2 local couples on a saturday night. The duck was terrible, overdone, cold and salty, the pork chop was so-so, none of the food was hot, and the dessert was not what we ordered. The waiter was awful. Couldn't wait to get out. Not going back again. read more

We visited Scutra for the first time on a Saturday night and had a wonderful dinner from start to finish. We had appetizers, main dish and desserts. Everything was delicious and we thought the appetizers and main dishes were unique-- not something you'd find everywhere else. We'll definitely return. read more

Charming interior. Friendly, attentive and knowledgable service. The beef stew I ordered was very tasty. The shared flatbread pizza appetizer was delicious. Most entrees are $22 and under. Portions are on the small side but all entrees ordered were enjoyed by my dining partners. Overall - Scutra offered a very nice dining experience. read more

The food was fantastic. Yes, portions are not large but complex and beautifully arranged. I will definitely go again.

4 stars for food, 5 for ambiance and service. Scutra looks like not-much from the outside -- almost a strip-mall-type location, but inside the place is well-decorated, not overly lighted, and quiet. That's the physical ambiance. In terms of a warm welcome and attentive service, it was a standout. Dinner began with crusty bread and a herbed good-quality olive oil. Cocktails($10 range) were imaginative and not fruit-punchy -- mine simply had vodka, gin, and lillet with a twist of orange; and the wine list was short but nice, with enough choices by the glass ($7-9 range). The food was imaginative, too, including a duck and sundried fruit strudel, a not-rice-heavy paella, a lamb scallopin, plus nice desserts. A one-page, thoughtully constructed, and correctly spelled menu (for once!). I've had tastes that stood out more than these -- though they were certainly very good indeed -- and the overall experience is definitely one I'll repeat. I don't know whether it's a family- or chef-owned place, but it felt like it, with all the care and pride that such a designation implies. read more

I called tonight hoping that I could get a gift certificate for my mom on her birthday, OR better yet, on the off chance that she was there (I was hopeful since I knew it was her favorite restaurant), then I would cover her bill. The Manager was so wonderful. Just as I was finishing up giving him all my details for the gift certificate he said, "a couple matching your description just walked in the door" and as luck would have it, it was them. My mom was so thrilled! I cannot thank Scutra and its manager enough for being so kind!! read more

We have been here a few times. First time was amazing! Second time still good third time I was indefferent. The first time the hostess who I later found out was the owner not so pleasant. We felt as though we were bothering her. The meal did win us over. so we went back. Food was good. Third time just above average. The chef owner isn't always there and I think it makes a difference when he's not cooking. Overall we like it. Wish it were a little more consistant. read more

We loved this place, our food was delicious and our waiter was excellent! Atmosphere warm and trendy. Definitely going back!

I've had really good meals at Scutra before, so I was surprised and disappointed tonight. We went because there is a lobster special, so of course we ordered two of the lobster dishes, as well as salads. When the bread arrived, I asked if they had gluten-free bread. The server looked puzzled, then assured me the bread was gluten-free, but offered to check to make sure. (I knew better, so didn't sample it while I was waiting.) When he returned he informed me that, sadly, they didn't have gluten-free bread. Suggestion: train the servers better re: food allergies. The salads (warm spinach salad and Greek salad) were fine. However, the two lobster dishes rated "OK but a little weird" and "really not good at all." The OK but weird one was lobster tempura with coconut spiced rice and cabbage. The not really at all good one was lobster paella - it had not very much lobster in it, the sauce was too spicy and reminded me of Chef Boyardee, there was hardly any rice and it was full of dry, tough chicken. The too-spicy sauce was especially problematic because our water glasses were left unfilled for most of dinner. read more

My husband I went to Scutra this past Friday. We'd been there before, but not for a number of months. We were seated right away and as soon as we looked at the menus we knew something had changed, as the prices were less than they used to be. My reaction was that the food portions must be smaller and they definitely were. We both got the caprese salad, which was decent. My husband order the paella and I ordered the fish special (red snapper). When the food came out, both our jaws dropped at how small the portions were. I'm not a big eater, but even I left there feeling hungry. My food was "ok", nothing special. My husband didn't like his paella; said it had no flavor and there was hardly any fish in it. Even with the reduced prices, the bill was over $100 and we were still hungry! Needless to say, we will not be going back to Scutra. read more

I went with family for a birthday celebration. The food was very good as was the service. Everyone enjoyed the food. We shared an excellent salad to start. It's a quaint place just off the beaten path in Arlington. I'd go again. read more

Except for the lobster tacos dinner, which was two small tacos and nothing else (some good slaw or sweet potato fries or something would have been a good addition)--the food was great. Appetizers, entrees and desserts were fresh and flavorful. The problem seemed to be with service. Something was off and we could feel it. We all agreed that the hostess greeted us with a luke warm welcome, at best. We had an accident (broken glass) at the table and were moved promptly. This could have thrown a wrench into things. But it took a long time for our waitress to come to the table. We waited way too long for our drinks. We never got water after we moved I had to ask twice. It was hard to find our waitress. She was nice enough but not very available. So more little things went wrong than should (including my soup being delivered with no spoon, and I finally asked the hostess when she came by). My wife wanted a glass of wine with her dinner and I had to flag the waitress down as she'd rush by our table without giving us a glance. Great pork shank, gnocchi bolognese, nan pizza appetizer had wonder flavors of fine cheese and other ingredients. My chilled tomato and cucumber soup was a perfect summer treat. The service should always be as good as the food you are serving. Unfortunately it wasn't during our visit. read more

We came here on New Year's Eve without a reservation and managed to score the last table in the restaurant. We had the lamb chop lollipop and a bitter greens salad for appetizers, the rib eye and Chilean sea bass for entrees, and the creme brule and trio sampler for dessert. The lamb chop was amazing, the rib eye was so tender that i could pull it apart without a knife, and the trio sampler made my eyes roll back in my head! The food was superlative and the service impeccable. My only complaint was that when we first arrived, they were playing 80s pop/rock music (Blondie, White Snake, Michael Jackson, George Michael, etc), which was way out of sync with the atmosphere of the restaurant. One of the staff must have realized after about 45 minutes and the music switched over to a more appropriate "restaurant background music". Other than the music, we had an amazing dinner, and we'll DEFINITELY return. read more

The food is good, and recently there have been some lower price specials that allow patrons to have a meal that's not horribly expensive. The bread is wonderful. My main course this time was a risotto with small pieces of chicken, asparagus, and squash, in a creamy sauce; it was tasty but didn't need to have quite so much cream. The service continues to be weird -- my place was set with a spoon, fork, and regular dinner knife, but just before the main course arrived, the waiter took away the spoon and dinner knife, and added a steak knife. I ignored the strange knife situation (has anyone ever encountered the small pieces of chicken in a risotto tough enough to need a steak knife to cut up?) and addressed the removal of the spoon. I told the waiter that I WANTED a spoon for my main course (I'd prefer one in most cases anyway, but especially if I'm being served a soupy risotto). He said he would bring another spoon (couldn't have he just left the one he had in his hand? Maybe that violates some kind of precious waitperson's code). And of course he never did bring another spoon. I was with a group, and the person next to me let me have her spoon. But because I was with a group, there was an obligatory 20% tip, which left me feeling rather grumpy under the circumstances. If I ever go there again I will grip my spoon in my hand and not allow its removal. read more

On its best days, Scutra is hands-down the best restaurant in Boston. It should get five stars for the food, but there has been some inconsistency that has snuck in during the last 2 years. Unfortunately, where it used to be the case that you were guaranteed fabulous food every time you walked in, now it's a "likely" outcome but you are not assured of it. Still, I would rather eat at Scutra than almost anywhere else. While the owner/chef Didier does many things well, I think he is at his very best with fish and seafood. The home-made bread is FANTASTIC. Appetizers are generally very good too, especially the mussels and the salads. My one major complaint about Scutra is desserts. It's not that they aren't wonderful, but over the years portion sizes have become smaller and smaller, while the prices have gone up. If one needs to charge higher prices for dessert, fine, but if there's not enough on the plate to satisfy, then I'm just not interested, and it's for this reason that I have not ordered dessert the last 6 times or so I've gone to Scutra, even though I *wanted* to have dessert. Memo to Scutra's owners: At least at my table, you are losing out on revenues by skimping on dessert portions. It's embarrassing to pay $8 or more and get three bites' worth out of something. read more

we eat at Scutra about twice a year.last week I had the striped bass and my wife had the steak and a warm spinach salad. all of these were excellent.I did not like the wine 1 I ordered and they switched it without charge. service and ambiance are very comfortable. read more