Banyan

V V 483 reviews · Local Guide 6 August 2025

Banyan has a beautiful, cozy atmosphere with warm wood-toned décor and a clean, modern feel. Although it was surprisingly quiet during our visit, reservations seemed limited, so I’d recommend booking ahead just in case. Definitely a cute spot for a lowkey lunch or dinner date. 🍽️ Food & Drinks We started with the Bento Box, which was a great deal at $15. It came with a nice variety: crispy spring rolls, pan-fried dumplings, scallion pancakes, a small cucumber salad, and more — all with bold flavors and great texture. The crunchy elements were a perfect intro to the meal. For my main, I ordered a noodle dish that had a beautiful presentation and a great chewy texture. However, the saltiness was a bit overpowering for my taste. Still, it’s clear they take pride in plating and ingredients. 👨‍🍳 Service & Hospitality Service was a bit all over the place — we were checked on by multiple servers, which made it feel slightly disorganized. That said, they got our order right and were attentive overall. 💡 Unique Selling Point The fusion bento box is a fantastic starter option for first-timers or sharers. It’s flavorful, well-portioned, and a solid way to sample a bit of everything without breaking the bank.

A Ankita N 52 reviews · Local Guide 14 June 2025

The Dan Dan Noodles with chicken were amazing!! We also had the Korean Sticky Chicken, which was del too! The white sauce paired perfectly with it. fried bao bun felt pretty mediocre. We didn’t try any drinks this time, but the cocktail and mocktail menu was huge. We’re definitely coming back for that. The ambiance was summery and had a fairytale vibe. A must-try spot for the summer!

I Irene Zhao 46 reviews · Local Guide 18 February 2025

Service and atmosphere were great, but the food was very average especially for how expensive it was. Everything we ordered had hoisin sauce on it (scallion pancakes, pork bao, octopus) to the point where it all had the same flavor. The octopus was also oversalted. We also ordered the lettuce wraps, but the lettuce was cooked for some reason, resulting in a soggy and disappointing wrap. Beautiful presentation and atmosphere, but the food just wasn’t up to par.

M Mathieu Baissac 129 reviews · Local Guide 27 January 2025

Charges like a fancy restaurant, feels like a fast food place. Food came extremely fast - too fast. I felt like I was rushed as dishes would appear so quickly. At an average of $20+ per dish, you want to be able to enjoy it but because food came so fast and the portions where bite size, we all felt rushed. All the flavors where on - Dan Dan was odd without the spicy oil but it was spicy (as I asked). I added one star for flavor otherwise I would have given it 2 stars

K Kim Mai 126 reviews · Local Guide 13 November 2024

Hadn't been to Banyan in many years and enjoyed the experience coming back. Went with my daughter and sat in a booth at the bar. Banyan really has a lovely, unique atmosphere that you don't see much in Boston. More reminiscent of NY cool vibes. Really enjoyed the cocktails and tasty bites. Tapas style Asian bites similar to Nautilus menu. Nautilus executes better, but this does the job if just want a cool hangout and casual bites. The tuna crispy rice I have had at many other places, and the rice was a bit too dense and hard. Tuna was good. I was excited for the oyster bao but the oysters were a little mushy and should be more fried. Miso Caesar salad was the best dish! Very clever take on the ubiquitous Caesar. Cukes and shrimp were very good. If there were half stars, I would say 3.5 stars for food. I would go here with friends again as a solid choice in the South End.