Marliave

Reviews 6

SA

Sarah Gaffney

I was very excited to dine at Marliave; the website appears to be very professional, makes the food look delicious, and I read good reviews prior to booking the reservation. My experience didnt even come close to meeting my expectations, and Ive honestly had a better dining experience at Outback Steakhouse. To start, the host was rude to my group as they seated us, speaking to us as if we were dumb. When we sat outside, the patio looked lovely, but the ambiance was very off (no music, not very comfortable). We placed our orders (drinks, a few apps to share, and our own entrees), and the drinks were watered down and didnt come out until after the apps came out, which shouldnt happen in a restaurant. When the apps came out, they were nothing special (the photos of the food on the website looked like a completely different menu!). The caprese salad was underripe and the mac n cheese was grey-ish, dense, and WAY too cheesy.... all the pasta sank down to the bottom in a mush together. When our entrees came, they all had the same grey-ish, bland look. My risotto was way too salty, I couldnt even eat it (they ended up taking it off our bill after I insisted. The waiter looked baffled when I told him I was unhappy and had no idea how to fix the situation, the wait staff clearly isnt trained properly in their customer service or serving!). Overall I would never come back here, and I wanted to write this review in hopes of helping some other groups that fell into the trap that we did of false advertising.

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ER

Erick Hitter

On a recent Saturday evening, some friends and I sought someplace to get dinner before heading to the TD Garden to see the Boston Bruins. Due to time constraints, we couldnt secure a table at our first choice, but after a bit of wandering, we stumbled upon Marliave. As it turns out, we discovered a quite remarkable restaurant. We were seated promptly upon entering, a bit of a surprise given the time and day. Drinks were quickly ordered while we reviewed the menu, and by the time those arrived, we were ready to order our meal. Again, service was quite quick, returning almost instantly with a tray of oysters for four members of our party. Not ten minutes thereafter, those who had ordered entrees received their meals. I ordered the steak frites and am quite pleased with the choice. The meat was tender and juicy, balancing well against the boldness of the accompanying gorgonzola butter. The fries, some drenched in au jus, were equally as satisfying, the sweetness of the sweet potato contrasting nicely with the savory steak. The portion size, could however, have been a bit larger; even after finishing the steak and fries, I was still hungry. Nonetheless, I enjoyed an excellent meal. Within an hour, we had ordered and finished drinks, an appetizer, and entrees and were on our way. This somewhat-hidden gem, at the Province Street end of Bosworth, proved an excellent choice by promptly delivering a quality meal that left us sated as our evening progressed.

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TE

Terran Lane

I picked this place off Yelp, semi-randomly, in spite of a few negative reviews. My experience was excellent. The location is fantastic -- just a few minutes walk from the beautiful Boston Commons, near the Orpheum Theatre, and easy to get to from either Red or Green line. The building is lovely -- "nineteenth century charm" -- and, in spite of being tucked away in an unprepossessing alley, an upstairs dining room that looks out into the heart of Boston. The food was top notch. I had a couple of oysters, the Caesar salad, steak frites, and the butterscotch pudding. All of it was perfect. Oysters were fresh and luscious and the Caesar was crisp and fresh with just the right dressing and whole white anchovies. The steak was done just the way I ordered it and the beef was beautiful quality. The fries were cooked perfectly and seasoned with truffle oil and sea salt. For a "French bistro" dish, this was done with class. And the butterscotch pudding was amazing. Not the kind of dessert you expect to find outside an elementary school cafeteria, but they kicked it up to high cuisine. It was luscious and dense -- about the texture of a pot du creme or a heavy custard -- and they topped it with a sprinkle of candied ginger that perfectly set off the sweetness of the butterscotch. The service was excellent -- attentive and helpful, without being obtrusive. Overall, an excellent experience. Will definitely return.

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A

A Private User

Oh, Ive had my fair share of after-work oysters here... There are ton of places that serve $1 oysters, but only Marliave has multiple fresh oysters (Peacock Cove, Wellfleet and many others) and sweet, large, plump Littleneck Clams. Accompany that with a Sauvignon Blanc and you are golden, my friend! In addition to the oysters, the macaroni and cheese is really unique here. The pasta is even different compared to all other types of pasta; dense, chewy, and covered in delicious cheeses and flakes of aromatic black truffles. Another small dish to savor is the escargot that is served with perfectly toasted brioche. It is not overly salty and perfectly seasoned. Lastly, try the Beef Wellington (they usually serve this during Restaurant Week for a muchhh cheaper price). The medallion of meat practically melts in your mouth. Aside from these dishes, Ive been a bit underwhelmed with the rest. The cheese plate is nothing special, but there are a list of different cheeses and charcuterie you can choose from. The sliders are good, but nothing too special. Fish and Chips were soggy, as well as the fries. I was a bit disappointed with that one. Marliave is definitely a place worth visiting. Not only is their happy hour special great, but the establishment itself is very simple, chic, and elegant while being very comfortable at the same time. As always, Ill be seeing you when I get out of work, Marliave : )

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EM

emily chilton

Marliave is classy but old-school Boston feeling. It feels distinguished but not stuffy inside. The cocktail list is fantastic and offers some really well thought out drinks. There arent any novice bartenders here. They know what theyre doing which means you end up with a well crafted drink that is truely worth the $11 price tag. I went for restaurant week and was floored. They had so many choices and didnt dumb-down their food. It made me come back several times. The muscles are delicious with a broth leaving you wanting to lick the bowl. Ive had a lot of mac & cheeses and this is probably my favorite in the city. The fish & chips is delightfully crispy without being greasy. There is just always something that catches my eye on the menu. The best thing about their menu is that you can get $1 oysters (during happy hour), or a burger for $14, risotto for $18, all the way up to osso buco for $28. Truely something for everyone at a place with such style.

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AS

ashley zimmelman

Ill preface the review with the fact that we came on a Sunday night at 9pm, but did have a reservation. The 2 stars are for service and atmosphere. Our water glasses were always full and the upstairs is cute and romantic. My husband and I each had a starter, entree, and dessert and each was a miss. His salad was drenched in balsamic vinegar and mostly stems, my beef carpaccio was covered in what tasted like straight mayonnaise, his steak frites was cooked well when he requested medium rare, my beef wellington was hard to cut, hard to chew, and soggy with poor quality foie gras, my lava cake had no lava and the ice cream had chunks of ice and frozen bits of fat, and his truffles were old and lacked flavor. The Pinot bottle that we ordered was a punch in the face as well. We expect a cheaper wine from a restaurant to still be drinkable. Overall a dissapointment and also doubly dissapointed because its really not french cuisine.

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