07/13/09

REVIEW FROM CITYSEARCH's 3BUCKBITES DICTATOR

by LingboLi

I adore oysters, the aftertaste of sea, the freshness and briny goodness cut through a zingy squirt of lemon and a splash of hot sauce. Delish. Add some good company, and it's a party. Go on Mondays, when it's just a dollar apiece at the bar.

03/22/09

In 2 words: DON'T GO

by SudburySteve

If you are looking for passable food at grotesquely inflated prices with a surly, pretentious maitre 'd, then this just may be the place for you. As a bonus you will get a noisy environment, food you may have to send back multiple times until they get it "right", and you may be lucky enough to get a table sized for your kindergardener. How do you have more fun than that? You can do better just about anywhere (in fact, I have). Never again. I gave it one star only because that's the lowest rating this review service would accept.

• Pros: Hard to find one
• Cons: Over priced, surly Matre d', passable food, noisy

08/20/08

rialto

by WillLinch

My wife and I were in a party of four at 7:00 p.m. 16 Aug for "restaurant week" None in the party wanted to cause a commotion so we didn't complain. None would would return. As I wanted to try something new, I opted for the Fisherman's Soup and the Spinach & Cheese Ravioli. The soup was too salty to to try more than a few spoonfuls. The 5 or 6 thin revilli were tasted only of salt .

The bread and wine were excellent.

My friend and I volunteer at a prison and often have lunch prepared by the residents.

Prision food is far superior to Rialto, How do they get away with it ???

WPL

• Pros: Good wine
• Cons: food and pretty wait staff

09/30/07

Excellent food, excellent service

by travelgirl727

Yes, this place is very expensive, but if you want to treat yourself to a great meal with fabulous service you will get your money's worth. I went there with my family to celebrate a birthday and everyone loved their food. The waitress was excellent and was able to answer any question about the menu--she knew her stuff. The amibiance is nice and it is quiet so you can have nice conversation without shouting. I've been to many expensive restaurants and this is one of the few where I wouldn't mind shelling out the big bucks--it is worth it. They also give you delicious biscottis with the check. If you have some occasion and want to really treat yourself, I would try this place. The menu changes all the time as well, so you will never get bored.

04/30/07

Fantastic food, great atmosphere, impeccable service

by sailorboy05

Our first visit to the Rialto and we were blown away by it. Firstly, it looks beautiful- elegant, spare yet luxurious, welcoming, warm without being fussy. Secondly the staff, from the greeter to our waiter, were delightful- professional, attentive without being intrusive, knowledgeable and made the whole experience an utter delight. The food was fantastic- flavorful, correctly portioned, seasonal, light, fresh and made sense. We were not overwhelmed by too many choices, yet did not feel bullied into picking just one or two. The dessert menu matched the main menu and did not seem, as it does in so many other fine dining places, a boring but necessary formality. The whole place quietly breathes confidence and grace, understated but definitely special and we will be back there as soon as possible.

• Pros: Decor, ambience (even on a Monday night), service and food (including desserts!)
• Cons: Parking- the Charles Square hotel car park is a nightmare and way overpriced even with validation (and the parking staff are surly and rude)

This sheerly modern hideaway helmed by Jody Adams is Charles Hotel's upscale gem, gracefully dishing hyper-seasonal New England twists on Italian.

by Contributor

Glowing bars, undulating banquettes and eager forks await at this gorgeous restaurant directed by James Beard award-winning chef/owner Jody Adams. Adjunct professors and foreign dignitaries (in town visiting their kids at Harvard) jockey for tables with hotel guests to sample Adams' modernized menu of sophisticated regional Italian fare, always fiercely changing by the season. Perhaps a lobster bucatini with green and red tomatoes, chilis and saffron one day; pistachio-crusted tuna with farro, olives and beets the next. The bar and lounge are an extremely delicoius and relaxing refuge (and a favorite stopover of restaurant industry boldfacers on their nights off).

Photo by Peter Vanderwarker

03/16/07

Restaurant Week Exemplar!

by msiw80

After a few poor experiences with Restaurant Week in the past I went to Rialto with average expectations. I guess this made it all the more pleasing when I had an amazing meal with exceptional service. Our waiter guided us through the menu and made some great suggestions. The additions to the prix fixe menu were quite easy to follow, I thought, despite what another reviewer has said. IE If you want X, add $Y to the cost of the meal. Perhaps it was the amazing cocktails (but pricey, $14) that blurred the concept.

I debated over my main course several times and ordered the roasted chicken at the last moment thinking it contrary to my normal fare and thinking that it must be amazing in a place of this caliber. My mates agreed hands down that "I won" with the best dish of the night. The flavors were amazing and the gratin that came with it was just as pleasing.

All the others can learn a few things from Rialto's approach to Restaurant week: treat it as if it were any other event by offering fresh, flavorful and earnest portions of food.

• Pros: Wine Pairings, Cocktail Menu, Inventive/Classic Food
• Cons: Pricey....save it for a special occasion

09/23/06

Not worth the $$$$$$$$$$$

by reza5240

My wife and I spent a rare evening dining out without the kids. She did a lot of research and came up with Rialto as the destination. We called to make reservations and were told only 6 PM and 8 PM are available for a Saturday night. We took the 6 PM resies. When we got there, barely 1/10 of the tables were occupied. In fact, by the time we left at 7:45 PM, the place was half empty! The service was below average. The waitress walked by our table at least 6 times without clearing our dishes after we were done. She never bothered to ask how things were after delivering our meal. The food was not much to write home about. I had the Cod fish special, which was very tender but quite bland at the same time. My wife ordered the duck, a heaping portion, but on the tough side. We did not stick around for dessert and opted for Au Bon Pain down the street. It is a stuffy restaurant and too expensive for the food and service. Save your money and go elsewhere for a gourmet meal.

• Pros: Nice views of Harvard Square
• Cons: price, value, service

08/24/06

The restaurant week rip offs...

by ck4na2

Boston celebrates the restaurant week to pay respect to the world class restaurateurs in town and Bostonians who makes them better. Tonight, I had the WORST experience of dinning in my entire life. When my best friend and I walked into the restaurant, we had no hostess greeting us. After 20 mins of waiting, we were seated at the table of six with five other people, creating a harmonious table for seven. On the menu, we were puzzled by extra costs for adding side dishes to preselected and priced meal. Later while taking the last bite of not-so-fresh duck, my unnamed (never introduced himself) asked if he could take my dish away (not asking if I am finished). I am still going out to another restaurant tomorrow night to participate in this wonderful celebration and thank many good people in Boston restaurant scene. I have been to the Rialto a couple of times before, but the truth is quality never lived up to my expectations. I hope the Rialto management will realize the true quality of excellent dinning is often felt as walking away from the restaurant receiving thanks from friends whom I had invited for a night of outing to create a life time memory.

08/22/06

Fantastic Food, Impeccable Service

by juliananguyen

After reading the reviews, I was already expecting great food and service. However, the food, ambiance, and service exceeded my expectations! My friends and I went for restaurant week, but we ordered on top of the prix fixe menu. If you enjoy duck, the crispy duck is fantastic! What I enjoyed most about the food was that every bit of food on the entree had flavor! The salad on the side was not just for "garnish" or "decoration" but for EATING! My glass of water did no go empty!

• Pros: Great Service and Food!
• Cons: Bathroom is outside of the restaurant in the hotel