Bullfinchs — Restaurant in Sudbury

First visit to this well-established restaurant in Sudbury after it was recommended by an acquaintance. In short, this was one of the better dining experiences we've had in several years. First impressions are great. The place is well maintained with abundant parking. Décor is elegant, yet simple and very classy, giving the place a very definite upscale vibe. Place was very busy (reservations strongly suggested), yet noise levels were low enough to comfortably carry a conversation without having to raise our voices or strain to listen to the other party. We were waited upon by Todd - an energetic your man who seemed to always know when we needed something. Staff was very attentive and pays attention to even fairly minor details, such as the orientation of cutlery and positioning of glasses with respect to each other. Regardless of all the other niceties, the real treat here is the food. My wife ordered a mussels appetizer and an evening-special swordfish entree, both of which were expertly prepared, beautifully presented and delicious; I had a French onion soup that was superb - abundant onions, flavorful consomme, and a well blended, perfectly molten blend of cheeses. The black and blue filet was really 'medium rare', with color transitions demonstrating it's a real-time cook rather than something sitting in a sous-vide bath for hours before you arrive. The mixture of flavors and textures was simply sublime. Portions are generous, though not unreasonably so. The restaurant's wine cellar is nevertheless very well stocked and very reasonably priced. In summary: I would give them six stars if I could. This is the rare place that gets everything right - the look, the atmosphere, the service, the drinks, the food. This place is worth visiting again, and doing so often.

2022 UPDATE. This restaurant survived the pandemic-related shutdowns well; still has the nice atmosphere, the excellent staff, the amaxingly good food. It continues to be a strong contender for best restaurant...

We went here last night for my son’s 10th birthday (he has a refined palate, it was his choice!) the food was ok, nothing to write home about. The portions were on the smaller side, even the duck was mostly bone. The main reason for the 1 star review is not the food, the food for the price is about a 2.5 star rating.

The 1 star review is for the service. My wife was a waitress throughout college and we are always generous tippers (20-25%) and we are not needy or demanding patrons. We also spend over $150 at most dinners. I do know that when a family with young children walk into a restaurant many wait staff will cringe (expecting a messy or loud table). Those are not my kids. They are polite and we clean up after ourselves. Yet from the moment we sat down I could sense that the waitress assumed the worst and was annoyed she had a family in her section. She ignored our table the entire time and sent her trainee to take our order and check on us. She came by once and didn’t make eye contact or smile or ask how everything was. The trainee was fine, but obviously he was in training so what can you expect? He visited our table maybe 3 times to do the basic ordering and food drop off.

Essentially, we waited to have our order taken (for quite a while), the order was taken, the food was dropped off, the check was dropped off. There was no “can I get you another drink?” or “how is everything?”. We were ignored. Definitely not the service you would expect for the type of restaurant. Thankfully, there was a lovely group of diners next to us that overheard us talking about my son’s birthday and they sang to him and he was so happy! They also noted how well behaved our children were and what a pleasure it was to dine beside us (so nice!). I could have only hoped for the same reception from our waitress. We won’t...

Bullfinchs – Sudbury, Massachusetts

Located in a quaint little town seemingly in the middle of nowhere or perhaps it was because of the direction from where I came. As you walk in, there is a certain warmth that emanates from the room. Nicely decorated linen clad tables, a nice long wooden bar on the left separated from the main dining room by a custom built wood and glass wall. Earthy tones thruout, rich woods and a red block floor. Overhead, holiday music plays softly. Almost like the scene of a Christmas movie.

Two rolls… Nicely plated with a wedge of softened butter and seasoned olive oil served warm. Very nice...

Soup of the day a Jerk Chicken soup that's almost like a soupy chili. With just A little zing, tomato, black bean, onion and garnished with sour cream and fried tortilla strips… yum!

For my main this evening the pan-seared salmon over a sauté of beets, Spinach, roasted tomato and wild rice; finished with herb aioli. Trying to eat “light” I opted for the four once over the eight. This dish was a cross between cuisine and art. It tasted as well as it looked.

Although the dessert offerings were both tantalizing and plentiful, I opted for just my signature cappuccino to be good. Well sculpted with just the right amount of foam and as an added treat, served with three small pieces of biscotti…

This was a great dining experience from minute one… Convenience of online booking, promptly greeted and seated upon arrival and friendly and attentive service. Chris, my server, knew the menu and showed up at just the right times… I highly recommend you come here. You'll have a...