Bar Boulud
| Address: | 776 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02199, USA |
| Phone: | +1 617-535-8800 |
| Site: | mandarinoriental.com |
| Rating: | 4.4 |
| Working: | 5:30AM–10PM 5:30AM–10PM 5:30AM–10PM 5:30AM–10PM 5:30AM–10PM 5:30AM–10PM 5:30AM–10PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 11
MI
Michael Collins
Came in for a late lunch on a Saturday to the new Bar Boulud located inside the Mandarin Oriental. First, the location is gorgeous. It has a french winery/bistro feel as some of the walls are covered with what looks like wine cases, nice concept. I should start with my biggest disappointment though, in what really should have been a highlight, the service... After a great welcome by the manager we sat down and were eventually greeted by our waiter. The only time we saw our waiter from that point on was to take our order and to get the check and offer dessert. When plates were taken after the appetizers we were left without silverware for about 5 minutes into our entree. We were also left without beverages for extended periods of time. This is the kind of restaurant where your glass of water (or any glass) should never be empty. Normally it would warrant a 3 star review but since theyve only been open for a week Im giving them a bit of a pass, but for this caliber of restaurant the service was unacceptable. The food on the other hand ranged from good to excellent and I would return to try other items I didnt try on my first visit. Here is what I tried: Rillions - if youve had Latin food before you may have had chicharróns and these are very similar. These were far superior to any Latin version of the dish I have had before. These fried pieces of pork belly were perfectly crispy on the outside while being juicy on the inside. Perfectly executed and cam with some Dijon mustard that had hints of horseradish. Shrimps Al Ajillio - Shrimp in a garlic cream sauce. Its as delicious as it sounds. The shrimps tasted fresh and the sauce was perfect for dipping the complimentary fresh sourdough bread they provided. This dish also had a great presentation, I like when food looks like art. Super Green Spinach - it was super and it was very green. Great side dish, even for someone like me who steers clear of veggies generally. The French know what they are doing. Croque Madame - House made ham, melted Gruyere cheese on toasted white bread with a béchamel sauce. Topped with a farm fresh egg. This dish was not only heavenly and rich but the presentation was gorgeous. For those not familiar with french cuisine I would compare it to a lunch croissant in terms of its flavor profile. Frenchie Burger - topped with tomato mustard and confit pork belly, which I found to be more or less similar to bacon. It came with a side of fries and was cooked perfectly. The burger, like all the other dishes, had a great presentation. While the burger was perfectly good, Ive had better in this price range. Macaroons & Chocolates - Small dessert plate for about $6 that has 2 small pieces of chocolate and 2 mini macaroons. A good ending for someone with a sweet tooth who may be starting to get full.
KA
Katur Patel
Came in here during their winter dine out Boston lunch menu. The service was great from start to finish. I was seated promptly for my reservation and offered to check my coat. The dine out Boston menu had at least 1 vegetarian options for each course and I started with the Leek soup. It came out quickly and had a very creamy texture with a crispy waffle cut chip in the center for some crunch. The soup came out lukewarm but would have been much better if it was slightly warmer. For the 2nd course I choose Catavelli with broccoli rabe. It also came out lukewarm and would have benefited being a bit warmer but tasted good none the less. The sauce had a punch of garlic but overall a good flavor. Finally the dessert was the best part with a trio of ice cream dusted with nuts. I will definitely come back here!
JO
Joey Brode
A comfortable but elegant environment, where we were served a uniformly excellent meal. My cappelletti in broth with vegetables was fresh but pleasantly complex. Classic boudin blanc, a simple and wonderful side of spinach, a gorgeous porcini topped salad -- and the dessert was an untraditional, but very lovely, "ile flottant". The food, service, and ambiance are squarely in the French tradition - even to the point that you will do better with the wine list than with the cocktails. Expensive, but the consistent quality is unusual, and worth a lot in my book.
FR
Frederick Wright
Consistently excellent - service, food, drinks, and even acoustics. A meticulously designed space for a romantic evening, patio dining, hanging out with colleagues after work, or even enjoying an over-the-top brunch. The charred Spanish octopus was one of the best things Ive had in Boston in a long time, and the daily handmade pastas are consistently worth the carb load. To be honest, I had put off going here because I was intimidated by the reputation, but I found the prices quite reasonable and the atmosphere relaxed and confident, not pretentious.
JO
Jonathan Kwan
Restaurant week menu, the price is amazing. LENTIL VELOUTÉ: its great, not the green bean one but still good, my mum didnt like the after taste tho. COQ AU VIN: Looks awesome. The chicken leg is just so so to me, they made the black meat taste like white meat, and the side dish (pork and scallop) are totally dry. But the red wine taste is great. CARAMELIZED APPLE TART: the caramel ice cream is amazing, the apple slices are a bit too thin, the apple taste could be a bit stronger.
PA
Paul Thurrott
This is a nice, modern, and Americanized take on the Daniel Boulud restaurant experience. Its not as stuffy and old fashioned as Daniel in NYC, thankfully, and it assimilates a lot of the local flavor, which is nice. We didnt see a lot in the way of classic French cuisine per se, though the duck breast on special was fantastic, as were the shishito peppers starter. The charcuterie is a great choice for the table. Expect to spend big bucks here, of course.
BR
Bronwyn Owens
In a word - salty! Everything had too much salt. I had the Provencale Salad and Duck, both over salted. My partner had the Boudin Blanc (white sausage) with a leek puree. The leek puree was the best thing I tasted. Service was ok, especially helpful with the wine list which is a bit challenging if you are not a wine connoisseur, but the server never asked us how our meal was, just if we needed anything which I thought was a bit odd.
AN
Andrew Kan
Great food at good prices during the Dine Out Boston event. There is great service here. We ordered the Francine Salad and Avocado Toast for appetizers, the Orecchiette, Confit Duck Leg, and Grilled Pork Chop for the main course, and Coconut Cream Cheesecake, Strawberry Ginger Beer Float, and Tabs Equatorial Chocolate Tart for dessert.
AL
Alison Kan
Very affordable food during Dine Out Boston. They have a set menu for about $25, where you can choose your appetizer (Francine salad or avocado toast), entree (salmon, pork chop, orecchiette pasta, or confit duck), and dessert (coconut cheesecake, chocolate tart, or ginger beer float). Our server was very nice and the food was great!
DA
David Eggert
An excellent menu with a good variety of options. The service was outstanding, quick and attentive throughout the meal. Our meals were both very good, each course arriving in a timely manner, without feeling rushed. I would highly recommend eating here if you are in the area.
YO
Younghee Kim
One of rare restaurants where food is delicious and sodium content just right. No more drinking buckets of water after the meal here. In other words, perfect!
