BarLola Tapas Lounge
Category: Tapas Bars [Edit]
Neighborhood: Back Bay160 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02228 (617) 266-1122
- Nearest Transit:
Copley (Green)
Back Bay (Orange)
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
64 Reviews for BarLola Tapas Lounge
I've lived in Spain, so it upsets me that this "tapas" bar is potentially what people believe to be an accurate representation of Spanish fare. Not the case at all. Food is terrible. BUT the bar is fun at night.... always a good vibe and atmosphere. I'd say I come once a week to the bar, but always after 11 when it's just drinks. I'll give it three stars because of the atmosphere and the booze.
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The food wasn't all that amazing as I was told...First time coming here and the experience couldn't have been worst. Our server...HUGO ... I even remember his name...was so horrible at servicing that...we waited 10-15minutes for him to take our order. Also, he didn't even bother to stop by our table to ask us how things are ... BUT he did ask the couple who was RIGHT BEHIND US...and skipped us over. TWO TIMES he skipped us over...
We wanted to order more food...20 minutes and he didn't come and take our order... I had to GO FIND HUGO because he was too busy flirting with another co-worker.
How rude of that. Even the owner of the damn Tapas walked by us. We were very unhappy. But good point about the waitress and hostess helping us out...when our own waiter was off doing who knows what.
Thanks HUGO ... you get no tip from me.
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If I could, I would give this place 2.5 stars based off of my experience there last night. However; I have a feeling if I go again I may have a better time, so 3 stars it is.
The hostess was very quick with seating my friend and I, which was awesome considering it was so busy! But, we waited about 15 minutes before our waitress came over and acknowledged us. We ordered a pitcher of Sangria and were ready to order the tapas (since we've stared at the menu for so long), but she ran away before we could get a word in. After pouring the Sangria, she ran away again! Another 15 minutes later, she finally came back and took our order. At this point, the table next to us (who were seated right after us) already had one of their tapas on the table.
Our food finally came... We ordered the roast duckling in orange sauce (amazing!!!), the crab meat stuff calamari (not so great), and the small paella (not horrible). Given the variety in quality of these dishes, I'm convinced that once I find the best dishes on the menu, the food will be fantastic. It's just getting to that point that will be hard. On the plus side, the Sangria was very very good! A pitcher served about 4-5 glasses.
Oh, and approximately 10 minutes after we finished our meal, our waitress walked by and put bread and butter on our table. Even the girls next to us made a comment about it. This place has potential, if they would get better staff.
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Found this spot with my best friend. I might get absolutely slammed for this - but I truly thought that their tapas was tastier and better priced than anything I've had at Tapeo or Toro. And their wine selection was fabulous - though after reading all these reviews I'll try the sangria next time we're there. Not to mention, tucked on the corner of Comm and Dartmouth, its a bit less noisy than Newbury and the patio is a perfect place to grab dinner with friends.
Knocked off half-star for the waitstaff - who seem a bit frazzled sometimes. Our waiter dropped someone else's silverware (laden with a creamy red sauce) on my freshly laundered white skirt and then proceeded to move to clean it off himself (awkward). I blocked that little maneuver - and then he promptly turned and walked away without apologizing. Strange.
Knocked off another half-star because they allow smoking on the patio and I felt like I was eating in between two chimneys.
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It's OK. Not necessarily A-OK, but maybe a B+-OK.
I harken back to my Brooklyn days, sipping a glass of wine at my favorite place in the whole world, Sample - please check it out if you're near Smith St. So it is hard for me to go from first class to business class, from Kobe Bryant to Vince Carter, from Rachel Weisz to someone else.
Bar Lola is around the block from me and I want it to be my local place. But it's not there yet. The food is good, the wine list is good. The service is good, but a little pretentious. The clientele is varied - from folks who are on their way back from a Sox game to locals. But they need to do something about their "coziness" factor. If you're having a glass of wine outside at 11pm and are required to go inside, you need a place that at least has a similar feel to the patio/garden. Once you're inside, it's too bright and you're confined to a little space by the bar. Tables, while completely empty, are only open to food service. Very silly.
It would take a few minutes before 11pm to turn one of the other areas into a lounge. Maybe longer. But the place is central enough to attract a huge amount of customers that would go there if there was a post-dinner lounge thing with a few good eats.
Just a suggestion. I've been wrong before.
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Yeah, this is NOT Spanish food. Someone copied half a tapas menu from someplace just as unauthentic, and pulled the other half out of their ass. Also, if I speak to my waitress in Spanish, and after relaying back and forth which hispanic countries we are from, she proceeds to take my order in English? Utter dissapointment. 'Nuff said.
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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!
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Bar Lola was very fun. We arrived on a Sunday evening and dined outside in their sunken patio. The hostess and waiter were very friendly. I tried the Sangria and it was very refreshing but a little sweet. My boyfriend has the Lolita martini. It was like an orange and cranberry purree mixed with vodka and was adorned with an edible orchid. For dinner we split the following tapas:
Vieras a la Campesina: Fried sea scallops with a tomato & goat cheese sauce. 4 medium sized scallops came out on top of a cream sauce. They came out very fast and were ok.
Crostones de Cangrejo con Salsa de Piquillos y Gambas: Maine crab meat, sofrito and cheese crustini's with a piquillo-shrimp sauce. Crisy on the outside, inside had more filler then expected.
Pato con Naranjas Valenianas: Roasted duckling with Valencia orange sauce. Very render and moist. Nice portion size. Light, crisp and refreshing.
Chuletillas de Cordero Lechal: Baby lamb chops and a Castille style sauce. Cooked pefectly and very tender.
This was a good meal. The timing of the tapas was very fast. The meal seemed over too quickly. Service was on point. They do flamenco shows on Sunday nights. Would like to try more tapas soon!
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Overpriced Sangria. Weird that they were offering dinner during a time when people were crammed at the bar. Not a good mix to me.
May end up back here, but not my first choice. However, location is nice
This place would get a five from me if they
A.) eliminated smokers (sorry guys/gals, I hatet it). They could allow pipes and cloves though
B.) Got comfier chairs (I know the wrought iron chairs are functional but they hurt my bum after sitting and drinking their sangria).
Which brings me to my point. The sang, the sang, my friends, is just tasty with chunks of fruit the way the sangria gods intended.
The waitress was as sweet as could be, nevermind the fact that Derek had made in known that a bunch of people were coming to BarLola and they review things. She checked in with us probably every 6 minutes, but was not annoying about it, very nice!
Props to Derek K. for organizing this awesome outing. The patio was great, the company, phenomenal and the gazpacho was just what I needed!
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I love tapas joints, and I like Bar Lola.
You can sit outside. You can even smoke (if that's your thing). The food was good (not great, not bad), but the sangria was deelish. It just goes down so smooooooth. the waitstaff was a little overeager, but still super nice. best part about the night though: the company. They get 5 stars, even if bar lola only gets 4
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This technically deserves 4.5 stars, but since we're on the whole shoe-size exclusive boutique system, we're low-balling with four.
BarLola is Commonwealth Ave's best kept secret, as it's pretty much hidden in the dugout corner of Dartmouth & Comm.
The menu is extensive, but not expensive - great combination. It gets progressively more intense page by page. Crab-stuffed calamari? Yikes. We stuck to the basics - spinach & artichoke, mushrooms and items I'm copying straight from the menu:
Crostones de Cangrejo con Salsa de Piquillos y Gambas
Maine crab meat, sofrito and cheese crustini's with a piquillo-shrimp sauce. (*****)
Paella a la Valenciana
Classic Spanish saffron rice with meat, seafood and vegetables (****)
Canalones Rellenos con Vegetales Asados
Roasted vegetable stuffed cannelloni with creamy tomato & manchego cheese (****)
Vieras a la Campesina
Fried sea scallops with a tomato & goat cheese sauce (*****)
Now, if we're on the ultimate star system, the Sangria (as everyone else has previously mentioned), Barlola is hands down the North Star, the belt of Orion, hell, it would be Aurora Borealis. While we tried both the Red & the White, I was partial to the Red - some compared the white to Capri Sun, but I couldn't pinpoint it. Both great, both delcious, and both go down faster than you can have the waitress get back.
The reason why this joint lacks a star is the service - our waitress lacked a lot of communication skills: "I suggest the fruit tart - it has fresh fruit." .............. and abandoned us when it came time for the check. Bummer - but as long as you've got that sangria, you probably can postpone the check anyway. Caliente!
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..
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I think the waiter was retarded...and I hate saying that word but can think of no other.
I have served tables before, and there is a certain way to read a table's body language as to whether they need your help. There was a block in this part of our waiter's brain as he clumsily fell on us, split sangria, and suggested the crab cakes 4-6 times. He literally came over once every 5 minutes. I was meeting someone I hadn't seen in awhile and we had alot of catching up to do, but couldn't do so because of this 'bull in a china shop' style of service.
Going down the food was ok. Just ok. The sangria was more like fruit juice...the garlic shrimp had way too much butter...the Chorizos Diablillos Borrachos were hardly devilish. The one saving grace was the Pinchos de Pollo a la Mostaza.
Note: I was sick later that night. When I said the food was ok, note that I said "going down". :)
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I meet some friends here after work last Thursday for drinks. I did not eat but everyone enjoyed the food. The service was excellent and the pitchers of sangria were a big hit with the girls in our group. I had a good time and look forward to go back and eat outside once it is nicer out.
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So expensive for what you get! $6 olives? Are you kidding me?
But, a great place to go when all of the South End has a 2 hour wait.
Decent sangria.
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This place has a lot of potential... an awesome patio, inviting atmosphere, and good sangria.
Unfortunately, my friends and I had a very mixed experience here due to the service. We waited about 30 minutes for a table, which was fine, but once we were seated in the relatively empty dining room, it took 25 minutes for a server to come over (and we had to get up and ask). Our waiter, who promptly told us his ridiculous nickname and pulled up a chair at our table (wtf?!), was apologetic and said he would take good care of us... although he did mention that he had gotten only 3 hours of sleep the night before and couldn't wait to go home (wtf?!). When we ordered our tapas, we just asked for water, since we were still finishing the drinks we got at the bar. Our waiter came back to our table with a pitcher and said, "Here is your water." We found out a couple minutes later that it was actually a pitcher of sangria. We assumed this was a nice gesture intended to make up for the fact that we had to wait for so long to be served. During our meal, the waiter even asked, "How'd you like that water that I brought you?" and we thanked him for the gesture. But here's the kicker... he put the damn sangria that we didn't even ask for on our bill! When we asked him to remove it he became irritated and said that he'd have to pay for it out of his own pocket. Fine with me! Then he came to our table *literally* between 15-20 times to see if we paid our bill because he wanted to go home. It was 10:00 (yes, only 10:00!) and we were not finished with our drinks so we took our time, but he let us know that he was very aggravated.
This was honestly THE worst experience I have ever had with a waiter in Boston.
The only redeeming factor was that after we settled our bill with our waiter, we moved out to the patio and were waited on by John. He recommended a fantastic wine, and he was very friendly and professional.
I would go back to Bar Lola for the atmosphere and the sangria, but they need to take action to ensure that all of their servers are skilled and professional.
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i loved this place when it was Jeffrey's - it ruled for a local hangout.
Tonight we met up for drinks and tapas...I've been here a few times but always wanting more-that being tapas.
I ordered the grilled scallops and grapes which were nice-not spectacular in portion but great taste. Other members of my party ordered the duck (which was unbelievable) The stuffed calamari (at home we refer to these as "bombs" b/c they are dropped into a tomato sauce. I took a bite-wow! They were quite small but amazing! (I dunno, we Italians tend to overdo so perhaps my expectations are skewed!) Everyone was quite pleased regardless of the valentine's over pour from the dining area.
The drinks and service were outstanding at the bar considering we had 10 people with separate tabs. The crowd was cool and low key which is what we were looking for. My only issue was the expectation to order several tapas..I know that is the deal but left wanting more!
BTW, the bartender was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!
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I stumbled across BarLola when I was looking for a place to celebrate post semester exams during college. Since then, I've gone back many times and BarLola definitely holds a tender spot in my heart. In the summer, I like to sit outside on the rustic cast iron chairs and tables while during the winter I am fond of the warmly red tinted interior. It's a great place to catch up with friends or for a date - I've definitely had several 3, 4 hr dinners at this place over pitchers of sangria. Although Barlola is relatively centrally located and easy to get to, it feels very secluded and private - it's very easy to forget that I am in Boston while I am there. The only reason that BarLola doesn't get 5 stars is the food - while it's good, it's not so amazing that I would give it 5 stars.
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Really not that impressive. The food was fine, but for the price...I'd expect a lot better. Make your way to Dali instead.
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Perfect for large groups of people who are looking to get a little more from their dining experience. I've only gone for birthday dinners - 1. because the tapas are the perfect amount to eat before hitting the bars, and 2. we love the champagne bong!
Not many know about it, but ask your waiter to buy a bottle of champagne and have him come pour it down your throat from a bong-like structure. Classy, i know...but you will definately end up with some hilarious pictures. Warning: this may cause people to request their seats to be changed.
The food is delish- not too expensive, I suggest ordering one tapa and then splitting another....If you wanna have enough room for the alocohol that is. I tried 3 different martinis there and loved every one of them! The sangria is pretty good too - although they only offer red. Very good service, and for all of you underage folk - not very strict on ids.
Loved it! I went here the other night for a special wine event. They served some appetizers, and had flamenco dancing the wine was fabulous. I had the following to eat and I liked them, Palmeritos,
(Baked Mediterranean dates wrapped in bacon), and Salicha de Venado con Castanas y Grosellas(Venison sausage with a black currant & chestnut sauce). I want to go back and try more from their menu.
It's very odd for someone who cringes when friends suggest a tappas place to be giving Bar Lola five stars. The two times I have been there, however, the place has exceeded my expectations. There are just way too many positives to discuss.
First of all, I found the service to be really great. The first time I went we had a party of at least eight people and the waiter was super attentive despite how busy it was. My second visit consisted of just two friends and myself and our waiter was incredibly nice and dealt with my food allergies and our indecisiveness.
The food and drinks? Well, I only ate during my second visit, but during that trip we had five dishes between the three of us. I managed to try four of them and really enjoyed everything that I tried. The orange duck was deeeeelicious and the string beans were perfectly cooked and seasoned. I really enjoyed the calamari itself, but they can do without the potatoes at the bottom of the dish (mainly because I wanted even more calamari). With regards to the drinks, you really can't go wrong with the sangria. I hate when sangria is really strong, but that's not a problem here. Apparently the sangria isn't on the menu but is rather a "house special"... so don't forget to order it!
Lastly, the atmosphere is great. Even when it's really busy, there are still enough nooks to accommodate a large crowd. The bar area could be a little bigger but I have yet to go here just to hang out at the bar. I love love love the music. They would play the most obscure things that I thought they somehow hijacked my iTunes. I also love how the place is tucked away on Commonwealth.
So that's it, can't wait to go again.
i just can't understand why this place hasn't taken off yet.
i hosted my birthday party here last december after going a couple times after work for a quick bite/pitcher of sangria.
what's not to love?
every single dish i've ever had off the menu (um, around 20) has been delicious. on my birthday we ordered 3 of everything and not one thing wasn't good. it's the perfect place to have a party.
good sangria--i mean, nothing compares to what you can get in spain, but it goes down smooth and delivers a gleefully punchy kick. the perfect buzz.
all in all, the cuisine isn't as delectable as toro and the like, but for the money you really can't beat it. good bang for your buck.
nice atmosphere too--i was here the other night and was sort of taken aback by the music (in a good way). think modest mouse, death cab, etc. not usually to be heard when you're eating out.
if you're teetering on the fence of whether or not to give barlola a shot, definitely go for it. you shan't be disappointed.
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While I'm not a huge fan of Tapas joints - I do like BarLola. The food is good but it's not the main reason I go here.
With a very respectable bar, sunken outdoor courtyard style patio, and a friendly laid-back atmosphere - it's usually just crowded enough to be fun without having to fight for a drink. It's also a great place to bring large groups - they have semi-private areas just for this purpose. Some nights they even bring in a Flamenco dancer which is really fun to watch if you've never experienced it. BarLola is also a decent place to bring a date.
Did I mention they have the best Sangria in town?
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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.
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Came here to catch up with a friend since I was in town on business. The ambiance is really nice and the food was great- not to mention the delicious sangria. The waiter was attentive but didn't hurry us along as we stayed for about two hours to chat over sangria, patatas, crab+manchego, and garlic shrimp.
I've been to many good tapas places in San Francisco's Mission District and I can say with confidence that BarLola measured up with the best of them. Definitely a good choice for catching up and sipping sangria, I'll definitely come back and sit outside the next time I am in Boston during the warmer climate.
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It was my birthday celebration and I found that BarLola had a live flamenco dinner show that night so I booked a week in advance to go.
I must admit it was mildly amusing that the restaurant totally didn't prepare for the number of people to show up that night. But I'm not here to complain about management or service. I'm all about the food and drink, baby.
It was perplexing as to why we had so many pitchers of sangria. Was it really that good? Sober and looking back, the sangria was just average. It was really watered down and had way too much diced fruit in it.
On to the tapas...
HAVE the fried calamari. They served it up with three different sauces and even including some fried potatoes in the dish. Delicious.
HAVE the grilled vegetables. The seasonings on this were amazing.
HAVE the hamburgers. Wow.
DON'T HAVE the stuffed calamari. The stuffing was too bready and the sauce accompanying the dish was too salty.
DON'T HAVE the empanadas. Again with the stuffing. Not enough meat in it.
All in all, the prices of the tapas were crazy high.
The selection of tapas was average, the sangria was average so this place gets an average rating. Go for the live music. The guitarist was very good.
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I find it near-impossible to find any restaurant that will live up to the tapas and the atmosphere at Dali, but I do have to admit that BarLola comes up to a pretty high standard.
The inside is split into two sections - one side cute and cozy, and the other side lively and chatty with a vibrant bar area. Their patio seating area is lovely on warm nights, and is a great place to wile away the hours lazily sipping sangria and sampling the tapas.
And speaking of the food - it's no Dali, but it's still pretty yummy. They have a really wide variety of dishes here, and their food is wonderful. Tender meats, juicy flavourful hot and cold tapas.. I recomment the rabbit, lamb, duck, vegetables and beef empanadas, all topped off with the delicious sangria.
The dessert menu isn't half-bad either, and the chocoLOLAte cake is more than LOLAlovely - extremely rich, I would suggest you find someone to share it with, since I doubt even the greatest sweet-tooth would be able to handle this heavy, rich concoction on his/her own. There were so many tempting options that we found it hard to choose just one.
The staff can be hard to get a hold of at times, but generally are accomodating and friendly. There's also a lady (seating hostess I think?) who has the hairstyle and tan of Magda from There's Something About Mary, but a much sweeter disposition. :) I also hear they're pretty good about organizing private parties for large groups.
The bathrooms are a little strange though, and are probably my least favourite thing about the restaurant. Stepping out into the bathroom feels like you're getting a hard dose of industrial reality when you step out of the warm, cozy, rosy lights of the vibrant restaurant and into the cold hallway behind it, revealing a (security-coded? but unlocked) bathroom that isn't exactly spick and span.
The portion sizes of each tapas dish really vary, so I would order a few irresitible ones at first, asses your hunger/their sharing size when they are served, and hang onto the menu for seconds and/or thirds. With the fun flamenco music in the background, it's a great place to enjoy a long and leisurely dinner with drinks and buzzing conversation.
Update:
Did I hear that they allow smokers out on the patio? I actually think that's GREAT! For the people who hate the smoke, maybe split the patio in a smoking side and a non-smoking side? I just think it's so nice to be able to sit outside on a patio with a few good puffs if you DO smoke, to have that option, especially when it's so rare in Boston with all the non-smoking laws around here. I don't even smoke often but having grown up surrounded by cultures where this is an ok/normal thing in designated sections and outdoors at least (European/Middle Eastern cafe culture I guess) it's quite nice to find a place that does this.
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I went up to Boston this past week to visit one of my best friends from college, and knowing my love of tapas bars, she took me here. I must admit, I was surprised to read many of the "pretentious" comments about Bar Lola's service, because even though I was horrifically under-dressed and had spent the entire day trekking around Boston in 90 degree heat, my friend and I found everyone to be attentive and friendly. Our waiter didn't even mock us for our abysmal Spanish pronunciation, and believe me, any ribbing would have been deserved
It almost goes without saying, but the food was absolutely delicious. We ordered the smoked salmon with goat cheese and capers, sauteed baby red potatoes, vegetable and cheese puffs, and chicken skewers with mustard and mushroom sauce. For dessert, we split the chocolate torta with fresh strawberries and blueberries, which incredibly rich and flavorful. In light of all of this tasty goodness, I knocked the rating down one-star because I feel it's slightly overpriced - most of the main offerings are around $9, and while the portions aren't skimpy, I think they'd be better priced around $7. Or maybe I'm just spoiled by cheap Philly tapas. Despite this, I'd still go back to Bar Lola the next time I'm in Boston, if only because I regret not trying the delectable-looking sangria.
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update: i came here whilst being completely sober and lucid to celebrate me getting yet another fatty raise ('cos this girl software engineer knows how to TCB) and enjoyed the food quite a bit. 3.5 or 3.75 stars. the waitress was super nice. my only beef is that the sangria is a little pricey for what you get. it's tasty, but the carafe is so small.
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i'm pretty sure the calamari was super-good or something. but then again i came here after my adventures at noir (see review). the other little dishes (some potato something, and some shrimp croquettes or something) were pretty good.
it seemed cute or something on the inside. able or something to accommodate large parties.
the water was super-good. or something.
solid 3 or something.
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My friend and I met there for drinks. As I was walking in, the very polite elder host directed me to the bar. I walked through the beautiful patio and then inside to the bar. I had to wait ten minutes to even be acknowledged by a bartender and it wasn't even crowded. Finally when I got to order, the bartender was very impersonal. The other bartender was a meathead and just annoyingly whistled most of the time while staring his customers down. Then I look to the flat screen and they had Top Gun playing. What the fuck? I may be old school but tapas, sangria and Top Gun?
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My wife brought me here on my birthday. It is on Commonwealth in Boston and Sunday nights they have live flamenco sets at 8p and 10p. I recommend the Patatas Bravas and the Salicho Venado. While drowning in a sea of foot stomping and flurries of skillful spanish guitar chords, I closed my eyes and saw the olive groves and vineyards of Spain.
I want to give this place 5 stars because there are some real high points but the food was as bad as watching all of Kevin Costner's movies.
1. The crab meat and shrimp stuffed calamari was so overcooked and rubbery that it was like eating the Michelin man
2. The chicken Croquet's were ok but could not redeem the fact that I just ate the Michelin man.
3. The duck Ravioli was cold and bland.
4. The tenderloin and goat cheese sauce was pretty good. I recommend that one.
The best part about Tapas is, if you screw up and order crappy food you don't need to worry because different food will be arriving shortly that will likely be better........unless you are my girlfriend and I last week at BarLola.
On the Bright side the hostess was amazing, the server was pretty good and the Sangria is so tasty that it makes you think that having a drinking problem cant be that bad. The atmosphere is also very relaxed right on comm ave and surprisinly unpretentious. Unfortunately we struck out on the food. Ill definitely give it another shot because this was likely an off night. This is also a great place for groups and has pretty good outdoor seating.
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I liked the place. My seafood soup was great and my friend's rabbit was pretty good as well. Sangria is really good (they also serve white sangria, it's worth a try if you never had one). It' not the cheapest place, but again, in this area nothing is cheap. Service can be a little sluggish but overall I think it's a great place for an after work drink and a light dinner.
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The first time I went to BarLola it was for brunch. Being that I had a blind date later in the evening, I opted for a salad so that I could still manage to squeeze into my skinny jeans. My friend got the most amazing looking Manchego Cheese and Serrano Ham sandwich with these homemade garlic potato chips. I was totally envious.
The second time was 9 months later for tapas. My friend and I split four tapas and nothing really stood out to me as amazing. The bread that was brought to the table was kind of dry. The sangria (they have red and white) was quite good though. I guess I'd just spend half as much and go to Tosca in Brighton if I were in the mood for tapas.
That said, if you're looking for outdoor dining near Newbury Street, and everything else has a wait, cruise around the corner to Commonwealth and there's a good chance of finding patio seating at BarLola
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This is the closest restaurant to our apartment so we've been here about five times (we cook most of the time). I've been dying for the weather to get warmer (it's gorgeous today!) to get back to BarLola so we can sit outside and eat our tapas. The Empanadas de Carne are awesome, the Fried Scallops/Tomato & Goat Cheese Sauce were soooo good, and my third favorite were the Chicken Croquettes.
The downside? A few dishes weren't memorable and we had some pretty bad service on two occasions. But all in all? It's a great place to sit outside, eat tapas, and enjoy the company you're in.
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I went here for my birthday with fourteen other people to see the flamenco dancing. Both times I called, they said the dancing would be at seven. When we got there, we found out dancing would be at eight, but we were assured that it was on. At eight, our waitress said that there was no dancing, just guitar tonight. I felt (and so did the others) that we were intentionally misled as not to lose a large party. When I spoke to the manager, his answer was basically, "Too bad." He eventually took 2 desserts off a $400+ bill. The