Blu

Phil was outstanding from start to finish, making my dinner an incredibly enjoyable experience in this little corner of paradise in Boston! The owner is incredibly kind and welcoming! She’s lovely! The next time I visit Boston, Blu will definitely be one of the reasons why. Thank you for this amazing experience! The food was simply sublime!

Great location and great views. Given the price of the food, it was a little underwhelming, not gonna lie. The service can definitely be better too as our waiter had forgotten that we’d ordered a coffee and brought it long after we’d finished our meal. I’ll maybe give it another chance later for the 5 stars.

The restaurant is excellent, offering a pleasant ambiance. The waitstaff was attentive, polite, and professional. Our dining experience was delightful, savoring dishes such as the honey-glazed salmon, duck, cauliflower popcorn, and blue tapas - all of which were delicious. I look forward to revisiting this spot when I return to Boston.

Outstanding restaurant Excellent service Hidden gem

Staff is incredible, we showed up late crunching time to make the ballet and they pulled some strings for us to get our food out fast. The food was amazing and with a great view looking down on the city streets.

First time eating here prior to attending a show in the Theater District. We were seated quickly and overall service was very good. The atmosphere is fairly dark with very nice views of Avery and Washington Streets. We started with the Tapas Appetizer and I would say it stole the show. I forgot to grab a photo but I would highly recommend you try it. The main courses were very good, but nothing stands out like the Tapas. We finished with the Chocolate Mousse Cake and it was a nice way to end the evening.

It was our first time here, loved view, it was so classy, romantic atmosphere, lights were not too bright. Food was good & not heavy but felt a bit overpriced, i guess it's due to the location, it was easy to get there. For me the best thing was the créme brúlée. Staff was friendly. Good luck finding parking. Make a reservation!

In all actuality, at first you think you are paying for the view. But the food was delicious. Ceasar salad with anchovies was topnotch. Swordfish, chicken and flank steak were all received well.

The location makes this restaurant! It is perfect for anyone going to see a show or just wanting to see the views. The service was incredible, we were there to celebrate a bachelorette and they were super accommodating and even gave us dessert. Food was amazing too! The focaccia to start was an incredible touch!

Blu is located right in downtown Boston with a great view of the theater. It was a bit strange taking the elevator up and seeing an equinox gym as soon as you get off, Blu also has a cafe type lounge for grabbing food on the go that you walk through to get to the main dining area. My grilled swordfish was cooked perfectly, and my spicy tequila drink was so good I got another. Our server was very attentive, polite, and friendly. Overall a great spot to go to for a date night in town or with people who are visiting.

This place wasn't bad and I would have rated it three stars if the prices were more in line with what you get. The good: the view is nice. The ambiance with the blue lights is fun. The Caprese Salad is good, fresh burrata. The scallops were really good. The Braised Short Rib Rigatoni was good. The not so good: the Caprese was not $19 good, nor was the Rigatoni $33 good. My Manhattan was watery and $19 despite the fact that they have the Bourbon I asked for it to be made with on the menu for $14. I guess the vermouth and water was $5?!? We arrived on time for our 5:30 reservation but nobody was at the host station. I walked back to find the place empty but for two servers standing by the bar looking at their phones. Overall the service was fine. I debated giving this place three stars because overall it was OK, but for the price, it should have been much better. When I get a $19 Manhattan, it better be fantastic; watery and $19 is two stars.

I went out to dinner here with several friends before we went to see The Nutcracker. The restaurant is somewhat difficult to find- it is located at Equinox, in the Ritz Carlton (on the fourth floor). It took me several frustrating minutes to find the door. Once I finally did find the door, I took the escalator up to the restaurant. I was immediately seated once I got there, and our table had a great view of Washington Street. The rest of my party was somewhat belated in getting to the restaurant, but luckily Blu serves complimentary bread/rolls, which were quite tasty. I ordered the Vegan Feast, with the bread pudding for dessert. The vegan feast was delicious! The butternut squash, sautéed kale, grilled zucchini, and quinoa were covered in a scrumptious cilantro-sunflower pesto. Even if you aren't vegan/vegetarian, I recommend trying the vegan feast! The bread pudding was warm and dense, but not dry. If you are in the area/want somewhere to eat before going to the ballet, I recommend giving Blu a try!

Food was fine, services was fine, dining experience was fine. Nothing special to support the higher pricing.

Beautiful evening view from this 4th floor restaurant. We chose the Duck (very tender) and Scallops (with lobster risotto...phenomenal!) for this romantic dinner. Excellent cocktails. For desert, New York cheesecake in a white chocolate shell! Our server was attentive without hovering.

I was looking for a restaurant not far from my hotel so I didn't have to drive or walk too far to get there. I found Blù which is located in the Ritz-Carlton hotel so that was even better. Our table faced Washington Street and the Paramount theater. The view was stunning and when it got dark, the Paramount theater and all its lights make you feel like you were in Time Square. The menu was full of delicious choices which made it hard for us to pick our meals. We decided on salads, and for entrees, we had the grill sword fish with asparagus, I substituted my lobster mashed potatoes for a lobster risotto, my husband kept his dish as it was. My salad had fried goat meat balls which were si good that I asked to to have more as a side dish. For drinks we had a white Sangria (wouldn't recommend it) and for dessert, a delicious bread pudding with salted caramel ice cream... simply delicious. We made it back to our room stuffed but very satisfied.

We go to the Nutcracker for our Christmas tradition and this was the first year trying Blu. I am so glad we did. Food, service and ambiance were all amazing! We started off with the calamari. It was lightly fried and the aioli was very tasty. I had the salmon, my sister in law had the cod, my daughter had the steak and her daughter had the raviolis with pesto. All tasted amazing as were the sides. My only slight complaint was the steak was a bit drier than she liked but nothing worth of sending back. Us ladies had each a wine, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, both of which were nice. The girls each finished with a desert. Her daughter had the cheesecake and my daughter had the mouse. They polished off those plates and pretty sure they would have licked them clean had we let them lol. Our waitress was personable and professional. She only checked on us when she could see a drink was low or how our food was. I like when they give us time to have our conversations and not check in every 5 mins. Ambiance was amazing. The view of downtown crossing at night really sets the mood. The restaurant is a bit dark but with the candles at the table and the blue lighting you can still see everything fine. I would definitely recommend Blu to anyone looking for a nice dinner in Boston.

Came here before we saw the nutcracker. The ambiance is beautiful. We were a party of six and they seated us in what almost felt like a private room with a beautiful chandelier. I ordered the herb roasted cod, my brother had the diver sea scallops, and my son had the salmon. The sea scallops and salmon were amazing. They were kind enough to let me try their dishes. My cod lacked seasoning but was okay. I would definitely recommend the sea scallops. The lobster risotto was YUM. Service was impeccable. You could not beat the view as it overlooked the theater district. I would definitely come back the next time we go to see a show.

Great views of the theater district.. and if that's all you care about, this is the place for you. Other than that, don't waste your money.

The food is amazing and the service immaculate! The seating is a full glass view over Avery Street!

Came here for my birthday dinner and happy to say that I had a great time. The service here was really friendly and food came out decently fast. Even if it was slow, I think I still wouldn't have minded because there is so much to observe from the view. It was awesome! To start, we tried the sampler appetizer with lobster ravioli, fried fish and lamb. Definitely worth the try but I wasn't too crazy about it. Regardless, it was the perfect amount of food to get your stomach ready for the meal and you get to taste a variety of different things. I ordered the steak and thought that it was average. Not too bad, not too good. What really stole the show for me was the risotto. Super creamy and bursting with flavor - so good. We also got the fish and this was pretty good as well. Fish was light and cooked nicely. There were other things that came on the dish that we weren't too big a fan of but the main star was good. Finished off the meal with the bread pudding - absolutely delicious!

I had high hopes based on the Yelp reviews. The venue is cool unless you're stuck at the last table on the left with no view where the waiter can't see you either. Took awhile to be acknowledged in any way, shape, or form. If you like bread, don't bother asking for more. The waiter will respond in a super judgey way with an "I'll see" and then act like you never asked. $48 steak supposed to be Medium Rare and came out Medium. On the plus side, the view seems fantastic if you're not in a corner. The focaccia is amazing if you only want one piece. And the mashed potatoes are delicious. Palette saving tip: the ginger ale is real...drink with care.

We had our large private party, so I didn't get the entire experience, but this place is classy and the epitome of fine dining. The service was top-notch as well - prices are really fair! It's a little hard to find, so be diligent!

Wonderful! Great atmosphere, view, food was very well done. Staff was very accommodating. Would definitely return!

It was my first time eating here and I was extremely impressed by the food. I got a rack of lamb so tender you could cut it with a spoon. I also got a turtle lava cake for dessert that was to die for!

This was a fun place to grab a bite to eat with excellent service! We had a very attentive and polite waitress! We weren't super hungry after seeing a movie so we decided to split a salad and the tapas platter and get desserts. There wasn't anything super special about the salad, but the tapas platter was a good way to try different foods with different flavors. The desserts were nice, again nothing too special but nothing bad - the view and the service were worth the experience!

Terrific view, fun casual yet intimate atmosphere. Great food. Our service was top notch.

Stopped in for a quick drink last night after dinner with a friend. It's actually a great spot to go for dinner as well-based on my friend's recommendation. It's next door to the Ritz-Carleton and on the 4th floor of the adjoining residence building. (Much of this building is under construction right now). The views of the theater district are lovely. Our bartender was super friendly and took care of us. We had an Irish coffee (not on the menu but she hooked me up), a mixed beverage (again-not on the menu but done just right) and a rye on the rocks. It was quiet and easy to have a conversation. I understand that it's rather busy during the pre-show hours but it's a great place to go if you're not interested in the loud club/bar scene and just want to chill with fiends.

I went here to an anniversary dinner. The view is beautiful with a relaxed atmosphere. The food was great and our waitress was very friendly and attentive. I ordered the shimp scampi and added scallops for an up charge. It was amazing

I went to Blu for lunch and found it to be a great spot. I had the arugula salad with shrimp as well as a chocolate torte, both of which were extremely delicious. It's a very small place but at 12:00 on a Monday we were one of only a few parties present. Service was attentive.. no complaints on that front. Price wise, it's about what I would expect for the area, definitely not cheap but I did leave feeling full (granted I did have dessert). Decor is pretty unimpressive but there are huge windows along the main wall, making for a lovely city scape view, which made up for lack of decorations.

Hard to find, but worth it! (It's on the 4th floor). Strongly recommend the Barbados Old Fashioned (who knew that rum worked in an Old Fashion?), the calamari, the arugula salad, and the baked cod.

I never complain about service or food, until now. we went to blu prior to a show. I ordered the free range chicken which arrived at the table dedicated to the point where I could not cut it with a knife. my group was mortified! when I complained to the waiter he said he would tell the manager. I told himhe should notify the chef. the waiter then proceeded to avoid our table when I got his attention I asked what was said. he replied they were sorry. nothing else. mind you this was a $300 dinner bill. I have never seen such bad food followed by " too bad for you " management response. Avoid this restaurant or risk a major dinning disappointment. never in my life!

This place is offering late night dinner till 10 pm, it was near by the place where i was stating in Boston, everything was delicious as i planned to be. The sever was very kind and nice as well. The Bolognese pasta was amazing but i would like to advise that it is a small portion, please add some more. Thank you!

Went to dinner with my wife, her sister and brother in law. We arrived once we found the place which is above the Equinox. The restaurant atmosphere was cool besides the fact there was no one there at 8:00 on a Saturday night. Can't always judge a book by the cover, but it didn't make me feel better. Overall the food was good. I had the scallops which was really good. And my wife had the lamb chops. I liked mine more than the rest of the group, and for the price, no one was overly impressed. I would try again but maybe for a lunch or apps.

Lunch sandwich review: I ordered a turkey deluxe wrap here, but when I got back, they must have forgotten the deluxe! There was probably two slices of meat in the wrap. I was pretty disappointed as the carb/meat/vegetable ratio was not to my liking. I think I'm going to stick with somewhere else for my lunch sandwiches. Place looks pretty. Food is not.

I was hesitant to try this place given some of the bad reviews. To start, service was great. I was so impressed with how kind and attending our server was. I tried the mushroom and cauliflower soup which was delicious. The pistachios on top was a nice addition. The duck was good. Not my favorite I've ever had. I prefer a crispier skin and the rice pilaf that it came with was bland. I wish it was a hardier grain like a farro or even a mash of some sort. Given the convenience of the location to the theater, I wouldn't be opposed to coming back, though it didn't blow my skirt up.. as they say.

The server is very nice and we got seated right away. Location is great and the view is nice . But the food was such a disappointment especially the price they charge is on the higher end. You would expect a better quality food, plating or even just the taste. The veggies are saggy and food is bland.

Great place with a beautiful view! Located inside the Equinox club 4th floor, we stumbled upon a small cafe and then was seated with a wonderful window view. It's a modern, chic kind of place but not so much so that you'd feel uncomfortable. The staff was very cool. The diver sea scallops were amazing!! As well as the sour apple martini it all was delicious. I was a little skeptical about going here based off luke warm reviews but if your ever in Boston this place is definitely a go to!

Updated Review! I've been back to Blu a few times since my last review, figured it was worth an update. We were seated next to the kitchen AND adjacent to a rather large and LOUD party, which detracted from the romantic dining experience we were going for. Our waiter was taking care of the large party, so we sometimes received less than timely service (particularly when ordering and looking for the check), but food-plating was spot on. Started with the mushroom epanadas. These were tasty, but the insides oozed onto the plate the moment they were cut into. Short rib entree was very tender, but lacked a bit of flavor. Similarly, the grilled swordfish was cooked perfectly, but very bland (lobster mashed taters were good). The Royale Brulee Chocolate Cake was the highlight of the meal, the flourless chocolate cake tasted like a dense brownie, so not worth the $9. The view is great, lots of variety on the menu, very friendly staff.

Got a crazy afternoon traffic just back to boston last night, got a good dinner time with people I love, and joyful days finally started, like their fish tacos and pear cocktail!! Good view in the sets and I believe there also a gym next of the restaurant.

Awesome place. Awesome service. Great drinks. Menu is good also. Will come back again.

Went here before a show purely for convenience of location and because the other restaurant we wanted to go to was packed. Small restaurant on the 4th floor of Equinox building. Friendly and quick service. A few tables have cool views of Washington Street. We ordered the shrimp scampi, bolognese and then lava cake for dessert, all of which were tasty but nothing spectacular. We had a good overall experience, but nothing extraordinary that would necessarily send me back here. There are plenty of great restaurants in the area that I would likely choose over this one.

Pros: - Amazing view! - Above average drinks. - The steak and cheese spring rolls are exquisite! By far the best thing on the menu. Cons: - Food other than the spring rolls was just average. - Weird location in the Ritz Carlton building next to a gym and cafe. - Service could be better. The waiter did not understand our requests but he did accommodate substitutions, which I appreciated.

I had been here once a couple years ago and had remembered the food being fairly good, but what had really left an impression was the ambience and the view of downtown Boston--that more than the food was what brought me back tonight for "Dine Out Boston" (aka restaurant week). The restaurant week menu was not extensive: there were only 2 choices for appetizer and dessert and 3 choices for entrees. In the end, only one person in our party actually ordered from the restaurant week menu. Dine Out Boston Menu ($33): 1. Stuffed Artichoke Bottoms -- Honestly, this was my first time eating artichoke so there's really not much I can say about this appetizer beyond the facts: it comes with four artichoke "bottoms" stuffed with a mixture of crab meat, spinach, mozzarella cheese, and lemon butter sauce. Let's just say, it didn't have me running to the grocery store to buy some artichokes of my own. But my mom and brother enjoyed it. 2. Grilled Salmon with lobster ravioli -- Aside from my memories of the view, spotting this entree while previewing the menus was one of the contributing factors to us coming here tonight. Sadly, it was just okay. We ordered the salmon medium rare but it came out more like medium well. The tomato sauce was flavorful and had a nice fresh tomato-sourness to it. The ravioli tasted noticeably of its lobster filling but unfortunately, was very undercooked- less than al dente. 3. Divine Fudge Lava Cake -- Definitely fudgey. In fact, it's pretty much the same dense sticky-fudgey texture throughout, with the center being slightly less cooked, but no lava in the middle. Again, just okay. Regular Menu: 1. Atlantic Miso Salmon with golden quinoa, snow peas, carrots, shiitake mushroom, miso vinaigrette ($26) -- Like the salmon above, we ordered this one medium rare and it was medium at best. My main problem with this one is that the fish was so bland. There's a thin watery glaze of miso on top but the flavor just wasn't there. The quinoa and veggies mix was a nice complement and it was overall enjoyable in a light and healthy tasting way, despite being on the under-seasoned side. 2. Slow-Braised Pork Shank Ossobuco with gorgonzola mashed potato, oven-roasted tomato, natural jus ($24) -- This dish is huge. It comes with a large pork shank (definitely larger than my fist and wrist) and true to its "slow-braised" promise, it was indeed tender. However, it was also slightly under seasoned and could stand to have some more "natural jus," which my brother did ask for. He was also not a fan of the gorgonzola mashed potatoes because it was just too rich and creamy for his taste. Overall, the view and ambience were as lovely as I remembered it but the food was just A-OK at best- every dish had something going for it but they all had a big "however" to undermine it as a whole as well. On top of that, the prices are high, the service is not particularly friendly--I probably won't be as tempted to come back next time.

Nice place. Food quality was very good and interesting enough with clever presentation and nicely complex flavors. The blue tinted setting was fun for the evening of pre-theater as we felt a bit like we were on a stage overlooking the Paramount. Wine selection is good and very reasonably priced. Service was good. One chief waiter stretched among many tables with multiple runners is not usually successful in my experience but it worked ok here. One drawback is that it feels like an extension of the equinox gymnasium.

Food is good however it's not always warm service could be better, The choice is very limited I ask for mashed potatoes for my 10 year old daughter even though they have it on the menu they will not service the mashed potatoes until 4 PM which is obscene if they have it on the menu they need to make accommodations

A friend recently rented out the bar section of Blu for her 40th birthday, and our experience there was fantastic. (1) The space is conveniently located by Boylston/Chinatown and has a beautiful elevated view of downtown Boston that is especially impressive at night. (2) The self-service/complimentary coat check made getting in and out of the party easy. (3) The passed appetizers (crab cakes, spring rolls, caprese, seasonal quiches and lemongrass chicken) were excellent quality and we had more than enough food. (4) Servers were attentive and friendly. (5) Before the event, my friend raved about the General Manager of Blu and how flexible she was with pushing back last call so the party could go on longer. During the event itself, the bartenders let us stay past the extended time so my friend could try to hit her bar minimum. Most places don't care about their customers that much. I enthusiastically recommend this place for private parties!

Val and Chris are the best staff ever! Delicious food and we laughed the entire time with them and had the best quick service in a beautiful restaurant.

Not a great experience. Waiter took our drink order and disappeared. Finally came back and took our order for apps and meals and disappeared again. Our calamari app came out relatively quick and was ok, but again nothing special, could have used more flavor. Then when the waiter picked up the app dish, he left us bread so I found that timing to be really weird but ok. Then it was easily a half hour before we saw our meals, which is also worth mentioning there were only about 4 occupied tables in the restaurant at 7:30 on a Saturday night. My wife enjoyed her shrimp scampi, but my steak was flavorless and not a very good cut of meat. All in all the bill came to $150 for two people for maybe $70 worth of quality. The restaurant tries to promote itself as a higher end restaurant but it's in a very awkward spot in the corner of a common space in a corporate space. Music playing in the background was weird for the setting as it was playing top40 pop music.

Wow. An amazing place for dinner. Have been there twice already this year. Greta view of the Paramount Theater. Waitstaff is cordial, attentive and friendly. All of the dinner courses came at appropriate intervals and we felt like we were at home. Very relaxed atmosphere. Food was amazing. Appetizers were perfect, main course was prepared and served on time. We ate so much that we did not have room for dessert but we ordered and brought the dessert home for later. Cocktails were perfect. Highly recommend this place.

Located on the upper floors in a Ritz Carlton building. It is a relatively high end place, with very expensive prices. I ordered the NY Strip, which was mediocre. The service was excellent, and the view was spectacular. Average and expensive food, so come for the vibe and view.

We had dinner at Blu tonight with another couple before seeing a show at the Opera House. The restaurant is unique and has a great view, but the positives end there. Our waiter was not the friendliest and took a really long time to take our drink order. Then after we received our drinks, we were left sitting with our menus for quite a while before he returned to take our order. The food was mediocre but the worst part is that in the middle of eating our meals we saw a MOUSE scurry across the floor and run back into the kitchen. I was horrified and felt sick to my stomach wondering how many must be in the kitchen if one is in the dining room. We were so disgusted that we paid our bill and left immediately. We tried to alert a manager or the hostess about it on our way out, but couldn't find anyone and then we had a show to catch. I've lived in Boston for many years and have never seen a rodent in a dining area, let alone at an upscale restaurant. Upon searching Blu's Yelp reviews for "rodent" or "mouse", it appears that a few other people have had sightings while dining here as well. Definitely will not be returning to Blu.

We live right nearby and it is fabulous to have this place so close. The menu is always being tweaked AND there are items that it is hard not to order over and over again. These include the tapas platter with the most amazing lamb lollipops, or the pork or fish tacos, the pastas, the swordfish, etc. Phil is one of the best bartenders ever and often has interesting new wines available by the glass. It can be pretty full with the theater crowd, but the noise level is well-controlled. We have never been disappointed.

Fantastic food and a great view. The service was excellent. The only strange part is exiting the elevator to enter the restaurant. It looks like a banquet hall with the entrance to a gym. Well worth it though. Lobster mashed potatoes may have been the best mashed I've ever had.

Went here on a date night with my girlfriend, since we have been here before, we wanted to grab the same plate we got the previous time. We both got the diver sea scallop plate and man, where we disappointed this time around. Not only did they raise the price but also reduced portion size. I felt like I was eating an over priced appetizer. We asked the waiter to see if that was the portion size originally, but man, they are good at making stuff up. Originally he told us that nothing had changed, but when when we told him that we had pictures of our previous time, he went to go ask the manager to tell us that they did reduce portion size... with a $4 price increase..... (even though the manager said that the price was the same)... 2 lies within the same night.... I think this restaurant forgets yelp and google reviews exist and pictures....if this is the new normal for this restaurant, definitely not going back.

Amazing view of the downtown area. The food was great! I had their Chicken & Quinoa Meatball appetizers, Iron Steak for entree, and I forgot the name of my dessert, but it was a chocolate cake with ice cream. All were very tasty. I went for restaurant week, so the portion may have been smaller, but I was very full by the time I finished the entree. My only complaint was that there wasn't sufficient AC. Also, I felt like the cutlery weren't very clean. Mine felt a tad bit sticky. I'd definitely come back to this restaurant though!

The ravioli was perhaps the best I've ever had. And the chocolate lava cake was perfect You can't beat the view either!

Just ordered two salads costing over $30 because I had been curious to try Blu. We got them to-go because we were in a rush, but didn't realize that the portions were as small as a side salad and not entree. At this point I waited 20 minutes for my order and wanted to eat and not complain on size as I headed home. Upon opening up my Ceasar with Anchovies I noticed not only was the tiny to-go container sparsely filled with salad but they only gave me ONE anchovy. I don't think I've ever seen something that stereotypically embarrassing for a so-called high-end spot in Boston. The other salad was yummy but, again, tiny for an almost $20 seared yellow tuna salad. I had wanted to bring girlfriends here for dinner and drinks one day as it looked cool, but now absolutely not. Don't waste your money on this overpriced spot. Very disappointed - I'm always walking by and was excited to try tonight.