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Armani Cafe - CLOSED
Category: Restaurants Cafes Cafes [Edit]
214 Newbury St(between Exeter St & Fairfield St)
Boston, MA 02116
Neighborhood: Back Bay
(617) 437-0909
- Nearest Transit:
-
Ring Rd @ Boylston St (9)
Ring Rd @ Huntington Ave (9)
Huntington Ave @ Exeter St (39, 55, 9)
- Parking:
- Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
34 reviews for Armani Cafe
Review Highlights
"The patio is great for people watching."
(in 8 reviews)
"I especially like their pasta dishes."
(in 3 reviews)
"thin crust pizza & cocktails are a must."
(in 3 reviews)
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34 reviews in English
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Review from Chris N.
Fort Collins, CO
10/17/2007
This is a place to go if you want to be seen, but it mostly stops there. Of the two meals I ate (and tasted), one was pretty good. The other was average. When the bill came, you would have expected both to be amazing. There appeared to be A LOT of posers here with fake Gucci bags. Come on! I won't say the food was horrible b/c it was not! But mostly, you are paying for a name here. If you're really about the food and atmosphere, you can find both somewhere else. If you're about being "seen" with your fake bag and spending a lot of money, then you should come here.
(I must say the wait staff was amazing) -
Review from Jennifer B.
Manhattan, NY
4/10/2006 ROTD 4/13/2006
I have to say that this is the only place I'll agree to go on Newbury Street. If one were to score all the restaurants there on food quality, enjoyable atmosphere, price, and snob quotient (the latter two detracting from the first), Armani would certainly win in my book.
While I do marvel at many of the patrons, I always enjoy myself and the food here. I've found the service and food to be quite good. Thin crust pizzas and salads are excellent, as are pasta dishes. yesterday my friend and I shared a pizza and each got a salad--hearts of palm with arugula and arugula with pears, blue cheese, and walnuts. You can also enjoy the patio for the price of just dessert and a glass of wine.
Of course, perhaps if Boston had more legitimate restaurants with patios, Armani would be less of a destination--but it doesn't. Armani has one of the nicest patios around, and, as opposed to the rest of Newbury Street (INQ, Croma, that means you), the food is actually good.
Perhaps avoiding this place because some of the patrons seem fancy makes you just as much of a snob. Either way, ignore the name and enjoy the food and patio this summer. -
Review from Nicole M.
4/2/2007
You couldn't pay me to be seen at Armani Cafe.
Like another reviewer stated, if you live in the neighborhood, this place is such a joke.
Overpriced, attitude, tourist trap, wannabes, ... the list goes on.
No thank you! -
Review from Lalin A.
Durham, NC
11/20/2006
If you want to hang out with rich international college kids, in a preppy, shiny little restaurant, serving salads and some other not-so-special meat variations on small plates, some fairly good Italian wine, Armani is the place to go.
Well, having said that: I have been to this place several times during cold winter days as walking down Newbury, midway through I start wandering why I am not having a glass of wine to warm me up. Realizing that Armani is not that crowded, I rush in. The visit turns into a meal, with a bottle or two, with good friends, great conversations and after I am warmed up, I relax on the couches and think that Armani is actually not so bad. -
Review from Jeffriana S.
MA
2/19/2007
Wow, very strange reviews on this one. Armani cafe is TERRIBLE. The food is overpriced and not particularly good; the drinks are likewise ridiculously expensive and poorly made. The service is actually alright but the crowd is very bad, mainly young foreign students and tourists. The truth is that Armani Cafe is a bit of a running joke among those who live in the area. Though it has to be admitted that there are few decent choices on Newbury St, you can nonetheless do much better than Armani Cafe (Try the cute wine cafe Piatini, or go to Parish Cafe on Boylston).
As far as people watching is concerned... I guess if you enjoy watching wealthy 18 year old Turkish students from BU eat a salad this is the place for you!!!!! -
Review from Kim P.
New York, NY
6/29/2007
On Newbury the other night, I walked past the Armani Cafe and spotted this couple eating outside on the patio.
The boyfriend; short, blond spikes (people seriously still do that?), arms bigger than my head. Decked out in a cheesy, Armani Exchange skin-tight thermal to highlight his muscles.
The girlfriend; dressed head-to-toe in a crazy Emilio Pucci print. The twig-thin, fake-tan vapid little creature was yammering on and on about her newest hair stylist's gay best friend. Or something like that.
I actually laughed out loud as I walked by them. It was the saddest thing...two delusional people having an average (taste wise), overpriced meal in a horribly pretentious restaurant, whose claim to fame is merely the name of a designer. -
Review from Caroline A.
Chicago, IL
6/4/2007
Eh... only come here if you want to have a fun night of mocking pretentious BU kids (you know who you are). Here you will see huge sunglasses (maybe even at night), greasy hair, huge Gucci bags and Tiffany bracelets.
If you're going to eat here, the upstairs is far more romantic than the downstairs patio. The two items I always got were the arugula salad and flatbread pizza. Dessert is pretty good too (chocolate box cake...and yes, you can eat the box). Servers are beautiful, but equally as pretentious as guests. Oh geez... -
Review from Mihir S.
Chicago, IL
3/9/2006
The only thing this place has got going for it is location and name (if that's a positive thing). The staff is good looking but snobby and stupid. Snobby and stupid is a funny combination!
Food is uninspiring and the service is inexperienced. The hostess is an idiot. There was a huge line trying to put names down for seating and the hostess was talking to her friends for almost five minutes!
In all fairness...the bartender was very cool, while we were waiting he brought us water - we didn't ask for it. Nice patio too. -
Review from Dynne S.
Weston, MA
9/4/2007
This cafe is classy and has an elegant atmosphere. It's great to take your friends for an afternoon on Newbury Street.
I especially like their pasta dishes. The thin spaghetti is actually pretty tasty.
Valet is super convenient, considering that the restaurant is in the middle of Newbury Street. -
Review from sunny n.
Washington, DC
11/29/2006
Very fine dining..awesome italian influenced menu..excellent for coffee and desert or casual drinks in a classy atmosphere...
valet service is key and outside seating in the summer and fall is the best on Newbury
Dark ..wooded..slick...smooth!!
The tiramasu and cappucino are my fav's -
Review from Renee G.
San Francisco, CA
3/12/2007
Eh...this isn't anything special. I went for an early dinner on a Saturday night - not my choice, but my friend wanted to go because apparently they might be closing soon. The wait wasn't bad, just about 20 minutes or so, but two tables opened up as we were about to be seated, a prime one in the window and one in the back, and the hostess gave the window table to the people behind us after they stepped in and gave her a hard time. Rawr...that'll teach me not to be so easygoing and un-pushy.
I was surprised at the relatively untrendy clientele, especially after reading some of the other reviews, but it may have been more touristy given the time of day. It definitely didn't have the see-and-be-seen atmosphere that I was expecting, and people were definitely not dressed to impress by any stretch of the imagination. The food was not bad. I had the shrimp and white bean salad, which was quite good but could easily be thrown together at home for much less money, and my friend had some salad with hearts of palm that she said was very good too. We stuck with Pellegrino, so no comment on the wine selection. However, they did commit the ultimate bread bowl pet peeve: three slices for two people. Why? Total slices of bread should always be evenly divisible by number of diners, in my humble opinion.
Anyway, I wasn't exactly disappointed with the experience, but I am in no hurry to go back. -
Review from chase w.
Suffolk, MA
5/22/2007
"My bagel has a first name, it's Ehy Arrr Emm Enn EEie Eye"... "My bagel has a second name it's FRIGGIN PRETENTIOUS!"
I crack up everytime I walk by here. It's like the wanna be rolex and lamborgini crowd sitting out side with the one dude that can afford it and has such a complex that it makes him feel good to park it out front. Granted, if I had a Ferrari or Lambo, I'd probably sleep in it and demand curb side service on Newbury St so I'd never have to leave it, but you're also talking about one of the biggest car nuts onthe planet (me).
I've only eatten at Armani once, it was decent, but nothing great. It was worth it for the experience, I've never laughed harder at some of the cheese balls and glamour girls around here. It's sad how many people will eat, drink, buy, play, sleep with, covet, or envy anything with a label. A name will never substitute value and good quality.
With all that said... You're options for out door seating on Newbury is limited, the service is very good here, and the prices aren't too obtrusive. If you're sick of stephanie's and want a good laugh- check out Armani. -
Review from Jesse P.
Boston, MA
6/11/2007
Are you a man who likes his nipples to be as visible through his shirt as possible? Well park the ferrari out front Hans, and make sure you linger by it long enough for people to see you.
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Review from Ayanna B.
3/13/2006
So if you're waiting for your suit to be hemmed, then this is an alright place to wait it out. However if you're just there to gnash, not so much. This is where the "pretty people" sit with dark sunglasses, stylish clothing, tiny dogs in large Gucci handbags, smoking cigarettes and secretly dissing the crowd that walks by. I'm not joking... I've found myself doing it too! The food is alright, the drinks are nothing special, the service is friendly but slow. They won't apologize for the wait, as you are LUCKY to be on their patio. It's Armani for goodness sakes; show some respect!
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Review from Matt W.
Cambridge, MA
8/3/2007
I went to the Armani Cafe on a Thursday night and had the exact type of experience you might expect from a pretentious Newbury cafe named after Armani. The food is expensive and not worth the price. The setting is awesome, being right on the street, providing ample people watching opportunities. The service was acceptable, judged by the fact that my water glass never went dry. All in all, I would suggest the Armani Cafe when you have some out of towners you need to entertain, but might head towards somewhere with a better menu on an average night.
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Review from Bonnie G.
Tempe, AZ
8/23/2006
Yikes! I'm a gonna give Armani Cafe FOUR STARS..cause it wasn't that bad at all....really!
Being seen at a chi-chi table at Armani Cafe was on my list of shit to do before I leave Boston, so I met up with Angel and we got a table center stage right on the side walk and saw they actually had a good lunch special (appetizer/entree/desert for 20 bucks!) with reasonably priced wine (8/glass). The food came quickly and I liked the pepper mill on the table. We both ordered the heirloom tomato and summer vegetable salad, which was flavourful. We split the risotto (the shrimp was a bit dry and overcooked and the risotto reminded me of Uncle Ben's rice for some reason) and the ravioli with pesto cream sauce (YUM) and I got the flourless chocolate cake, which was kinda brownie like and very light and satisfying. The pinot I got was light and tasty and the sun was shining around our Armani cafe umbrellas just so...and I got to indulge in my vice of smoking at a restaurant since they cater more towards the European set.
The people watching was primo (esp. when brace-teethed teen girls pulling out their recent Polo purchases squealed about maybe eating at Armani), the valet parking was a bit much, the bathroom stall I went to had no TP (not classy, bitches!)....but we got ourselves a lil chilled present and escaped to the park to drink it...
I actually enjoyed myself, and while it was a joke to go...I actually wouldn't need my arm twisted terribly hard to sit outside there again...fo shame...fo shame... -
Review from Carolina L.
Allston, MA
5/23/2006
Definitely not has good as everyone says.. The food is not that good and its soo expensive. The only good thing about this is the location but there are so many other restaurants in newbury that are much better than this one.
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Review from Erik M.
MA
2/22/2007
Clearly this is a place for people who cannot afford Armani clothes so they eat at the cafe instead, living vicariously through the shoppers that have to walk through them (if they are on the patio) to get into the store. The menu is lame, but that is typical of most Newbury Street restaurants where there is a captive audience of tourists and suburban people who don't know that there are better food options nearby. The inside is suprisingly styleless for a place using the name of a famous designer. Overall, terrible and pretentious.
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Review from S S.
MA
3/13/2007
Armani cafe reminds me of lincoln drive in miami! You can sit outside, and enjoy a nice brunch, lunch, early dinner, champagne. Its a great place to sit and people watch. Its a good place to hit while you are shopping and want to relax. The crowd is primarily studenty and foreign. Its refreshing.
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Review from Evan G.
Allston, MA
8/3/2007
The food was ok. The waitstaff was almost as pretentious as the clinetele. They ask you if you'd like more bread and then charge you $4 without telling you. The location is nice, but there's plenty of better places on Newbury to eat. I suppose I'd give this place another try for a couple more stars, but only if you're treating.
Listed in: Don't Even Bother
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Review from Kiwi H.
4/1/2007
I used to go to Armani Cafe ALL the time, since I first came to Boston over 5 years ago. Although it was definitely one of my favourite places on Newbury, one fateful winter night changed everything.
This past November, a friend (who frequents it even more than I do) and I went in for a quick inner on a cold and deserted night. Although there was only one other occupied table in the restaurant (it was pretty late), the waitress was really unattentive. (We'd had her in the past and she has consistently been really rude.) This wasn't the major issue though.
After taking a bite of our food, we hear a tiny squeak and look down to see a mouse running across the restaurant floor. Both in denial, we convince ourselves that we are both deluded, and try to carry on eating (while slowly lifting our feet off the floor in paranoia). Another little squeak, and we see our little rodent friend run back across the floor... to meet his entire family underneath another booth. Disgusted and mostly shocked, we told the waitress that we had just seen a family of mice and her reaction was horrifying. "Oh". That's it! No shock, no shame, nothing! She disappeared into the kitchen, we had assumed to get the manager to come and sort it out, but after reappearing 15-20 mins later, she proceeded to fold some napkins and chill out behind the bar as if nothing was wrong. Disgusted, we grabbed our stuff and walked to the center of the restaurant, where we were met with her icy stare and impolite words. "So you guys are leaving then?" What kind of a reaction is that! When I loudly complained to my friend what a bad reaction it was for having rodents in an upscale restaurant, the waitress just said "well, sorry but we've already called the exterminator about it and there's nothing we can do right now." Yeah right!! Thought about closing your restaurant until it's rodent-free, perhaps? We should have called the health board on them!
Look, I understand that in many of these old Bostonian buildings, it's hard to avoid the rodent problem even in the cleanest of places (ironically even City Hall was rodent infested and the mayor apparently avoided his office, according to the Globe). Honestly it wasn't even the mouse that was that big of a deal, and I'm usually a stickler for cleanliness. It was mostly the attitude of the waitress that irritated me. She even charged us for the full price of the food and didn't even offer to wrap it up for us if we were so inclined (after having lost our appetites at the mouse-family), although she had seen us take literally 2 bites of our food. Any self-respecting, classy restaurant should have had the manager or someone apologise for the unsanitary feeling/unpleasantness of the rodents in their restaurant, and offer the dinner as complimentary.
However, I will give this place 3 stars simply because every other waitress/waiter I've had at Armani has been incredibly nice, polite and attentive, the management has also been great in the past, and I actually do enjoy the food here very much. The patio is also one of my favourites on Newbury St. So, while I cannot stay away from Armani Cafe forever (the torta della nonna and calamari are too good among other things), I definitely will not be going back inside and plan to stick to the patio from now on. Oh yeah, and I'd better not get that terrible waitress again. -
Review from Paolo D.
Boston, MA
7/7/2007
This place makes me want to throw up.
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Review from Stella Y.
New York, NY
8/24/2006
Is the food really that expensive enough to complain about? Don't people usually look at menus and prices before they enter an establishment?
That said, I was under the impression that it was a lot more expensive than it actually was and didn't think the food would be as good as it was. A group of friends and I wanted good Italian but weren't willing to travel as far as to the North End, so my former roommate asked her boyfriend (who's a chef that's worked around Boston) about moderately-priced good Italian---he, in turn, asked his friend, the head chef of Armani. When he got back to her, he reassured us that it wouldn't be too expensive and it honestly wasn't. I'm pretty sure our dishes were all under $20 and as I look at the Citysearch and OpenTable, I have to say I'm not sure what they're talking about. The waiters weren't even in black, they all had nice blue button-downs. Maybe the 'summer' look? I suppose if you want to do the whole 3 course with drink thing, you'd be paying more in the range of what OpenTable has listed.
At our table, we had pizza, risotto, and assorted pasta dishes. I eventually traded with my boyfriend for his risotto for my clam linguine. I generally don't like risotto (something about the mushy rice i.e. paella, I like mine sticky, thanks) but it was so good! I was extremely surprised, I hadn't even liked the risotto in Italy. The clams actually came with shells so you knew they were somewhat fresh and the bites of pizza I had here and there were really good as well (a margarita, just mozzarella and the tomato sauce--sadly, just as good as the ~$3 whole pizza we got delivered by someone's daughter from the pizzeria on her bicycle in Sorrento, Italy).
We were indoors because it was during that 3-day heat-wave-of-death about 5 weeks ago so service was pretty attentive (I guess it doesn't hurt that someone knew the chef). We got treated to free desserts and they were heavenlyyy. I would recommend the torta della nonna or the mascarpone cheesecake. The tiramisu wasn't bad either if you usually tend to like it.
If you've been avoiding the place because it seems too trendy for the food to be good, rethink! I've been picky about food in general after the five-month stint in Europe, especially Italian, but everything about Armani was excellent. -
Review from Tiffany D.
Manhattan, NY
4/7/2007
LOVE the location, the decor, and sitting outside on a nice summers day. It's overpriced but the food is pretty good and I just like getting desserts and drinks and occasionally one of their pizzas (they're good!)
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Review from Lizzy M.
Newton, MA
7/14/2005 2 photos
Pretty arty/ fashionable/ euro crowd here. The patio is great for people watching. The food is good and pretty light but expensive and not an awesome value. GREAT FOR: tomatoes (yup), and ravioli.
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Review from Jen R.
Boston, MA
7/30/2005 2 photos
This place is way overrated. Very snotty waitstaff. Customers are snotty too. Very attractive people. Pricey menu and lousy food.
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Review from Rina R.
Washington, DC
7/10/2005 1 photo
The place to go if you want to see and be seen. Chances are good that if a movie or sports star is in town, you will see them here. The Italian food isn't cheap, but you can find some entrees for around $15, and the food is good, and the outside seating on Newbury Street is a fun place to people watch. Wear something chic or you'll feel dowdy.
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Review from Stellina M.
Jamaica Plain, MA
7/29/2005
If you think places in Italy are like it, you are very wrong. It has nothing to do with "Giorgio "to say the least. It used to be run by Mr. Armani years ago but now it is just one more pricey place for people watching. If you are a spoiled foreign student and have nothing better to do, enjoy it!
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Review from Lynda M.
2/14/2006
A pretty people hangout, although we had an amazing waitress from Minnesota that made the whole experience memorable! Good wine choices, but I wouldn't bother with it unless you can get an outdoor seat. Inside is just ok.
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Review from So S.
Boston, MA
7/2/2005
Place to be seen but the food is not great considering the high price. Nice outside seating for people watching. Just sip a cappacino and have a desert while you watch the euro label conscious people walk by.
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Review from Sarah Kouoon Y.
La Jolla, CA
8/22/2007
pretentious delights
must eats:
- thin crust pizza & cocktails are a must!
decor: clean and modern
room: spacious, small tables at request
service: good what can you expect its armani cafe!
price: it can be costly... but its delightful and worth it!
overall: perfect for a quick snack and break from all the newberry shopping AND NO TAX!! -
Review from Sarah S.
Ashland, OR
7/24/2007
I lived in Boston for a year before I ever went into the Armani Cafe - I figured it was way out of my price range and that I would just feel uncomfortable there. Luckily some family members far classier than I took me out there, and since then I have gone back 3 or 4 times - and I'm in love. Its not cheap, of course, but its not crazy expensive. The thin pizza is delicious (although once mine was a bit undercooked), my boyfriend loves their veal, and I had some great chicken there as well. They have a wine called Four-play which, despite the cheesy name, is a wonderful affordable red. The waitstaff is generally great, and the people watching is perfect. Makes me wish I could afford the good life every day...
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Review from Ebrahim B.
South Waltham, MA
7/6/2005
Definately the place to be seen on Newbury St, with all the fancy cars being parked right out front. The food is actually not that bad, although the place is over-rated due to its location. Try the pizza, it comes with some pesto sauce on it which adds a great flavor. The calamari appetizer is good too.
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Review from Nicole D.
Boston, MA
7/1/2005
A little bit of LA and Europe fused together make for a cool scene at Armani Cafe. While this place had quite the rep a few years ago...we're talking Euro-posers and Gucci bags galore...new management has made Armani Cafe a more comfortable place. Although it's still a meeting ground for label-whores and those who see designer clothing solely as status symbols (some things never change), at least the valet allows non-designer cars to be parked in front the restaurant. Now, the clientele is more varied and more chilled out. The staff, which back in the day, would seat you based on how you looked and what you were wearing, is now friendly and accomodating. Furthermore, the food is tasty - an Italian-based menu that features salads, thin crust pizzas, seafood, and other entrees. The coffee is amazing - the closest you'll get to Italia here in Boston. And the desserts are delicious. No matter how much has changed at Armani, its outdoor seating is still the best spot for people watching...a place to see and to be seen.
