Exchange Street Bistro

So convenient if you live in Malden. Like All Seasons Table, this place is located right within Malden Center and can come off sketchy due to location, however do not be fooled, it is wonderful! They specialize in their elaborate list of martinis (so good!) but also have a full bar and decently priced, large beers. The food is amazing and very high-end (comparable to the swanky restaurants in Boston), however my siblings say the portions are small (I prefer quality over quantity, though). *Fun fact: Enrique, the head chef/owner, is one of the kindest and funniest guys in town - me and my boyfriend stumbled upon him one late night while we were at the bar in All Seasons Table actually (right around the corner, the owner of that restaurant and Enrique are said long time friends), and he literally bought us about 5 plates of food and a bounty of refills of some spectacular white wine! It was, needless to say, one of the best nights. Secured an Exchange Street fan for life :) Pros: extensive martini list, full bar, open late Cons: nothing! more

The food at this place is amazing and reasonably priced! Totally a hidden gem. The ""tapas"" appetizer plate is great - you get decent sized portions of 6 or so appetizers. The booth seating is incredibly comfortable. Cocktails are good, too! more

This place is a hidden gem. It's on a side street by Malden Center T stop. The bar and restaurant are very chic. The martinis are strong and delicious. The food portions are a good size. The quality and taste of the food is enough of a reason to come again and again. If you want to stay local and not have to head into Boston for a great night out, Exchange Street Bistro is a great option. Pros: Atmosphere, Good tasting food, Good drinks Cons: Street parking only, Service is inconsistent. more

When you walk into the Exchange Street Bistro you feel like your walking into a hip and trendy restaurant in the southend. The food was good the service was good as well. The martini list is great over 50 different martinis to choose from. We will be back soon for the spring menu and martini list. Pros: Close to home and free parking and great ambience more

Wow, what a bad experience we had!! The room is so pretty and the restaurant is so convenient. However, our server was not only rude but also incompetent! He forgot to order two of our 6 meals, the timing was all over the place for the appetizers, and the food was bland at best. I wish we had paid more attention to the review on Boston dot com - it was very accurate! This is probably a fun place to go for drinks after work, but after the rude service we experienced I wouldn't even come back for that. more

For Malden, it is a great find!! 2 minutes away from the T and right in the center of Malden Square. Martini lovers will be amazed with the variety of choices provided. The wine list is good, too. I particularly loved the fact that they change the menu seasonally and there are not so many items on the menu. It's a plus for me - I often get lost in all those long lists of dishes and it might take me a long time ot order. All the desserts are made on premises, Loved that creme brulee!!!!\r Pros: validated parking, big booths and big parties accommodations.Oh, yeah, Sunday brunch is awesome!!\r Cons: the street is sort of hard to find. Just go to mapquest or get them on their website.Not very kid friendly, but they do have some kind of kids menu.\r \r I""d highly recommend that place!\r \r \r \r \r more

Some friends of mine and I tried this place on a Sunday night. It was not very busy. We had a round of yummy cocktails (Bellini, Pom. Martini, Negroni): not too sweet and not too expensive. The apps we ordered were OK, but not amazing (Calamari and Mussels) - both were fairly generic but with good flavor. The entrees were delicious: Lasagna (special), Duck, and Salmon. Everything was prepared just right and the sides were wonderful. Portions are good (except for the apps) and moderately priced. We shared a Chocolate Explosion for dessert: fantastic. We also shared an $18 bottle of Malbec which was quite tasty. Service was very good, but it was a very slow night for them. I will definitely go back soon.\r Pros: Beautiful room, great prices Cons: In Malden, some apps not particularly inspired more