Incredibly sad and disappointing. We wanted to go out for a special celebratory dinner and chose the Lively. It was such a bad experience we left feeling very upset - and that our special evening was ruined. First, we were informed that they were out of more than half of the very limited menus selections. When we did order, it took nearly 2 HOURS to be served our food. My husband ordered a very expensive steak, which arrived cold. I ordered the fish, and it arrived raw in places - very undercooked. This was a splurge dinner for us, and it was 1000% not worth the very expensive check. The atmosphere was very loud, and the server seemed stressed and chaotic. It was just a horrible experience all around. So sad we wasted our money on this upsetting dinning experience. read more

Great ambiance! Wonderful service (Taylor served us a few nights ago when we brought our extended family). Food was delicious! Probably one of the nicer high end restaurants in Boise. read more

Really good foods and service are excellent. We had the octopus and Idaho trout. Love the location and very morden read more

The Lively - New American Near Me - Boise, Idaho

Absolutely horrendous. Asked about getting a table for drinks. Waited for 10 minutes for the privilege to ask the bartender for a bottle of wine who informed us that we had to wait for a server. After 15 minutes of watching the service staff grab each others ass the I decided we were too good for this place. read more

Loved everything about it! Owners had been to a Portugal so they were serving two Port wine cocktails this summer (I'm Portuguese!) We got the best table in the place. Food was SO good, and service was excellent! read more

The Lively - Second floor dining area. - New American Near Me - Boise, Idaho

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This is what Boise has been missing! Thank you for bringing the good stuff! Amazing service, menu, chef, local items, we explored every appetizer and loved every bite. Amazing cocktails, excellent wine list! Great decor, private speakeasy in the back, soon to be three floors... again thank lively for bringing it! read more

Delicious! We went on a Friday, it was a bit busy and the service was pretty slow. However, the restaurant was beautiful and the food was amazing. Every dish was unique. read more

The Lively - Bucatini - New American Near Me - Boise, Idaho

Best meal I've ever had in Boise. The service was impeccable, the Côté de bœuf was unbeatable and worth the wait. The Coffee and Donuts dessert was impressive. The way it was decorated for Christmas and the holiday season was so beautiful. read more

The Lively - The entrance. - New American Near Me - Boise, Idaho

We love going here to celebrate the food is the best we have had in Boise, the staff is so kind, and it's gorgeous at this restaurant

A birthday to remember... I would like to start with the fact that my husband and I went to the Lively for my birthday last year and had a great experience. Which is why I thought it would wonderful to go for my birthday again this year. Oh how I was wrong. The night started by us being sat next to an extremely loud table, so loud I could not even hear my mother speak from across the table. When the waiter came to take our drink order after 10 minutes at the table he was unable to hear me and asked if we would like to be moved. Luckily there was a window seat open so we were moved there. Coming from a restaurant family we would never seat someone next to a table that was so obnoxious. In fact I would have asked the table to quiet down as they were laughing and shouting while video chatting friends and disturbing other guests. Alas, that was the least of it. After we were moved it took 20 minutes to get our 2 vodka martinis. Once those arrived it took another 20 minutes for the waiter to come back and take our order. I completely understand when a restaurant is understaffed but taking 50 minutes to even jot down an order is unacceptable. We were brought rolls with butter while we waited but this was after the waiter had known about my dairy allergy. Definitely a miss in communication to the rest of the staff. Including the fact that the hostess had asked if we were celebrating anything special and I had said my birthday. Knowing special information like celebrations and dietary restrictions are critical to the guest experience. My birthday dinner was off to an extremely rocky start. Appetizers arrived after we had been there an hour. The salad and octopus were delicious. I felt like we were getting back on track. Unfortunately, this once again went down hill when the entrees did not arrive until we had been at the table for 1 hour and 45 minutes. After the wait I was extremely hungry and couldn't wait to dive in. This is where things really took a turn for the worst. The immediate presentation of my chicken was terrible. It lacked color. When I say this I mean both in the browning of the chicken and the overall plate. It was simply shades of beige! Not aesthetically pleasing at all. Presentation is key and sets the tone for the meal. I was so hungry I moved past the shock of this sad looking plate and cut into my chicken. To my horror it was difficult to cut and slightly pink inside. I completely understand that due to the sous vide cooking method it can result in a pinker chicken but this was not even to proper cooking standards. One should not have to saw through the rubbery chicken. My mother had also gotten the chicken and the cherry on top of it all was that hers was also in the same sad rubbery state. My mother owning her own restaurant got the manager and sent the chicken back. At this point we had been at the restaurant for almost 2 hours and had post dinner plans...I left the Lively without having eaten a birthday dinner, hungry, disappointed, and above all embarrassed that I had talked up this restaurant to my mother who lives and breathes fine cuisine. I will not be back and do not recommend this restaurant to others. I wouldn't want your special occasions ruined liked mine. read more

The only word to describe our experience tonight is exquisite. An absolutely gorgeous dinner in every way. Such a beautiful establishment, friendly & attentive staff, and hands down the best food in Boise and possibly in the PNW. Kudos to the chef! I highly recommend this beautiful restaurant! read more

Gorgeous ambiance, but overpriced weirdly paired food. Great service, but low quality beef for the price. Too bad because the setting is so lovely. read more

We had a fantastic dinner. The space is absolutely gorgeous (love the wallpaper!), the food is top notch, and the Lively staff is professional yet genuine. From the moment we entered, everyone made us feel welcome and comfortable. Boise was in dire need of an upscale, "fancy" restaurant with current decor, knowledgeable (and really cool) staff, and a menu that rivals any high-end big city restaurant. There are so many things to love about this place from the velvet booths to the trout entree which my husband lauded as the best he has EVER had! I wish I could remember everyone's name, our server was an adorable young man who also tends bar, he was amazing- so nice to our young daughter. The bartenders downstairs were so friendly and helpful, even the food-runners were a delight and again, so knowledgeable. We will be back again and again. Coffee and donuts, get the coffee and donuts. read more

The Lively - Stairway to dining area upstairs - New American Near Me - Boise, Idaho

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Friendly service, beautiful atmosphere & great food. The staff and decor are the best I've experienced in Boise. Would definitely recommend. Only one complaint would be that the customers who show up dressed like they're going to an Applebees be politely turned away. read more

I was so excited to check out the lively and so my husband and I decided to celebrate his birthday with dinner there. We made a reservation online several weeks in advance, but upon arriving were told to sit down in the waiting area. We waited for 30 minutes before being seated. The staff seemed disorganized as they had to ask us four separate times what our name was and if we had a reservation. The upstairs had a nice atmosphere. Our waiter went through the motions with us, but quickly got caught up with another table and was busy drinking shots with other patrons, so the service became spotty and slow. The starter and our entrees did not live up to expectations. We were also told that the staff would bring a special dessert as we were celebrating a birthday. The waiter brought out a dessert menu and we said we would stick to the special birthday dessert. He promptly brought out the check instead of a dessert and never came back to our table. So disappointed and will not be coming back. read more

12-7-21 6:30pm This was our 2nd visit to the restaurant. The food was good. The service was good. However when the water was being serviced, the helper knocked over the bottle of wine which in turn knocked over two glasses of water. I am not sure exactly how much of the wine spilt on the table because I was focusing on all water running over the edge of the table with the speed at which is was spilt. I felt embarrassed for the young man and tried to reassure him not to let it ruin his night or anyone's at the table as it was only me that was covered. I felt strongly that the manager would compensate for either the loss of wine or the fact that 1 of us had to try and enjoy the rest of the evening while wet, givin the fact that we had just ordered our appetizer that was going to be a while. We had out of town company with us so I did not want to make a scene with how disappointed I was that the management didn't even care. Because of this night out and the experience we had it really gives me a feeling of doubt that I will continue to support the salary of the management that doesn't care about the people who support their restaurant. read more

We celebrated our wedding anniversary here! Such great food and amazing service! I crave the coffee and donuts everyday

First impression was good, nice decor and staff was friendly. We started with the hamachi appetizer-excellent. Unfortunately that was the best part of the meal. They were out of the ribeye, husband had the pork belly. Terrible. Basically a thick piece of bacon for dinner. I had the shrimp risotto. Mediocre at best. 3 small shrimp with this dish. Lacked flavor. We also had the side of mushrooms- ehh. Finished with the beignets. Those were good. Next time I'll go just for dessert. Save your money, not worth it read more

Perfect 10 experience. I've eaten at The Lively several times each being a culinary pleasure. It will continue to be my favorite and not just in Boise. read more

I came to this restaurant on a dinner date with my wife with high hopes. The decor and vibe is definitely better than average. I had the Weiguo steak, and sadly it was not even average. Compared to Chandler's steakhouse, which I would rate at a 9 out of 10, this steak was barely a five. read more

Too loud to be very enjoyable. It was challenging to even place our order due to the crowd noise. Of the five entrees we ordered, they ranged from "excellent" to "can't swallow the bite - awful". Sous vide chicken was too salty to eat, but coulotte steak was perfect. Highly recommend avoiding the trout that was served in the form of a pressed patty (very odd). Martini served in a mini cordial glass? For almost, $20, we expected more than 3oz. Beautiful space and very well staffed, but urgently in need of sound deadening panels. Avoid if you have poor hearing or wear hearing aids. read more

Beautiful restaurant. Atmosphere is top notch. Drinks were also great. Service was slow but we were in good company so didn't mind a bit. But the food was salty. I love salt and this was even salty for my taste. I had the roasted chicken and my husband had the pesto. Both drenched in salt. Would return for drinks but not for dinner. read more

This place has potential, but it need to work on a lot of things first. Pros: Cocktails are excellent, wine list is great, and ambiance is beautiful. Cons: It is extremely loud making it difficult to hear your table let alone your server. The dishes are creative, but poorly executed. Steak was so undercooked the manager came over to apologize that it was basically steak tar tar. They recooked the same piece of meat I cut into and plated it again for me, which was unfortunate considering it was fatty to begin with. Risotto was way too salty and didn't take more than 2 bites of it. (Looking at other reviews, over salting seems to be a running theme here...) Offered us free dessert or wine to "take care of things", when we declined the dessert, they did not follow through on the wine or comp anything on our $200 check. Overall, there are growing pains to sort out and I'm hoping they will get there. In the meantime, I might stop in for a cocktail before I go have dinner at a different restaurant in Boise that lives up to its fine dining hype. read more

Finally got into The Lively - had heard a lot about it as it was being built and now has been open for a few months. First, the positive: Massive kudos to the investment in the building. The first floor bar is top shelf. The second floor restaurant is finished with attention to detail. The wood tables - walnut I think - are high quality. Lots of brass details to in the windows and bathrooms. I heard second hand the kitchen is top both, too. Now the not positive: Their hours are really limited being open Wednesday-Saturday. The menu is small. The wine list is limited. The major issue is the NOISE. As in 'I can't hear you - can you repeat yourself?'. This was at a table for two - it wasn't like we were at a big table of six. It is simply - in the dining area - painfully loud. Way too LOUD. Will not go back. Very disappointed. read more

We have been to Lively twice. The atmosphere was amazing the food was ok. Very few options. My son ordered a steak and that is literally all he got. They had no side options other than French fries. Over Priced and Limited options. The cocktails Are amazing and the Service was fair. We will not be going back unless for a cocktail. read more

This place has all the makings of a high end fine dining experience. Sadly it misses the mark on the most important part: the food. Very cool setting and layout -- the multi floor dining was interesting and the ambiance was nice. Service was polite and professional, albeit a bit slow. That's no fault of the wait staff, though. Plating and presentation was beautiful. Portions were fine. Unfortunately everything we ordered was too salty, even dessert. For appetizers, we ordered the meatballs and pastrami gougeres. For entrees, the burger and trout. We also got the candy bar for dessert. I typically like a lot of salt, but I couldn't even finish my meal because the build up of salty flavor was unbearable. read more

My husband and I had dinner for our anniversary here. We never mentioned it was our anniversary except in causal conversation yet the waitstaff brought celebratory champagne and extended congratulations on our anniversary throughout the evening. On top of phenomenal service portions were perfect and the food was the best I have had in Boise. It rivals any Portland five star restaurant I have been to. Thank you for an amazing evening! read more

The ambiance is bar none. Sit in a window booth upstairs. The service is equally excellent with a polite enthusiasm from all that is infectious. Unfortunately, the food misses it's potential by too much and hopefully it was just the Chef having bad night. Steak tartare and octopus was overly salted and unpleasant. The $35 caviar was oversold. A small amount of Idaho caviar overwhelmed by a large hard pastry. Major disappointment under any circumstances and down right offensive at the price. And, will try again. read more

So the building itself is worth seeing so I would recommend going at least once to check it out , and order a drink , But after that , never again . As beautiful as This place is it is Well overpriced for what it is . Small almost Tiny portions And not very tasty Like I said it is an extremely gorgeous place . Totally unlike anything I've seen in town . Seems the food would match the esthetic ... I've been to a few good restaurants in my time through out Idaho , Seattle , Portland , NY , NJ , Canada , Cincinnati , Chicago ect, but this place quality of food is at the bottom of them all . I assume it was because it might not have been fresh or perhaps just flat out gross , but I wouldn't recommend the wagyu Steak . Or the Chicken for that matter , that's for sure . The salad was kind of good though. Nice simple and light . The cocktail drinks are okay too even though they ring in at $14 a pop so they're not any different or more special than what you would get at The Modern or Red Feather . The vibe here is very Sacramento California and uncharacteristically pretentious for being so and The music they played in the distance might have been the soundtrack to Anchorman or something in order To cater to the majority of the white older rich clientele ? So that's probably definitely the most Cringe part of my experience ... Unless they improve the food or knock their prices down it's not even worth eating at . read more

Really enjoyed the food, the beverages, and the atmosphere. Thought the big choker photo was pretty weird and the staff's uniform could have matched the class of the rest of the restaraunt, but would go again. read more

Lively is aloof, pricey and small wine pours. Didn't feel our wait person was very friendly, professional yes but didn't feel really welcome. This was the bar not the restaurant itself. The appetizers were small, pricey for the quantity served and not really something that appeals to a larger audience. If we're going to spend 200+ I don't want to pay for parking too. I'm sure it appeals to some but we won't be back. read more

Amazing venue and marvelous staff. An international dinning experience in the heart of Boise. Kudos to Kari for the beautiful surroundings and all the hard work. My compliments again to Chef. Wishing you guys become the premier dinning experience in the state and beyond. read more

My husband and I came here for our anniversary. The vibe was great and so was the service. We had delicious cocktails, a great dinner, and rounded it out with dessert. We will be coming again. read more

Had a lovely dining experience at The Lively last evening. Impeccable decor, so beautiful. The food is sublime. Fun wine and cocktail selection. I had the Ohana Lettuces which reminds you that fresh and inventive raise salad to new expressions. The Waygu beef culotte with chimiichurri and bone marrow butter melts in your mouth. Coffee and Beignets dessert was over-the-top delicious! I am still savoring the memory of the tastes and the beautiful interior. Plus a bike rack out front! After over a year of the COVID pandemic, and not dining out, this is a fantastic way to re-enter the world of fine dining.-- at The Lively Boise. read more

This is clearly 'the place to be' in Boise downtown eating this spring and it is Lively both in name and experience. The restaurant is in a cool new building on the corner of Bannock and 5th street. The architecture reminds me of New Orleans. One benefit is parking in the evening hours is pretty easy to find in this part of town. They are only partially open at the time of this review (April 2021) with the upstairs closed, which is their future dining area (early May our server noted). This means that the current dining area is the bar area and unfortunately it's not as intimate as we were looking for; think more Bittercreek than Richards or Chandlers. The wait staff are, if our experience is any measure, also more Bittercreeak than Chandlers in that they're more college student than professional wait staff; perhaps they are still finding their groove. Nothing wrong with the service mind you, just noting the lack of that refind touch you get from a truly professional staff. We started off with a glass of red wine (lightly poured in my experience) and a huckleberry martini; both enjoyable. We're not red meat eaters so that already puts you in a challenging place with this menu. The salad was creative and the clam chowder was really nicely done rivaling any I've had in Boston. The trout was also creative but in my mind really didn't work as I think it was expected to. The veg with the trout was light and fresh and obviously thoughtfully imagined but didn't match or pair well with the more savory trout; the serving size on the trout was also on the dainty side. We also ordered the fries because we always order the fries, they were great. Overall I'd say, hence the three stars, we were not blown away but we do plan to watch the menu for entrees that are closer to our style and to return to try the new dining area. read more

We had a great meal at the chef's table at The Lively over the weekend. It is a little spendy but it would be hard to beat this experience for a special occasion. The service was outstanding and the food even better. We also opted for the wine pairing which gave us a taste of some different wines that we would not normally choose ourselves. read more

I have only been once, and it was nice. A bit spendy and the portions were on the small side. However, the food was good and the service was great. It's definitely a fancy date night place. read more

So so so bad. I wanted to like this place so much because the atmosphere is absolutely beautiful but everything from the service to the food was absolutely terrible when we went there for a group birthday dinner a few days ago. The meatballs tasted like they were frozen and microwaved and so salty and everyone in our group got one of two pastas for their entrees and both of them were absolutely terrible. The ravioli had no flavor and tasted like clay paste or something and then the white spaghetti pasta was mushy cold and so salty. On and we were also wait for our entrees for almost an hour and a half it took so long for our food to arrive we wanted to leave and go somewhere else but wed already had our apps at that point and placed our orders so we were stuck. for the price of everything and how nice the interior of this restaurant is, you would expect much better food this place needs Gordon Ramsay to rescue it ASAP. read more

Service was great. Food is average. Lobster was over cooked and chewy. Wagyu was done well. Desserts were definitely the highlight of the meal. Drinks are very sweet. read more

The food was pretty good and the service was great. However, i was a little disappointed with the checkout process. Specifically the tip aspect of it. They give you the portable machine to checkout. where it normally states 18%, 20%, or 22%, the machine had 30%, 28%, and 25%. Thinking it was set up like normal, i pressed the 28%. It was my bad for not looking closely, but I still think it was very shady and definitely done on purpose... I don't appreciate being "tricked" into giving a server more than they deserve, especially with the price of the food already. read more