Stella

I had brunch there. It was good. An 8 out of 10. I would go again. I had the Florentine omelet… It was a little dry but tasty.

First time visiting Boston and this place was actually recommended by another restaurant of different cuisine right down the street. Italian fare being my favorite, Stella did not disappoint! The ambiance was very intimate and relaxing. I had the Orecchiette and the braised short rib pizza, portion sizes were appreciated, both dishes were flavorful! The pecan pie I had for dessert was almost as good as my mother’s! The service was great, our server was very attentive. Overall, a wonderful experience.

I love this place. Amazing food, drinks and customer service. Great ambiance and beautiful space too. I wish that parking was a bit easier to find at times, but it’s totally worth it in the end. I’ve been here multiple times and have never been let down. Definitely a gem!

I’ve been here a few times and I prefer to go here for Sunday brunch rather than dinner. I’ve tried their Florentine omelet and that was scrumptious. It’s the best thing I’ve had here. The time’s I’ve been here for dinner, the food had been too salty.
Overall it’s a nice restaurant in the South End. I’m only going to come back for brunch when I’m in the neighborhood though hehe.

Went here over the weekend for my graduation dinner. Amazing location, nice décor, and delicious food. Seems like a great place to have lunch or dinner. They had a unique drink menu, and very happy to find that they had a vegetarian menu. The white bean dip and bread was very tasty, as well as the crispy fried artichoke hearts and gnocchi with chili flakes and cured tomato. The biggest negatives about this restaurant are that the plates are small, and it’s very loud.

Italian food done right! My second time here and I loved it as much as my first time. Last time I ordered the braised short rib with fig and Gorgonzola pizza. Definitely underestimated how full I would be from a personal pie. This time we came back for dinner and drinks. Their homemade gnocchi was the best I’ve had! The sauce was simple, but paired so well with the soft gnocchi. The Orecchiette was another great pasta dish, a heavy garlic flavored meat sauce. I forgot which cocktail I got, also great.

Stella does brunch and italian dinner like no other. The drinks are fun, the service is super friendly, the portions are huge and delicious. They make quite a mean eggs Benedict with paired with their french toast and a bloody mary makes for a perfect Sunday brunch. For dinner, i tried their Tagliatelle bolognese reggiano for $ 20 and loved it. Took left overs home and enjoyed it for two days. Also tried Braised Short Ribs pappardelle with parmesan cream and chive oil and the ribs were cooked to perfection. Melted in my mouth.

The steak was excellent, but in general everything here is very fattening. Exercise appropriately afterwards!

Huge fan of Italian and spent weeks in anticipation of my 6:30 reservation last Saturday night. Well, it seems my excitement was squandered when I walked on through the entrance.
The host/​waiter weren’t particularly engaging or helpful, though the staff member who seated us was rather sweet (you go girl)! We ordered the Arancini (2 balls for $ 13) for starters, as well as the Linguine and Sirloin with mushroom risotto. The Arancini were surprisingly sour. They had attempted a lemon twist on the classic and it ended up overpowering the appetizer. The truffle linguine was outstanding on its own… But I think it might be missing something. A little heat? A little protein? The entrée is pungent yes, but very tasty nonetheless.
My biggest gripe was that the place was extremely loud. You essentially had to hold a shouting match to have your dining companions hear you. It’s also definitely NOT a spot to commemorate an anniversary. If you’re hoping for a restaurant to acknowledge and host a really special night for you and your date, this is not the place.

My wife, son and I went to this place after works on Tuesday night based on recommendation from my son’s office colleagues. The place is clean and modern in an old building. We just parked our car right on the street near the restaurant. It was very easy to find a parking meter nearby.
My wife had today special halibut. She really liked it. My son had rib and I had pasta. Both were also very good. The services are quick and nice. Food tasted good and presentation also were excellent. We would like to return this place again in the future.

1. Food — Spaghetti and Meatballs were ok. Nothing to write home about.
2. Service — our waitress was nice. The busgirl was very adamant about taking our dishes, we almost felt rushed on how quick and insistent they were in taking our dishes. It was a very busy Saturday night FWIW.
3. Ambiance/​Décor — firstly the tables are WAY too close together. Much more than i’m comfortable with. I didn’t feel as though i could have a conversation with someone without the table next to us hearing every word we said. This isn’t acceptable. If you need more space, rent it. Don’t take away from your patron’s experience.
Secondly, the restaurant is loud as hell. And i have a theory. Because the tables are so close together, different parties have to elevate their voices to be heard. I walked out of there feeling like i had a front row seat to a concert. No joke.
Overall, i wasn’t impressed with any part of it. Food was meh, service was just ok. Location is difficult to park in. Space between tables was horrible. Noise level was amazingly loud.
I think they have some things to work on.

Came here because Ive been wanting to check it out for some time, and I had recently recieved a gift card. They were doing a 4 – 6 happy hour, where apps cost $ 6. Such a great deal! The (2) arancinis were amazing! We also got the nachos. These were okay, but they were missing something. Im not surewhat…
We ended with the fig and short rib pizza. It was pretty good. We got all things at once (unfortunately) so surprisingly by the time we got to the pizza Id assumed itd get soggy, but it held up fine.
When we paid we felt uncomfortable about paying in a gift card. Management came out to apply the gift card, but she walked slowly and stared at us while doing so. So did the bartender. Im not entirely sure If I feel good about coming back a second time, but we’ll see.

The most amazing part was the food, as it should be! I got the Tagliatelle Bolognese, which was scrumptious. My girlfriend got the creamy linguine with a poached egg. She loved it! The décor was fab! All white, very chic. The wine list was a bit pricey and limited, but they had at least one familiar Chardonnay so I was content. The second best part was when they brought out the dessert that I had requested on Open table in advance. They did a great job with the yummy dessert and the surprise! It’s certainly a special occasion place, and if you’re in the mood for a consistently delicious Italian meal.

The food here is good. I had the meatball and spaghetti, she had the bolognese. The parmesan arancini is also good. The drinks were tasty, although they took a while to be served. The bread served before the meal was cold. In fact, the whole restaurant was FREEZING.
The restaurant called to confirm 7 pm reservations at 5 oclock, but failed to mention the heat wasn’t working in the restaurant. The tables themselves felt like ice. The service was slow and bungled. The table next to us had an entertaining fiasco trying to correctly receive their ordered dessert of chocolate and hazlenut … first two vanillas, then a chocolate and vanilla, then after a while, the hazlenut arrived but not after they had to waive someone down three times. My second drink was forgotten about and came about 15 minutes after the first drink was ordered.
All in all, a scum move not to mention the restaurant doesn’t have heat when it is less than 20 degrees outside. Food was good though. Service was spotty.

Four stars for the food, one star for the service.
Went for brunch — no wait for the bar, seated right away. Excellent, right? Especially for Sunday brunch in the South End. Unfortunately, that’s when things started to go downhill. Having experienced excellent service at many places in the South End during peak hours, why should this be any different?
Well, once the bartender figured we weren’t going to order any cocktails, we were relinquished to the sidelines. Food took over 45 minutes from the moment we placed our order to come! Coupled with non-​existent attention from the bartender without even a «Can I offer you a warmup on the coffee?». At one point, he wasn’t even sure if we had already eaten or not (and no, we hadn’t). Will not return on account of service.
Too bad, because the food is really quite good — duck confit hash was delicious. Lots of duck and perfectly poached egg and a gently grilled croissant. Perfectly complemented with onion, red pepper and crispy potato straws. The «home fries» were just two baked potatoes and not really home fries, but whatever.

BEWARE. Made a reservation for a Friday night and the restaurant clearly overbooked. Restaurant was not accommodating at all and never apologized when they made us wait and sat us a full hour after our reservation. We waited an hour for a table that was in the middle of the madness and crowd of people from the bar. Once seated we waited 10 minutes for a server and then decided to leave 20 minutes after ordering drinks that never came. What a disaster of a night.

Impeccable service! Drinks and dinner were so amazing! Every need we had was met and the staff was very prompt. Ovi Anka and his team were truly amazing!

One of my go-​to spots for a delicious cocktail, or a yummy brunch! If you enjoy duck, do yourself a favor and order the duck omelet. It’s superb. The only bummer about this place is the small bar area. But it also means you will get stellar service if you can snag a spot.

We came here on New Years Eve for dinner and drinks. The table before us was slow getting up so our reservation was pushed back. The restaurant managers handled this situation perfectly by taking care of some free drinks for us and making sure we were kept in the loop the entire time.
Once we got our table, the server took excellent care of us. His service was amazing and the food was even better (try the braised short rib). It is always great to see an establishment fix mistakes and take care of their customers, overall a great experience.

I merely stopped in for a few cocktails, but the place is nice! Parking is super easy in the areA, which for any Boston destination makes a huge difference! The atmosphere inside is great, at least to me. If you’re looking for the kind of place like an Applebee’s where it looks like a yard sale threw up on the walls, you probably won’t like it. It’s very stark, and mono chromatic. It reminds you of Christian Bale’s apartment in American psycho. Everything is simple and clean, and The bartenders where simple black. I didn’t experience enough to write a full review, but I liked what I saw, and I will definitely be back for a meal.

I had a pretty good experience here. I am basing my review on a few things. The best parts of the meal: great menu and several Italian choices that are very Italy-​focused (not American versions of the item), there were 5 gluten-​free options for entrees, and the ambiance was pleasant. This is a modern restaurant with some younger waiters. We had a communication/​language issue with our first waitress when getting a basket of bread, but we had a second waiter when it came time to order our meals. I’m not sure what transpired behind the scenes, but our second waiter was great.
The drinks are pricey ($ 10 – 12), the meals are moderately priced ($ 15 – 20 pp), and the desserts look enticing (but we didn’t try them). I am reluctant to say that my parents and I decided to order 2 entrees for the table. My dad loved his pork milanese (panko crusted pork loin), and my mom and I shared the gluten free penne bolognese (quite a big serving, even shared). The penne noodles were cooked on the al dente side (a tiny bit too rubbery) but overall, I was just happy that they offered gluten-​free noodles! I would most likely come back here if I am craving Italian food. Reservations are easy, and we didn’t have to wait to be seated.

HAPPY HOUR– $ 6 bar bites Monday-​Friday 4 – 6 pm. They used to be $ 5 (still a little bitter they raised the price), but they get +1 bc they have Friday happy hour– perfect place to decompress after a week of work.
Fried artichokes. Tater tots. Beef carpaccio. All must haves. As far as dinner– the spaghetti squash is a solid gluten free option. The décor of this place is incredible– white, fancy, minimalist– perfect date night spot!

Stella, I LOVE YOU.
I have become a food snob since living in the city and the food did not disappoint. The steak tartar and short rib tagliatelle were amazing! The cocktails are even better– especially the pumpkin mule.
Thank you for accommodating our large group and making my birthday a memorable one.

Stella cracks the stereotypical South End stigma by offering a white tablecloth experience, with a few twists.
Sleek and stark, with multiple dining rooms and an outdoor patio dotted by modern (read: 90s) fire fixtures and Acqua Panna bottles, the space fits the Washington Street profile — streamlined, trendy, buzzing. And I do mean buzzing; if you value conversation on a Friday night, wait for temperate weather and insist on an outside table. The interior is incredibly loud. (Heavy pours and potent cocktails will do that.)
Maybe everything’s big at Stella? Herculean entrée portions mean every $ 18 – 24 plate is good for two meals, or a romantic split with a not-​so-​romantic surcharge, applied seemingly ad hoc. Our arancini ($ 13), sausage pizze ($ 19) and tagliatelle bolognese ($ 22) rang in $ 1 – 2 more than listed on the menu ($ 12, $ 19, $ 20, respectively). Which was a bitter aftertaste to otherwise excellent food, save the arancini, which was stuffed with a half-​inch cube of solid mozzarella. We only noticed the price differential after leaving the restaurant, and I’ll update the review once I get feedback from mgmt.
The service is attentive, and friendly enough. The Old Fashioned is on the sweet side, and featured a full orange slice instead of a well-​extracted ring. I’d return for an early summer dinner.

I came here on a Thursday night while visiting my friend who lives in the South End. She comes here all the time with her friends and they love it. I loved it too! We came at around 8pm — me, my friend, and her friend. We sat outside, and it was great!
I’d recommend coming here with friends, family, or a date. It seems to fit the bill for any type of company you are in.
RESTAURANT OVERVIEW:
–We sat outside and I did not make it inside. It looked nice inside though. The tables outside are great if you are eating here in the warm weather.
APPS:
–Crispy Fried Artichoke Hearts /​country mustard remoulade: These were great to start. I typically do not like anything fried, but they were not too heavy.
DINNER:
–Orecchiette /​Chile flakes /​sausage /​cured tomato: This was so good! Definitely recommend. It’s also a huge portion — you can split this easily or just have leftovers to take home.
DRINKS:
–Red Wine Sangria: This was delish! Great sangria.
SERVICE:
–So nice and attentive. Our waiter was great.

It’s solid, though with rough spots. At the advice of a table mate, I got the tagliatelle bolognese, plus the fried artichokes that I couldn’t pass up. Both were excellent. Also both incredibly heavy, I’m not a light eater and I simply could not finish that main course. And that’s after I gave a few artichokes away to friends. The pasta was the winner, with a sauce that was rich, chewy, and optimally salted. Did not need a thing.
Rough spot 1: drinks. Cocktail menu reads like a trendy tropical restaurant, all mango and grapefruit and raspberry. No use of Italian liqueurs in the house signatures, which is tragic. Plus, what’s on offer just isn’t tasty enough to justify the $ 13 tag.
Rough spot 1.5: wine. Our host asked for guidance about which to choose. Guidance was entirely «oh, we sell a lot of this one.» That’s not much help.
Rough spot 2: bread. Uninspired bean spread, no olive oil or butter. Nice focaccia, though.
Rough spot 3: dessert. Again, just nothing unusual or interesting. It probably didn’t help that we were stuffed, see above.
Anyway, it’s not bad, I’d eat here again. I just would order differently, like splitting a main course with someone.

Stella has a great rep for plating up some fantastic dishes and this time was no exception. We went for Sunday brunch and ordered the bagel with smoked salmon and the linguini carbonara with smoked bacon and spit the two dishes between us. The carbonara sauce was rich and creamy with a nice smokey flavor from the bacon. I’m pretty sure the pasta was fresh made. The smoked salmon was also smokey and had a smooth clean texture. Both dishes were more than satisfactory.
The prices were not over the top and the service was good! Five stars this visit!

Words cannot describe how in love with this place I am. I could rave for paragraphs and paragraphs (and possibly run out of space in this review) and still not give Stella the credit it deserves. Granted, I only came for brunch, so I can’t speak for their dinner menu, but as a brunch place, it’s absolutely perfect. Probably the only place that can compete is Stephi’s.
We ordered the eggs benedict (with salmon) and the duck confit hash ‘n eggs, and I cannot describe how much their eggs benedict blew my mind. The yolk was the perfect runny consistency, and the flavor of everything just blended together so well that you’re pretty much having an orgasm in your mouth with each bite. Their duck confit is a bit drier than expected at first, but if you let the yolk from the poached egg soak into the meat, then it develops the ideal texture.
My favorite part of the meal, however, is unquestionably their dessert. We went with the chocolate torte, which is easily one of the best chocolate desserts I’ve ever had. It wasn’t too sweet (which I find happens pretty often with chocolate cakes), but still maintained a strong cocoa flavor that is enhanced and aptly complimented by their vanilla gelato.
My boyfriend also ordered their pumpkin mule, and I tried a sip — never had I wished more that I could actually handle alcohol. It is basically everything I want in a drink (pumpkin and ginger), and the two flavors came together perfectly. You can also barely taste the alcohol, which only made me want to drink it even more. Alas, I wasn’t planning on already being horizontal at 1pm on a Sunday afternoon, so I had to be satisfied with my small sip.
My only disappointment was with their cappuccino — it tasted like something you could get from Starbucks, but for twice the price. Otherwise, I would definitely come back again and again until my pants stopped fitting or I go broke, whichever happens first.