Best Restaurants with a Tasting Menu in North End

The entire small staff was superb. Friendly, accommodating, and just lovely people. The food was outstanding especially anything with a red sauce. We had our three young adult sons and our young daughter with us. I actually felt the meal was reasonably priced and not a city gouge fest. My favorite North End dining experience that I can recall.

This was our first time at Vermilion, and we will definitely be back! We went for a Christmas Eve lunch, and will return to try the dinner menu as well. Our lunch was fabulous and reasonably priced, especially excellent the food and service were. While it appears to be primarily a restaurant that specializes in steaks, at least for lunch we found the appetizers and side dishes to be superb as well. Cases in point: the broiled clams were so tasty, the French Onion Dumplings were delightful, and the Crispy Artichokes are a MUST! I had the French Dip, which was miles beyond any such sandwich I’ve had before: incredibly tender, on crispy yet light bread with Gruyère cheese and a perfect horseradish sauce on the side. (The skinny French fries that came with it were absolutely addictive.) My dining partner had the Spicy Steak Salad and he loved it. Our server Carlos was a true professional: gracious and attentive, knowledgeable about the menu and the wines, and happy to engage in conversation (though never intrusive). The location is great for me because I live and work near downtown and the Wharf District. The Vermilion is on the second floor of a new building, and you could easily walk past it if you weren’t looking for it specifically. Once inside, it’s quite comfortable and has a lovely island bar. The lounge-style seating is comfortable, classy yet relaxed. I look forward to visiting again, and can’t wait to try the dinner options!

Bar Mezzana never disappoints. We attended the Feast of the Seven Fishes offering. Everything was excellent. Really well formulated menu with perfect wine pairings. I didn’t think I liked smelts-they proved me wrong!

From the moment you walk in the door, it’s as if you stepped back in time. The pink Christmas theme going throughout was adorable. Everyone was friendly and the food was phenomenal. My party especially liked the lasagna, that’s only served on Sundays. The one and only downfall is their house Cabernet is not good. That is the only one you can buy by the glass so you have to buy a bottle. But no problem they wrap it up for you to take home.  I cannot wait to go back.

Everything was great! The dandan noodles and crab wrangons are something I'd come back for! The place is also super festive and decorated. Amazing service too.