Restaurant Thistle & Leek has indoor tables, a bar, and chef's counter with sidewalk and street-side seating outdoors. Staff were friendly, helpful, and attentive during my visit. I appreciate being able to see the open kitchen prep at the Chef's Counter and the bartender make cocktails at the bar. FOOD $1 Oysters are a deal at their Oyster Hour SNACKS 5/5 potato rosti, clam dip 4/5 toasted sesame focaccia, chevre, snap peas, dill 4/5 steak cartare, shallor, caper, potato crisps 3.5/5 chickpea panisse, whipped feta, marjoram FISH 5/5 Monkfish a la plancha (local, tender, flavorful), almond romesco, spring onions, couscous DESSERTS 4.5/5 Roasted green tea ice cream is a cold, flavorful green tea roasted caffeinated delight, just too very sweet for me read more

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It was very loud. And very crowded. We had reservations, but we were seated at the bar. Right next to where the drinks were being picked up by waitstaff. Disappointing. The service was meh. But overall the food was pretty good. I think I had the spring Waldorf salad and the monk fish. We'll have to go back when it's less crowded and perhaps we can get seated at a proper table. read more

Was very loud when went and kind of took away from the experience. When people left was way better, could actually hear the music. Nice interior and service is A+. We started with: House focaccia (2/5) Sesame focaccia (3/5) Salmon tartare (4/5) Potato rosti (5/5) Carrots à la plancha (4/5) Pesto cavatelli (3/5) Meal - Monkfish à la plancha (5/5) - so unique and never had monkfish. Fan now. Green tea ice cream (5/5) - so good! read more

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Came here for dinner with a friend at 5:30 on a weekday. By 6pm the restaurant was completely full so definitely make a reservation! Our server was great. He was very attentive and checked up on us multiple times. My favorite bites of the night were the hanger steak and asparagus. They also have $1 oysters which was amazing! The rest of the food was ok but didn't blow me away. It's seemed like everyone around us was enjoying the food so might just be a personal preference! read more

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When I came here to write this review and read some of the negative comments, I was surprised by the criticism of the wait staff and food. My recent dinner was a homerun all around. Our waiter, Noam, was super knowledgeable about the menu and the sourcing of their fresh ingredients and gave insightful suggestions. He really helped make the evening great, even offered to taste several wines by the glass before choosing one. This is a small plates menu and I didn't expect huge portions. (You get what you pay for here, IMHO) All great, tasty choices: --house baked focaccia, sesame, olive oil --house salade, winter lettuces, cucumbers, pepitas, celery seed vinaigrette, super fresh --carrots a la plancha, smoked date barbecue, crispy leeks, this was an awesome combination --roasted cabbage, rarebit sauce, brown beer, hazelnuts --whole wheat garganelli, garlic sausage, broccoli rabe, chili, parmigiano If I lived closer, I'd be a regular here. read more

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I went in here recently with my daughter and grabbed seats at the bar. The ambiance and decor were nice, classic American bar/bistro. We had a really high-quality meal. Everything felt thoughtful and well executed, not just small plates for the sake of it. Our service was excellent, attentive without hovering. The whole experience easy. Thistle and Leek have a good number of vegan options, which was important for us. My daughter is vegan, and she was happy with both the choices and the way everything turned out. The only real knock is the bill. It adds up quickly and is definitely on the higher side, especially given the portion sizes. That said, we had a really good experience overall. Strong menu, quality food, and attentive service. My only advice is to go in knowing what you're signing up for. read more

Thistle & Leek - Menu - Gastropubs Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

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Delicious small bites with a small drink menu. Potato rosti clam dip, meatballs, steak all nice. Left still hungry though after several apps and mains. read more

I've been here a dozen times and never had a bad dish. I love that they keep the menu exciting. The cavetilli we had tonight was incredible. The morel mushrooms and polenta also incredible. Broiled oysters were... guess what - incredible. The food is inventive and interesting and always satisfying. Lively buzz on a Friday night with good tunes on the playlist. The servers are always friendly and efficient and have great recommendations when asked. If you haven't been here yet, put it on the top of your list read more

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Food and ambiance were nice. Not too loud music and a cozy booth. Service was fine but slight random attitude from the waitstaff was a bit off-putting. Pasta was well cooked With nice bite al dente. Lamb meatballs had very nice spice and the flatbread was buttery, almost naan-like. read more

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Back here and we loved every dish! They refresh the menu every few months based on seasonal ingredients. The toasted sesame focaccia with chèvre was a great snack to start the meal. We enjoyed the mushroom ragout, and the cured sea trout with beet tzatziki and mandarin. For dessert we enjoyed the flan with hazelnuts, although the grilled pineapple it's served with didn't pair well. Great meal, service and ambience. Can't wait to be back and try their summer dishes. read more

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My wife and I went to celebrate 11 years since our first date. The atmosphere was relaxed and inviting. The staff had a very positive energy and the kitchen staff seemed to enjoy being there. My wife wasn't sure which wine she wanted, so our server gave her a taste of two based off of what she had described being interested in. The food, of course, was amazing. We were well aware and prepared for the small dish style menu, but the wait staff made sure we were aware as well. The focaccia with olive oil was a delicious starter, followed by an amazing and creamy steak tartare. My wife ordered hanger steak which came with spinach and a delicious house made horseradish cream sauce. I ordered the young chicken which came with kale, oat risotto, mustard jus, and sunchoke. All of it was perfectly cooked, seasoned, and plated with style. We finished the night with a chocolate pot de creme topped with coffee chantilly and hobnob crumble. The chocolate was rich, dense, and delicious, with the crumble and chantilly accenting it well. There was also sticky toffee pudding with dates, toffee, and a sublime rum custard. We will definitely be returning. read more

Thistle & Leek - Hanger steak, charred greens, horseradish cream* - Gastropubs Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

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So incredibly disappointing. Took my sister for a birthday lunch. Our appetized was inedible (perhaps undercooked), the chickpea fritter texture was runny & disgusting. When we told the server, he just took the plate away. She has the salad, which is hard to mess up & was enjoyed. I had the cavatappi which was again disappointing. Eating with your eyes, this was brown on brown, no texture and overall unappealing. Service was very slow. The water was good! Wondering what the Michelin guide folks ate, because I am hard pressed to think about recommending, let alone returning. read more

Drink (clarified milk punch) tasted soapy and was undrinkable. They put it in a new glass and it still tasted soapy. Do they not properly rinse their shakers or mixing vessels? Hanger steak was good. The host sat customers unnecessarily close to each other when they could have spaced them out to give people more room. read more

Overall, most of the dishes we ordered fell in the category of "not bad but not spectacular." For a party of two, the waitress recommended two from the snacks section of the menu and four additional dishes. While I understand that inflation means everything is ridiculously expensive nowadays, the portion sizes were incredibly small. The dishes we got to share would not have been out of place in a multi-course tasting menu. My favorites: - Lamb meatballs in tomato and ginger curry. The meatballs themselves were fine but the star of the show by a mile was the garlic flatbread that came on the side. I could've eaten just the flatbread and been happy. Flaky, chewy, slightly toasted around the edges, be sure to give it a generous dunk in the sauce. I can see why this is one of their most popular dishes. 4.5/5. - Potato rosti. I loved the crispy outer shell of the potato, with gooey warm innards, but the clam dip was an odd addition. Couldn't taste much clam. 4/5. Pretty good: - Hangar steak. Meat was cooked nicely, I just wish there was a bigger portion of it for the price. Came with a tiny clump of greens and a smattering of horseradish cream. 3.5/5 - Roasted beets. A nice combo of flavors, including mashed walnuts and orange. 3.5/5 Just all right: - Buckwheat rigatoni. This was one of the dishes on the menu I was most excited to try but the execution fell a little flat. It was bland both in taste and texture, to the point where even I, the most salt-sensitive person, thought it needed some more pinches of salt, as well as a level of crispiness to offset the mushiness of everything else. 2/5 - Ginger pavlova. I was put off by some medicinal taste floating around in the dish (maybe the roasted apricots?) but my cousin loved it. 2.5/5 The total for our dishes came out to just shy of $100 (they do include a kitchen appreciation fee in the bill). The inside is very cute and I loved our two-person table that was basically a built-in nook with a bookshelf overhead. Overall, I could see myself bringing my parents here for a cozy dinner but I would need a second dinner afterwards. read more

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Really tasty and fresh food, and they make it right in from of you. Each dish is tiny for appetizer and 1-2 portions for the rest. I liked everything except for the spaghetti dish which was on the salty side. Dessert was really good. Highly recommended! read more

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An awesome tapas style restaurant. Staff is super friendly and knowledgeable. Expensive, but worm it. Will come again. I want to try everything house baked focaccia, sesame, olive oil- Very fresh and good quality. It did come plain and lacked flavor focaccia usually has.wish it did come with some herbs or something on it. 3.5/5 smoked bluefish, new potatoes, pickled habanada peppers, crispy potatoes Very tasty. A cold Dish. Dish was very fresh and had strong flavor. The roasted potatoes inside and the crispy potatoes on top added great texture 4.5/5 mushroom ragout, chanterelles, maitake, poached egg, celery root Very savory dish. Mixed the poached egg on top which added a nice creaminess to the texture The mushrooms were perfectly sauteed and also had great texture. 4.5/5 lamb meatballs, tomato & ginger curry, garlic flatbread Star of the show. Meatballs are so tender and have so much flavor. The Curry is so savory and only adds to the lavor. And on top of that you have garlic flatbread, which was so fluffy and crispy 5/5 rice pudding, charred figs, toasted coconut Creamy and tasty. The figs are poached in red wine and adds a nice boozy flavor 4/5 read more

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Food was delicious. The striped bass tartare was a bit fishy for us but everything else- focaccia, tuna crudo, chorizo, and lamb meatballs were delicious. We even ordered a second plate of the lamb meatballs. read more

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Went for an early Friday dinner. It was already crowded by 6. Service was friendly and very helpful. We ordered several dishes which is the idea. 2-3 each should be enough. Meatballs, machengo toast, salad, mussels were all excellent and enough to share. The drinks were also inventive and strong. Would definitely return read more

I'm extremely disappointed by my experience with Thistle & Leek, and unfortunately it had nothing to do with the food. We called to try to adjust a reservation after our childcare fell through--a situation that many parents will recognize as sometimes unavoidable. Instead of being met with understanding or even basic courtesy, the person I spoke with was rude, condescending, and unfriendly from the start. He questioned my integrity about why we needed to change the reservation, which felt inappropriate and unnecessary. What was most frustrating is that I clearly explained we were very interested in dining there, had plenty of flexibility, and were hoping to reschedule rather than cancel outright. That request was completely ignored. The conversation then took an even worse turn when he berated me about bringing our newborn, stating that "that's not a reservation for a two-top." This was particularly baffling because I had explicitly noted in the original reservation booking that we would have a newborn with us. That information was available to the restaurant in advance. If that was going to be a problem, the restaurant should have addressed it ahead of time or reached out proactively--rather than chastising a guest after the fact. Hospitality matters, and this interaction showed a real lack of it. Based on how dismissive and accusatory the staff member was, I no longer feel comfortable or welcome dining here, which is a shame because we genuinely wanted to give the restaurant our business. read more

Wayyyyy overrated. Inattentive / disrespective service.. could be excused if food was stellar... it wasn't. Several discuss were very bland.. very small portions.. hard pass. read more

Food was so good that even the chef was taking a bite out of each dish as he made it! The bar stares straight into the kitchen.

The food was great and the vibe was great. We had a party of six and we were taking time to enjoy dinner with a bottle of wine, some beer and dessert. We talked about being a large party, maybe they were giving us extra time but my husband saw the owner shaking his head after looking at our table and my husband rushed us to leave. We stayed for 2.5 hour but I would have appreciated if the owner just came to us and asked us politely that we had passed our limit and had to leave rather than giving us a look or shaking head with attitude. We live local and we love this place, we've been there many times over the years since pandemic. I was just very disappointed to see this and hope the owner understood why it ended unpleasantly after such a wonderful meal. read more

Needed a place for a lunch gathering for a couple of work mates but difficult in finding a decent sit down in Newton. Settled on this location. Got here b/f noon and they were opened (despite an official noon opening) and let me have a table awaiting others. After ordering some wine (good list for wine by the glass lunch) we moved onto some small bites apps. Thereafter onto some mains. Both friend and I ordered the fish tacos. And another friend had a pasta dish. Service was very good. Food is probably on the smaller side for folks but that's fine for us. Overall, considering location in Newton center this is a decent place. read more

We used to live in newton and came to comedor all the time (predecessor to thistle & leek). Unfortunately, thistle and leek didn't even come close. We tried a few items because we were on our way back to Boston. Steak tartare - Good! The chips were too salty but the meat was good. Worth ordering 2, it's teeny tiny Hanger steak - Cooked a perfect medium rare but it didn't have a wow factor when it came to flavor Hake- The fish quality was not great, the rest of the dish was good but I wouldn't recommend it Overall the experience was lukewarm. Nothing was great and nothing was bad. Service was fine, they do "recommend" 3 dishes a person so there is a bit of pressure to order more. read more

We went to this place many times since its opening and it has been consistently excellent, delicious foos, friendly waiter & beautiful environment. Definitely going back! read more

The food was ok. Our server had a condescending air as if he was too smart to be a waiter. The setting was nice. The bartender, kitchen and waitstaff were overwhelmed with the "rush" at 5:45 pm. We won't be returning. read more

After walking past this place several times, and noticing the open kitchen layout, and the unbelievable warmth that emanated from the restaurant, I finally made a reservation and took my wife here tonight. It was unbelievable. Trevor, the owner and head chef, spoke to us a little bit about the inspiration behind the restaurant, the changing menu, and what made it so special. All of the food was extremely tasty, and very well thought out, and reasonably priced as well. Newton Centre is lucky to have a gem like this, and we look forward to the next time that we come back. We sat at the bar, and the bartender provided extraordinary service. read more

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We ventured out to Newton because the menu sounded super innovative but unfortunately everything fell a little short. Our waiter was very friendly, he asked if "we were libating tonight" which was hilarious. The space is small and cozy, indeed a bit like a pub, but decorated with cute art. I was so intrigued by the parsnip custard but it caught me off guard to see that it costed $28! Probably because of the caviar on top! We were told this was an experimental dish, the chef was playing around with the toppings. The custard itself was cold, I was expecting something warm, like chawanmushi, so a bit aggressive on the stomach to start a meal. The caviar, asian pair, and pine nuts on top felt random, no particular harmony. I couldn't enjoy the saltiness of the caviar because the pine nut flavor was so strong. 2/5 One thing I noticed was how cheap the prices of the other dishes seemed, chickpea panisse for $7?! Maybe it was because we were outside of the city. But alas, it was simply because the portions are tiny! These lil chickpea fritters were the size of a marshmallow. Nicely crispy on the outside, mushy like soft tofu on the inside. I would've preferred the whipped feta on some bread. 3/5 Brussels sprouts bourguignonne ($15) was disappointing too, I wasn't getting any beefy or red wine flavor. The smoked cipollini onions tasted like they had been marinating in liquid smoke. The sprouts were soft, but no crisp. 2.5/5 Mushroom cassoulet ($19) with flageolet beans, leeks, and persillade was nicely savory even without the meat, but was swimming in a pool of oil. 2.5/5 Highly coveted lamb meatballs in tomato & ginger curry were fall apart tender and a pleasant kind of mush, fatty but didn't feel heavy. The garlic flatbread was slightly gummy. Solid, but don't understand the hype. 3/5 Skate alla piccata with hedgehog mushroom, celery root, brown butter. Wonderfully fried but at this point everything was starting to taste the same... like food trying to be French via butter and herbs but roughened / less delicate. 3.5/5 Sweet potato on sesame focaccia with pimenton honey and manchego was recommended by our waiter and surprisingly one of my favorites! The focaccia was fluffy on the inside but had a nice crunch on the outside, paired with the fudgy sweet potato, which I don't usually love but was seasoned to mask that alcoholic sweet flavor. 4/5 Young chicken with rye spaetzle, charred cabbage, apple, mustard jus once again had the same overall buttery vegetable flavor profile! The chicken was cooked wonderfully, but the portion was so small. I loved the little seared spaetzles which all had a bit of crunch on the edges! 4/5 For dessert we got the coconut rice pudding that was creamy but surprisingly refreshing and much needed after all the buttery savory food. The chevre cheesecake sounded interesting with the grape and rosemary cornmeal crumble, but this dessert was not greater than the sum of its parts. 3/5 read more

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Almost fun to have food combinations. You might not have had before Friendly helpful staff Lively chatty place not a museum Been a few times need reservations ! read more

Finally tried this place with my husband. There were several vegetarian options that I could eat despite my allergies, interesting menu items and flavor combinations as well as seasonal dishes. We started with the focaccia, which was just ok in my opinion, but the sweet potato topping was very good. I also had the roasted rainbow carrots which were excellent. I was excited to try the Honeycup agnolotti, but felt this dish was just ok. My husband enjoyed the tuna crudo with shishito peppers as well as hanger steak with horseradish cream and mustard greens. He also liked the chocolate tart for dessert and a mystery mocktail. I thought the coconut rice pudding with quince and pistachios was excellent (also gf and df)! read more

Thistle & Leek - Show stopping coconut rice pudding with quince and pistachios - Gastropubs Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

Very inventive cuisine that blends seasonal locally products. The vibe is very laid back but the service is amazing. We had someone with a dairy allergy and they were very conscientious of making sure everything was safe for us. I love that this Resturant has small plates that you can share. I wanted so many things on the menu so it was awesome to explore all the variety. The bartender was amazing and I had the Factory Bourbon drink which was delicious. She concocted a mock-tail for our table that was so pretty and tasty. We had roasted rainbow carrots, bok choy, grilled octopus, ravioli, and pumpkin cream with veggies. Everything had a wonderful flavor and was perfect for dipping the delicious focaccia bread. Each item was seasoned with fresh herbs, nuts, veggies and drippings. Totally enjoyed this wonderful progressive Resturant. Looking forward to coming back. read more

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A small restaurant located in Newton Centre that does lunch and dinner services. I came here for lunch with a friend on a weekday and sat in their patio space. It was super sunny and the staff allowed us to move tables to a shadier spot since it wasn't busy yet. I ordered the chickpea fritter sandwich which overall was really good. The garlic flatbread was a perfect vessel for this sandwich while the fresh radishes gave the sandwich great texture. The portion itself is on the smaller side, but it's good enough to fill you for lunch. The service felt a bit slow, but it gave plenty of time for you to enjoy your meal. read more

Thistle & Leek - Chickpea fritter sandwich - Gastropubs Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

Food, service and ambiance is fantastic! Parking can be a challenge, but once in Thistle and Leek, you will be treated to a great dining experience. read more

Oh this place is wonderful and every dish an art. We had a group here and the menu was curated.

Small plates at full plate prices. Two bucks for a piece of focaccia. And a tablespoon of plain, unseasoned olive oil. Three of us ordered our own choices for dinner. Waiter knew we weren't sharing yet dishes came out separately. Food -what there was of it - was just OK. Place was so noisy we had to yell to carry on a conversation. Dessert was teensy, even the coffee came in a teensy cup. Will not be back read more

Excellent small bites. Great outdoor seating though noisy indoors. Friendly service.

Luscious!!!! Thank you Pete, Jenny, Trevor and team for a remarkable and memorable birthday dinner. As always, perfect from beginning to end. We are so grateful for all the love you put into every meal and every interaction. Your ever changing menu makes it easy to be a happy regular and Sunday Supper takes it to another level. With gratitude, M&D read more

Very interesting small plate selection with high quality ingredients. Owner loves what she does and does it well . Hostess, server, mixologist all way above average and enjoy working here and it shows . Food was unique in a good way . All plates were well prepared, presented and nothing but great tasting . Will return. Only small issue is lack of parking . read more

Beautiful lunch for a gorgeous day on the outdoor patio ~ warm and gracious hostess brought us fresh mint tea followed by delicious light lamb kofta dressed w garlic yogurt, tumeric rise and pickled turnip Mmmmm and then my partner loved her coronation chickpea sandwich, madras curry, almonds, currants in a garlic roti wrap ~ she was reluctant to let me try it! With her healthy portion I managed to savor ~ we will be back!! read more

Been coming here for years. Menu changes but is never bad. Standouts include, but are definitely not limited to, the hanger steak and the house salad. That said, what they actually do best is seafood and vegetables. read more