Serafina Back Bay — Restaurant in Boston

Very Poor Service. My wife and I live on Newbury St and go out to eat often. We decided to visit Serafina last evening as we were walking home from the Pru. We asked for a seat on the patio. We had to engage with the hostess that was just standing there and didn’t even say hello to us as we were viewing the menu posted outside on the sidewalk. In fact, not one person said hello to us not even our server. We just got a “Are you ready?” after sitting there for about 5 minutes on a patio with two tables seated on it (one of them being us). If you are looking for a restaurant to meet or exceed any expectations in service do not visit Serafina Back Bay. Rude Hosts, Servers, and even the Food Runner. When the food runner attempted to drop off a dish we did not order (it was the next table overs) my wife was rudely confronted by the food runner with attitude. We also noticed trash and used lime wedges in the planter that was at food level with our table. We’d expect more from a place as quality as Serafina claims to be. We’ve had better experiences at Applebees. My wife has worked in the restaurant industry as a General Manager and always gives restaurants, in a whole, the benefit of the doubt but even she couldn’t overlook the experience we had. I am extremely disappointed that I had to sit thru a visit like this with my wife because we simply just wanted to have a good time. Isn’t that why we all go out to eat? There was another table seated behind us that the staff seemed to know because the hostess, server and other staff seemed to be focused and socializing with that guest. That guest/table was getting smiles and great service while the rest of the patio suffered. They were even standing in front of the host stand blocking the way in and when I attempted to say excuse me so we could look at the menu before seating nobody moved or even acknowledged us. That should have been a sign right away. We thought we’d give it a chance….boy was that a mistake, the bad service continued. 100 dollars down the drain. We’re giving 2 stars because the food was good, even though the side of parmesan cheese we asked for with my wife’s pasta never came. Everyone we encountered looked miserable and didn’t smile once. I guess you need to know them first in order to get good service. We will not be recommending Serafina Back Bay instead just...

Appetizers: Meatballs: overcooked and seemed like they were in a warmer that was way too hot as they were dry. Honestly tastes like frozen meatballs. Eggplant parmigiana: the eggplant was one single slice about 1/6 of an inch think served in a bowl of sauce and there was more cheese than actual eggplant. This dishes flavor was actually good but would have been more enjoyable if there wasn’t such a minuscule amount of eggplant. It almost practically dissolved into the sauce because it was the thinnest slice.

Entree: Margherita Pizza : I would say 6/10. Ingredients were basic and can honestly get pizza at so many better places. Florentine Pizza: 3/10 the garlic flavor was good but this was overloaded with cheese and very soggy and watery. Oven was too hot cause cheese didn’t even bubble on top and the bottom had alot of black burn marks. Bourbon steak tips: Steak tips were pretty good and the French fries were fresh and crispy Broccoli side: delicious and garlicky perfectly cooked

Service: 4/10 Our servers were not rude but definitely didn’t provide any service. When asking them to hold for a minute so another guest at our table could place an appetizer they walked away and didn’t even refill our drinks or ask us how our food was. After asking for the check they had forgotten and also never brought out parmesan cheese we had asked for. The bus boy was friendlier than our actual server.

I stand by my rating of 2 stars as there are SO many other places that have amazing food and service and provide a dining experience much better than this place, especially for the cost. I wish we had gone somewhere different for dinner and I will definitely not be returning to this...

A good patio experience on Newbury with decent food.

In Newbury's dining scene, the first thing that often comes to mind is overpriced food that doesn't always deliver on quality. On my recent visit to Serafina during open Newbury, I prepared myself for just that. Yet, the allure of the patio, accentuated by the soothing strains of live street music, beckoned me in.

Once seated, the initial wait for service was a bit lengthy. Thankfully, my food came out quickly. I started off with the tuna tartare, and it was simple but good. With a pleasant flavor kick from sashimi mayo and a pairing with the creamy avocado purée, the dish was both refreshing and satisfying. However, Rigatoni alla Bolognese was a bit underwhelming. It was presented with a richly layered meat sauce – an irresistible blend of beef, veal, and pork – but the rigatoni was undercooked.

Overall, Serafina offers a good, picturesque escape on Newbury. While the food did surpass my initial expectations, it still lacked in quality given the price. Nevertheless, a worthy pit stop if you’re looking for a good blend of ambiance and good food on Newbury without a...