Tres Gatos — Restaurant in Boston

A Love Letter to Tres Gatos: A Valentine’s Night to Remember

Walking into Tres Gatos on Valentine’s Day felt like stepping into something special. The warm glow of candlelight, the hum of conversation, and the rich aroma of expertly crafted dishes floating through the air—it all set the perfect stage for an unforgettable night.

From the moment we sat down, it was clear that this wasn’t just dinner. It was an experience. A handwritten valentine waited at each place setting, a simple but thoughtful touch.

The service? Absolutely phenomenal. Coming from the service industry myself, I have a deep appreciation for a team that works together. Last night was an A game night. And let me tell you, this team danced—seamless, synchronized, with every member touching every table, making sure each guest felt seen and taken care of. Chefs kiss.

The Courses: A Culinary Performance

The evening kicked off with a welcome sip—a small but powerful opening note that set the tone for the night. I followed it up with one of their signature cocktails, a gin and brandy mix with pomegranate and fresh mint, balanced just right. Smooth. Refreshing.

Then came the food. And oh, the food.

The beef tartare was the perfect opening number—bold, textured, expertly composed. I can be picky when it comes to raw meat (texture is everything), but this? This was flawless. Then, the hamachi crudo, bright and citrusy, with a green soy-based sauce that played with freshness in the best way. A real palate awakener.

The grilled octopus followed, served alongside patatas bravas. The way everything on the plate was cut to the same size was such a fun little trick. In the dim candlelight, you didn’t know whether you were about to bite into a crisp potato or a tender piece of octopus—it was a surprise with every forkful.

Next, the halibut with cabbage, crispy shallots, and this beautiful caramelized element that added the perfect depth of flavor. Sweet, smoky, unexpected. And finally, the dessert: a churro with dipping sauce. Now, listen. I love churros, but I don’t always love dipping them. Still, by the time dessert arrived, I was so blissfully full that I almost couldn’t finish mine. Almost.

Somewhere along the way, I tried caviar for the first time—how I, a lifelong fish lover, had never had caviar before, I do not know. But it came with my partner’s sweet potato empanada, and it was divine. Every single bite of this meal was thoughtfully composed, flavors layered and balanced with such care that you could tell the kitchen was having fun. This was a team that had been given the freedom to create something truly special. And they did.

Beyond the Food: A Record Store with Soul

After dinner, we made our way to the book & record store tucked in the back—a hidden gem, bustling with life. The selection? Impressive. Eclectic, but intentional. If you were looking for Christmas records, you could find them. If you wanted Miley Cyrus, they had that, too. But if you were after something rare, something special, this was the place.

What makes this space special is the people. Truly, the whole place was vibing all night. It was just a vibe. Everybody was doing great. The guy in the record store knew every record, ready to have deep conversations about music. You could feel his passion for what he did, and that made all the difference.

Final Thoughts: Why You Should Go

If you’re looking for any date night spot in Boston, this is the one. It’s intimate without being pretentious, lively without being overwhelming. The food is an event. The service is top-tier. The atmosphere? Just perfect.

And as spring rolls in, I have a feeling this place is going to be the spot. Just a ten-minute walk from the train, in the heart of Jamaica Plain—a neighborhood full of history and charm—Tres Gatos is one of those places that sticks with you. You’ll go once, and you’ll already be planning your next visit before you’ve even finished...

My guest and I were very disappointed. We ordered three food items:

The first item, chicken liver mousse, came with a lovely bread for spreading which was unfortunately burnt. I should have sent it back; I would have complained to my server but I didn’t really see her again until we got the check.

The lamb burger was really very tasty but minuscule. However, I expected as much because it was a tapas so I didn’t mind.

The mixed paella was supposedly a main course “for two” and priced as such but I found it AT MOST a generous portion for one person. It was absolutely delicious and we both enjoyed it, but there was simply not enough. Additionally, the bottom layer of it was a small bit burnt as well but not as bad as the bread.

We also ordered a seasonal cider which was VERY delicious. I would have ordered another but as I said our server didn’t come back to the table until she dropped off the check so I didn’t have the opportunity.

By the end of the evening we had spent $76 on these three food items and one drink (pre-tax!) and WE BOTH LEFT HUNGRY. I understand it’s a Tapas bar and the idea is to order multiple items, but at a certain point the portion sizes are just too small. Especially the paella, which we were told was intended to serve two as a main course. I mean for goodness sakes, IT IS MOSTLY RICE, why not give people a little more?

I would have possibly ordered a dessert but I was annoyed with our server who barely attended to us. We did tip her well because everyone is struggling right now in the service industry.

We were seated in a corner near some sort of noisy air conditioning which was a real ambience-killer, but I can forgive for that because I know with COVID everyone is scrambling to seat people outside wherever they can.

The over-all experience was a major letdown and I have had much better meals in JP. I was embarrassed to bring my date there and we went to another location down the street for dessert because I felt ripped off here. I don’t understand why the reviews for this place are so good, I imagine things were different pre-covid or just JP people will pay ridiculous amounts for authentic tasting food regardless of its amount, but I lived in Europe for 4 years and I know good food doesn’t mean overly-expensive food. I would have given one star but the cider and paella flavors alone stopped me.

I won’t be back to Tres Gatos and I will caution anyone who considers going there that they very possibly will leave hungry OR spent $100+ for 2 people. It was good but it wasn’t...

TL;DR: Ambiance was great, service was good, food was bad (extremely salty, churros served raw). Save your money and don’t go here!

I honestly can’t believe this place has such good reviews.

I’d been wanting to try Tres Gatos since I moved to JP a few months ago because I’d only heard great things. Unfortunately it did not live up to the hype at all.

It’s a nice cozy space with small tables and friendly staff. The music was slightly loud but we were able to talk mostly comfortably. Our server gave us good advice on how much to order, and we ended up going with the tomato salad, the lentils, the mussels, and a small vegetable paella (which was the perfect amount for two).

The tomato salad was nice and fresh and I appreciated the labneh, but it was way too salty. The lentils were literally just boiled lentils with an egg yolk and shishito relish on top (didn’t add much flavor), and the only thing you could taste was (too much) salt. The mussels were good but basically just mussels cooked in a simple red curry sauce that could’ve been from a jar.

But the worst offender was the paella: it was cooked in a tomato sauce reminiscent of marinera and didn’t taste like paella at all, it was way too wet which meant it didn’t have any crispy edges, and of course it was over salted (notice a theme here?). To make matters worse, the only vegetables in it were peas, extremely tough green beans (like chewing construction paper), and a few slices of radish place delicately on top (??). I feel bad for our poor server who kept having to come over to refill our water glasses because of the extreme amount of salt in everything.

Finally, we decided to order the only dessert on the menu, churros with chocolate sauce, because we wanted a break from the salt. The chocolate sauce was great but the churros were completely raw on the inside (literally batter except for a hard shell on the outside). The worst part is that when we called our server over to send the churros back, they said, “Yeah, that happens sometimes” and immediately removed it from our bill. HELLO?? If you’re consistently serving raw churros to customers, especially at such a high priced restaurant, they absolutely shouldn’t be on the menu!

The only reason Tres Gatos is getting 2 stars is because of the service and atmosphere. Even if this was an off night, I can’t imagine the food quantity would bounce back so quickly to how it appears in other reviews. Please save your hard earned money and...