, Turkish, Georgian, etc.). The crispy eggplant and the shrimp aliyyeh were the highlights and the lamb burger was pretty solid too. Super friendly waiters and waitresses who make great recommendations. Will be back some time next year! read more

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This place has amazing ambience and food. The variety of food and quality of food and drinks is on point. Drinks are really amazing and pretty unique! Loved their platter of different breads and spreads and the lamb dishes. Shrimp recipes were really different and on point!! Would definitely recommend these! read more

Not good and over priced. If you want a good meal go to kava down the street it's exponentially better.

Absolutely amazing experience. The restaurant is bright and very nice inside. The food was simply amazing. We ordered a bunch of items to try: everything was prefect. read more

The food was so tasty amazing atmosphere the staff there were very welcoming and lots of dishes had that arabic flavor and it was just perfect read more

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Maybe it's because I am from Austin, but this was amazing. Service was incredible- full restaurant, no reservation, but somehow everything (8 courses) came timely. The fried eggplant was a highlight, Ilona pairs the sweet with tart tastes really well. Lamb was heavy- would only recommend one lamb dish, but that isn't a restaurant critique. Expensive, but filling! Worth it. read more

My group of four had a pleasant dinner at Ilona on a Saturday night. This South End restaurant isn't too big so make reservations beforehand. There is a bar with plenty of seats if you want to risk it without reservations. For food we ordered (ranked starting with most favorite): Crispy Eggplant - oh so delicious! This reminded me of the Zuchinni chips they serve at their sister restaurant Kava but better! Make sure to eat every bite with the yogurt and honey sauce. Musakhan - this roasted chicken dish was a whole chicken served on top of a flatbread. The chicken was very juicy and flavorful. Pikilia - this included the manakish flatbread with 3 dips, wish there was more flatbread because we had leftover dip! Shrimp Aliyyeh - well cooked and flavorful shrimp Falafel - crispy falafel served with small pieces of flatbread in a make your own wrap kinda style, no complaints here Beef Shish Kabab - this came with two kababs, good but nothing special Roasted Cauliflower - the yogurt sauce made this dish very heavy, wasn't my favorite but others enjoyed it Short Rib Special of the night - this was a skillet of short rib, potatoes, and cheese. It was very homey and comfort food but didn't stand out among the other dished. Drinks I tried the Putnam Manhattan and Passion Martini. Drinks were delicious. Try the passion martini if you want something sweet. Overall this was a great dinner experience. Service was kind and did not rush us at all. I will definitely be back for the crispy eggplant! read more

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One of the best restaurants in Boston, absolutely amazing. High quality fresh ingredients prepared to perfection, great service, & friendly staff. Everything we ordered was excellent. Beef shawrma was full of flavour with just the right balance of beef/bread/sauce. The Musakhan is exquisite, out of this world, juicy and exactly the way it is prepared in the middle east. Crispy eggplant is umami! beautifully layered flavours. Kanafeh is delicious. This place is better than many Michelin rated restaurants. Can't wait to go back. read more

The restaurant was very cute inside but very small! The ambiance was casual. We were here for a birthday dinner and it was our first time. The drinks from the bar were great, and our server was very nice! It's a tapas style restaurant so it's small plates to share. Since there were so many of us we basically ordered one of everything but we it favorites were the octopus, mussel with risotto, and the short ribs. Parking is going to be a bit tough since it's right in the south end and the restaurant sits on the corner of a busy intersection - mainly street parking only. read more

The staff were very friendly and knowledgeable about the food. The eggplant was so savory and creamy it was great. You can't go wrong with any dish really. Their "mule" is a wonderful drink. I recommend this place read more

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I've been beyond excited for this place to open, specially when I heard their menu will have a mix of middle eastern food. They did not disappoint, they serve soul food in a boujie setting! Octopus - It was perfectly charred, though not overcooked. Mussels - The sauce was great, a light sauce with allot of flavor. Hunkar Begendi - This dish was magical! The short rib was beyond tender and the eggplant dip was perfectly made! Manakish - we got this bread to make sure no sauce goes to waste & the bread itself is amazing too! Steak - we got a 1 pound steak that was seasoned so well! It was their special of the night & not on the menu. Overall, I highly recommend this place - go try it before it starts having a 2hr wait time!! read more

I visited ilona a few weeks ago with friends. They still have some kinks to work out with the service (we waited 15-20 minutes for our reservation), but it was worth it. The food was amazing - I love Mediterranean small plates, and ilona does it very well. The cocktail and wine list was also good with the wines being a little on the expensive side. The atmosphere was nice, as well. It's definitely a trendy vibe, but it'll be really nice when it's warmer and they can fully open their windows. I cannot wait to go back ilona. read more

The food and service was good. We ordered the lamb burger, beef kebob and watermelon salad; no complaints with those. The music was super loud. The table next to us asked the staff to turn down the music twice. We had ordered the Pilikia, which was described as a variety of dips and bread. The order came out with 3 small bowls of dip and 6 triangles of flatbread. For $21, the amount of bread compared to the amount of dip was way off. After we finished the bread, we had more than half the dips remaining. I asked if get more bread with the order, but they said we would have to order more. We ended up wasting about 1/3 of the dips. read more

DINNER REVIEW This place was hovering between a 4 and a 5 in my mind but I'm ultimately giving it a 4 because of the value for the portions at this place. Ilona is one of the newest additions to the South End small plate scene. From the same owners as Kava, one of my favorites, I had high expectations. I had already been to Sarma and Oleana so this place has some tough competition when it comes to Middle Eastern small plates when it comes to Boston. I made a reservation for 6 at 8:45 PM on a Saturday the week of which I was really surprised to get given that this is the type of place that wouldn't have many 6-person tables available at all. We were lucky to get the one of the few. DECOR/SETTING: The place has a very unique setting for a middle eastern restaurant. The windows all opened garage door style which I loved so you felt like you were outside even if you were inside. The chairs and couches (yes, some diners sat on couches) were multi-colored/plush but all had a very modern, minimalist design to them all. FOOD: With a group of 6, we ordered a lot. I'm not going to go in-depth on each but the top 2 are must-gets and the rest are good but I'm sure you can find whatever appeals to you on the menu. Whatever you get from the small plates, also get a Home Style Meat to share. We got the chicken (Musakhan) which comes with a whole chicken and it was my absolute favorite thing we got. It came served on top of a freshly-made pita as well. Imeruli Khachapuri - this is the other thing you must get. It's like a Georgian grilled cheese. YUMMMY! Pikilia - this was a plate of 3 different dips (including a hummus and a beet tzatziki) all of which were delicious. I just wish they gave you more bread for it. Crispy Eggplant - one of my favorite dishes. Came out tempura style Grilled shrimp - Very delicious but you literally get one large shrimp for $18. Really not a good value. Octopus - same as the grilled shrimp. Delicious, not great value Shish Barak - also very good and unique. A Phyllo dough pastry stuffed with lamb. Adana Lamb Kebab - good but really not a good value for $14. You got one log (you got a better word for it) of kebab. Halloumi - good but nothing to write home about We also ordered the only dessert they had which isn't on the menu but they said it comes in a cast-iron skillet so we assumed it would be big but it was absolutely tiny. It had good cheese and pistachios in it but not worth whatever we paid for it. Go out for ice cream instead. I get that this place is just opening but I would recommend slightly larger portions for what is being charged (especially on the Tiger Shrimp), especially compared to other small plates restaurants in the city. I probably won't rush to come back but I did have an overall positive experience. read more

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It's no KAVA neo-taverna but it's solid. Plus taking reservations makes it a good option. In summary: - Perfect decor/ambiance - Delicious food - Spotty service - Decent value (just over $200 for four people) Decor: One of the best ambiance's in Boston in my opinion. Beautiful and unique decor, plus open air options, make it one of the kind. Food: Everything was really good. My favorites were the cauliflower, the octopus, and the kibbeh. Service: We had a strange greeting upon arrival at our slotted time stating our reserved table *might* be ready in 10 minutes. We were seated, though, right about then. The food, which was delicious, came out so fast (6 dishes in less than five minuets) that we had to ask them to take a pause. After that, things were fine. Last thing I'll mention is that it felt like a bit of a "scene" there but I think that's just how the neighborhood is now, unfortunately. All in all, I'd come back. read more

Ilona is the newest trendy spot in the heart of the South End and doing well for having opened so recently. I love the chic digs and specifically the teal sofa seating. The Mediterranean small plates and extensive wine list and small cocktail list appear to be good. There isn't a huge variety of dishes, though, made fewer for non-octopus and non-calamari eating people of the world like myself. I vacillated between giving three stars and four, but I had to go with three as I probably wouldn't be motivated to return. Maybe I'm getting old, but spending $$$ on very small plates (I had to make myself a snack when I got home...even after paying $50 to split 5 plates among 3 people + 1 drink) and fighting to be heard among the din in a packed environment (the aisles are single file, which makes it difficult to impossible for a server to pass through at the same time that you are coming/going/heading to the bathroom) isn't my thing-- unless the food is bomb and there are more than four cocktails on the menu. read more

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Nice vibes, it's a cute corner restaurant with aesthetic interiors. Food was overall good, but nothing spectacular. We ordered the beef shish kebab, goulash, crispy eggplant, and the calamari. Would recommend the beef shish kebab, it was definitely the best out of all the dishes we ordered. The crispy eggplant was also pretty good, but felt more like dessert in our opinion. Also got a spicy mojito, but they're not kidding with the spice. Overall, very nice place for dinners, drinks, or dates; the food isn't particularly memorable, but the ambiance is great! read more

ilona - Crispy Eggplant - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Beautiful restaurant with great food and service. Everything was well thought out, from their branding on their website, to the plates the food comes in and cups tea is served in. We really loved the shishito peppers, crispy eggplant, and the khachapuri. The menu is very vegetarian friendly! Highly recommend. read more

Thank you Ilona - you have a wonderful team who have been there to make our dinner so special tonight and during the very restricted Covid times. I truly appreciate! We had a fantastic patio time ! Everything was so delicious! Khachapuri , roasted cauliflower, lamb, amber Georgian wine - so good! And friendly atmosphere adds up to this wonderful experience! And also a special thank you to Svenij -the Manager who is always there and makes it even more special ! Maddy - my special thank you to you too! Best time always! read more

ilona - Amber wine . - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Apparently the Saturday night we decided to visit the newly opened ilona was also their largest number of group reservations they had ever had at the same time. Our tiny two party table was a peninsula surrounded by 3 large parties that were clearly there to, well, party. The space was extremely loud - so loud that we had to scream our order in. Our waiter also felt either over worked, under trained, or both. He said he would stage our order, but it all ended up coming out almost at the same time but for our salad that came out... last? He also spilled our wine 2x while refilling our glasses and did not even think about wiping it up. Some of the dishes we found to be bland and others were nothing special. We will stick with Kava for now and supplement with a Georgian cook book in our own kitchen. read more

Wow, wow, wow.... Incredible food, incredible service, incredible atmosphere. I came here with a work group of 12 people & we were blown away by the food and the service. Geoffrey was our server & what an excellent experience! Service was flawless and the food was amazing. I'd really recommend trying a lot of the small plates. My favorites were the lamb kabob, and the eggplant with short-rib. They also have shared dishes, one of them is beef and it was AMAZING. So was the lamb, fish, and chicken. We were 12 people & were able to try a variety of dishes. Compliments to the chef! Incredible place. I live in Charlotte but would seriously consider flying back for dinner here. read more

ilona - Beautiful open air seating area! - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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