Enjoyed our second visit to Pastoral and it was as expected - Excellent!! The food, vibe, service, location and ambiance makes this one of my favorite casual restaurants in Boston.
Sebastian was our attentive server and was excellent. We had a couple pizzas, pasta and I even tried the grilled squid. Yes - I'll get it again, if you're wondering!!
Be sure to make a reservation for Saturday night. We arrived at 5:10pm and the restaurant was 1/2 full. By 6pm it was packed with enthusiastic customers enjoying their dinner and wine.
The pizza was ok. The employees were very nice. PS: They need new knives. It was impossible to cut the pizza, so I had to eat it with my hands.
Food - 5/5
We LOVE Pastoral - legitimately come once a month.
Favorite appetizers:
- garlic knot - a MOST unique garlic knot; you have to try at least once
- calamari - delicious fried kale, rich flavorful sauce, light airy calamari
- piadina blanco - crispy slices of Parmesan and garlic dipped in wonderful marinara sauce; addicting
Favorite pizzas (delicious sourdough pizza):
- diavolo - a staple, spicy and savory
- margherita - classic, flavorful
*pro tip - ask for some extra hot marinara sauce in the side to dip your crust into
Ambiance - 5/5
Restaurant is spacious, reservations are easy to make, great ambiance (dim lighting). Music can be loud at times - servers are very receptive to music volume changes.
Service - 5/5
Service is great - friendly, professional, and well timed.
We ESPECIALLY love Gjergji (pronounced Georgie) - amazing management and service.
Other notes:
1. Street parking is tough, but that’s all of Seaport. If you’re lucky you’ll get street parking. Otherwise, we usually Lyft there.
Lucky's was way too crowded and loud on Friday night so decided to visit Pastoral's bar which was much more calm. They had 90s hip hop on the background. Drinks were good as well as the customer service.
Great food, the chicken skin fries were original, and the diavolo pizza very satisfying. The service was excellent and the decor very well suited.