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Gaslight is a great place to get both a nice atmosphere (although acoustics make it a bit noisy) and a great meal at a reasonable price. The last time I dined I had the duck confit and my dining partner had the rotisserie chicken. Both were delicious!

I just ate at Gaslight last night, and It was great. The atmosphere here was very welcoming. Because you are below street level, there is a cavernous effect to the place. Good, low lighting, subway tile, brass, the whole bistro effect. Service was good and honest in their answers to food questions. We had the duck confit, skate wing and cod stew. Everything was delicious. The confit was tender with a crisp skin, the escarole with a tangy lemon sauce was the perfect side and the simple potatoes on the dish were to die for. Three cheers for duck fat. I tasted the skate and stew, and both were tender, properly cooked fish with great flavor. The bread came in a bag and was still warm, and my tart tatin was very nice. Cheese plate and raw bar were well done and the wine was nice. We had the pinot noir, and then a bolder malbec. Both were very good. So if you're in that steak frites kind of mood, definitely give it a go. I am pretty picky, and this place produces excellent bistro style fare.

Thank goodness we did not listen to the negative reviews that we saw posted here. We dined at the Gaslight on a busy Saturday evening on March 15, 2008 and our experience was completely positive. The attendant at the free parking lot was extremely courteous. Our table was ready when we arrived at 7:30. Our waiter was helpful, prompt, accurate, professional and friendly. The physical atmosphere was wonderful and unhurried. We had a booth against the wall which allowed plenty of conversation- noise was not a factor. Our appetizers included the Bluecrab Cocktail and the Steak Tartare, both fresh, tasty, and nicely presented. The four of us ordered different entrees and we did tastings, everyone in agreement that the Rotisserie Chicken, Veal Weiner Schnitzel , Paelée Espagnol, and Braised Lamb Shank were excellent. We had a bottle of red and a bottle of white, both very nice and reasonably priced. Desserts of the artisan cheese and 10-year port, and the Caramelized Apple Tart Tatin were perfect. The check was less than we usually pay in Boston (we live in Back Bay), and the parking was indeed free. And even the bread was served on time and was fresh from the oven. Perhaps the negative reviews were from the days of growing pains, but on March 15 the Gaslight had it all together. If we had heeded the negative reviews, we would have missed out on a great evening.

If you like noise levels that keep your ears ringing for hours, then you will love GASLIGHT. Granted ,many restauranteurs believe that younger diners actually prefer to scream over their oysters and dark and stormies. So if you plan on going to Gaslight, grab your Bose noise reduction headset and only eat the osters and clams at the bar(which were great), and then go to a quiet place in the South end.

We visited it the first night it opened and it was exceptional. I'm surprised to read the other reviews. Maybe it is not as good any more.....will check it out.

I thought the steak tartare was the best thing we had--it was all downhill from there. The cassoulet I ordered was flavorless and seemingly concocted from a tin of crushed tomatoes and another of white beans. The roast chicken and frites smelled and tasted of fast food. The drinks were meager--especially the French 75--ugh. I should have known the minute we walked in that it was really only going to be a chain restaurant experience, but somehow I didn't get it until the entrees arrived. Perhaps the manager standing in the middle of the restaurant fiddling with the stereo volume should have said enough, or the rows of highchairs, or the horrible cocktails we started with. Or was it perhaps that the food arrived 5 minutes after we ordered it? Well, at least it didn't have a chance to stand outside of the microwave to cool.

My husband and I gave this restaurant two chances. The first was so-so; luke warm food, nothing special, but interesting enough to warrant a second meal.We were never so horrified the second time. We had brought our son with us as he's an avid French fan and felt terrible about the meal he was subjected to. His French "au gratin" Onion soup had the cheese floating halfway underneath the crouton. My husband and I split a shrimp cocktail, which the shrimp tasted as if they'd been frozen and thawed at least 5 times. We also split the steak tartare, which was nothing more than an unflavored raw hamburg patty with a sorry excuse of a fried egg on top.The entrees, however, were the worst. I ordered the lamb, which was so nappealing that i literally could only take one bite. It tasted like old goat meat and the presentation was that of day-old cafeteria food. My husband ordered the skate, which he could barely eat, as the taste was frozen and tough. My son ordered the steak frite, which came with some form of steak that none of us had ever seen. He ate it, as he is a 15 year old boy, but it was no where near the likes of other French restaurants. We decided to split one dessert, even though we really were wanting to leave at that point. We split the apple tart, which had something gelatinous underneath it and it was ice cold. I hardly think this restaurant will be able to survive on its food. Perhaps its bar will keep it in business. For sure, we will never return.