Willie R.
Yelp
I haven't written tons of five-star reviews since moving to Boston, but Estella has definitely earned one. It's on Temple Place, which is a fantastic location alongside many good cocktail bars and speakeasies. I have frequented this area for a while and am happy to see that Estella moved in in September. I was at Estella last night with friends, as well as this past Friday evening for a birthday celebration.
Part 1: The Vibe. Estella is surprisingly spacious, with three floor, including a smaller bar on the first floor and a seating area (with a DJ booth!) on the third floor. As it got later and later on Friday, more and more people poured in, and as the music became heavier on reggaeton, the level of litness increased. There was a whole dance party in there.
Part 2: The Food. I ordered the short rib on Friday, which is actually quite a huge dish. Like, it's a lot of meat, and it was SO tender and well-seasoned. That's rather a theme here--tender and well-seasoned. I would especially like to highlight that Estella has delicious sweet potato fries, which is kind of a big deal to a southerner. Last night, I had the Estella Burger, which comes with an egg (don't often see this in the States) and a bomb strawberry fig jam. We also enjoyed the chicken wings and basically everything else we ordered.
Part 3: The Libations. Our group had a variety of drinks, including the Piña Caliente (tequila and mezcal, my favorite), Plum Island (flor de caña and plum, which doesn't immediately sound like a great flavor combination but was really a great drink), and the ever-popular espresso martini (I'm not an espresso person, but my friends ordered tons of these). Overall, the cocktails were nicely prepared with quality ingredients and a pleasant presentation (e.g. the designs they put on the top of the espresso martini).
I almost didn't write this review because I don't want to publicize Estella or it'll become more crowded! But what a great gem downtown that I'll be sure to return to time and time again!