Venue Image

Hours

Lunch Mon.-Fri. 11:30AM-3PM
dinner 5-10PM daily

Nearest Subway Station

Bowdoin Station
Cambridge St
Blue Line

Parking

Free lot
Pay lot
Street parking
Valet parking

Pricing

High ($$$)

Grotto   

37 Bowdoin St
Boston, MA 2114
617-227-3434
www.grottorestaurant.com

Rating: 2 out of 5  (2 Ratings)   Read Reviews (2)    Rate and Write a Review
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Most good Italian restaurants are praised for their loyal approximation of home cooking, old family recipes and devotion to tradition. Grotto bears no resemblance to home-style cuisine -- that is, unless Mom was a master of subtle sauces who enjoyed experimenting with French methods and could offer a killer wine list. For gourmet Italian, Grotto has few peers. The food is subtle and complex, and the ingredients fresh. The menu changes seasonally to spotlight different regions, but some favorites are crab ravioli with asparagus, toasted pistachios and saffron, as well as "free-formed" lobster lasagna, which comes drizzled in a San Marzano tomato and lobster sauce. Presentation is vivid and is designed as much for the eye as for the palate. Situated below a Beacon Hill townhouse, the atmosphere is intimate and warm. Grotto is an excellent spot to start a romantic exploration of nouveau Italian cooking.

User Ratings and Reviews Rate and Write a Review

2 Ratings and Reviews

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Review rating 2 out of 5
over-hyped
By kaasekkusu on 10/29/2006
i went to dinner at this restaurant with high expectations....everyone seems to have given this place a great review. started with a mixed green salad and the mozzarella. both were excellent. next, had the lobster fettucine, which was good, but not spectacular. for entrees, we had the duck and the tenderloin. according to my friend, the duck had an off smell to it (he works in another boston restaurant), and tasted as though it had gone bad. i had the tenderloin, which was ordered med rare, and appeared to be just pan seared. it was almost as if the dishes were prepared, and then reheated before being plated. service as a whole was horrible, and it appeared as if the male server was just trying to "churn and burn" through the evening. very disappointing.
user image
Review rating 3 out of 5
peteman
By peteb819 on 03/02/2006
excellent food would have been a 5 star except for the little mouse that ran from the kitchen to the dining room...cute for Disney but not for dining
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