Bin 26 Enoteca

My first experience here was not a good one. I met a friend at the bar for drinks and apps, and before I arrived my friend was recommended a glass of Syrah by the bartender. He then asked if she wanted the larger size, which she agreed to, and I ordered the same glass when I arrived.
Turns out the glasses were $ 24 each, so after 4 glasses and two apps our total came to $ 130. I told the bartender that we were caught off-​guard by the price and not been given any warning in advance and he simply said ‘this happens a lot, let me get my manager.‘
I then spoke to two different managers, the second telling me that the price of wines recommended by the waitstaff isn’t based on ‘what you look like’ or ‘whether you can afford it or not.‘
I was then told liquor cannot be discounted in MA (which is true), but that they wouldn’t be removing any glasses from the bill but instead charging us for a bottle, which saved us a total of $ 6 on the bill.
I’m giving this 2 stars because the bluefish pâté we had was delicious, but I found the employees and specially management to be extremely disrespectful and rude.

Sat at the bar. Had two glasses of wine and small plates here. The service and the wine were both excellent. The blue fish pâté was good. Only complaint is the half glasses are a bit pricey for the size, but given the service and the quality, not a big deal.

Great dining spot on Charles street with an excellent wine list, fantastic food, and hit-​or-​miss service. I’ve been here a couple of times now since I’ve moved to Boston and the food is always impressive, well seasoned and thoughtful.
I highly recommend trying a glass of the Montepulciano, Il Feuduccio, Fonte Venna, IT ’11. It pairs with almost anything and it’s a wonderful, deep red. If you are looking for a white wine for lighter dishes and fish dishes, try the Sauvignon Blanc, Ehlers Estate, Napa Valley, CA ’10.
In terms of food, you really can’t go wrong but I recommend at least two of the pasta dishes because they are perfection. I dined with a vegetarian one of the times I was there and she had no trouble finding satisfying dishes. Highlights include Farro Wheat Casarecce Fresh Mozzarella pasta, Sauteed Mussel «Arrabbiata» with Spicy Tomato Sauce & Garlic Bread, the squid ink risotto and the gnocchi.
As I said at the beginning, the service is hit or miss. I had one waitress who was extremely helpful with pairings, vegetarian options, suggestions for number of plates, etc. We had another older gentlemen who sort of grunted at us the whole time and recommend we «eat what we like.»
Still, I think the food is great and the wine list is one of the best in Boston. Appreciate their options for Sherry, Port, Champagne, and sparkling wine as well. Definitely worth a visit and hope for the good server!

I’d suggest going here for a glass of wine at the bar, and that’s it.
I went last night with a few friends and got four appetizers: meatballs, speck wrapped mozzarella, arancini, and bruschetta. None of them were good. The meatballs and arancini were try, and the speck tasted very burnt. The bruschetta wasn’t too bad, but it’s hard to mess that up (I thought that about meatballs, too, but I was wrong).
The wine selection is great, but it’s pretty expensive. I’ll go back for a glass of wine while I’m waiting for a table at Figs or Toscano, but that’s it! I definitely won’t be back to eat.

Disappointing. Food was average… we weren’t told that the pasta dish was a tapas size and not enough for a lunch dish. Frittata was more like an omelet. nothing special. Came with burnt toast for $ 12. We live downtown and I’m used to city prices but with tomato and onion as fillings this seemed like a lot. Potatoes (+$ 3) were bland and tasted reheated. Prosecco was flat and along with mimosas, was served in wine glasses rather than flutes. Odd for such a wine-​focused place. Grossed out by the additional restaurant seating stored in the ladies room and also a beetle or water bug running around in there. Won’t be back.

Shortcut: service was some of the worst I’ve ever experienced, and we were basically ignored the entire time, food was ok at best. Go for the wine bar
Heard good things and went in for a last minute celebration date on a Monday evening. We had reservations just in case and arrived/​got seated right away. It took the server a couple minutes to come over to take drink orders but we didn’t think twice about it. He helped me pick a wine based on what I told him I liked, which was nice, but when I asked for a half glass, he just poured the rest of the sample glass and walked away, and was never given the half glass I asked for.
Moving on to dinner, my date and I ordered 2 apps to start/​share and, no joke, those took almost 30 minutes to come out. There was no apology or update while we were waiting or when they finally arrived, and our server was nowhere in sight for the entire time we were waiting. (I should note that it was not busy at all, there were only a few other tables seated and maybe 4 people at the wine bar). It took another couple minutes for the server to come over to retrieve our app settings and mise the table. Then we ordered our entrees.
Those took just as long to arrive as the apps did, and again no apology, notice, or server to be found. When they arrived, my date and I nearly laughed. We expected little food on big plates, but not this bad. Very tiny portions for the price, and each dish was incredibly salty and was nothing that good. Vaguely reminiscent of things you could buy frozen at a store and microwave it at home and save $ 100. Not awful, but not very good.
By the time we were maybe halfway through our meals, my wine glass was empty and, yet again, our waiter was nowhere to be found. Couple minutes later and my water glass was empty. He never came by again to ask if I needed more of anything and never came by to ask how the meals were. Once we were done, he finally emerged from wherever he’d been and took our plates, asked how it was, and then said something like «well they would have been better with the meat left it». (One dish was ordered sans the meat) Ok thanks. Check please.
He brought it over after a normal amount of time, and when we opened it, it was for another one of the three tables in the dining room. Again, he disappeared so we had to flag down the host who came over and took it to be replaced. Our magician server returned to give us the correct one, and not a single word was spoken, let alone a simple apology. And that set us over the edge. We paid, and when he came back to take the bill, he finally re-​filled my water (about an hour too late), and we got up and left, still hungry, and went to our favorite bar for better food.
It would take much convincing to get me to return to Bin 26.

Went there on Thursday night and, while the food was good, the service was disappointing. We had to wait a good half hour to get our bottle of wine, supposedly following a misunderstanding between the two waiters but despite our repeated requests. Mess ups can certainly happen but an apology would go a long way, instead of the annoyed attitude the server gave us.
Then another mess up on the food, still without any apology.
For food, we had sausage and leek pappardelle which were excellent, duck confit on toasts (pretty good), and a mixed green salad with goat cheese which was nothing exceptional but still good.
We would have liked to return but doubt we will considering the appalling service. Too bad.

Stumbled upon Bin 26 while visiting my son at college. We were looking for a quick bite and luckily ended up here.
I will admit it is pricey (but not necessarily so for the location) and not immediately obvious that certain dishes are tapas size but our server explained that to us as we ordered so we opted for the entrée sized dishes.
My son had Gnocchi and I had spicy sausage with pasta. Both were excellent and fresh. I would bet on the pasta being made on site… it was that good! No regrets on a bill of $ 55 for two pasta dishes. Outstanding. I never mind paying for quality! Keep up the good work.
Staff was very pleasant and accommodating as well since we didn’t have reservations. I’d go five stars if it were a bit more affordable but you could argue that one both ways. As a RI resident, pricing here would be a the top of the local scale but I don’t eat out in Boston often so I don’t have a baseline there.
Worth the trip!

I think perhaps there is a wormhole here. The reason I say that is a bunch of the other reviewers didn’t love the food– perhaps they were really eating in a different part of the universe?
Anyway we LOVED the food!
I will say that the wine seems way overpriced. But they also have beer and other drinks!

Yikes, do not go here for lunch. Had to ask them to turn down the blaring club music twice, which seems like an odd choice for a wine bar. Took more than 30 minutes to get a very basic arugula salad and now waiting another 30 to get the check. Total waste of time and money.

Love the staff here. They’re so passionate about the wine and its experience. Even better, they’re eager to teach customers about the different nuances that can make each wine so spectacular.
They recommended a succession of Italian wines I’d never heard of before, but it was just home run after home run after home run.
Had to ask if Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire owned the place…

Delicious and reliable.
Staff are very friendly and remember repeat customers. The house wine is actually very tasty, and they have an extensive wine list as well. You can choose between having several small dishes or large portions that are guaranteed to fill you up. I’ve always been able to get a table, and if you’re lucky it’s by the window so you can people watch.

Bin 26 Enoteca is a trendy, Italian restaurant, with a wine driven menu, in the heart of Beacon Hill.
The ambiance screams cool: dim lighting and interesting feature walls filled with bottles of wine.
I went on a Friday night in January and it was certainly busy. In fact, even with a reservation, we had to wait for about 5 – 10 minutes to be seated.
At first glance the menu might seem reasonably priced, but be warned the portions are small – tapas style – so you end up ordering several plates in order to make a meal. I think with tip the meal and wine cost about $ 100 per person.
The food was fine. However I didn’t find it to be extraordinary by any stretch of the imagination. For instance, the gnocchi was not as airy as I would have expected for the price point.
The selling point for the restaurant is certainly the extensive wine selection. I enjoy wine, but felt overwhelmed by the number of options.
If my friends want to go back I would certainly go again. However, it’s not a place I am likely to choose myself.

Ate lunch here. The place is smallmouth nice décor. The wine list is amazing. If you are a fan of wine, you will enjoy the selection. The food was very good… but I found the portions to be small for the price. The gnocchi dish has 4 small gnocchis in a bowl. Delicious, yes, but it was barely an appetizer. Where this place looses stars for me, the service is pretentious and aloof. With such a small plate, I asked if they could do a carprese salad. I realize not of menu, but they obviously have the ingredients and the chef refused. Please!
If this was in a small town, I would say a must go to-​but in Boston with a ton of restaurants so close, I will. It be rushing back there.

Fantastic little wine bar! A large group of us girls decided to do dinner here on Sunday night and we had a ball! The atmosphere was outstanding, the wine selection was great for any taste and budget and the food was so artfully a deliciously made… I honestly don’t see how someone couldn’t be in love with Bin 26!
After many many appetizers, bottles of wine, and entrees we were fat and happy! We had the best server, and we were even so fortunate that we were able to meet the chef who created all of these magical foods! I literally don’t have one negative thing to say about this place and I know its one of my new favorites and all of us gals will be back very soon!

Great stylish «New York» type space, is marred by slow, slightly schizo service (who’s waiting on me? i have no idea!)
Two of us sat at the bar in a very busy December night, and had two glasses of wine and a small cheese board, which was nice, but not really worth the prices charged. The wine list IS impressive, but the prices are pretty high on the wine.
But the space is really nice, and for a once in a while splurge, especially on someone else’s expense account, it’s a nice option on Beacon Hill.

The service is weird and uneven, but the homemade pastas make you want to sign up for a marathon just so you can regularly stuff your gut in the name of health and athleticism. Except you’ll blow your training schedule poring over Bin’s chapter book of wine wonders and be forced to order an entire bottle just so you can do some bicep curls while pouring another glass. It’s fine, there’s always next year.

Came in for dinner with my cousin who attends Boston College.
Split a 250 of prosecco which was dry and crisp.
She had the kale salad with pine nuts and roasted squash and reported that it was very good. I had the steak crudo which was tasty and served over crunchy zuchini and garnished with parsely oil.
We both had gnocchi for dinner. I opted for the ricotta with Bolognese and she had the potato and gorgonzola served in a parmesan shell. They were both very good as we tried each others.
She grabbed a panna cota for dessert with a berry compote and I settled for a double espresso.
Very good food and service, recommended.

Excited to drink wine and sample small plates. Oysters served lukewarm in dish of wilted arugula, no mignonette, no forks. Rotten and salty tasting. 35+ minutes after returning them to get a plate of cured meats and a few little slices of cheese. Front of the house manager rude and unapologetic for the oysters we disliked. I have never returned anything nor have I disliked an oyster in my life but these were awful. Had she not been such a snotty, snide, rude and unapologetic individual, I may not have written this review. Also had a bowl of shredded kale and parmiagano reggiano soaked in dressing. Overall waste of money, bartender not attentive nor knowledgeable about wines. Most other people seemed to wait a long time for food. Kitchen went to hell in a handbasket tonight, but these people really need to get their shit together.
Oh– I almost forgot to mention the plastic ramekin that honey was served in with our prosciutto and speck. Plastic? Really? Do yourselves a favor and head to any one of the other fine dining establishments in Beacon Hill. If I’m paying $ 100+ for dinner, I expect good service and appropriately plated dishes in a timely manner, without an attitude.

Bin 26 enoteca isn’t listed as a breakfast place but it should be!
The beer battered pancake is absolutely delicious! It’s a must have. My friend got the duck hash, it looked delicious and he said it was good.
A tad bit pricy but you are paying for what you get. Delicious food, good atmosphere, and nice wait staff. I would highly recommend Bin 26 Enoteca