Dali: Wow on the decor - Wow on the bill!!
Written: Dec 07 '05
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Food and Presentation: |
 |
|
| Ambiance and Decor: |
 |
|
| Quality of Service: |
|
|
|
Pros: Great decor and ambiance, free street parking
Cons: Very expensive food and small portions
The Bottom Line: Nice ambiance but the tapas are too expensive for the teeny portions.
|
|
|
| modernmarvel's Full Review: Dali |
Based on all the good reviews I have seen of Dali, including the ones here on Epinions, and my love of Spanish food, I trekked over to check out the Spanish tapas.
DECOR / AMBIANCE
Dali definitely scores five stars out of five on decor. Even outside, the restaurant looks appealing with blue christmas lights in the windows and a unique wooden door that almost makes you feel like you are entering some kind of barn meets saloon.
When you enter, you immediately see the hostess stand and the bar. The bar is covered in spanish tiles. Above the bar hangs dried hams, chilies and other spices and vegetables. Once you pass the bar, you can see that the restaurant has a few distinct dining areas separated into different rooms.
In one room, the tables are set into little alcoves with fabric curtains and beaded curtains separating the spaces. In the room we sat in, there were copper tiles lining the ceiling. The walls, which were painted in warm earth tones, were covered with art including framed posters advertising bull fights. The lighting was dim and the mood was festive, yet romantic. My only complaint is that we were seated near a back door and it was very, very cold. In fact, the ladies at the table next to us had their coats on. You would think they would take the hint, but my guess is that other parts of the restaurant were warm and they just didn't allocate the heat well across the space.
The one space I really didn't care for was a teeny room that looked like it used to be a hallway. The wall of this space had a mural of the outside of a spanish house and there was actually a roof part built out so you felt like you were sitting just outside of a house. However, this small space was also where the bathrooms were and you were sure to hear the music of the bathrooms while you dined.
The other thing to know about Dali is that everything inside is tightly packed. They don't take reservations, so people are packed tightly into the small bar area while waiting for a table. The tables are so crammed together you will probably be touching your neighbor's table and overhearing their conversation. In fact, things were so tight, our waiter had a hard time delivering our food. The ceiling in our room was covered in copper tiles so that it felt close to you. Art work crowds the walls. There are beaded curtains dividing the spaces. Dali feels like it is coming at you from all angles and the results are either cosy or claustrophobic depending on your viewpoint.
FOOD / MENU
The majority of Dali's menu is focused on tapas, which are small tasting plates of appetizers meant to be shared. Now this can make for a fun meal because the tasting plates are set in the middle of the table and everyone can compare and contrast. However, I was extremely disappointed in the size of the tasting plates for the price. We ordered a plate of olives, which normally comes free in other spanish restaurants, and got about 15 large green olives for $4. This was the cheapest tasting plate and, obviously, was not very filling. We also tried the Spanish Tortilla which is a lot like quiche. We got a piece that would barely cover my palm for $5. Considering the ingredients are primarily eggs, onions and potatoes, I thought the price was high and the portion was teeny.
Dali has a very adventurous menu for those who like new flavors. I tried squid cooked in its own ink. The dish itself was very unappealing visually, it looked like white lumps in oil dregs, but the taste was very good. The squid had a seafood stuffing that was delicious and the ink had no flavor.
We tried pork loin that came in a white sauce with a very few portabello mushroom pieces. There was not much flavor to the dish. We also tried beef ribs. We only got two small ribs that were mainly fat and bone. Mine had so much fat, I refused to eat it. Each of these more elaborate tapas dishes were $7-8 each.
Overall, we tried six tapas dishes. At a price range of $6 to $8 for each tapas, we ran up a fairly hefty bill. What was the most disappointing is that we were still hungry after plunking down about $50 on food.
We also tried a small pitcher of Sangria for $18. The Sangria was just okay. I expected it to be jammed with fresh fruit but it had just one half of an orange slice. The small pitcher gave us two average size glasses each. The flavor was okay but I have had much, much better Sangria.
After trying our tapas and downing our Sangria we decided to leave and stop at a fast food place on the way home. We really didn't care for the food at Dali and thought each small plate was far too expensive for the portion we got. We would have had to drop at least another $50 just to begin to feel full.
SERVICE
One thing I liked about Dali is that all the servers wear bright red shirts with ruffles down the front. Their attire definitely adds to the festive atmosphere and makes it easy to spot a server.
When we arrived, the hostess was friendly and sat us right away. We waited a while for the waiter to take our order and then longer for the food. The hot dishes arrived room temperature which was a little disappointing. The other thing I didn't like is that they didn't provide water automatically. Generally, when we could find our waiter, he was good about getting what we needed and was friendly. He just seemed stretched a bit thin and he didn't really focus on what we needed. As a result, we have to ask for everything.
OTHER THOUGHTS
There were vegetarian items on the menu.
They have a liquor license but it looked like everyone was drinking Sangria.
I don't think Dali is kid friendly. We didn't see any kids on the Saturday night we visited. I didn't see any highchairs or a kid-friendly menu.
The restaurant is all on one level but is so tightly packed, it would be hard to get around if you use a wheelchair or walker.
They take credit cards.
LOCATION AND PARKING
This restaurant is located close to Harvard Square in Cambridge, MA. We found free on-street parking which is a rarity in a lot of Cambridge.
FINAL RECOMMENDATION
I loved the decor and ambiance at Dali. However, the food was such a disappointment and, after spending over $60, we left hungry. Since you go to a restaurant to eat, I can't recommend Dali.
HUNGRY FOR MORE? TRY THESE BOSTON-AREA RESTAURANTS:
BOSTON: Radius; Caffe Vitoria; Excelsior; Jacob Wirth; Cottonwood Cafe; Imperial Seafood House; Sibling Rivalry; Fleming’s; 29 Newbury.
BROOKLINE: Mr. Sushi; Fugakyu; Takeshima; Tsunami; Anna's Taqueria; Zaftigs Delicatessen; Bangkok Bistro; Golden Temple.
NEWTON: Appetito; 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:
No
Kid Friendliness: No
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations go someplace else
Best Suited For: Romantic Evening
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
modernmarvel
|
 - Top 50 |
|
Location: Basking in the Sun
Reviews written: 504
Trusted by: 341 members
About Me:
Can anyone recommend a western family dude ranch for a vacation this summer?
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.