Via Matta

Doesn't Recommend

Nantastik

Joined 2 years ago

Don't Just Stand THERE. This was a really disappointing evening. We went out with friends whom we were treating for yummy dinner at a restaurant we'd liked before. NOT tonight! The hostesses just standing there at the front door were so full of attitude. We were seated at the WORST table despite having advance and confirmed reservations. When asked about switching tables, there were SEVERAL empty tables, we were told it was impossible. This was very disappointing evening. Even if the food had been AMAZING, and the service outstanding, our experience was spoiled. The food, by the way, was NOT amazing and the service was FAR FROM outstanding. There was NO visible management presence or something may have been done to make the disappointment less hard to swallow.

The restaurant is just not too ordinary to rest on a no longer valid reputation of cool and chic with good food: NONE of this applies. Our waiter was 23: what does he know about food or wine. He is just serving what is ordered; he made no recommendations or suggestions.

Over-priced and UNDER-whelming.

Stay away; there are many better places to be treated unkindly and unprofessionally. Michael Schlow should be ASHAMED.

Recommends

Allstar201297

Joined 2 years ago

Classic Boston Hip. Since I can remember being out and about on the Boston area restaurant scene, which is maybe ten years now, I've never had a bad meal at Via Matta. Each new menu they come up with is better than another. I miss the chef's table in the kitchen but the main dining room is really where it's at anyway. Try any of their home made pasta entrees and the drinks are always top shelf. I put this on my top ten for new and old friends visiting Boston.

Recommends

IVJ

Joined 4 years ago

Best Italian Restaurant. Simply elegant, chic Italian inspired food and people make this place a favorite! Homemade pasta and friendly service, great location... Wines are nicely priced and all around great experience!

Recommends

thomhal

Joined 5 years ago

For those who eat out rarely. The ideal restaurant for those who enjoy waiters in blue jeans & sneakers serving them mid-$40 entrees. For diners who haven't travelled to Italy, this will seem like a great restaurant. The chef relies on heavy doses of herbs and salt to spice up dishes created from mundane ingredients -- certainly an appeal to his regular clientele. They make sure you know how they feel about your dining in their restaurant.

Recommends

Jenny999

Joined 5 years ago

Best Italian Restaurant in Boston. This is the restaurant me and my boyfriend go to every time we want to have a special meal. We never go to the North End anymore because Via Matta is the best. The pastas there are absolutely amazing with much more diverse and innovative choices than ones in north end or anywhere else in Boston. Spicy lobster pasta is my favorite! The spicy calamari appetizer is also amazing. We have been there 5 or 6 times and it's been amazing every time. Also do not leave without trying their desserts, mind blowing!!!

Recommends

Eric Grossman

Joined 10 years ago

Experienced restaurateurs (of Radius fame) riff on authentic Italian fare in the warmly sleek dining room and casually intimate enoteca.. Classic Italian cuisine is made hip at this centrally located Back Bay trattoria. The large, bustling dining room is especially good for groups, while the mosaic-tiled and dimly-lit enoteca or the stylish bar offer intimacy. (The outdoor patio is a lush oasis come summer.) The kitchen's emphasis is on fresh ingredients, resulting in a daily menu of traditional dishes. Over a dozen chic starters (like crunchy eggplant with spicy tomato sauce, oregano and parmigiano) kick off the dining options. Housemade pastas are constructed from the freshest ingredients; entrees are rich without being heavy. Desserts, including an immaculate vanilla panna cotta, are irresistible.

Photo courtesy of Via Matta

Recommends

kimp2008

Joined 6 years ago

Great dining experience!!! L@@K. Amazing restaurant! From the valet person outside, to the front desk, to the server, to the busperson, I felt like a princess or a superstar!!! Get a VIP treatment even if you?re a regular person like me!! The raw tuna appetizer was delish, and the chicken under a brick was to die for! My drinks came long after we order, but other than that it was a great experience. I definitely recommend it for special occasions.

Doesn't Recommend

cwarner12

Joined 6 years ago

A Bad Experience. I have been to Via Matta twice (the second time reluctantly), and have had very negative experiences. In my first visit, we were seated after 45 minutes despite having a reservation. When seated, the waitress recommended the most expensive wine and meal on the menu to my son's friend. Before our meals came (took roughly 45-50 minutes), the waitress brought out olive oil in unnecessary quantities. It turned out later that the olive oil was part of the bill. Never before have I gone to a restaurant that gauges money so perversely as Via Matta. The second time I visited, the waiter spilt an entire glass of wine on my suit, and all the manager could offer was a clean shirt. I believe the appropriate, polite response to such an occasion would be to offer the meal on the house. Instead, I was offered a simple button down shirt, no compensation for my suit, and feeling like a victim rather than like a customer, I left before the main courses arrived.

I do not recommend this restaurant at all.

Recommends

kmc1128

Joined 9 years ago

Perfect. I've found very few restaurants that seem to have everything in order... the food, service and ambiance. Via Matta has it all. My husband and I have a great experience each time we go: the food is delectable, the service is incredibly professional, and the environment is pleasant. We like everything so much that we've made dinner here a weekly tradition. The waitstaff seem to have recognized this and greet us warmly, sometimes even remembering the dishes we like to order. I'd recommend the Burrata appetizer, it's light and very fresh. My husband swears by the bolognese pasta. Definitely make a trip here if you enjoy fresh food and friendly service.

Doesn't Recommend

etreacy

Joined 6 years ago

poor service. I've eaten here twice and found the food to be OK, the wine list to be good, and the service to be somewhat lacking. Considering that the prices are sky high the service should be commensurate, but it's definitely not. A noisy restaurant with an abrupt staff. I won't eat there again.