Pigalle
Boston, MA 02116-5431
Phone: (617) 423-4944
- Price:
- $$$$
- Cross Street:
- Stuart Street
- Specialties:
- French Food
- Best of Citysearch:
- French Food 2005
- Hours:
- Tue-Thu 5:30pm-10pm, Fri-Sat 5:30pm-10:30pm, Sun 5pm-9:30pm
Editorial Review for Pigalle – by Eric Grossman
The Scene
One of the city's most inviting French restaurants, Pigalle is a favorite among upscale theatre-goers. The small, dimly lit dining room is constantly patrolled by several competent waiters and busboys, ensuring that you'll never have to wait long for a water refill. The bar mixes some inventive house drinks (try the champagne and peach puree), as well as an impressive, mostly French wine list.
The Food
Described by the restaurant as "French country" dining, the menu offers up faithful interpretations of standards like steak frites and cassoulet while also serving several unique creations. The remarkable tuna phyllo roll appetizer, served with an assortment of pickled vegetables and a tangy soy-wasabi sauce, wouldn't be out of place in the finest Japanese restaurant. Among the entrees, braised short ribs are the definition of succulence. Desserts include rich "fallen" chocolate cake and creme brulee. Most impressive are the homemade fruit sorbets.
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Insider Tips
When to GoOn Feb. 25, owner/Chef Marc Orfaly will host a lively seven-year anniversary party, with special guest chefs in tow. Reception and dinner costs $177 and begins at 6:30pm, while the after-party starts at 10:30pm and costs $30. Call the restaurant for more information.
ParkingUnless you're coming in for dinner on a Monday (when the nearby theatres are dark), allow extra time for looking for parking.
Know Before You GoA special chef's tasting menu is offered in both Petit and Grand, both with or without wine.
The ExtrasMost desserts come accompanied by their homemade ice cream.
User Reviews for Pigalle
10/16/2007 Posted by 02lambs
Pigalle is an outstanding restaurant! The food is the best I have ever had and the service is fantastic. Every time I have dined there, it has always been great. The appetizers, entrees and desserts are mouth watering and I have never received better service. The menu has something for everyone and changes with the seasons. The owners (husband and wife) and their staff make you feel very special and deserve every compliment. Parking is right next door and is validated. It will be only a matter of time before the James Beard award is given to its owner who has been nominated for it. Do yourself a favor and go to this restaurant. It is a winner!
Pros: food, service, location and parking
Cons: none that I saw
10/16/2007 Posted by pixie_lated
A great night from the second you park your car. Pigalle makes having a great meal before a show a piece of cake. With easy. validated parking (within walking distance of your theater and the Common), you're immediately assured a spot for your car all evening. But the real show starts the second you approach the restaurant. With a sweet, urban patio set up outside—full of seasonal touches reminiscent of a French bistro —you immediately imagine yourself on the Left Bank, enjoying a stroll along the streets of Paris. Step inside to be greeted in the cozy bar area by the gracious and knowledgeable hostess, Kerri. It's a popular place—and tiny—so you might need to wait a moment or two before you are seated. The staff will kindly take your coat and umbrella. Once you are seated (we tend to enjoy dropping in early in the week to have a glass of wine and a plate of the delectable steak frites at the bar, and do a little people watching), you'll be challenged to select from their seasonal menu. We have a hard time getting past the steak frites—a perfectly seasoned, perfectly cooked hangar steak with authentic, crispy, sea-salted pommes frites and creamy spinach served in a seperate copper dish. The other items on the menu are not to be missed either....we had a roasted chicken that was the juiciest and most flavorful around, with a tasty treat on the side of paté-stuffed "french toast." It was melt-in-your-mouth creamy inside with a crispy, buttery outside. Chef Orfaly wields some sort of magic with common ingredients like turnips, pork belly and eggs—turning them into mouth-watering delicacies, with textures and flavors that you'll be contemplating well through the second act of your show, and talking about all the way home and at the office the next day. There is a reason chef Marc Orfaly was selected as one of Food and Wine's Best Chefs in 2004, and he's just gotten better since then. Do yourself a favor and put Pigalle on your short list.
Pros: Mouthwatering menu; friendly service
Cons: Small waiting area — eased by having an aperitif!!
