Rabia's Restaurant
(617) 227-6637
73 Salem St
Boston,
MA
02113
42.3634
-71.0557
Neighborhoods: North End, Central
What People Are Saying About Rabia's Restaurant
The Editor
Eric Grossman
Citysearch
The Scene
Rabia's blink-and-you'll-miss-it storefront doesn't do much to differentiate the restaurant from the dozens of others that surround it. But upon stepping inside, diners are transported to a faraway world of delicious Italian cuisine and friendly service. The dining room can get a bit cramped when packed, but after digging into a luxurious seafood antipasto plate, most diners don't seem to mind. Even when the room is full, obtrusive noise levels fail to distract from a cozy, romantic environment.
The Food
While the kitchen prepares all the expected favorites with great aplomb, it stands out for its inventive preparations of fresh fish. After starting with a dish of cheese, mushroom and spinach ravioli that benefits from a tasty tomato and basil sauce, move on to a deliciously moist cut of halibut served over sauteed spinach and a delicate lobster risotto. Leave room for desserts like exceptionally creamy, homemade tiramisu or a scoop of refreshing peach sorbet.
User Reviews
dynamopix
October 05, 2008
I dined here on a Friday night. The place was packed but we were lucky to get a table upon entering. It's has a small cozy atmosphere. It is rather dark but that adds to the ambiance. The place is a bit overdecorated with fake grape vines hanging from the celing (some of which visibily cracking and peeling). Soon after we were seated at the tiny table we were handed gigantic menus. The next 20 minutes or so while we waited for someone, anyone to come over and at least take our drink order we were stuck with these huge folders. It was extremely awkward! Finally someone came over with bread and tapenade, which was the very good although the bread was a big hard and crusty. We were finally able to order drinks and a while later the waiter came back for the food order. We were very hungry so it was a bit irriating to have to wait almost 1/2 an hour before ordering any food. Then the food took an eternity to arrive as well. Luckily when the food did arrive, first our salads and then our meals, everything was delicous. The portions weren't too big, but I felt with a salad and entree I had the perfect amount, well maybe a little too much. Again it took quite a while to get the bill and even then the waiter passed us a few times before collecting the credit card for payment. The food is great, but the service could use a little help. It was a busy Friday evening, perhaps a weeknight would be better as far as the service goes.
read full review
dlite12
June 21, 2008
I regrettably chose to celebrate my 34th birthday here tonight. I've never written a review before and immediately got on line on returning home to get this out to other people. Background: I am a single female recently moved here from New York City where I am used to a very different dining experience than I think many Boston restaurants believe consumers deserve. I've learned to stop putting expectations on my dinners but tonight was just altogether UNACCEPTABLE in my book. Tonight at Rabia's I was told on having my dinner plate taken away that the check would follow. A message was relayed from the manager that we would not be allowed dessert given the long wait for a table tonight. 1. There was no visible crowd formed anywhere nearby, 2. The couple seated next to my friend and I were served dessert minutes prior. When asked to speak w the manager he was "not in the building". The check came, on learning it was my birthday, the order to hustle us out the door was "retracted" after our waitress spoke with someone. We refused on principle. Their soggy hospitality was complimentary to their dry almost crispy angel hair pasta. The food might have been decent to good (ordered lobster and king crabs that were not pre cut and super difficult to break apart). But how can the food be appreciated if you are knocking your elbows into the person next to you and being hawked by stressed out wait staff who want nothing more than to see you off. Other busy places can pull this off w style, offering perhaps an alternative dessert spot or certificate to return another time. Go ahead and see for yourself. It was quite unbelieveable. I've eaten at MANY restaurants (I don't cook) and have never brought myself to put a review on line til now. Rabia's failed miserably in the service department. I hope no one else's special occasion gets ruined like mine.
read full review
Anonymous
May 19, 2008
There are so many restaurants in the North End, choosing a place to dine can be difficult. For Italian seafood, try this small storefront eatery. For traditional Italian-American entrees, there are plenty of familiar pastas. The mussels and scallops in sauce or saut????ed in oil is my absolute favorite. The restaurant serves beer and wine.
read full reviewThe Details on Rabia's Restaurant
Save Money:
Budget-minded diners can cut back on their bill by skipping a second appetizer and indulging in complimentary bread, olive oil and imported olives.
Know Before You Go:
Unlike many North End restaurants, where a passable bottle of table wine costs around $20, expect to drop closer to $30 here.
Parking:
There's no public parking anywhere near the restaurant. Consider taking the T to Haymarket, a five-minute walk away.
Category:
Payment Methods:
Gift Certificate, American Express, Cash, Diners Club, Discover, Visa, MasterCard, Travelers Check
Restaurant Special Features:
Local Favorite, Family-Friendly Dining, Romantic Dining, Quiet, Hidden Find, Group Dining
Cuisine:
Smoking Permitted:
No
