Ivy Restaurant

Got seated downstairs in the ""cava"" or ""grotto"" or whatever they call it. Very intimate. Good service. Decent food. Good wine, especially for the price. Pros: Location Cons: Dark? more

I have dined a million places in Boston and each restaurant and menu have their place. Ivy is an excellent date restaurant, ladies night out, pre-theater, non pretentious establishment i love to be at. No it is not North End, nor is it L'Espalier, but of all the available options for an easy night out in Downtown Boston, Ivy fits the bill with taste and a touch of contemporary panache. In a busy city like boston I have learned to be smart diner; I always call ahead and if I have a big party, i ask for the manager and sweetly say it is a very important gathering and ask for his/her assurance that my evening will go smoothly. Being nice to restaurant people works wonders! We got complimentary desserts and a free bottle of wine! I had a fabulous time that first night and I keep going back. The Arancini with Black Truffles is my fave, the lamb is succulent (i actually chewed on the bone- terrible manners i know!). Those in the know will ask the chef to substitute mushroom ragout for the bean ragout and if you're feeling like comfort food with style, the mac& cheese is sinfully good as far as mac and cheese go. So before you go to Eastern Standard, Teatro, Piattini or someplace you are worried will be ""uptight"", head over to Ivy and enjoy the casual intimacy of tasty tapas-style food and a truly decent price. ooh, the scallops are really good too! Pros: Valet, great affordable wine list as well as a ""reserve"" wine list Cons: very few restaurants work well for parties over 8, Call ahead and book the entire downstairs for your large group more

I had the opportunity to visit IVY with my parents from out of town the week before Chistmas and had an excellent time. The server was great. She seemed very knowledgeable and she was very personal. We ordered the Ivy House salad, mac & cheese, small steak, and shrimp arribiatta. Every thing came out fairly quickly. We also ordered the stuffed Pork Chop which was amazing. For desert we only tried the cheesecake and it was very filling. Can't wait to come back. Pros: Great service, good deal, tasty food Cons: Valet parking more

Visited Ivy before seeing 'The Nutcracker' at the Opera House around the corner on a busy Friday night. We wanted something tasty, relatively quick and reasonably priced. All these things were found at the Ivy! Our waitress was sassy, greeted us with a smile and even answered our wine questions despite seemingly waiting on half of the tables in the restaurant. We live in the North End so were a little hesitant to visit an Italian restaurant but were so glad we did. It can definitely compete with some of the better known N.End eateries but without the side of attitude! The two of us had a bottle of wine and 5 small plates all for under $100 incl. tip. And we would def go back...the butcher block, steak tagliata, and shrimp linguini are all highly recommended. Pros: Nice + efficient waitstaff, wine menu Cons: cant think of any more

The waiter recommended a great wine and since they are all the same price, we knew he wasn't just trying to get us to order the most expensive. I was with a party of 10 but even though 2 showed up half way through the meal and 1 showed up unexpectedly, they were very accomodating in getting us the extra seats and bringing the food out at different times. Many of my friends did not understand the concept of ordering several small plates and then sharing so everyone got their own little plate, and some complained that it was not enough. They just didn't understand the tapas experience. I got the gnocci which was filling enough. Overall I was pleased with the experience. The hostess could have been a bit more welcoming but we were seated promptly, the service was good, and the food was excellent. Pros: ambience, food, wine selection Cons: price more

The food is sooo boring and can not compete with the North End. Avoid the ceasar salad! Definitely take the trek to the North End! more

So, it looks like my experience was a little better b/c we actually tuck around long enough to eat. With a party of 8 and reservations made 5 days in advance we still waited 2 HOURS to be sat. We stood around drinking ourselves sober until the hunger pains became so unbearable that we had to demand to be seated. By this time we had no other alternative considering it was 11:30pm! Pros: Great drinks, reasonable prices, great wine selection, good service, great atmosphere Cons: Ridicuslously long wait times! more

My boyfriend and I went to Ivy last night for dinner. We were seated promptly downstairs in a secluded area and it was pretty romantic. Our server was very attentive and immediately came up to us. We ordered the most delicious small plates and were full by the end of it all. Get the arrancini. The other reviews said it was soggy or luke warm, but ours were perfect. My only issue is they only give you 3 of them. Not enough for 2 people. We also got the gnocchi and the mac & cheese. Both flavorful and plenty for 2. I love the ambience! Will defintely go back. Pros: Delicious food, decent prices Cons: Bathroom on only one floor more

Just as an FYI... We had a reservation for a party of 15 at 6pm. We were told at 7pm that our table had another reservation for 7:30pm. This restaurant encourages ordering drinks, apps, salads, then entrees... how did they expect 15 people to wine and dine themselves in an hour and a half on a friday night? The food was quite good, but how do they expect you to enjoy it? more

read many reviews on this site & thought this would be worth a try. made reservations for friday evening for 8 friends & family. had 2 reservations, under 2 names for 2 tables (since online reservations didn't allow for more than 4). Pros: ambience, some nice waitstaff Cons: excruciating wait for food, price, some food more

After reading the reviews, I thought this was a place worth trying. They must've been to a different restaurant or they changed the chef. I went there w/8 friends so I had the opportunity to try many small plates. The arancini was soggy and bland, the tiger shrimp linguini was 4 really small shrimp mixed in hot pepper sauce w/linguini, the ravioli su fungi tastes like a $2 packaged ravioli and etc... Having had all the other bad small plates the seared tuna and the seared scallops tastes ok but not worth $12. On the large plates avoid the Pollo Bella Napoli at all costs. It's a butchered version of sweet and very SOUR chicken. My friends did like the pork chop. Overall, we thought the food was bad, the service is decent and the atmosphere is nice. If I had to go again, I would stay at the bar and have food elsewhere. Pros: ambience Cons: plain aweful food more

I had such high hopes and expectations for Ivy - saw it reviewed and it looked like it had so much promise. And while the ambience was nice and the wine list was good/affordable, the food itself was terribly disappointing. We had the arancini, which came out luke-warm and soggy, and the scallops came out cold and without texture as well. The gnocchi was frighteningly gummy and lacked flavor, and the mussels were only half-edible - good flavor but half of our portion was closed (dead and inedible). I was there a few months ago, so perhaps they've worked on their quality since then, but I unfortunately cannot recommend Ivy, unless you're looking for a cute place to just grab a glass of wine with friends. Pros: Atmosphere Cons: Food more

Ivy has a lot of competition given the number of excellent restuarants nearby on Tremont, Boylston, and Park Streets. Yet it is definitely a place to go to. The value is excellent with a good wine selection at $26 each. I have found the small plates to be excellent and very good value--especially the ravioli, duck, and fish dishes. I find 2 small plates per person is sufficient and along with a salad is a reasonable price for the meal. So if live in the neighberhood or are going to the movie or theatre, I high recommend Ivy for a visit. Pros: Great service and very good value. more

I can't say enough about Ivy. Fantastic and inventive Italian fare. It's perfect for a romantic date and won't break your budget. It isn't cheap, but it is a good value for the ambiance and quality of food. The service is quality, if a bit simple. The wine menu is simple to use - no anxiety since everything is the same price. They also allow purchasing 2 glass quartinos of wine for a fraction of the price of a bottle (great for sharing if you and your date only want to drink 1 glass of wine each). Pros: Romantic. Value. Cons: Location is a bit iffy after dark, but area is improving. more

I organized a group dinner there for a Pen Prize winner. The environment was great. Definitely suggest it for a prestigious event. Pros: Great waiters, great environment. great food Cons: the lady at the front door was very unwelcoming more

Ivy delivers! Although I have had a few isolated lunches here where the service was below par, overall, Ivy is making a true effort to maintain their image of excellent food and impressive service. The wine list is interesting and truly different, and they are constantly updating their menu with new and fabulous seasonal items. Try the charred tomato soup, a true Italian-bistro delight! more

My boyfriend and I decided to give Ivy a try the other night and were very impressed. The decor was absolutely unique, modern and impressive upon entering the restaurant. Our waitress was extremely prompt and courteous and our food was absolutely excellent!! Who can beat a $26 bottle of wine, where we have paid double the price for the same bottle elsewhere???? And, to top it off.... a delicious dessert served compliments of the chef!!! What a nice touch! I can't wait to return to this place and I am even more interested in checking out the nightlife which I hear is pretty happening in the lounge downstairs!!! I'm already telling all of my friends about this place! Cons: parking could potentially pose a problem more

Ivy capitalizes on the ""small plates"" trend by serving incredibly small portions at inflated prices. That said, the food is good -- very good, actually. I highly recommend the Italian Butcher Block ($10 per couple), four different cured Italian meats served with a wonderfully tasty fig compote. The prosciutto-stuffed arancini was disappointing and somewhat bland, but the truffled mac and cheese ($11) more than made up for it with its rich, earthy flavors. The petite steak was heavenly, fork-tender and served with a delicious pan sauce and tasty frites, but ""petite"" is the key word -- the $12 steak was four bites of goodness, hardly enough to share among friends. Pros: Good food, wine, and service Cons: Tiny portions, overpriced more