Reviews of Marliave (Restaurant)

Dave Ekrem

I love that it's been here a while, and I really enjoyed the decor. The service was great. But the food itself was just okay. I had steak frites and the steak was all right and the fries were not to my taste. They didn't have a whole lot of …

Ye Li

I recommend the Wellington beef. It's very juicy. The restaurant has some excellent stuffs: for example, the bar server, he is so smart that he can clearly remember all customers' requirements without notes!

Samantha Mackowitz

Absolutely love this place. I recommend sitting downstairs the vibe is better. The food is amazing and the drinks of the libation menu are very good! There is one waitress who is kind of rude but if you don’t get her it’s fantastic. I come here frequently.

Carmen Chan

One of my favorite restaurants in Boston. The Beef Wellington is delicious. They also have oyster happy hours everyday after work and late night.

Dick Pike

Great menu , awesome service and family atmosphere

Andrew Graham

Great food and nice ambiance. Some aspects of the restaurant are the same as they were in 1875 which really adds to the charm.

Norman Spencer

Service was extremely slow, over an hour before our plates arrived. Overall food was unremarkable.

Randi Lee

Very nice. Went for Restaurant week but have been quite a few times before. Food is always amazing. Service was a bit slow this time but I will chock that up to just being extra busy for the special week. Would return, the atmosphere, food & drinks all top notch.

jared ekberg

Great food, and a little pricey but worth it!

Lizzie Grobbel

Dollar oysters were a great deal. Good cocktail (a bit overpriced). Brussels sprouts with bacon were tasty (if not a bit over-salted/over-baconed) and chicken under a brick was delicious (though it took about 45 min to make).

Fay Dufort

Good price and great place to eat before a show. It is a casual, can-be-romantic place to eat. Food is average, not spectacular. I would come back for a good meal.

Savanah M

Beautiful decor, kind service, and excellent food! The portions and food quality are well worth the price and experience. $1 raw bar specials from 4-6 also are an added perk!

Cleberson Galvao

Good food and nice patio

Neil Marko

I travel to Boston on biz occasionally and stopped in here for dinner. Left and came back for the late night happy hour. Great idea.

Henna Ahuja

$1 oysters for the win, great cocktails and food otherwise!

Ryan Ecclestone

Good oysters, friendly service, Reuben was great.

Girish Pancha

nice ambiance, but... ordered oysters and mussels + truffle fries mussels and fries came ahead of oysters! oysters (4 different types) were bland, vinaigrette was bland, plus store bought cocktail sauce mussels were unvenly cooked, many barely opened fries were soggy not going back.

BeBé

Went during Restaurant Week. Thought it would be a great opportunity to try out the food. Capaccio and risotto were very good. Ravioli was gummy. Wellington had extremely salty bites and yet the meat was under-seasoned. Dessert and drinks ordered were nothing to write home about. Appreciated the wait service and clean plating. Maybe will think about giving the place a second chance, outside of restaurant week.

Dylan Polin

Everything we got was amazing. def an old school venue but food was A+. Would def come back anytime.

Luke Schmitt

One of the oldest restaurants in Boston and with the character to prove it! Loved the escargot!

Sammie Parker

The food was good, the service was better then we had, had in Boston. Recomend this place for their great customer service.

Jaime McDade

We had the rizzoto and beef wellingtons and enjoyed them very much. The chocolate cake was one of the best chocolate cakes I've had.

Megan Cooper

The charming menu falls flat in execution. Revising the descriptions of the offerings could result in higher satisfaction w/r/t the cocktails. Reacquainting the dishes with seasoning might provide the oomph needed to bring classics like steak frites from a bore to 'J'adore!'

Mica Rojas

Escargots is a must!! Oysters happy hour 9-10. And the hot chocolate cake with ice cream for dessert. Ask for Jorge, is the Best waiter ever.

Michaela Warnecke

Had the Wellington. It was great, meat was cooked just right, pastry was crunchy. The place was also quiet so you could actually hear each other in a conversation. Service was great, food was presented with plate covers. Great drink selection. Great place.

Roland Mullock

Tourist trap with a confused menu that was a mix of easy eating (fish&chips, hamburger, and several breakfast-style egg dishes), French, and Italian. It was not good and I regret ignoring the signs. It was dead at 9:00. The host and waiter that greeted and seated me had casual clothes on. The bar with the tv tuned to sports. The hockey puck of chocolate cake and scoop of vanilla ice cream. Vastly more expensive than deserving. I highly recommend somewhere else.

Kate Walker

Went here for a wedding upstairs and it was so great! Small, but the enormous windows made it feel big. Staff was extremely competent and friendly. Really cool space with lovely views.

Trent Nutter

The burger was really good and the setting was nice.

Mehdi Si Moussa

The place was extremely loud. Good is overpriced. Chef decided to change a dish without let us Know upfront. Manager was rude. Not coming back

Anna Henning

A little piece of Brooklyn in Boston. I come for the excellent, imaginative cocktails and incredible raw bar happy hour. I love the marble bar and mosaic floor- the vibe is low key romantic date to casual business meeting to classy get together.

Sam SungCBook

I was pleasantly surprised how the food was worth the high prices

Christopher Reichert

Vintage space, pretty predictable food, which is a good thing! The upstairs dining room overlooks Sam LaGrassa and an old granite building. It has a vaguely New Orleans feel.

Ben Matase

Good. A little pricey for what you get, but tasty food

Torrey Ah-Tye

Nice spot that's well known for the cocktails

JT Aldridge

I am a retired chef, but on my last visit to Marliave I was a member of a group of old men who have a monthly outing to various restaurants in this area. On this outing we all had a great experience, I had the rabbit which was different from the last time I had it, but it was still excellent. The selections of the other 14 members of my group were quite varied, but every person thought that the food was great. In my mind that means that all 15 would have given this restaurant 5 stars! Good work Scott. (the owner.) One of the aspects that sets it apart from the other top Boston restaurants is its menu. Many restaurants dumb down their offerings before 5pm. Here they offer everything all day. Not only can you get beef wellington for lunch but for dinner you could have escargot as an appetizer followed by scrambled eggs as your entree.

Phil McLaughlin

The Marliave provides fine dining at a more affordable price than other places throughout Boston. The food here is absolutely incredible, especially their escargot and brick chicken. Their cocktail list is extensive, and as a history buff I love the nods to American history throughout. Would highly recommend this restaurant for a special occasion, getting drinks before going to the theater, or a date night.

Phillip Pham

Went with my girlfriend for our four year anniversary. The restaurant had a "Happy Anniversary" card ready when we arrived to our table. They needn't to have done that, but they did so because they wanted to. I ordered the Great Experiment cocktail, which was a delicious version of a limeade. I really needed something to quench my thirst, which it hit the spot. The French onions soup ordered as an appetizer was okay as I was hoping the cheese would be all melted on top. The beef wellington was cooked medium rare to perfection, the pastry dough might have been seasoned with a little too much salt. The lobster thermidore was delicious, I was hoping to find more gnocchi bits to help soak up more of the sauce, but was heavily complimented with more lobster bits. Sunday gravy is a must when eating at Marliave as it had the perfect portion from the gnocchi, to the meats, and lastly the sauce. Our chocolate cake was delicious served along with ice cream. I wish to have been served a little bit more ice cream to even out the chocolate cake, but that doesn't warrant it as a real complaint. Just being gluttonous. Our server Kaley(?) was extremely pleasant and accommodating to our needs. She had even communicated with us for the apology of the slow start because the bartender was backed up, so she made our drinks. Would definitely recommend her to serve people.

Emily Coombs

Fantastic downtown location, good food and nice cocktails. Technically the founder may have been french in the late 1880s, but the menu is not strongly French. Listing it as a French restaurant seems a bit of a stretch, although we enjoyed everything we ordered.

Stamatios Vlachos

All fresh oysters. Very polite and efficient service. Don't loose the happy hour offers. It's a real bargain.

Bob kelley

Quaint little restaurant on an alley off of Province St. Very good French onion soup.

Mike Bragg

Had appetizers and drinks, beautiful spot

Nicole Bates

Always amazing food and cocktails. We come here often for oyster deals. The risotto and mac and cheese are favorites, but everything is delicious

Dana B

Superb cocktails and the food is also excellent. Not too pricey for the area, either. The atmosphere is perfect for a meet-up with friends or romantic dinner.

Michael Neas

Had the ruben, great portions, friendly staff and never too packed. Interesting location right near the commons, outdoor seating sometimes open, great find

Ana Calcaño

Not the best one this time..... the seat was completely ripped..... the Rueben sandwich was soggie, couldn’t eat the bread.... the sauerkraut was no where to be found and the salad most of the leaves were very wilted..... although he was all alone serving the entire bar area, the bartender did a fairly good job attending to our every need...... will not repeat....

Candice Lindsay

Hidden Gem ! I was worth the wait.

Ryan Murphy

Escargot and cedar salad were great.

Cheri Peloni

If for nothing else then this restaurant I wish I live in Boston!! Heaven found in a perfect restaurant.

kurt federow

Great pre theater place just off the path but close to everything. Great table with a view upstairs. Risotto was delicious - I enjoyed the Wellington but not the home run I was looking for as not enough pasty crust or pate for my taste. Great service too...

Crystal Hyde

Stumbled upon this. So glad we did.

Michael Ehrich

Everything was outstanding. Brick chicken with risotto (gluten-free) and was amazing. Attentive service and really nice atmosphere.

Diana Wiener

Though the food and drinks are on the price side for the area, everything is so delicious! The tomato jam, the risotto, the cocktails -- everything was wonderful. The service was fast and the staff was attentive. Would visit again.

Stephanie Ehrlich

Thos place has amazing food. The mushroom risotto is fabulous, especially if you get the brick chicken on top. A friend of mine is a fan of escargot and, after trying a few French places in the city, she says that the ones here are best!! This place participates in restaurant week, but you'll need to make reservations.

Harrison Smith

Ugh, $1 fresh oyster happy hour? Best oysters I’ve ever had and come by anytime I’m in town. Don’t miss it!

Lauren Ripley

My favorite restaurant in Boston. The tres curieux is my top cocktail.

Justin Therrien

Super cool spot, great cocktails

Kerlyne Saintus

Went for restaurant week, service great food amazing.

Diana Dozier

Great place for selection of French cuisine

Andy Knight

Great job hosting a small corporate holiday event (40 people). Perfect sized room, very good food, and pleasant hospitality.

Shant Davidian

Fantastic restaurant with great food. Pricey.

Bonita Mita

I visited the Marliave recently while visiting my family in Boston. The ambiance is pretty cool when you first come in the smell of fresh bread baking welcomes you. We started by ordering some drinks our choices were all to our likings, the Capezzana wine was delightful and perfect pairing for our meal. The raw bar was excellent a great choice of fresh oysters and clams were served and they offer daily for a dollar each. The highlight of the appetizer menu for me was the escargot, it was buttery and cooked to perfection to me a pleasant surprise since the best escargot I had was at L’Escargot Montorgeil In Paris and this is similar if not better. The mac and cheese was creamy and delicious a must have! The selection for appetizers and charcuterie offers many options. For the entrée we ordered the ravioli with the Sunday gravy sauce which was really good. The fish and chips were crispy and had good flavor. The rabbit was the best plate we ordered perfectly paired with mashed potatoes it was very enjoyable. The only dish that I would not recommend was the steak frites while the flavor was good the steak was tough to chew and rubbery; our waiter was prompt to offer something else when brought to his attention. The prices are a bit higher than I expected. Overall I would recommend this restaurant. The menu has a great variety of items for all tastes , the ambiance is incredible and our waiter Daniel was the best. He was friendly, professional, and was prompt to all our needs. I would definitely go back!

Rachael Kelley

Awesome service, great food, nice decor.

susan anargeros

I went with 2 friends last night for dinner.We had the best meal offered during restaurant week...The service was wonderful,and the options were so many that I had a hard time picking out my meal..The portions were what you would expect for a far more expensive meal.Really a beautiful time..TWO BIG THUMBS UP!!!!!

Vladyslav Balog

Excellent French place overlooking the rustic part of Downtown Crossing. Equally delicious breakfast options. Great espresso bar, featuring Counter Culture beans. All the trendy coffee options available, including an espresso fizz.

Big-T Goliath

Went during restaurant week so the had a fixed three course meal for $38. They had five or six selections for each appetizer, entree and dessert. I chose French onion soup, broiled chicken and the cheese plate for dessert. My wife had escargot, beef Wellington and the chocolate truffles. Very good all of it. Service was excellent. My only complaint is we sat out on the street very near the rubbish bins and we saw a rat....

Dirt Mobile

Decent food, very good drinks, exceptional service.

John Bartkow

Creative drinks good eats, classic look but showing its age, needs a renovation

YiJia

They forgot to serve us the oyster until we asked at the end of the meal, and they served it anyway even we asked to cancel it. Yes, as a "dessert".

Rina Geppert

Great food! A little bit more on the expensive side but not so loud so you can actually have dinner and a conversation there! Would go there again, their appetizers are all great!

Mike Hanau

The old Cafe Marliave was a family run, traditional Italian joint, with superb standards and warm, friendly service. This place is chic and trendy. Chicken Parm is out, Beef Wellington is in. At least the black and white tiled floor is preserved. I appreciate that the new management kept the name, but it is an entirely different establishment - which may yet be to your liking. Roof bar is a notable plus (we did not have a chance to go upstairs on our visit). Be prepared to wait for a table on busy nights.

Melissa L

Looooove Marliave. They are a bit pricey, but the food is generally very good. DEFINITELY TRY THE ESCARGOT! Seriously never thought I'd say to try snail, but it is sooo good there. They are a part of Dine Out Boston/Restaurant Week, if you are unsure and want to try it on the cheaper side. Also, their lunch menu is quite affordable and should give you a taste of what they're capable of. Was taken there a few years ago and have been going back several times a year since.

LYNN REYNOLDS

Great ambiance, service and food. Charming.

Bonnie Gatchell

I love this place. In the summer they rooftop patio but year around their upstairs is circled by windows. Good food. Good price. Fun and tastey cocktails. Like the 'rowdy Republican'.

Michelle Silva

First time in Boston & this was the first place we stopped at to eat. Everything was delicious!

David Oldham

Start to finish exactly the vibe I was looking for tonight. All of the food was incredible. I usually hate mushrooms but they paired so well with the scallops that I ate them all! Fast and excellent service. Would be ideal for romantic dates, but I enjoyed the academic debate at the next table as I was dining alone.

Dan Potash

This restaurant probably deserves more than three stars, and certainly does based on the duck liver ravioli and onion soup that we started with. Both were really excellent. Then came the special of the day, the beef cheeks, which the server warned would be fatty. But this was little more than fat. And to top it off, the potatoes were completely uncooked. Not undercooked, not cooked. We pulled them out and gave them back to the server expecting that he’d return them properly prepared but never heard from him again about it until we commented when we got the check.

Maria Rodriguez

awesome place, thanks for services

Roberto Hernandez

Exelent

Long John

This is a very beautiful restaurant with great list of wine and spirits to pick from. It's has very nice lighting and posses a very elegant atmosphere. The food is lovely. I will recommend the Steak Frites.

Melissa Chu

Great cocktails, nice ambience. Food is sometimes hit or miss, but I like the beef wellington and the desserts!

Karla Paxton

Yummy drinks, oysters were fresh and delicious and the desserts were awesome! Great before show meal.

Douglas Mitchell

One of my all time favorite places to go in Boston. Great food, drinks, and warm atmosphere.

Pearl Fedrick

Girls Retail Therapy at downtown crossing, just had to have lunch at Marliave, we've been going there for last 50 plus years...great food and service!!!!

Shawn Martin

The steak may have been about six ounces, cooked medium rare as requested, and thick sliced, the fries golden but not as crispy as their color alluded to. Still, they were well seasoned. Unfortunately the au jus pooling the plate was soaking the fries from the bottom up. Ketchup was provided from the get go, so no need to worry about offending the French kitchen by asking for the red stuff.

George

The recipes are quite inspired, slightly more so than their execution. The escargot was very delightful but there was too much cheese (I prefer the butter and parsley classic). The pasta wasn’t over cooked and, again, their cheese and pepper pasta was inspired. I plan on returning.

Duffy Clark

This was our second time at this restaurant and I must say it was a disappointment. Our first visit, last spring, was memorable so this time in Boston we were excited about another meal here. The hostess was lovely. A cocktail at the bar was fun. A table upstairs with a view was nice. Our servers were very pleasant and helpful. The bread and olive oil were delicious. Then, the meal...my wife’s beet salad was just that, beets with just a piece of arugula on top. Where’s the salad? My chopped salad was better but still not at the same standard as our last visit. We decided to have the split pea soup...ugh. Lots of fat in a thick broth that went “thump.” Deal us out at $60. Not sure if we’ll return for more than cocktails.

Shadin Thomas

The service was awesome. The food came out pretty quick. The atmosphere was quaintly pleasant.

Char Vang

Great breakfast sandwiches

GV Beatrice

Escargot, scallop entree, and the Wellington were top notch.

Keith Olenchak

The cocktails here are master craft. Every time I dine here it is unforgettable, the rabbit, the escargot...parfait

Jackie Shepherd

Hands-down my favorite date night spot in Boston, especially during restaurant week. Get you some rarebits and an old fashioned!

Charles Ponti

Great cocktail selection. Definitely get an order of truffle fries

Matthew Powell

Everything was delicious. Went for Restaurant week with my girlfriend and we shared a little bit of everything apps, dinner, and dessert with amazing cocktails paired to each.

Anonymous A

While the food came out quick and was good, I did get food poisoning from this place. Watch out for the $1 and $1.50 deal and the macaroni and cheese. Again, fast service, but inattentive - from not serving bread until we were finished with our main course and about to pay, to when bringing the main course without clearing the table and started stacking food on top of our dirty plates. Will not be returning.

Max Metzger

An incredible restaurant with one of the best cocktail menus in the city. I've been several times and I've never been let down. The staff is always very friendly as well.

Noah P

Went here for my wife’s birthday dinner. Reserved a table through Open Table, but wasn’t very crowded even on a Friday night. We sat upstairs in a corner window with nice views of the adjoining buildings and the patio. Our initial impression was not great (the hostess who greeted us seemed like she wasn’t having the best day). But the food was quite good and the service was solid. They gave us a complimentary desert for her birthday. I did feel like our server was trying to wrap-up our meal quickly because we were the only table left in the upstairs section, which felt odd. But we still had a good time!

Jennifer Dryden

Fabulous food!

Maddie K

Enjoyed the dollar oysters and clams! Good quality oysters from a variety of locations around the Cape.

Luna Han

The best food I have ever had in my life. It was amazing! We will always come here when we're in town.

Darrell Stam

Nice French restaurant tucked in an alley between Downtown Crossing and Quincy Market. Food was prepared nicely and full of flavor. The photos are of Rarebit and Rabbit with sausage and scalloped potatoes.

Mahala Burn

Delightful ambiance, some of the best cocktails in the city, and you leave feeling truly well-fed. Make reservations, as even the bar begins to fill early and it is terribly difficult to get a seat. If you're around at lunch, be aware they …

Will James

Great place ! Dont miss out

Mike Zaralamos

A little piece of Brooklyn in Boston. I come for the excellent, imaginative cocktails and incredible raw bar happy hour. I love the marble bar and mosaic floor- the vibe is low key romantic date to casual business meeting to classy get together.

Rob Gant

My favorite place for after work drinks and oysters. Also the best place to go during restaurant week/dine out Boston.

stars world

Food was wonderful! Small, somewhat fancy restaurant. We had a great waiter.

Jason

Came for the dollar oysters. Oysters are Wellfleet, Dunstable and moonstone? Could use some more TLC before bringing them out. Had some shells and sand . The bourbon democrat was great, a bit diluted with the ice. Food was mushroom risotto, salmon dish and scampi. Portions are a decent size with Boston prices ($38 each). I'd recommend for the dollar oysters.

Quésia de Souza

What a great experience. Staff is very friendly, food is amazing and price is good, considering that is in Downtown Boston. They had oysters for a very good price and delicious.

Alan Coffman

Great happy hour!

Frank Malloy Jr

Good food.

Andrey Zarur

Great food. Good service

Marguerite Sullivan

Historic building with greats views and atmosphere. Good food and service.

graceeunjoo

Amazing fusion of French and Italian cooking. Menu is enough for all food lovers. Chef is great at creating delicious comfort food. Location is perfect for out of town visitors and locals to grab a nice meal with someone special. Sit upstairs for a romantic meal.

Richard Wight

Great spot but very noisy

Nate Kemp

Absolutely fantastic French cuisine and amazing cocktails!

Amanda Palmer

The food was excellent, but it took almost 20 minutes for our drinks to arrive at the table. The waitress seemed attentive, so I’m assuming it was the bar. The restaurant wasn’t packed, therefore I see no excuse for 4 sangrias to ever take that long. Other than the wait for drinks, we were happy with our delicious entrees.

Kathryn Firth

Good service. Mediocre food.

Carl-Johan Luther

One of my go to places when in Boston. Always great food and cocktails.

G Patton

Decent experience but less than expected and less than previous visits. We were seated promptly and the menu was interesting. The server was friendly and knowledgeable but difficult to understand and everything took too long, just long enough that you started to wonder what was up. I wondered if this was the norm but noticed that other tables that had arrived after us were getting served before us. We started with French onion soup with beef short ribs and escargots, both were outstanding. For dinner I had the steak frites, it was tasty but tough and gristly even for flank/skirt steak, the fries were delicious. My wife had chicken under a brick and it was good, nicely prepared, moist and delicious. Overall kind of disappointing but worth another try.