Best Specialty Drinks ‧ Best Place to Meet New Acquaintances
Overall: 4/5
Service: 4.5/5 The servers (usually young and attractive females) pay attention to the guests, but every so often your glass needs a refill and you’re finished with their meal well before the check arrives. In particular, don’t expect speedy service when dining outside (note: you must order food and not just drinks when you sit on the patio), so if you want to get in and out, then sit at the bar. If you have a minute, sit on the small outdoor patio and indulge in the great people watching. Also available are intimate booths, elevated glass-top seating and sleek wooden tables. Overall, the staff is sociable and easily likable yet slightly blase.
Food: 4.5/5 Most of the food here is phenomenal, but when standards are high some of the less brilliant plates fall short. But let’s start with aperitifs. Instead of a bread basket, you get a mixed variety of well-seasoned olives and delicious candied almonds (don’t feel bad asking for a refill, they’re delicious). Due to the small sized menu, this may not be the best option for extremely picky eaters. But it’s possible to eat a (semi-) healthy meal here. Try ordering the Caesar Salad, Yellow Fin Tuna Tartare and Sorbet. Or you can pig out by having the Clam Chowder, New England Lobster Roll and Quintuple Chocolate Cheesecake. One bummer? No happy hour specials. But there is an extensive drink menu, and the mimosas are to die for.
Atmosphere: 5/5 This smart and chic lounge is equipped with an illuminated glass bar, a custom-designed wine wall stacked with vintage wines and a unique menu that highlights New England with a Mandarin flair. M Bar is classy and trendy; there is no open dance floor, no television and the cheapest beer on the menu (Sam Adams, Heineken, Hoegaarden, Pilsner Urquell) costs $7.00. The 20 to 40-something-year-old crowd that holds down this establishment weekdays after work, and Thursdays-Saturdays after 9:00 p.m. (open until 2:00 a.m., Sunday-Wednesday until 1:00 a.m.), has a 50/50 male to female ratio. It’s a perfect place to catch up with friends, go on a date or meet new acquaintances.
Price: 4/5 The price tag on this meal won’t be cheap, but what do you expect from an elegant, high-class lounge settled inside a luxury five-star hotel that just happens to be located in the midst of Back Bay’s luxury neighborhood? The atmosphere and location sell this place, but when you throw an eclectic mix of creative dishes and superior hand-crafted cocktails into the mix, you have a clear winner. It may seem extravagant to spend $175.00 on a three-person lunch when it’s a Monday afternoon (hey, it was a holiday), but the price is worth the experience, as long as you don’t make it a weekly habit.
Parking: 3.5/5 M Bar is located on Boylston Street between Fairfield Street and Glouster Street. Let’s just say that parking isn’t always convenient. Meters that take quarters, cash and credit cards run along Boylston and Newbury Street (watch out for valet and commercial vehicle parking spots). There are parking garages on Newbury Street, Boylston Street and near the intersection of Massachusetts Ave. and Boylston. Be aware that not all of them accept credit cards and the minimum fee may be as much as $10.00. You can valet at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, but be prepared to shell out a minimum of $20.00 for this service. Public transportation is another option. There are numerous Green Line stops within walking distance, including Copley Station, Arlington Station and Back Back Station.
Recommendations:
-Bento Box {choose six options from the following dishes: papaya salad, vegetable spring roll, tuna tartar, jasmine rice, pork dumplings, korean beef BBQ, thai chicken curry, salmon sashimi, lobster wonton, duck spring roll, seaweed salad, tempura shrimp, fresh pineapple and vanilla chili syrup, dark chocolate orange cake, thai basil panna cotta and strawberries, raspberry almond bar) accompanied by three dipping sauces (sweet and sour, red wine vinegar and soy sauce). Personal picks: vegetable spring roll, jasmine rice, korean beef BBQ, salmon sashimi, lobster wonton and seaweed salad.
-Seared New England Jonah Crab Cake {roasted corn puree and avocado salsa}
-Artisanal Cheese Tray {three cheeses, seasonal jam, dried and fresh fruit, quince paste and toasted bread}
-Ice Cream Popsicles {choice of mascarpone and coffee, dark chocolcate pistachip and strawberry, white chocolate lemon verbena, peach and milk chocolate} and Sorbet Push Pops {choice of lemon and raspberry, green apple and mandarin, coconut, banana and passionfruit}.
-Glass of Prosecco Mimosa
-White Russian
-Cabernet Sauvignon (2008) Napa Valley, CA
-Syrah Grenache Mourvedre (2007) Rhone Valley, France
-Vanilla Rooibos Tea
776 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02199
617.535.8800
www.mandarinoriental.com/boston/dining/m_bar
