Tryst Restaurant

CLOSED! most unfortunately,

Fabulous, inspired drink menu, excellent service, delicious food. This place consistently exceeds my expectations. The atmosphere is warm and inviting and the staff is professional and friendly with not a trace of pretentiousness. I have tried most items on their menu but always gravitate towards their red meat dishes which are always tasty and cooked to perfection. I love trying different cocktails at Tryst, they create some truly delicious drinks. The prices here are competitive with lesser restaurants in the area. Definitely a favorite of ours!

Had a great meal and overall experience last night at Tryst here in Beverly. Started out by having a drink at the (small and quaint) bar. Impressive: one of the only bars in the area to have Plymouth gin! Great way to start the night!
After we sat down, we ordered a wonderful Cab from the small but focused wine list and had both the cheese plate and crab cakes as appetizers. Both I highly recommend!
For our main courses, my wife got the sirloin steak, which was mouth-​wateringly terrific. Even though I was pumped to try the beef bourguignon that everyone raves about, I was dissapointed to find out they had just taken it off the menu. I ended up going for the rigatoni in a delicioius antelope/​pork bolognese sauce. It was absolutely scrumptious.
For dessert, we got the crème brûlée that lacked the traditional «crack» when breaking the sugar seal, however, I was immpressed with the warmth and consistency (and, of course, taste) of the custard underneath. Well done!
2 things keep this from being five stars:
–The ambiance is a bit too «bright» (yellow walls, etc.). It should be a little more hued to a romantic evening, not a Fridays.
–GET MORE WAITSTAFF!!! We had one guy for the whole restaurant and, while he tried, he was obviously swamped and had a hard time keeping up with our requests for more bread, water refills, etc.
All in all, however, It was one of the better dining experiences we’ve had in a while and the food was, to quote Ms. Ray, DELISH!!!
We’ll be back for sure!
We capped it off by seeing the Muppets at the Cabot St. Theater next door. It made for a great cap to our date night!!!
Check it out!

Went here for brunch back in October. Meant to review it earlier– thought I had. But alas I am catching up in the new year. With that said– the brunch was good. I organize a monthly brunch club. For this particular one we didn’t have alot of people that said yes– which was a good thing because space there can be hard for the large group. The menu is great. A good variety of things for all types of people and their taste’s. I got some sort of omlette combo from what I remember, and I don’t remember what my husband and the other two got. Food was good, service great even though a couple on hand service wise. I would go back again. Being a salem resident I tend to go to salem places first but if in Beverly I would go back.

Very mixed feelings about Tryst.
The good thing is that the chef can cook proteins really really well. The duck and beef (in the bourguignon) were fantastic. All ingredients were fresh and highest quality.
But, Tryst side dishes and sauces suffer from being under-​flavored. I prefer under-​seasoned, so that wasn’t it. It was more like they had the delicate essence of whatever they were trying to taste like. In some cases this would be great, but the whispery risotto could not compete with the powerfully flavored duck and the wine sauce in the bourguignon was lacking any punch from wine or herbs, etc. The duck portion was small compared to other restaurants.
The appetizer list is fairly weak and the salads below average. The Caesar was again under-​flavored but the house salad was too vingery.
The real problem was with the service, as many other reviewers seem to repeat. The host was fine, efficient and friendly. The server was prickly, dismissive, and somewhat absent.
That said, I did enjoy the food, though I am unlikely to come back.

The food is very good even if the menu is pretty limited. The service on the other hand, nonexistent.
I won’t go into blow by blow details but we were seated right away on a Friday night. The waiter stopped by and said he would be back with bread and to take our drink orders. I think it was sometime Saturday afternoon when he actually did come back to take our drink order and, again said he would bring bread. Promises, promises. The drinks arrived about 20 minutes later but still no bread.
We were with friends, we were talking and weren’t in a rush, but after awhile, when you’re done with your drink, haven’t placed your dinner order and still dont have bread, you do wonder if you’ve been overlooked. Either that or our waiter had no idea what he was doing.
In any case, the bread did finally come out with our meals and the food was good, though a bit pricey for what you actually get.
Would I ever go back? Maybe. But I don’t have to.

(4) ~ Overall Food & Service
Our Menu:
* Warm Bread & Butter = (3.5) good
* Raw Oysters = (4) very good
* Water (tap) = (3.5) good
* Tuna & Avocado Tartare = (3.5) good
* Beef Bourguinonne = (4) very good
* Pasta Rigatoni = (4) very good
* Pom 75 Cocktail = (4) very good
* Chianti Wine = (3.5) good
* Chocolate Mousse = (4) very good
* Apple Caramel Cupcake = (3.5) good
* Coffee = (3.5) good

I came here last night with a friend because our first choice restaurant in the neighborhood was too crowded and loud, and this looked like a safe alternative. We were HUGELY disappointed in the service and the food was nothing spectacular. I left wishing I had spent my money elsewhere. I feel a little bad because it seemed like there was only one server for the entire dining room, but I felt like she put zero effort into our table.
We were seated and waited at least 10 minutes before anyone came over to take our drink order. Another 10 – 15 minutes later, she comes over to take our food order. Another 5 minutes that we were waiting for her to come back and ask us if we wanted another drink. We split an appetizer and an entrée, and there was so much time between the app and the entrée that I actually forgot that we had ordered anything else. We ordered the mushroom and eggplant tacos and got the fish tacos instead– we decided we did not want to send it back because they would just throw it away and it would take too long to get a second plate.
We put our cards out to pay and she comes by and swipes them up, without saying a word («I’ll be right back» would have been appropriate) or asking if how we wanted to split it. She comes back and puts the receipts down, and again, walks away without saying a word (the standard «thank you» would have been fine).
Even if the food was really good, I don’t think I would have noticed because I was so distracted by the terrible service. Would not recommend this to anyone and will never go back.

Based on cocktails alone, well and a really nice bartender (that always helps, right?), we can’t wait to come back for an actual meal. The cocktails were unique and downright tasty. which is an A++ in our book. Cute spot on Cabot Street, right near the cinema. Stop in and check it out.

We went on a Thursday evening, and Tryst was practically empty. The dining room to the right was not being used at all. The décor is sparse, almost to the point of being stark.
The menu had changed completely from the one shown on the Tryst website, and, to me, was not as appealing. My wife ordered pasta putanesca, which she found almost too salty to eat (and she loves salt). I ordered veal brisket, which is served as a stew with vegetables and tube pasta. It was a bit bland.
On the positive side, the bartender made a killer Manhattan and it was delivered with the shaker ice on the side as requested. I had a glass of the house pinot noir, and it was quite good. The server was all over the water glasses, too.

This is one of favorite spots on the Northshore. The classic cocktails are the best, try the cherry Manhattan! I’ve always had superb food here, the roasted chicken is a menu staple and delicious! Tonight I tried the venison special, cooked perfectly! Served with the most perfect mashed potatoes and green beans.

IF YOU LIKE TO SCREAM ACROSS THE TABLE AT YOUR DINNER GUEST GO HERE.
Couldn’t hear anyone at our table talk the entire night. It was seriously so loud at the this place. But this is not why I gave it a sad 2 stars because some people like a lot of noise. Food and service warrants 2 stars. Read on…
We made reservations for a table of 4 for a Friday night. We were sat in the room opposite of the bar pretty much right away. Menus were dropped. 15 minutes of menu review with no acknowledgement from staff. Does anyone know we were sat here? Afraid that this was the kind of service we were going to be getting for the rest of the night, we were all ready to order by the time the waitress made it to our table.
Drinks were ordered first. They have a very nice selection of different cocktails as well as a decent wine list. Then comes the dinner order. Three of us ordered the same thing, which the waitress now informs us that she forgot to tell us earlier that she was all out of it.
I guess we were all kind of annoyed since we sat and waited for 15 minutes. During this time, it would have been a good time to stop by and say hey, we are all out of X.
Sensing our annoyance, the waitress left us to review the menu once more while she got the drinks ordered. 10 minutes passed and finally the drinks had arrived. Drinks were delicious. Really great straight up martini and prosecco cocktails. We ended up ordering the pasta with venison and elk, the sword fish and the chicken.
Once the food arrived, all was supposed to be forgotten. My Unilocal friends have only steered me wrong one other time… Long wait? What wait, Bad service? We can barely remember. This was all until we tasted the food.
OKay here it is. Pasta dish was okay. Nothing special. Venison and elk were a little tough. Sword fish steak was a thinner cut than what we are used to seeing (more like a filet o fish), but that aside, it was dry, dry, dry. The chicken dishes. It was supposed to be baked chicken with a crispy skin and some kind of mushroom sauce. Chickens did have a crispy skin, but were cold inside and sauce had already congealed to a nice lumpy texture. My guess is that they were under heat lamps for a little while before bringing it out…
So that’s it– there’s my review. I am THAT person that has ruined a restaurant’s near perfect rating. I love small local businesses and I so love that Beverly has really made a great name for top restaurants in the north shore, but I do not feel this way about Tryst. As the 2 stars indicate– «Meh, I ‘ve experienced better»

So I have a problem that when I fall in love with a restaurant it almost hard to go back again because I don’t want my memory of a wonderful bite of food ruined if the second time around isn’t as good as the first.
This not the case with Tryst. The food is good. Really good and to be honest worth going back to again and again. My boyfriend and I try playing the game, «let’s try and keep the bill under $ 100» which we still haven’t been able to do. But the drinks and dishes do not disappoint. Order the Whiskey Sour. It’s not on the menu but it’s a perfect balance of bright crispness from the lemon, frothyness (which I don’t even think is a word) from the egg whites and Makers Mark! Can’t go wrong!
I can say nothing but great things about the staff, French/​Asian Fusion menu and the super soft, fluffy warm bread. Even those of you on a «super diet» should break down and have a bite of the bread.
Go there!

My wife and I absolutely love Tryst, and insist on taking our out-​of-​town friends here whenever they stop by. The menu here is always changing and has some of the most interesting yet divine dishes I’ve ever eaten. Being a red meat fan, I usually order something sort of steak (which is always masterfully prepared), and the one time we found venison on the menu was a real treat.
Its a bit more expensive than some of the other local restaurants, but the price is well worth it. If you want a meal on par with something at Tryst, you’re going at least as far as boston.

Yes, that’s right, I’m a total Tryst fangirl.
My bf and I have yet to have a bad experience there. Good food, good service, good drinks, and they do breakfast on the weekend. The staff is friendly, in a genuine way.
If you’re reading this and live within 15 miles of here, why have you not been to Tryst yet?! They’ve expanded into a bigger space and still not missed a beat. Bravo!
We need to remember to thank the owner the next time I’m there for having the only bar in Beverly that knows how to serve a real classic martini. And a manhattan that made me moan, quietly into my glass.

I had the lasagna bolognese, which was pretty good. The other people in my party all got the filet. The wait staff were nice and very attentive. I have a tendency to drink water like crazy and they were so consistent with refilling my glass I actually had to ask them to stop after a while! I highly recommend the barbaresco to go along with the filet or the bolognese.
The atmosphere wasn’t bad, but we went around 6:30, so the dinner crowd hadn’t really hit until we’d begun to leave. I do imagine it to be a pretty good crowd towards the end of the night though. Much like that of 9 Maple in Saratoga Springs, NY, minus live jazz.

We had dinner here last night to celebrate my husband’s birthday. I wanted to go someplace that would be a total surprise as well as excellent. So, none of our usual Boston special occasion restaurants (we like Icarus, Pigalle and Sage in Boston, for instance).
For starters, my DC had the crab cake and I had the carpaccio. We generally joke around about «wins» each course — who chooses the best dish. This course was a total tie. The crab cake was wonderful — probably the best I have ever had in my life. It was about four inches in diameter and relatively thin, certainly less than an inch. I don’t know what held this crab cake together — it was all really sweet wonderful crab meat. I think, seriously, there was like crab, great crab, one egg and nothing else except salt and pepper in that crab cake. It was very gently browned till there was the thinnest, most fragile crust.
And the carpaccio was spectacular. The meat was *so* thin that it must have been sliced while it was still practically frozen, but it had been brought back to room temperature and arranged in a perfect circle on the plate and garnished with little peelings of parmesan cheese and these crispy little salty things that I finally realized were fried capers. The beef was flavorful and tender and a real winner.
For mains, my DC had the cassoulet and I had the pork tenderloin. First of all, both were huge portions. The gravy — which the menu says was a pomegranate apple jus, was wonderful: intense and dark and smooth and tiny bit vinegary. I didn’t leave any of that sauce, let me tell you. The cassoulet was also amazing and featured an entire breast of duck with its skin. They were both great winter meals, which we enjoyed with a most of a bottle of Malbec.
We had no room for dessert. We were both most tempted by the cheese plate, which had three different cheeses than on the web site, but was equally appealing. But just no room in our bellies!
Our server was Heather who was helpful and friendly and only a bit harried on this busy Saturday night. Dinner, two cocktails, two starters, two main courses, a bottle of wine and two coffees was $ 134 not counting tip.
Heather told us that last night was only the second evening when their new space (formed by taking over the adjacent storefront) was open. I think that they really need to add table clothes. It would absorb some of the noise of the place and add a touch of elegance. Plus the laminate table tops add nothing to the experience.
Tryst is offering a three course $ 30 prix fix, I believe on Monday and Tuesdays this winter. I will be back for that, and also with friends on weekends.

I’m damned picky about a lot of things. I like Tryst. I’ve been there several times for brunch. The food and the service are always a pleasure. I won’t talk about the prices except to say that few places that charge this much actually deliver a fair value; Tryst is well worth the price.
Getting a drink at the bar is a real education, even for a cocktail snob. Their ‘Classic Martini’ is the best I’ve ever had.
I finally made it to Tryst for dinner a couple of weeks ago. My hanger steak just about melted in my mouth. It was flavorful and tender. I’m a good cook. I have no idea how to do that to a hanger steak.

We’ve been three times (this week, most recently) and while the food is always very good, we just never have any fun here. There’s just this awful, nervous vibe that permeates the place. Bad energy. Perhaps it was built on top of an Indian burial mound. We look around and no one seems to be having fun. Sure, it’s an old crowd, but that’s no excuse.
The food is up to par, the prices slightly over par, but our one complaint is that nothing on the menu is particularly craveable. There’s no one dish that compels us to come back. While both the crispy seared duck breast with homemade gnocchi and butternut squash — and the papardelle bolognese were delicious, we didn’t find ourselves talking about it later that evening or the next day.

Tryst is an upscale Bistro at night and a relaxed upscale brunch place on Sunday mornings.
My husband and I have been impressed with the high quality of Tryst’s food and service. The dinners are fabulous. The food is clearly very fresh, perfectly prepared and wonderfully presented. Occasionally, they change their menu, which is a good sign for a restaurant. They’re not getting stuck in a rut.
We went to the brunch for the first time last Sunday. It was absolutely fabulous. They serve real hash browns. Real. Hash. Browns. I’ll let that sink in.
I had the Challah French Toast with a side of hash browns. My husband had the Eggs Benedict with a side of sausage. The French Toast came with three slices, and it was the perfect portion for a brunch. It was sweet, eggy and the texture was surprisingly wonderful. The hash browns were fantastic. Perfect little portions of hash brown squares. The Eggs Benedict were perfectly poached, and the sauce was wonderfully buttery and delicious.
The prices were what you would expect for a relatively-​upscale breakfast place. $ 7 — $ 14 ($ 14 for Filet Mignon and eggs) for a dinner. Coffee was $ 2 and sides were $ 2-​$ 5. My husband and I only paid about $ 30 for our meal. Definitely worth every penny!
I really enjoy this restaurant, but I hope that it doesn’t get too popular. They couldn’t handle much more popularity in their tiny dining room.