Sonsie

The good, the bad; the boring.
The Good – Great location; exceptional people watching; very well chosen wine list. At least one friendly server behind the bar and another (in white shirt) who overheard our concern about our wait and brought it to the attention of the server behind the bar.
The Bad – 45 minute wait for breakfast and a salad while everyone around you is ordering (and receiving) more elaborate meals after you. Servers, behind the bar, finger-​combing and flipping their hair around and then placing an unwrapped straw in my glass.
The Boring – tired, dull, worn wood around the bar; dirty mirrors; noise that makes it nearly impossible to have a civil conversation; indifferent staff.
My advice to the Lyons brothers – leave my napkin alone and concentrate on giving me what I want. That is a courteous, engaged staff serving good food at a good value in a clean and inviting environment.

We were a group of 6. The restaurant was beautiful. Was happy to see a handicap bathroom upstairs since the regular bathroom was downstairs
Steed with the oysters, calamari and bean dip all were delicious
The cheeseburger pizza was outrageous
Loved the meer kra, flavors were awesome
Our waiter was frequently and knowledgable. Once he got super busy the service slowed down but otherwise all was great

Great spot for brunch. Place gets busy so be sure to get there early.
Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon was high quality. The potatoes on the side were even better. Recommend the steak tidbit hash, looked and tasted delicious.
The drinks are on the pricey side, but well worth it. The Bloody Mary is peppery and strong with horseradish. Espresso martini will wake you up. Iced coffee was mediocre.
Service was 100%. Our waitress was friends and helpful. She gave us her recommendations and steered us in the right direction with our final choices. She did everything she could to make our brunch at Sonsie’s enjoyable.
This place makes you feel like you in a European café. The tables in the front are small, but the natural sunlight coming in from the front windows is breathtaking. A great place to bring friends visiting Boston. A great start to a Newbury St. Adventure.

My boyfriend and I went to Sonsie the evening before Valentine’s Day. The setup was fairly nice: we chose to sit in the café section of the restaurant right by the front windows, it was candlelit, and there were rose petals on the table. While it was a tiny bit cramped, it didn’t ruin our dining experience. The waitress was very nice too, and was very patient.
To start, I ordered the Espresso Martini and loved its frothy, milkshake-​like texture. For appetizers, we ordered the calamari — I LOVED the sriracha mayonnaise that was drizzled on top. As for the main course, we both ordered from the ‘Citrus’ portion of the menu; I got the crispy duck wings with an orange glaze, and he got the scallops with blood orange and vanilla parsnip. We were both VERY satisfied with the quality and taste of our food and drink. My only complaint is that because they were trying to set the mood for Valentine’s Day and make the restaurant romantic, it was extremely hard for us to see our meals. I ended up putting part of a garnish in my mouth.
Great dinner spot in addition to brunch. Highly recommend. ⁴⁄₅.

Awesome brunch place! We had the french toast and the caramel sauce is to die for! It was very crowded but they has seating in the café area with full service menu so we din’t have to wait too long. We are coming here at least once a month for that french toast and the only reason not to have it every week is bcos I think I think it is high in calories. Oh did I mention their caramel sauce!
To top it off they make drip coffee personally for you so it takes time to get ur compared to others where they pour your coffee like serving water. We love their coffee so much that we buy our regular coffee for home from Barrington roasting company who cater to Sonsie.
The only reason I give 4 star is because the pace of service could have been better.

We went for Sunday Brunch. The restaurant was packed but we didn’t have to wait to get a table. Breakfast was not bad but nothing special. I had the Huevos made of 2 fried eggs with black beans and salsa on tortillas. My boyfriend was craving a Tuna melt sandwich so he was happy to find it on the menu. He was a little disappointed as the bread was basted in butter and had very little tuna. When he requested an extra scoop of tuna he was told that it couldn’t be done because the sandwiches were pre made. Our waiter was apologetic and polite but not able to offer any other suggestions. Overall breakfast experience was ok.

Spent last weekend in Boston and a friend recommended breakfast as Sonsie. It was a nice sunny day and the European café feel at the front of the restaurant was perfect for grabbing a late brunch. It was busy, but service was pretty good. I had the huevos dish and my gf had the prime rib hash and we split a side of potatoes. Both dishes were ⁴⁄₅ stars, good coffee, nice setting. I’d recommend it to a friend.

After passing by this place about a thousand times, I finally had dinner there.
You feel like royalty the second you enter, because instead of standing in the narrow hallway (most Boston restaurants) you get to sit on a comfy leather couch as you wait. That couch and I had quite a lovely time. Still thinking about it. Mmmm…
Okay, moving on.
The place is clearly a brunch place, so the selection of dinner items on the menu is rather limited. But, who needs dinner food when you can get brunch food for dinner anyway? Yeah, not cutting any stars here.
Sparkling cava was almost as good as the couch. Couch still wins, because it’s free. But cava takes second place.
Overall the place feels very upscale (tablecloth, white outfits for waiters, etc.) which I generally dislike, but among the upscale places in Boston, this one is probably my favorite!

Our last day before going home to San Francisco for the holidays, we took a stroll down the adorable Newbury Street and snagged prime seating at Sonsie for lunch. Sonsie has great atmosphere and a great menu, including a special gluten free one which includes pizzas!
Taking off a star for the painfully slow service (we were there for 2 – 3 hours), but the food was delicious and the festive ambiance was warming — they even added faux frost to the windows!
I ordered the gluten-​free pizza, with fresh tomatoes, basil pesto, mozzarella, pecorino and soppressata. It was light yet scrumptious — each ingredient was so fresh and full of flavor.
The Caesar salad was filling yet healthy, and came with anchovies on top! It’s not a real Caesar without anchovies, after all. The fish coupled with the parmesan cheese made for great flavor in the salad.
Last but not least, this dark chocolate fudge with hazelnut was the perfect way to end a delicious meal. It wasn’t too rich, but just sweet enough.
All in all, if the service had been a tad faster it would have gotten a ¹⁰⁄₁₀ rating in my book. We were there for nearly 3 hours, but granted this is probably one of the busiest times of the year for Sonsie and Newbury Street in general, seeing as it’s the last weekend before Christmas.

I wanted to love Sonsie, but I unfortunately found it… meh.
The interior was lovely and made you feel like you were going to have some fancy brunch. Eh at best. The tables were very small, but we dealt with that. The menu had probably 6 breakfast items, at most. Really didn’t like that, but I ended up choosing the any style eggs with bacon, hash browns, and toast. This was yummy, but I guess it isn’t the hardest thing to master a simple breakfast dish.
The servers weren’t the friendliest. I had ordered a hot tea, yet was never given a spoon. The waiter was no where to be found so I had to use the end of my fork to stir… not ideal. Then we realized our table had no salt or pepper, again this was unfortunate especially because our waiter was «lost» once again.
I mean breakfast was okay, service was not the best, interior was pretty.
Probably would not recommend to friends, I’m sure there’s better brunch options out there that are better priced and provide you with more options.

I wanted to love Sonsie, but I unfortunately found it… meh.
The interior was lovely and made you feel like you were going to have some fancy brunch. Eh at best. The tables were very small, but we dealt with that. The menu had probably 6 breakfast items, at most. Really didn’t like that, but I ended up choosing the any style eggs with bacon, hash browns, and toast. This was yummy, but I guess it isn’t the hardest thing to master a simply breakfast dish.
The servers weren’t the friendliest. I had ordered a hot tea, yet was never given a spoon. The waiter was no where to be found so I had to use the end of my fork to stir… not ideal. Then we realized our table had no salt or pepper, again this was unfortunate especially because our waiter was «lost» once again.
I mean breakfast was okay, service was meh, interior was pretty.
Probably would not recommend to friends, I’m sure there’s better brunch options out there that are better priced and provide you with more options.

I have bemoaned the dearth of reasonably priced food options in Boston, and Back Bay in particular. What a fantastic surprise to find Sonsie is my oasis.
First, I went for brunch right after Christmas. The ambience and décor is beautiful-​rich colors, gorgeous mahogany, beautiful doors/​windows/​fixtures, but taken to another level with Christmas decorations. I wish they’d stay up year-​round because they created such a warm, comfortable feeling.
I had baked eggs with Irish bacon. What a yummy dish. Topped with scallions and cheese, the eggs were cooked just right, with varying textures between white and yolk that meshed well with my flavorful, meaty bacon. My date raved about her fritatta, but my wandering eye noticed the salmon benedict for when I return. But, dessert was a chocolate bread pudding. Not your traditional Southern bread pudding, this was light and flavorful without being too rich or dense.
We had great service and the place was lively without being full. The music was tasteful and appropriately subdued. I really felt comfortable here, and my meal was fantastic. I can’t wait to go back.

What a fantastic evening! Went here on a business trip with a group of colleagues, and it was a fantastic space – beautiful inside and not too packed in. We could hear each other easily at a larger table but place was definitely full! Service was really impeccable. Friendly, knowledgeable, helpful.
So you definitely want to order the octopus appetizer. It comes with chorizo, potatoes and a chipotle aioli and is 100% amazing. The braised short ribs also – they were surprising and delicious!
Got the special – a striped bass with Brussel sprouts. Cleaned my plate. If not for the special, would have gone for steak au poivre because it sounds real real good. :) We all got coffee and split like 100 great desserts (bread pudding!!!).
Everyone at the table left tipsy, full, and so happy. It was a really great evening start to finish!

Wow what a delicious place! It was very charming and my friend and I had such a lovely time in this environment! The server was incredibly sweet and helpful. We were so excited by the free pastries in the basket!
We shared the banana rum FRENCH TOAST YUM!
And also the CHICKEN AVOCADO and both were SUCH amazing choices!!!
Will come again :) thank you Sonsie!

Sonsie is upscale and conveniently located, but it’s also obnoxiously expensive and dimly lit. For some reason, it seems like the restaurant believes that opening the street-​facing walls brings in enough light for me to read my menu and see my dinner companion across the table. I’m sorry, but not even the single candle placed as a centerpiece can save my eyestrain from your attempts at saving your electric bill.
I ordered the pan roasted scallops, a dish that should not have surprised me about how sparse it was in terms of serving size.
Needless to say, I did not leave this place a happy camper.

Wow. I had an amazing dinner here! The bf and I came here spontaneously as we were shopping on Newbury and I was greedy for OpenTable points and just looked conveniently for an open reservation 15 minutes from us. Lo and behold, with a quick glimpse of their unique menu, I booked a reservation!
I think I had low expectations for this place but the food was amazing! Our server was such a sweetheart and gave great recommendations. In addition, she overheard a friend I ran into at the bar yell happy birthday to me, so our server surprised me with a complimentary bread pudding dessert.
Anyway, I love the eclectic ingredients harmonized together. They use produce in season (ie., pumpkin, pear, brussel sprouts, apples) and have a variety of dishes to please all taste palates. This place is also vegetarian friendly.
— Fish of the day: Halibut with a ramen-​like influence: Delicious!!! Bf and I loved the umami, earthy flavors. They were also generous with the seaweed, mmm.
— Wild boar meatballs: Also delicious and hearty.
— Pumpkin risotto w/​scallops: Oh my. the way they prepared the pumpkin was so damn delicious… The scallops were cooked perfectly. Soooo good!
— Chocolate bread pudding: Melt in your mouth good. Probably one of the best desserts I’ve had in my life. Instead of using ice cream on the side, they used a soufflé-​like dessert to pair the chocolatey-​richness. Dessert heaven.
Overall, we were extremely pleased with our dessert. Thank you to our kind waitress for the dessert. It was a nice treat!

I visited my cousin over the weekend and they took me to Sonsie for brunch on Saturday before we went to the Harpoon brewery (more on that in a separate review). To get to Sonsie we had to walk down Newbury and I thought to myself — oh jeez, this is going to be an overpriced and crowded restaurant. Both turned out not to be true! We arrived at Sonsie around 1PM on a Saturday and there wasn’t much of a wait. It was also nice that the hostess brought out waters for us to drink while we waited.
Sonsie is the spot to go to for a typical American brunch — good food, good for groups, a great selection of items on the menu, and good looking people. I started off with tea because my throat was scratchy (I know it’s lame as I should have gone with the mimosa!). Our waitress then brought out the bread basket. To my surprise it was filled with little muffins and delicious breads. After that, my order of the Huevos came and it was very good. The only thing I would have liked better was that if the chorizo was actually cut up and on the Huevos and not on the side. My cousin had the fritata and her husband had the french toast which were both good as well. I will definetly be coming back — hopefully in the summertime!

I mostly like this place. The ambiance is quite divine. The service was stellar. (More on that later.) I have mixed feelings on the food though.
My roommate and I had a late dinner here. We started with the calamari. This was probably the largest bowl of fried squid I’ve ever seen. For the price and presentation, though, you’d imagine it had to taste like chum. Nope. Easily Top 5. The coating was fine and delicate — didn’t overpower the sweet cephalopod at all. And the squiddy insides were cooked perfectly — which some restaurants fail to do. The sauce was just ok, though, and definitely unnecessary (have it on the side), as the calamari itself was delectable on its own.
My friend ordered the lobster roll — or was it called a sandwich? Thanks to our waitress who informed her that it’s quite small — hand sandwich size, in fact. There wasn’t much actual lobster on the sandwich, and the sauce was (again) too much for the main attraction. The lobster pieces alone were great. Too bad there were so few for the price.
I ordered the scallops. Again with the cooking something to perfection! But the side items didn’t quite go with the star item. The corn was a bit undercooked (rather gritty) and the sauce was (guess what?) unnecessary. It wasn’t bad, just that the scallops were SO good (very basically seasoned at that) that the sauce overwhelmed all the scallops’ simple elegance.
Onto dessert. I love trying crème brûlée (tasting how every place prepares it a tad differently). This one just wasn’t good. Even the berries weren’t good — like they weren’t cleaned well enough. I really wanted to like it! But the custard tasted like raw eggs. Bleh! Thankfully, when we informed our server, she apologized, suggested that it might be an acquired taste, and then removed it from our bill.
So here’s what I walked away with: The seafood is top notch, but the sides need some serious work. The dessert sucks, but I’d be willing to try others.
It is solely because of the seafood superiority and stellar service that this place gets 4 stars.

While we had an epic getaway weekend in Boston, we decided to find breakfast by meandering around and stumbling into a place that just caught our eyes. This was daunting to me, because I like to Unilocal the heck out of places before I dine there, but I decided to live on the edge and jump in with my husband’s whim, and that’s how we ended up at Sonsie.
The feel from the sidewalk is open and inviting, with their removable front doors. We sat down on the front row of tables, which were the optimal place for sunday morning people watching. The open bistro feel was evocative of a café in paris, and was deceptively relaxing and positive. Ironically, this was the complete opposite of what our experience was going to shape up to be.
We were seated quickly, and had questions for our waiter who didn’t seem to know answers to anything at all. I ordered an Earl Grey tea, and asked for steamed almond milk to make it a latte. Waiter said that they couldn’t heat the almond milk, even though they had it, which I thought was weird. We asked about the pastry of the day which he didn’t know, and asked if the Cinnamon Rolls ($ 4.50) were ready, which he also didn’t know. After a long wait for the drinks, he still didn’t ask about the pastries or the roll, which we eventually did get, but was caramely and unimpressive.
For our meal, we ordered the Signature Sandwich ($ 6.50) with a side of the Home Fries ($ 4), and the Lox and Bagel ($ 15), which I asked for with extra capers. The sando came with no egg, which was wrong, and my bagel had no extra capers, and had lox literally pooling in olive oil. When the waiter came to check on our food, we asked if the signature sando was supposed to have an egg, which he stammered a yes, and shuffled off to get it fixed. WAY too long later, he eventually brought the right sando back to us, but by that point my husband was both annoyed and bored with waiting any longer. The manager came by to ask what happened, we explained, and she told us she’d «fix it» which meant she comp’d us our mediocre cinnamon roll. Thanks.
Prices are high, food is not great, service is terrible, but ambiance is amazing. Probably best to just get a coffee and sit there to people watch, but not to expect to eat any decent food. I’m sure this place is better on an evening dining experience, when wait staff aren’t hung over or unhappily working the morning shift, but I’d not likely return, even if I were back in the Boston area.

A tip from my hotel’s concierges led me to Sonsie and made my night. I stepped into the hotel lobby flying solo and was all dolled up in a new city. These young men knew just where to send me.
There was one seat open at the bar for me and the bartendress’ could not have been more friendly and accommodating. They set me up in style and were attentive to my every need. I am unable to resist scallops and when they were recommended I immediately placed my order. These scallops had the perfect sear that roars before just melting in your mouth. Pureed parsnips and a maple glaze completed this fantastic entrée. I ordered my plate as a bacon free dish, however the house preparation includes this meat.
Fortunately the boring men sitting next to me were finishing their dinner, I wanted to interact with some fun people. Along came Mario, a hilarious man who kept me laughing all night. Two young ladies came and sat at the other seats next to me. and the night just kept getting better. I had 15 years on these ladies, yet they welcomed me with open arms. I felt right at home hanging out with the beautiful people.
I wish that I could remember my favorite bartendress’ name, this Colombian lady was gorgeous, friendly, thoughtful and perfect. I had originally planned to visit another recommended restaurant, but there is no way it would have been any more fun than my night at Sonsie.

Das perfekte Lokal.
Sehr gutes Essen in der gehobenen Preiskategorie, aber es gibt auch einfache Sachen (tolle Pizza mit Pesto aus dem Steinofen). Vorne kleine Tische für das legere Essen oder einen drink mit people watching auf der Newbury St., hinten weiße Tischdecken fürs formelle Dinner. Exzellenter Wein.
Die Bar ist jeden Abend gut belegt. Gutes Bier (Sam Adams) und Cocktails zu zivilen Preisen. Topleute hinter der Bar. Wen es interessiert, der kann football und baseball schauen. Aber die Gäste sind viel interessanter…
Publikum: extrem gemischt. Von Normalos, Touristen über College Girls bis zu Geschäftsleuten, euro trash, und den Reichen und Schönen. Manchmal auch Homeboys aus den Vororten… immer gute Stimmung.
Lounge-​Ecke mit Ledersofa und –sesseln.
Morgens gibt es Kaffee an der Bar. Nicht wie in Rom, aber ok… und man kann in der Sonne sitzen und das Leben auf der Newbury Str beobachten…

This review is for drinks at the bar only.
They do have a mixed menu that looks great and a gluten-​free menu. That alone will bring me back to try this place out.
We went on a Saturday night, the place was absolutely packed with an upscale casual but clearly fun crowd out to have a good time and to be seen on Newbury St. While this is not my «scene», hanging out at a bar just drinking, we decided to stop in for an after dinner drink to check it out.
I will definitely return for dinner, I can’t say I’m into the bar scene or that this would be the place I would go to sit and have drinks. But if you are into the Boston bar scene then this is one of the places for you to go.
I’ll update my review once I actually go for dinner, can’t wait!