I made a Valentine’s Day reservation at Alcove several days in advance. Not last minute. Not a walk-in. I specifically booked it for the view. One of the main selling points of this restaurant is the glass wall overlooking the Zakim Bridge and the sunset. That was the entire reason we chose it.
We arrived and were immediately seated in a dark corner with no windows and absolutely no view. Meanwhile, the main dining room was maybe 30% full at best. Plenty of open tables. And we’re tucked into a shadowy corner like we asked for the overflow section.
I walked up to the host stand and waited about five minutes before anyone even acknowledged me. When they finally did, I politely asked if we could move to the main dining room since we reserved specifically for the view. They said no problem. Three minutes later, they moved us.
To the only tiny high-top table in the entire main dining room that had no view.
The table was sandwiched between the entrance and the dining area, directly in front of one of the only solid walls in the restaurant. Everywhere else had glass and scenery. We had drywall.
For context, I wore a suit. My partner wore a gorgeous silk dress with heels. We were clearly dressed for a real Valentine’s dinner and more formal than most of the guests in the room. This was a rare night out for us. We’re parents to a 6-year-old and a 1-year-old. We secured childcare. We made the effort.
My partner insisted we just make the best of it since we don’t get out much. So I decided to move forward and focus on the food and drinks.
We ordered the Cherry Noir. It tasted like a cup of tart cherry juice and bitters with a splash of tequila hiding somewhere in the background. It took us the entire meal to finish it. That was our first and only drink of the night.
We ordered the lobster ravioli with “fried plantain” for $50. The plantains looked and tasted like plantain chips from a local convenience store. The ravioli had almost no flavor, and the lobster somehow had even less. I had to use the salt and pepper from the table just to wake it up.
We also ordered the 16 oz ribeye for $80. On top of that, we paid $20 for a side of roasted Brussels sprouts. The ribeye was the best part of the meal, but the bar was already in hell. It was a regular, nothing-special cut of steak covered in another underwhelming sauce. Again, salt and pepper came to the rescue.
To finish, we ordered their Neapolitan flan for $30. It was the most basic-looking and basic-tasting dessert I’ve had at a restaurant period. No creativity. No presentation. An insult for dessert.
All in, we paid just over $250.
For that price point on Valentine’s Day, you expect an experience. You expect attention to detail. You expect food that doesn’t need table salt to carry it. You definitely expect the view you reserved days in advance when the restaurant isn’t even close to full capacity.
This was easily the worst Valentine’s date my partner and I have had in our entire relationship. The only saving grace was the fact that I’m blessed with someone who appreciates our own vibe enough to shrug off poor service and forgettable food.
But as for Alcove, never again!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
David Ferraz
Worst fish I ever eaten in my life, the chef of this restaurant it s enemy of the seasoning.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Hannah Heckman-McKenna
My husband and I had dinner here on Friday the 13th, before heading to a concert at the Garden. I was a little concerned after seeing some mixed reviews, but we had an wonderful time. First of all, the service was incredible. Our server answered questions we had about menu items, and when we were getting ready to order dessert, I noticed the item I had seen online wasn't on the menu and said so, sadly, aloud to my husband. A man doing something at the table next to us (I think he might have been the manager?) told us they could still make that dessert. So that was really cool. Worth noting that our server also checked in with us about any dietary restrictions or allergies to ensure our safety. The food was SUPERB. We got the warm focaccia, grilled broccolini, roasted brussel sprouts, corn and scallion fritters, and smoked salmon pâté. All delicious, but my favorite was the broccolini. My husband's was the salmon pâté (I don't eat meat, so I can't comment on that). I also have to mention the drinks. These guys probably have the best cocktails I've ever had. We had never heard of milk punch before and I'm very glad we asked about it. Extremely strong, but utterly delectable. All in all, pretty pricy date, but so so worth it. We also ordered a lot and got five drinks in total, so that adds up. We'll be back the next time we're at the Garden.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Haninah Levine
A wonderful, cozy, elegant, but casual place. In warm weather, the outdoor patio has a fantastic waterfront view. In cold weather, the spiked hot chocolate is amazing. Delicious small plates, many reasonably priced.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Antonio Bonds
The establishment in question will be contacting the Better Business Bureau and the Internal Revenue Service regarding the restaurant’s failure to assist in a pressing matter.
allison
there was about 3 tables in the whole restaurant and service was veryyyyy slow. disappointing when we have to wait while watching servers chat at the server stations
Christine
Nice, tucked away restaurant on a pretty wharf overlooking TD Garden and the Zakim Bridge. Food was great, beer was wonderful, and the service was awesome. I highly recommend, especially if going to an event at the Garden.
Robert
We visited before a Celtics game, ordered beers and split the whole chicken. It was so tender and tasted amazing, as did the accompanying scalloped potato casserole. We'll be back!!
Richard
Alcove is a convenient and moderately upscale restaurant close to TD Garden. Better than the cookie cutter average restaurants. Food was very good and the noise level was fine. I will visit again prior to Celtics & Bruins games.
Ayla Blaney
Very overpriced for not much food spent over $200, our app came out 20 minutes after all the food. The highlight was our chicken was RAW!! We’re talking pink not cooked. All they had to say was it was pink because it was dark meat…. 🥩
Worst restaurant experience I've had in a while, went here before a show and you would think that a place right next to TD garden they would be able to handle the crowd but was fastly proven wrong. Drinks took 40 minutes to come out to us. Then we ordered an appetizer (which was a charcuterie board) along with the rest of our food per the server's request. The food came out individually one item at a time spaced out by 10 minutes. And let me tell you if youre hungry do not come here the serving size was laughable especially compared to the ridiculous price for each item. For example we got 2 shrimp skewers for 18 dollars and got 4 sorry looking shrimp. The chicken wings were raw, pink and was like chewing rubber. We did not eat because we did not want to get sick. We told the server who told the manager but she just insisted that they were indeed cooked. Finally after all the food came out 20 minutes later the charcuterie board came out which was supposed to be the starter. It was a very sad sight for almost 30 dollars. Maybe 6 slices of cold cuts and 3 slices of bread. Very disappointing experience especially after I had to put down a 100 dollar deposit for this horrific experience. Better off waiting to get into TD garden and ordering the chicken fingers!
Jason Forney
I work nearby, and Alcove is by far the best place to eat in the North Station area for a business lunch or dinner.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Darren Malakian
Food for thought... When you treat high quality door dash drivers like garbage because of a negative experience you have with a low quality one the high quality ones block orders from your store and all your left with is low quality ones. Super rude staff. Do not recommend.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Kassandra Miller
The staff was really accommodating, the food and drinks were excellent, service was top-notch, and the ambiance was just great.
AMANDA LAWRENCE
Bartender was so rude which is probably why he had an empty bar right outside of the garden on a Saturday night with the Bruins home.. If you are going to server a charcuterie board with three slices of salami & prosciutto with three different puréed meats that the bar tender couldn’t even tell us about besides one being some type of liver you should probably disclose that on the menu. Waste of money. Went next door to the brewery and had a great time.
I made a Valentine’s Day reservation at Alcove several days in advance. Not last minute. Not a walk-in. I specifically booked it for the view. One of the main selling points of this restaurant is the glass wall overlooking the Zakim Bridge and the sunset. That was the entire reason we chose it.
We arrived and were immediately seated in a dark corner with no windows and absolutely no view. Meanwhile, the main dining room was maybe 30% full at best. Plenty of open tables. And we’re tucked into a shadowy corner like we asked for the overflow section.
I walked up to the host stand and waited about five minutes before anyone even acknowledged me. When they finally did, I politely asked if we could move to the main dining room since we reserved specifically for the view. They said no problem. Three minutes later, they moved us.
To the only tiny high-top table in the entire main dining room that had no view.
The table was sandwiched between the entrance and the dining area, directly in front of one of the only solid walls in the restaurant. Everywhere else had glass and scenery. We had drywall.
For context, I wore a suit. My partner wore a gorgeous silk dress with heels. We were clearly dressed for a real Valentine’s dinner and more formal than most of the guests in the room. This was a rare night out for us. We’re parents to a 6-year-old and a 1-year-old. We secured childcare. We made the effort.
My partner insisted we just make the best of it since we don’t get out much. So I decided to move forward and focus on the food and drinks.
We ordered the Cherry Noir. It tasted like a cup of tart cherry juice and bitters with a splash of tequila hiding somewhere in the background. It took us the entire meal to finish it. That was our first and only drink of the night.
We ordered the lobster ravioli with “fried plantain” for $50. The plantains looked and tasted like plantain chips from a local convenience store. The ravioli had almost no flavor, and the lobster somehow had even less. I had to use the salt and pepper from the table just to wake it up.
We also ordered the 16 oz ribeye for $80. On top of that, we paid $20 for a side of roasted Brussels sprouts. The ribeye was the best part of the meal, but the bar was already in hell. It was a regular, nothing-special cut of steak covered in another underwhelming sauce. Again, salt and pepper came to the rescue.
To finish, we ordered their Neapolitan flan for $30. It was the most basic-looking and basic-tasting dessert I’ve had at a restaurant period. No creativity. No presentation. An insult for dessert.
All in, we paid just over $250.
For that price point on Valentine’s Day, you expect an experience. You expect attention to detail. You expect food that doesn’t need table salt to carry it. You definitely expect the view you reserved days in advance when the restaurant isn’t even close to full capacity.
This was easily the worst Valentine’s date my partner and I have had in our entire relationship. The only saving grace was the fact that I’m blessed with someone who appreciates our own vibe enough to shrug off poor service and forgettable food.
But as for Alcove, never again!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Worst fish I ever eaten in my life, the chef of this restaurant it s enemy of the seasoning.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
My husband and I had dinner here on Friday the 13th, before heading to a concert at the Garden. I was a little concerned after seeing some mixed reviews, but we had an wonderful time. First of all, the service was incredible. Our server answered questions we had about menu items, and when we were getting ready to order dessert, I noticed the item I had seen online wasn't on the menu and said so, sadly, aloud to my husband. A man doing something at the table next to us (I think he might have been the manager?) told us they could still make that dessert. So that was really cool. Worth noting that our server also checked in with us about any dietary restrictions or allergies to ensure our safety.
The food was SUPERB. We got the warm focaccia, grilled broccolini, roasted brussel sprouts, corn and scallion fritters, and smoked salmon pâté. All delicious, but my favorite was the broccolini. My husband's was the salmon pâté (I don't eat meat, so I can't comment on that).
I also have to mention the drinks. These guys probably have the best cocktails I've ever had. We had never heard of milk punch before and I'm very glad we asked about it. Extremely strong, but utterly delectable.
All in all, pretty pricy date, but so so worth it. We also ordered a lot and got five drinks in total, so that adds up.
We'll be back the next time we're at the Garden.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A wonderful, cozy, elegant, but casual place. In warm weather, the outdoor patio has a fantastic waterfront view. In cold weather, the spiked hot chocolate is amazing. Delicious small plates, many reasonably priced.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The establishment in question will be contacting the Better Business Bureau and the Internal Revenue Service regarding the restaurant’s failure to assist in a pressing matter.
there was about 3 tables in the whole restaurant and service was veryyyyy slow. disappointing when we have to wait while watching servers chat at the server stations
Nice, tucked away restaurant on a pretty wharf overlooking TD Garden and the Zakim Bridge. Food was great, beer was wonderful, and the service was awesome. I highly recommend, especially if going to an event at the Garden.
We visited before a Celtics game, ordered beers and split the whole chicken. It was so tender and tasted amazing, as did the accompanying scalloped potato casserole. We'll be back!!
Alcove is a convenient and moderately upscale restaurant close to TD Garden. Better than the cookie cutter average restaurants. Food was very good and the noise level was fine. I will visit again prior to Celtics & Bruins games.
Very overpriced for not much food spent over $200, our app came out 20 minutes after all the food. The highlight was our chicken was RAW!! We’re talking pink not cooked. All they had to say was it was pink because it was dark meat…. 🥩
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Restaurantji Recommends
Worst restaurant experience I've had in a while, went here before a show and you would think that a place right next to TD garden they would be able to handle the crowd but was fastly proven wrong. Drinks took 40 minutes to come out to us. Then we ordered an appetizer (which was a charcuterie board) along with the rest of our food per the server's request. The food came out individually one item at a time spaced out by 10 minutes. And let me tell you if youre hungry do not come here the serving size was laughable especially compared to the ridiculous price for each item. For example we got 2 shrimp skewers for 18 dollars and got 4 sorry looking shrimp. The chicken wings were raw, pink and was like chewing rubber. We did not eat because we did not want to get sick. We told the server who told the manager but she just insisted that they were indeed cooked. Finally after all the food came out 20 minutes later the charcuterie board came out which was supposed to be the starter. It was a very sad sight for almost 30 dollars. Maybe 6 slices of cold cuts and 3 slices of bread. Very disappointing experience especially after I had to put down a 100 dollar deposit for this horrific experience. Better off waiting to get into TD garden and ordering the chicken fingers!
I work nearby, and Alcove is by far the best place to eat in the North Station area for a business lunch or dinner.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food for thought... When you treat high quality door dash drivers like garbage because of a negative experience you have with a low quality one the high quality ones block orders from your store and all your left with is low quality ones. Super rude staff. Do not recommend.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
The staff was really accommodating, the food and drinks were excellent, service was top-notch, and the ambiance was just great.
Bartender was so rude which is probably why he had an empty bar right outside of the garden on a Saturday night with the Bruins home.. If you are going to server a charcuterie board with three slices of salami & prosciutto with three different puréed meats that the bar tender couldn’t even tell us about besides one being some type of liver you should probably disclose that on the menu. Waste of money. Went next door to the brewery and had a great time.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
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