Kingfish Hall

(617) 523-8862

1 S Market St Ste 188
Boston, MA 02109 42.3597 -71.0555

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Neighborhoods: Central, Downtown

Price:

$$$$

Last updated 12.22.09

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Travelers Check

Restaurant Special Features:

Outdoor Dining, People Watching, Lunch Spot, Date Spot, Group Dining, Dine At The Bar, Bar Scene, Notable Wine List

Cuisine:

Chowder, New American, Seafood

Smoking Permitted:

No

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Kingfish Hall

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

The Scene – In contrast to the area's serious seafood chains, where muted, nautically-themed dining rooms allow the spotlight to fall on the fish, Kingfish Hall's interior could pass for Disney. From the yawning raw bar's disco lights to a unique "fish dancer" grill, most aspects of the restaurant's colorful, dual-level interior defy convention. Diners looking for a more relaxed experience escape to the sunny outdoor patio, where harried servers deliver $10 house drinks from the stylish bar. – – The Food – As one would expect from a high-end restaurant in the city's…

Editor's Tips

Parking:
Head to the garage at 75 State St.--the restaurant's validation stamp is good for $2 off the total.
Save Money:
Budget-minded diners are wise to make do with a bowl of creamy lobster bisque and a starter like zesty fried calamari.
ambiance
91.66999816894531% positive
  1. “This place has it all, great fish and a wonderfully upbeat atmosphere.”
  2. “The interior was fun and unique, and the service was average to slightly above average.”
  3. “think the space and the ambience is great.”
  4. “Tina, who works the bar on week days and Saturday nights, is the best - Food is great, atmosphere, etc.”
  5. “Great food but awful atmosphere for price”
  6. “We like the atmosphere, but there are better choices in the area.”
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. “And trust me, you won't want dessert - the portions are HUGE!”
  2. “The staff assisted me with a special surprise -- elegant white chocolate apricot mousse dessert with a candle.”
  3. “The maple glazed salmon, the mixed green salad, and the white chocolate bread pudding made for an incredibly tasty meal.”
drinks
87.5% positive
  1. “had to flag down a waiter to order a glass of wine.”
  2. “Tina, who works the bar on week days and Saturday nights, is the best - Food is great, atmosphere, etc.”
  3. “The waitstaff has always been very helpful, be it a drink recomendation or filling up your water.”
  4. “Good wine selection to accompany an interesting menu with an Asian flair.”
  5. “Cocktails are good; dont be afraid to ask your server for a strong drink.”
  6. “The bartender, Tina, was very attentive and suggested a great white wine for me to try, which I loved.”
  7. “The food is quite pricey, as a 3-course meal WITHOUT drinks will set you back around $50 per person.”
  8. “hosted a private dinner in King Fish Hall's beautiful private dining room (complete with it's own bar).”
food quality
82.95000076293945% positive
  1. “Four of us went to Kingfish Hall for lunch today and were disappointed by the clam chowder, which has been excellent in the past.”
  2. “Anything from tasting fresh!”
  3. “The Fish was delicious, but the portion was TINY!”
  4. “The food did not taste fresh and everything besides the salad was overly salty (perhaps to cover for the lack of real flavor) and the service was poor.”
  5. “We stopped for lunch because it seemed a little more upscale than the rest of the mix of chains and fast food in the area and we were looking for some good seafood.”
  6. “Wonderful meal”
  7. “could not believe it, the waiter smelled of BO and was wearing a dirty shirt, the tables did not have table clothes(its needed) but they used white cotton towels to clean off the plates before they deliver your food.”
  8. “The maple glazed salmon, the mixed green salad, and the white chocolate bread pudding made for an incredibly tasty meal.”
  9. “Very overpriced, slow unattentive wait staff, food was your typical tourist fare-Would not repeat experience”
  10. “Made it hard to decide what to get :-) Our waitress was friendly and kept checking on us throughout the meal.”
  11. “love the tuna tartar which is spicy and quite unique with firm and fresh tuna chopped on top of a rice and seaweed platform.”
  12. “ordered the burger which was good just for the fries that were kind of greasy.”
  13. “started out with the clam chowder, which was delicious and finished with a ceasar salad.”
  14. “Everyone's meal was fabulous (Swordfish, Yellowfin Tuna, Cod, & Mahi Mahi).”
  15. “As far as the food, they had a good selection of oysters (4 east coast 1 west coast) which were tasty.”
  16. “We started our meal with a terrific grilled calamari appetizer; a great alternative to the more common fried version.”
  17. “The lobster roll was good, but only contained claw meat.”
  18. “This is by far my husband's and my favorite place to go when we want to just relax, catch up and have excellent seafood.”
  19. “dont mind paying a high price for wonderful food.”
  20. “The flipside is that the food is beyond fantastic!”
  21. “Food is delicious, although it is a pretty wild menu.”
  22. “The food tasted great but the service was poor.”
  23. “had the worst meal of my life last night.”
  24. “Disappointing clam chowder”
  25. “We loved the sushi appetizers: great presentation and better taste.”
  26. “Fantastic people watching as you enjoy an elegant meal.”
  27. “The food was good, but none of the four apps we tried were exceptional.”
  28. “The food is outstanding and the service was impeccible!”
  29. “The food was really wonderful.”
  30. “The food is quite pricey, as a 3-course meal WITHOUT drinks will set you back around $50 per person.”
  31. “Nothing tasted fresh.”
  32. “We've never had a bad meal, we always ask for the same waitress and our experience each time is superb.”
  33. “This place has it all, great fish and a wonderfully upbeat atmosphere.”
  34. “Hardly an apology was given to us- and we still had to pay full price for this terrible meal.”
  35. “We have eaten there several times and have loved the food.”
  36. “Always a nice meal”
  37. “When I asked our waitress if possible to just order a burger off the menu, she replied, rather condescendingly, "No”
  38. “The staff is attentive and knowledgeable (great oysters and selection) and the food is great with a great and ever changing menu of specials.”
  39. “Great food but awful atmosphere for price”
  40. “Some of the best fish anywhere”
  41. “My dish was served with an excellent creamy tomato polenta.”
  42. “My other favorite is the swordfish steak served over a tomato polenta, absolutely delicious though the potato wedges were a bit overdone.”
  43. “The place is nice and the food excellent”
  44. “Good fresh ingredients but too much of some type of seasoning on everything (butter, oil, pepper, whatever it was).”
menu variety
87.5% positive
  1. “Good wine selection to accompany an interesting menu with an Asian flair.”
  2. “Food is delicious, although it is a pretty wild menu.”
  3. “The dinner options were limited and the prices were expensive.”
  4. “As far as the food, they had a good selection of oysters (4 east coast 1 west coast) which were tasty.”
  5. “When I asked our waitress if possible to just order a burger off the menu, she replied, rather condescendingly, "No”
  6. “The staff is attentive and knowledgeable (great oysters and selection) and the food is great with a great and ever changing menu of specials.”
  7. “Despite the unique architecture and design of the restaurant, the menu is a hodge podge of New England/Asian/Electic that doesn't work.”
  8. “We like the atmosphere, but there are better choices in the area.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “I've always enjoyed dining at Figs and figured that Kingfish Hall would be a great place to enjoy a nice summer lunch.”
service
76.1899995803833% positive
  1. “Good Seafood but expensive and spotty service”
  2. “When I asked our waitress if possible to just order a burger off the menu, she replied, rather condescendingly, "No”
  3. “The staff assisted me with a special surprise -- elegant white chocolate apricot mousse dessert with a candle.”
  4. “The staff is attentive and knowledgeable (great oysters and selection) and the food is great with a great and ever changing menu of specials.”
  5. “We've never had a bad meal, we always ask for the same waitress and our experience each time is superb.”
  6. “The food tasted great but the service was poor.”
  7. “could not believe it, the waiter smelled of BO and was wearing a dirty shirt, the tables did not have table clothes(its needed) but they used white cotton towels to clean off the plates before they deliver your food.”
  8. “Fantastic people watching as you enjoy an elegant meal.”
  9. “Made it hard to decide what to get :-) Our waitress was friendly and kept checking on us throughout the meal.”
  10. “The food did not taste fresh and everything besides the salad was overly salty (perhaps to cover for the lack of real flavor) and the service was poor.”
  11. “Nice treat without a cheesy "happy birthday" song from the entire staff like some other places do.”
  12. “Attention to service makes a big difference in a diner's experience.”
  13. “Very overpriced, slow unattentive wait staff, food was your typical tourist fare-Would not repeat experience”
  14. “Everyone was really friendly.”
  15. “The interior was fun and unique, and the service was average to slightly above average.”
  16. “The food is outstanding and the service was impeccible!”
  17. “had to flag down a waiter to order a glass of wine.”
  18. “Cocktails are good; dont be afraid to ask your server for a strong drink.”
  19. “We had a great time at Kingfish thanks to our wonderful server, Mary.”
  20. “When it came time for the bill, I was hesitant to even leave a tip since our waitress was both terrible and rude, but I was persuaded by my date to leave the minimum (and in this case, generous) 15 percent tip.”
  21. “The bartender, Tina, was very attentive and suggested a great white wine for me to try, which I loved.”
value
26.91999912261963% positive
  1. “Drinks are WAY overpriced.”
  2. “got the Tuna 2 Ways and it was the best I ever had and the portion was huge.”
  3. “The dinner options were limited and the prices were expensive.”
  4. “dont mind paying a high price for wonderful food.”
  5. “Very overpriced, slow unattentive wait staff, food was your typical tourist fare-Would not repeat experience”
  6. “Great food but awful atmosphere for price”
  7. “Hardly an apology was given to us- and we still had to pay full price for this terrible meal.”
  8. “Appetizers were a bit overpriced for the portions.”
  9. “Way overpriced for what you get.”
  10. “The food is quite pricey, as a 3-course meal WITHOUT drinks will set you back around $50 per person.”
  11. “Good Seafood but expensive and spotty service”
  12. “When it came time for the bill, I was hesitant to even leave a tip since our waitress was both terrible and rude, but I was persuaded by my date to leave the minimum (and in this case, generous) 15 percent tip.”
  13. “And trust me, you won't want dessert - the portions are HUGE!”
wait time
0.0% positive
  1. “Very overpriced, slow unattentive wait staff, food was your typical tourist fare-Would not repeat experience”
3 Star Rating: Average

03/07/09

Good Seafood but expensive and spotty service

by tackle71 at Citysearch

We stopped for lunch because it seemed a little more upscale than the rest of the mix of chains and fast food in the area and we were looking for some good seafood. We got there about 2:00 and were seated immediately. Service was spotty and they did not appear to have enough staff for the number of tables. As far as the food, they had a good selection of oysters (4 east coast 1 west coast) which were tasty. My wife had the lobster roll which was good but not great and I had the Thai Bouillabaisse which was very good but seemed to too many carrots. Overall the food was 4 star but the service was only 3 star so I would give it a 3.5 if that was possible.

  • Pros: Good selection of oysters
  • Cons: Iffy service for the price
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

11/06/08

GREAT BAR SERVICE

by erin1011 at Citysearch

I had lunch at Kingfish yesterday and it was wonderful. The bartender, Tina, was very attentive and suggested a great white wine for me to try, which I loved. She was also able to answer all my questions about the menu. I started out with the clam chowder, which was delicious and finished with a ceasar salad. The portions were just right for lunch. Tina checked in with me several times to see how my food and wine was. The bar was relatively busy for a Wednesday afternoon around 12:30, but I noticed that Tina did a great job attending to all the guests. I'll definitely be back!

  • Pros: Service
3 Star Rating: Average

10/16/08

Avoid the bar (ghost bartender)

by restaurantzagat at Citysearch

I went here on a Saturday ( a couple weeks ago) to get luch and had to wait for the missing bartender to take my order ( sure she was pretty busy doing her nails!!!) ordered the burger which was good just for the fries that were kind of greasy.

Upbeat decor and a little bit smoky from the open grill. service very inattentive (the bartender keeps disappearing every 5 min.) not very professional looking with those tattoos.

  • Cons: Service
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

05/04/08

Fabulous! Amazing Calamari and Entrees

by pamelaxnc at Citysearch

Visited KingFish Friday night with an out of town guest- I enjoy trying restaurants by famous chefs (this one is by Todd English) but unfortunately it seems they often don't live up to the hype. This was NOT the case at Kingfish. Everything was fantastic. The food, the service, the location, the atmosphere. I had the Cod: Atlantic Cod, Pumpkin Silk, Caramelized Onion Tart, Bacon Brussels Spout Salad,Pomegranate Vinaigrette & Toasted Pepitas...$27.95- My guest had the swordfish: Swordfish, Sweet Shrimp Chestnut Risotto, Cavolo Nero, Crispy Pancetta, Chestnut Puree & Orange Segments...$29.95 and we shared the Calamari, which was some of the best I've had... We were too full to try dessert, but definitely would on another visit. I eat in restaurants A LOT b/c of my job, and am a quintissential "fussy diner" and KINGFISH Hall was one of the best dinners I have had in a WHILE. I can't wait to try more of Todd English's restaurants!

  • Pros: Amazing food, lot's to do in the area
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

02/25/08

Always a nice meal

by stylcec at Citysearch

The place is nice and the food excellent . The tuna tartar is the best ....not talking about the tuna steak ! Everything is really good and inventive . Desserts are very good too . I just love it : go and enjoy !

Plus in the summer you can eat outside with cool music .

  • Pros: food ,staff ,location , very clean bathroom, ambience
  • Cons: well ...none !

The Details on Kingfish Hall

Place Categories:

  • great food
  • incredibly tasty elegant meal
  • poor service
  • really good everything
  • never bad dining experience
  • quite pricey hot food
  • great fish
  • delicious clam chowder
  • full price
  • love tuna tartar
  • good lobster roll
  • great menu
  • just order burger
  • excellent seafood
  • outstanding bar service
  • great space
  • great oysters
  • not recommend restaurant
  • attentive staff
  • worst meal
  • bad experience
  • good ingredients
  • great place
  • rude waitress
  • fun interior
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