Bolete Restaurant

We are somewhat new to the Lehigh Valley. There are many wonderful restaurants here but Bolete is our very favorite so far. The food was superb and creatively prepared and presented with very unique flavors. The service was welcoming and not rushed and they made our anniversary very special!

This is, by far, the best restaurant in the Lehigh Valley. In addition to the best and imaginative dishes, the service is always outstanding.

We were 4 people. I had halibut (VERY slightly overdone), my husband had scallops (he practically licked his plate!), our friends had the salmon (she LOVED it) and he had a HUGE pork chop, eating every last morsel!!! The butterscotch pudding was everything I was hoping it would be!!!

Great food. Creative pairings. Outstanding service. Will definitely go back. Great special occasion dinner.

We visited Bolete for our anniversary and wanted to do something different. We read online that they have a special chef's tasting menu on Tuesday evenings. We didn't realized we had to tell them in advance that we wanted to do this. When we arrived for our 7:30 reservation we inquired about the tasting menu and we told it takes about 3 hours but they would check with the chef. He accommodated us and did an excellent job. 7 courses of his choosing, each one different and delicious! We did not each get the same item for a course, so we got to taste extra dishes. Every member of the staff was attentive and helpful. It's always a wonderful experience at Bolete.

The service, the food and the atmosphere were wonderful.

The food was excellent and the service was impeccable. Definitely worth our two-hour drive for dinner. Nothing was over-priced, and the wine prices were affordable.

THE GOOD - The Bolete is a top choice if you are interested in quality food that is creatively prepared and presented. The staff is attentive and willing to spend time discussing each entrée and interacting with customers. Their extensive knowledge of the food makes one think they may be graduates of a culinary school. This is especially important if you are having the 6 course food tasting menu since you are not likely to recognize all of the different entrees and the associated components on the plate. Other than specifying individual food preferences, you have no control over the entrees you receive with the tasting menu. My wife and I received different selections for each course. The portions for the food tasting menu are smaller than selections from the menu, as you would expect for a tasting menu, but you won't go away hungry. This option (which is only available Tuesday through Thursday) turns out to be an enjoyable adventure.

THE NOT SO GOOD - The main dining area is one big room with plaster walls and ceiling, wood floors and no curtains, basically, no atmosphere and noisy. If you want a quiet dinner and conversation in a romantic setting, go somewhere else. The dining room probably holds about 40 people and there will always be one loud customer or group that can be heard throughout the room. Part of the parking area is paved. The adjacent gravel lot is available for Bolete customers but is not marked as such and is in front of commercial garages. Neither area is identified as Bolete parking. No need to arrive before 5 PM. You will be left standing in an area the size of a small closet.

Essentially, the chef/owner is totally focused on the food and doesn't pay much attention to the facility. You go to this restaurant for the food.

Food was outstanding using seasonal local ingredients. Accommodating for special requests -- for example I was going to choose a chicken dish -- the menu had chicken thighs == I don't like chicken thighs and they indicated they would check if they had any chicken breasts for a substitution -- they did. The dish was delicious. My dining partner order a scallop dish -- also delicious and outstanding. The wait staff was fantastic -- it ran so smoothly -- everyone seemed to know their assignment. Handcrafted cocktails were inventive and delicious. I had a vodka gimlet with fresh basil and lime. Can't wait to go back again.

Exceptionally complex flavors and combination of locally sourced products. Good value for the money. Staff was very professional and efficient.

Excellent menu incorporating local, seasonal meat and produce. Creative use of all ingredients. The handcrafted cocktails were also tasty and comprised of excellent ingredients. Service was very attentive. The room was very warm....AC did not seem to be doing all that much....that would be our only "complaint".

Corn soup was delicious, as was the butterscotch pudding.

Fantastic drinks and great food!

Unquestionably the best restaurant in the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas. Great, creative food, attentive servers, all around top notch. The tasting menu with wine pairing should be on everyone's list.

My husband and I had talked about going to Bolete for about two years, before I finally made the reservation for his 30th birthday. I regret not having made the reservation sooner! The food and experience was amazing. When I made the reservation I mentioned that we were celebrating his birthday. To our surprise they put a simple candle in his dessert, and he was wished a very discreet happy birthday when it was delivered to the table. Everything was beyond perfect, and we were planning on a return visit before we finished the first course. Next time we plan on allotting 3+ hours (instead of just 2.5) for dinner so we can experience the chef's tasting menu.

Bolete is always fabulous! The food is just always perfect. I wish I could come very day just for the tomato salad.

We save this restaurant for our special occasions, and also for those not so special - but when we want an outstanding meal in a comfortable casual quaint setting. Bolete never disappoints!

The chef really knows flavor interactions. Bringing together high quality local ingredients in creative ways is this restaurant's forté. Expect at least a couple of seafood dishes for the chef's tasting. Most of the dishes have some sort of mushroom, which they do very well here. The dining room is small, so expect it to get a bit noisy as the night progresses and more people show up. Fantastic soups and excellent salads (which you might not at first recognize as a salad).

My wife and I went here as first time guest for our anniversary. We have never been to a farm to table restaurant and didn’t know what to expect. Not only did we enjoy our meal we enjoyed the experience. The way we were treated and the quality of service and food. They went above and beyond for every customer. They worked very hard to please each and every guest. This is a fantastic place and we will recommend for people to visit and enjoy very fine cuisine. We plan on going back too. We picked it out of the blue and weren’t disappointed. Thank you for a great evening in celebrating our 3 year wedding anniversary.

The three of us had a wonderful time and meal - 2 corn soups (superb!) and one gazpacho for apps. Dinner was one pork chop (enormous and delicious) with polenta with roasted corn and fried okra...crispy skate wing...and scallops with cepes, corn and chorizo. Just delicious. Altho we were stuffed, we shared a pot of chocolate (forget the French name) for dessert. Also, had rosemary bread and butter at the start. The place is very simple and elegant, the service was terrific and we had a wonderful time. Would definitely return.

The food and service was exceptional and the menu provided a variety of choices.

Arrived 5 minutes before opening. Was advised they were still setting up &would open at 5:00.

Really no place to sit outside. We had driven for 30 minutes-to dine there. Told the person at the desk we were not going back out. She then agreed to seat us. Her attitude would prevent me from returning to dine there. Wait staff was both friendly & professional

Bolete never disappoints. I have been dining there on occasion ever since they opened. Fresh, local ingredients prepared in unique ways.

Truly excellent food and service but this was the loudest fine dining experience of my life. Our servers were exceptional and apologized for the volume levels unsolicited.
I was telling friends about our evening and they indicated the same experience. We went on a Wednesday so I can’t imagine they have any quiet days.

Bolete is and always has been my ultimate favorite restaurant. Despite its small size, it makes up in ambiance, quality of food, and the perfect balance of staff professionalism and friendliness. Walking in the door is like walking into the home of a friend, and while the staff will go to great lengths to meet the needs of every guest, there continues to be a mellow, cozy, calming presence about it. The food is exceptional; better than any place that I have spent twice the amount of money on in Philly and NYC. Try it. Trust me.

Second time at this restaurant and food was excellent again. Entrees were creative and ingredients perfect.Had a leisurely dinner which was maybe a tad too long, but better than being rushed.

This place is an absolute must go to for dinner in Bethlehem. The food was incredible. Try the mozzarella and tomato salad. I would drive 8 hours to eat here again.

Thank you to the open table community. I found this place reading the reviews.

Love Bolete. Food outstanding. As our daughter says, can’t find such excellent creative fresh food anywhere else in LV.

This is, hands down, the best restaurant in the Lehigh Valley. It is impeccable every time we dine there.

Best restaurant in the area in my opinion. Our go to place for quality food and service.

I have been coming to Bolete for almost 10 years. Hands down it is the best fine dining food in the Lehigh Valley.

Always excellent food and service. Truly five stars!

The food was amazing as always. Attentive top notch service. Unique cocktails. Very pleased with our visit to Bolete

It is pricy but a wonderful experience and place to eat when you deserve a good night out.

The wait is a bit long. The Beer List was short and the prices a bit on the high side.

Excellent food and service! A very special dining experience.

Amazing food and service. Seasonal drinks are always tasty!!!! Love love love this place. Fine dining without going to the city!

My husband and I went for my Birthday, everything was excellent. Food was prepared deliciously. I’m was extremely happy and will come back to be a regular. My sea scallops where amazing!!!

Staff is always kind and welcoming. It's always a pleasant experience.

I took my girlfriend here for her birthday and we both left saying wow! In fact, I believe her word to describe the experience was a "food-gasm". We each got cocktails, first and second course dishes, and dessert and shared everything. The portion sizes were perfect. We left feeling full and satisfied, but not stuffed. The plating and service was excellent as well! The waitstaff knew their food and described it well. They were very helpful with bringing everything hot and on time. The atmosphere is beautiful, but not overly elegant. It is rustic looking with a lot of history that makes the place feel cozy. The biggest downside to the place in our opinion is the location, or more specifically, lack of parking. The on-site lot was full and we had to park across the street at a small church. Overall 10/10 would recommend. We will definitely be back again!