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Meritage
Categories: Restaurants Canadian (New) Restaurants Seafood Canadian (New), Seafood [Edit]
70 Rowes Wharf(at Atlantic Ave)
Boston, MA 02110
Neighbourhood: Waterfront
(617) 439-3995
- Nearest Transit:
-
Atlantic Ave @ Rowes Wharf (4)
Rowes Wharf, Boston (F1)
Atlantic Ave @ Seaport Blvd. (4)
- Hours:
Tue-Sat 5:30 pm - 10 pm
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Valet
- Price Range:
-
$$$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Classy, Upscale
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
174 reviews for Meritage
Review Highlights
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"I love the location in the boston harbor hotel." In 24 reviews -
"Dessert: Chocolate Tasting Plate." In 12 reviews -
"Entree: Wood Grilled Filet Mignon with Soft Whipped..." In 7 reviews
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174 reviews in English
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Review from Aaron K.
(Restaurant Week Spring 2012 Review) Meritage has a lot going for it. It's located in the beautiful Boston Harbor Hotel. The restaurant faces the harbor and has a very nice vview. Most tables and seats are facing the window and harbor so as many guests as possible can enjoy this view. You would think this would be enough to get people in the seats. The Meritage doesn't rely just on the location to fill the seats.
The food is excellent. We started with the complimentary bread which was served warm and to each person individually (nice!). Nothing worse than ruining a loaf of bread with your hands and giving the leftover to your date. For a first course I had the scallops with apple cider butter. This was a good start with 2 good sized scallops and a mashed vegetable in the middle. My fiance had the Marinated jumbo shrimp with bok choy. This had a great sauce and the shrimp were seasoned perfectly. This dish was great. For entrees we had the wood grilled filet mignon and boneless short ribs. Both dishes came with veggies and mashed potatoes or grits. The food was plated nicely. The quality of the meat was outstanding particularly the filet. One minor gripe was the boneless short rib portion was a little small. Desserts were the chocolate tasting plate (great) and the crepe with fennel (more savory than sweet, but my fiance enjoyed it).
Service was very good. We had waited a little while for our entree and the server noticed himself and apologized sincerely. Our food came out within moments of him looking into it. He also went out of his way to tell us about free parking for customers of meritage if you self-park in their garage (TIP). Definitely will take advantage of that the next time we come.
Overall the Meritage provides a great experience all around, from the location, to the service, and most of important of all the food lives up to the rest. It certainly deserves recognition as one of the better restaurants in the Boston area. -
Review from Lisa M.
5/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
I've clearly become more accustomed to the New York dining scene, because Meritage stuck me as incredibly large and open. There was at least a foot or two between us and the next table. I was almost agoraphobic - how to dine properly without eavesdropping on the next table, or without having somebodies butt at eye level as they squeeze in and out?
Apart for the luxury of oodles of legroom - I just loved the concept of a menu driven by wine pairings. It just appealed to the lazy in me. I kicked the meal off with a light salad and a glass of champagne and followed this with the rabbit and a glass of Sancerre. I should have stopped there. But my eyes were bigger than my belly and I opted for the short ribs. Everything was fabulous, but by the time the short ribs arrived, I just couldn't do them justice.
Service here is impeccable. Food is presented beautifully and they take their time to talk to you about wine and food options. I love the fact that they let you have half glasses of wine.
I'd definitely recommend Meritage for a standout evening of dining in Boston. -
Review from Luke L.
San Carlos, CA
2/8/2012
This gets one extra star for convenience - located in a great waterfront hotel.
Ate at the bar - the bartender / waiter (Ben) was low key, definite passion for food with great dialogue about the chef's approach and the items I ordered.
The menu is organized by wine type with a lot of variety in each category - makes pairing easy :-)
Great half bottle selection - I had a 2004 Amarone by Zenato, chocolate, raisins and a back of citrus (with the foie gras)
Fresh baked bread from a local Cambridge bakery - the Boston Brown bread with blueberries is totally addictive, warm and slightly gooey
I ordered:
- small plate - seared foie gras on smoked strawberry and spinach leaves
-- great balance toward savory, designed to accompany a red, non sweet wine - really nice change of pace compared with the normal super sweet fruity - the juice of the strawwberry soaked into the spinach leaves, which made for a great semi-sweet platform for the foie gras
- small plate - black bass on Chinois in a red wine sauce - delicate, lightly salted sauce, almost a hint of soy maybe fish sauce, the subtle taste of the bass comes through the subtle sauce - perfectly al dente cooked zuchini bites and carrots - slightly smoky with the Amarone - the pairing works great
- small plate - filet mignon cooked over a wood fire with a horseradish topping - chinese broccoli and mashed potatoes with carrots - perfectly cooked and seasoned, the horseradish is subdued and tangy - satisfying portion size (6 oz?) for a small plate
About 50% full on a cold Wednesday night. The bar was fairly empty, the people in the dining room are a mix of ages in the 30, 40 and 50 range. -
Review from Gonzalo B.
Boston, MA
5/21/2012
We had reservations for a special occasion and glad we made them here. Very nice spot, comfortable and not stuffy, very nice staff. The waiter was a pro from France. Very good at his thing. First...
We were seated by the large windows overlooking the harbor, very nice view. Then...we noticed this, oh, I dunno, maybe a 150' yacht berthed by the hotel. The name of the boat (I ain't deeming it a ship), displayed in GAUDY, TACKY RED NEON LETTERS (I kid ya not!): "My Trust Fund". Hahahahaha. What an assclown. This Thurston Howell the 3rd probably struts around wearing a captain's hat. Hahahaha. He's actually displaying that - in NEON RED!! So. Thanks for ruining the view, snotty trust fund guy. But we did get a good laugh at your expense, Trusty!!!!
Everthing food-wise was scrumptious, the half-portions could be a bit more...generous, but then again the full portions were just peachy. Nice bread, an assortment of 3 types. Halfs priced at $17., Fulls at $34. Everything on the menu is available this way. Outstanding wine selection, obviously. You're gonna spend some bills here but won't much mind doing it and be surrounded mostly by people who wouldn't be phased in the least to drop some serious spinach. And lots of business dinner suits and tourists with deep pockets...locals (real locals, that is) mostly here for a b-day or anniversary, that sort of thing. And, the occasional Trust Fund Stiff. Toot, toot, Cap'n Trusty...toot, toot. -
Review from Patti C.
Kingston, MA
5/23/2012
We went here Saturday, May 19, 2012 to celebrate my son's graduation from grad school and it was awful! For an 8:30 PM reservation, we weren't served until almost 9:45 PM. The service and wait time was excruatingly long. We had to grab the bus boy, who seemed to be the only one who would pay attention to us, to get rolls, waited on, and get the check.
The way the menu is set up is also dreadful. One person in our party wasn't feeling well and we wanted to get some appetizers immediately for the table, but were sorrily disappointed to find out that was impossible. Unfortunately due to the long wait for the meal, this person eventually got sick and had to leave.
The menu is set up for "small plates and large plates." So choosing what to have and trying to imagine what size everything would be was confusing. Needless to say the meals were very standard, taste wise, and certainly not worth the wait.
Do not waste your time or money or this place. Not at all up to the standard it should be and there are many more wonderful restaurants in Boston to experience than this one. -
Review from Alysia D.
Chelsea, MA
3/29/2012 1 photo
This place is a solid four stars. They get the extra star for free parking, which I LOVE. Really now, free parking by the Boston waterfront? Excellent job, Meritage.
The four stars was for the food, wine, and ambiance. The service was also very good, but we waited a very long time just to be able to place our orders. Once the orders were in, the food came out at a good pace and kept us very happy. That initial wait, though....
Most importantly, the food was worth it. Pan seared sea scallops in apple butter? Perfect. Scallops were hot, had a good sear on them, and were not chewy. The boyfriend's wild mushroom soup had a nice flavor, but it started breaking after a while. Broken cream in a soup doesn't look nice, but it still tastes good.
The filet with horseradish creme and Meritage syrup? Are you kidding me? That was the prettiest filet mignon I've ever had in my life. It was by no means the BEST (sorry, that's saved for Ruth's Chris) but it WAS absolutely delicious. Every person at my table finished everything on their plate. Except me. I left the greens behind. Greens just fill space and I had dessert coming.
Red fruit tasting plate was out of this world. Consider me impressed. The frozen pomegranate parfait was amazing. I'm glad they only gave a small portion of each little delightful bit, because if I had more, I would have eaten it and they would have had to remove a wall to get me out of there. The chocolate tasting plate and the citrus tasting plate were also amazing. My favorites off of those were the warm milk chocolate bread pudding and the frozen naval orange souffle
I'd definitely come back just for that amazing filet! -
Review from Philip C.
Medford, MA
8/29/2011 2 photos
This was pretty much close to a perfect dining experience. The food, the service, the atmosphere, the table we were seated at and the view of Boston Harbor that it offered. All of it came together to make a great birthday dinner celebration that will be remembered. My lady and I went to Meritage on August 5, 2011 knowing two things: that the different sections of the menu matched food to the primary characteristics of wine and that every dish on the menu could be ordered either as a small plate or as a large plate.
Even though Meritage is very wine-focused and has a very extensive wine list do not feel restricted by the suggested wine pairings just because that is the way the menu is organized. Meritage also boasts a great cocktail menu that includes a super aromatic Ginger Martini that we could smell on its way over to the table.
Our server, and I wish I remembered his name, was fantastic. Very knowledgeable, courteous, provided honest recommendations and was always at the table when we needed something.
Perfect place to go for a special occasion or if you just want to splurge and enjoy a great view of the harbor while you're doing it. During the summer months, if you get a table at the window, you can watch the live Jazz music or Friday night movies that are shown on the floating dock right below at the Boston Harbor Hotel.
Useful tip: If you park at the Boston Harbor Hotel garage and dine at the restaurant get your ticket validated and parking is 100% free. -
Review from Hillary D.
Peterborough, NH
9/6/2011
I have to say right away that I have never been a fan of hotel restaurants. And honestly, if you gave me the choice between a stand-alone restaurant and one in a large busy hotel, I would choose the stand-alone restaurant. That said, last weekend I was in Boston and dined at the Meritage Restaurant in the Boston Harbor Hotel and was totally blown away by a just about perfect experience.
First of all, it is located high enough in the hotel to give diners a superb outlook over Boston Harbor. Our table was right by the window with a view of the megayachts just below, the sunset, and when it became dark the sparkling lights of the city. And imagine my surprise when they started showing a movie outside on the dock so that we could watch it from our table!
I loved the service. From the moment we arrived until the moment we left we were taken care of and the timing of our food was right on cue and not rushed. If you left the table for a moment you would return to a folded napkin, water poured, and wine topped up.
I also loved the ability to have either a full entree, or a small plate size, so that I could try more dishes. Once we ordered, an amuse of cold potato, leek and garlic soup arrived that was divine.
Following the soup was a curated bread plate of three different kinds of breads. All were warm as if just from the oven: a slice of dark sweet bread with blueberries, a rustic multi-seed bread, and a soft as a cloud potato bread. They arrived with a crock of sweet butter with an M monogramed on the top. Wonderful.
My friend chose a small plate of seared tuna bathed in a sauce with just the right touch of wine and butter.........my first plate was Sauvignon Blanc braised rabbit with a cannelloni stuffed with ricotta, scallions and aged Gouda. Excellent! The sauces on both these dishes were drenched with flavor and begging to be sopped up with more bread
Desserts? Wow. Tasting plates that are innovative, fun, and delicious.
If you love wines, then this restaurant also stands out as the menu has every dish listed with a suggested wine pairing.
Will I go back to Meritage? A definite yes. I can't wait! -
Review from Jill H.
Cambridge, MA
9/14/2011
Tucked away within the Boston Harbor Hotel, the award-winning Meritage, overlooking Rowes Wharf, offers clients one of the more spectacular settings in the city in which to dine. The dining room consists of a long, orange and cream space, with buffed wooden floors and distinctive sets of stainless steel track lighting that illuminate the room to create a very warm setting. The black marble tables are comfortably spaced and offer a beautiful view of the surrounding harbor.
Meritage is home to Chef Daniel Bruce, well-known in Boston's wining and dining circles for his Boston Wine Festival, now in its 16th year, which brings world-renowned wine producers from across the globe to Boston. Wine is definitely his forte - Meritage boasts over 900 wine selections and has won the Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence in 2004 for having "one of the most outstanding restaurant wine lists in the world".
The concept of Bruce's offering is unique, marrying food to wine within a menu that characterizes its dishes by six styles of wine progressing from light to heavy: sparklers, light whites, full-bodied whites, fruity reds, spicy/earthy reds, and robust reds. Each plate of food is offered in both small ($15) and large ($29) portions, allowing guests to create 'flights' and taste a larger selection.
We started the evening with a petit amuse, a fried scallop and tomato tartar - just enough to tease our palate. Following this were the oysters, our selection from the "sparklers" section of the menu: a unique combination of warmed, yet raw, Duxbury oysters topped with creamy spinach and cured lemon. The dish was an interesting combination of tastes, from salty oysters to piquant spinach, and finished with sweet lemon essence. This was paired beautifully with a glass of bubbly Veuve Clicquot de Ponsardin champagne.
Next, the swordfish - a hearty dish comprising a 3 oz. portion of meaty fish. The carrot, coconut and ginger broth created a strong contrasting base, accented by delicate slices of crisp lotus root. The fish was paired with a glass of pinot grigio - with earthy notes that nicely balanced the coconut.
To match our glass of luscious barbaresco, we chose the mint and vanilla roasted baby lamb chops. The meat was highly infused with vanilla, nicely offset by sour cherries and muted by creamy butterball potatoes. Although it wasn't the best lamb I have tasted in Boston this year, it was certainly the most unique in diversity of flavor.
The final two dishes were the perfect ending to our personalized tasting menu: short ribs and venison loin. The short ribs were braised until tender in a zinfandel sauce and accompanied by an extremely creamy parmesan and kale gnocchi that melted in the mouth. The venison was a perfectly supple pink round of meat, wrapped in prosciutto and served over beluga lentils and meaty pieces of bacon. The black currant sauce merged the variety of tastes perfectly together and created an exquisite finish to the meal.
For dessert, Chef Bruce maintains his wine pairing concept by offering dessert tasting selections inspired by five typical dessert wine flavors: citrus, white fruit, red fruit, chocolate and nut. We opted for the red fruit and chocolate tasting plates. Each dessert plate was a handsome collection of small samplings. The highlights? The thick and creamy cape cranberry brulee and the very dense dark chocolate tart - a chocoholic's inebriant.
Bruce definitely wins points for style. The menu is perfectly put together for any food and wine aficionado. Aesthetic appeal, through the entwining of food with wine, is the overwhelming theme of the Meritage dining experience - a well-groomed, complete experience that will compel you to return. -
Review from David C.
8/27/2011
Booking three weeks in advance for Restaurant Week at Meritage, the best I could manage for a party of four was a 9 o'clock table. A little late for my taste, but I wasn't going to complain--I had been dying to try Meritage for months. Dinner was a little bit of a let down, but that is almost to be expected when you have such high expectations going in. Although nothing really wowed me, it was a pretty satisfying meal, and for $33, you really can't go wrong.
Between the four of us we managed to try almost every course Meritage had to offer. Highlights included the lemon and tomato soup, served warm (a surprise to me, I was expecting it to be chilled) with a generous helping of lump crab meat, and the succulent filet, plated up with delicate whipped potatoes and tender broccolini. Filet mignon during Restaurant Week? Winning! My only complaint (besides a couple strands of tendon that found their way into my filet) was the lack of flavor from the horseradish butter and house syrup drizzled over the top. The steak was good, but that dressing should have made it spectacular. The desserts were kind of underwhelming as well, although I appreciated the multitude of tasting options we had to choose from.
The restaurant is essentially one long room, but it is absolutely gorgeous. Waterfront seating would have been ideal, but I enjoyed our seating nonetheless. Service was professional and accommodating (both for a food allergy and a friend's birthday), which is always a welcome surprise during Restaurant Week.
Speaking of Restaurant Week, it's finally over, and I'm more than a little depressed about that. Over the span of 14 glorious days, I've had 6 RW dinners and 2 lunches, spent more than $300, and consumed approximately 10 billion calories. Now what am I supposed to do with my life? -
Review from Saba N.
8/19/2011
I have been dying to try Meritage... and I'm so glad I did! I know restaurant week isn't always the best way to try a place, but, alas, it's all I can afford at the moment :)
I loved everything about Meritage! The restaurant's atmosphere is so great. It was packed - but it didn't feel crowded. It was the perfect amount of people, tables, waiters, decor... they really thought this one through. And the view is fantastic. The hostess was kind of enough to mention that if we waited 15 minutes we could sit by the window and I'm really glad we did. The sunset is really gorgeous.
Everything I had one exceptional (except the dessert.. the red fruit platter was a little forgettable). I highly recommend the tomato soup with the crab, and the grouper for an entree was amazing. I think the best value however, is the fillet Mignon. Another thing to mention is that for restaurant week - they really give you a lot of options on the menu. You don't see that everyday. Bravo, Bruce.
I will definitely be back on a regular evening to try the real deal. But, as far as restaurant week goes, this was the best experience I have ever had. -
Review from Tom G.
Brighton, MA
5/22/2011
Note: I think this review might be different (maybe a 3.5-star or 4-star) with a different waiter.
We arrived for a pre-Boston College graduation dinner at 5:15 and had to wait 10 or so minutes for a seating for a party of 6.
First, the decor. It is fairly modern, with clean "lines", but who cares, right? The overarching decor is the incredible view of the ocean. Really, this restaurant is fairly small, seating maybe 60-70 but about 75% of the seats have the tranquil view of the Atlantic. It doesn't get a ton better than this in terms of view/ambiance.
The food is good. As other reviews have noted, you have a single menu of dishes, each available in small (appetizer) or large (entree) portions at $17 and $34, respectively. We tried these dishes:
Small:
Ricotta/gruyere cannelloni with rabbit
Duck with ravioli
Pea Risotto
Short Ribs
Daily Salad
Large:
Veal
Ostrich
Lamb
Grouper
Venison
Dessert:
All of them minus the citrus tasting + the blue cheese sampler. I only tried the chocolate sampler and it was amazing. I'm not much of a sweets guy so I only really ate the cheese plate, which was incredible.
Overall the food is good. The cannelloni, short ribs, veal, lamb, and venison were beyond good, great even. The other dishes were average-to-above average.
But it's ALL about the wine here. We had a bottle of a 1997 white burgundy (amazingly complex Chablis white but I forget which wine maker), a 1999 Cote de Nuits (again) red burgundy (I forget the vineyard), and a 2005 Bordeaux that was solid and fairly priced if a bit early to drink. To round out the meal, we had a dessert wine that was similar to a Sauternes but was from a different (I think he said south of Graves) region. It was recommended, by not pushed, by our waiter, and we decided to order it. Amazing: not as thick and luscious as a top Sauternes, but similar taste (same Semillion and Sauvignon Blanc grapes). Our waiter compared it to a Chateau Y'quem...and then opened a bottle of 2005 Y'quem to compare it! This is a $65/glass wine that he comped just to show that this $90/bottle Sauternes-esque wine was so similar. Awesome experience.
In the end, our waiter, JC, made the night. I will go back, as long as he is working. -
Review from Margarita Y.
Boston, MA
Restaurant week review:
I would have given it 1 star but the service ( hostess and server) was very nice and always helpful and so it saved this restaurant.
I've heard great things about this place and so I always wanted to give them a try. I am so glad I went here during restaurant week instead of coming here on a random date because I would have felt so bad for my boyfriend's wallet. The food that I ate here wasn't worth the expense.
App: Maple Smoked Salmon. This was tiny but it was the best of the whole meal that I liked.
Entree: Char Seared Black Grouper and I felt there was an overload of the Quinoa that made it not enjoyable for me.
Dessert: Chocolate Tasting Plate. It was okay. My favorite was the Pretzel Pie one.
Sadly, if the food was amazing it would have been a 5 star but it was very underwhelming for the both of us. Sorry. -
Review from Corona W.
Somerville, MA
Updated - 8/23/2011
Went to Meritage again for restaurant week. Once again, the service was impeccable and the food was delicious. If you go, I highly recommend springing for the $40 bottle of bordeaux. We were sold when the waiter used the word "silky" to describe it. When we tasted it, it was indeed silky and paired perfectly with our meal.
The maple smoked salmon was a great first course. The sauce was a little heavy for the cannelloni, the second course. I much prefer the lighter sauce that was served in the winter. However, dessert was much better this time. I ordered the citrus tasting plate for dessert and it was delicious!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/18/2011
I went to Meritage last night for restaurant week. Everything but the dessert was amazing!!!! The… Read more »
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Review from Casey F.
Boston, MA
2/1/2012
I have never failed to enjoy a trip to Meritage. Its nearly a eyar since my first visit when I spent all evening just a little star-struck, but once over the location; you come to realize that those who truly love this establishment keep coming back for the food, service and a truly comfortable and relaxed atmosphere. Great location, great atmosphere and the food was - great! And very well priced which was not what I expected. I would go back again. Soon!
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Review from Carolyn K.
Boston, MA
8/24/2011
I recently went to Meritage for restaurant week and overall, it was a good experience. The food was absolutely phenomenal, and I give a lot of props to Meritage for actually offering a vegetarian option as a main course, unlike many other restaurants. The waitstaff was very prompt with the delivery and cleanup of the courses. We never had to wait too long from one course to be cleared and the next to come. Our waiter was incredibly friendly. I had the tomato soup, three cheese cannelloni, and then the red fruit tasting plate (which I highly recommend over the chocolate tasting plate, even though I LOVE chocolate). All three were superb. Small portions, but such is the case for pretty much every fancy restaurant.
The restaurant itself is quite gorgeous. The ambiance is very romantic, and it is great for a special date. Located on the second floor of the Boston Harbor Hotel, it overlooks the waterfront and has a great view of the harbor.
I knocked off a star because we did have to wait about a half hour to be seated, despite the fact we had reservations. However, it WAS restaurant week and, in the end, we got a seat right in front of the window, with a fantastic view. So it was kind of worth the wait. -
Review from Misty L.
Wilmington, MA
3/28/2011
This was our first time to Meritage and I have to say that we were excited. The idea of the restaurant - matching food to wine was right up our alley.
Our reservation was for 7:45pm on a Saturday night (3.26). We were told when we arrived that it would be about a 5-10 minute wait. We were finally seated a little after 8:30pm. The restaurant did comp us a drink after we were seated, but this would have been much appreciated (along with some updates!) while we were waiting.
The sommelier was great! She listened to us and suggested a great bottle of wine in the (less than $80) price-range we requested. The service was fine if unexceptional. And, I kind of have to say at this price range, I expect exceptional.
I will say again, I love the idea of this place. We each ordered 3 "small dishes" - which was *plenty* for a meal, but allowed us to taste around. The rabbit (we both ordered this) was great, the lamb and ostrich were good, the beef and venison were just okay. We were both so full (and tired; by the time we left it was after 11pm) that we decided not to have dessert or coffee.
Perhaps the way to go would have been to have the tasting menu along with wine, but we wanted to try some of the more unusual dishes on the menu. Overall, we paid a lot for this meal (which was expected). But aside from the sommelier, I don't feel like the food or overall service matched my expectations for the restaurant. Perhaps this was an off-night. Unfortunately, given the cost, we are unlikely to go again to test that hypothesis. -
Review from Kathy A.
3/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
It pains me slightly to only give this place 3 stars because I was really looking forward to my meal here. We decided to try it out for Restaurant Week because their menu looked great and I read a lot of positive reviews.
First of all, the setting is beautiful. Meritage is on the second floor of the elegant Boston Harbor Hotel and the restaurant itself has lots of open space and plenty of window views over the harbor. It is a sophisticated restaurant, but as many other reviews say it by no means has a "stuffy" or "stuck-up" kind of feeling. It is still very relaxed. All of the hostesses and servers were very kind and attentive. They always had our water glasses filled and continued to supply us with bread (which by the way is delicious and there are 3 kinds!).
For the meal I had the scallop appetizer and my companion had the lobster. The scallops themselves weren't super tasty, but the cider chardonnay butter was delicious. The lobster appetizer come with a lot of meat, which was very nice. And the snap peas were light and fresh.
For entrees we got the swordfish and the cannelloni. While the portion size of the cannelloni dish was somewhat on the small size it was very good. It wasn't too heavy for a pasta dish and let's be honest...anything filled with multiple cheeses HAS to be good. The butternut squash was a nice addition to the plate. The swordfish unfortunately was completely bland and rather tough. The carrot ginger essence; however, was quite flavorful and the dish had lots of greens to compliment it (bok choy, pea shoots, ect).
Finally desserts. Despite what their menu had listed, they did not offer the citrus tasting plate, which was a bit of a disappointment. Instead they had a white fruit tasting plate with a bread pudding, apple sorbet, and one other small bite (which I am forgetting). Nothing on that plate really stood out. The red fruit tasting plate had a mascarpone cheesecake, iced cranberry nougat, and pomegranate gingerbread cake. The cheesecake was okay, the nougat was forgettable, and the gingerbread cake was actually bad. It was thick, tough, hard to cut, and pretty flavorless. I was kind of regretting not ordering the chocolate tasting plate (maybe that would be harder to mess up?).
Overall, there were some hits, a few misses, a great view, but not really a compelling reason to return. -
Review from Henrik C.
6/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went to Maritage for a special event. The dining-room relatively small, quiet and an ideal setting for a romantic dinner, or a special event. The dining room has a view of the Boston harbor and flights entering/leaving Logan Airport. Quite a view.
The specialty is tying food to wine. The menu is organized according to the type of wine you prefer. Plates come in two sizes - small and large. The small plates are $17 and the large are $34. There is also a composed menu with 5 courses. We chose 2 small plates each (the recommendation is 1 small and 1 large or 3 small). Have to say that 2 small each was plenty for us.
We tried to the Cod loin, the Scallops, the Venison and the Duck Duck. All the dishes were prepared exactly right and were very tasty. We had a sancerre for the fish dishes and a Ca Marcanda 2004 for the meat. Both wines were really great.
We composed our own deserts and had them with a great port.
Overall a fantastic dining experience in a really nice setting. The waiter had the exact right level of attention. Not forgetting us, but not hovering at the table. He also provided great recommendations. We originally wanted a Brunello wine, but they were out so we went for the Marcanda and were not disappointed. This is a really nice place -
Review from julie m.
Jamaica Plain, MA
5/19/2011
Great food, reasonable service.
The menu has a wide variety and everything can be ordered in either a large or small plate. We were told that generally people order either 1 large and 1 small plate or 3 small plates. My husband and I chose to do 3 small each - and share a bit with each other.
All food was great; some things better than others. The shrimp, sole and pheasant really stand out. Risotto was ok. Every dish had spinach. I love spinach and all, but c'mon.
Views were amazing, free valet parking was a plus. Great place for a special occasion. -
Review from Amanda L.
Manhattan, NY
3/25/2011
Absolutely fantastic meal.
I went here for a late night dinner with a friend for Restaurant Week. Our reservation was for 9:30pm, and let me tell you, the place was still packed. I know it was Restaurant Week and all, but it was nice to have such a buzz at that hour for dinner anyway.
I drove us to Meritage. After some searching (don't trust google maps directions, seriously), we pulled up to a hotel that seemed close to where the destination should have be. The valet directed us inside the hotel and told us where to go (the restaurant does complimentary valet parking, verified after dinner).
We were seated and received the restaurant week menu, the wine pairings, the full menu and the complete wine list -- that wine list is extraordinary. You really need to just see it for yourself. We both opted for the wine pairings for our restaurant week meal. I started with the cream of wild mushroom soup with sauteed honshimeii mushrooms.
I still dream about this mushroom soup.
The runner comes out with my bowl that simply has the mushrooms and a bed of truffle oil on the bottom. As he pours in the soup, I just know it's going to be delicious. Ooh I would go back just for that soup. It was amazing. I didn't know what to do with myself after having that soup. My friend had the steamed maine lobster tail on the half shell with buttered snap peas and satsuma tangerine essence. It was also very good from what I hear (I would have tried it, but I'm allergic to shell fish!).
For our entree I had the cabernet braised boneless short ribs with chantennay carrots, black kale and creamy polenta; he had the wood grilled filet mignon with soft whipped potatoes, horesradish onion cream and meritage syrup (for an extra fee). His steak was cooked perfectly and my dish was excellent. The short ribs were so tender and all the components worked very well with each other.
He finished the night with the trilogy of blue cheeses: irish cashel, english shropshire and italian gorgonzola with toasted walnut bread and cranberry strawberry compote. He said it was delicious all round. I had the white fruit tasting plate with banana bread, an apple sherbert and a pear sorbet. All very good, with the banana bread being particularly delicious.
Our waiter was attentive, the pacing was great, and the food was impressive. I highly, highly recommend. -
Review from Soumendra B.
Boston, MA
11/5/2011
**Written by dudeitsshoe's fiancee**
We went to Meritage last night for dinner before we went to drinks with friends nearby. The setting is beautiful within the Boston Harbor Hotel. In general, I'm not a fan of hotel restaurants, but this was slightly better than the norm. The view was fantastic though the vibe was a little bit less hip than we were hoping for (though really, to be expected at hotel restaurants).
We opted for the tasting menu since we weren't sure what to order. Each course was good- not VERY good, not standout good, but good. My favorite was the lamb, as was my fiance's. It came with creamy polenta and was generally well executed. The other courses (fish, butternut squash soup, cheese) were okay...nothing stood out.
The dessert course was apple cider donuts (this is apparently a trend as every single tasting menu we've done in hte past 90 days has had apple cider donuts) were fine- they were served cold (strange) and the sweet potato puree that they were sitting on had clearly been standing for a while in the kitchen. Nonetheless, they tasted good, but not as good as the other four apple cider donuts we've had at local restaurants.
What did stand out was the wine pairings- though they didn't exactly pair well with each course, the wines themselves were fantastic and we agreed that there wasn't a bad one in the flight. The muscato at the end was fantastic and we don't even like muscato!
Service was ok. Each course took an extraordinarily long time and sometimes we wondered if our waiter forgot us, but he made up for it by pouring extra wine as needed.
Overall, for the price, probably not worth it, but if you're looking for a solid place to take a parent or business associate, it's a great spot with beautiful views. -
Review from Brianna W.
Boston, MA
5/1/2011
My boyfriend picked me up from class one night wearing a sport coat and told me to go find something from Ann Taylor Loft to wear because we were going out. Not one to argue, I did.
We chose Meritage, based on open table availability and Yelp reviews. We walked in and it was 80% empty, on a Friday night at 8. I was worried, but looked at their menu and as soon as I saw that it was organized by wine, I decided I was in.
We did 6 small plates:
+Caviar Topped Island Creek Oysters Micro Celery Greens
+Fricassee of Sweetbreads and Wild Mushrooms Crisp Parsnips and French Beans
+Maple and Mustard Rubbed Roast Colorado Lamb Sirloin Caramelized Baby Vegetables
+Pan Roasted New York Foie Gras Cherry Syrah Compote
+Prosciutto Wrapped Venison Loin Beluga Lentil Ragout, Swiss Chard, French Beans and Red Wine Sauce
+Blackberry and Five Spice Rubbed Roast Long Island Duck Fennel and Leek Ravioli
We also did the Nut Tasting Plate of Peanut Butter Mousse with Caramel Popcorn Pistachio Cake with Candied Fennel, Butter Pecan Ice Cream and Pecan Sandies for dessert.
They let us pair half glasses of wine, and let us arrange our courses as we pleased. The service was perfect: attentive, flexible and unpretentious.
The views are fantastic and I will be back soon! -
Review from Anne F.
Chicago, IL
3/21/2011
Restaurant Week with Boyfriend:
After making the journey down the Green/Blue lines, we found ourselves by the waterfront to make our way to the Meritage. After pausing to look at the sea lions (important step at the waterfront), we had some difficulty finding the place. Was this because of our own ignorance? Was this because it was not prominently displayed? Or was it because the boyfriend refused to ask anyone for help? We shall never know, but we did find the place and are happy that we did.
After being seated promptly at our reserved table (did we need the reservations? I am conservative here and say yes), the waiter came with the restaurant week menu and the accompanying wine list. We did not receive the real wine list at this time though - something that I am a bit sad about, but as the wine pairing was a good deal I shan't complain.
We had an easy time ordering, somewhat because I could only seafood that particular day. Our food and wine came out exactly at the times that they should be. However, we did receive the next over table's first course and had some confusion for a minute or so. However, the mistake was corrected promptly. The food was beautiful to look at and rather yummy to eat. The boyfriend won mostly for the night, with the scallops, pork and chocolate trio.
We did not go for cocktails this particular time but went for an early check. The check came out wrong several times, once for a completely different table and another time for a meal that I wish that I had eaten. When the bill finally did arrive correctly, there was no real apology for any of the disturbances of the night. I know that I am a younger customer, but I do believe that I am entitled to just as good of service as the rest of the dining room. In fact, I believe that people of my age tend to tip waiters better than older folks. I tipped full amount plus some, but I still feel a bad taste about this place. I don't believe that I will come back as I have had just as good of food else where and did not feel second class at the same time. -
Review from Colleen H.
South End, Boston, MA
11/1/2011
Dear Meritage, please hire me, the Interior Designer AROUND THE CORNER to help you with your dismal decor. It's painful really, unless of course, you're a color blind old man with a cigar in hand. I, in any case, am not an old man of this sort. We hit up Meritage for restaurant week and let me tell you, the plates were presented beautifully. The taste though? Quite disappointing. And really, the decor didn't help. It was distracting actually. The service that night was actually terrible too, and I don't know if it had anything to do with restaurant week, and perhaps it meant they were busier than normal -- but I don't think that's much of an excuse when you're paying top dollar for your cuisine. Sorry, I'm not a fan.
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Review from Raymond W.
Cambridge, MA
9/19/2010 1 Check-in Here
One word: Baller. The Meritage at the Boston Harbor Hotel is definitely meant for a special occasion unless you can afford to wipe your ass with a few Benjamins. And what is more special for my friend than when I come to visit? i can't think of anything at the moment. Luckily for us, it was also restaurant week and Meritage put up a respectable menu. We order the fried soft shell crab and the tuna tar tare with avocado and creme frache for our appetizers, seared tuna with green beans and filet mignon with mash and vegetables for our entrees and a cheese plate, and red fruit trio that included a cherry cobbler, raspberry tart, and strawberry like ice cream(?).
Winners were the two entrees was the steak and tuna delicious and flavorful I wouldn't even be ashamed to have both for breakfast the next day. The crab and tartare were not far behind with dessert probably being the weakest element.
The lighting is dim and furnishing was well thought out. The view of the water was also available though we missed out on that table. Service was good, but nothing exceptional given the pressures of restaurant week.Listed in: Love That Dirty Water
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Review from Wang Treecy E.
Dracut, MA
8/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
I love FANCY restaurants! I did not know about Meritage's Restaurant Week prior to coming here, and I'm so glad it was. It was our anniversary so our expectations for this place was HIGH, and boy, what did we get.. We made reservations beforehand and asked if we could get a view of the harbor. They did not have it. Instead they gave us this tiny table across the bar, "wow so romantic." When we asked if we could be moved to a different table they sent us to the back which had a bigger table, and better view, we could partially see the harbor which was much better.
Then... Dun Dun Dun.... The waiter didn't try. He was so nasty. My boyfriend asked what he recommended for champagne, I know he is running around like a maniac because the restaurant was so packed but still, you need to take time. When he was speaking to my boyfriend he made my boyfriend feel like he didn't know anything. That is why my boyfriend asked what he recommended! I could actually see my boyfriend getting uncomfortable & frustrated and then the waiter was like "TAKE YOUR TIME WITH THE MENU, NO RUSH," and ran off. We didn't even agree. My boyfriend was outraged, which is amazingly ODD because my boyfriend is a very calm person, and for the waiter to be able to upset my boyfriend is a big no no. We were trying to get his attention again, and we were waiting for a good 10 minutes waiting on him. We finally decided what to order and while we were ordering, we were also being RUSHED. You know that rush where he's using his hand in a circular motion with his pen meaning "and.. and.. and..." Yea, not so polite.
The bread came out, from the reviews, everyone noted about the three different types of bread. What did we get? Two plain white buns! Mm, tasted stale and extra chewy..
My entrees included:
smoked salmon: it was amazingly good, I love how everything was nicely flavored
filet mignon: I originally asked for medium, then switched to medium rare, well whatever it was, it turned out to be medium well (no redness at all, luckily the steak was good quality which made it a little more appetizing). I would have asked them to fix it, but really I did not want to wait or have them spit on my steak
watermelon gelato: was not a fan, it tasted so weird, they use fresh watermelon but it tasted so artificial
My boyfriend had:
ravioli: it was delicious, I had a bite and really liked it
grouper: my boyfriend enjoyed the flavor especially the quinoa, I thought the grains were a little overwhelming
chocolate: it did not wow him, and he has a sweet tooth
At the end of the dinner, as the place cleared out, the waiter became friendlier. It was like, how could you be a devil and turn into an angel after an hour? Very confusing. After every meal, they change silverwares for you which is a plus, but it seems like the person who does it hates their job. I grinned, no response, I said thanks, no response... I see.
People actually like the decoration? I thought it was a bit tacky.. Lightbulbs were everywhere, if you keep staring at it, you might feel a bit claustrophobic. They looked polycephalic (many heads), bulging out of the ceilings. The table cloths were burgundy red with gold leaf designs all over it. The layout is a bit overdone. I did not feel that I experienced a first class dining here.
The whole time at the restaurant, I make-believe that I was having a great time because I did not want to ruin it for our special night. But in reality, I majorly disliked this place. The only great thing was spending time with my love (dead serious). Some of the entrees were amazing, and some were just ughhh... If I had an amazing appetizer, I was expecting an amazing main course and so on, but everything went downhill. It closes at 10 but we stayed fifteen minutes past eleven which was nice. We weren't rushed (finally) and was able to finish our drinks. I would have gave it 1 star, but because it was restaurant week and the meal was inexpensive, 2 stars it is. -
Review from Daniel C.
Livingston, NJ
11/7/2011
My wife and I ate dinner here on a Wednesday evening while at a conference in the Boston Harbor Hotel. Despite a medium-sized conference taking place in the hotel itself, the restaurant was sparsely filled when we arrived for our reservation at 7pm. Nonetheless, we were pleasantly surprised with the overall quality of food and service at the Meritage.
The menu is particularly interesting in that any item on the menu can be served either as a small plate (i.e. appetizer/starter) for $17 or large plate (i.e. entree/main) for $34. For some items, this presents particularly interesting possibilities. For example, if one is a fan of foie gras, I have to wonder how a large plate will come out. For the record, my wife had the small plate of foie gras, and it was excellent. It was a large piece and well-made. I started with a small plate of crab salad that was just perfect and refreshing.
I then had the short rib that was tender and delicious, while my wife had the lobster, which was cooked exactly right.
The main reasons I give the Meritage 5-stars is that the overall price you pay for the quality of food that you get is a perfect balance. Plus, the service was exceptional. I didn't take much note of the decor. But for me, the table and its setting plus the lighting and view were more than enough to provide a pleasant evening. -
Review from Nancy Z.
Updated - 10/21/2010 2 photos
Oi. Oi. Oi.
Let's just say that this experience was quite different from the last. The first time I went, the food was extraordinary and the service was lacking. The second time around, it was the complete opposite! The food was lacking and the service was extraordinary.
SO disappointed.
I will not be coming here again.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/20/2010
I want to speak on behalf of all my fellow college students and other people that fit into that… Read more »
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Review from Kaitlin C.
Charlestown, Boston, MA
11/22/2011
This one's for you, Francis!! Came here for a special birthday dinner and we were completely blown away. The hotel is beautiful, and if you park in the garage at the hotel you can have the restaurant validate your parking - for free. Free parking. Who does that?! Yeah, Meritage does.
So I spent some time on the phone with them awhile ago trying to figure out how to make this a special dinner, and because they change the menu every week decided to just come and be surprised. After reading over the set tasting menu, which was beautifully crafted and extremely fairly priced for what it was offering, decided there were some things on the menu that we wanted more. So, we created our own tasting menu, and Francis paired wines for us rather amazingly. We loved everything from the food, to the wine, to the look and feel of the restaurant, and the view. Francis was so amazing and such a kind and attentive server. He brought out a dessert tasting with a candle and the plate said "Happy Birthday" which was incredibly thoughtful and just above and beyond what we expected. Seriously - from the bottom of our hearts, thank you!
Every dish that came out was inventive, delicious, and beautiful. I will definitely be back. Can't believe it took me so long to find such a gem!
P.S. Francis, did I thank you enough?! Seriously, thanks! -
Review from Angela T.
Quincy, MA
8/17/2011
We went to Meritage last night for Restuarant Week, and enjoyed their three-course Restuarant Week menu as well as their suggested flight of three wines to go with the meal.
Firstly, the place is very lovely. On the second floor of the Boston Harbor Hotel, it overlooks the waterfront and the patio area behind the hotel (including Foster's Pavilion, the glass gazebo room). Great for people and boat watching. The decor is very modern and trendy, with dark table-tops scarcely-covered with cloth, and flity-looking lights. The tables are reasonably far apart and the noise level was low to average when we were there, but the place wasn't quite full yet. We had the luck to be seated at one of the window tables, and it really enhanced the experience. It's not a "romantic" place, per se, since the layout is very bright and open.
The service was impeccable. I was seated right away while I waited for my fiance to arrive. The maitre d' was attentive and when I left quickly to take a phone call from my fiance, he asked if everything was all right. We chatted briefly and I mentioned our upcoming wedding at the Boston Harbor Hotel, and he remembered us on the way out later. Our water glasses were never empty, and dishes were cleared away and silverware replaced efficiently. Our waiter was extremely accomodating and knowledgable, answering questions about the menu and describing each wine to us as it came. The courses came with pretty good pacing. For my personal taste, they could've come a little bit faster, but I tend to like a faster meal and they certainly weren't languishing.
The food was very tasty. They brought out individual servings of breads for both my fiance and I, with three selections. The dark raisin bread was delicious, as was the white bread with a seeded crust, but the other white bread (sourdough?) was forgettable. The butter was fantastic. Both my fiance and I had the spinich ravioli appetizer, which was cooked perfectly. My fiance's filet minion was cooked exactly how he ordered it and extremely tender and tasy. My grouper was well-cooked also. The cheese dessert tasting plate was a standard cheese plate with three selections, and my chocolate tasting plate was very inventive - the chocolate zuchini cake, while tasty, was somewhat forgettable, but the chocolate pretzel pie and the white chocolate and passion fruit meringue were both excellent. All the food was very well-presented. The appetizer and dessert were both well-portioned; I felt there could have been just a tiny bit more food in the entree dishes.
The wines were all very well-selected for the meals and unique. I especially enjoyed the Italian dessert wine. I'm glad I went with their pre-paired flight, because their wine menu is about 25 pages long and I would never have been able to choose otherwise. They also had a rather interesting cocktail list that i would like to sample sometime.
All in all, it was a very good experience and introduction to Meritage. It certainly has enticed me to return. -
Review from Alyssa T.
Boston, MA
3/6/2011
The food at meritage was delicious. Everything was beautifully presented and wonderfully executed, and the 5 of us enjoyed all of our plates. The best thing I had was the sole with black rice, the rice was amazing and the fish was perfectly cooked and seasoned.
The only problem we had with meritage was the service. There are no big tables in the restaurant, only one round table that could fit more than 4 people. We had 5 people, had made reservations a month in advance, and were seated at a four person table that they had just added a fifth chair to at the end. The table was fairly small for 4 people, but adding the fifth made it really hard to find places for wine and water glasses, as well as for the larger plates. Our waiter also disappeared frequently, and we often had too many plates on the table, so theres wasnt room for anything else. -
Review from Kristin S.
Somerville, MA
3/6/2007
We kicked off the Winter Restaurant Week at Meritage and it was nothing short of fantastic. If Aujourd'hui is the epitome of a 5 star restaurant Meritage is its more modern twin sister. The ambiance of the restaurant is great and tastefully done to achieve the perfect blend of contemporary styling and traditional elegance. There is also free parking offered for both the valet and self park.
We were greeted promptly on arrival and taken to our table. Our server was friendly and attentive all night. The service here is stellar; there are about 4 servers attending to you during your experience. Some people find this hard to follow but I really enjoy it because it ensures that you are not forgotten about. The breads we were served were very flavorful and the Chef's Amuse of tomato and fennel soup was outstanding. We each had the Maine Lobster Sausage appetizer which was perfectly cooked and tender. The Filet Mignon was so soft that my fork and knife literally sunk into it. Everything on the plate was prepared to perfection. For dessert I sampled the red fruit dish and my husband tried the chocolate dish, both lived up to the expectations the previous courses had set.
Meritage was a wonderful dining experience, one of the best I've had in Boston by far. I will happily return here for dinner and will definitely be recommending it to friends.
Update: For our last brunch in Boston my husband I decided to make it special at Meritage. We requested a table by the window which they happily gave us, we even had the view of a wedding that was going on the patio below. It made us feel gushy and romantic.
The food selection is not as large as other hotel buffets but every item was well chosen and well prepared. There was a good mix of breakfast foods, lunch foods, various salads, pastries and baked goods. The service was once again impeccable, which is often not the case with buffet dining. We always had our glasses full, table bussed and napkins folded. Although it was a buffet we were presented with several chef's tastings throughout our meal, which is always an added delight. If you're looking for an extra special brunch I highly recommend it. -
Review from Ben G.
11/17/2008
Unless you're a baller, the Meritage is a special occasion place all the way. If you've never been, they differentiate themselves from other fine dinning establishments in two ways. Everything on the menu can either be served as a small place for 16 or a large plate for 32. So you have the option of doing a bunch of small plates if you want to taste a few different things or you can go the more traditional route and order one small and one large plate per person.
The other way the Meritage separates itself from the rest of the upscale seafood restaurants in Boston is how it presents it menu to the patron. You could say the Meritage is very wine-centric. The entire menu is broken down into sections all based on they're wine pairing characteristics. The sections are, sparklers, light whites, full body whites, light reds, spicy earthy reds and so on. Then you have the wine list which could be mistaken for a novel its so long. Aside from the over the top selection, there is also a wide variety of moderately priced wines.
Now that you got the background, let me share with you my experience. My beautiful girlfriend and I arrive for dinner on Saturday night for an 830 reservation. We are seated along the wall overlooking the entire restaurant as well as the giant windows that gaze onto Rowes Wharf.
The amuse bouche was a light and creamy butternut squash soup shooter. The lovely lady and I decided to share everything. We got two small plates and two large plates and paired each with a glass of wine. For our small plates, she got a mushroom soup and I 3 seared scallop with some spinach and mashed potato's. I can't remember what wine we had but they tasted great . For our large plates, she got some lobster tails with a spinach mouse and I a seared Tuna that was a little overcooked, but the sauce came with it, was sheer joy in my mouth. After we got carded the waitress recognized that it was a birthday celebration and brought us out a desert plate of four different items. All of which were fruit based, of which I'm a huge fan.
Very nice place, if you celebrating, otherwise there are far better values to be had in the bean.Listed in: the Fresh Fish Flavors
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Review from Joyce K.
Waltham, MA
4/12/2007
Clean, crisp, beautiful, chic and sophisticated. Even the butter is embossed with a delicate filigree "M". The silverware is modern, beautiful, new, and so easy to use. The knife has a wonderful little knob to place the index finger to harness more power in slicing although there's no need to have Hercules-like force, the knife is wonderfully sharp.
The wine glasses are so fine blown that when brought to the lips, it's not a solid, rounded rim of glass but rather a very thin, barely-there sensation allowing the wine to meet body seemlessly for a simply amazing wine tasting experience. Jesus Christ couldn't have felt holier drinking from the holy grail than I did drinking from that wine glass. I can only imagine what labors are behind cleaning something so dainty and fragile.
The amuse-bouches really opened up the palate and the server, taking note of my companion's dairy allergy, brought him shrimp. The Meritage dining experience was all about the wonderful marriage of details. The chocolate trio of desserts were served in a tasting style from light to rich leaving me in a state of dizzying bliss. The view of the harbor and the pretty white boats on the dark blue water really rounded out the beautifully linear design of the restaurant. I swear I floated out of there on a cloud. -
Review from Chin C.
Quincy, MA
3/8/2007
Meritage is so generous to offer 4 selections for each course on RW. It really understands the concept of RW and takes this advantage to get new customer bases.
We was seated shorty after arrives. I had some complaint on how one of the hostesses looked at my gf. She looked at my gf from head to toe in the rude way, we both noticed it after that she didn't speak with us until other host came by and took us to the table.
We were happy to be able to select different plates and intend to share each other a few bites. She had lobster sausage which tender, and yummy. I had salad which was also great. The dished work well and made us even hungrier, yeah ready for the real thing.
For entree she had duck breast, juicy, tender with divine flavor I was happy for her. Mine was flitet mignon, it came with the perfect condition, red in center covered by pink, juicy and gave a great feeling in my mouth.
I had chocolate sampler for dessert and I loved them. There were 3 desserts on the dish and all of them were so awesome. My gf loved her dessert sampler too, I didn't recall what it's called but it was the one with key lime.
On top of that great moment, they offer complimentary parking so we paid nothing for parking, wow such a great offer. After all these good stuffs I think I will go back for regular prices and I believe I will still love this place. -
Review from Iska B.
8/8/2007
It had it all: fantastic food, a fantastic view, and because it was Restaurant Week, a fantastic price as well. Finally got a reservation after missing the boat last time.
It started it off with valet parking, FREE valet parking. If every place in Boston had free valet parking I would die of joy...to never parallel park again...my idea of heaven.
Anyways the restaurant itself is luxurious and the environment very fancy. It's dim and cozy feeling so it's a great place for a date (a great place to impress a date for that matter). Very old money Boston. The staff were all courteous and friendly even though they all knew the only reason we were there was because of Restaurant Week. We were seated by the window overlooking the harbor. Beautiful.
Now for the food. Best menu I saw for restaurant week. Soft shell crab. Filet Mingon. A massive chocolate dessert. I was afraid the portions would be small. I was very wrong. They were generous and beautifully presented. Everything was divine. I got my steak rare and it was so deliciously rare. The soft shell crab was a little bundle of crispy deliciousness. I could go on and on.
If only I could come here all the time, but alas the real menu prices are a bit prohibitive...so you know where I'll be next Restaurant Week...best pick I've made so far! -
Review from Ina C.
3/28/2010
I love how the menu works, especially how you can order anything on the menu as a small plate ($16) or large plate ($32). At our table, most everyone was pleased with the portion sizes of their small plates. My filet mignon small plate was pretty big. My seared yellowfin tuna small plate was also pretty generous (the zinfandel butter sauce that came with it was amazing!). Other amazing dishes included the short rib (very similar to the Korean dish galbijjim!) and the mushroom soup (soooo rich).
The lobster dish disappointed, with lobster that seemed overcooked and a sauce that was too citrusy to take.
The dessert options were also great. They were organized by theme! There was a white fruit tasting, red fruit, nuts, citrus and chocolate tastings. We got the red fruit tasting which came with a pomegranate panna cotta, lingonberry sorbet and a raspberry tart. Excellent.
Some important tips:
- The restaurant is inside the Boston Harbor Hotel. We didn't know this and circled around the block. Even when we figured that it must be in the hotel, we had no idea where to go. It's up the stairs on the second floor.
- Others have mentioned it too, but I'll say it again: Park in the Rowes Wharf garage and take a ticket. Get it validated at the restaurant and you won't have to pay a penny!
- Yelpers have categorized the attire as "dressy." I saw men wearing dark jeans and a nice sweater over a dress shirt, and that's the minimum dressiness I'd recommend for men to wear. -
Review from Kevin K.
Jamaica Plain, MA
8/25/2009
Fine dining is all about value. Spending $150 for two on an amazing meal can be worth it if the food, ambiance, wine, service, view, and attention to detail are all superb. Last Saturday, I experienced a perfect storm of culinary perfection.
First, this is a non-restaurant week review. Meritage, like most restaurants, does not participate in Restaurant Week on Saturday nights.
The à la carte meal provides the selection of small plates (appetizer size) for $16 and regular size plates for $32. This allows for the connoisseur to order several small plates instead of simply an appetizer and a main course. Each of the items on the menu are organized by one of six types of wine, 3 whites and 3 reds. For example, the Pan Fried Soft Shell Crab is listed under Sparklers. Yum.
The meal was nothing short of perfect. Rather than ordering à la carte, I ordered the tasting menu with 5 courses with 5 wine pairings for $90. Wow. Amazing. The portions were so generous that I was unable to finish the filet mignon ... which was out of this world. The meal was cooked both to specification and perfection. I don't mind using the word perfection over and over and over again. It's like taking additional yummy bites.
The wine pairings were amazingly well crafted. Having spent a fair amount of time in the Chianti region in Italy ... as well as Napa and Sonoma in California, I know what a good reserve wine should taste like. Out of 4 wines and a port, 2 of the wines and the port were out of this galaxy amazing. The rosé and one of the reds were very good. But, the "Robust Red" that was served with the Filet and the Sparkler with the Pan Fried Soft Shell Crab brought tears to my eyes. They were that good.
Finally, a note about the waitstaff. Our waiter was a true professional. He poured wine properly ... something that many waiters can't seem to do in the US. Also, he was thoughtful, efficient, and responsive. I did notice that there weren't any waitresses at the restaurant ... curious. I had a question about the way to eat the soft shell crab and the waiter was entirely unpretentious and courteous. Brilliant.
One last note ... the view. The restaurant looks out on the water ... with a view of some of the ships sailing in Boston Harbor. We were fortunate to get a window seat ... and it was worth the wait. Simply lovely.
The next time I am ready to spend the big money for a superior dining experience in Boston, this is where I will be. -
Review from michael w.
Belmont, MA
10/27/2011
My wife and I had our anniversary supper here last weekend. She had dined there before, on business, and thought it would be a restaurant I would enjoy. She was right. The food was delicious. The service was excellent, as was the atmosphere. Prices were commensurate with the quality of what was served. All dishes were offered as small or large portions. I like this reasonable choice, when it comes to gourmet food. I don't like to see a huge amount of food on the table. The views of the harbor are quite nice and the space is intimate. Free parking in the hotel garage as well. We will surely return.
