Bristol Restaurant and Bar

Love this place. Perfect for Christmas dinner or special occasions. They have excellent rose champagne, and the filet mignon is amazing, one of the best I have ever had. Burger is always delicious and a good safe choice. The waiters and waitresses are so attentive and really care about your experience. Their cappuccinos are so good as well. Highly recommend coming here and even eating dinner and relaxing on the couches is great too as opposed to the dining room!

This place is excellent for desserts & known for great drinks. I’ve shared red velvet crème brûlée is so different, vanilla & chocolate ice cream melt on top of waffle & fresh baked brownie & limoncello cake is to die for! Try the coffees they have alcohol in them, it’s yummy!
The girls at the bar we’re very nice & I like it when they give their feedbacks too!

Well, the atmosphere is filled with lots of energy. High stake meetings, tourist relaxing and friends catching up. Love it.
Love the truffle fries, salmon was cooked perfect and the Mac and Cheese is perfect.

The Four Seasons has completely redeemed itself after several mediocre visits over the last few years.
The other night the Bristol Lounge manager and my waiter, I forgot to get their names, gave me and boyfriend such a terrific customer service experience.
The food was outstanding — from the bread and cracker crisps, to the cocktail, to the shrimp cocktail, to the Caesar salad with perfectly cooked salmon with a gorgeous crispy skin, to the gelato (AMAZING), to the BEST BURGER IN BOSTON, truffle fries to live for, to the cappuccino with the tiny amuse –bouche biscotti that came on the side everything was a dream .
The manager came and answered all my questions about the menu and made suggestions.
Great service, great food, great night!

The Bristol Lounge has a different atmosphere depending on when you visit. In the morning and at lunch it is a great place for a power meeting. Sophisticated and the food is great. On a week night you’ll have a mix of business people and folks shopping for a husband or mistress. No joke. On weekends it’s filled with tourists. Their service is impeccable and the food is wonderful (with the Four Seasons pricing of course). My favorite is to come him after a date night with my hubby for a cocktail and dessert. Highly recommend the nontraditional Boston cream pie. It’s modern and very creative. Oh and at Christmas time this place is beautifully decorated!

So, so elegant. Great spot overlooking Boylston and the Common across the street. Love coming here for dessert, app, and/​or drinks. Try to sit by the window if you can (it can get a bit cold in the winter). This is the type of place you could bring your family for a nice weekend meal and stay for a night cap.

A classy high-​end place. Oysters and wine were my favorites. Have been there only once due to expensive prices.

We typically go to Sunday brunch at the Langham Hotel, but wanted a change. What a disappointment considering they are exactly the same price ($ 68 pp). What we got was a bar area that they set up with a few bridge tables and call it brunch. What a joke!
They had an omelette station and some prime rib, but little else and what they did have was just so so except for the chocolate chip pancakes, which were exceptional! The wait staff was also just okay until we complained to the assistant manager and then things perked up.
While this might be a nice place for breakfast if you are staying at the hotel it is sub-​par as a real brunch. Trust me and skip this one and head over to the Langham where we have been going for years as the Four Seasons certainly doesn’t live up to its reputation where brunch is concerned.

Looking for a special place for a holiday brunch? Skip this one and keep looking! I brought my family here for a holiday brunch and the disappointments began immediately. Start with a very limited and unimaginative menu, with even the hamburger priced at $ 26 (oh yes, we know it was voted «Best in Boston» about 10 years ago…). Next, the steak and eggs come out with the eggs rock hard rather than over easy. Add in miserable service that was both slow and inattentive. Top it all off with the waiter delivering the bill (eeeek) trying to excuse the slow service because «we’re so busy”— despite the place being only half full at mid-​afternoon. No offer to make things right, even when I mentioned all of the above to the manager.
Take this place off your list. I will certainly never go back.

I’ve come here for years… you come for the service… the atmosphere and food! The service suddenly is horrible. I love coming for holidays…
The service has been consistently horrible! Once was a fluke, twice and now 3^rd time. Every time in the bar area…
But slow, rude and incorrect tonight.
Last time there was a hair (yikes) and we pointed it out… were questioned if actually there and meal brought to manager to show hair. I was with a friend who lives in the residences (double yikes — think the manager knew this then apologized but that was it)…
Rude, wrong and a hair… Oh dear.
Need to get staff in bar areas improved majorly or will lose very loyal customers due to poor service.

My friend and her husband went to a Broadway show so I had a couple hours to explore the surrounding area by foot. My cravings for fresh oysters and a posh, but not pretentious environment lead me to the Four Seasons Hotel. The oysters, cocktails, and service did not disappoint. The oysters were lovely and the aviation cocktail was perfect. The ambiance was classy and there was plenty of seating in the bar with a nice variety of high and low tops, booths, tucked away and ‘to be seen’ seating.
In particular, I was impressed with Ramón the bartender. He was personable and knowledgeable. There were several locals who frequented there often and raved about Ramón’s hospitality. The atmosphere that he helped to create was comfortable and welcoming. He took great pride in his job of not just being a bartender, but also a ‘host’. Even though I was just visiting, they made me feel like I was ‘one of them’, a regular.
Bottom line: Come to Bristol Lounge at the Four Seasons where you will leave feeling pampered and treated like a valued guest!

A great place for a special brunch. The food stations are in the center in a square type of configuration, so no matter where you sit, you feel like you have a great seat. close to the food, yet not too hectic. All the stations are constantly replenished so one could have a leisurely brunch. No rush. Just sit, talk and eat!
— Prime rib, oysters, shrimp — delicious!!!
— Even dim style dumplings — okay, I was impressed that they had three types!
— Omelet station– didn’t try it, but it looked good.
— All the typical breakfast stuff, but up a notch, e.g. crème brûlée oatmeal.
— Made to order pancakes & waffles — blueberry pancakes were not fluffy though, but tasted good.
— Dessert — they basically have everything, if you have room for it. I had a lemon meringue and it was to die for! It was probably the best thing after the prime rib.
— Fresh squeezed OJ or Grapefruit juice — refreshing
— Coffee — good
Cost: $ 67.50 per person
Brunch reservations starts from 9AM — 2PM

Classy, understated, sophisticated. Good drinks (last month I had a Whisky sour there that was fantastic). Even better service — the waitress was very nice, even though we didn’t spend a lot of money — that is what I call smart, tasteful service, take note. A more refined crowd, better than noisy clubs or bars, at the Bristol Lounge, you can sit in comfortable chairs and actually hear your friends’ voices and have a meaningful conversation. Will return.

I ate here with my parents on my recent trip to Boston. The eating area is nice, but louder than expected. We dined on a Sunday night and perhaps they were short staffed as the service was terrible! They have a nice selection of wines by the glass. I had the kale salad which wasn’t bad, followed by the halibut, which was good but could have been hotter. I’d have given the restaurant a higher rating if the service had not been so horribly slow.

What happened to the nice peanuts or cashews at the bar they got really cheap .
the bartender and staff are totally excellent servers but don’t get cheap on the cashews and peanuts dry roasted airpuff ustuff is crap you lose stars

Nitro ice cream bar a must!!!

We were guests of the hotel, and we were treated very well. What an incredible brunch spread. This trip to Boston turned into a food tour, and this was a great last stop on the list. My wife and I did not eat for the rest of the day!

We went here for my wife’s birthday and what a disappointment.
Great table by the window with a view of the park so we were off to a good start. The mussels were outstanding as was the special appetizer, gnocchi and lobster. They use a nice lite sauce on the mussels and they were cooked perfectly. The gnocchi was slightly pan-​fried and the big chunks of lobster were wonderful and big but too few. But, the corn bisque was overpowered by the taste of the cucumber they added and not enjoyable at all, I sent it back.
For the mains, my lamb chops were ordered medium to medium-​well with just a touch of pink. The chop that I cut into was pure burnt-​black and the meat inside was leather. It was burnt so badly that it crunched when I cut it. First, I can’t believe they served it and second, I can’t believe the waiter didn’t catch it but as we found out during the rest of the meal, the waiter was not stellar. I sent it back and waited. And waited. And waited. The waiter had said that he would rush it out but disappeared for 20 minutes. Another waiter came over and told us that the lamb would be out shortly but by that time my wife and daughter had finished their meal and I didn’t feel like eating alone so I told them to forget it. The manager came over to apologize. THEN our waiter came back to apologize.
My wife had the swordfish which was recommended by the waiter. It was way overdone and chewy but my wife was hungry so she kept it. The truffle fries were ice cold but the cauliflower was excellent.
When I booked the reservation they told me that they would do something really special for my wife’s birthday dessert. When my wife was in the restroom I spoke to the waiter and he reiterated this. I didn’t know what it would be but I trusted that they had done this before and it would be really nice. The waiter really pushed the «Bristol Tower» for the table saying that there was a «wow» factor to it so I figured what the heck. There were some other things on the menu that I would have preferred but I thought that it might be nice. So here’s the «wow». They put a single candle on it and wrote «Happy Birthday» on the plate in chocolate sauce. That’s it. I didn’t expect a Mariachi Band or fireworks but I did expect a bit more. A few minutes later and two tables away someone else got the same desert. Same cake, same serving plate, just no candle and writing. To make matters worse the cake was so mediocre that I gave up half-​way though my slice. A Hostess Cupcake would have tasted better, really.
The water glasses were empty through the entire meal. I had to ask another waiter for a refill and that was the only one. I ordered an ice tea and was never offered a refill on it either. Our waiter was MIA through most of the meal. We got the cake comp’d and they took the bisque and lamb off the bill. No other recompense was offered. At this level of restaurant I would have thought that they would have bent over backwards after the first miss but it was just miss after miss and in the end a very disappointing birthday for my wife. I’ll make it up to her by taking her to a restaurant that we know will be good but we will NEVER revisit the Bristol Restaurant.

Beautiful bar in a beautiful hotel.
No expenses spared in building this unique bar /​restaurant.
Fast and friendly service.
True professionals looking to make your experience a good one!

I was just reminiscing with my wife about places we’ve eaten recently. We were both so disappointed with our experience here I decided to write a review.
Flashback to Christmas 2014, a matinée of White Christmas followed by dinner at the Bristol. A treat for all.
Absolutely beautiful setting, I can think of nothing man made in Boston so keeping with the season. Now for my bit of wisdom (move on and ignore the review), have a walk around, maybe an overpriced drink and go somewhere else.
Okay, now why its a two star.
Eight people on tables meant for six. Crazy big plates, no room to eat.
Over priced steak (cooked perfectly) served with an enormous side of arugula and — get this — a head of roasted garlic — all on the same plate. Okay, seriously, we order $ 50 piece of steak and that’s what the presentation is? It was a horror show. Seriously, give me a smaller plate without the nonsense.
If money is no object or you’re on an expense account — go for it. Take a picture. But if you like food and want to bring your business to places that really give you something good to eat — go somewhere else.

If you are looking to impress your friends, family, or coworkers, make a reservation at the Bristol Lounge.
This place is super classy and has a fantastic location across Boylston Street from the Public Garden.
To cut costs, order the Bristol Burger. It’s $ 23 and comes with a side of the most delicious truffle fries.
Drinks are on the pricier side. They can definitely run upwards of $ 15 for a cocktail or glass of wine.
I think the cost is worthwhile for the great service and fancy setting. I would say it is comparable to the Taj bar in terms of service, class and cost.

I came here on a Tuesday night for dinner and was underwhelmed with the entrees. I actually enjoyed the appetizers a lot more. For starters we ordered the ahi tuna tartare, half a dozen of oysters, and the golden nantucket chowder. The tuna tartare was absolutely perfect with a good portion of avocados. It went really well with the chili ginger ponzu. The oysters were really fresh! I devoured it in seconds. The chowder had big chunks of crab too — mm mm good! As for entrees, my friend and I ordered the filet mignon and the truffled wagyu beef meatballs. The filet mignon was really good, but I could get it anywhere else. Nothing too special about it. The meatballs were really dry and it just didn’t sing in my mouth. I originally wanted to order the duck two-​ways but they ran out =/​Bummer. I think I would’ve enjoyed dinner more if there was duck. The dessert menu was underwhelming as well. I’ll probably be back, but for the afternoon tea.

Damn. The burger here is extraordinary. Pure perfection. The chowder was fantastic too. Love love loved it. Very expensive and totally worth it. We loved this place, recommend it, and will definitely return. Only reason this isn’t five stars is the vibe. The crowd is on the mid 50s+ side (mostly much older) and the room feels like it’s in serious need of an update.

Went here for Burgers & Burgundy on Wednesday. It was my first time (you always remember your first); a couple of my friends were regulars though.
For those of you not familiar with this promotion, it is every Wednesday night. For $ 35, you get 2 glasses of wine that I presume is from the Burgundy region of France. You also get your choice of one of their gourmet hamburgers. You also get to dine in a fairly posh setting. By «fairly posh» I mean it is way nicer than anywhere I go on a typical Wednesday night.
The wine was superb. Much more flavorful than the typical $ 10 glass of Malbec you get everywhere else.
The burger was fairly thin, but the bread and toppings were delicious. I got the pepper jack burger, which had tortilla strips and jalapenos. The fries were those really thin fries covered in parmesan cheese. I didn’t eat them because I don’t like thin fries covered in parmesan cheese; but I’m sure the ladies love ‘em.
I skipped dessert and had a double shot of espresso, because Jesse Spano. It was damn good coffee! For all I know it was a Nespresso pod; but it tasted like it came from a pretty high-​end machine.
It would be a good spot to bring a date (and you could get out for under $ 100 all-​in). But truthfully, this is best for a group of friends after work. Will definitely be back.

This is for the afternoon tea. My mom, sister, and I have the occasional habit of bonding over afternoon teas, after a memorable trip to London, with its cute finger sandwiches and themed desserts. While I am happy there are places in Boston that serve afternoon tea (despite the city’s shaky history with tea), I was underwhelmed by the tea at the Bristol Lounge and felt it was overpriced.
— The tea selection is good and high quality, although they are not vigilant about refilling your teapot, unlike other places. I also prefer places that help you with steeping the tea for the perfect amount of time (some places use timers or special teapots).
— The scone and fruit cake are good, and the clotted cream is fluffy and tasty, though not fully authentic (it’s a bit too white and fluffy). The jam is good as well, and I didn’t try the lemon curds. Too bad there wasn’t more to spread these delicious condiments on!
— The sandwiches were made of incredibly high quality ingredients and were creative (we had crab cake, chicken salad, and goat cheese sandwiches). However, they were one third the size of what I’m used to. Sandwich size is especially important, because if they are too small, then the desserts become overwhelming.
— The desserts were cute but very small. They were also very bready desserts — I would have liked more variety in textures and flavors. They tasted very good but didn’t have the cute glamorous appeal of British tea desserts.
My mom and I both left not quite full, when afternoon teas should be lavish experiences! The atmosphere is good, and so is the food quality, but there was major quantity lacking from this afternoon tea.

There really need to be more dessert buffets in the world.
When I stepped into this restaurant located inside the Four Seasons Hotel, my eyes immediately lit up when I feasted my eyes on the beautiful spread laid out for their Saturday night All You Can Eat Dessert Buffet.
I had this place bookmarked from seeing a lot of great reviews for the Bristol Burger and other good food. However, as a guest in the hotel, I noticed a sign in the elevator for this glorious event that takes place only on Saturdays and costs just $ 18 for as much dessert as you want, and I knew I had to try it.
I think most people see something like this and skip it by having better judgement and realizing that it is just way too much sweets and sugar, so it was not very crowded. I saw a lot of people walk by it on their way to the rest of the restaurant, staring at it in shock and awe. This was perfect for us, as we had our pick of everything with no waiting.
They have a ton of excellent desserts: ice cream, cupcakes, cake pops, little fruit tarts, lollipops, and a whole crêpe-​making station, with different toppings and fillings you can customize.
The ice cream was probably the best part, with 3 or 4 different flavors and a ton of toppings to make your own sundae. I probably tried them all, with some of the great caramel popcorn topping, but I can’t remember because I was in a sugar coma.
The cupcakes and cake pops were pretty good, but I was so overwhelmed that I could hardly taste anything anymore. I would have liked to see some brownies and/​or cookies though, too, instead of maybe those lollipops and tarts. That would have been perfect.
As part of the excellent Four Seasons Hotel chain, the service was of course impeccable. Our waiter happily repeatedly refilled our coffee, tea and water.
This is a great time for any fan of sweets. Make sure you have plenty of room though when you come, to make sure you can consume plenty of this sweetness to leave with a nice, satisfying, stomachache.