Venetian Moon

This place is amazing! The food is great and the atmosphere is what I have been searching for. I have read the reviews and alot of the cons that were said were from parking. I had no problem parking at all. I think people don't know that they can park in the back of CVS. Plenty of parking there and a short walk. This is a great place for couples that want to meet with their friends and a have a great night. The waitstaff do not rush you out of there, therefore, you can have great food and great conversation at the same time. I recommed this restaurant highly!

Pros: large quantiy of food to take home and have for lunch

Cons: none that I could see

Posted 05/02/09

As my headline states, it's a great restaurant for the city feel, yet I'm close to home!

I met up with a friend who I haven't seen in a long time so we had a lot of catching up to do. We were seated in the lower level (a hidden gem). This restaurant allowed us to talk while sipping fabulous drinks and eating a wide array of foods from the tapas menu. Fabulous!!

I have been sure to let my other friends know of the Venetian Moon, and think it is a great hip and "local" night out!!

Pros: Atmosphere, Service, Smaller Meal Options

Cons: Parking

Posted 04/21/09

I was very impressed. My first time was on a Friday night with my friend. We had no reservations and waited at the bar. By the time we ordered our drinks the hostess had already come down to seat us. She politely waited for us to pay for and get our drinks and seated us immediately. I was suprised that we did not have to wait very long for a table on a weekend night, maybe a 10-15 min wait at the most. The martinis were good and there was a large selection of them too. Glad to see the bartender noticed me waiting right away and asked me what I wanted, right as I walked up (not typical at places in Boston). We sat at a table that was a little too close to other tables but our waitress had no problem asking the table behind us if they could move down slightly. Our salads were great and large portions. I got the shrimp saltimbocca, and it was delicious. Large portion, great flavor. My friend got another dish with shrimp and loved it. She is Sicilian and has a mom who is a spectacular cook, so she knows her stuff and said she suspected that the food took a while to come out, because it was made from scratch. We had no problem with that and it was worth the wait. I was very impressed by the hostess and waitstaff who were very attentive. Also, water was refilled constantly and I noticed food was flying out of the kitchen at a really fast pace. I am coming back for a birthday party. I was very happy with the food and service. Great alternative to going into Boston on a weekend night.

Pros: Italian Food from Scratch

Cons: Wait for Food

Posted 03/23/09

AWESOME!!! My first time here and everything went very well. My group of four was seated very quickly and w/ a great attitude. The food was great and the drinks were something to come back for. Im heading again this weekend. If you love to network, the martinis bar upstairs is a great place. The clean all white dining area downstairs, with 3 screen faux fish tank opposite the bar w/ TVs is a great place to dine and grab a sneak peek at the latest sports. Private dining area for small groups behind the dining room is also a nice option. I recommend small group for ladies or guys night out. Table for two can be romantic in this great area. With more renovations in store a bigger better venetian moon will be the talk of the North Shore. Enjoy!

Pros: Ambience is great; separated atmosphere (2 levels); wine store next door has great options.

Cons: Limited parking; location sign isn't highly visible

Posted 11/19/08

This was the worst meal I have had in a long time. Chicken Limone had zero flavor, the red sauce too spicy and the lettuce was wrapped on the plate in the refrigerator much too long. Don't bother going, unless you are going for the drinks. HORENDOUS and DISAPPOINTING. how did this get a rating? Word is the service/ food has declined since opening.

Posted 11/14/08

I eat out frequently and have patronized local establishments, but now prefer to dine out in Boston.

This type of place is why i avoid restaurants in my area and prefer to take the time to spend my money in the city.

The service isn't that great and the attitude of the employees does not justify the atmosphere, food or the crowd that hangs out there. When i say crowd, that's exactly what it is downstairs. A disorganized mess of locals thats trying too hard. The kind of people who do not travel beyond the Tobin Bridge. As you dine downstairs, you get to witness the very loud noise and mayhem from the bar and standing area.

Odd set up. Travel a bit into Boston or stay in Boston.
Very strange place with strange people. I will continue to spend my money where all is worth it!

Pros: n/a

Cons: Reservations do not matter. They are not on time.

Posted 10/08/08

I must say that after reading several reviews I was disappointed that the members of my group pick this place. Boy WAS I WRONG to listen to other people without visiting. Maybe it was the night or the time but it was great. Do to an error several of us arrived an hour early, we were welcomed and asked what we wanted to do(there were going to be 18 of us) sit at the bar or go right to our table. We went to the table and sat there thinking we would have to wait before anything happened.(BOY WERE WE WRONG AGAIN). The waiter saw us and came right over Iintroduced himself and offered drinks. After we ordered they brought bread and oil without asking for anything. Maybe other people went on a busy night and service could be slow but 18 of us had a great time and look forward to going back in the near future. Our waiter was very attentive even as he had other tables. It seemed that all employees chiped in to help with all customers. GREAT TIME

Pros: service

Cons: music was loud at times and hard to talk at the table

Posted 10/08/08

I took a couple of clients in last Wednesday for dinner and we all had a spectacular time for a few old guys. The waitress was a hot ticket and had us laughing the whole time. One of my clients got the filet/ fish combo and sad that it was fantastic! I got the rolled chicken with the cream sauce that was recommended and it was delicious. We were all very happy! Thank you to our great waitress for putting up with the old men!

Pros: service, food, waitress

Cons: parking due to construction

Posted 09/01/08

The other night I decided I wanted to go somewhere different with my wife. Pretty soon we decided to go here and in hindsight, it was a GREAT decision. We were warmly greeted at the door and we were seated right away. A young Italian buss-boy around 16 years old I want to say, came right away with water and fresh delicious bread. My waitress was unbelievable!! ( I believe she said her name was LeeAne) She catered to my wife and I greatly. Our food was cooked perfectly! At first I was skeptical about sitting at the very small tables underneath the three televisions but our wonderful waitress made it worth while, as she was very friendly. She engaged us in several conversations and we all shared some laughs throughout the night. After a fun Friday night of eating delicious Italian food and drinking some flavorful martinis, I can honestly say it was the best experience my wife and I had in awhile.
It is pretty safe to say, I will be back SOON!!

Posted 07/15/08

Tapas and sangria! Who would of guessed that an Italian restaurant would offer those items! The tapas portions were a great suggestion for the indecisive...like myself (thanks Amy/KC). Tortellini w/ a cream sauce and chicken limon, sooo delicious. The pomegranate sangria and the pink berry sangria were both dangerously delicious, as was the godiva-raspeberry martini. We only waited 20 min for a table of 7 and eveyone was extremely pleasant. We had a wonderful time and we all will definately be back soon!

Posted 07/13/08

My husband called Venetian Moon to let them know that he was planning my 30th bday...the plan was to have 6 ppl for dinner and 15 ppl later on for drinks/desserts (on a Sat night). He was told to talk to Louis, who *completely* took care of us. Vmoom d/n take reservations, and advised us to put our name in early.We arrived around 6:35 to put our name in...one of the other couples was late, so we ended up being seated @7pm, which was perfect. Drinks & bread arrived v-fast, and salads soon followed. Dinners arrived about 5 min after the salad dishes were cleared. As for the food, everyone loved their meals, including me... (I can be v-picky and we've been to the V-moon now 5-6 times;had one bad meal but otherwise have enjoyed it!) Another couple, who's been there once before about a year ago and didn't like the food, completely changed their mind after last night's meal! All and all, everyone was very pleased with the food and had plenty to take home (I just had my leftovers for lunch-yum!) As for the drinks, they were great! They have new sangria specials--I really loved the 1st one listed (red wine-base, rasp/pom). Many friends ordered this as well... at one point, one of them ordered a second glass and thought that it d/n taste as good as the first glass, so Louis happily had the drink re-made (perfectly!). (one suggestion would be to sell the sangria by glass AND by pitcher...just a thought!) After dinner, other friends arrived and Louis moved us to the private lounge area, where we continued to have drinks and my husband had a bunch of desserts brought out for everyone to share (and Louis and crew sang happy b-day to me in Italian!) My only complaint was that they were all out of chocolate cake (but, as a pretty picky person, if that's my only complaint, then that is saying a lot about how great this place is!) Overall it was the perfect way to celebrate my bday and a big thank you to Louis (and my husband) for taking such good care of us!

Pros: Food, Portions, Staff, Drink List

Cons: Need more dessert choices on hand (chocolate ones) for a Sat night :)

Posted 07/12/08

Don't go. It is a simple as that. When we first walked it we were excited-the down stairs looked great and we grabbed a drink at the bar...after that our night went down hill FAST. So they have martini's...who doesn't? Our waitress was rude, harsh, and ill-mannered. We waited an hour for our food (we thought about leaving several time because WHY would anyone wait that long? but we heard good things and didn't want to count it out quite yet). Well...we should have left because what appeared at our table I would not even classify as food. It was terrible! My advice--skip the pain and anguish, save the money and head into the city where food is done RIGHT!

Pros: nothing

Cons: everything!

Posted 07/06/08

I had to laugh when I just read bates2001's review on the Venetian Moon. This place has a lot to offer: I've had many delicious meals here (as well as good times with friends). I too have also dined at the finest of 5 star restaurants in NYC, LA, Vegas, etc. So Moon people.....don't believe what this guy has to say. You're still tops in my book!

Posted 06/10/08

WOW - What a wonderful experience I had at "the Moon" last night! I've heard so much about it and finally went with a date. We were promptly seated at a cozy little table downstairs. Our waitress was fantastic. She had plenty of suggestions about the food and martinis. I highly recommend the pomegranate martini! We had the warm tomato and mozzarella salad appetizer, and the chicken limone and fusilli ultimo. Both were fabulous! I will definitely come back, thank you for a great experience. Well worth the money!

Pros: Service, food quality, ambiance

Cons: ???

Posted 06/04/08

How anyone can compare this place to a 5 star restaurant obviously has not dined in one. To be 5 star is a combination of quality of food, good service, and ambience. Which venetian moon does not possess top rankings in any of these areas. From the moment we walked in the place it was not pleasureable .. a woman with dark hair, I think she is supposed to be a hostess, far from made us feel welcome, it was poorly organized, she acted like we were inconviencing her .. Can you believe I am still waiting for my food..joking..I am sure some dishes are tasty, but the ones we had tried were weighed down too much with oil and the alfredo dish such as chicken and brocc had 0 taste not worth waiting forever for or even 5 minutes. On to the service that came along with this experience was non existent no one seems to know what they are doing from the hostess to the servers to the busers...disarry everywhere... these people would never last in a 5 star..As far as ambience..I think they were trying to project swanky and hip, but miss that all together..and in reference to the reviewer that wrote it was almost 5 star.. i am sorry but what is a martiniologist?? something they think is cool to say rather than saying sorry our service stinks..and why should you plan accordingly on your night out..isn't a restaurant supposed to accomodate you?? .. .Venetian Moon is what it is...an over-done basement in suburbia much like the clientelle that hung at the bar..over-done....spend your money in a real restaurant.....To the establishment...don't waste your time on a smug business response...We're not having a bad day..just a bad experience... more than once.....

Posted 05/25/08

Let me start by saying the food is amazing. There are a few things that i think they should do to make this a true 5 star experience. First off I think they should take reservation especially on the weekends. I went there on a Saturday night and it was packed. Secondly, we waited two hours for apps and salad and then before we knew it our meals were out immediately following. But the taste was well worth the wait. My party enjoyed a few of their delicious martini's while we waited. The girls were better with the especially long wait for the food than the guys were, pigs. Lastly, I returned there again an other night and waited an hour for martini's and we were told that there was only one martiniologist one duty on a friday night, it would help to have two on, this was downstairs. Even though these might be annoying for some people, if you go with a group of people that you enjoy spending time with you can get a greal meal (that tastes great the next day too) and excellent drinks. I will return soon, I will just plan accordingly in respect to time. I Love "The Moon", it is visually appealing and very comfortable. I can't wait to watch the Pats in that back room with the funky brown wall.

Pros: Flavor, Martini's, Ambience

Cons: Wait time

Posted 04/26/08

The place is always hopping - they gotta be doing something right. We go there alot. The wait staff and bartenders are great, drinks are soo good, and the food is awsome!!! Parking is sometimes hard although plentiful and the wait time is sometimes long , but they are at least the hostess tells you how long it could be (yes i've heard her say 2 hours for a party of 8). I travel during the week, live in the area and visit almost every Friday with my wife. I NEVER had a bad meal or bad service. The place is very tastefully designed for what space they needed to expand into. Try Veal Eccitable, shimp and scallop appetizer, and Key West Cosmo...great way to wind down my work week and start my weekend. Life is good.

Pros: everything

Cons: some user reviews

Posted 04/24/08

I should start this by saying that I have been to "The Moon" as people around here call it on quite a few occasions and this is what I have encountered (in no particular order)....waiting for over an hour for a reservation for 4 people, wanting to have my food wrapped to go and then having the waitress "forget" and throw it out only to not have it taken off our bill or even have the manager apologize for the waitress's mistake, wrong martinis being brought to me, disgusting bathrooms (even on a slow, mid-week night), being out of items on the menu, rude waitresses that never come over to refill water, ask how your meal is, etc., and the food which is mediocre at best takes forever to come and all of this happens in a BASEMENT!!!!!! Why is this palce so popular? The answer is because all the cougars on the North Shore need a place to hang out where they can think that they are hot stuff! Thats why! There is no reason why any normal, non-cougar should go here. There's plenty of other places to go!

Pros: none

Cons: everything

Posted 04/22/08

I went to Venetian Moon this past weekend for my girlfriends Bday dinner. I can't say that I will ever go back. We got there and had to wait to be seated. There was no sitting room or room at the bar so we stood in the middle of the floor in the basement room and waited. We were finally seated at a table for 5 instead of 8. We had to pull up chairs and rearrange tables ourselves. The basement was less than appetizing. It looked like a basement with a fresh coat of paint. Drinks were good and came on time...but we ordered our food at 9:45pm and did not get salads and appetizers only past 11pm!!! The dinner came shortly after. Food was great. The service was awful!! Our waitress was rude and smelled like cigarettes. Don't bother making this trip

Posted 04/21/08

My friends & I went to the Venetian moon last night (Wednesday) to celebrate a monumental birthday . There were 8 of us, and we called a week in advance to let them know of our group size and occasion. Here is our timeline of the evening: Once everyone arrived, we were seated around 8pm. The atmosphere and service was great at this point. Our only comment was that the corner was very dark and there was only one small candle on the table, and the menu was difficult to read. Between 8-9 were were all busy chatting and enjoying the 3 tapas we ordered. But by 9:00 , we began to notice how slow things were moving (food, drinks and water). I believe the salads (if you want to call romaine on a plate a salad) came out at 9:15. Our waitress had our large table plus 2 other large parties in her section with no additional help. (poor planning). All of the entrees finally arrived around 10pm -most of us commented that we were not even hungry anymore. The dishes were ok, but definitely not so much of a WOW to help us to forget the wait time. We spoke to our waitress regarding our dissatisfaction, and she spoke with the manager and the appetizers were removed from the bill. I believe that the manager should have personally come to our table. To top everything, we also had to wait to finalize our bill (By 10pm the restaurant had cleared out- we were frustrated with continued waiting). We had to hunt the waitress down to settle the bill. Her comment was that she thought we were all paying cash. How would she know, she never came over to the table to check or find our if anyone needed change? If it was a Friday or Saturday night, we would have been more forgiving for the late night- but come on, this was a week night.
So, just for you to know, even though we enjoyed our friend?s birthday, this is not a restaurant I would recommend for dinner. I should mention the bartender downstairs, not upstairs, was very kind, and friendly.

Cons: Parking, Lighting, Decor, Service, Food

Posted 04/17/08

My wife and I went last Saturday night to Venetian Moon with another couple, who can be pains in the butt when we go out to restaurants. This is the first pleasing experience that we have had with them, they had a fantastic time. Our waitress was Veronica, Victoria??? I think it started with a V! Anyway, she was just the cutest server, our friends asked her every question under the sun about the menu and she knew everything and just smiled the whole time, she made us laugh and was so quick about everything.. She even changed our silverware about 3 times after each course, which impressed the other couple, again hard to do. We were recommended a nice Chianti to compliment our meal, a fantastic appetizer (gnocchi with garlic and oil) and all 4 of our meals were great. I had the baked haddock which was outstanding! we did go early so we did not have to wait, however the place did get very crowded downstairs while we were eating dinner, but we didn't mind because we were having a great time! We didn't do martinis that night but we would definitely go back and try some!

Pros: most fantastic service, great food, table was kept clean

Posted 03/30/08

Visited this resaurant on the recommendation of a friend. I was immediatly impressed by the atmosphere. It is so inviting and eclectic. Clean and white. Every staff member was welcoming and I felt like I was a regular even though I had never been there before. The Martini Menu is extensive as is the menu selection. Amy our server was so pleasant and accomidating, (she made excellent recommendations from martinis, to tapas, to dessert) nothing to say but wonderful. The food is authentic Italian as any in the North End or Mama's house, and the atmosphere is so relaxing. I will recommend the Venetian Moon to everyone I know and hope they take my advice for a wonderful dining/atmosphere experience.

Posted 03/04/08

Awsome! sometimes a wait, but always fun and delicious. I disagree with REB83. Im 32 and frequent their awsome bar, there is aways a great mix of people, but the crowd is primarly in their 20's to mid 30's. Do agree that drinks are great. They are not frou-frou, but are unique and are made with higher quality ingredients than most. Linguini and clam sauce my fav! Cool furniture and clean. There is alot of free parking around, but sometimes all full for a few blocks. Can't say enough. Hard to find great food, drinks, atmosphere, free parking and all in one place. Great place all around!

Pros: have places to wait for tables and have apps, awsome food/drinks

Cons: bit of a wait

Posted 01/31/08

The amazing martini selection and high quality of the drinks made up for the slightly slow service. The ambiance of the downstairs area felt swanky and sophisticated, but as for a "happening" bar scene, (it was rated number one for after work bar scene) it was full of couples on dates, and groups of girlfriends having a night out. Not to mention that I was the ONLY person under 40 in the entire place.

Pros: The drinks

Cons: Not the place to mingle wth singles

Posted 01/26/08

There was a group of about 14 of us who went to dinner. Our servers were helpful with questions we had about their martini's, etc. After our drinks were served, we were left to enjoy for a bit before the servers came to take our orders. Again, Sandy and Louis were extremely helpful to us. Everyone enjoyed their meals. I had the haddock which was wonderful. One in our group thought the tomato sauce was a little bit spicy (hot) though. Can't say enough about how friendly the servers were. We brought a birthday cake, and they happily offered us plates and forks. It was a real nice experience and I'll recommend it.

Pros: Service, food

Posted 01/09/08

Went to Venetian Moon for first time last night with wife. My thoughts. Positives - taken in isolation, the food was average. My wife ordered veal piccata. The veal was moist, but the sauce was slightly thin and lacked flavor. I ordered chicken Marsala with sun-dried tomatoes (after reading several positive reviews) and it was excellent. Chicken was very moist and sauce had wonderful flavor and texture. (However, I was originally brought the wrong entree. To the server's credit, she promptly corrected the situation and took my entree off our bill). Both ordered the homemade fusili with our meals and the pasta was cooked perfectly al dente. Wine list is average with nothing out of the ordinary. Drink menu is extensive and vodka choices extremely impressive. However, I had several issues with the overall experience that all relate to the notion of QPR (Quality price ratio). The place is not cheap. With appetizer/desert and one drink one should expect to spend on average about $35 (if not more). When compared to other restaurant experiences in that price range, Venetian Moon is lacking. Some observations - the tables downstairs are plastic (they felt like Formica) with no tablecloth - really unappealing. Parmignon cheese is not fresh and given to you in a classic pizzeria shaker. Doggie bags - Waitstaff bring Styrofoam containers to your table for you to put your meal in. Several employees (hostess and waitstaff) were obviously and obnoxiously chewing gum. No desserts are homemade. Overall, there prices are not much lower than other Italian steakhouses, but VM comes nowhere close to the overall experience at those other restaurants. These observations might be nit-picky, but I believe that when a couple spends significant money on a meal, certain things should come with that experience. If they are charging these prices - they need to tighten up a few things. I would really hesitate to eat there again - but I would go to the bar.

Pros: bar menu

Cons: food price vs. overall experience is significantly lacking.

Posted 01/04/08

After hearing great reviews about the Venetian Moon Restaurant, I decided to take my Lover there for his birthday. We arrived at 6:00 pm. When we entered, after parking a few blocks down the street, the Manager/Owner was speaking to another couple who was ahead of us. She told them to follow her downstairs to be seated and she said to us, "Just follow them." She never addressed us or said hello to us. When we got downstairs she seated the other couple and then brought us to our table and didn't say a word. She got the menus and placed them on the table without speaking to us. We should have realized it was not going to be a good night right then and there. Waitress #1 arrived and took our drink order. She came back in about 10 minutes and said that they didn't have the martini that we ordered. (This is supposed to be the leading Martini Bar in the area.) We ordered another kind. Waitress #2 came to the table and said there was a mix up with the tables and she would be our waitress now. She took our order. She came back a few minutes later and said they were out of what we ordered. Things are not going well. Waitress #3 arrived and assured she would be our waitress now. We got the appetizer and the salads which were all delicious. Our meals, which we had to reorder, were delicious also. We then placed our dessert order, a simple dish of vanilla ice cream in a tulip crepe. She came back later and said they were all out of that dessert. (Vanilla ice cream? Not hard to keep on hand.) At that point we asked to speak with the Manager/Owner. We told her, in a nice way, that we were disappointed with everything that was not available. She simply said that they don't always have octopus and that she was sorry. Nothing more. I doubt that we will go back and I certainly would not recommend it to friends and family. It was not what I expected from a so called high class, high priced restaurant. There wasn't much class there.

Pros: Food

Cons: Waitstaff, management, food availability from menu, parking

Posted 01/04/08

first the good, great martini and a beautiful room, but thats where it ends! my wife and i went on a very very slow tuesday night, i heard they served prime steaks so i asked the waiter if there steaks are dry aged,he said (huh?) i should have cut my losses right there but i continued on and asked for a bone in ribeye cooked black and blue, again the waiter was (whats that?) oh boy i thought they serve PRIME BEEF and the waiter never heard of black and blue or dry aged?so i told him have them cook it VERY RARE! we got our appitizers 45min after we ordered them! and it was not impressive, canned artichoke hearts in a lemon sauce. he said sorry our kitchen made a mistake and they are on the house , so after another 30 min wait out came my wife dinner, pork chops $30 and then 5 min later out came my dinner and it was wrong! they cooked me a filet! i said thats not a ribeye thats a filet again oh sorry we will get your ribeye, i said forget it, you allready ruined the dinner! i dont feel like waiting another 30 mins while my wife eats and then she will have to sit there and watch me eat after she is done, just get me a plate and i will share the pork chops , the pork chops where just ok , i would say worth about $12-15 dollars not the $30 they charged, when the bill came the waiter said he was sorry and had a doggie bag with the ribeye in it ,i cut into the steak and it was a disaster! way overcooked!! i just shook my head and said wow there was nobody here and you guys screwed everything up how bad is it on a friday and saturday night! i must be a disaster!! now we are not talking about a bargin joint , the steaks are in the price range of the big boys(RC'S S&W MOC'S CG,FP, ECT) and this is not manhatten,las vegas or even boston! it is reading!! and they really have no clue what they are doing! i guess you still have to go into boston to get a real steak prepaired correctly!

Pros: great martinis, beautiful room

Cons: everything else

Posted 12/04/07

My fiance and I have heard so many great things about Venetian Moon that we finally decided we had to check it out. Needless to say we had high expectations but even so, we were a bit surprised at the average to below average service, food and atmosphere. We are a little confused why so many people like it? We knew about the long wait because they do not take reservations and the loudness due to the amount of people that frequent there and the layout of the place. But..it was worse then this...unless you get there really early to grab one of the few nice tables downstairs in front of the video screen/lounge area, the seating is pretty sub par. Basically bar seating, which is fine if that is what your prepared for, we like good bars, this is not one of those....
Also if you happen to sit near large groups of people that have not gotten there early enough to get one of the better tables, they will crowd around you and stare at your table and plates until you leave...my fiance likened it to "eating in the middle of a train station"
It didn't help that our waitress told people we were leaving soon, they ran over and stood 2" from our table and kept staring at our plates and knocking into our table....not condusive to a pleasant dining experience!
All in all the dinner was 2 hours start to finish so service is not slow, but the food and ambience was only average. The dishes were not unique or high end as the reviews might suggest, the martinis are average, despite the allure of a large martini menu. I make much better martinis at home with the stirrings kits..
Not sure we would try it again, unless we got there when it opened to snag a decent table, not on top of the downstairs bar...but it doesn't seem worth it really. The made over basement we have heard so much about, looked like OUR basement and I was amused when I read this from another reviewer as well. Recessed lighting in drop ceilings are not chic people...no really...

Pros: okay if you can't make it in to the city and are looking for average..

Cons: not good if this is your big night out..

Posted 11/16/07

I have been to the Venetian Moon with my friends on two occasions now and have had a good dining experience. The wait was a bit long both times but a waitress came over to take drink orders, which were brought over within 5 minutes. Once we were seated our dinner order was taken within 10 minutes. The food was very good and I would advise ordering off of the tappas/bar menu. Some of the items that are on the regular dinner menu are included but are much less expensive. The sizes are perfect for one person or order a few to share! All wait staff was polite, friendly and helpful. I never used the restroom but if they were not clean one of my friends would have mentioned it, for sure.

With regard to the atmosphere, you definitely feel like you are in a downtown Boston location. The clientele seems to be mostly people in their 30's and 40's. I must say the comment by the reviewer "jessicajenk" is quite uncalled for.....you can not tell how much money someone has just by looking at them, and quite frankly, what difference does it make? Great place to meet before going out someplace else or to just hang out for the night. My friends and I will be back again!

Pros: Good food, atmosphere, service

Cons: Sometimes a long wait to be seated for food.

Posted 10/29/07

Trendy is not supposed to be in suberbia but it has arrived!! Travelgirl has no idea what she is talking about...I frequent the Moon all too often and have never had a bad meal or one that made me ill...I believe too many martinis prob did it!! Venetian Moon was a cool place to hang out before the renovation, and now that they have added a whole new renovation to their downstairs the place has just burst into the place to go...so much better than going into Boston...The crowd is always lively and buzzing, the atmosphere is cool and hip, the staff has always been fun and friendlly, and the martinis and food are delicious...after you visit once you will leave with a "can't wait to go back" feeling...check it out..definelty a "10"!!

Pros: Food and Martinis!!

Cons: sometimes a little wait..

Posted 10/01/07

Always go on Citysearch and check out my fav places and look at the comments. Have to write one now. They have a great nightlife ant the Moon. This is one of the top 20 restaurants in Massachusetts. There is nothing bad except that it is crowded. The service is great. Food is always great. Atmosphere is awsome. remember YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. And yes Travelgirl, that was kind of an ignorant post. If you dont know for sure, you shouldnt post it on the web. It doesnt matter if it the Suburbs of not, does the cost of product differ from Boston to Reading? NO!! Obv they doing something right. Go to a chain restaurant next time, its cheaper!!!! But not better!!!!

Pros: THE place to go

Cons: none

Posted 09/30/07

I have been visiting the venetian moon everyweek for years. I think I have tried everything on the menu and have never got sick from the food or the drinks. I actually leave downtown boston to visit this great suburban location. Travel girl you are hilarious. you can not get sick from food that quick. The question should be where did you eat the night before or that morning. & why would you want a drink from a place that you assumed would make you sick. any way. I think the prices are reasonable... granted one can say it is in the basement...it has metro feel with rolling clips of the ocean & the mountains.
There is higher level floor with a beautiful bar.... that is also very cozy if you prefer.. I tend to visit both depending on my mood....I would definitely still try out this location and see for yourself. ...Maybe you will see me there...

Pros: Location, interor design, Friendly staff

Cons: waiting list some nights

Posted 09/30/07

I am disagreeing with travel girl on this one. I have never had a bad experience here, my girlfriend and I go at least once a week and I take many of my clients here as well. The food is always great, I have never had such a good linguini with clam sauce in my life. Working in the medical field, I am pretty positive that it takes at least 24 hours to get sick over bad food, so if you are sick right after, maybe it was too many martinis that did it. The martinis are good also.. My girlfriend and I have really come to like this place and the people that work there...

Pros: lots of food for the $$, great martinis, friendly staff

Cons: wait on the weekends..

Posted 09/30/07

unbelievable food and service!!!! I live in boston and actually travel here because its sooo good... biggest vodka selection in northeast!!! how can you beat that???

Pros: everything

Cons: nothing

Posted 07/05/07

Okay... so the wait was extrememly long, but the new atmosphere is sooo cool. Everytime I go there, I really feel like I am at THE place to be. We had an opportunity to speak for a couple minutes with our waitress, who explained that renovations caused unexpected increase in business that needed a bit of getting used.. and suggested that some improvements were being made to reduce the wait.

If you go to this place.. you have to be willing to make a night out of it. Besides.. what else are you going to do in reading, take a stroll through Jordan's Furniture!

I think the restuarant was great: the staff was great, the food was excellent and the atmosphere was cutting edge. I absolutetly love the fact that such a great place is so close by or me. I don't even have to get on the highway.... much less travel into Boston / North End and find parking.

And I'll say this.. I personally would rather relax, have a few drinks and a great night with friends, than be rushed out of a restaurant in 60 minutes and have nothing to do after. Though.. i'll admit that the wait is a bit annoying when you are really hungry.

This is my spot for sure... can't think of any other restaurant I would rather go to!

Pros: Better than Boston, and right here in Reading!

Cons: Kinda tough to wait so long when your hungry!

Posted 04/23/07

We waited over 3 hours on a Saturday night for a table.I was told to call ahead for a table and be put on the list for a table. I was told it was a 2 hour wait. We got so hungry that we ordered appetizers at the bar and they took a 1/2 hour to arrive. When we were finally seated we got a table in the back with no lighting except for a small candle. The font used on the menu is a small script and with the poor lighting we could hardly read the menu. We asked to speak with the manager due to our extensive wait and the poor table. She did comp our drinks but that was little consolation given the lengthy wait. She told us that this problem occurs on the weekends. I think that mangement needs to figure out what is wrong rather than continue to let people come and be subjected to extensive wait time for basic food choices. Tell the truth to people about the wait time. We were told to call ahead which we did and then despite what we were told our 2 hour wait turned into 3 hours. I was under the impression it was upscale Italian yet the bar did not have bitters for one of our martinis. To wait that long for veal parmesan was a little disappointing. I assumed the menu would be more interesting and more inventive. It was a very basic menu. they really need to work out the kinks before I would ever consider returning.

Pros: The ravioli and bruschetta was excellent

Cons: wait time and they don't take reservations

Posted 04/14/07

I love the food, the salads and the flirtini is my fav martini. Must go see the new renovations. The only negative thing is one of the hostesses is not friendly AT ALL!

Pros: Food/drinks/atmosphere

Cons: Hostess

Posted 04/02/07

LOVE this place the people
are soooooooooooooooooo nice Bartenders
are friendly, and always smileing
can not say enough about this place

Posted 02/26/07

If you haven't been in a while, you have got to see the new drinks they have. There has to be over 100 different martinis, it's crazy. They were good! The place is great to meet friends or go on a date for dinner. I have lived in Reading for 5 years and this place is always changing. If you go in you have got to see the Lindsay Lohan look a like that works there, it's a marketing ploy for sure , my buddies and I did a complete double take.

Posted 01/12/07

It is disspointing living in Reading and having this place be the only available good restaurant to go to.
Their food is great, service is slow due to overwhelming clientele.
4 out of 5 times we go there, the wait is an hour and a half and on occassions we have opted to wait that long, dinner takes another hour and a half to be served.

Good food, but not good enough for me to wait 2 1/2 hours for dinner.

Pros: Great Atmospher, Good Food and Drinks

Cons: Excrutiating wait, no takeout, small restaurant

Posted 12/13/06

Venetian Moon is awesome. It has the biggest selection of martinis and cocktails I have ever seen! The food is fantastic too! The only problem with this place is that the "cool" spot is upstairs. The downstairs is decorated like your typical Italian restaurant, but upstairs the vibe is pure upscale. Everyone, though, wants to be seated upstairs. While the crowd and the wait are certainly worth, check it out on a weeknight so that you can get the full feel of the place.

Pros: huge martini/cocktail menu

Cons: too crowded

Posted 11/13/06

Caramel Apple Martini...YUM!!!! You have to try it!! The food is good, but the drinks are better. Great place to go and have a delicious, sophisticated drink in a comfortable atmosphere.

Pros: drink menu, parking, service

Cons: Could be bigger based on it's popularity it gets kind of crowded around the bar/not enough seating

Posted 10/31/06

do not agree with toosheer!!loved it.the food was outstanding.had veal saltimbocca(my personal favorite)best i've ever had.it was superb.had a tangerine martini.delicious.hard to choose from so many yummy ones.my friends and i also had the artichoke appetizer.it was great.loved the restaurant.the liquor selection is huge.all top quality.it was crowded but everyone seemed to loved it.best to go on a weekday if you don't like crowds.checked out the downstairs loved it.was toosheers husband 7 feet tall?stay out of overpriced boston.you'll love this place.it is my new favorite.easy to get to without the hassle of boston traffic.free parking too.

Posted 09/17/06

went to venetian moon tonight.llloveddd it.the food was exellent and the martinis are absolutly incredible.love the ambience.the waitress told me they are adding a jazz club downstairs in the near future.a big bar with music and live entertainment.can't wait.this is the best place ever.it is a little crowded but that should be helped when they open the downstairs bar and people who i talked to say they come every week.everyone is so nice there.i feel like i know them already.greatest place i have ever been.

Pros: best martinis great ambience some gorgeous barteneders and waitresses

Posted 09/12/06

venetian moon is outstanding.totally disagree with cookiemnstr.the food is totally awesome.the proof is in the pudding.this place has the best reputation aruond.it is always busy but they are very accomadating.the staff is great.the martinis are to die!!! for.can't say enough about this place.go there once or twice a week and you see so many peoplethat are regulars.try it .you won't be disappointed!!!

Pros: a great place to be .downstairs is like being in venice.

Cons: always busy

Posted 09/11/06

Went there last night after reading reviews. It was the best place ive been to in a long time. I guess they are building a jazz club, but got only a little info from waittstaff.

Pros: Awsome bar

Posted 07/25/06

After reading the reviews and seeing the overall 9.6 rating my husband and I decided to have a romantic and wonderful dinner at Venetian Moon. We made a reservation and yes we were promptly seated to a table downstairs. Water and bread and a dipping sauce were provided immediately. The downstairs reminded me of a renovated basement my poor husband had to duck to the table. The noise made it very difficult to carry a conversation SO MUCH FOR A ROMANTIC DINNING EXPERIENCE. The service was terrible and the food was average. We waited 30 minutes to place our order with the waitress then another 25 minutes for our drinks which was only a soda and a glass of wine then waited one hour for our diner .After our meal which as I said was just average we had to wait again for the check. This terrible experience was over 2 hours. Unless you love Martini's and have allot of time to waste then go to the Venetian Moon.

Pros: prompt seating

Cons: terrible service

Posted 07/20/06

This is the best hidden jewel of the North Shore. I had a wonderful dinning experience at the Venetian Moon, the food is great, the service is wonderful and the martinis are out of this world. Everyone should try this place at least once in there lifetime.........

Pros: Romantic ambience

Posted 07/17/06

Food, Martinis, Staff, all were excellent. Bar is something to see. Everything was great about Venetian, try it.

Pros: Everything!!!

Cons: Crowded (in a good\bad way)

Posted 07/04/06