Bondir Concord

Had an expensive, but out of this world meal here for Valentine’s Day. Everything from the amuse bouche, to the kholhrabi risotto, and fantastic cheese course, we were impressed. Down side — entrée wasn’t that special — sauerbraten? For VD? — and the $ 49 wine pairings that were a skimpy 3 ounce pour. Won’t be doing that again, ever. For over $ 300, can’t say it was worth it.
Super romantic fireplace setting. Definitely ask to be seated near it!

Generally love this restaurant, but stay away from the hamburgers on the Mondays that coincide with snowstorms!

This place is listed as French/​American New and by the menu, you’d think that is what it was. It is really just French despite any attempt to persuade you otherwise. The flavors are entirely classic French and the over the top knife work definitely said classic French. They allow you to order ala carte or the price fix. The table is allowed to mix these, which is a nice option. The wait staff is nice, but uneven and uninterested. Nothing that was set before us was explained. A dish would be set down and the server would walk off. Other tables around us at least received short explanations. I think that’s important in a nicer restaurant, it’s part of creating some excitement for what you are about to eat. Apparently, we didn’t warrant that like other tables did. I asked about the preparation of one dish and the server didn’t seem to know what I was asking. It felt like there was a disconnect between the kitchen and wait staff. Which again is weird in a fine dining setting. The wine list is unimpressive and small. Yes, it’s a French restaurant, so most the options were French, but I was disappointed about what was on offer and what I had. The food is reasonably portioned except for the the cheese plate, which is oddly gigantic compared to every other dish. The flavors were good, not great. We probably won’t be going back for the mere fact nothing was explained to us. $ 300 for three people seems too expensive for what we got. The restaurant itself is a well restored older building which is a really nice setting. And there is plenty of public parking in the lot behind he restaurant.

Pretty amazing from start to finish. 4 courses for $ 58 dollars, which seems to me a steal. Housemade bread to start, which was outrageously good, an apple salad I didn’t want to eat because the playing was so amazing, a pasta mid-​course that was supposed to come with a lobster glacé but I was allergic to shellfish, Jason replaced it with steelhead caviar, which was spot on, followed by a beef Bavette over ancient grain in a red wine reduction that was great.
Some slight «lows»:
They have 3 red and 3 white wines by the glass, which seemed a little skimp, and the sav blanc blend I ordered initially seemed a little flat. Was promptly replaced with a great Alsatian Pinot Gris, and the Chardonnay and Pinot noir were both on point.
Our server, who was very knowledgable, did drop one dish off to the wrong seat, and overall service wasn’t quite as quick as I would have preferred.
Overall:
Food: ⁵⁄₅
Wine: ⁴⁄₅
Service: ⁴⁄₅
Value: ⁵⁄₅
Dare I say as good or better than Cambridge.
Must try.

Ate here for the first time last night and was delighted by the ambience, service and, most importantly, by the food. The chef’s choice of ingredients and the creativity of the meals was outstanding. By far the best meal I’ve eaten in the Boston area in the past four years. Wish I lived closer… would likely be a ‘regular’ with a favorite spot at the bar weekday evenings.

…Well. Hoisted on my own Picard. (Yes. I know it’s «petard’. That was a STAR TREK reference.) What can I say but to be perfectly honest about my dinner at Bondir in Concord.
For starters? I work in the FOH of a Portuguese BBQ in New Jersey. Our average entrée weighs about 6lbs. We serve giant slabs of ribs, half chickens and sides that will feed a family of 4 for a few days. So, when I saw the menu for Bondir, I immediately thought, «I could eat everything listed and STILL be hungry!». I immediately balked at going because I figured this is not my sort of place. Then, I had the chance to speak to Peter at The Cheese Shop, located literally 20 feet across the street from Bondir who said, «Go.». So… I did.
In a nutshell? One of the greatest dining out experiences in my 55 years on the planet. Every second of the night was stellar from stepping through the front door until we left. The restaurant itself is beautifully decorated. Warm, friendly, classy and cool. The staff? Top shelf. From the hostess to the servers to the awesome bartender, Tatianna… Kudos to Team Bondir. In fact, let me say, being in the business I tip any member of a restaurants team who does a great job. It’s something I do. I literally had to force the support staff at Bondir to take a small gratuity. C’mon! You guys ROCK!
Now, the food? Please. Our first course was brought out by chef/​owner, Jason Bond. (Coolset name ever or what?!?) The man is the amazing epitome of the phrase «chef/​owner». It is obvious he is not only proud of what he does he is also able to deliver on the promise of the experience. The pumpkin soup I had as an appetizer? Truly a spiritual experience. Every course that followed was more incredible than the one previously enjoyed. Until you end with a chocolate dessert that should be outlawed by the United Nations it was so incredibly deadly. Imagine the epicenter of the Chocolate Universe. This dessert was it.
So, my final 2 cents. Bondir Concord … Ambience is classy but comfortable. Service is as good as it gets in this profession. That says these people love what they do and who they do it for every day. Food is what this business is all about. Will you spend some money? Yep! Is it worth it? Absolutely every penny.

This place is amazing and puts many of my favorite nyc restaurants to shame. I love that you can get really interesting meals that are also delicious. The fish, mushrooms and pork were all perfect and the ambience is not too shabby either! Hard to believe that Concord has a restaurant this nice.

Dinner at Bondir is a culinary adventure. We love the excitement and anticipation of trying surprising combinations, new ingredients, and fresh produce creatively prepared. We can pretend to be food critics while sampling elements individually, together, with and without offered sauces. As a result, our conversation is always lively. (After 12 years together, that’s no small feat!) Every dish is not perfect. Without risk, there is no reward. But with each meal, you will find plenty of options that are nothing short of a delicious revelation. Happily, we have always come out fully satisfied, with titillated taste buds, having had a lovely adventure.
Tip: Come prepare to share every dish. By all means order 3 each, but for maximum adventuring possibilities, make sure everyone at the table orders something different to sample.

SPECTACULAR! I had blue fish to put all others to shame. Fixed price lunch is as beautiful as it is presented. I had been wanting to join them (but I am attached to 80 Thoreau) but hadn’t had the chance. Lunch driving by made me pull in. Its GORGEOUS and farm to table that feeds your senses. Lovely staff, super clean, such lovely décor! We had pates and charcuterie, steak and blue fish — each dish carefully crafted and cooked perfectly down to the petite potatoes and vegetables on the plate! Can’t wait to come back!

A fun space with excellent seasonal dishes. The concept has evolved from the original central location and so has the ambiance

First time at Bondir Concord with great expectations for a birthday dinner.
We went with the Prix Fixe Menu and had the following:
Local Cherry Tomatoes, Dashi, Caramelized Corn Agnolotti, Local Farm Egg, Spiced Beet «Risotto», Pork Saucisse Chaud, Roasted Beef Flatiron
We found it it to be a great value, with good portion sizes. The winning items were all the vegetable based dishes (incredible fresh garden flavors), whereas the Pork and the Beef were underwhelming and overcooked. It’s a warm, romantic interior with unique service-​ware and fun artwork.
Along with the concerns over the meat dishes the services was a bit slow at times, along with a forgotten glass of wine, which needed to be added after the fact.
Overall, great experience and worth trying again.

Got the $ 22 lunch set, and picked salmon and the burger. The smoked salmon appetizer was alright… but I thought that everything was pretty bland, vegetables tasted like grass.
The burger was just ok, definitely had better ones but it was cooked fine. Fries on the side were really hard/​crispy and not really my thing, and the restaurant didn’t even have ketchup.
Also got carrot cake for dessert and at least that was flavorful.
Overall the presentation was beautiful but the food did not carry through.

This place has the best lunch burger in Concord. Homemade roll, caramelized onions, sweet, sweet, juicy beef, and a seasonal rotating aioli. Great draught beer selection as well, and an incredible reserve beer list with some exotic bottles when you need to channel your inner beer geek.
Dinner is more avant-​garde, with delicious small plates with many local ingredients you may have have never heard of. Don’t let that dissuade you, all dishes have intricate flavor profiles and are executed perfectly.
Try that burger at lunchtime, and look for any dishes with gnocchi, chef Jason Bond makes a damn good one.

Had a wonderful lunch here this weekend. We were a group of seven and had two toddlers with us. I was a little nervous when I walked in and saw how beautiful it was inside, but they made us feel totally welcome. While they don’t have high chairs, they were very accommodating and gave us a great space and provided cushions to make a booster seat. Our waitress, Georgia, was really kind to the kids and brought over paper and flowers for them. My husband ended up walking our daughter around a bit, so he wasn’t able to Eat. Seeing this, the chef (perhaps in cahoots with Georgia?) sent out a beautiful cup of soup so he could eat something while keeping a hand free. Very thoughtful and classy move!
The location is beautiful and the food was outstanding. Vibrant flavors and creative plating and ingredients. Portions were not overwhelming and I feel that we got a good value for our 2 course prix fixe. We all noted that we wanted to come back. We appreciated how welcomed we felt. Service was inviting and attentive, food was great. Excellent experience. Oh, and the rolls were probably the best I’ve ever had.

Wonderful food that is prepared with great care and creativity. Service is impeccable. When you are there you feel both welcomed and highly appreciated. Diners who enjoy something unique and memorable will enjoy Bondir. The menu changes often so you will never get bored with the offerings. Try it and I expect you will like it. As someone who eats out all across the area and does it often, I find this to be one of my favorite places.
And, the bar is quite nice as well.

Followup: I received a message from the manager who wanted to discuss my review. I returned her call and left my cell phone number on her voice mail. Weeks later, no reply. So, kudos for following up, major fail for no closing the loop

Overall: nice place with elegant interior and pretty good food
My brother and I took our mother here for mother’s day for a nice brunch. The prix fixe menu was a little pricey but overall the food was good although not quite as good as I expected. The options on the menu were not as varied as I would have liked, particularly in regards to the mains. Although I appreciate a small menu, I thought this could have had one or two more options for each category and/​or we could have been offered the regular menu. In fairness we didn’t ask for it but it would have been nice to know if it was available. The portion sizes here were just right (rich food needs smaller portion sizes) and the flavors were fresh and crisp. I could have used a bit more herbs and seasoning but I think the style of the restaurant is to let the natural flavors of the main ingredients shine through more than anything else. The service was good although could have been a bit more prompt. Overall, this is a good place for a special occasion but probably too pricey without sufficient ‘wow’ factor for a normal brunch or lunch.

One of my favorites in New England! The menu is inventive and always includes a great assortment of locally and sustainably sourced seafood, proteins, and veggies. The constantly changing dashi is not to be missed. Don’t pass up the wild antelope on the (all too) rare occasions it is a available. The wine selection is great, but be sure to start or finish with one of the fantastic cocktails.
As for the reviewers who gave this establishment a less than fantastic review… It seems they would have preferred the oversized portions of chain restaurant fare.
For those with a discerning palate, Bondir is the best restaurant when you find yourself west of Boston.

I’ve tried this place 3 times now and I just can’t seem to get beyond the place’s arrogant attitude. The menu is filled with odd choices as if the owner/​chef is trying to prove something (yet I’m not clear exactly what).
We walked in today for lunch (on a Saturday). It was empty. When we asked for a table we were asked whether or not we had a reservation. When we said we didn’t, the hostess then asked us to wait for a second while she checked to see if they had an available table. (A quick look around would have told her there was plenty of room). Arrogance.
At some point they will need to offer better food & less attitude. It’s Concord, Mass for crying out loud. Lose the attitude, please.
I’m never coming back.

Bondir is in Cambridge. True. But we decided to head out to the one in Concord instead.
Though located in a commercial (for old time Concord) area, most businesses in its surroundings closed earlier, thus leaving night owl Bondir with plenty of street parking for its patrons.
A couple of steps lead up to the front entrance of Bondir, but they also have an entrance out back for those who would have issues managing any stairs.
Service was terrific and my birthday was acknowledged with a little gift from the chef — a generous bite of delicious foie gras for each of us. Oddly, however for a party of 3, we were also served a plate of two slices apiece of a cranberry studded bread and one plain, with softened butter. But we know how to share, so we made do.
I love how they offer both full and half portions. As one who wants to try everything, I thought that was a terrific idea. We ended up ordering 4 courses a piece from their menu of 12 selections, and these weren’t your tiny tastings portions — they were more like a good sized appetizer for one individual apiece.
Mine were:
Hand-​Made Burrata ¹⁴⁄₂₆
Roasted Red Wattle Pork Belly, Brown Butter Brown Bread, 50-​year Sherry Vinegar, Oro Blanco, Petit Greens
Fava Leaf Pappardelle ¹⁶⁄₃₀
Australian Wagyu Bresaola, Concord Asparagus, Fava Beans, Parmigiano Reggiano
South Shore Fishes ¹⁶⁄₃₀
Scituate Scallops, Squid, Cape Cod Mussels, Steamer Clams, Gaeta Olive, Hop Shoots and Black Radish, Fingerling Potato
Roasted Rohan Duck Breast and Confit Leg ¹⁸⁄₃₂
Gilfeather Turnip with Young Rosemary and Apple, Autumn Olive, Oil Cured Olive
The crisp pork belly added a nice texture twist to the soft burrata. The fishes dish was a generous conglomerate of well prepared seafood. The duck was where I zoomed in on the most immediately, and it was good, but somehow the anticipation of duck had far outweighted the outcome lately. Oddly, the star of the night was the long tender wide ribbons of pappardelle.
And, of course, we couldn’t forget dessert!
Honey-​Caramel Poached Rhubarb 9
Olive Oil Almond Cake, Armagnac-​Long Pepper Syrup, Seville Orange Marmalade, Olive Oil Ice Cream
Yum! I even sampled my friend’s trio scoops of ice cream $ 9, though I preferred the Dark Chocolate-​Orange Gelato over the Pistachio-​Beach Rose Gelato, while she preferred otherwise.
The server was wise enough to offer a half pour of a nearly century old Armagnac, which decided the third member of our party who had been mulling over a full pour for $ 65.
A terrific meal.
Note: no high chairs