The Savant Project

07/05/2008 Posted by KooKooBee

We found this place this afternoon when the rest of the bars in the area were closed for the July 4th weekend. We always thought it looked pretty cool from the outside and decided to try it. We don't know what all these bad reviews are about. The server was attentive and gave good recommendations about what she liked on the menu. The drinks were clever and tasty. The gaspacho was smoky and good. The Greek salad had fried feta cheese nuggets -- interesting and surprisingly tasty. The Caesar salad was ok, but the fried oysters on top did not fit in very well. The beef sliders were well seasoned. The veggie burger was disappointing -- no texture and was completely undersalted. My husband _is_ a thirty year old surgeon at the Longwood campus, and he liked it alot. We'll be back for dinner service soon!

Pros: Half price appetizers in the afternoon, clever drinks

Cons: Poor veggie burgers

04/09/2008 Posted by legmonster

After seeing a great review of the Savant Project this weekend on Phantom Gourmet, we decided to give it a try. The food looked amazing on TV. Unfortunately it didn't taste as good as it looked. The paella, which claimed to have chicken, salmon, and sausage, had no chicken at all and only about 2 bites of sausage. Otherwise there was very little besides some really oily rice. At $18 it was incredibly overpriced. Oh and the $13 burger was certainly nothing to write home about. Very dry and the focaccia bun was tasteless. The best part of the meal was the free tortillas and salsa at the beginning. The service was fine, nothing to complain about there. And it wasn't loud at all. But the food was so disappointing... we'll never go back, at least at that price.

Pros: ambience, service

Cons: food, price

04/05/2008 Posted by MichelleS39

I did some research and found all similiar reviews to the first 5 on this site. They all sounded a lot like press releases. I mean 5 stars and NO cons? I highly doubted any restaurant that opened less than a year ago could boast that level of perfection, so I had to see for myself. At the suggestion of most "reviewers" I tried the berry dessert... and it was okay. Nothing spectacular though. So it surprises me that every single reviewer raves about this dish. Overall the food wasn't terrible and service was okay, although slow (which was surprising given that there were 2 other people in the restaurant). I can't comment on the noise level inside because I visited the Savant Project for lunch and the volume was moderate. Although walking down Tremont on most nights, I'm always amused to hear what the SP is playing. One night it's a Jack Johnson cover band and the next it's some techno/house music - you never really know what you're going to get. But it's good for a laugh. One reviewer made a comment about young professionals and doctors frequenting the SP. I've only ever seen MassArt/Berklee kids there. And that's fine if that's your scene, but I highly doubt a 30+ year old surgeon will find this place a relaxing after-work lounge. Would I go back? No. But it was interesting to try it once. To quote an article in the Metro: "It seems that they are too busy trying to create a mood with the deafening live poetry slam music and too-clever concept to actually find out if you’re enjoying anything."

02/19/2008 Posted by JThurman8

I'd have to agree with the last reviewer. I was rather surprised during my visit to the Savant Project - and not in a positive way. After visiting the Mission and the Penguin many times, I decided to try out the latest addition to the Brigham Circle area. The music was obscenely loud, to the point where I couldn't carry on a conversation with my friends. Half of the staff was unbelievably arrogant and the other half appeared to be on some type of controlled substance. It seems as though management is trying to brand the restaurant as too many things at once. The high-priced food, tacky décor and eclectic music all mixed together to create a mess. Speaking of music, I think I heard more techno remixes to 80’s Michael Jackson then I knew existed. To sum it up, I’d stick with the Mission over the Savant Project any day. There’s a reason the Mission has a wait and the Savant Project is half empty on most nights.

Cons: Atmosphere, Music, Service

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

02/18/2008 Posted by LoriStewartson

I'm always looking to try out new places. I did some reading online and thought this would be a good place to try. I went in one evening a while ago with a few of my friends. The set up inside is pretty strange. It is like sensory overload. The music was blasting some kind of strange dance mix.... yet no one was dancing. As a matter of fact there were only 4 people in the place. My friends and I couldn't even hear each other without shouting. The DJ was set up in the front. Behind him was a projection screen with what looked like an acid warp projected onto it. It looked like it was straight from windows media player. SO STRANGE! The front walls are tin and a strange red color, while the walls in the back were spray panted with bizarre pictures, including a woman wearing practically nothing, that really seemed out of place. There were way too many colors that did not go together. There was a lounge type set up in the back where we decided to sit and talk, but since we still couldn't hear each other it was pretty hard to do that. I had a drink that was mediocre at best. Once we finished our drinks we left, and my ears were still ringing while I was sitting on the T on my way home. There should be a warning outside for people with epilepsy that they are at risk of a seizure.

10/15/2007 Posted by richbeaud21

This is a great place to relax, enjoy some food, and have a few drinks. The "small plates" were fantastic, in particular I loved the beef sliders and tempura vegetables. For entrees, you can't beat the seared tuna steak or steak frites. A visit isn't complete without trying out one of the many creative drinks like the 'Tijuana Tea bag' or the 'Sakito'. Hard to find wnything to complain about... the brains behind the Savant Project definitely got it right.

Pros: Great food, drinks and service

Cons: none

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

10/07/2007 Posted by jason98765

This place was an amazing find. Its always nice to see someone try a trendy spot but the results too ofter turn out corny and lame. This place, however, is awesome. Just upscale and trendy enough to rival newbury street but with the perfect amount of urban appeal and soulful flavor to fit in well with its locale. The prices are very reasonable and the food is excellent. I've been back a few times and have yet to be let down. The music is always great and they have a DJ spinning some great house and electro on Thursdays. Nothing too hardcore...just lively enough to make the dinner exciting. The energetic environment along with great food and service makes The Savant Project a great pick for a date. I'll definitely be back soon.

Pros: Great music, Good Drinks, Great place to hang out

Cons: Cordial Bar

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

10/06/2007 Posted by mikearden

One of my new local fav's for a cocktail. Great atmosphere and music, good spot for a date if you're in the area. Also love the drunken berry cup....

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

10/05/2007 Posted by agcesq

We stumbled upon this diamond in the rough recently and instantly decided it's one of the best restaurants we've been to in a while. The service was impeccable, the food was outstanding, and the atmosphere was very ecclectic. The portions are more than adequate. Make sure to try the mixed drinks - very potent! The location is very convenient, just next to Brigham Circle. Parking was no problem. The guys who own the place are friendly and hands on, but not overbearing. We got the impression that they're here to stay, and they want to make sure their patrons have a very positive experience, which we did indeed.

Pros: Great atmoshere; creative dishes

Cons: None.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

10/05/2007 Posted by misspriss5

This place is Super Cute! One of my best girlfriends who lives in Mission Hill begged us to finally come to her neck of the woods for a drink--as we all live in Beacon Hill and she usually comes into the city. Anyway, she promised she found a great place, so we made the trek....and it was well worth it! The Savant Project is just this uber classy yet casual and comfortable little gem in that part of town! The food was amazing. We all ordered a little bit of everything so we could all try the fun and crazy things on the menu. My fav's. are the skirt steak eggrolls and the half chicken . But def the best part was the drink menu. I highly reccomend the Pama Juice! Also they have this amazing little thing called the berry sake cup or something. Its literally the freshest berries (strawberries, rasberrys, blueberrys) drenched in Sake- uggghh soo good! If you live there, its def a place worth checking out. If you dont live there, trust me its worth the trek. Haha, and I say trek like its far. Its really not that far, lol.

Pros: Super Cute, Great Drink Menu, Hunky Doctors from the nearby Hospitals

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful