Amar — Restaurant in Boston

One of my favorite fine dining spots in Boston at the moment.

Amar elegantly stands out in a city celebrated for its homely and rustic Portuguese restaurants. Chef Mendes has introduced an exquisite fine dining experience, infusing modern Portuguese cuisine with a panoramic city view that adds an extra layer of allure.

Securing a reservation a month in advance, my anticipation was met with an experience that exceeded expectations. Although we missed out on a window table, our cozy corner spot provided a comfortable and intimate setting.

Our evening started with a trio of seafood delights: Portuguese Carabinero Shrimp, Uni Toast, and Octopus Skewers. The shrimp, served with their heads intact, offered a rich, deep flavor, especially when used as a dip – a novel and delicious approach. The Uni Toast, perched on toasted milk bread, married the creaminess of sea urchin with the aromatic shiso leaves. The Octopus Skewers, though not our favorite, still presented an intriguing blend of nutty miso and collard greens.

For the entrees, we opted for the Shellfish Custard, Rohan Duck and the Black Bass. The Shellfish Custard was an innovative take on Chawanmushi, steeped in a refined seafood broth that elevated the umami of each ingredient. The interplay of textures from the foie gras, uni, mussels, and clams was divine. The Black Bass, bathed in a herb-infused clam broth, delighted with its crispy skin and tender flesh. The Rohan Duck, while tender and flavorful, played it slightly safe, overshadowed by the boldness of the braised duck leg rice.

We closed our evening with some traditional Portuguese desserts - Serradura and Pao de Lao. The Serradura, with its passionfruit sherbet, crunchy Maria cookies, and mango crisps, was a sublime ending to our meal.

Overall, Chef Mendes has skillfully woven together modern Portuguese fare with elements from Japanese and French cuisines. Amar changes their menu quite often, so these might not be available in the future, yet I am definitely willing to go back for...

I greatly enjoyed my experience at Amar. With top notch service, delicious food, and a beautiful dining room with a spectacular view-- I would highly recommend enjoying a meal here. I went with the chefs tasing menu which I detailed below. I'll be back for the Christmas Eve dinner!

Pha-

Great sourdough. Lots of pull with a crunchy crust. The butter on the side is house smoked and has a subtle mesquite smokiness to it. It was unusual , but I really liked it. The olive oil is from Portugal and had a very nice brightness to it. 4/5

amuse bouche Mango meringue Nice pallet cleanser. Melts right in your mouth with a citrusy tangy single bite 4.5/5

Whitefish cracker with cauliflower. Nice umaemi. Fish melts in your mouth and the cracker has a nice crunch. Great texture 5/5

1st course BLUEFIN TUNA Cucumber, tomato, shio koji topped with uni Solid starer. High quality tuna and uni add a nice texture/ flavor combo of umami, ocean, and sweetness. 4/5

2nd course WARM MAINE CRAB MEAT Fermented corn, corn mousse, white truffles Sweet and savory. The corn added a nice sweetness and savoriness that balanced well with the Umaemi of the crab 4/5

3rd course Maine Lobster Wild leeks, Azorean pineapple, vadouvan curry A slam dunk. A perfectly cooked large portion of lobster is bathed in a delicious curry that's has hints of garlic and shallot notes. The azote pineapple is so sweet and savory and added a nice pop. 5/5

4th course WAGYU BEEF Matsutake mushroom, celery root fondant, apple, cabernet jus Can't really go wrong with this. Perfectly cooked and tasty meat. Tasty mushrooms paired well with the apples and celery root fondant. 4/5

Dessert amuse

LEMON CURD ICE Cream huckleberries, osmanthus meringue A nice pallet cleanser. Nice tartness of the meringue And huckleberries with a nice sweetness in background

Dessert

HAZELNUT SPONGE CAKE Hot chocolate mousse, hazelnut sorbet Very decadent and tasty great way to...

This is a wonderful restaurant in the newly opened, gorgeous Raffles Hotel in Back Bay! The atmosphere is elegant but cozy and the views (from the 17th floor) overlooking Copley Square are breathtaking! The hostess at the door (from Ukraine) was so welcoming. The host/maitre’d was superb and made sure everything was running smoothly. Our waiter Mo (Mohamed) was one of the best we have had in all of Boston. Friendly and very helpful. I love round tables and we were lucky to get one. Half of the circle was a booth which we find so comfy. The custard appetizer with seafood was so delicious. Definitely worth trying. We had never had anything like it before. I could have had a large bowl of it! We also had the yummy uni toast, wonderful oysters, delicate fish croquettes and grilled maitake mushrooms. Everything was so flavorful. We also had the elegant cod and the black bass. Both were delicious and perfectly prepared. Our friends had the rice with assorted seafood for 2 (lobster, shellfish and shrimp) which they loved. We had a wonderful dessert with a very light foam and ice cream but I don’t recall the name. Also little custard tartlets which are a Portuguese classic. The slice of chocolate cream cake was elegant but it fell on its side when we cut it. The wine that our waiter recommend was excellent and a good value. We had a drink before dinner at The Long Bar, which is on the 17th floor as well, but overlooks The South End and you can see the harbor in the distance! We had the anchovy toast which we loved and some fantastic tequila mixed drinks with a large, etched ice cube. Long Bar is a gorgeous room with great views too and in the warm weather there is an outside terrace so you can sit outside 17 floors up! It looks incredible. ~ We love that Amar is expanding the culinary palette of Boston which this new and exciting Portuguese seafood...