Sintra Restaurant

I had heard great things about this place and was beyond pleased in my recent visit. The staff was very friendly, had some great advice and the food was delicious! There wasn’t one thing that the three of us ordered that did exceed our expectations!

This is my second time at Sintra and it will become my new go to! Last minute my boyfriend and I decided to cancel a reservation we had in Hingham to stay local and decided on Sintra and I am so glad we did. Delicious homemade hummus spread with rolls to start; we then split the eggplant, roasted pepper and goat cheese tart on a bed of mixed greens with a tasty balsamic vinaigrette-​it was sooooo good and I don’t even particularly like goat cheese. I was lucky enough to score their last portion of haddock and it was perfectly cooked and super fresh, paired with roasted vegetables and whipped potatoes. My boyfriend had the seafood risotto which he thoroughly enjoyed. I already can’t wait to return!

Came here for dinner for the first time the other night. Love the whole setup of the restaurant & décor. Bartender was friendly and the drinks were made well. We started with oysters, yum! Our main dishes came out at the perfect time and were very hot. It is a little pricey, but you get large portions and fresh delicious food. Will be returning very soon :)
*We had already begun to dig into our food (we couldn’t wait), the presentation was nicer when they first arrived*

Good service, decent food, good drinks. Just don’t get the duck. The sauce they use is way too sweet!

Great date night spot! Incredible food. We had the crab/​cod cakes along with the mussels for apps. I had the salmon entrée and my boyfriend had the sirloin. We are such foodies, and were both equally impressed. Quick and friendly service from start to finish. Cozy environment. Couldn’t have asked for a better meal.

Great food and tremendously friendly service. I’ve had a lot of their meals and apps and they are wonderful. The clams are excellent.
The pasta, duck and chicken are terrific main dishes.

I took my boyfriend here for his birthday last night and it was such a great meal! Prices aren’t cheap, but for a celebration it was a fair price.
First, service was excellent. Our waiter was friendly, quick, and was knowledgeable about the menu.
Second, drinks. I had a ‘new experience,’ a delicious gin cocktail and an excellent glass of wine.
Third, food. As per other Unilocal reviews we started with the meatball appetizer which did not disappoint. My boyfriend loved his sirloin, and if such a thing were possible, I liked my leftover duck for lunch today even more than last night. We will definitely be back next time we want to celebrate or just treat ourselves to a nice meal out.

Tucked next to our go to sushi spot for a quick weeknight dinner, Sintra was an afterthought until the boy won a GC at a golf tournament. The space is divided in two, a bar area and a few high tops on the right and the kitchen and main dining space to the right. Tables were limited and upon arrival, the host said that we got the last open table because of reservations.
Beverage selections were more than adequate for a restaurant this size — about 30 wines equally split between white and red, a dozen or so cocktails, and solid list of bottled beers. We had the crab and cod cakes with local greens and lemon aioli to start. Great texture and pan seared to a golden brown though a bit skimpy on the aioli. I had the seared salmon with saffron risotto and wilted spinach. Again, sear was on point and the salmon was perfectly cooked, but the dish was a bit muted in flavor. The boy had the pan seared chicken with potato wedges and wilted spinach.
Service was a bit wonky. I don’t need someone to check on us frequently, but I ended up having replenishing our wines. The final tab came to $ 100 before tip. Though the meal was fine, I felt that neither the food, ambiance, or service was quite exquisite enough to put Sintra on the rotation for our night outs.

My husband and I saw the restaurant featured in Chronicle so we decided to try it out. We went there early 5:30pm, the place is very quaint and contemporary. We were given a table by the window which was great because we could see outside and enjoy the street view. Our waitress, Mendi, made the experience very enjoyable. We could tell she was very genuine and she likes her job. The signature Sintra Martini is to die for, the pork and veal meatballs are out of this world and my seafood risotto and my husband’s duck sent us to heaven. We didn’t finish our meal so we could have the warm chocolate cake with ice cream for dessert. By the way I had a second signature Martini… just delish!!! Mendi we will be back soon. Thanks for everything Mendi we’ve never met any waitress as nice and genuine as you… and we go out to eat a lot!

We went here to try someplace new. Overall it was good. Husband had the prosciutto appetizer (tasty) and I had the arugula salad (a bit one note — peppery arugula and peppery grana padano). For the entrée, Husband had the ravioli special — mascarpone cheese with corn, artichokes, and asparagus with duck filet on top. The duck was good and crispy. I had the shrimp and gnocchi entrée. The flavor was great. However, I had to hunt for the gnocchi! Usually gnocchi is just made with red sauce, so I was excited that there was «stuff» with it. But there was more shrimp than gnocchi — which is good if you love shrimp, but disappointing if you really really wanted gnocchi.
There is parking in the back, and the servers were nice and friendly.
Overall, the food was pretty good, but a bit pricey. If we are in the area again, not a bad choice. But I wouldn’t make a special trip out.

Nice lil place. Décor could be a tad more quaint and cozy. Rather bare and utilitarian. Meatball apps very tasty. Good selection of wines. Waitress was very nice
Got the shrimp and gnocchi plate with a creamy pesto sauce, Out standing flavor !
A touch of the North end in Braintree. Just don’t have to pay to park !

Friday night walk in with my boyfriend. Very friendly waitstaff. Food was outstanding! Tomato bisque and arugula salad for apps. I had large portion of seafood risotto and he the spinach ratatouille special. So tasty!!! Dessert was amazing. Salted caramel gelato and a chocolate brownie/​cake. We will definitely be back!

My husband and I had a lovely meal. My husband has many food allergies and they were extremely accommodating. The waitress and chef were very interactive and wanted to make sure my husband could have a safe meal which he did. Thank you. We will be back!

One of the best meals I have had in a very long time. The menu does not have a long list of «good» options, but a short list of exceptional options.
On our visit my BF and I ordered the Scottish salmon and seafood risotto respectively, and both dishes were absolutely out of this world. From the presentation, to how well the seafood was cooked and the delectable sides — it was a phenomenal meal.
Service was attentive and friendly without being intrusive and the atmosphere was upscale enough to make for a lovely night, but in no way pretentious.

Sintra was participating Dine out Boston 15. So, I couldn’t miss the opportunity. I called an hour early to reserve table, since it was Friday evening. When I arrived with family we were seated fast. The prefix menu for the dine out that day was the poached shrimp, braised short rib and a glass of house wine. So, I decided to try the prefix menu and my family ordered their Sintra favorite entrées (sirloin steak and pasta with meat sauce), two glasses of red wine and the mussels with chorizo and tomato sauce for starter. All dishes were superb! Portions were perfect, Taste was out of this world. Braised short rib with mashed potatos were literally melting in my mouth. It’s funny, how not one of us offer the other to share the dish. We were all carried away with our indulgences.
Wait staffs were very accommodating and the food came out in a perfect temperature.
This is Braintree ‘s finest.

I had heard so much about Sintra but when I went I was very disappointed.
Found the restaurant very dark and almost dirty looking and this was in the fall when there was no snow to track in the restaurant.
The scrod I ordered was just okay and very pricey for the amount served and I am not a big eater.
Service was good but as to presentation Sintra missed the mark by a wide margin.
Would rather spend the same amount a TOSCA’s in Hingham and get a total presentation and better menu selections.

Came back to Sintra for Valentine’s Day, and as always, a great dining experience. The holiday menu items were amazing, including lobster ravioli and a perfect surf ‘n turf. Great wine, great food, great service. This place always delivers.

Sintra is a warm & inviting little spot with an innovative Portuguese/​Italian menu under the very capable direction of Chef Brian Jenkins. Since their expansion & renovation several years ago the restaurant is much easier to locate with a front door access now on the main street in South Braintree Square in addition to the old one from their rear…
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I found Sintra when I did a random search of restaurants in the Weymouth/​Braintree area. It was the night of the Halloween snow storm of 2011, and I didn’t want to drive far. I lived in Braintree as a teenage, hell-​raising punk and, back then, the only fine dining establishments in the area were family-​style restaurants (Say, to the likes of Bugaboo Creek). Other than that, all that Braintree had to offer you was mom and pop joints and sub shops. This little town has grown quite a bit over the years between the many places to eat and shop. Sintra is a shining star among what the new and growing Braintree has to offer. Whenever I don’t have to make the long haul into the city to have an amazing dining experience, I am happy.
Sintra is very elegant and upscale for these parts, and it can hang with the finest big city restaurants. The two dining spaces are small and intimate, so you won’t have any of the noise you would find in larger dining rooms. It also has an incredible loft area for private functions where guests can look down into the open kitchen to see Sintra’s craftsmen prepare their meals.
Service here is exemplary. Our sever knew the menu inside and out, and she was very helpful in getting us to decide what to order. I also should point out that she was quite honest, and didn’t pull the «My personal favorite is… the most expensive item on the menu.» This tactic is one that sales people use to up the bill, and therefore upping their tip. She also wasn’t overly chatty, and gave us time to enjoy the ambiance along with our meal, and checked in on us without being overly intrusive.
The menu and specials is representative of the talent and passion Brian has for great food and presentation. Simply put, we loved everything we ordered. For an appetizer we had the steamed PEI mussels with grilled chorizo and garlic toast that soaked up the spicy tomato sauce the muscles were bathing in. For her entrée, Sandy had the mustard glazed pork chop with rainbow carrots, roasted potatoes and caramelized apples. I had the braised beef short rib with cannellini beans and brussel sprouts, served in a tomato purée with shaved parmesan. This dish literally melts in your mouth. We finished off our meals on a deliciously sweet note with the apple cobbler, and the warm chocolate cake with crème anglaise and coffee ice cream: The perfect end to a fantastic dinner.
I have to mention, that I love chef-​owned restaurants because when it’s your own place, you know there is passion and attention to detail in the food. The Chef/​Owner of Sintra is Brian Jenkins. Given his experience, it is not a surprise that Sintra has been voted as the best bistro on the South Shore by Boston Magazine. The bio below is what is posted on Sintra’s website regarding their talented Chef:
Chef Brian Jenkins was first introduced to the restaurant world at the age of 15 as a dishwasher and line cook in his hometown of Plymouth, Ma. He continued to work in local restaurants until beginning at the Culinary Institute of America in New York in 1991. He had an externship at the Four Seasons in Chicago and graduated in 1993. Upon graduation from the CIA, Brian started his career at the Top of the Hub in Boston, Ma. under Chef Dean Moore. He worked through the ranks from line cook to saucier, to assistant banquet chef and finished as sous chef. He had a short stint in the Bahamas under Roland Czekelius and then a year in Lanai City, Hawaii as a sous chef under Chef Edmund Goto at the Lodge at Koele — one of the highest rated restaurants in Hawaii. Upon moving back to Massachusetts, Brian worked under Chef Paul Booras at Fava in Needham, Ma. for two years. From there he worked as a sous chef under Chef Jamie Mammano at Mistral for a year. Finally, he accepted a job for the Sports Club LA restaurant, blu, as an executive sous chef under Chef Dante deMagistris. While he was there, blu received 3 stars from the Boston Globe.
Sintra isn’t paying for big city real estate so they are priced accordingly. It certainly is not a cheap meal, but it is way more practical than a restaurant in the Back Bay or North End. We had a bottle of wine, an appetizer, entrees, and dessert; and I felt that the bill was quite reasonable for two people. In addition, parking is ample and free, but if you were in the city, you would be paying a hefty parking fee. Sandy and I are really happy to have stumbled up on this hidden jewel so close to home, and we look forward to returning soon.

The chef moved on. Seared tuna off the menu. Every other item contains chorizo. Still good but limited menu. If you are a chorizo junkie, you will be I heaven.