Trade

We brought a group into Trade last night and had a terrific experience. The food was great, the drinks were excellent, and the service was attentive without being obsequious. We ordered a bunch of appetizers to share and then each ordered a main course, and everything was completely on point. I rarely give out five stars, but Trade absolutely earned it.

Love this place. Great food, great service and really great atmosphere. I have eaten both lunch and dinner here, for business and personal purposes and have really enjoyed the experience. Most of the dishes are meant to share– so for 2 people, we have gotten 3 – 5 plates. It does get busy during the week with the regular FiDi crowd, but it is always super easy to make a reservation!
Fan Favorites: Charred Broccoli, Kale Salad, Peppermint Tea

Nice place for lunch especially on weekends when the area is less packed. Generally folks who disliked this place had two basic issues: price or service. If you are price sensitive leave town; Boston restaurants for the most part have become increasingly expensive with little signs the trend will slow. As for service once the unemployment rate drops to around 5% you can unfortunately expect service issues as places scramble for talent. My take on Trade is:
Food: All our dishes including the flat bread pizza were excellent. I thought they did an especially laudable job with the calamari and Brussels sprouts. I had a terrific mixed berry sorbet for dessert. A
Atmosphere: Bright and light with plenty of room between tables. A
Service: The service was good; not exceptional but sound. B+
Price: As expected a rather high for a simple lunch but «mirror mirror on the wall I am my father after all» so like my father before me I tend to relate prices back to 1982 and complain about why things cost so much today. B+
Overall a nice experience.

I had been wanting to eat here for the longest time. And then was underwhelmed by the menu selections and portions. They were very small than normal small plates. Great place for drinks however. The bar area is always active.
My friend and I seemed to have 2 waiters serving our table. Probably some miscommunication that night. May not go back for dinner but definitely a drink.

The location of a trade is well placed, good views with plenty of light which gives the place a warm vibe. The staff are nice enough, busy so there’s little personality. I ordered the Rubens which was OK, bland and without flavor. The quality of the meat was a disappointment, especially compared to better places like Sam LaGrassa, they have real meats which they pile on high and fresh rolls.

Our dinner at Trade was very good. And I’m pretty particular about food. It was a casual business dinner and it was very loud. They could use some acoustic treatment.

We came on a Saturday and it was quiet and cozy. I adored the vintage-​style lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling, and the intimate feeling of the dining spaces.
We got the calamari, the shrimp, the scallion pancakes, and the mushroom/​fig/​gorgonzola flatbread. And I topped it off with an «easy fashion» cocktail (honey and bourbon are ALWAYS a win in my book).
The calamari was delicious, the shrimp was probably the best seasoned I’ve had in the city (it had a spicy zing to it), and the flatbread was an interesting mix of textures and flavors. We demolished everything aside from the scallion pancakes (good, but worth skipping if you’re deciding between something else on the apps menu).
I would absolutely come back again (and maybe save room for dessert the second time around). I’m happy to know about Trade as an option in this area in addition to Lucky’s, Blue Ginger, and Bastille.

Excellent service.
Good food.
Yes. It’s loud to outside. Folks, you are on the street side in downtown Boston. Don’t bitch about noisy outdoor seating… sit inside instead.

Came here for lunch:
The cold brew coffee (black) was delicious!
Food:
Seared tuna: Tuna was dry to a point where it was flaky inside the middle part. Salad was way over seasoned/​greasy.
Spice donut seems like store brought ones heated up; ice cream was delicious.
Service: excellent. Our waitress was attentive, but not overbearing.

Hosted our wedding at Trade and couldn’t be happier with the food, service and overall attentiveness of the entire staff. We were blown away by each course not only for taste but presentation and timeliness. They are an absolute pleasure to work with and made the whole day seamless and memorable.

I’ve been dying to try this place. Cocktails were delicious but the food was ok. The server was pleasant and attentive and got us to our show in time. We ordered a dozen oysters which came with sauces that didn’t include cocktail sauce. I liked the spicy sauce and the champagne sauce either way. My red cooked duck was yummy with the flatbread that came with it. however it came in a bowl, which made it hard to cut into smaller pieces. I asked for a plate to help with that. My boyfriend got lobster phở. the broth was fabulous and tasted like lobster but i just didn’t see lobster phở being offered/​fitting in at Trade. maybe they were trying something different and fusing different cuisines? Definitely a place to go for drinks.

There’s a dearth of really good places to get lunch in Boston’s financial district. In the summer, that’s ok because there’s a vibrant food truck scene and tons of outdoor seating. In the winter, huge problem.
I like Trade for its central location, bright and airy atmosphere, and solid food. It’s also easy to get tables for 6 – 8 people there, which is great for big business lunches. They are NOT on Opentable so just give them a ring to make a reservation.
As I said, the food is solid. Nothing really stands out, but everything is good. We shared a bunch of apps — grilled cauliflower, burata, two flatbreads (4-​cheese and mushrooms & figs) — and then everyone ordered their own entrée. Two guys were huge fans of the Black Bean Enchiladas. We were very full by the end of the meal, too full for dessert. What I noticed about the dessert menu is that a lot came from local vendors.
I’d host another business lunch here again. I preferTrade to nearby restaurants, Nebo or Smith & Wollensky.

Had to stop here after spotting an Instagram picture by bostonmixdrink promoting its participation in Negroni Week. On a busy Friday Happy Hour, I was still able to grab a seat at the bar as this place is quite the bustle for groups of yuppies who adore standing around tables.
I’m still pretty unused to places where cocktail servers take bar orders rather than the bar staff, but it may have simply been that I was seated across from the woodfire oven who was busy making amazing looking personal pan pizzas and toasting meringue deserts.
The cocktail waiter was very prompt about my order and practically ecstatic when I ordered a negroni for negroni week, and that I had specifically sought out the place for that particular reason. I was very happy that this was a true participating location where they actually donate $ 2 off their profits, not hike up the price first and effectively pass on the donation to the customer [shame those establishments]. My receipt reflected just that enthusiasm as well with a little — yay negroni! at checkout.
While I was there, I delved into the small plates menu. I wasn’t in for stomaching one of the pizzas which would have been too heavy for me, however I settled on two small plates of the Roasted Cauliflower with muhammara, pomegranate and scallion as well as two of their Crab sliders. The sliders were so-​so, however the cauliflowers was not only delicious, but gorgeous as well. The dish had been placed in oven and evenly toasted, something that gives Trade a happy +1 star from me. I do love when an establishment makes the most of their unique cooking tools.
At this point in time it had gotten a little busier so it took a little bit to get my server’s attention for the bill, however, all in all it was a pleasant outing. Do find trade a neat place to grab a drink and enjoy being close to the water. For me it’s not dying to come back, but a great place if your are looking for a classy place for drinks.

Our mixologist Tenzin was great. This place is the place to go to for absolutely delightful drinks. Our mixologist was able to makes drinks based on what we liked and even explained in detail of how the flavors worked together.
The food was so tasty too! I recommend the steak of sure. It comes with fries and a mini salad. The steak also came with their house sauce which was similar to A1 sauce but even better.
This place has a minimalist feel, very classy and is a great place for dates :)

Went to Trade for my second time last weekend — such a great spot for quality food, drinks, and service. The first visit I sat at the outdoor patio (which is a great spot on a nice day, and also makes for great people watching), and the second trip at the bar. We received top notch service from Tenzin at the bar, who is without a doubt one of the best bartenders in Boston. We enjoyed drinks both on and off the drink menu, with the special touch of Tenzin’s one-​of-​a-​kind unique drink garnishes!
In addition to some fantastic drinks, we enjoyed some delicious apps — the food was great both of my visits. This most recent visit we enjoyed the pork belly lettuce wraps and the Soppressata flatbread, both were insanely delicious. We were also lucky enough to meet the chef who popped out to make sure we liked it. Great service all around, from walking in to the back of house staff.
We cannot wait to come back!

I visited Trade with some friends after work and had a great experience! We got a couple small plates to share. My fav were the chicken meatballs, pork belly lettuce wraps, and four chese flatbread. The chicken meatball was very moist and well seasoned. It is served on a hot ceramic plate — yum! I was surprised about the pork belly wrap. It had a very unique cabbage slaw with cheese on top. Pretty unique!
The drinks doe. SO GOOD. I got two Russian Wharfs — not too sweet, definitely a little stronger than most cocktails. I recommend the drinks more than the food overall.
The ambience was generally very nice and trendy.

Decent spot for after-​work drinks! The cocktails are delicious and the space is nice. High-​top tables and I love the big windows — lots of natural light.
The food is nothing special. We got one of the flatbreads and an order of brussel sprouts to share. The vegetables were too salty, and the flatbread was nothing out of this world but it was definitely the better of the two. I also ordered a Moscow Mule which was great! I think the drinks win here. The food is fine if you want to share a few appetizers, but I wouldn’t come here for dinner.
I come here if the bar at Nebo is too crowded.

I checked out Trade with my daughter. Cocktails only that night since Tenzin was pouring. Besides… We were thirsting for some tasty beverages. He’s an amazing mixologist and super great guy. The bar is long and it’s a very cool industrial interior space. It was packed in there on the night we were hangin but Tenzin managed to get to us quickly. Taylor had a Grey Goose dirty martini. Hard to screw that one up. I ordered a Grey Goose lychee martini. Tenzin didn’t have any more lychee juice, but he concocted a cool mixture of spirits that mimicked the lychee flavor with natural juices and some St. Germain Elderflower liqueur that was simple yet delicious. It can get loud at Trade since it’s a popular spot. There is a parking garage to the right of Trade.
I give Tenzin 5 stars just for being Tenzin. I will definitely go back for some small plate sampling next time.

Trade was recommended by a friend when we said we were staying in the seaport area, so let me recommend it to you!
Trade has a laid back atmosphere and trendy décor. The menu is small, but everything we tried on it was delicious. Our server told us the menu is always changing but all the servers are able to taste them for recommending. Our server was knowledgable of the menu and was attentive and super helpful.
My fiancé and I ordered chicken meatballs and pumpkin soup to start. Then a sopressata, mozzarella and tomato flatbread cook in the brick oven that we sat in front of! The flavors of every dish was different and impactful.
For beverages we started with draft beer, but our server told us that the spirit drinks were what they were know for. My fiancé go the uno dos tres and I got a glass of Lauren champagne for dessert drinks.
Speaking of dessert? Get it here! We got a chocolate almond cake with fresh fruit on the side and a creamy sauce on top.

I am such a fan of this place because the staff is just top notch. My waiters/​waitresses have always been attentive and personable but let’s be real here.
Tenzen the magician of a mixologist is the real reason we all flock to Trade.
With the humblest demeanor and endless amount of talent, Tenzen always has a smile on his face and is such a joy to encounter!