johncharles

We will be staying at the Westin Waltham, where this restaurant is located, on Saturday, May 8.

We've read Waltham is becoming something of a hot restaurant center and this is pretty certain to not be the best place in town. However, as long as the restaurant is pleasant and the food pretty good, we'd probably prefer to just relax with a meal at our hotel after a long day of travel, rather than deal with Saturday night crowds and waits at one of the top places. We'll be in Boston the following day for a Sunday theatre matinee and a special dinner afterwards.

On the hotel's web site, the restaurant looks large and attractive, with tall windows and the hint of a pond view. The description of "New England cuisine" sounds interesting to us as non-New England residents. But we know hotel restaurants can often be very disappointing.

We can find no mention or review of this place anywhere. While we're definitely willing to give up a couple of rating stars for convenience and relaxation this particular evening, if the place turned out to be such a nothing as to leave us feeling frustrated, that wouldn't be relaxing.

Does anyone have any experience with this restaurant? Is it so weak that we should overcome our strong temptation to veg out in the hotel that night?

Sandra_NH

Boston's TV 38 has a show reviewing restaurants that has been going strong for over ten years. If you go to phantomgourmet.com and type in Waltham you will find reviews for restaurants in that town.

china_cat

I had brunch there once, so I'm not certain what you'll find on the dinner menu. I found it, well, inoffensive. The food was good, relatively straightforward. Of course, this was brunch. I'm not sure there was anything particularly New England ish, maybe lobster bisque. So, in my very limited experience, I thought the restaurant was okay.

If you don't have a car, I don't believe there is much of anything else in walking distance.

If you do have a car, and decide to venture into the center of Waltham, you might want to try and get a reservation at Campagnia or Il Capriccio, which are the best in town, in my opinion. Don't try either of these without a reservation unless you go at 5:30.

johncharles

Thanks very much, Sandra NH and China Cat.

Sandra, glad to have the site tip, and I'll definitely check it.

China, your identification of the top spots in town matches what I've read elsewhere, and I'm sure they would be better, but with a top Boston restaurant planned for Sunday, we may not choose to fight the crowds Saturday night. Thanks for your candid observations from brunch. Your assessment couldn't have been more clear, but it leaves us still teetering on the edge about what we'll do.

Anyone else, especially someone who has been to this place for dinner?

brie

I'm afraid I can't shed any light on the restaurant at the Westin, but I can offer some alternatives if you want something low-hassle and nearby. [This assumes that you have a car; without a car, there really is nothing right near the restaurant that I know of.] First, Moody Street in Waltham is full of interesting restaurants and not all are high end. We like Solea (tapas, haven't had a wait but don't know about Sat night, very pleasant, not high end...call and see?). I also like Iguana Cantina (pseudo-Tex-Mex and burgers), but it's likely to be noisy and crowded. I've heard good things about one of the Indian places (New Mother India?), but not been there. Finally, I haven't eaten at but have heard reasonable things about Green Papaya, which is not on Moody St but instead just off exit 27 on 95/128 and therefore might be closer to the Westin.

johncharles

Thanks, Brie. I think, though, if we don't stay in the hotel, we'll probably try for one of the top places, like Il Capriccio. But it would still be great to hear from someone with dinner experience at Seventy@Third.