The Early Word on Bar Boulud

On the ambiance:

• "This place is a place to see and be seen.""First, the location is gorgeous. It has a french winery/bistro feel as some of the walls are covered with what looks like wine cases, nice concept." -Michael C., Yelp
• "The room...has been completely restyled and has a much more casual feel to it than Asana...The ceiling has large wooden arches which gave me the feeling that you were on the inside of a large wine cellar. Overall it is a pleasant dining environment." -RoyRon, Chowhound
• "Very cold in the restaurant which makes it unpleasant after awhile." -DDDD, Opentable
• "Overall we liked it but the acoustics in there makes the place very loud. So... Don't try to go there for a romantic meal or with a group of friends that you'd actually like to hear what they're saying to you. The table behind us had 4 people practically shouting at each other. No ( I'm not 90 years old with a hearing issue)" -j12551, Opentable
• "Bar Boulud is a 'scene.' The space is very attractive, but the noise level can be deafening." -LivingInFrance, Opentable
• "Seeing the buzz at the bar, this place is a place to see and be seen." -DanB, Opentable

On the food:

• "The French know what they are doing.""The food...ranged from good to excellent and I would return to try other items I didn't try on my first visit...[The rillions] were far superior to any Latin version of the dish I have had before...Shrimps Al Ajillio - Shrimp in a garlic cream sauce. It's as delicious as it sounds...I like when food looks like art...Super Green Spinach - it was super and it was very green...The French know what they are doing...[The Croque Madame] dish was not only heavenly and rich but the presentation was gorgeous." -Michael C., Yelp
• "Pretentious and not-so-crowd-pleasing appetizers." -Jen W., Yelp
• "The charcuterie board was thoughtfully and tastefully put together...It was not by any means high end (aka, you can find similar stuff at any French grocery store), but for the US and Boston, one of the better boards in town...The escargot did not have the punch of garlic and butter that usually accompanies escargot and makes escargot exciting." -David D., Yelp
• "[The Aubergine Ravioli and Lemon Sole Meunière] were spot on...my Sole was one of the better seafood offerings I've had recently." -RoyRon, Chowhound
• "Expectations were too high. The food, while very good by any standards, did not WOW me. The Salade Chou Chou was something I make 5 days a week for work. The Aubergine ravioli lacked depth; the sole Meuniere was perfectly cooked and delicious - but not transporting. The ribeye was cooked perfectly." -MEOtheLeo, Opentable
• "These were some of the best pates I've ever had." -Kerrie Urban, Urban Foodie Finds

On the drink:

• "I started with a very well mixed Rye Manhattan.""My issue is that I when I order a glass of pinot noir, I expect it to be served at room temperature.  Here, it was served COLD. Ice cold.  It wasn't a bar back's mistake, it was done on purpose.  They keep all of their bottles on ice (or so I was told).  I'm no wine snob (I'm not exactly sure what I'm supposed to taste when a server asks me to taste the wine before he serves the rest of the table), but I know enough to know that red wine is supposed to be served at room temperature." -Jen W., Yelp
• "I started with a very well mixed Rye Manhattan that at $17.00 was expensive but at the same time a very generous pour." -RoyRon, Chowhound
• "They have a large wine list; unfortunately most of the wines were fairly expensive even by the glass." -Carol, Opentable

On the service:

• "The service was laughable.""After a great welcome by the manager we sat down and were eventually greeted by our waiter. The only time we saw our waiter from that point on was to take our order and to get the check and offer dessert. When plates were taken after the appetizers we were left without silverware for about 5 minutes into our entree. We were also left without beverages for extended periods of time....Since they've only been open for a week I'm giving them a bit of a pass, but for this caliber of restaurant the service was unacceptable." -Michael C., Yelp
• "Service at check-in was excellent.  The waitstaff seems a bit confused and work-flow was not clearly communicated.  I expected a much higher caliber waitstaff given the reputation of the restaurant, and was left disappointed." -David D., Yelp
• "The service was very good and we recognized several of the staff who had previously worked at Asana. The waitstaff were all very professional and knowledgeable about each of dish on the menu." -RoyRon, Chowhound
• "The service was laughable. Our server was not interested in our table once she took our order and was demonstrably disappointed to find we only wanted wine by the glass w/each course. She blew this completely (the Somellier jumped in to save the day)." -MEOtheLeo, Opentable

Overall:

• "A bit pricey for French peasant food.""Overall, the ambiance is nice, the service was ok, and the food was good, but definitely not memorable or what you would expect for a fine dining experience." -David D., Yelp
• "I think Bar Boulud is another great addition to the Boston dining scene. We were very happy with our first meal at Bar Boulud and will certainly be back." -RoyRon, Chowhound
• "A bit pricey for French peasant food." -DanB, Opentable
• "Hot new restaurant in Boston is definitely a winner." -j12551, Opentable
• "I suspect this will be a place for tourists but not locals." LivingInFrance, Opentable
• "Bar Boulud was one of the most anticipated restaurant openings this year, and it definitely lived up to all of the hype. This place easily has potential to become one of the most popular in Boston." -Kerrie Urban, Urban Foodie Finds