The Banks Fish House

Name: The Banks Fish House
Address: 406 Stuart Street, Boston, MA, United States, 02116
Telephone: (617) 399-0015
Price range: $31 to $50
Rating: 4.5

4.5

943 Reviews

$31 to $50

Seafood

Top Tags:

A joint venture from restauranteur Chris Himmel and Executive Chef/Partner Robert Sisca, The Banks is a revival of the New England fish house inspired by generations of Atlantic fishermen who have found their destiny in these rich and treacherous fishing grounds, inspiring New England-style seafood along the way. At The Banks we pay homage to their history, and our fish house is a celebration of their life’s work and the camaraderie of their lives at sea.

Located on the corner of Clarendon and Stuart Streets, The Banks is within walking distance of the South End and Back Bay neighborhoods, including just a short distance from Boston's famous Copley Square.

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Sep 22, 2023

7:00 PM

Booked 59 times today

Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Cuisines
Seafood, Cocktail Bar, American
Hours of operation
Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00 am–2:30 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 11:30 am–3:00 pm Midday Lunch Mon–Fri 3:00 pm–5:00 pm Sat, Sun 2:30 pm–5:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 5:00 pm–9:30 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Phone number
(617) 399-0015
Website
http://www.thebanksboston.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Executive chef
Robert Sisca
Private party facilities
The Banks is a revival of the New England fish house. We pay homage to the fishing traditions of the New England fishermen and those who have honed their craft on the east coast waters for generations. We offer two fully private dining spaces and two semi-private spaces. The Banks is also available for full buyouts.
Private party contact
Dean Cogswell: (617) 896-1060

Location
406 Stuart Street, Boston, MA 02116
Neighborhood
Back Bay
Cross street
Clarendon Street + Stuart Street
Parking details
There is a valeted garage in the Clarendon Building below the restaurant at an hourly rate, validated at the minimum rate after 5:00. There is also limited street parking available.
Public transit
Back Bay Train Station, Orange Line or Copley T stop on the Green Line.
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Takeout, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Featured in

100 Boston / New England Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day

Experiences

Sazerac Bourbon Dinner
$145.00 per person
Prepaid
Nov 8, 2023 only
We’re teaming up with your favorite bourbon distilleries for a can’t miss whiskey dinner. Join us to indulge in some of the finest bourbons from Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, Blanton’s, and W.L. Weller, expertly complemented by a dinner from esteemed Chef Robert Sisca. Ticket holders will be treated to a welcome reception, followed by a four-course tasting menu paired with a selection of highly coveted pours including W.L. Weller Full Proof. Menu: Pocomo Meadow Oyster Espresso Martini Grilled Spanish Octopus Buffalo Trace Bourbon & Eagle Rare 10 Year Bourbon Crescent Farms Duck Breast or 8 ounce Ribeye Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon & EH Taylor Small Batch Bourbon Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee Weller Full Proof Bourbon

What 943 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5

4.5 based on recent ratings

4.4Food
4.4Service
4.4Ambience
3.9Value

Noise • Moderate

943 Reviews

DK
DianeK
Greater Boston
16 reviews
vip
5.0
16 reviews
Dined 2 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Food was excellent and service was very good and friendly.
Is this helpful?
F
Foodie
New York Area
7 reviews
vip
5.0
7 reviews
Dined 5 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Jeremy was terrific. He was our waiter and so attentive to make sure we were pleased with our selections. The Hirassa crudo was fantastic!! Very original menus with staples as well. Wonderful evening made very special by our waiter Jeremy.
Is this helpful?
AI
ArtISec8
Philadelphia
7 reviews
vip
5.0
7 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great experience! Delicious food and excellent service.
Is this helpful?
RN
RobertN
Greater Boston
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined 7 days ago
overall2food3service3ambience5
I had high expectations, but it was just okay. The amount of food for the price you pay is not good. While the Squid Ink Tortellini was tasty, it cost $34 and was an appetizer size at best.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Mexico City
23 reviews
vip
5.0
23 reviews
Dined 7 days ago
overall5food4service5ambience3
Great lobster roll! Just be aware of the time cause in the afternoon they only have the bar menu available which was just ok
Is this helpful?
F
Figgy
Greater Boston
16 reviews
vip
3.0
16 reviews
Dined on September 12, 2023
overall3food3service4ambience4
Ordered a b bunch of appetizers - three out of five were good. The other two were horrible. The scallop crudo was on some kind of mess of something stale/inedible that resembled a Funion and there was a piepce of very large paper in the octopus dish (probably a wrapper for one of the ingredients). Really bad. I've been here many times, and this was by far the worst one.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
2 reviews
vip
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on September 12, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Food was great, service was amazing. Our waiter, Joseph, made it a fantastic dining experience and overall enjoyable evening.
Is this helpful?
TM
ThomasM
Greater Boston
20 reviews
vip
5.0
20 reviews
Dined on September 12, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
A very nice table with a sunset view --and that is magic in Back Bay!
Is this helpful?
VN
VisitingNYer
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on September 12, 2023
overall3food3service3ambience3
I expect to get great NE Clam Chowder in Boston, and this wasn't. Not warn enough, miniscle amount and pieces of clam, and uniform tiny cubed potatoes...which makes me think this is just 5gal commercial-bucket of Campbell's soup product. Entrees were fine, and location is good, so I would recommend overall.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Greater Boston
1 review
vip
2.0
1 review
Dined on September 9, 2023
overall2food3service1ambience4
Drink was HALF the size of a normal drink (charge me whatever, but give me a full drink), the octopus was “spit it out” bad and the service was awful. Waiter was very nice, but really took waaay too long with almost everything. Dropped dessert menus, but didn’t come back to see if we wanted dessert. We didn’t, we wanted the check which I had to get up and walk over to him to ask for.
Is this helpful?
KS
KingofSwampCastle
Greater Boston
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on September 9, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Fried calamari was excellent -- the zucchini was a nice added touch to this dish. Highly recommend the crab cake - delicious! The tuna tartar was very good but a bit small and way outnumbered by terra chips. Ora salmon was perfectly cooked as were the seared scallops. Highly recommend both these dishes. The staff was friendly and attentive all evening.
Is this helpful?
B
Ben92
Greater Boston
10 reviews
5.0
10 reviews
Dined on September 9, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Food was great, varied menu, attentive staff. Definitely a return destination
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Chicago
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on September 8, 2023
overall5food3service4ambience3
Very average place and corporate feel. Likely would not go out of my way to come back.
Is this helpful?
PC
PatriciaCR
Greater Boston
5 reviews
2.0
5 reviews
Dined on September 8, 2023
overall2food2service3ambience3
Lunch menu so poor Clam chowder so salty Service so slow
Is this helpful?
LJ
LisaJ
Greater Boston
12 reviews
5.0
12 reviews
Dined on September 7, 2023
overall5food4service5ambience5
Great atmosphere and food. Knowledgeable about Gluten free needs and a great mai tai!
Is this helpful?
EM
EzMike
Philadelphia
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined on September 2, 2023
overall2food2service3ambience2
Over priced for the quality/ and quantity of food, e.g., $4 per local oyster and $40 for a lobster roll. Only a few belly clams over a ton of fries was also a rip off.
Is this helpful?
SP
SaltandPepper
Greater Boston
74 reviews
vip
4.0
74 reviews
Dined on September 1, 2023
overall4food4service4ambience4
The chilled crab cake was superb, one of the best appetizers ever. The fisherman's platter was delicious--everything was cooked perfectly and it included two generous pieces of right-from-the-ocean fresh cod, although the non-traditional tarter sauce was not a winner. The big loser was the $38 Wagu beef tartare appetizer, served on a potato cake, and topped with oyster cream, caviar and so much truffle oil that you could not taste the other ingredients. I am a big fan of steak tartare but this was so rich it was inedible.
Is this helpful?
RM
RanMad
New York Area
14 reviews
5.0
14 reviews
Dined on August 31, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent service Good wine list and sommelier Food was good Ambience
Is this helpful?
H
Heidi
Greater Boston
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on August 29, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Johan was an attentive and courteous server. The food was fantastic, would definitely go back!
Is this helpful?
S
Scoop
Greater Boston
76 reviews
vip
3.0
76 reviews
Dined on August 19, 2023
overall3food3service3ambience3
This was our 4th visit here over the last 12 months. Two of us this time. Disappointed this time. I had the Branzino and my wife had the scallops. We started with shrimp cocktail and then the garden salad, both excellent. The Scallops were very good. The Branzino was not prepared as described, however it was very good. It only came with one thin dried up stalk of asparagus. It was more of a garnish. Sorbet for dessert, tasteless. Sugary sweet. This was our second time being seated on the second floor towards the corner close to where the staff is going in and out. Sitting in the main dining room, 2nd floor is best. Good wine choices. My Vodka martini had to be returned and redone, I had asked for “No vermouth “ Overall service was not great.
Is this helpful?
DW
DanW
Greater Boston
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on August 19, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Dined here for Restaurant Week on Sat night and thoroughly enjoyed it. Incredible value for $45/pp. We will definitely be back.
Is this helpful?
J
Jenny
Greater Boston
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on August 19, 2023
overall5food4service5ambience5
Really nice decor and what looks like a real fireplace! Good mahi mahi tacos and pasta but slightly small portions.
Is this helpful?
F
Foodie62
Phoenix
20 reviews
vip
5.0
20 reviews
Dined on August 19, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience4
Service was out standing! Food delicious! Only negative very loud! I definitely would recommend the restaurant!
Is this helpful?
BL
BLovesFood
Greater Boston
23 reviews
5.0
23 reviews
Dined on August 18, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great all around! The Banks was a bucket list spot. The Dine Out/Restaurant Week menu pressed me to make it happen. Fresh sea bass crudo and a delicious pasta dish with a little kick made me really appreciate the chefs and establishment. The IPA and beer selection is important to me and did not disappoint with the Lunch IPA and Hop Hop and Away session. The service was spectacular and the servers were attentive and charming!
Is this helpful?
SR
SophiaR
Greater Boston
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on August 17, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience4
we got a variety of starters and it was delicious! The foie gras and the salmon curd were incredible
Is this helpful?
JO
JamieO
Greater Boston
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on August 17, 2023
overall5food4service5ambience5
Amazing service, some of the best I've experienced in a long time!! Food was very good. Cool vibe overall. Would dine there again.
Is this helpful?
S
Stephanie
Greater Boston
19 reviews
5.0
19 reviews
Dined on August 15, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Very nice lunch. Service was good and the food was delicious. The only thing we did see was one of the servers was using his bare hands to fill up the bread basket. He didn’t use utensils.
Is this helpful?
A
Austinite
Austin
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on August 14, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent experience for a large group, would absolutely return. Sat us immediately with our reservation. Servers were very helpful and efficient. Great food selections and everything tasted fresh. It was lovely all the way around.
Is this helpful?
CC
ChenC
Greater Boston
7 reviews
vip
3.0
7 reviews
Dined on August 14, 2023
overall3food4service2ambience2
Overall, the Banks Fish House was an adequate experience. I was a bit surprised by how loud the environment was when I initially entered. They were playing rock music, which was unexpected. We did have a nice host who guided us to our table. Our server, however, was not as pleasant. He appeared to be aloof when taking our order and checking in with us, as well as lacking attention when placing silverware and refilling our water. The food was pretty decent, though a bit pricey for the quality. We dined during "Dine Out Boston". A party wanted to get the dessert to go, but he said they do not have the containers available. So I'm not sure if I would return again, but it was good to experience once.
Is this helpful?
MR
MROB
Greater Boston
142 reviews
vip
4.0
142 reviews
Dined on August 13, 2023
overall4food4service3ambience4
Very high quality and broad seafood menu (with a few excellent beef additions as well). Service is very good as both waiters and bartenders are professional and trained.
Is this helpful?
SH
SarahH
Chicago
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on August 13, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
We had a wonderful dinner at The Banks on our first day in Boston. All of the seafood was fresh and tasted delicious and the service was great. Our server, Langston, was fantastic and went above and beyond to make sure we had a great experience.
Is this helpful?
R
Robert
Greater Boston
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on August 12, 2023
overall4food2service5ambience5
I was very disappointed. My fried fish dinner was very soggy and the condiments were too over spiced. The bar/waiter was very pleasant, he was not the preparer of the food.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
New York Area
13 reviews
vip
4.0
13 reviews
Dined on August 10, 2023
overall4food5service3ambience4
Food was good but overpriced. Service was mediocre. Our waitress forgot about us and didn’t check in on us often. For what we were paying, I expected much better service.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Charlotte
7 reviews
vip
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on August 6, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience4
Our server (Chloe?) was wonderful. Food was excellent.
Is this helpful?
DC
DougC
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on August 6, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
If you are positioned well in the bar, you get a great view of Trinity Church, which is a Boston architectural landmark.
Is this helpful?
AC
AmyC
Dallas
4 reviews
3.0
4 reviews
Dined on August 5, 2023
overall3food2service5ambience4
Service was very good - ambiance was nice. Food was disappointing. Raw oysters were OK as a starter. We also had the Acadian Greens - the portion big enough to split. I had the branzino (overcooked and not a lot of taste even with green garlic/rhubarb). The artichoke side was extremely greasy - like it had been deep fried and sat out for too long. Same with the mushroom side dish. My husband and I love mushrooms but would not recommend these. I could have squeezed oil out of them with my fingers. My husband had the scallops which were cooked well. Decided to skip dessert. Don’t mind paying for good food but this left us with buyers remorse. We wish we wouldn’t have spent the 200+ tip for that meal. Not worth it.
Is this helpful?
RW
ReidW
Atlanta Metro
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on August 4, 2023
overall3food4service2ambience5
Server was too aggressive with the upsells. Very irritating. Otherwise enjoyable!
Is this helpful?
A
Anonymous
Greater Boston
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on August 2, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great overall experience, including top-notch service
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Baltimore
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined on July 30, 2023
overall1food1service3ambience3
Service felt rushed. Branzino was full of bones. Fried shrimp was burnt. Expected better from the inflated prices of a downtown Boston restaurant. Would have had a much better meal at Faneuil Hall.
Is this helpful?
J
John
Greater Boston
36 reviews
vip
3.0
36 reviews
Dined on July 30, 2023
overall3food3service5ambience5
I had lobster Benedict, which was very good. My wife had a chopped salad with shrimp. She described it as a “joke”. The shrimp were good. But the salad was essentially iceberg lettuce and a minuscule amount of bacon. She was very disappointed. We ate at the bar and the bartender - Duncan - was very good and efficient.
Is this helpful?

Safety precautions

Cleaning & sanitizing
- Surfaces sanitized between seatings
- Common areas deep-cleaned daily
- Sanitizer or wipes provided for customers

FAQs

The Banks Fish House offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (617) 399-0015.

The Banks Fish House is rated 4.5 stars by 943 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Sep 22, 2023

7:00 PM

Booked 59 times today

Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

406 Stuart Street, Boston, MA 02116

Dining areas

Additional information

Cross street
Clarendon Street + Stuart Street
Neighborhood
Back Bay
Hours of operation
Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00 am–2:30 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 11:30 am–3:00 pm Midday Lunch Mon–Fri 3:00 pm–5:00 pm Sat, Sun 2:30 pm–5:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 5:00 pm–9:30 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Cuisines
Seafood, Cocktail Bar, American
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
There is a valeted garage in the Clarendon Building below the restaurant at an hourly rate, validated at the minimum rate after 5:00. There is also limited street parking available.
Public transit
Back Bay Train Station, Orange Line or Copley T stop on the Green Line.
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Robert Sisca
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Takeout, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.thebanksboston.com/
Phone number
(617) 399-0015
Private party facilities
The Banks is a revival of the New England fish house. We pay homage to the fishing traditions of the New England fishermen and those who have honed their craft on the east coast waters for generations. We offer two fully private dining spaces and two semi-private spaces. The Banks is also available for full buyouts.
Private party contact
Dean Cogswell: (617) 896-1060

Featured in

100 Boston / New England Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day

The Banks Fish House

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

Featured in

100 Boston / New England Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day

Experiences

Sazerac Bourbon Dinner

Menu

What 943 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Safety precautions

Cleaning & sanitizing

FAQs

Does The Banks Fish House offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is The Banks Fish House restaurant rated?

Is The Banks Fish House currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

Featured in

100 Boston / New England Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day