Flatiron Tapas Bar & Lounge

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TruthToldEverywhere

Joined 4 years ago

Come On Over!!. Menu Changes have been a positive addition to the flat iron. Calamari is always on point. You have got to come and enjoy the breakfast. Frittatas and Omelets, stuff to stick to your ribs baby!

Doesn't Recommend

INSG

Joined 5 years ago

Worst Boston Dining Experience - Ever!. Our first time at The Flat Iron Tapas Bar and Lounge was so abysmal, I am utterly dumbfounded that it remains in business. The evening began with a 40 minute wait for our coctails. Followed by another 40 minute wait for our French Fries, Lemon Chicken, Meatballs and "Heirloom Tomatoes". The food was mediocre at best, but, in the case of the tomatoes, was completely different than what the menu indicated. The menu described heirloom tomatoes with marinated zucchini and olives. What arrived where a few tasteless roma tomatoes with some cucumbers and frise salad. We made the mistake of ordering a second round of small plates when the waitress finally dropped the first course. We also ordered another couple of drinks which again took nearly 40 minutes to arrive. We ordered shrimp fritters and the kobe sliders. The shrimp fritters did not appear to have any discernable shrimp inside of them and the accompanying sauce was watery and tasteless. The kobe sliders never even made it to the table. This was on a night when the restaurant was only at about 80% capacity. Other reviewers have mentioned the bathrooms, but I have to add that it is completely unacceptable that a hotel restaurant makes its customers go down a scary back stairwell and through no less than 6 doors to use a bathroom in the basement - SCARY! As someone who dines out in Boston frequently (2-3 times per week), I have to say that this was the absolute worst dining experience I've ever had in Boston. Please, someone, put us all out of our misery and shut this gastromic abomination down!

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threeinfouryears

Joined 6 years ago

great new menu. This was my second time at Flat Iron Tapas, and it was nice to see a few new menu items. Some of the old dishes are still available, but, I just had to try the new goods.

The drinks...spectacular as usual.

For dinner, my wife and I, had the Beets salad, with shaved manchego cheese and chopped pistachios. So simple, yet, so good...and the Crab Cake. Crispy-Crunchy panko breading, with a warm and delicious fresh crab filling. I slight kick to it, with spicy mayo, and pickled onions.

For 'entrees' we had the Wild Striped Bass, and The grilled pork tenderloin.

The bass was cooked perfectly, crispy buttery skin, and very moist. Classic lentils and cauliflower came with it, but the essence of rosemary was a nice suprise.

The tenderloin was cooked medium, and perfect. So so tasty. pearled barley, fresh herbs and roasted pearl onions were good...but the highlight of the dish was the homemade apple butter. WOW.

There's something new going on in the kitchen. And I can;t wait to come back for some more, new, dishes. Now, they just gotta work on that dessert list.

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luckyandracer

Joined 5 years ago

Great for Two!. I consider myself to be a pseudo foodie with a good amount dining out experience in Boston and I must say this is one of my favorite places, well, for small inimate dinners.

The ambience is relaxed yet somewhat swanky with low lighting and uninvasive waitstaff.The dining area sits about 20 people (all in authentic mid-century eames chairs), the lounge-ish area seats about 10 people (large leather cubes and benches) and the bar about 15 people (hidden around the corner on the side with hotel entrance).

The food here is solid and quality. Each plate is about 10 dollars give or take and there is a wide variety so anyone could find a few things on the menu to order. The cocktails are very strong and mostly exotic and by exotic I mean russian and brazilian drinks, not mojitos that you can get at Applebe's. My drink recommendation is the (and I know I am not spelling this right) Chipherani - which is a boozy lime rickey.

My recommendations for food are:

Chilean Sea Bass - nice and fatty tasting, I swear it mealted like butter

Braised Short Rib - it was delicious, fell off the bone, even better though was the potatoes it came with

French Fry Basket - nicely cooked authentic hungarian fries with homemade steak sauce and saffron mayo

Crab Cake- no breading or "glue" to this cake, it was all lump pressed into a ring and cooked on either side for a nice crust

Foods that didn't impress me:

Tuna Tartar - wasn't seasoned at all, tasted like salt water and pieces poorly cut (like with a dull knife)

Ice Cream Pop - for $10 I would have been more thrilled with a pint of Hagaan Daz

So, all and all, it was a great time. The dinner lingered about 3 hours and never did we feel rushed, it fact it was a very relaxing dinner experience. Perfect place for a dinner for 2-4 people (I think it would be romantic on a rainy night - I don't know why) Last word of advice . . . bathroom is in the hotel down a flight of stairs.

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Eric Grossman

Joined 10 years ago

Tucked into the Bulfinch Hotel, this stylish tapas bar offers a comfortable place for drinking and dining.. The Scene
Chic but casual, the Flat Iron Tapas Bar and Lounge embodies the "bar and lounge" part of its name. Inventive cocktails and small plates draw a downtown happy hour crowd as well as power-lunchers, pregame partiers, trendy couples, and a few hotel guests here and there. Red leather benches, beaded curtains, dark wood, and red walls lend a bit of glamour to the scene, where the visual appeal of the drinks and the dishes is as artful as the tastes.

The Food
Flat Iron's novel approach to small plates will not be confused for traditional Spanish tapas by anyone. The chilled menu includes items such as a subtly fragrant tuna tartare with coconut milk, Fisher Island oyster shooters, and grilled octopus with chorizo. Hot items include a pork belly confit and hand-cut French fries with a trio of sauces. A carefully selected wine list complements the dishes while fun desserts like a cheesecake lollipop tree round out the meal.

Hits
Subtle flavors and inventive combinations make Flat Iron's dishes memorable. The small plate approach makes Flat Iron the perfect place for a few drinks and bites before a night out.

Misses
While some menu items are substantial, some are far smaller than one would expect and even a sampling of several may leave some patrons on the hungry side. Vegetarians in particular are left out with few choices available other than French fries and dessert.