Eastern Standard

Eastern Standard always meets and exceeds expectations for everything on its menus. If it looks good to you it will be a really good or great version. It excels at satisfying your interests and cravings. Portion size for entrees is always enough or more than enough. Desserts tend to be large (as pictured here). Moreover ES still has one of the best cocktail/beverage programs in the entire Boston area. The ideal place for almost any kind of occasion. Their service, food, and drinks will rise to match whatever vibe you’re needing.

We had a group of 10 at Eastern Standard on Easter Sunday, also celebrating the night before the Boston Marathon with one of our runners. The place was packed, but you'd never know it from the way we were treated—service was absolutely top-notch from start to finish. The food was very good across the board, but what really made the night stand out was how smoothly everything went, especially with such a big group. Friendly, efficient, and totally on point. Great spot, great vibe, and a perfect way to kick off marathon weekend.

Great dining experience. Sat at the bar and had the pleasure of being served by Jules , the head bartender. Enjoyed some Wellfleet oysters, mussels , and the fish and chips ahead of a great Red Sox game!

Great food, service was wonderful, just know it gets packed quickly so it'll take longer to get out of you have an event to attend.

Nothing will replicate the charm of the old eastern standard, but this does a great job of getting close. Good drinks, good food, amazing vibe and atmosphere. Music here is really good, not typical top 40, country, trash. All the cocktails are interesting and pretty solid. Food is really good, only thing that's an absolute rip off and not worth it at all are the crabcakes, everything else is really solid. Will be coming back.

My heart is warmed, my stomach is full, and my wallet is totally fine. My wife and I felt such joy to see the best restaurant in Boston back for everyone, including all of us who missed it so much. The steak and fish are tender and flavorful; the new cocktail menu is every bit as good as the old; and if ask for a Heather in Queue, they will make it for you! Same expertise and love from the bar staff, same hearty food, and the best. Damn. Cocktails. On the East coast! I once saw Garrett Harker, the owner of these establishments, cleaning the men’s bathroom. What a legend. That’s how you you love a business and build a loyal community. My wife and I aren’t bankers or lawyers, but we hope to be considered part of the Eastern Standard regular clientele. God damn this place makes me proud of Boston.

Great restaurant. Don't let looks fool you. It looks like a giant sports bar that wouldn't have great food, but you be wrong! The food is awesome and of high quality! Just beware if you go whent he Red Sox are playing. Its going to be packed and very loud! Still a great spot. Will defiantly come again and would highly recommend. Tuna crudo- large portion of tuna. Good quality too. Came with waterlon that tasted like it was marinated with jalapeno. Great flavor combination 4/5 Corn soup- the soup was thick and pretty creamy. Had bold sweetness to it as well. Would have been nice if some sort of protein was added to it for texture-like other places, but was still very good 4.5/5 Lobster gnocchi- this is a special they have each Friday. This was delicous. A good amount of perfectly tender lobster. The gnocchi was pillowy soft and came with a super savory brown butter sauce. There was some lemon in there to adding some nice acidity. 5/5 Butterscotch bread pudding-Delicious but BEWARE! This thing is a beast. It's basically half a loaf of bread topped with butterscotch and ice cream. I can eat a lot of food but even I couldn't finish this. That being said the bread was dense, but also soft. Combined with the ice cream and delicious butterscotch sauce this this was soo good. 5/5

Edit: Just went to the new location. They did not disappoint. The staff were exceptional. The food was excellent, and the new decor is understated but still beautiful, warm and inviting, highly recommend. Original review: Creative, well prepared cuisine with professional waitstaff. Fancy, and high end but not too stuffy.

Classy but not too classy place now in the Fenway-Kenmore area. Perfect spot for date night. I really liked the cozy atmosphere and attentive service. The food was pretty good too. I'll have to come back to try more options from the menu. The steak frites were tasty. A bit pricey, but I think it's a worthwhile splurge.

Loved this place. Cocktails and service were top notch. The Jack Rose, Old Cuban, Whiskey Smash, Sazerac, and Spagett Drink were enjoyed by everyone. We did not have any food here, but I wish we had!

Reservations, seating, and service were all swift. I appreciated the staff very much with the music and design, also adding to the experience of the date night. Their crabcakes and steak-frites, although a tad salty, were very well cooked and delicious.

Our server Matt very knowledgeable on describing the menu ingredients. Very friendly service and provided my wife and I with speedy service. At one point I wasn’t happy with my drink and he immediately recommended something and I really enjoyed it. The food here is great. We ordered Calamari, lobster cocktail, quiche.

My boyfriend and I were so excited for the reopening and new location - we quickly planned to dine here since we regularly went before they previously closed, and it was incredible!!! Our server Aaron was an absolute gem and made our experience so wonderful. The drinks were great and our favorite dish (baked rigatoni) was the highlight of our night. As a fellow service industry worker I know how difficult it can be to reopen and get a good service flow at first but I was pleasantly surprised at how top notch the service was! Will be visiting regularly for Aaron’s incredible service & our favorite dish in the area,as should everyone!!!

This is the best Restaurant I have ever had the pleasure to dine in. It is roomy and beautifully appointed. The chilled salad with goat cheese was a spectacular starter. The steak was absolutely delicious. I cleaned my plate. My one regret is that I was too full to have desert. The next time I will order desert to go!!!

We visited for Christmas dinner and had a wonderful experience. Everything was delicious, and the atmosphere was so inviting. A special shout-out to our server—she was hands-down the kindest person we’ve ever had wait on us. We’ll definitely be back!

What a fantastic restaurant!  I had eaten at the previous ES several times, which was very nice, but this is a real upgrade.  The facility is gorgeous, with a wonderful dining room and a decadent bar the length of the room.  We started with oysters, which were plump, clean, and briny but also with a hint of sweet.  Next we had the French Onion Soup (pro tip: get THIS!  It was fabulous).  For the entree, we had to go with the NY strip, and it did not disappoint.  It was juicy, tender and flavorful, cooked just right.  Critically, it was well trimmed with very little fat; an ideal cut.  But best of all, the service was impeccable.  We did not know that this is a wine destination, and the wine menu is fabulous, with lots of options.  It's clear that the list was put together thoughtfully with tremendous consideration of options, with a lot of burgundy (!), and affordability. There's real value here. But best of all, the Somm was super knowledgeable and very helpful.  He found us several  options that all drank great.  Overall, this was just a fantastic dining experience.  We'll be back.

I've been a patron of Eastern Standard since they were in Kenmore and I think that they just get better and better. The staff is always super friendly. The food is consistent in presentation and taste. I always get their bread pudding, though it's changed a few times from the original, it's still tasty. I do judge places based on their free bread, and the bread is a really great sour dough served with malt butter. A great after work spot, date night, or family gathering. They do have daily specials and plats du jour. In my opinion, they definitely set a some standards on what a restaurant should be like.

Eastern Standard is now like a second home to us. My husband and I always feel extremely welcomed and well taken care of when we enter the door. Garrett and the entire staff are amazing. We love the steak bavette frites, chicken, Caesar salad, and steak tartare to name a few. The cocktails are amazing, and the staff is always aiming to please. Can't recommend enough.

Ate dinner here before a concert. For a Monday evening, it was quite busy. Mussels were excellent with a white wine and onion sauce. There were some nice peppers which added a hint of spice. Bread was great with soft butter. Pasta Bolognese was tasty however pasta seemed slightly undercooked. Fries were salty and dry. Tiramisu was okay.

Good location. They do brunch also. Down the street from fenway park. Nice outdoor area. Service was moving a bit slow that day but nice all the same.

My first visit to the new Eastern Standard! I remember fondly the old location and was eager to try the new iteration. I think there may still be some hiccups to work out but the bones are there for it to become the institution it once was. First of all the location is PHENOMENAL for anyone going to an event at Fenway. We made a reservation for our Monday night dinner before a concert at MGM & it was a smart move because the places filled very quickly! Our server was kind and capable, nothing that truly wowed but absolutely acceptable service. We enjoyed the lobster filled squash blossoms which were a highlight of the meal! The Caesar salad was perfectly serviceable but not something I would bother with again. My friend and I were both looking forward to the bone marrow as it was a favorite for us at the old location. It was good but left something to be desired in the texture. Rather than being hot and melting into the bread accompaniment as you spread it the way we remembered the marrow was luke warm and still a bit gelatinous. The viscosity wasn’t offensive but wasn’t the pleasant, oozing, unctuous meat butter that we had remembered from days of yore. It perhaps just needed a bit more time under heat before being served. We also enjoyed the Steak Frites which the kitchen was kind enough to split for us. It was a delightful entree, the steak perfectly cooked to our preference and the aioli on the side was delicious with the fries. It gave all the things you want when you indulge in steak frites. The crème brûlée we chose to end our meal with was more than decent in flavor but slightly off in texture. It wasn’t fully firm & thus was a bit of a let down as the close of our meal. Overall it was a fine first visit with a great view of the Boston skyline with Fenway from its elevated perch over the street. In time this may just be the dining destination it has the potential to be and I will certainly be back to watch its evolution.

A nice but not super fancy place. Came here for a nice date night and it fit the vibe. The drinks and service were both excellent - the drinks menu had a lot of interesting options and the service was fast and attentive. The food that followed our drinks was not as good. It was fine but not amazing, which made it feel not worth the price.

There was no wait when I arrived, and I was seated right away in a small, comfortable booth that was really comfortable. The food was decent and the service really stood out. The staff were friendly, attentive, and made the overall atmosphere feel warm and welcoming. It's the kind of place that works well for a casual dinner with friends or family, but it also feels cozy enough for a quiet night to yourself.

I wanna start by saying our server Dylan provided excellent service, and was extremely warm and pleasant. He truly made me and my husband’s night one to remember! Eastern Standard clearly does something right by providing an elegant, upscale ambiance and exquisite service. However, the sommelier (I believe his name was Andrew or Andy) was extremely unpleasant and condescending when speaking to us about wine. I never take the time to write reviews, but for this I felt I needed to. If it wasn’t for the delicious seared salmon and welcoming atmosphere, our night would have been ruined by a smug sommelier with poor wine knowledge.

I booked here for my birthday dinner with my friends. We were assigned right in front of the door, which I didn’t expect. It was kinda cold, and inside was so much prettier. The food was good, but too expensive. The cutting cake fee was $28, which is crazy.

Nice atmosphere, quiet enough to have a conversation. Food was great, came out quite quickly. Portions were generous. It was strange our server did not tell us about specials that included a lamb dish not on the menu. Over all fantastic experience.

Everytime I go there. There is a surprise. I haven't been disappointed. The hospitality. Is welcoming. The food on and off the menu is definitely delightful. And delicious. Cocktails 🍸 are smooth and taste delectable 😋 👌. Will be there soon.

Not like the old Eastern Standard. I enjoyed the appetizers (artichoke and salt cod fritters) but did not enjoy the NY Strip - medium well instead of medium rare and steak flavor hidden by the butter. Our party enjoyed the salmon and steak frites. Desserts had huge portions and made for sharing. They were very good. Service was inexperienced. Advice about wine from manager was spot on and appreciated. Atmosphere indoors was pleasant.

Steak was chewy. Drinks were slow to come out. Just okay food, nothing special, so it was overpriced. Boston food scene leaving a lot to be desired.

The best thing was the bone marrow. They do not have a full menu all day. The steak was tough and flavorless. But the bone marrow was worth it! I’d still eat here again.

Eastern Standard trades heavily on nostalgia and legacy, and while the room still carries weight, the experience no longer feels essential. The menu is broad and familiar, rooted in classic brasserie fare. Execution is competent—proteins are properly cooked, sauces land where expected, and plates arrive intact—but little stands out. Flavors are conservative, seasoning restrained, and dishes feel more maintained than inspired. It’s food designed to meet expectation, not challenge it. The bar remains a strength. Cocktails are well-built and reliable, and the space still functions as a social anchor for the neighborhood. That said, even here the program feels steady rather than sharp, leaning on reputation more than evolution. Service is professional but uneven. On good nights, pacing is smooth and attentive; on others, the experience feels stretched, with interactions slipping into the transactional. Hospitality exists, but it lacks the consistency and intuition that once defined the room. Eastern Standard earns three stars for reliability and history. It remains a solid, familiar option, but one that feels anchored to what it was rather than energized by what it could be.

Food comes quick, but is mediocre and forgettable. The accompanying mashed potatoes and sourdough bread were the best part, rather than the main courses themselves. We got the short rib and mafaldine and they were both just ok. The mafaldine has a strong gamey taste from the lamb but there’s only a few tiny pieces of meat in it. It’s on the loud side but you can still hear your dining partner. Tables have reasonable space between them and the space is clean.

I was really looking forward to trying Eastern Standard at their new spot since I absolutely loved the original location. Unfortunately, this visit left me feeling pretty disappointed …I’m giving it 2 stars, though I honestly considered 3, the less than hospitable support staff anf poor burger, I couldnt do it. The good news is we got seated early(nice terrace!) despite them being slammed all week with show crowds. I totally get that everyone’s probably exhaustedhaving worked in restaurants for 15 years myself from bus boy to GM, I know how brutal those rushes can be. Our server was genuinely fantastic throughout the entire meal, which definitely saved the experience. However, the food runners were a different story. After waiting about 15 minutes for our drinks, I asked one of them for a straw and never saw her again. When our appetizers came out - cod fritters and shrimp cocktail - the runner literally dumped the shrimp, ice and all, right onto our table and started walking away. When I politely asked for a replate, I got an “I guess I can do that” with major attitude. Not exactly what you’d expect from an upscale place. The replacement shrimp were honestly pretty disappointing quality-wise. Row 34 absolutely destroys them in comparison. The cod fritters were solid thoughgood flavor and nice presentation. For mains, we split the mixed greens with grilled chicken. It was fine ..the goat cheese was good and the blackened chicken had nice flavor. They were thoughtful enough to split the burger for us, but again, the food runner just dropped everything off without a word, even after we thanked her. That burger was probably the biggest letdown of the night. For what I’m assuming is a major profit driver for them, it was surprisingly bland and small. I’ve honestly had better burgers at Tasty Burger. Another small tidbit, I asked a female server the direction to the restroom and it was the most bothersome question for her, I do not understand I asked so politely! The one thing that really redeemed the evening was our server bringing out a dessert with a candle since we were celebrating a belated bday. The brownie with caramel ice cream was actually really good. Look, I get it ..restaurant margins are brutal these days and keeping the lights on is tough enough without spending extra time training support staff on basic hospitality. Also coupled with noone wants to work. They seem to be doing well with their current approach, and maybe that’s what works for their business model. But personally, I won’t be back. There are too many other great spots in the area to explore instead.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Very much regret canceling reservation to Eventide. Pleasantries and guest driven hospitality would have saved the evening.

Where did the high rating coming from? I usually don’t review but this is such a scam. The food is soooo bad, tartare was tasteless, the lobster bisque was overly salty, the mushroom lasagna was bitter and so unbalanced, and the chocolate lava cake is microwaved ones, the mash potatoes might be the only mid thing. The services, atmosphere and their plate is hot which is good. But seriously do not waste your money here, you be very unsatisfied with bad tasting food

Great drinks, nice servers but underwhelming food. Eating along I had the Salmon entree, along with the 2 apps (scallops and clams) and left hungry. Stopped at 711 for a snack on the way home. Drink though were terrific, had 2 Sazeracs and they were very tasty.

Went there for New Year’s Day. They did NOT have the Holiday Menu advertised on their website, and at 1:30 pm, they were serving brunch — despite it being a Thursday. It was a very limited menu. We were disappointed but rallied. The food was good. Unfortunately, the music was so loud, we could not even hold a conversation. It was deafening. When asked it could be lowered, we were told no. My ears were ringing when I left. I won’t be back.

I’ve been a fan of Eastern Standard ever since they were at their old location near Kenmore. This new location is a nice spot but the food is very lacking. This is my third time at the newer location and every time I have been disappointed with the food. Service is incredibly slow. This time I came for brunch on new year’s day and got the short rib hash which was neither hash nor short rib, I don’t know what it was and couldn’t eat it. Other times my steak frites were cold. We had a party of four and only 1 person enjoyed their meal. Sadly I think this may be lat time and hope that one day the good food from the former ES will come back.

Extremely Disappointing Experience for a Milestone Celebration. I made a reservation for a table of eight at Eastern Standard for my dad’s 70th birthday, expecting a pleasant dining experience. Unfortunately, what we encountered was far from what was promised. Our reservation was for 2:45 PM, but upon arrival, we learned that the restaurant was still serving its brunch menu until 3:00 PM and then offered only a very limited menu from 3-4PM. No one had informed us of this “downtime” between menus when I booked the reservation — something that should absolutely be communicated to guests, especially for large parties. To make matters worse, the server told us they didn’t even have bread available to bring out, not something you expect at an upscale restaurant. When we asked politely if the kitchen could accommodate a few more options (such as a salmon entree that was already listed on the kids menu), the server was visibly irritated and dismissive, making us feel like we were inconveniencing them simply by asking. I eventually went to speak with the manager to express our disappointment and ask why we weren’t notified in advance about the menu restrictions. His response was extremely unprofessional he brushed me off and said, “I’m sure we can grab some bread from somewhere to bring out.” That level of sarcasm and disregard was completely unacceptable, especially from someone representing a supposedly highend establishment. What was meant to be a joyful celebration turned into an afternoon of frustration and embarrassment. Between the poor communication, lack of hospitality, and disrespectful service, this was nowhere near the quality experience we anticipated or paid for. We ended up at MIDA in Fenway and were extremely pleased with the service and experience. This is my first ever written review of a restaurant, but in this case, it feels warranted. I sincerely hope the management takes this feedback seriously and improves how they handle large parties and special occasions — because no guest should leave feeling this disappointed.

Really nice place but terrible service. Server forgot so much (it was still early on a Saturday too), served us our apps with crostini on the plate despite multiple explanations that 2 of us have gluten allergy and no bread should be served. He told us to “eat around it”. . My pork was so over cooked it was brutal yet by 2 hours after the meal I was sick the rest of the night. I ordered tea after dinner and it was served warm at best. It felt like eating for the last seating on a Sunday, not 7:30 on a Saturday. Definitely the B team. We all were disappointed overall

The food for such a high price was absolutely not worth it. Very rude sommelier if that’s what we’re calling him (short bald guy) He was incredibly condescending and should learn how to speak to people before working in hospitality—not someone I want recommendations from. For so many managers working, you'd think there'd be a much better atmosphere with operations running smoothly. It was just a mess all around. My server was great and the ONLY highlight of the night. Not like the old ES.