29 Newbury: Pleasant dining on Newbury Street
Written: Dec 01 '05
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Pros: Nice decor and ambiance; warm and friendly staff
Cons: Parking in the area is hard to find
The Bottom Line: A nice restaurant for a relaxing meal.
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| modernmarvel's Full Review: 29 Newbury |
I have to admit that basement dining is not really an easy sell for me but friends had recommended this restaurant for a late lunch and, in November 2005, I decided to try it.
AMBIANCE
Newbury Street in Boston is absolutely beautiful. It has a very European feel with lots of boutiques and cafes. 29 Newbury is one of those cafes and I suspect they have tables on the sidewalk in good weather. In the twilight of a chilly Boston evening, there wasn't much visible outside. We entered and immediately found ourselves in a very small, but cozy, bar area. The bar faced the door and the bartender behind it warmly greeted us. We decided to skip sitting at the bar and decided to sit in the main dining area. Despite my trepidations about restaurants with little natural light, I though this area was very pleasant. The restaurant is a few steps below ground level and is long and narrow heading toward the back of the building. This doesn't provide for any windows. However, the white walls and light-colored, yet neutral, decor had a cozy and upbeat feeling to it. I also liked that there were mainly booths which seemed to work best in the space. The booths had some nice artwork hanging on the walls. Each booth had a light fixture over it adding to its cozy feel. All in all, I really liked the ambiance and found the restaurant warm and friendly. I thought it would be nice for a business meal, date or small group of friends.
THE FOOD
We were presented with a bar menu that offered all kinds of gourmet American food in the $12-15 range for an entree. The bar menu was offered during the bridge time between lunch and dinner. Although there were more gourmet offerings, I decided on a basic cheeseburger and fries. I asked for the burger to be medium and it came a bit rare for my taste. Other than that, I thought the burger and fries were better than average. I ordered an apple berry crisp with ice cream for dessert. I liked the creamy vanilla ice cream but thought the crisp tasted like it had been frozen. The texture was a little too gummy for my taste. Overall, I would say my entree was slightly better than average and the dessert was a little below average which is a little disapointing for the price range of the restaurant.
SERVICE
The service in this restaurant was very good. We got menus as soon as we sat down. Water came immediately without us asking for it. The food came quickly and dirty plates were immediately cleared away. The wait staff was all very friendly and competent.
OTHER THOUGHTS
The restaurant was mostly ground level. There were a couple of steps and the tables were booths. This space probably wouldn't work for someone in a wheelchair.
There is very, very limited meter parking on the street. The rest of the parking is in expensive lots. Public transportation is the way to go. The T (Boston's subway) stops right near by.
There were some no-meat entrees on the menu including a pizza.
This really isn't a place for kids. I didn't see any highchairs or kids' menus.
They have a liquor license.
They take credit cards.
FINAL RECOMMENDATION
I generally liked eating in this restaurant. The decor was very soothing and it was quiet and comfortable. The staff was very friendly and the service was great. The food was a little disappointing for the price but it was, overall, adequate. I would recommend this place if you are in the area but I don't think it is worth going out of your way.
HUNGRY FOR MORE? TRY THESE BOSTON-AREA RESTAURANTS:
BOSTON: Radius; Caffe Vitoria; Excelsior; Jacob Wirth; Cottonwood Cafe; Imperial Seafood House; Sibling Rivalry; Fleming’s.
BROOKLINE: Mr. Sushi; Fugakyu; Takeshima; Tsunami; Anna's Taqueria; Zaftigs Delicatessen; Bangkok Bistro; Golden Temple.
NEWTON: India Paradise; Blue Ribbon Barbeque; Ice Cream Works; Baker's Best; Bill’s Pizzeria; Cafe Nicolas; Union Street; O’Hara’s; Yeradi’s; Johnny’s Luchonette.
CAMBRIDGE: S&S Restaurant; The Japanese Mall; Jasper White’s Summer Shack.
WEST ROXBURY: Cafe Misono.
BRIGHTON: Tasca.
ESSEX: Woodman’s.
SAUGUS: Kowloon.
CHAIN RESTAURANTS: Not Your Average Joe’s; Bertucci’s; Legal Sea Foods; Cheesecake Factory; Rainforest Cafe; Fire & Ice; Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse; Friendly’s.
COFFEE, BAGELS AND DONUTS: Bruegger’s Bagels; Finagle a Bagel; Dunkin Donuts; Peet’s Coffee and Tea.
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: No
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations The food was okay. The burgers were average.
Best Suited For: Business
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modernmarvel
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