“ Cocktails here are just wonderful. They make syrup fresh in house that's just amazing . Waiters are so friendly. The vibe is warm and welcoming. This is one of my favorite places in the town of Newton MA that I live in . I also love sitting outside by the fire when weather permits that is a whole vibe . Still so wonderful though . Service outside is just as good as inside just want to mention that . Parking is in abundance so that is not an issue . ”

“ Great food and flavors here. I love that their menu changes seasonally, so you often get to try something new every time you go. Tried the Tuscan Kale + Farro Salad (4/5 maybe a tad too acidic but still good), Ward's Farm Corn Soup (5/5 and great for the cold months), Spicy Moroccan Seafood Stew (5/5 maybe a bit salty but also good), Roasted Maine Carrots (5/5 would definitely recommend these were really good), and the Braised Berkshire Pork Shank for Two (5/5 good braise and flavors). Overall a very warm and comforting meal with great service! ”

“ What a difference a couple of months make. Gone are the snooty hosts though the last time I was here it was much better. Today I went in early again without a rezzie and when I told the host (who happened to be the owner) that I'd be out of there before 6 pm he believed me and offered a corner table. His recs were spot on and as always the food was extraordinary. I had the cold shrimp which was far better than ceviche and the squash salad done deliciously and creatively. The ambiance is wonderful and all in all a great experience. I was alone and felt entirely welcome and listened to. So thank you Dave for remembering me and being so accommodating. ”

“ Saturday night dinner at Sycamore! Atmosphere: Newton has some great restaurants and Sycamore is one of them. This restaurant has been on my foodie bucket list (you know you have one) for quite some time. I was so happy to be able to go last night with friends. It is super cute, and quaint with a farmhouse vibe. We were greeted by one of the staff who brought us to our table. The menu is small which for some people who are indecisive including me is a good thing. You don't want to be overwhelmed at a restaurant trying to decide what you want and take forever to order (also me). Service: Our server Kristen was amazing, friendly, and helpful which you rarely see. She offered suggestions from cocktails to menu items. Food and Wine: We started with the Maine Red Fish Ceviche and House-made Canestri pasta. Everything was perfect, especially the Canestri. For entrees, I ordered the Swordfish which was tender and not meaty, which some can be. The spicy Romano beans that came with it were very spicy so be prepared. I love spice but this was just different. My husband ordered the Chicken with the succotash and this was amazing. My friends had the Bistro Steak (also excellent) and Rigatoncini "hot Italian lamb sausage" (probably my favorite dish). We had a few glasses of red wine with our food and for all you wine lovers I highly recommend the Barbera with dinner. A table favorite! Before getting the check there was a complimentary Tres Leches cake in front of our eyes. The Manager was so kind in sending this to us on the house. Our friend who was with us is also a Chef and interviewed here before. Overall: If you are ever in the Newton area, I highly suggest dining here at Sycamore. They open right at 430pm and you should make reservations beforehand to make sure you get in. If not there is always room at the bar. Their service, food, menu, and atmosphere made this experience exceptional. It is not always easy to accomplish this praise. They exceeded my expectations for sure. Cheers, and happy eating! ”

“ All dishes are on the small side and expensive  here, but everything  full of flavor and very high in quality. I felt my money was well spent and will gently come here again and try other dishes. Below is what is ate for dinner.  Bluefish pate-  very fresh. Very light ocean taste with a nice combination of spices. The pate was thick and spread nicy over the toasted soughdough chips 4/5 Corn soup- focused on the savory side of corn rather then the sweet. Bursting  with flavor with a nice kick at the back end. The scallops added some nice texture to the soup. 5/5  Swordfish- perfectly cooked with a nice sear on tope. Salsa vede had seep flavor and a mild spiciness that complimented the dish well. 5/5 manjari chocolate budino- basically a higher quality jello pudding. Came with a nice corn caramel sauce and and some Chintelly cream.  This was pretty good. 4/5  I would recommend giving this place shot and is a good excuse to get out of the city. . High quality and delicious food 5/5 ”

“ We came here for our seventh year wedding anniversary. I'm really glad we did because it was such a special meal. Everything was really delicious. They had three types of breads: the house made sourdough, the house made focaccia, and a crispy bread that was used to dip the bluefish pate. We ordered the pasta appetizer and the skirt steak. All of the food was delicious, although if I had one small complaint, it was that the steak came with an offensive amounts of fries. And I ate a lot of those fries. Almost ruined my photo. But it was all very, very tasty and our server, Kristen, was a pro. ”

“ We are dining in this place 15 years in a row,but never get tired or bored. Chef Dave is one of the best chefs in this country in my personal culinary award list). Menu changes often, whatever pasta you see on the menu,take it. It will create a party in your mouth. Any sausages,and he is doing sausages from every meat ,poultry or game meat,try it. This will blow your mind!! If you need to adjust any dish to your dietary restrictions,it will come out from the kitchen as a beautiful concoction. I ordered last night salmon and ask it dairy free and it was most delicious dish,with stunning texture and sauce. I was offered raspberry vegan sorbet,which was delightful end of the dinner.Worth the trip,even if you are driving 100 miles and be patient with reservations ,it's not easy on the weekends. ”

“ Food - chorizo croquettas were tasty to start, but definitely on the small side. Moroccan sunchoke soup with dates was really good - creamy, savory and sweet, with notes of fall-like spices, this was a fav for me. I loved the roasted carrots and the Bolognese was solid. Mussels were pretty good but the broth was a bit light on flavor. The maple brined pork chop was generous on the meat, but I liked the kale sweet potato side more than the pork. Painted hills filet with blue cheese butter was cooked perfectly and the au gratin and salad side was good - this was my fav main, a classic that was executed well. For dessert the beignets with caramel or "milk jam" were delightful and the peanut butter chocolate bar was really dang good. Drinks - as a bloody Mary aficionado I enjoyed the ghost of mary martini, captured the essence of a bloody remarkably well. The falerno was refreshing with a little kick and I thought the citrus was balanced well with the mezcal and falernum. Service was really good, host, bartender and the server were on top of it. Ambience was nice with the brick wall, kind of standard new American New England feel. Overall, I thought there were some standouts on the food and would definitely return. ”

“ Sycamore knocked my socks off. Chef Dave Punch has a winning streak of fantastic restaurants in Newton, otherwise known as the holy trinity in Newton Centre (Jinny's, Big Little Diner, and Sycamore) - I believe he used to helm Buttonwood in Newton Highlands before he sold it, which has a similar vibe and menu to Sycamore. Of the three, Sycamore is pricier and a bit more formal. The menu focuses on only a few starters and mains, which updates every few weeks (days?) to focus on seasonal ingredients. I loved the falerno! cocktail to start, nice blend of tequila, grapefruit, some chili spice, and hellfire bitters. Everything under the starters section looked intriguing but we went with the grilled shrimp ceviche and kale + farro salad. Salads tend to play second fiddle to other dishes but this one may have been my second favorite dish of the night. The combo of pine nuts and farro and pomegranate was genius, a great blend of texture and flavor. Definitely order this. The table next to us got it as soon as they saw us digging in. My favorite was the tandoori spiced swordfish. I'm a sucker for anything remotely curry-flavored and this one, with squash and chickpeas, some sort of yogurt, and ginger on top (come on, just look at that ingredient list), was A+. Swordfish, in my experience, is tricky to cook just right - overcooking makes the texture all stringy, undercooking turns it into rubber. This was THE most tender piece of fish I've ever eaten. It was like fish pudding. My husband's cod cakes were excellent - they had just added it to the menu the day before, to rave reviews - but I preferred the swordfish. We were too stuffed for dessert but Josh was super kind enough to bring us two house-made beignets to sample. They were delicious, as fried pockets of dough are wont to be, but I'd slather that milk caramel/butterscotch sauce over anything and everything. Service was a highlight! Came by often to check in on how we were doing, if we wanted another drink, brought more water, etc. I didn't see any of the issues in other reviews. Josh and the others were more than happy to move customers over to other tables from the windows, which were drafty. A reservation on Thurs-Sat is a must, you can't really blame the restaurant if you're a walk-in and they only have certain seats left. Abundant parking in the lot a few feet away, free after 6pm. ”