L'Espalier Review

Great atmosphere and definitely a good contender for a date night. However, the food was lacking when I went there - some combinations didn't work for my taste.

Good food and service! Great place to go when you're in the mood for French food.

My wife and friends recently had a lunch date at this restaurant where we ran into an issue with fruit flies. We initially made a complaint where the staff moved us into another table but it still didn't not resolve the issue. After several complaints later the management compensated by reducing the amount on the bill. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone especially the way management resolved this issue. This restaurant is highly rated but with fruit flies I would rank this restaurant a 1 star. But I would like to mention the service was excellent.

One of the best tables in Boston. Solid, reliable and creative.

perhaps boston's most high-end, classy spot. exellent food. great special occasion spot. bring the big wallet!

It seems crazy to pay a fortune for a dinner and to not be satisfied by it. Service was great. Wine list was great. Food was very disappointing. They presented the amuse bouche on a bed of sea salt, but the lighting was so low, you couldn't see the salt. What a horrible surprise to end up with a mouth full of salt. I had the town garden salad for my first course, and it was one of the worst salads ever. Main course was lobster, and it was fine, but by then I was totally turned off. Left feeling hungry! Would not go back or recommend it. Way, way over priced.

Place has been out anniversary ritual since 1999, back when it was on Gloucester St. Can't go wrong. They present, prepare and serve everything perfectly. It is like a mini French vacation. Nothing beats L'espalier in Boston for a dining experience. Cuisine, ambience and service make us feel like royalty. Chef Frank McClelland is a restless experimenter, never afraid to take risks, and succeeds wildly with each change. Repeat diners will be grateful for his new creations in new formats with each visit. Newcomers will begin their first culinary expedition and remember it fondly. Listen to Frank and learn :)

They're closing as of 12/31/2018 and not refunding gift cards

If you like French Food and good service this is the place to dine!

If you have the opportunity, book the chef's table. Definitely a fun (and tasty) experience.

We love eating out. Last night we went to this magnificent restaurant which friends recommended to us. We had a delightful time there with fine food and a nice stuff and an impressive chief cook. We added this venue in our phone list and we shall no doubt come back soon. We highly recommend.

Great restaurant, fine meals fine services everything was perfect, a must in Boston.

One of the top restaurants in Boston. Easily deserves a Michelin Star if the would ever give any to Boston. Exquisitely blended flavors with wonderful wine pairings available. Worth every penny.

The reviewer who claimed that dining at L'Espalier was more than just a meal, but an unparalleled experience, was spot on. The superlative service is like no other; the warm welcome you receive when you arrive is carried on throughout the entire dining experience. Our server was especially remarkable: knowledgable about the courses he was offering and attentive at all times. You could tell that he really cared about our experience at this restaurant and wanted to make it as special as he could.

We went on "The Chef's Tasting Journey", which included selections ranging from sweet to savory; from the spring lamb to dulcet desserts. The serving size of each course was just enough so that you could get the full tasting experience without making you too full to sample the next course. EVERYTHING was impeccable regarding both presentation and taste. I was especially loving the cheese platter--so much variety of tastes and textures. My taste buds definitely went on the journey of a lifetime!

On top of the service and the food, the ambiance and atmosphere of this restaurant is classy yet comfortable at the same time and just all around wonderful. The seats were so cushiony as well!

If you are looking for that one-of-a-kind dining experience (and have the money to spare, of course) do yourself a favor and go to L'Espalier!

An elegant restaurant with a very attentive staff. The 8 course option was a good choice, strongly recommend it. The food was a amazing an platted wonderfully. Definately a good choice for building an evening to remember. Costly but that is to be expected for what you receive.

Marvelous food and service from start to finish. We go here almost every time we go to Boston. French cuisine is delightful, cheeses are wonderful. Wines and cocktails and desserts are perfect compliments.

Horrible service. Our server talked to us as if we were at a diner. The service was incredibly slow. We did the Chef's Tasting Journey and it cost $200 a head when it should have honestly been $20. I'm glad I tried it but I'm never going back. You know the restaurant is going downhill when they leave you with a coupon for lunch. The whole experience was a huge disappointment.

For a top of the line French dining experience, L'espalier is definitely the place to go in Boston. Incredible attention to detail in everything they do, including their wonderful food, with top notch presentation. An amazing wine and drink selection. Service is outstanding and very attentive. Definitely go expecting to drop a fair amount of $.

Fancy French restaurant. Excellent food and great service. Reservation required

For the price, I expect much more. The food is good, but but there were some misses. The amuse bouche of crackers were rather one-noted, and reminded me of a hot & spicy cheeze-it. The bread and whipped butter were excellent. There were some intriguing items like little cucumber balls that came with an oyster dish. The quail dish with fig was excellent. The main course of sea bass was a bit underwhelming. It contained large sections of leek which were not particularly enjoyable to eat. The souffle for desert was very deflated, and a blueberry jelly roll seemed too sweet. The environment is also lacks cohesiveness, with modern elements haphazardly mixed with traditional elements.

Great food and service. One of the top restaurant in Boston

excellent service! very modern
but the food is okay... I am a meat lover but the steak wasn't very good...

Amazing food. Truly a must visit for any foodie in Boston. Staff is absolutely top notch. My wife and I had dinner in the kitchen at the chef's table and it was a once in a life-time experience.

Upscale French restaurant with perfect service, delicious food and wide selection of really good wine.

Each brunch course just became more delectable. The service was impeccable as well. Perfect for special occasions.

Nicest restaurant in Boston! Prices that go with that honor. Desserts are addictive!

Farewell! Why visit a restaurant that's closing? Because of everything that made L'Espalier.

Wonderful staff, wonderful meal. Fixed tasting for the holidays. A little hectic because of the closing but did not feel rushed or anything out of the ordinary while dining.

Critical feedback: the turbot (fish) was a bit plain for me, but I thought that it logically made sense because it followed heavily flavored lamb and beef.

They have a vegetarian friendly tasting menu. Great experience

L'Espalier's Chef's Tasting Journey is an expensive but worthwhile one. Just make sure you're ready for a long trip, the meal lasted roughly 4 hours. Chef McClelland did a remarkable job teasing my palate with a vivid variety of flavors and sensations, with the bonus of not knowing which dishes were up next. Only two quibbles about this excellent restaurant, our party was slow in being served at the very start and their decaf coffee is terrible.

You've got a fan from Indonesia. Went to Boston to visit my brother. Superb culinary experience. Truly made my first visit to US unforgettable. All the dishes was beautifully and meticulously made. Great job!

It is more than eating visiting L'Espalier it is an experience. They only offer a tasting menu with numerous amazing courses. But each course just adds to the experience. Even the cheese course is amazing and comes with a story. But it is not cheap expect to spend over 200 per person. But it is worth it.

A wonderful experience that pays justice to the world s fine dining scene. The dinner tasting journey was meticulously crafted producing a harmony of a wide range of unique flavors. We recommend

I found this resturaunt satisfactory, I have dined all over the world and this is one of my favorite places to go when i'm on the east coast but I thought it was a little over rated but 4 out of 5

SPECTACULAR in every way. Of course, gorgeous. Had bento box for lunch and it was terrific.

Excellent meal and service as we celebrated a special occasion.

Quite remarkable in every way possible: impeccable Service, an Elegant ambiance, above all Else: the flavor/s, detailed beyond words, the entire operation sets The Standard

For a french restaurant, food is surprisingly disappointing, but the great service makes the experience all better.

Always perfect, but for us, just for special occasions.

The chef's journey was amazing. The wine pairings were perfect. Definitely a fine dining experience. Be sure to make reservations and dress appropriately.

a magnifficent setting for a wonderful experience of unforgettable textures, flavores and scents. we chose the chef's journey in which they select your dishes, with a little bit of suggestions from us. small portions, but enough if you More

This was quite the experience! I've never been to a very high class restaurant before, so I can't compare to other ones of this type, but it was a great time. The food was of course delicious. I suggest the 8 course menu since each course is very small in size (although I had steak and lobster that was fairly sizable for a gourmet restaurant). Obviously this place is very pricey so I don't imagine I would go for years because of that. That being said, it is worth the money if you want that kinda of rare experience. The dishes were not only tasty but they were presented very nicely. They had a great cheese board featuring local New England cheeses which were delicious. The service was exceptional and they made sure we were taken care of. Parking is tough as I don't think you get validated parking for the Prudential lot. If coming from outside Boston, I recommend mass transit unless paying high prices for parking doesn't matter to you. I recommend this for those special occasions like anniversaries, etc.

Just to get it out of the way: the service is impeccable, the wine list is exquisite, the ambiance - nothing special. Now, on to food: we selected 8 course menu. Some of the items were bordering on or directly from the realm of molecular gastronomy. They are hard to judge, as there are no standards, many of them (duck tongues, for example), were not recognizable as such, but did not present any attractive flavor or texture. Most disappointing were the standard items: duck in the duck course was barely detectable by flavor or visually. Lamb rib chop was cold, under-cooked (I know, it was medium rare, it still takes cooking to get there), and rather flavorless. Bread was soggy. Meringue in Pavlova was sticky on the bottom and rock hard on top, and served on a teaspoonful of apple sauce. Cheese course, named "grand cheese", offered a great selection, but amount was enough for 5 people to have just a few crumbles each. Add astronomical price to this experience - and disappointment does not even start to describe it

Very intriguing dishes and lavish dining area. Highly recommend to those looking for a sophisticated experience over a heavy meal.

Top of the list of Boston Back Bay restaurants in an amazing room with great food.

We did a five course dinner with the wine pairing. The wine pairing was incredible, but we were honestly disappointed with both our dinner and the service. We re a younger couple and felt that they immediately wrote us off and we did not get the quality of service we had expected for this highly rated restaurant.

Food is delicious, pairing wine is yet up to expectation
Pleasant experience in general

I ve been to L Espalier a few times and always had a great experience. This time however, the experience was tainted by the food. The dishes were subpar compared to my previous visits. The Amuse Bouche had nothing special about it and majority of the dishes were quite bland. Out of a dozen dishes 1 or 2 were in line with what I expected from the place. I confess I left thinking I paid way too much for what I had.
I ll give them the benefit of the doubt and say it was an one-off experience , but must admit I will now be hesitant to suggest the restaurant to friends who ask where to go for a fine dinning experience.

Beautiful interesting food, mixing old and new flavours together in interesting forms. I was just in the Salon but felt like I had the same level of attentive service and wonderful food as was being served next door. The cheese in this place is amazing, some of the best I've ever eaten. Can't recommend enough!

Simply wow. I liked the portion of the food they serve. Not too much to waste. Expensive though :D

Were there for lunch and tried the 9 course tasting menu and I also had the Wine pairing. In general this was a wonderful experience with delicate flavours and the wine complemented the food very well. Some pairings were something that I would never have done but it worked well. For us the Foie Gras and the desert were the top of many good dishes. Relaxed atmosphere and friendly staff. Of course this is price-y as this is fine dining but for a special occasion, a greate experience.

Very fancy French restaurant. My friends and I went on a Groupon coupon for a special occasion. The portions were very small but the plates were huge. We had a 6 course meal, but probably took like 3 bites per dish. Definitely wouldn't go again, but it might be fun to try for the first time.

Good restaurant but for the price point and positioning it is only okay. Service, food and wine are mediocre. Specialty, pre-order strawberry shortcake was good; not too sweet. Don't expect a (one star) Michelin experience.

Delicious and beautiful food. Worth the trip amd the expense for a truly special occassion.

The best place to order cheese in Boston, especially if you sit in the Salon where you can enjoy stunning views of the hustle and bustle of Boylston St below. Louis Risoli, Fromager, knows cheese, the staff is superb, and the wine selection is stellar.

Very elegant setting and wonderful staff. Very attentive to our needs. Food was beautifully plated and delicious. The lemon dessert and chocolate souffle were out of this world. Great celebration together with our group. It is $$$$ but the experience is well worth it.

Over priced and mediocre. Pretentious. Would never go back.

Amazing service and incredible food. Their menu changes all the time and I cannot wait to try the next one!

We had the best meal of our life here! We came for the tasting menu - it really was phenomenal. I

Fantastic fine dining for special occasions, the bread is out of this world

An odd environment. Light food quantity and borderline service. If one is unhappy with something-distain from the staff should not follow. Great drinks, brilliant ambiance how ever my wife and I will not repeat the visit.

I had a lunch with l'espalier. Really, the server was almost dancing on my table, not in a good way. Food quality was horrible; the salad tasted like star market spinach with sulfur chloride. The plate was not hygiene with scratch and stain on it. Gross.

In a few words, L'Espalier is an elegant environment, with gracious service, and exceptional food. To get to the restaurant, one goes up the elevator to the second floor, and once there, are led to an open and sedate interior. We chose the smaller of the tasting menus, 5 course without wine pairings, but when we return, we will likely go for one of the larger menus with a wine pairing. We loved the tastes, and the deserts, but it really stood out for both the quality of its service and the beauty of its interior.

Great atmosphere, cuisine and libations with exquisite service.

Was there last night.
We had the eight-course tasting menu with wine. What an incredible experience unfolding before us...but wait. Not so fast.
I'm sorry. The space is bland-beige - what's the goal here? To make the food look better? - and furniture oddly uncomfortable. Second, the pace is interminably slow - excruciating. right from the get-go, waiting ten minutes for a drink that seemed like forever. The wait staff is fine but never really in control or confident. The food is good, but just good. All the requisite exotic descriptions but never the memorable taste experience. Kept waiting, and waiting.
But the hanging offense was being served to consecutive glasses of spoiled wine. Different wine, part of the flight. Are you serious? Here?

I just wish servers would introduce themselves, its about them as much as the patrons.

boasts a stellar 9 course tasting menu with every course better than the one before it. for those not feeling up to the wine pairings, they also offer the most exotic yet wonderful juice pairings the world will ever know

Every course is intriguing in its combination of ingredients and flavors. The table is recommended to have the same menu, so we opted for the 5 course one. Just one favourite after another, whenever a dish is presented.... yeap, that good. Portion right for me, which means not sufficient for most, so if you eat a lot, go for a larger tasting menu. Will come back again. Amazing food and service!

If I had an endless stream of disposable income I would definitely be here more often... My SO and I decided to treat ourselves and celebrate one of our friends' birthday at L'Espalier. We took the elevator the restaurant from the lobby and were seated at a round table with our attentive servers.

We picked the 5 course Winter Degustation and paired with 2 red wines. All of the food was exquisite in presentation and taste. I have never actually been to France so I don't have the authenticity aspect to compare to. We were worried the courses wouldn't be enough at first since the portions were small as expected with French cuisine, however by the 4th course I was already starting to reach my limit. We also had our own birthday cake from Lady M just in case that they served.

On our way out we also received fresh baked Madeleine from the kitchen! I am hoping that I can go back there sometime soon... as this is definitely a rare treat!

I went for their fantasy high tea. Meticulous attention to detail. Wonderful customer service.

The food was amazing. It was Christmas themed with Christmas crackers and eggnog. The eggnog was perfect not too thick or alcoholic. The picnic sandwiches were amazing and the deviled egg was salty but I like it salty. The deserts were so rich I couldn't finish. I loved the scones which were gingerbread and rosemary-pine nut flavored.

When I finished they gave us Madeleines to go. It's the little things that make it

FAB FRENCH FOOD...BEST OF BOSTON!

If your eyes and mouth love to feast on the French,
L'Espalier is the high end Boston restaurant for you.
Their attention to detail, from pan to plate, is unparralelled.

HINT: You can watch their chefs from "behind the scenes,"
in their own kitchen, creating their mouth watering masterpieces.
The he Prudential Mall offers continuous viewing via a glass wall.

BONUS: Their kitchen offers the best view via their CHEF'S TABLE!
It's the perfect place to privately celebrate any special occasion!
(...while on display for 100s of strange shoppers & foreign tourists.)

One of my favorite restaurants in Boston that I would dine at for a special occasion. I typically do not enjoy hotel restaurants since they tend to be overpriced and not worth it, but L'Espalier is definitely worth every single penny from the food to the service to the ambience.

Came for my wife s birthday, our server David was warm, delightful and friendly, they accommodated my wife s dietary restrictions very well. We tried the 8 course menu (spanning 3hours) food was very aromatic, small portion, ideal for special occasions. (Favorite dishes: truffles appetizer, potatoes, ice cream)