The South End's Kaia offers fresh takes on Aegean classics
An herb bouquet follows the ladolemono to finish the whole fish tableside at Kaia.
Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
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What to eat
The menu offers a small list of raw fish selections, a few caviar-related items, a dozen meze, and only two fish entrees, so don't expect a raft of surf and turf. The grilled fish was sea bream on the night we went (the variety changes with availability), and comes boned and butterflied, brushed with honey and a lemony vinaigrette. At the table, the server snips a small bouquet of fresh herbs onto the fish so scents of mint and oregano come your way. With big white flakes and slightly sweet flesh, the fish is exquisite. Broccolini on the meze menu is bright green with light green dabs of broccoli crema and white dabs of aioli. The slender florets are deliciously crunchy at the tips. Spanakopita, the popular spinach and phyllo dough pie, is nothing like you've seen before. This clever take on the classic is a courtly version of a peasant dish. It looks like a multi-layered rectangle of lasagna, with a crisp top, leeks tucked in with the feta, and a little truffle aroma. For dessert, goat's milk ice cream is unmistakably and pleasantly goat-y, perfect with roasted berries; a juniper and honey semifreddo with nutty praline and a spoonful of icy tea granita is delightful.
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The broccolini at Kaia.
Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
What to drink
The wine list is 100 percent Greek, so it's likely there will be much here that is unfamiliar. Don't let that faze you. It's a terrific lineup, showcasing the best contemporary (and occasionally avant garde) Greek wines available in our market. The expression 'if it grows together it goes together' was never more applicable. So be bold.
The takeaway
Every server at Kaia wants to make you comfortable. The buff tone-on-tone dining room with white stone, wood accents, and creamy upholstery is calming (even when the noise level rises). The food, all meant for sharing, is beautifully plated, waiters know what they're doing, and you come away feeling like you've had a European experience. A night here doesn't come cheap.
370 Harrison Ave., South End,
, 617-514-0700. meze, caviar, and crudo dishes $18-$98; fish priced by weight, $75 to $90 for grilled, $90-$110 for bourdeto (fish prepared four ways).
Kaia in the South End.
Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
Sheryl Julian can be reached at
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