Gaslight

05/05/2008 Posted by shanefnd

Went here last Saturday nigth with my family whowere in town for the weekend. The atmosphere and ambiance of Gaslight is really nice. The bar with it's long zinc strip is a really good first impression when you enter. When we moved to the dining area, the french bistro feeling continued with intimate seating and dark lighting, but it was all good! Becuase our table was delayed by roughly 20 minutes, the head waiter provided complimentry cheese fondue with garlic and onion and toasted breadsticks for dipping, along with 2 fresh baguettes to start off with. The meal was really tasty.....and the waiter was extremely nice and had a great sense of humor and character. After the meal, we moved to the bar which was buzzing by that stage and had a few drinks up until 1am. We stayed at this bar rather than moving to somewhere in town where we would have to stand in line for at least 20 minutes on a Saturday night!

Pros: Atmosphere, service, bar

Cons: none

03/28/2008 Posted by bowdoin79

Gaslight is a great addition to the crowded South End dining scene...It is basically a Balthazar knockoff, but why not as the concept is so successful. The space is welcoming, the bar is great.,.. a long expanse of gleaming zinc ( why they do not let it develop a patina as in France I will never know) . The cocktail list is interesting, the beers on tap varied , and the wines.. well...passable at best . The dining area is lively ..this is no place for intimate conversation. The food is very good ... appetizers and main courses cover the gamut... you cannot go wrong with the steak frites and the daily specials. Basically this is the standard "americanized" bistro concept...but it works. It is a great place to get together with friends . The prices are reasonable... and the parking is free...you cannot go wrong here .

Pros: Atmosphere, menu, free parking

Cons: can be really noisy when packed

03/16/2008 Posted by Peter492

Thank goodness we did not listen to the negative reviews that we saw posted here. We dined at the Gaslight on a busy Saturday evening on March 15, 2008 and our experience was completely positive. The attendant at the free parking lot was extremely courteous. Our table was ready when we arrived at 7:30. Our waiter, Joe, was helpful, prompt, accurate, professional and friendly. The physical atmosphere was wonderful and unhurried. We had a booth against the wall which allowed plenty of conversation- noise was not a factor. Our appetizers included the Bluecrab Cocktail and the Steak Tartare, both fresh, tasty, and nicely presented. The four of us ordered different entrees and we did tastings, everyone in agreement that the Rotisserie Chicken, Veal Weiner Schnitzel , Paelée Espagnol, and Braised Lamb Shank were excellent. We had a bottle of red and a bottle of white, both very nice and reasonably priced. Desserts of the artisan cheese and 10-year port, and the Caramelized Apple Tart Tatin were perfect. The check was less than we usually pay in Boston (we live in Back Bay), and the parking was indeed free. And even the bread was served on time and was fresh from the oven. Perhaps the negative reviews were from the days of growing pains, but on March 15 the Gaslight had it all together. If we had heeded the negative reviews, we would have missed out on a great evening.

Pros: atmosphere, food, service all great

Cons: none at all

02/27/2008 Posted by notsob

A foodie friend of mine told me about this place and I'm glad he did. Really nice design, comfy and not too stuck-up. I loved the food- had sirloin. Loved that they had a good selection of half-bottles of wine. Also my steak came out a little rare and even though I already had a few bites they brought me a brand new one, new plate, andf full serving of the side! It was packed when i was there- and it was a weeknight, so the word is getting out.

02/12/2008 Posted by matinaleung

I didn't read any review of this restaurant before going tonite with a friend. We picked that place because it's near where she works and it has free parking!! And the photo on the website looks good. Unlike some of the customers who had bad experience, we had the one of the best dining experiences tonite. The host was so friendly. I had to call ahead to change my reservation time. When I got there, he recognized my name and greeted me like we were friends. Our waiter was also amazing! He was also very friendly and the service was just right, not too much asking and showing up in just the right time, asking just the right questions, that allows my friend and I a good time of talking which was what we needed. The food although was not extremely good, but it was still very good. I love the decor of the restaurant. The atmosphere was also fanastic. Hmm... funny thing is I didn't feel the place was loud. After reading the bad reviews, I feel sorry for those people. Maybe they have improved their management since then. Hopefully Gaslight would keep up the good work.

Pros: Free parking!!

02/01/2008 Posted by southieg

I wanted to try Gaslight for a while but was hesitant due to the negative reviews I have seen. My experience was very positive and I had none of the problems that have been mentioned. Our server was excellent, very knowledgable and enthusiastic about the menu. She was prompt, attentive and very personable. We were a party of 5, starting off with french onion gratinee, escargot, and steak tartar. The soup was the only thing that left me slightly disappointed as I thought it needed more flavor, the stock was a bit flat. I had the steak frites for my entree. The beef was tender, juicy, and cooked perfectly. The fries were delicious! I liked that the duck confit did not use breast meat; it was much less fatty and the skin was nice and crispy! Considering the low prices the plate sizes were quite substantial, and I finished my meal feeling perfectly satisfied. I will definitely try a specialty cocktail next time; my sister had the manchester mule and it was awesome! I will definitely go back to Gaslight. It seems as though a lot of people like it, as we went on a Monday evening and it was a full house! It did get a little loud but my almost 70 year old father with bad hearing didn't complain a bit, so it was totally bearable. The whole group was very pleased. Free parking is a big plus as well!

01/06/2008 Posted by GabbyGyrl7

I recently took my father here, and was nervous as he has lived in France and is also quite frugal . We were thrilled by the free parking lot, and the fact that we got seated right away even though it was a Saturday night and we did not have reservations (they sat us in the "lounge" which was perfectly fine). We both thoroughly enjoyed our meals and all the flavors, he had the sat night rabbit special ($18) and i had the duck confit ($17.50). We thought the portions were good considering the low prices. We both had a glass of wine and shared the delicious creme brulee (no app because the bread that they provided was enough) and the bill was about $60, great for dinner in the south end and french food especially (and my dad agrees)!

Pros: free parking, french food for moderate prices

Cons: service wasn't the fastest (it was a sat night though)

12/28/2007 Posted by pemberly

i went to gaslight with some friends a few nights ago. the food, decor, price, etc were all pretty good. nothing stood out as stellar, except the free parking. but the waitress we had was terrible, and ruined the evening. we probably would have returned if she hadn't ruined the experience. there are better french brassieres on newbury st. with more professional service.

Pros: free parking, decent price, nice wine selection

Cons: tables felt a little crowded, inexperienced waitstaff

12/15/2007 Posted by majesty007

For a Brassiere I guess that means not so great in French. I was told by a friend this place was very good and after reading some of the prior reviews I decided to take a date here. Well, after waiting for almost everything and the food was fair I don't think I would go back here. The staff seemed to be preoccupied with other things than providing excellent service. Getting a drink from the bar was no simple task. They do have a nice wine list I must say and fairly priced. The managers were curt and did not seem genuinely concerned about the patrons. The desserts should be skipped they were dry and not very tasteful. The food was not prepared to our liking. Also, I think the fact that they actually have cigarettes for sale is quite odd given the fact that smoking is banned in Boston eateries. Who's brilliant ideas was that? Two thumbs down on this one!!

Pros: Ample Parking, Wine List, Price

Cons: Ambience, Service, Food, Management

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful

12/02/2007 Posted by mitcoffee

Just as packed and ambience-infused as its neighboring restaurant Rocca, Gaslight was an experience in itself. True to form of French bistros, the restaurant was bustlingly full, busy, and beautifully-lit. It truly was a quick trip to Paris for a few hours! We started with a beautiful Gaslight Salade which was so freshly prepared with a delicate mix of frisee, mesclun greens, radichio, onions and chopped, freshly cooked bacon. The table bread was a baguette, uniquely presented right in the baguette bag itself (I've only seen a handful of restaurants present bread that way). We moved onto the Swordfish (dish of the day) and the salade nicoise- both sooo flavorful and elegantly presented. The Swordfish was tender, fresh. juicy- all the while not oily at all! (More than often, swordfish is cooked with too much oil to keep it moist) I haven't tasted Swordfish so well prepared in a long time! The Salade nicoise was a moderate sized salad bowl of greens, beans, and olives- topped by several strips of seared tuna- also tenderly prepared. Our waitress was extremely attentive and helpful at selecting wines, despite her busy crowd of customers. We definately plan to return to Gaslight, that is if we can get in! On that note, we highly recommend making reservations!

Pros: True French ambience, cuisine

Cons: Need to make reservations way in advance!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful