Bristol Restaurant and Bar - Four Seasons Hotel Boston

We had reservations for breakfast at the Sunday Brunch. The spread and multiple options was absolutely fabulous. However, I don't consider $75 for breakfast to be a good value. If the options and price were scaled back, we might consider returning; but if not, the experience would only be for a very, very special occasion, not my go-to place for brunch.

Great option for late-night dining. We had reservations after the Nutcracker at 10:15; full menu was still available. Very active Bar scene; food was excellent and expertly prepared. Bartenders may need refresher on how to pour some drinks; I requested a cordial, B&B neat, and it came chilled in a martini glass instead of straight out of the bottle in a snifter. Other than that, it was a great experience.

Too noisy. Disappointed that there were no table cloths. Food not wonderful as one would expect.

Surprised at the poor service for lunch. After we were seated, it took a solid 10 minutes before wait staff approached our table and when our server did finally appear with a pitcher of water, there were no apologies or acknowledgement of tardiness.

What also surprised and upset me was the adoption of a new “at-table” transaction for paying the bill. Characterizing it as “European” did not minimize the awkwardness and indignity of settling the bill with a miniaturized cash register at the table. So off-putting. What is particularly obnoxious is that I have to decide on the tip right there in front of the server — so inappropriate and again, awkward.

Poor showing, Four Seasons. I expect much more class from your company.

Terrific wait staff. Freida was above and beyond.
We will request her every year!
Very congenial with children
In our party.

Good but not quite up to par- good, but not presented well.

We had a delightful birthday celebration for my 19 year old daughter. She loves to sit in front of the fireplace and we had the perfect table. The food was delicious, loved the evening. At the end of dinner we took some Christmas photos in front of the teddy bears and Christmas trees. It was a wonderful night!

Hade a wonderful dinner with no noise!!

Great place. However we had to wait nearly 30. Invites for our table even though we had booked the table several weeks in advance.

Had lunch before a show at the Colonial Theatre.
It was our 34th anniversary.

Our order wasn’t correct and I didn’t like my salad, but we still love the Bristol Lounge.

Food was OK
and portions were small for the price
The pudding dessert with chunks fo stale cake looked and taasted like something a child chef would come up with

We had a wonderful dinner before the theater at The Bristol. The service and the food were both outstanding!

Generous variety of dishes, all of excellent quality. Don’t miss the bread pudding, made from croissants.

My reservation was for 5:45. We arrived late due to traffic and parking. There was no maitre d at his post to welcome us. When he finally arrived he scolded me and hassled me for being late! When I arrived at home there was another scolding from Open Table, via e-mail, saying I was a no show. Apparently you are put on the naughty list immediately. My heart went out to every five year old I've ever known. I did call Open Table to discuss this. He told me the restaurant would be contacted but of course I've received no feedback. I am probably banned from this restaurant and the city for life.

Always a welcoming destination with great service, food and fair pricing

Great service, really good food

We took some out of town friends for lunch here.......we were seated by the window and so it is a beautiful view! The service was attentive and the food was good!

We were expecting a better experience because this was part of the Four Seasons. The bar was in the restaurant area. It was quite noisy and all we could hear of the music that was playing was the base. We were in an area in the middle of the restaurant where much cross traffic happened. Our entrees were fine, but I have had better food for less money. My husband's dessert was a takeoff on rocky road. It was a type of bar that was so hard and dense that he was unable to eat it with a fork and had to pick it up. The chocolate sorbet that was part of it was so bitter that it bordered on being sour. I asked for ice cream and a chocolate chip cookie. Somehow the waiter thought I only wanted the cookie. When I asked about the ice cream, the oversight was corrected. The scoop of ice cream was slightly larger than one produced by a melon baller. The desserts were quite expensive and very disappointing. Luckily, we had a gift certificate.

One of my favorite Boston classics. Perfect for a special lunch date or celebration.

We have dined here numerous times for special occasions and we have always loved the food and ambiance. We were here for a pre-theater dinner. We mentioned our timing to the server. As the dinner went on, we began to get nervous that our entrees might not come on time. Ultimately our entrees arrived at the time that we needed to leave for the theater, which was 90 minutes after our arrival. We were very dissatisfied with the service and unlike past experiences at this restaurant, no major apology or explanation was made except that " it is a busy Saturday night." Don't go here if you are in a hurry. We all left hungry, stressed out, and with our dinners in takeout bags. We ate our food at intermission and it was cold. So much for a relaxing dinner experience at the Bristol Lounge. Customer service, which, in addition to excellent food, used to be what they are known for, has clearly deteriorated.

We love sitting at the tables by the windows and watching the people and dogs in the Public Garden. Food was exceptional (and fast). Our server was so personable and friendly.

The service and food are both outstanding. Updated menu selections were delicious - braised short rib was a standout. The attached bar area is always a joy to stroll over to after dinner.

A little pricey for the quality of the entrees. Could have used table clothes on the tables.

Very happy they honored request for window seat. Have called in directly to Bristol in past requesting same and it wasn’t given

Made a reservation for an anniversary dinner. We were seeing a show following, so were slightly before the “dinner rush”. We showed up a few minutes late and they took us right to our table. The waiter walked over an immediately wished us a happy anniversary. Knowing we were seeing a show, they worked quickly to take our orders and get our meals in time. The food was fantastic. Both meals. After finishing our meals they brought us a piece of cake with Happy Anniversary written out. An absolutely great experience.

Probably my 50th visit and never had a complaint. Went early Saturday before Hamilton and the service was preoccupied. My girls ordered the duck and I ordered the lobster gnocchi. Girls loved the duck. Lobster gnocchi not so good. I'm a small person but the portion size was disappointing. Could have fit the entire meal into a teacup. The lobster claws still had all the cartilage and was not easy to eat. The gnocchi was overdone and the entire meal was room temperature. I did not send my meal back because we were going to theatre. Hopefully you can take a good look at this dish and make some changes.

Nice place for a special occasion or dinner near the theater district. A bit pricey but the food and service are both very good.

Always a favorite place to enjoy a family, business or even a quiet meal alone.

This is usually my favorite spot for food and especially service but I left a bit disappointed this time. We went for Sunday brunch. There were 6 of us. Not sure if the service was mediocre because tip is already included so.... Had to ask several times for utensils and water refill and for plates to be cleared off the time as it was a small table for 6 people. Again, usually I rave about how great Four Seasons provide but this was not the case this time.

Value for money too low. Nothing extraordinary og expecially good

I went to the Bristol Lounge this past Saturday. I am recently engaged, and we were having a lunch so our families could meet for the first time. There were 6 of us, and we were all excited to have a nice lunch out. Things started off positive, when they accommodated a last minute add to our party. However, things quickly went downhill. Service was slow, which seemed to be due to being short staffed. It took more than 10 minutes to get our drink order in. We ordered our food, which included a seafood tower as a 'starter', and waited for our drinks. 20 minutes later we still had no drinks, and the waiter came to apologize and explain there was an ingredient issue which was being fixed. 5 minutes later, only half of the drinks arrived. We continued to wait for the remaining cocktails, when 5 of our entrees were delivered. We had no drinks for half the party, no seafood tower, part of the hot food, on top of the fact that the servers didn't know who ordered what so we had to swap the plates ourselves...it was a mess. They then brought the seafood tower. WTH. When you're paying $25+ per dish, and $15+ per cocktail, you expect MUCH more. My fiance was furious and got up to speak to the waiter, who was obviously spread too thin and struggling. After that, he tried to make it up to us, but it ended up making it even more awkward. He had 2 glasses of champagne brought to my fiance and I for a toast, but no one else at the table had any drink left at that point, so they just watched us. The waiter delivered a cake to the table, which was VERY thoughtful, but at that point we'd been there for 2 hours and just wanted to leave. Overall, the experience was worse than going to the PF Chang's down the street. I do truly appreciate the waiter trying to rectify the situation, but even with that it was a disaster. I couldn't even tell you if there was a manager on duty, because we never had anyone come over to our table to apologize. Avoid.

Amazing as always

The food and service was exceptional. I have not been to the Bristol in years. I now have it on my go to list when I am looking for a great restaurant that’s worth the money!

The food was great as usual .. the burger is a must have .. great cocktails with no added sugar which is a very rare find .. the waiter was very attentive, even though the kitchen was working on slow mode .. but didn’t effect our wonderful family dinner ..would go back again when I’m in Boston ..

Underwhelmed from the initial greeting. Hostess led us around the dining room to find the podium and had to be cajoled into giving us a window table, "those are saved for reservations". We had a reservation. It was 5:30 on a Wednesday and there were multiple tables available by the windows. The hostess did manage a deuce by the restrooms. Thanks for the effort!! To my astonishment, a request for a glass of tap water equated to a bottle at $8.50. I can afford it but I don't have to like it - especially when it arrived unannounced already opened. My simple request to have my sparkling water served on the rocks caused enormous consternation. It took three tries and even then the water was poured into the wine glass I had pushed aside not in the glass or on the ice I had requested. The shishito peppers were warm, not charred and just ordinary - though the price was not. I have had much much better for much less. The entire meal was strictly pedestrian at elevated prices. Too many places, too little time for overpriced mediocrity.

Consistently excellent food, elegant but not stuffy atmosphere. Our waiter was courteous and professional, but seemed to "disappear" for long periods, seemed to have too many tables he was tending to in order to provide really good service, which was a little frustrating. On previous visits, the service has been more prompt.

Beautiful Sunday brunch. Wide choice of delucious dishes and amazing prime rib. Pricey wine list though, even for 4 seasons.

Food came out cold...both pasta appetizer and the burgers. Server started off very cold then warmed up a bit too.

It was amazing!