Our friends who live in Boston (a couple) highly recommended that I try Amar in the Raffles Hotel. The wife is from Singapore, and therefore was quite familiar with the original Raffles Hotel in Singapore.
This Raffles Hotel in Boston is the first one in the US. It includes many signature items from the Raffles Singapore (a historic hotel that has been open since 1887!), including its famous cocktails!
A Bit of Cocktail History
The most famous cocktail at the Raffles is called the “Singapore Sling” , made from gin, Luxardo cherry liqueur, Cointreau, Bénédictine, and pineapple juice. The Singapore sling was originally inveited at the Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore by legendary bartender Ngiam Tong Boon. He later invented the “Million Dollar Cocktail”, made from gin, dry French vermouth, orange juice, grenadine, and an egg white.
The Boston location recreates the Long Bar, on the same floor within the Raffles Hotel but on the other side of the hotel from Amar. You can order these famous cocktails at the Long Bar, or at Amar instead, if you so fancy.
Or you can get your favorite classic cocktail, like Bryan's dirty martini.
Amar's space is stunning, with floor to ceiling windows and panoramic views of the Boston skyline. We came during sunset, and I couldn’t help but get up from my seat to take photos out the window.
The Food
The food is "Mediterranean-inspired" but also has quite a decent selection of Boston's famous fresh seafood (think seafood tower, raw oysters, and the like). To me, it leans a bit Spanish, but also feels a lot like a typical New England farm-to-table restaurant.
I came here twice. Once with my friends, and once together with Bryan. Below are some example dishes we enjoyed. As the dishes are seasonally focused, the menu will change regularly, but these photos can at least give you a general sense of the types of food coming out of this innovative kitchen.
Main Course
Dessert
General Thoughts: Amar Raffles Hotel Boston
I mentioned I came here twice. The first time we actually booked the chef's table, which allows you to sit inside the kitchen and enjoy your meal while watching the action. It's interesting, but you lose out on all those amazing views. The second time, we sat in the main dining room. Personally, I recommend trying to dine in the main dining room. It's overall a much more relaxing space. Plus the views are really nice.
The food is good. I found the starters to be more creative an interesting compared to the mains, but overall everything was enjoyable. If you need to conduct a business dinner or celebrate a birthday, the combination of good food, beautiful views, and a central location makes this place a good choice.
