Tasting Counter

Tasting Counter is a fantastic restaurant! They offer a unique dining experience that combines delicious food, great drinks, and a fun atmosphere. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and they do a great job of making you feel welcome and comfortable.

The tasting menu is a great way to experience the full range of what Tasting Counter has to offer. Each course is carefully crafted and beautifully presented, and the flavors are always interesting and unexpected. The wine pairings are also excellent, and really enhance the overall dining experience.

Overall, I would highly recommend Tasting Counter to anyone looking for a unique and delicious dining experience. The food is amazing, the staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and the atmosphere is fun and lively. It's definitely a must-visit spot in Boston!

The good: beautiful atmosphere. The service was courteous and outstanding. Everything was top-notch quality. I thoroughly enjoyed this experience. You indeed get what you pay for. Most foods are more western flavored (French, Italian, etc…). There were many flavors I never knew existed, so it was eye-opening. It deserved 5 stars, and I highly recommend it!!

The not-so-good: I have a heavy pallet. I normally enjoy Chinese, Indian or African cuisines. Unfortunately, western food does not satisfy my tastebuds. Even so, I was not disappointed by this experience because that’s only personal preference!

Tasting Counter really lives up to the hype. I was absolutely floored by the quality of food, the innovativeness of menu, and the service at this restaurant.

First off, we took a friend here for her birthday, and she has a shellfish allergy and fish sensitivity. They communicated with me extensively the week before over text to develop a menu specifically for her, which was just so thoughtful and appreciated.

Next, the wine, sake, and beer pairings are just brilliant. I don't usually get alcoholic pairings with my tasting menus but this time, I was so glad of the pairings. They were wonderfully curated, and in terms of the beers, oftentimes local—so I got to try an array of the new and the familiar.

Finally, the food just blew me away. My wife said she liked it better than ABaC in Barcelona, it was that good. They make really great use of fresh, seafood ingredients, and the entrees were light enough that you didn't feel weighed down by the course after course after course delivery.

As alluded to, service was excellent. Ambiance was also really nice, although part of me wished the seats weren't *quite* so far apart—sometimes, conversation across the bar layout was a little challenging. Overall, 13/10 recommend this truly lovely and highly fancy dining experience!

Very good tasting experience that did not disappoint. If I had to nitpick, it was not the most imaginative or creative menu compared to similar chef's counter experiences at that price point. However, they use high-quality, gourmet ingredients and execute them into great flavors in all of the dishes. The service experience was top-notch as well.

Quite the experience! You can tell that all the chefs take pride in what they do and it leads to an incredible meal spread over 13 or so courses although they claim it to be 9 there are a few bonuses thrown in! The drink pairing go very well, I chose the mock tail option as I don’t drink alcohol but the people next to us said they quite enjoyed the spirit options as well! The venison was out of this world! Definitely a place to check out!

Went to Tasting Counter for their 3-course lunch menu with wine pairing, a great steal for $95 (now $110 as of July 1, still sensible regardless). All courses were delicately prepared, the sea bass was just steamed right and pairs well with the charred & fermented white asparagus. The dessert and petit fours left a great impression on me. Wines are largely led by natural wines.

It lives up to everything and more. The menu and drink pairings go together like a choreographed dance. The presentation and ambiance is fun and unique. The food is amazing…breathtaking with the combinations, the flavors, the contrast it’s all well worth the money .

A once in a lifetime experience…splurge and treat yourself
This restaurant would be at least one Michelin star (my bet is two) if the guide ever came to Boston.
A beautiful evening of fresh local ingredients and special indulgences from around the world …stunningly presented and curated.
A perfect way to spend our anniversary

The space is Intimate, and interesting. One wall has micro greens and herbs, another has bottles with fermentation lids.

The mask requirement made the wine and food explanations less engaging. However there was great content, especially around the wines.

Each service was beautifully presented and delicious.

Highly recommend the experience.

I've been to Tasting Counter twice for lunch, but haven't been able to go for dinner yet. Their lunch is absolutely amazing. The flavor combinations are exquisite, and the textures provide contrast so that every bite is interesting. The wine pairing is always on point. The desert was so unique and imaginative. Even though I've only been during lunch, this is the best dining experience I've had in Boston so far.

Very unique experience! You feel very exclusive as the chef is right in front of you introducing the dishes and how & what it was made. We had 3 course lunch with wine pairing. Definitely worth a detour! However if you don’t like fast pace dining then you might find this place is a bit rushing you up as you only have 1 hour dining time.

UPDATE (12/14/2021 - a few years and another 8 or 9 dinners later): Tasting Counter quickly became my favorite Boston restaurant and it has stayed in that spot ever since. Consistently fantastic experiences, the restaurant has matured into a well oiled machine for whimsical and fun experiences, as well as amazing food. I am also adding more photos from my other visits there, as the food really deserves it.

ORIGINAL REVIEW
Unique experience that stands out in the crowded Boston food scene. Fine dining is getting re-defined in an intimate setup, where diners sit along a spacious u-shaped bar, overlooking the preparations of the kitchen staff.
The reservations are done via the trendy ticket approach, which I happen to like very much. The ticket is inclusive of all costs, including drink pairings.
The dinner itself was awesome, very well paced, with artful plating and great course progression and drink pairings (12 or so courses in total, counting all amuse-bouches).
The flavors were simple (but never simplistic), sophisticated and focused on highlighting one or two ingredients at a time, instead of assaulting the palate. The experience felt clean and light and very satisfactory - i.e you leave full and happy, instead of stuffed and hating yourself.
This approach is reminiscent of Asta (Boston), Atera (NYC), Oriole (Chicago), Minibar (DC) to name a few other places for reference.
The drink pairing was great (we chose wine, although sake and non-alcoholic options were also available). The wines were unique, from small independent producers and complemented the dinner well.
Dietary restriction requests were taken into consideration and thoughtfully fulfilled.
Have to mention the staff as well - very professional and thoughtful, working very well together under the sharp eye of chef Ungár.
This was a refreshing and delicious experience, which has now made us fans of Tasting Counter and thus we will be back for more.

When we booked this experience, we honestly didn’t know what to expect…but the dinner far exceeded any expectations we had. The food was incredible. We went with the sake pairing and loved every pairing. On top of that, the staff is super friendly and knowledgeable. It was a once in a lifetime experience we won’t forget.

Update:
We went again last week. And again, the food was near perfect. This time I did a sake pairing (for the first time in my life 😀). This time, the dishes were focusing on seafood.

The presentation of both the food and the pairings, the chitchat with the cooks, the smells and the taste were all wonderful.

It is sad to know this month is their last month and they'll be closing (Aeronaut Brewing won't renew their lease). The chef told us he and the team will take a break and will reopen it in some (other) form.

Top 3 places I've ever eaten at. They were able to make me a customized menu that accommodated all of my food allergies. I was able to eat foods that I never thought I'd be able to eat again or ever have the ability to eat. I never felt left out of the experience that others were having. We chose sake pairings with our meal and might go with wine pairings the next time we're there.

Everyone on staff was knowledgeable, courteous, and friendly.

Loved the energy of the room and seeing how everything was made. Our favs were the butter foam for my husband, the fried zucchini blossom, the venison that was cooked perfectly, that we cut it with a butter knife, the panna cotta with the cucumber granita, and surprisingly the Baked Alaska with a vegan coconut ice cream on top of a taro cake, and ginger syrup.

Overall a phenomenal meal we won't soon forget and will for sure be back.

They change their menus every season and for the beginning, middle, and end of the season.

The experience was amazing. The staff incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. The food and wine pairings ... beyond delicious. We went for a special occasion and this really helped make it special. Don't let the idea of tasting plates fool you, you will leave full of delicious food.

Awesome food, prepared in a very sophisticated and refined way. Gourmet in every sense, absolutely zero weak points. They should be listed by Michelin at least as an emerging venue, IMHO. Definitely recommended, and not crazy pricey.

Simply put: the best restaurant in Boston. Chef Ungar is a creative genius and an artist. His food is up there with top restaurants in this country and the world. Such a shame Aeronaut is forcing Tasting Counter to close but can’t wait to see what he does next!

What a wonderful experience! We have done tasting meals before, but this was so much better than any of them. Loved the squab (maybe the best pate I have ever eaten). The wine pairings were perfect, as well.

We got a meal here as a Christmas gift from our daughter and her boyfriend but weren't able to use it until almost a year later. What an absolutely wonderful gift! The concept is great: pay for a set meal and seating time up front and online, including gratuities, and then just show up and have the chefs treat you to a gastronomic experience, with drink pairings. The restaurant can seat about 20, and all are served simultaneously with individual chefs explaining the various courses, ingredients and methodologies to their 2-4 guests each. Very personalized and truly an unforgettable experience. I haven't even mentioned the quality of the food, but believe me, it's absolutely outstanding!