My wife and I made our first trip to Boston, and this was our first stop after we arrived. Everything was fantastic! We ordered 6-7 plates and they were all delicious, especially the clams, eggplant and piri-piri chicken. We also had no experience with Portuguese wine but the varietals we tried were wonderful. The best part truly was the service - our waitress. Maggie, and the manager, Madison, were just so warm and welcoming and made our experience that extra level of special. What a lovely gem of a restaurant!
What a delightful experience ! Delicious food, excellent servers, attractive space. Innovative food , try the roast cauliflower and spicy eggplant dishes, both innovative flavorings. Prices were lower than expected, a really fun dinner, high on our “return” list. If it was in our neighborhood we would be there all the time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kelly McKenna
Absolutely love Baleia! Celebrated an anniversary here and they made it so special. All of the staff was incredibly friendly and the food was amazing. Nothing I wouldn’t order again and again. The suckling pig and roasted cauliflower were our favourites though!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Patti T.
Amazing does not come close to describing this place. All the staff was hopping all night. The service was exceptional. The atmosphere was very lively and elegant. It was a little too loud. We ordered the Explorador tasting menu. Definitely a must if this is your first visit. Every dish kept getting better. We definitely want to come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mellissa Moxen
We were in Boston visiting and I found this restaurant in Google. It was a delightful experience. Specially the service and the atmosphere. I prefer octopus salad the way they serve in Portugal but the grilled fish and pastel de nata was absolutely perfect. Love it. I already deleted some of my photos that’s why I am not posting our entrees.. It was octopus carpaccio and radicchio salad.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Susan M
Really great meal at Baleia tonight. Everything we got was delicious but the cheese tarts were surprisingly good. The strawberry tonic drink was also very good. Be sure to save room for dessert and recommend trying counter seating!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pasteis De Nata, Portuguese Sweet Rolls, Olive Oil Cake, Portuguese Egg Tart
Danielle Lacet
I had high expectations for the Explorador dinner at Baleia, but unfortunately, it turned out to be a big disappointment. The dishes were very bland and lacked creativity, nothing stood out in flavor or presentation. For a tasting menu, I expected something more memorable and refined.
The biggest letdown was the dessert. Instead of offering or maybe letting guests choose the restaurant’s signature pastel de nata, they served what honestly felt like the worst option on the menu. It made the whole experience end on a very underwhelming note.
For the price, I expected much better quality and flexibility. Sadly, I wouldn’t recommend the Explorador dinner never it’s simply not worth it.
Kim Joyner
If I’m being completely honest the food that we tried was just OK. The real star of the evening was Colin our bartender !! He was so incredibly personable and just made our time at Baleia so memorable. It’s really hard to find good service now a days and he is such a gem ! We would go back strictly for the service and beautiful ambiance! I would also be willing to make our way through the menu more.. food definitely has potential and there are some really great items on the menu that we didn’t get a chance to try. The sweet rolls were perfect and pillowy, shishito peppers were good flavor wise but weren’t blistered enough, duck liver empanada had a bit too much marmalade and the filling didn’t shine as much as I was expecting it to. The kitchen was moving fast for a busy Friday night though and I will say, we were with a friend with a nut allergy and the whole staff went above and beyond to make her feel safe and that was really nice to see. Overall, we plan to make it back in some day and give it another shot !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Portuguese Sweet Rolls
Rodrigo Ribeiro
Wow! Great place. Amazing hospitality and great food. Definitely coming back soon.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Daniel Edwards
We attended the Collaboration dinner between Baleia and Chickadee...what a wonderful meal, especially since this was the first time. The food and service was excellent. The wine pairing was also very good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Duck Fried Rice, Portuguese Egg Tart
One of our favorite restaurants yet! Amazing Portuguese cuisine that I think we will be back for again and again. Loved the Mozambique shrimp, whole roasted fish, peri peri chicken with fries, curried eggplant, and topped it off with a flourless chocolate cake with sour cherries. Everything was delicious and also very older kid-friendly - a great choice for a special night out! Our server was super attentive and had great recommendations. Parking is convenient across the street in the lot and they validate. A wonderful experience all around - thank you Baleia for a great evening!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Steve Matin
Absolutely floored this place isn't more busy than it is. One of top 5 restaurants in Boston for me. Food is incredible and authentic. Drink menu is also very thoughtful. I had the white port and tonic riff expecting nothing much, but it blew me away.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amy W
We ordered the $70 set menu and were extremely disappointed. Every dish was unbearably salty with strange seasonings, completely out of line for the price. The saltiness was so overwhelming that it left my throat hurting.
For what they charge, we expected a balanced and enjoyable dining experience, but instead it was unpleasant from start to finish. Definitely not worth the price.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
Alexa Shabecoff
Came here for our anniversary and had an excellent experience. The service, food and vibe were great. We were greeted with Happy anniversary, our menu said “happy anniversary” on it and the comped us two glasses of white port. Very sweet.
I’m not a big fan of multiple severs serving on table as seems to be the norm but at Baleia they made it work with warmth.
I had the strawberry port tonic cocktail and my husband had vivid verde. We then shared the Portuguese sweet rolls, the cheese tart, the gem salad, the clams, the shrimp Mozambique and the Cataplana. That was one seafood dish too many but we finished them all. We had the chocolate cake with sour cherries to share. Everything was delicious. Although I’m a seafood lover, the rolls, the salad and the cake were my favorite! I ordered the rolls due to other reviews and they were among the best bread I’ve ever had. I’m not a huge dessert person but the chocolate cake was the perfect chocolate: dense and not too sweet., really glad we finally made it to BAleia.
Also one unusual touch is unlimited and free sparkling water. Love that.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Portuguese Sweet Rolls, Steamed Clams, Red Gem Salad
Aaron G
Wow is this place dynamite. You don’t often find spots in Southie that are (1) visually stunning, (2) have phenomenal service from so many team members, (3) prepare really spectacular food and (4) also happen to have really great prices. Somehow Baleia struck this (unattainable) Boston harmony. We met the manager and talked all about transplanting to Boston and we had one of the best dinners we’ve had since moving here three years ago. If you haven’t been here yet, add it to your list. It’s a special one.
My wife and I made our first trip to Boston, and this was our first stop after we arrived. Everything was fantastic! We ordered 6-7 plates and they were all delicious, especially the clams, eggplant and piri-piri chicken. We also had no experience with Portuguese wine but the varietals we tried were wonderful. The best part truly was the service - our waitress. Maggie, and the manager, Madison, were just so warm and welcoming and made our experience that extra level of special. What a lovely gem of a restaurant!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Piri-Piri Chicken, Steamed Clams
What a delightful experience ! Delicious food, excellent servers, attractive space. Innovative food , try the roast cauliflower and spicy eggplant dishes, both innovative flavorings. Prices were lower than expected, a really fun dinner, high on our “return” list. If it was in our neighborhood we would be there all the time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Absolutely love Baleia! Celebrated an anniversary here and they made it so special. All of the staff was incredibly friendly and the food was amazing. Nothing I wouldn’t order again and again. The suckling pig and roasted cauliflower were our favourites though!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing does not come close to describing this place.
All the staff was hopping all night. The service was exceptional. The atmosphere was very lively and elegant. It was a little too loud. We ordered the Explorador tasting menu. Definitely a must if this is your first visit. Every dish kept getting better. We definitely want to come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We were in Boston visiting and I found this restaurant in Google. It was a delightful experience. Specially the service and the atmosphere. I prefer octopus salad the way they serve in Portugal but the grilled fish and pastel de nata was absolutely perfect. Love it. I already deleted some of my photos that’s why I am not posting our entrees.. It was octopus carpaccio and radicchio salad.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Really great meal at Baleia tonight. Everything we got was delicious but the cheese tarts were surprisingly good. The strawberry tonic drink was also very good. Be sure to save room for dessert and recommend trying counter seating!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pasteis De Nata, Portuguese Sweet Rolls, Olive Oil Cake, Portuguese Egg Tart
I had high expectations for the Explorador dinner at Baleia, but unfortunately, it turned out to be a big disappointment. The dishes were very bland and lacked creativity, nothing stood out in flavor or presentation. For a tasting menu, I expected something more memorable and refined.
The biggest letdown was the dessert. Instead of offering or maybe letting guests choose the restaurant’s signature pastel de nata, they served what honestly felt like the worst option on the menu. It made the whole experience end on a very underwhelming note.
For the price, I expected much better quality and flexibility. Sadly, I wouldn’t recommend the Explorador dinner never it’s simply not worth it.
If I’m being completely honest the food that we tried was just OK. The real star of the evening was Colin our bartender !! He was so incredibly personable and just made our time at Baleia so memorable. It’s really hard to find good service now a days and he is such a gem ! We would go back strictly for the service and beautiful ambiance! I would also be willing to make our way through the menu more.. food definitely has potential and there are some really great items on the menu that we didn’t get a chance to try. The sweet rolls were perfect and pillowy, shishito peppers were good flavor wise but weren’t blistered enough, duck liver empanada had a bit too much marmalade and the filling didn’t shine as much as I was expecting it to. The kitchen was moving fast for a busy Friday night though and I will say, we were with a friend with a nut allergy and the whole staff went above and beyond to make her feel safe and that was really nice to see. Overall, we plan to make it back in some day and give it another shot !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Portuguese Sweet Rolls
Wow! Great place. Amazing hospitality and great food. Definitely coming back soon.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We attended the Collaboration dinner between Baleia and Chickadee...what a wonderful meal, especially since this was the first time. The food and service was excellent. The wine pairing was also very good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Duck Fried Rice, Portuguese Egg Tart
Restaurantji Recommends
One of our favorite restaurants yet! Amazing Portuguese cuisine that I think we will be back for again and again. Loved the Mozambique shrimp, whole roasted fish, peri peri chicken with fries, curried eggplant, and topped it off with a flourless chocolate cake with sour cherries. Everything was delicious and also very older kid-friendly - a great choice for a special night out! Our server was super attentive and had great recommendations. Parking is convenient across the street in the lot and they validate. A wonderful experience all around - thank you Baleia for a great evening!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Absolutely floored this place isn't more busy than it is. One of top 5 restaurants in Boston for me. Food is incredible and authentic. Drink menu is also very thoughtful. I had the white port and tonic riff expecting nothing much, but it blew me away.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
We ordered the $70 set menu and were extremely disappointed. Every dish was unbearably salty with strange seasonings, completely out of line for the price. The saltiness was so overwhelming that it left my throat hurting.
For what they charge, we expected a balanced and enjoyable dining experience, but instead it was unpleasant from start to finish. Definitely not worth the price.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
Came here for our anniversary and had an excellent experience. The service, food and vibe were great. We were greeted with Happy anniversary, our menu said “happy anniversary” on it and the comped us two glasses of white port. Very sweet.
I’m not a big fan of multiple severs serving on table as seems to be the norm but at Baleia they made it work with warmth.
I had the strawberry port tonic cocktail and my husband had vivid verde. We then shared the Portuguese sweet rolls, the cheese tart, the gem salad, the clams, the shrimp Mozambique and the Cataplana. That was one seafood dish too many but we finished them all. We had the chocolate cake with sour cherries to share. Everything was delicious. Although I’m a seafood lover, the rolls, the salad and the cake were my favorite! I ordered the rolls due to other reviews and they were among the best bread I’ve ever had. I’m not a huge dessert person but the chocolate cake was the perfect chocolate: dense and not too sweet., really glad we finally made it to BAleia.
Also one unusual touch is unlimited and free sparkling water. Love that.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Portuguese Sweet Rolls, Steamed Clams, Red Gem Salad
Wow is this place dynamite. You don’t often find spots in Southie that are (1) visually stunning, (2) have phenomenal service from so many team members, (3) prepare really spectacular food and (4) also happen to have really great prices. Somehow Baleia struck this (unattainable) Boston harmony. We met the manager and talked all about transplanting to Boston and we had one of the best dinners we’ve had since moving here three years ago. If you haven’t been here yet, add it to your list. It’s a special one.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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