Major Food Group (Carbone, etc.) opened Contessa on the 17th floor of the Newbury Hotel in 2021. It overlooks the Public Garden on one side, the Back Bay on the other - the most iconic views of any restaurant in Boston, even if the parapet wall is built too high to fully enjoy it when you’re seated. There is also no outdoor area for summer happy hours, which seems like a missed opportunity. They must know this; I wonder what happened and if Comm Ave residents had anything to with it (pure speculation but would not be surprised).
Contessa claims it “has continued to cement its reputation as one of the best dining destinations in the city of Boston.” I’m ok with this, as long as we agree the food plays about a third of the role and the rest - the location, lighting, beautifully botoxed patrons, and the buzz from a great martini in the sky - accounts for the bulk of the “best”.
The design is predictable, hotel restaurant meets wealthy developer - bold colors and patterns, lots of money for florals, very millienial/pinterest-forward. White tablecloths would be nice at Contessa, I was surprised not to see them. Our table looked almost diner-esque, and didn’t pair well with the battery powered lamp (pics below). Those lamps can quickly go from chic to cheap, and I’m sick of having to reach around them for more bread.
You can, thanks to Major Food Group and its peers, find similar restaurants in every big American city. There is no need to bring out of towners here; Contessa doesn’t show what makes our city unique. However, for locals, Contessa provides a very fun girls night, date night, group birthday dinner - essentially, any time you want to feel hot and be around other people who feel hot and are willing to drop a fair bit of change on pasta.
It’s critical you go into the experience knowing you are paying the Major Food Group x 5 star hotel x Newbury Street (triple whammy) tax. It’s going to be annoying and expensive, as so many people will tell you in Contessa’s 3.9 star Google reviews (a fun scroll).
Go the way Hillary and I did - we needed a girls night and wanted to investigate. At the worst, we knew we would have some laughs and a good story. We ended up having a blast and several great dishes, and will be back this summer with the boys in tow, who have been wary of going so far. “Too many ring light people” were the words used.
The entrance to Contessa is to the far left of the hotel entrance on Newbury Street. There is a small sign with a cursive C. It is discreet, especially at night. Once inside, follow the hallway back to the elevator, and take it to the 17th floor. Hopefully you’ve made a reservation, I have no idea what happens to walk ins.
The staff were nice, despite so many reviews claiming otherwise. Our drinks and food came quickly. We had a wonderful table by the window overlooking the Public Garden and Back Bay skyline. The parapet blocks the view of the Garden when seated, which is fine at night but I may have been a bit disappointed in the daytime.
After making quick work of two excellent dirty martinis and the complimentary bread basket (stale ciabatta, three bites of parm, olives), we started with the burrata with tomato and basil, and the shaved carciofi salad with crushed almonds, parmigiano, and lemon. Burrata and artichokes are two of the most revered Italian foods that American restaurants often poorly source and further abuse once in their possession. I was prepared for disappointment, ready to mutter darkly to Hillary “we were right.” But then we cut into the burrata, and it served forth that deliciously milky liquid. The first of several surprises of the night.
The burrata was the best I’ve had in Boston other than at Mamma Maria. Given it is March, I was equally prepared for the tomatoes to be a disaster, but they were good, too. Probably grown in Major Food Group’s hydroponic garden. Same goes for the basil. The carciofi salad had a zingy, lemony dressing that perked up the artichokes but didn’t make them soggy. It was a refreshing break from the Caesar salad onslaught. Prima’s snap pea salad is another great non-Caesar option.
The most difficult part of the night was choosing our pasta. The menu isn’t seasonal, which we have become accustomed to over the past decade of dining in New England, so there weren’t any spring pastas that jumped off the page the way they would at more food-forward restaurants. The Bolognese (which turned out to be the only mid dish, other than the bread basket) was the first and most obvious choice to judge Contessa’s pasta skills. Both the pesto and butternut squash are way out of season, the boar macaroni would have sent us to red meat prison if paired with the Bolognese, and the Ricotta Gnudi di Pecora sounded boring. That left us with the shrimp ravioli and the $47 spicy lobster capellini. We meekly handed over the $47.
The spicy lobster capellini (angel hair) was the best dish of the night. It was divine - creamy, tomatoey, not too fishy. It had the perfect kick. I couldn’t put down the fork. The Bolognese, on the other hand, had about half the flavor it needed, as simple as not enough salt, pepper, red pepper. It was really quite sad. Both portions were generous, another concern alleviated.
Dessert was heavenly. We ordered the Crema di Boston: vanilla custard, chocolate ganache, lady finger. All the textures were pleasant, it was sweet but not cloying and perfect for two to share. I think a lot of drunken eyes are seduced by the Nutella Fudge Cake (understandably, those are three powerful words). Stay strong and order the Crema di Boston.
Go to Contessa, just know what you’re getting into. Dress up, be prepared to pay for the experience (i.e., more than you’d like), and have a good attitude. With the right companion(s), it’s a lot of fun, and the lobster cappellini really is that good.
With you on all of this. It’s the ambiance (for me, it’s a special occasion spot) and the good-enough/potentially-really-good food to make it a safe bet when you want a night to feel like an event. I’m not a calamari gal but I went once with my mom who absolutely is and it has to be said, it was some of the best I’ve ever had in New England. But ultimately…I prefer going downstairs to Street Bar for a burger and a dirty tini 🍸