- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
BarLola Tapas Lounge
Categories: Restaurants Tapas Bars Nightlife Bars Lounges Tapas Bars, Lounges [Edit]
160 Commonwealth AveBoston, MA 02228
Neighborhood: Back Bay
(617) 266-1122
- Nearest Transit:
-
Boylston St @ Dartmouth St (10, 170, 193, 39, 55, 9)
Copley Station - Outbound (Green Line)
Copley Station - Inbound (Green Line)
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 4 pm - 2 am
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Wed, Thu
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- Yes
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Romantic
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
199 reviews for BarLola Tapas Lounge
Review Highlights
-
"the sangria, I am certain, helped facilitate this fun." In 120 reviews -
"Also, try the dates wrapped in bacon." In 9 reviews -
"Vieiras ~Scallops/Tomato & Goat Cheese Sauce." In 4 reviews
Loading...
199 reviews in English
-
Review from Caleb S.
Bellingham, WA
4/3/2012 Seated via OpenTable
While this place is not the best tapas I've ever had, the dishes were very good. A decent selection to give options but not so many that you know that some are going to be lousy. We enjoyed a nice range of meat and seafood along with some strong drinks.
Get the crab stuffed squid! It is the first time in my life I've had squid tubes that were not rubbery. This was an exquisite dish.
It was unseasonably warm for March in Boston so we were able to sit outside. Not the most comfortable outdoor seating but the night was lovely and our server was attentive. There was a nice range of people there, including coworkers out for drinks, girls night out, and romantic dinners.
Make reservations! The line can form quickly. -
Review from Risa X.
Boston, MA
5/4/2012
Came here for a going away party for my coworker..
Food was good, but the service kind of sucked. Main thing, we had lots of bags and gifts (we were coming from work) and we needed a place to put them down. The girl that seated us told us it was okay to have them on the steps leading up to a locked door. The waiter then comes around and tells us that it's a fire hazard. Can you make up your mind or at least have the same policy throughout your staff?
Anyhow, getting our check was also a nightmare. Sure, having an 8 person table is not your favorite thing, because you're already expecting to split the check. But have the common courtesy and decency to be a TAD bit more polite?
Atmosphere - 4 Stars
Food - 4 Stars
Service - 2 Stars -
Review from Peter G.
Boston, MA
4/24/2012
I LOVE THIS PLACE, BUT MY ONLY OPTION TO RATE MY EXPERIENCE FOR LAST NIGHT IS YELP! I PATRONIZED BAR LOLA A LOT IN ITS INITIAL YEARS, FADED TO A HOLIDAY VISITOR, EVEN JUST ONCE A YEAR FOR THREE YEARS. RECENTLY BASED ON GREAT EXPERIENCES, I HAVE BEEN HITTING THIS VENUE MORE, ESPECIALLY (TAKE NOTE) SINCE JEFF IS A PHENOMENAL BARTENDER.
BUT LAST NIGHT WAS BEYOND UNACCEPTABLE
On Monday April 23rd, I walked into Bar Lola after leaving my home office for a nice long walk there, hoping for the usual ambiance and great service of Bar Lola.
As I sat down and placed my coat on the back of my bar seat, BEFORE I was seated, the bartender handed me a menu.
This already was getting off to a bad start. Give me a chance to sit buddy, I thought. I said I would not be needing a menu, was going to have a drink and needed to use the restroom first.
I went to the restroom. At this time, I took one of two free stools at the bar, flanked by all full seats to the right and a party of three to the left (who were signing out and VERY ready to go).
I return and the threesome left, but the two stools (of which one was mine) were full. My jacket was missing. I knew it could not possibly be stolen, and asked if there had been a jacket there?
The bartender grabbed my jacket in one fist (all crumbled up in a ball) from besides the register, which is of course a notoriously dirty area germwise. He was silent in his greeting and now remained silent, handing it to me like it was no big deal, "I have it," he simply said.
Incredulous and peeved that he had the audacity to confiscate and handle my property with such disrespect, I asked, "Why did you do that?"'
I asked in a polite manner that indicated at best that I was perplexed. He gave me lip, "I SAVED your jacket," in a presumptuous voice with a fey courtsey-ish wag of his body that indicated he was waiting for praise.
I asked again, "But Why did you do that?"
READY FOR THIS...
"I did it because it takes away another customer."
YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME?!
I AM A CUSTOMER. The ladies at my left were ready to bolt. This couple comes in and had several stools across the bar and 4 bar tables to sit at and wait under 1 minute for the threesome to leave. BUT THIS BARTENDER IS SO CLUELESS THAT HE CHOOSES TO SUBSTITUTE ONE CUSTOMER FOR ANOTHER (I mean only a really truly challenged person could assume there would be no offense taken to his actions). Not only is he clueless in THIS regard (of giving up my seat), but also in his action of confiscating and treating with disrespect my property. So that's two without clue. Then three is presumptuously suggesting in a fey manner that he SAVED my jacket. Four is giving me lip about taking away a customer.
THE RESULT OF THIS BARTENDER'S ACTIONS ARE:
1) LOSING A CUSTOMER FOR THE NIGHT
2) LOSING A CUSTOMER OF JEFF'S
3) LOSING MY BUSINESS AS A REGULAR
4) CAUSING A BAD REVIEW
and the saddest part of this is that it all came down to a couple that took menus WANTING to sit at center bar. At least have the dignity of placing my jacket at the next available stool. -
Review from Harri S.
4/19/2012
This place sucks. Bottomline.
Not on par with most spanish food. And even the aioli (seriously dudes garlic +mayo) sucked ass.
The worst part was how much we paid, no the worst part was the sangria, no the chorizo, no the croquetas....I digress.... -
Review from Julie W.
Brookline, MA
5/22/2012
I went with three people around 5:30 on a Friday night and had no problems sitting outside. The food and service were both fine. I think if I was in the area I would go again, but not sure if I would make a special trip.
-
Review from Jessica S.
Cumberland, RI
Updated - 4/5/2012
Went recently with a group of 10. Everyone liked their food and the flamenco show was very good. I like the atmosphere here. Good sangrias, white and red. I didn't love the meatballs, something about the seasoning. Pork and artichoke dip were both good. I love the milk caramel crepes. Those are a must.
The only bad thing was they shorted us $5 when they gave us our change. I asked for it and she gave it to me right away with no problem. Waitress was good but not overly friendly1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
4/19/2011
Nice atmosphere and staff. Desserts were great. The food was bland though, all of it. Had to add a… Read more »
-
-
Review from Pete J.
1/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
This IS the ultimate first date spot. When I was there, there were at least four other couples obviously on their first dates. While I was waiting for MY first date to arrive, I got to eavesdrop on the conversations. I can tell you this - some of them won't make it to a second date; guys you've got to work on your game!
The restaurant wasn't too busy, which gave the bartender the opportunity to engage, which requires a special skill-set here - not too friendly (give the loving couples time to get to know each other), but not too aloof (God, this date is not going well, where the hell is the bartender - I NEED a drink!)
The wine list wasn't small, but was very Spain-centric, which is to be expected in a tapas joint. But if you like Riojas and Tempranillos, that's a good thing, 'cause there's a lot of them on the list. They are priced decently at between $7 and $12 a glass. I opted for the Rivola which was very good. My date reported that the sangria was excellent (but didn't offer me a taste, hmmmm)
I deferred to the bartender for food suggestions, and they were all excellent. We ordered:
Canalones Rellenos con Asparagos - vegetable crepes; so light and dainty
Chuletillas de Cordero Lechal - Baby lamb chops and a Castille style sauce; I love lamb and these didn't disappoint
Gambas al Ajillo - Garlic Shrimp; comes to table sizzling, fajita-style. Delicious! Use the bread to dip into the sauce, and dip, and dip...
Ravioles de Portabello - this was my absolute favourite. I'm not sure if it is a permanent addition to the menu, but it was offered in place of the duck ravioli, and was truly amazing. The sauce was light and delicious.
Obviously, being winter, I didn't get to sit outside, but I bet it's a cool place to see and be seen in the summer.
I've got a feeling I'll be back for a few more first dates here :) -
Review from Zoe K.
Boston, MA
1/30/2012
I like other yelpers went here years ago when it first opened and was enamored by the atmosphere, foreign vibe and sangria but that all changed...cold food, horrible service, way too expensive and gasp...THE RATS loomed on top of our heads on Comm Ave as we sat below in the patio.
Please DO NOT EVER eat here. -
Review from Daniel P.
Boston, MA
1/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
Now, I didn't have much here as I wasn't particularly hungry. The squid tubes stuffed with crab meat and shrimp was tasty, but didn't rise too much higher than what I'd expect at an Olive Garden (harsh, I know). The filling had that slight tang to it as though they were trying to add flavor that just did not belong. The potatoes my friend had were not bad, yet undercooked.
The saving grace was The Conquistador...it was delicious...that bartender has somethin goin for him/her. -
Review from Jackie S.
ALLSTON, MA
3/18/2012
Bar Lola was a decent date spot. The food and drinks are quite pricey. I tried rabbit for the first time. I was very intimidated but it was actually quite good. The beef was just blah it was supposed to have a port wine sauce but it was more like bbq sauce. They didn't have the duck confit raviolis which was my first pick on the menu :( The mushroom raviolis were amazing. The garlicky shrimp was just ok, I like big shrimp not the mini ones and I ended up burping garlic all night (sexy). It was a nice atmosphere but there were several open tables and we still had to wait 15 min ?. I would prob go back because the service was good otherwise and there are other things on the menu I would like to try.
-
Review from Anne W.
11/21/2011
My friend had another friend visiting town so we decided to have dinner here. Located in the basement on Commonwealth... we found a spot near the bar. We got the famed Sangria. Like most places that serve Sangria.. more ice and fruit than actual Sangria. It was okay.. but I think I make a pretty awesome Sangria myself.
The tapas were just okay.. most of the tapas seemed Americanized. Tried the mussels (which I didn't realize would be breaded), seafood paella (which was tiny and just okay), lamb chops (pretty good), roasted chicken (it was also good), and croquettes (which were garlicky and could be better.. ). A bit overpriced... but yes, it is a nice date place.
It's okay.. no better than a lot of spots around town. At least they don't pack tables in here like sardines. It is more affordable than Toro which really is pretty expensive and the wait can be downright painful. -
Review from Joe L.
Boston, MA
11/6/2011
BarLola has been my quintessential first date place in Boston. It's tucked in a private downstairs location right off Newbury St on the corner of Dartmouth and Comm. Great location (and close to public transportation!). The ambiance of the place is very appealing...low lighting with fun music playing in the background. There is also a patio near the entrance, which is great in the summer.
The wait staff and bartenders are very attentive and always offer up honest / truthful insights about the food. The food is very good. Over the past few months I've definitely racked up my favorite dishes, but above all is the blueberry ravioli. It's simply delicious - try it now! The sangria is one of the best in Boston (again, great date spot!). Just beware, all the tapas dishes and sangria will quickly make your check skyrocket. However, if you're looking for a nice place to sit and talk to your date over great drinks and tapas - this is your spot.
Caution - in the summer, the patio does get very busy. However, not with the best crowds. The restaurant / bar is apparently on the hit list of all international college and high school students. Way too many little / young hipster foreigners loitering the patio and outside areas crushing cigarettes all night. Best to get a spot inside and sit at a high top table! -
Review from Dora M.
Tucson, AZ
10/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
Im giving the food 4 stars because it was great!
all of my tapas were incredible and the paella was exquisit.
The service was a bit slow but we were a table of like 10 ppl.
The sangria was amazing. I recommend the pitcher if its in your budget.
I did think it was a bit expensive. well... over priced. -
Review from Jared S.
Updated - 7/14/2011
Knocking BarLola down a star.
Food was again mediocre. Service this past time was awful. Really the only thing this place has going for it is the huge patio.
And now for the narrative:
A beautiful Saturday afternoon, my wife, sister-in-law, and I were doing some shopping at the Pru and strolling down Newbury. It was about 3:00 in the afternoon and we had worked up a bit of an appetite and thirst. We wanted patio seating and it was never going to happen on Newbury, and I remembered that BarLola was a block away on Comm.
Sure enough, it was empty inside and about 3 other parties on the patio. We walked up to what was clearly the outdoor hostess stand, but no one was there. So we wandered onto the patio and tried to ask a few servers if we could get seated and got ignored. So I did the only logical thing and blocked the doorway back into the restaurant and finally got a server's attention. He seemed confused as to where the hostess/manager could have been and went to find her. Finally he came back and said he could seat us on the patio.
Now, the patio has tables with and without umbrellas. The sun was still beating down and the server tried to seat us at a table without an umbrella. So I asked if we could sit at another table with an umbrella. "That table is for larger parties," I was told. I looked left...many large open tables. I looked right...many large open tables. I looked back at the server incredulously and asked him, "Are you sure we can't sit here?" "We are booked to capacity with reservations," I was told. At 3:00? I doubt that.
So we sat at a table with no umbrella. Ordered some food and drinks. Tried the sangria this time and it was pretty good. My wife on the other hand ordered a mimosa and got oj served in a champagne flute. Couldn't even see the effervescence. She pointed it out to the server who said that there was definitely champagne in it because she saw the bartender make it. I think you're missing the point, sweetie. My wife had to order a separate glass of cava and mixed her own mimosas at the table. Ridiculous.
Went to go to the communal bathroom (shared with the other buildings on the block) and it was locked. I thought I had remembered it being a multi-person bathroom, so I went back into the restaurant to get someone to unlock it. Could not find a single person. Not even was the bartender TENDING the BAR. So I went back out, waited in front of the locked door, and lucked out when a server leaving the women's restroom saw me standing there and unlocked the door for me.
In the end, we made the best of the situation and BarLola served it's most basic purpose of eating and drinking on a patio. When we left around 4:30, not a single additional party was seated and the table we originally wanted to sit at was still open. Awesome.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
6/30/2010
Strolled into Bar Lola early on a beautiful Friday evening. Very nice little space with a nicely… Read more »
-
-
Review from Amy X.
8/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
White sangria: Good, but the $28 pitcher (~4.5 glasses versus $7.50 for a single glass) had lots of ice.
Veggie & cheese fritters: Just OK... I couldn't taste the cheese, which was extremely disappointing for me. They tasted like eggrolls... not bad, but unexpected.
Meatballs with sweet tomato sauce: The best meatballs I've ever had... they melt in your mouth and inundate your taste buds with bliss.
Vegetable stuffed crepes with asparagus sauce: Good enough to recommend, especially if you want some veggies.
Bacon wrapped figs: Unique and yummy, but not one of my favorites of the tapas we ordered.
Grilled beef tenderloin with goat-blue cheese sauce: So tender and tasty in a subtle but awesome way.
Freebie mints: The best ever!! Chewy chocolate balls of minty freshness. :) -
Review from Deborah T.
Quincy, MA
3/2/2011
I feel horrible about giving Bar Lola two stars because it has the friendliest staff ever. However, over the years Bar Lola let me down for several reasons.
My first experience at Bar Lola was with a large group of friends many years ago. We pretty much ordered everything on the menu and lots of sangria to go with it. I was not paying much attention to the food as I was to the ambiance and the sangria. We had the back room, it was so cozy! The service was perfect and the white and red sangria were amazing!
Unfortunately, every visit after that did not have the same positive outcome as my first one.
They added a huge TV to the bar area. An absolutely no no for me in an ethnic restaurant. The sangria became overly sweet and tasteless. The food is nowhere near what true spanish cuisine has to offer, from the selection of dishes to what they taste like.
I am sad to say that Bar Lola has become a tourist trap due to its location. The food is not authentic and tasteless but the bar plays sports game, serves great beer and has a great looking crowd. Ah, service still remains A+ as I remember on my first visit! If you go to Bar Lola, I'd say think of it as an american sports bar with spanish decoration rather than a tapas restaurant. -
Review from Kelsey P.
Manhattan, NY
3/6/2011
Great spot - best tapas in Back Bay for sure (though I must admit they're a runner-up to Toro for best tapas in Boston).
BarLola is a fun spot for group dinners and drinks. They have an outdoor patio which is fantastic (!) in the spring and summer - tons of fun and fresh air. Always crowded but takes reservations, solid service and fun bar scene if you're not that hungry!
The food! I would recommend all of the tapas below:
- Aceitunas con Mojo Canario (Mixed olive salad with Canary Island dressing)
- Empanadas de Pollo (Chicken turnovers and fresh hand made tomato sauce)
- Palmeritos (Baked Mediterranean dates wrapped in bacon)
- Gambas al Ajillo (Garlicky shrimp)
- Patatas Ali-Oli (Sautéed baby red potatoes with a garlic mayo "Ali-Oli")
- Calamares Fritos (Fried calamari with a parsley & pesto mojo sauce)
- Bunuelos (Seasoned vegetable & cheese puffs)
Drinks - solid classic cocktails and delicious sangria to share. They also offer a great menu of wines by the glass. -
Review from Alicia A.
Boston, MA
1/16/2012
Really bad. Just awful. I've been to Spain and am from Miami, a city with a Spanish restaurant on every corner so I definitely know how Spanish food is supposed to taste. Tortillas are supposed to be served at room temperature (they were even listed in the cold tapas section); these were served piping hot. That aside, they were dry and tasteless. The chorizos were not chorizos at all. They were just some other type of sausage, and were only just ok. My friend had the paella and said she didn't like it. The jamon Serrano was dry. The aïoli had so much garlic I felt like it was burning my tongue.
However, the sangria was good and the brownie sundae was amaaazing. The atmosphere was nice, and our waiter was great.
All in all, never going there again and neither are the other 5 people I was with. -
Review from Sue P.
Boston, MA
9/4/2011
Good Sangria makes me happy.
Good Sangria at Bar Lola makes me even happier.
I don't know what it is that keeps me going back to it......
Is it the ambiance? The beautiful red tones, the candlelight dinners...
Maybe its the yummy tapas?
The cozy atmosphere?
The Live Flamenco performances?
Whatever it is, the great location, decent food and good sangria= a good time! -
Review from Erik O.
Boston, MA
5/8/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I dig the scene here.
I like tequila. This place made me vomit for the first time in 4 years.
That, my friend is a good time. -
Review from Jamie A.
Boston, MA
2/13/2012
The hostess was extremely rude!! We went when I found out they had flamenco shows on Sundays. It was almost like she didn't want us there. Her attitude was horrible and first she tried to throw us at the bar where the show was not even after I told her why we were there. Then she sat us at a table where my girlfriends back was turned away from the show. There were other tables empty too. We asked the waitress and she seemed a bit nicer but said she couldn't move us. Two minutes later the hostess sat a couple in the table we asked to sit at, they said they could not seat two at that table because there were four seats. The hostess completely killed the whole experience and after being made to feel so little and uncomfortable we left. I am not sure if this could be because the hostess is anti-gay because we are a lesbian couple. But there is no way you could understand the horrible way we were treated.
-
Review from Matthew P.
Boston, MA
5/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
Tapas is relatively new to me but it's gaining major props. I went here for Cinco de Mayo with some coworkers and sat in the bar by the bay windows.
They heavily treasured these tables but once we assured them that we would be ordering multiple tapas we were allowed to sit there. The bar has it's only room and it's decent sized area. It feels cramped but I have seen much worse in terms of bars. The décor is cute and reminiscent of (what I imagine) Spain.
Oh the drinks. I had high hopes for the margarita but I was disappointed. It was definitely oversweet and at first it didn't seem like they were too generous with the tequila. Maybe it was because of all the sugar, but eventually I started feeling it. I decided to go with the Canary Island cocktail after this and it was a lot better. It wasn't as lip puckering sweet as the margarita and I enjoyed the mix of refreshing flavors. I got to try the red sangria and it was really good. I'd most likely order that instead.
For apps the table shared:
Chicken Empanadas - you get two with salsa. Tasted very tex-mex with the bits of corn inside.
Tomatoes and Mozzarella dip - fairly standard and I wish they put more bread with it
Dates - I have been having plenty of these lately and nothing can beat Toro's. These were very sugary and overly sweet.
I enjoyed the experience enough to come back one day. The servers were attentive and prompt and the area outside looks like it would be really nice in the summer time! -
Review from Reed T.
Thousand Oaks, CA
2/16/2011
I was on a business trip in Boston for four days and went here twice because it was so good. The building was below street level so it had a cozy lounge feel and the atmosphere was perfect for a tapas bar with dim red lighting and Spanish music. I had the Sopa del mar a la Lola (seafood soup) and Albondigas al Jerez (meatballs in sherry wine and raisin sauce). I highly recommend both but the soup was the perfect ticket for a cold Boston evening.
They have a decent wine selection but they are famous for their white sangria so I gave it a whirl...or three. I have had white sangria before but for some reason this was a major standout. Every future trip to Boston will surely result in dinner at BarLola Tapas Lounge. Cheers -
Review from gina w.
Brighton, MA
5/2/2011
I love the ambiance here ...yes the service is excellent and that alone would make me want to come back! I'm a big fan of the sangria - so much fun to share a pitcher with friends :)
everyone is always smiling and having a good time here - especially the parties in the back rooms!
I was only drinking so can't really comment on the food except that it smelled delicious. -
Review from Pinky S.
Boston, MA
10/17/2011
Food is mediocre at best.
-
Review from Chantal G.
Brookline, MA
6/4/2011
I love the scene at Bar Lola. I only stayed for cava, but next time I will have to try to the food! It smelled so good!
The bartenders were also really helpful. -
Review from Barry G.
2/24/2011 7 Check-ins Here
So after reading reviews on here i had mixed feelings about going here. Seems although there are many good reviews, they are all older, and more recently it has gotten poor reviews
Well i am happy that i did go.
Over all, nice atmosphere. Small, tables are close, but that's fine, my date and I could still easily talk and were not disturbed
Started off with two lolitas. Ot my choice of drink, was a little sweet,but strong and not too horrible. Moved on to a nice dry white after that
The food. Serving sizes were fine i thought. I is tappas after all. Wouldn't have expected much bigger. We got 6 different plates to try
Pinchos de vieras - grilled sea scallops with black grapes. Very tasty, great fusion of seafood and sweet grapes. Would get again
Pinchos de pollo - chicken with mustard sauce. The chicken was chicken. Nothing special. Bt tender and moist. Te sauce was nothing extraordinary. I would try a diffent chicken dish next time
Raviolies de pato - duck confit raviolis. Te sauce was amazing. I used it with the rest of the bread after done with the raviolis. The raviolis had a great test, even though you couldn't taste the duck overwhelmingly. I would get again, if only for the sauce.
Solomillo al cabrales - beef tenderloin in goat/blue cheese sauce. Very tasty, very tender beef and great sauce. I'd get it again
Chorizos diablillos - spanish sausage. Spicy, tasty, but wouldn't get again, nothing special IMO
Palmeritos - dates wrapped in bacon. WOW. Best dish ever. Great meld of taste. Perfect bacon. Would recommend everyone order this!
As for the people complaining about price. Seriously? Really?what are you expecting.
Two mixed drinks, a bottle of wine, 6 tappas and coffee. And it was $110. Cheap, no, but reasonable, go to a nice italian restaurant or seafood restaurant and with drinks, wine and meals you are going to spend the same. Good meals cost decent money. I have no issue with the price if the food is gifts
I'd go back again -
Review from Brian R.
Quincy, MA
9/5/2011
Absolutely horrible management. Inquired with a question regarding the drink prices and was basically told if you don't like the price go somewhere else. Made everyone at our table feel extremely uncomfortable. Would not recommend this place due to poor management. There are much better options on newbury where they will appreciate your business!
-
Review from Kathleen F.
Somerville, MA
9/26/2011
Mmmm Bar Lola makes my mouth water! The sangria here is great, cocktails are yummy and STRONG, and they food is delicious. My hands down favorite dish here is the sauteed artichokes in lemony/garlic butter sauce mmmmm! The duck ravioli are a close second, and also love the mini paella you can order. I've found that service varies depending on where you sit. If you are at a table w' normal waiter/waitress always found the service to be great, it's more when you sit in the bar area that the service can waver a little, but overall great atmosphere, amazing food, and great cocktails, what more could you ask for?!
-
Review from Andrew D.
Somerville, MA
8/6/2011
This is honestly the worst dining experience I have ever had in the USA.
First of all it was over 30 minutes before our waitress even greeted us and took a drink order. To add to this she was extremely rude, unhelpful and sarcastic for the entire evening.
The food was mediocre at best, with some really questionable items on the menu for a tapas bar, such as burgers, pasta and buffalo chicken wings - none of which were cheap ($8-15 range for tapas)
When the food did arrive it was practically thrown at us, and numerous items were missing. Our waitress then accused us of mis-ordering and attempted to have a loud argument with one of our party!
We also asked for water several times during the evening, and it was not brought. When our waitress didn't show up for over an hour to check up on us during the course of the meal, other servers refused to help find our missing food and drink.
When we asked for the check, it took over 30 minutes to arrive, and then was processed incredibly slowly.
Overall, my friend who was hosting her birthday meal felt extremely embarrassed, and we left upset, uncomfortable and honestly in shock of how poorly we were treated.
Boston has so many amazing restaurants, and it's sad that this one is certainly not one of them! If you're looking for Tapas in the back bay area, check out Tapeo on Newbury. -
Review from Surf D.
Burlington, MA
7/28/2011
4 of us dropped $180 here on decent tapas and way overpriced Sangria ($28 / 4 glass pitcher) on a Sunday night after making reservations for the flamenco show at 7:00. Around 8:00 a cheesy lounge lizard type of guy showed up with a synthesizer and played some Gipsy Kings covers. It was a huge disappointment.
-
Review from Jonny C.
12/14/2010
As the closest commercial entity to my flat, I feel obligated to patronize BarLola at least occasionally.
I love the patio, the decor, most of the clientele and the drinks (albeit pricier than they should be). The food, as a whole, is palatable but nothing spectacular, tapas sort of done in a manner that is so unobjectionable that they are forgettable.
I've had a bit of attitude from the staff, particularly the bouncers: im clearly over 21, I live about 200 yards away and my license is fine. Dont give me a hard time or triple light check my ID, you are are just being needlessly officious.
In all truth, they could probably do much worse in all aspects of the business and I would still come because of the proximity and outside seating. -
Review from Katie W.
Boston, MA
12/24/2010
Their white sangria is god's gift on a hot summer day--just sweet enough but not to sweet and super refreshing. Red sangria is ok, but the white is really what to come for--only draw back, wish they put more fruit in....
I love the atmosphere here, the outside terrace tucked away on quiet Comm Ave, it's a great escape from the insanity of Newbury Streeet on a Saturday afternoon.
I love their calamari and their croqueta's are delish! -
Review from Ligaya T.
San Francisco, CA
5/29/2008
Abandon me on the recessed patio with a few pitchers of sangria and five tapas dishes alone and I'll be happy for hours. Maybe a fair bit more poor as a carafe is almost $30, but hey, it goes down like... wine? Right.
Anyway, thanks to Derek K for introducing us (a gaggle of silly yelpers) to this spot! I've intended to come for months at Yihwa H's recommendation but didn't meander over until tonight. And man oh man, I'm bummed to have missed out on this gem.
While the tapas isn't mindblowing, the prawn fritters, ducking and spinach/artichoke dip are solid. The service however, was outstanding. Perhaps because the staff knew we were all reviewing brethren but they were incredibly accommodating and friendly. The ambiance is a bit funky but casual and warm. And the al fresco area is the perfect way to spend a balmy summer night!Listed in: Boston Wine Expo(se), Boston Sangria Mania
-
Review from Leighann F.
Astoria, Queens, NY
9/23/2008
Nothing works up an appetite like getting bid on at a date auction for hundreds of dollars, all in the name of charity and a sweet pair of shoes!
Where to whet the whistle (or keep it hydrated, as a few drinks were already down the hatch at this point) and nosh on some refuel? A Friday night with no reservations would normally spell disaster, but at Bar Lola it's spelled http://you.may.have.to....for.yummy.tapas.and.a.few.pitchers.of.sweet.sangr ia.and.great.conversation.with.your.friends!
And wait we did. At the bar. With drinks and a few starters. We sipped amongst a lively crowd and wafting smells garlic. A pleasant way to pass the time as any.
A warning to the indecisive: this menu looks like the dictionary of tapas. So much to choose from and so little time!
To order, we each (finally) selected one or two items from the Tapas menu and a full plate of paella...with 3 pitchers of Sangria. The food itself was really tasty, if not a bit salty and there was so much variety that everyone found a favorite...and got to share it with everyone else at the table. Needless to say there was a lot of feeding one another going on...the sangria, I am certain, helped facilitate this fun!
Stuffed to the gills with food, titillating conversation and about all the sangria we could handle, our time at Bar Lola was $30 per person well spent. -
Review from Barry B.
Somerville, MA
2/21/2009
My experience at Bar Lola was so bad.
"How bad was it?", you ask.
It was so bad that I thought to myself "I need to go home and join Yelp, just so I can share with the world (or, at least, the internet) how truly abysmal dining out can potentially be.
And you know what? Let's not even get into my beef with it's stupid, stupid name. I mean, maybe it's just me nitpicking when I talk about how profoundly idiotic it seems to actually have the word bar in the name of your bar (eg. Temple Bar, Bleacher Bar, Samba Bar [but not including The Greatest Bar, because... well, just because. That's just awesome.]) But at least most places with the word "bar" in their title have the sense toss it on at the end, so it doesn't sound completely awkward. But not Bar Lola. Let's just stick "Bar" right in the front there, so that the strange, uncomfortable feeling you get from the name prepares you for what you're about be served.
We were seated promptly in the most nondescript dining room in all of Copley. Seriously, I wish I could remember something about this dining room, but it was so bland and boring that nothing sticks out in my memory.
I then ordered a pitcher of Sangria for the table. The Sangria was actually really good.
My excitement over the sangria was short-lived, however, because the food started to arrive.
The crab cakes seemed like something I'd buy in an enormous box at CostCo, and deep fry when I'm in that special state where I'm drunk, but not too drunk to use my deep frier. According to the menu, these were supposed to come with "a piquillo-shrimp sauce". What I ended up getting was something more akin to the processed "cheese" you get when you order those little pretzel nuggets at the movies.
The duck was incredibly dry.
The rabbit was incredibly dry AND lukewarm... so at least it made the duck seem better by comparison.
We also ordered the Patatas Ali-Oli, described as "Sautéed baby red potatoes with a garlic mayo". What I think actually went down is that the owners hired someone to ransack the dumpsters of local restaurants that serve breakfast and gather up all the stale, crappy, left-over home fries they can find so they can reheat and serve them.
I wish I could tell you how the lamb chops were, but by the time they passed to me I'd lost my appetite completely.
There is no other way to say this: Bar Lola is simply terrible. The worst of the worst.
This is what happens when people decide to go somewhere for tapas other than Dali. Never again! Dali, please forgive me for cheating on you! I now realize what we had was something special! Please, take me back! -
Review from V C.
Boston, MA
11/13/2011
I liked the ambience: design, the dimmed lights, music. The room itself is not big though.There were no empty seats left, and therefore it was a pretty loud place.
Food was good. There was only one big But: I ordered lamb. What I got was 2 pieces of cold lamb pieces in a hot sauce.
Shrimps in boiling garlic sauce and scallops on scew were great. And the dessert was excellent. Crème brulee (under some slightly changed name) was delicious.
Service was excellent, very friendly and fast. -
Review from Michael W.
San Diego, CA
4/28/2006
I had my girl friend's 25th Bday party in the private room at Bar Lola. The party person, Patrice was very welcoming and a very helpful gentleman who assisted with putting together the menu with me.
I was assured the room would fit 30, its good thing only about 23 people showed up because the room when filled with seating areas and tables maked it quite hard to maneuver the room. The appetizers were great, the smoked salmon was very tasty, alot of people were not a fan of the white asparagus.
Main course items of the blue cheese tenderloin, we had the blue cheese sauce on the side which I highly recommend was very tasty. The mustard chicken and scallops were excellent. I was disappointed with the garlicky shrimp where not very garlicky or have any flavor at all.
Sangria was awesome and the champaign bong they passed around after dinner was certainly entertaining...
Great location as its the only restaurant on comm ave after mass ave going towards the gardens. It is very nice and warm inside and I would certainly go back for a more intimate dinner... -
Review from Katie H.
Newburyport, MA
8/7/2007
el oh el ey lola.
I ended up here fairly unexpectedly when friends and I were just looking to get out of the house and realized one of my friends had money to burn.
When we first arrived there was no real clue to where the hostess stand was, and we inadvertently ended up going in the wrong door, hanging by the wrong door for a while and then finally realizing we were at the wrong end of the restaurant. When we did actually find the hostess stand we were seated quickly, and apparently the hostess had given me a choice of tables, but since I couldn't hear her over the music playing in my ear I asked her to repeat herself. She barked at me JUST SIT DOWN, so I did since I thought her next move might be smacking me. Damn. Nice customer service.
Ends up that the hostess was the only one with an attitude problem, as everyone else was very polite. We shared 2 pitchers of sangria, red and white, between the 3 of us which ended up being the perfect amount. We were seated outside, and for some reason instead of seating us at a 4 top she had seated us at a 3 top, and looked like she'd done that for most parties, but it made the table really crowded once we got the food. Luckily, the food was really really good and we could just pile up the plates.
As we were eating we kept seeing other tables getting hookahs and the curiousity got to us. $20 for a hookah, $10 for a re-fill. We decided $20 was a completely fair price for something we've never done before while we're sitting in a great environment and we got the grape. For the next hour we lazily finished off the sangria, chatted and passed the hookah around. I still don't get the point of it, but I was happy because I'd run out of cigarettes earlier, and this fulfilled my craving.
When we finally decided to leave I asked my friend what time it was, expecting to hear about 9pm or so. It was close to midnite. We'd been there for hours, and I'd been enjoying myself so much, I'd scarcely noticed. Plus, the whole place was bumping even at midnite. Almost every table outside was full and alive with chatter. It was a great place to wrap my weekend up at. -
Review from Tanvi D.
Cambridge, MA
4/28/2008
Bar Lola was recommended to me by a friend of mine who lives in the area.. I went in with real high hopes and was a little disappointed.. Maybe, I should just lower my expectations..
As usual, we weren't sure of our plans, so, hadn't made reservations.. When we showed up, they said that they didn't have any tables, but, we could eat in the bar area.. They usually don't let people under 21 eat there, but, we promised that our cousin who is 20 yeas old, wasn't going to drink and they were OK with that.. The rest of us shared a pitcher of Sangria.. It was quite good.. The thing I didn't like about it was that it had too much ice and the place was a little warm.. So, by the time we were ready for second servings, it was already a little watered down.. Well, it kept us sober, so, I'm not complaining too much..
They also brought out some bread and spiced butter for the table.. The bread was OK and the spiced butter wasn't too bad, but, was very heavy in Sage..
Now, for food.. we were 4 of us, with one person being a vegeterian.. So, we ordered 6 tapas dishes.. 3 veg and 3 non-veg..
We got..
1. Patatas Ali-Oli - Sauted baby red potatoes with a garlic mayo "Ali-Oli" .. Hmm.. this was OK.. I've had better at other tapas places.. It was way too garlicky..
2. Setas Silvestres - Sauted garlicky wild mushrooms - Not bad.. Not bad.. I usually don't like mushrooms, but, I could eat this.. I would order it again..
3. Canalones Rellenos con Vegetales Asados - Roasted vegetable stuffed cannelloni with creamy tomato & manchego cheese - Now this was really good.. The sauce was amazing and we later used it for dipping sauce for the bread..
4. Gambas al Ajillo - Garlicky shrimp - This was the last dish to come out and it was nice and sizzling and quite spicy.. Yum! The oil was nice to eat with the bread as well..
5. Croquetas de Pollo - Chicken croquettes with Lola's savory tomato sauce - Hmm... this dish was also quite yummy, but, again, very heavy in Sage.. Tasted quite a bit like the thanksgiving poultry seasoning..
6. Palmeritos - Baked Mediterranean dates wrapped in bacon - Was OK.. My cousin didn't really like the dates.. So, I ate the dates and he ate the bacon..
All in all... The whole experience was nice.. A little pricey, but, hey, what isn't in Back Bay.. I think I would go there again, just for the atmosphere..
Oh.. And their, rest rooms.. They are just outside the restaurant (no you don't have to walk out on street to get to them, just through the back door) in the building that the restaurant is in.. Not a huge deal, was just worth mentioning..
