When Raffles Boston opened to great fanfare in the Back Bay in September 2023, a few venues at the luxurious property were not quite ready for guests. La Padrona, an Italian restaurant headlined by acclaimed Boston chef Jody Adams, was one of them. But the May 2023 opening has proved worth the wait. The two-story establishment offers a dramatic setting for dinner or drinks and aims to take patrons on a trip around Italy with carefully curated options.
La Padrona manages to straddle a couple of worlds. It fits into Raffles’ classic atmosphere, but it also feels like it could stand alone. Even if you aren’t staying in the hotel, the new Boston restaurant and bar feel like a destination, welcoming to locals and visitors alike.
The Design
The 8,600-square-foot space, created by AvroKo (the firm responsible for the design at Sonoma’s Five-Star SingleThread Farms Restaurant and Bangkok’s BKK Social Club), is split between two levels, with the restaurant on one floor and a more casual but sophisticated bar and lounge on the ground level. Cozy chairs and tables invite you to relax with a drink, or you can perch at the intimate bar and watch the bartenders whip up a Boston Sling (the local riff on the Singapore classic uses Blind Duck gin Drambuie, Nonino amaro, cranberry compote and housemade apple shrub) or one of the venue’s other specialty cocktails.
A gorgeous grand staircase, with walnut handrails and stone steps, leads up to the second-floor main dining room, where a 360-degree, 22-seat bar takes center stage in the middle of the restaurant. Rich golds, blues and reds make for an elegant backdrop. The bar is surrounded by traditional seating, banquettes and chic “Hollywood” booths for bigger parties. Whether you want a destination for a date night or a business dinner, its versatility serves either.
The Food
Adams and her partners at A Street Hospitality, who also own Trade, Porto and Saloniki around town, offer a menu that features different regional specialties of Italy. Expect the kitchen to roll out dishes such as razor clams with Calabrian chili, grilled artichoke with Parmigiano-Reggiano and slow-roasted porchetta.
New England ingredients make their way on the menu, too, with lobster and uni risotto and seared black cod. Fans of Adams’ long-shuttered restaurant Rialto will be thrilled to find her cheese and fennel breadsticks, a beloved item there, on this fresh menu. Desserts are not to be missed, with selections such as malted vanilla gelato with espresso, a decadent strawberry rum cake and, of course, cannoli here to tempt your taste buds.
The Drinks
The beverage list is not an afterthought at the Italian restaurant, with half a dozen negronis to choose from, as well as signature cocktails such as the whimsically named Who Framed Roger Rabbit (Carrot Cake Hamilton Rum, carrot juice, rooibos tea, egg white and carrot top soda). Timeless tipples like the La Padrona Manhattan and the La Padrona martini are also made with exquisite care.
A well-rounded wine list, with an impressive number of options by the glass, plus a long menu of amari and other spirits, round out the offerings.
