Avila

Amazing food and drinks! The seared scallops were to die for!

Restaurant is now CLOSED.
It used to serve decent Mediterranean food. I loved the sea scallops.

A great dining experience.
Went at 6pm on a Saturday, restaurant was moderately busy. First
The Service:
Very attentive, personable and professional. 5 Stars, outstanding. Our server was named Anacia (possibly misspelled) and she graciously took numerous pictures of us. We really appreciated it and tipped accordingly.
The Food:
I had the Philly Cheese Steak Spring Roll as an appetizer and LOVED it. Just the right amount of crunch and flavor. For my entrée I had the Filet Mignon with Horseradish Mashed Potatoes. Amazing, steak cooked perfectly, no complaints at all. My fiancée had the Chicken Under a Brick and we split the Truffle Mac and Cheese for a side. We were both blown away, great food.
The only reason I am not giving it a ⁵⁄₅ is because we ordered desert to go and they did not include a fork. It was clear that we were out-​of-​towners and most likely would have no way to eat the desert properly, a fork in the bag would have been great. VERY minor issue, consider this a 4.9 out of 5.

For a restaurant like this, I expected a little more.
The ambiance of this restaurant is wonderful. I really like the dim lighting and the high ceilings. It is perfect for a romantic dinner. The service was also really good. The server was very helpful with her suggestions and also checked up on us a few times to make sure we were doing well.
However, the food was not that good. I ordered the chicken liver to share. For appetizer I ordered the tuna tartare and for my entrée, I ordered paella. The chicken liver was fried mixed with some kale chips. I thought it was under seasoned but I liked how it was crispy. The tuna tartare was marinade in this soy and sesame oil was too salty. I wished I had some toasts to accompany it to cut the saltiness.
The portion is pretty generous for the entrée, however, it was also too salty for me. I had to constantly drink water to eat this dish. The seafood was fresh though so at least there is an upside to this dish.
For the price you pay for each dish, I definitely had higher expectations. I was quite disappointed. :(

This place is certainly not Davios, and that is unfortunate.
We ordered the mussels, kobe meatball and marinated olives… but the olives never came. The mussels were cooked in a nice broth, but I feel like they weren’t cooked in there long enough as they didn’t retain any of the broths flavor. The meatball was good, but I would think twice about paying $ 7 for a meatball again. Decided not to mention the olives because it is awkward for a restaurant of this caliber.
I got the spaghettini with clams and the pasta was overcooked and clumping together. She got the skirt steak, cooked medium, which was good. Probably the highlight of the meal, along with the drinks.
Drinks were a 5 star, service, at times slow (they forgot to bring over a steak knife with the skirt steak) and then the olives fiasco renders a 2. Food is a 3. There you go.

I should be old enough to know that you don’t always get what you pay for. Certainly, that applies with dining… some of the best meals I’ve had have been at inexpensive greasy spoons. And sadly, the inverse is true… case in point is Avila. If you drop several hundred dollars on dinner and drinks for 4, you have every right to expect an outstanding meal and superb service. Regretably, the best I can say about Avila is «meh.»
While nothing about it was bad, the sad fact is, nothing about Avila struck me as memorable or exceptional. Nothing special about the food. Nothing special about the service. Nothing special about the drinks. And nothing even special about the décor (unless «trying too hard to be hip» counts as special).
Overall, I give this restaurant a B-​. Not bad, but, once again, nothing special.

Great service and food on a Saturday night!
Sat at the bar and had oysters. We were taught in the south to eat them on crackers. Up here you slurp them off the shell, which we had never done. They had a sherry/​shallot vinegarette sauce for the oysters that we’re spectacular! Anyways we downed those and the fried goat cheese fritters. Absolutely tasty. The bartender alex gave us perfect advice on where to go eat the next couple days and also they have this pineapple vodka at the bar that is dangerous bc it tastes just like
Pineapple juice but is straight vodka!
Highly recommend this place! If you haven’t learned yet sitting at the bar is usually better service.

This was my first time at Avila and I came during restaurant week. The interior of the restaurant was beautiful. It was very spacious and quiet. The service was amazing. The waitstaff were very helpful and attentive. I had a carafe of sangria which was tasty. For appetizers I had shrimp cocktail and oysters and the seafood was fresh and delicious! The oysters came with a shallot vinegar sauce that I have never had before but was an excellent pairing with the oysters!
I had a fried artichoke salad, monkfish entrée and panna cotta for dessert. Everything was excellent! I tried my friend’s arancini and it was divine!!!
Looking over their regular menu they have a lot of delicious dishes that I cannot wait to try when I go back!
I was extremely pleased with the food and the service! Everyone was so nice and accommodating and I was very satisfied with my dining experience at Avila! I would highly recommend it!!!

I am a regular here and have been for 5 years. The service is solid and the food is great. The ambience is nice and quiet so it is great for a date setting.
The bar area is also a nice setting for starting a night out or after work.
The menu is a bit pricey but worth it for what you are getting.

I was a regular here for 5 years. Fantastic food! I have great memories of Halloumi Cheese (a must try if you have never had it!), fried yucca, their chicken, their steak, buttered brussel sprouts, … Every experience I had here was of fantastic food, great dessert, great wine, great company, and phenomenal service. Lunch or dinner, it is a must try.

while the paella here can’t compete with mom’s (nuthin can), it’s a hearty dish so plan on sharing. and crispy chicken livers ($ 6) is esp. good paired with a bowl of arugula & parmigiano. the small menu is reasonably priced, portions copious, service tops. if like me you eat with your eyes, best seat in the house is chef’s table.
update: recent discovery: delicious short rib dish AND tapas!

Avila will be ending its lunch service as of this coming Tuesday. How do I know this? I made a reservation for lunch next week via Opentable several days ago, and received a voicemail telling me that they are not open for lunch that day, but that they would be able to make a reservation for me at their sister restaurant Davio’s if I wished.
I called them back. Turns out they decided «last minute» (her words) to end their lunch service after Tuesday. If it is a last minute decision, wouldn’t it have been a nice gesture of them to end it after they honor any remaining outstanding reservations first? Or at least serve out the rest of the week?
Yeah, I’m bummed, so I’m deducting the fan star.

When they say «modern mediterranean» they should probably say americanized mediterranean. I didn’t really get that feeling that I was on a journey but more that I was having a finely tweaked version of many of the dishes I am used to. Although I think there is a little bit of false advertising in their slogan I thought the food and service were very good. I would definitely come back here to give some other things a try.
I liked the options for all of the small plates (3 for $ 15 seems like a great deal).
Kobe beef meatball is huge and nicely spiced
The goat cheese and truffle oil croquettes only have a hint of truffle flavor but still very good (be sure to get something with a sauce compliment)
Spanish sausage was nothing memorable
I really enjoyed my duck and tried the lobster fettuccine which was delicious and most likely what I would get on my next visit.
Bonus for this place because I get airline miles here. Yeahh.

I have to say the last handful of times I’ve been here I’m continuously less and less impressed with Avila. So I think my last visit was in fact my last.
First of all, maybe I’m being a bit too nit-​picky here but for a place that claims to be «modern Mediterranean” — wouldn’t you think they’d keep up with the theme? So, why is it that every single time I’m in there they are playing a soundtrack of what seems to be strictly Cuban music. Last time I checked Cuba was not in the Mediterranean… so what’s with the Celia Cruz & Buena Vista Social Club?
The service was pretty appalling. I felt like I was being talked down to the entire time. Let’s also mention that we were the ONLY ONES in the entire restaurant. The waiter also very rudely questioned my ID when I ordered a glass of wine. Oh yes, excuse me, I am going to use a fake ID to order 1 glass of wine when I’m out to lunch with my mom– that makes sense.
The food– honestly nothing special– in taste nor in creativity. There are very few things on the menu that actually attribute to the Mediterranean authentic cuisine.
Over it!

Rating: 3.5 stars
I went here on a Wednesday night without a reservation. The place wasn’t busy. The cuisine is «New Mediterranean» with influences from Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, and Greece.
I started out with an amuse bousche of stuffed cheese with onions in a tomato sauce. It was okay. Nothing really stood out to me.
Afterwards, I got my bread basket. Timing seemed to be off. There were three types of bread: focaccia with black sesame, pita with parmeasan cheese, and white bread. There were also sauces: eggplant with gave sweetness, marinated olives, and hummus. I wasn’t sure which sauce went with which bread. I wish there was some explanation from the waitress, but I just tried everything with the bread.
I ordered the 5 course tasting menu for $ 60. The food wasn’t bad, especially for the price.
1) Corn soup with lobster — The soup was creamy. The lobster didn’t seem that fresh to me though. However, I had better corn soup at Parcel 104 in Santa Clara.
2) Arugula salad with prosciutto and mozzarella slice — The prosciutto was not salty. The mozzarella slice was fresh too. It was a nice salad.
3) Scallop with asparagus risotto — YUM! This was my favorite dish of the night. The scallop had the perfect sear and was not overcooked. The asparagus risotto was also really creamy. The dinner entrée of this dish was the night’s special.
4) Grilled veal sirloin with crispy green beans and 4 types of mushrooms — The veal sirloin didn’t have much flavor, and it wasn’t the best cut of meat. I liked the mushroom mix though.
5) Trio of dessert: warm chocolate cake, panna cotta with strawberry and raspberry, butter cookie and raspberry sorbet. The warm chocolate cake is good for all chocolate lovers. The warm chocolate filling was really rich. The vanilla panna cotta with the strawberry sauce, strawberry, and raspberry was awesome! Lovely flavors. The butter cookie and raspberry sorbet was also good. The butter cookie was a bit dense, but the raspberry sorbet was yummy.
Service was good. The waitress always asked if everything was okay. I would suggest that the other servers provide more details on what is served to me. It’s always nice to have additional reminders on the meals.
Private dining rooms are available. Bathrooms are in the back of the bar.

Great restaurant for dinner! Came here yesterday for a friend’s birthday dinner and was very pleased with the food, service, and ambiance.
Highlights:
–Very good mixed bread basket that included garlic pita
–Chicken Under a Brick (cute name eh?)
–Papardelle with Braised Beef Short Rib
–Lobster Ravioli daily special
–Pepper Crusted Tuna Steak (nice to see a chef that actually knows how to properly sear a tuna steak for a change)
All of the entrees I tasted were really quite exceptional with appropriate prices and portions. Wouldn’t mind at all coming back another time to try the other items.

This place had great ambience and the food was presented nicely and service was quick and friendly.
Goat Cheese Truffle Croquettes were just OK, not sure what the big deal was but they seemed a little dry and not as soft/​gooey as I would have expected.
Their entrees were good and I liked the bread they provided in the beginning, we got dessert elsewhere.

How about 50 stars? This is one of my favorite restaurants in the city.
The way I see it, if you’re going to go to this gorgeous, vibrant, warm yet elegantly-​decorated gem of a restaurant… You know, get dressed up and impress your date, etc… You might as well plunk down the $ 60 for a 6-​course Chef’s Tasting Menu. I’ve done a lot of tasting menus, and this is by far the best value I’ve come across.
Let me explain: Each dish was fantastic. Unbelievably delicious. The one that stands out the most is the Grilled Veal Sirloin with Polenta Fries, Sunchokes, Morel Mushrooms and Smoked Bacon – not only for being incredible, but also (and here’s why the tasting menu is such a good deal), the portions given were so big, we both had to have the rest packed up to go if we wanted enough room for the remaining courses.
So let me reiterate: Six unbelievable courses, in portions that get ever bigger. By about the 3^rd course, they’re full-​on entrée sizes. So big you can’t even finish them. This has never happened at another tasting menu for me. And each course is as delicious as the one before it. But half the price of L’Espalier or Craigie. Best tasting menu deal ever.
Oh, and service was fantastic and did I mention the amazing ambiance? I cannot wait to come back here.

Mirror Mirror on the wall I am my father after all. I swore to God that I would not be like my father going out to eat at 5PM when I was younger. I have in fact become my father when 5 PM is the preferred time to eat with 6Pm being the absolute deadline to eat. Oh well…
However there are certain perks to eating early such as the fact that there is generally no one in the place to compete with for service. Avila has great service to begin with but with only 2 or 3 other folks in the restaurant we received extra special service.
Our server was also the bartender. She makes a fantastic martini and gin gimlet. Both were perfect. The small plates and appetizers are enough to make a meal. Calamari with aioli is the freshest I have ever tasted anywhere including Spain. Yucca sticks with aioli are positively addictive. The mac and cheese was ok but no outstanding. It needs a little something extra. Salade Niçoise with tuna was incredible with seared tuna, perfectly blanched beans and a well balanced vinaigrette dressing.
Seating is comfortable. Prices are a bit steep but once again it is Boston. As I write this I am teetering between 4 and 5 stars. Since Avila is definitely on the repeat list, I think I will stick with 4 for now to see how consistent they are in the future.

I was lucky enough to visit Boston during Restaurant Week and my friend chose Avila to try. I thought it was casual so I didn’t dress up, but this place is more upscale and business casual is what most people wear. We got here early and were waiting for two more in our party so we sat down at the bar and ordered a couple sangrias and appetizers to snack on while we waited for our table to be ready. The white sangria is a lot better than the red and less strong too. Drinking on an empty stomach got me buzzed pretty fast so I don’t remember much from the bar. We ordered fries with cheese fondue, which was very delicious and we finished that pretty fast. I also ordered calamari, which was okay — the breading was a bit soggy and fell off easily.
After waiting a bit more, the rest of our party showed up and we were promptly seated. Everyone got cauliflower soup compliments of the chef, which tasted great. Creamy and rich with the subtle cauliflower taste. For appetizers, I got the sweet corn soup with fried oysters. Nice presentation with the table side pouring of the soup, but too sweet for a soup and didn’t go well with the bold flavors of the oysters. I tried some of the hand rolled gnoochi, which was impressively light and fluffy. I’ve made homemade gnoochi so I know how difficult it is to make it light and airy. For our second course, I paid the supplemental for the paella with clams, mussels, shrimp, chorizo, calamari, chicken, and saffron rice. At this point, the appetizers caught up with me and I was pretty full so I didn’t eat too much of the paella, but from what I ate, it was pretty good. It had a ton of seafood and meat in every bite.
I was really sleepy at this point, but dessert woke me up. I think for most restaurants, especially during restaurant week, dessert is the Achilles’ heel. But, I was so impressed by the dessert offerings at Avila. I had the panna cotta, which turned out to be extremely creamy, light, and married wonderfully with the berry syrup. I can say it was the best panna cotta I’ve ever had. Some of the other desserts I tried, the tiramisu and the chocolate mousse, were also very good. Overall, a great way to end a nice meal. Unfortunately, my additions to the meal doubled the restaurant week prices, so it ended up being a not so cheap meal. Still, the restaurant is worth a try for decent, upscale Mediterranean food.