The Abbey in Washington Square was recently voted Boston Magazine’s “Best Neighborhood Restaurant – Brookline” in their Best of Boston issue. My friends and I needed to find out why…!

Bread: Three slices of soft doughy bread were brought with a side of hummus and EVOO. We were asked if we wanted bread while we waited for our appetizers which I appreciated; not everyone wants bread (surprisingly) and asking before automatically bringing it over avoids wasting unwanted food. I’m not sure that was their point, but I like that this simple question can help minimize food waste!

Menu: Small Plates, Apps, Entrees, Sides. This contemporary American menu is limited but innovative and still offers a variety of options. I wanted at least 2 items from each category! Good thing my friends are into sharing…

Food/Presentation:
Lobster & Sweet Corn Dumplings with lemon buerre
I wanted this app from the moment I looked at the menu online but the server sealed the deal when she mentioned they’re a must try. Perfect for me and my 2 friends, three dumplings were served in a pool of lemon buerre (butter sauce). Each dumpling was stuffed full of lobster and a few corn kernels. Besides the tiny piece of lobster shell I found in my dumpling (well, found in my mouth unfortunately), these were a great start to the meal!

Lamb Lollipops with goat cheese brulee, mint oil, aged balsamic
Drizzled with mint oil, these 2 lamb pops were covering the goat cheese brulee which I almost missed! The lamb was tender and easy to cut off of the bone. This app was good but I’m not sure the 2 lollipops were worth $13.

Pear, Arugula, Caramelized Onion Lasagna with cauliflower puree
The three of us were eyeing this dish but thankfully Ariane went with the Proscuitto, Arugula, Truffle Oil Flatbread so we were able to try more than one entrée. The lasagna sat in a bed of creamy and smooth cauliflower puree. Every other bite you could taste the sweet pear component which made this dish really special. Great portion size and appropriately priced at $17.

Service: The Abbey unfortunately doesn’t take reservations, I’m assuming due to their small size and heightened popularity, but they do allow you to call ahead 15-30 minutes to put your name on the list. Thank goodness we did b/c at 7pm on a Tuesday there were no open tables. We ended up only waiting about 10-15 minutes which wasn’t bad. Once seated we were given enough time with the menu to order right away, and all the food came out within a reasonable time. Our server was friendly and informative.

Restroom: There are 2 unisex restrooms; the one I used had light yellow walls with white accents. It was clean, and I don’t recall any decorations besides the bright blue soap dispenser.

Overall: The Abbey is the definition of a cozy neighborhood gem. The bar seats about 13 and there are 10 tables including 2 high tops and more outdoor seating. The Abbey serves both lunch and dinner with some overlapping menu items. The bar offers local, domestic, and international beers as well as original cocktails, an extensive scotch list, and plenty of wine. The dinner menu is somewhat limited but I didn’t mind since what they offer sounds so amazing. On my next visit I’ll be diving into the Zucchini & Fennel Bisque and/or the Bison Bolognese.

The Perfect Bite: Lasagna with cauliflower puree … a must try!

http://www.abbeyrestaurant.com/

For more photos & descriptions of what everyone in my party ate, visit my Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/ThePerfectBiteBoston