Intrigue Cafe

Pretty terrible really. We had lunch here. I have come before for drinks/​coffee and it has been fine.
— We had a reservation but they hadn’t bothered to get a table set up for us (we were a party of six) so we had to hang around while they squeezed us on a table meant for 4.
— They forgot to give us menus.
— We ordered drinks but they bizarrely left them sitting on the bar tantalizing us for 5 minutes.
— For appetizers I had the scallops. They were very tasteless and supected of being frozen. The dumplings and soup were reported as ok.
— For main course I had a hot dog. It was very much a hot dog, not a gourmet dog as I had mistakenly supposed. The cheeseburger was rare despite being ordered well done. The salmon fine.
— My daughters were supposed to have a cheese sandwich. We don’t know what it was like as they just didn’t bring it. After we had had our entrees for 15 minutes they told us it was still being made upstairs.
— It was altogether a 1 star experience but I am giving them 3 stars as they comped our entrees after I complained.
— They don’t validate parking. So beware!

This place is elegant and has really great dessert during high tea. The service was nice– there were rose petal arrangements on the table when me and my friends arrived. The finger food not only looked good but tasted good. The view is gorgeous– you are literally right at the water. My friends and I also really enjoyed their tea selection.

Location, Location, Location! This place is all about the location. Its in the lobby of the Boston Harbor Hotel which is one of the romantic spots in all of Boston. There are constantly engagement sessions as well as weddings being photographed there. So… why? Why is it so photogenic? The Boston Harbor Hotel and more specifically the Intrigue Café sits right on Rowes Wharf. What makes Rowes wharf so special you ask? Aside from the gorgeous yachts parked within, there is a giant gazebo structure out in the water. The gazebo is a perfect location for dancing and movie viewing in the summertime and always provides an amazing setting for the sunset.
The Intrigue café has both indoor and outdoor seating providing the season. Its a classic tearoom in a large parlor with a very ornate detailing on the walls and the ceiling. They have amazing cocktails and a very
diverse menu.
My friends and I all enjoyed the cactus margarita and shared the gauc. Then I had the crab, cod, and salmon cakes which was served with spicy remoulade. We also sampled a lemontini, pomtini and a blood orange martini.
All of drinks and food were great and the service was amazing.

Went here last night for a friend’s birthday and the summer «Movie by Moonlight». The food was good, a bit pricey, but the real draw is the location. The patio seating at the edge of Rowes Wharf offered lovely sunset views and salty sea air with dinner. The outdoor movie was a lot of the fun too. After cleaning our plates, we flipped our chairs around for a screening of the 1968 sci-​fi classic, «Planet of the Apes». (That’s Charlton Heston, not Marky Mark, growling, «Take your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape!»)

I came here for the tea service and was thoroughly impressed. We had a large table in the back and we were given the option of 3 teas: light (only scones), traditional (3 tiered scones, sandwiches, and dessert) and Harbor (traditional + champagne and strawberries).
Most of us got the traditional. We had about 12 tea choices, and I went with the flowering earl grey. It was delicious! Tasted like the scent of flowers. The finger sandwiches included a shrimp and olive tart, egg salad, chicken salad, and a salmon sandwich. I didn’t really care for any but the chicken salad. The desserts were all good and service was great too.
Highly recommended!

We reserved a table for 10 in between the end-​of-​year holidays — we were seated away from the lobby so we could not only hear ourselves but also enjoy the view of the harbor and the live piano music. Service was super accomodating — we met initially in the bar and finishing up drinks so late for the reservation, which was no problem, plus the host was on the lookout for arriving members of our dining party.
The server and cook accomodated our vegetarians and vegans, who requested both subtractions and additions (cheese) to the menu, plus a special veggie dish, made to order. The server went out of his way to meet a special desert request, ending up by offering a related consolation drink on the house. No pressure to leave or pay which was great for a dinner amongst friends.
Everyone enjoyed their food — from the hamburger to tuna to butternut squash ravioli with mushroom sauce. Both the café and the bar across the lobby are relaxing settings and very attentive service, contrary to some reviewers. We would return without question and recommend it, even in the winter when the popular outdoor seating is not available.

This was my first high tea experience and it was entirely satisfying.
I went with two of my friends, one of whom is a self-​proclaimed «girly girl.» She adored the rose petal bedecked table and crescent shaped plates. She was also hoping to get champagne (underage), but no such luck. Instead we had large glasses of sparkling cider which were refilled as frequently as we desired.
The food was both beautiful and filling, with three tiers of treats, from scones, to avocado and shrimp tarts, to truly amazing egg salad, as well as cheesecake, fruit tarts, cream puffs, and more.
We also all decided on the Boston Harvest Blend tea which we determined tasted like «Christmas.» Yum!
The waiter was kind enough to take a few pictures of us sipping tea in our tea dresses and waited on us just enough to be attentive while still allowing for a relaxing atmosphere.
I am no tea expert, but as one of the most affordable high teas in Boston, the Harbor Hotel puts on a delicious and soothing experience, perfect for a ladies’ lunch or treat for a mother and daughter to enjoy.

234 years after some Americans threw my tea in the harbour and now they’re serving it up to me, an Englishman, in the very spot — ironic… but also very pleasurable. In fact, it was one of the best afternoon teas on offer in Boston right now. And given the high profile location — it needed to be.
Actually, there was nothing outstanding about the food, the service, the tea selection, the tableware and the décor… but it was all 4-​star good. Nothing adventurous, but nothing done badly.
Very good plus points…
: A harbour view — wonderful on a sunny afternoon
: Live pianist playing who actually has talent
: Much lower prices than competing hotel afternoon teas
: If you order champagne you get a very big glassful
Not so good points…
: The pretentious lower/​uppercase name — inTRIGUE Café — er, hello the 90s ended a while ago!
: The building — I hate 1990s neoclassic architecture (I guess I should take that one up with the hotel not the café)
Strange point (but probably good)…
: Rose petals strewn all over our table before we arrived — what if we were meeting for business? Haha!
THE MAIN POINT…
: It was just so relaxing.

Imagine… On a warm sunny day and you sipping tea with a friend and enjoying tasty little treats while listening to a live pianist in an elegant café… ah… how relaxing can it be, especially after a grungy week…
The afternoon tea at the Intrigue Café, located inside the Boston Harbour Hotel, was truly a delight. The café is decorated in a traditional style, but without being stuffy, in relaxing neutral colors and paintings that adorned the walls. Although, a painting of the Boston’s waterfront would make more sense since the hotel is located there instead of a painting of Boston’s Public Garden.
Food was good as well, offering a variety of sweet and savoury treats, with notable ones such as strawberries and cream, profiteroles, and mini fruit tarts. It was a bit disappointing that there wasn’t more variety for the savories, because the only vegetarian kind there was an open face egg sandwich. The desserts were light and lovely because they were not overwhelmingly sweet. You don’t feel heavy or have a sugar high after eating them. As for tea, there was a good variety to choose from too. Service was pleasant and friendly, though a bit slow at the beginning.
So if you’re looking for a relaxing way to unwind during the weekend, come and have tea… have a conversation with a friend… have some food… and more tea!

I give this place 3 stars for outdoor seating. The food and service however are mediocre at best. Stick to drinks and you will be much happier!

Boston Harbor Hotels «other» restaurant doesn’t hold a candle to Meritage. Mediocre food in a weird, dated setting.
I had dinner at Meritage on Monday, so when my out of town friend, who was staying at BHH asked me to meet him for dinner at the hotel last night, we opted to try Intrigue. I ordered the boneless spare ribs app and the fontina stuffed chicken breast for an entrée. The ribs were barely warm and extremely chewy and fatty. The chicken was pretty good, but I realized when it arrived that it was the same as an appetizer that my friend had at Meritage a few days before on the restaurant week menu. This made it obvious that the food was prepared ahead in the main kithcen and then «heated up» at Intrigue.
The salt in the wound for my visit to Intrigue is that they refused to validate my parking (Meritage does!) — so it cost me $ 18.00 to park while I ate my mediocre food. All set with Intrigue.

A very grown-​up kind of room, with a grown-​up menu. Piano music is a nice touch, but the place would be nothing without the waterfront view of boats. Portions are actually a bit bigger than I’ve seen at other high end places, which I like. Flavors are clean, fine ingredients showcased on the plate with minimum interference, which is what many places overlook.

Good Food, Bad service. It’s a wonderful place to sit out on the patio and have lunch while watching all the mega yachts dock and cruise by in the Boston Harbor. The Food is great! Their salads and Lobster roll are refreshing. However, you have to keep asking over and over for drinks and the check. Located at the luxurious Boston Harbor Hotel on the Rowes Wharf.