Metrowest Boston Dining Guide

Sel de la Terre
Natick Collection Mall

Sel de la Terre opened its second location next to Nordstrom’s at the Natick Collection Mall.   Unfortunately, my experiences there have been inconsistent food and service quality. 

During the summer, the light summer menu and outdoor seating proved pleasurable but during this past Spring, the experience was sub-par.  You enter the restaurant through the bar area.  It is a light and airy bar area featuring very high ceilings and tons of natural light through the windows.  The bar seats about 14 but there are plenty of high-top booths available in this area to sit and have dinner or a drink as well.  The dining room is much more intimate.  It is dimly lit with a palette of light creams and whites. 

The food is good with interesting french flaired selections to choose from including duck and lamb.  They also offer wine nights on Tuesdays at $45 a person that include 4 courses, a selection of wines featured for the evening.  

For my visit last summer, the steak salad offered for lunch was one of the better I’ve had and the fish was very fresh as well as being well presented.  The staff was a bit slow when it was busy but if you’re in the mood for a long lazy afternoon lunch outdoors, it’s a good stop.  They have a nice outdoor patio for summer dining.  Although the view is only of the parking lot which is nothing special, there are few places in the Metrowest area that you can actually dine outdoors anymore so it is a nice change of pace. 

This Spring, I returned to Sel de la Terre and unfortunately, my second trip was not as good as my first.  The waitstaff was poor at best.  The bar had barely 10-15 patrons and our waitress took far to long to take our dinner orders.  She never reappeared to ask how our meals were or to ask if we needed anything further.  When she did arrive with the dessert menu, she seemed almost annoyed that we wanted coffee and dessert.  Clearly it had been a long day and she wanted to get out of work.  The curious thing was that the table of 6 seated next to us seemed to get better service.  Now, this could be due to the fact that the waitress’ tip was clearly going to be more for a table of 6 than our one of 2 or if it was the Gucci bag and Coach shoes of those patrons adorned in unclear.  Either way, it seemed to be that who you “were” determined your level of customer service and attention.

The free range chicken was tender and moist but the turnips that were served with it were undercooked and there weren’t enough gnocci served with it to round out the dish.  Although tender, the mix seemed a bit sloppy and not well presented.  The molten chocolate dessert was average; a bit dry on the outside and not as warm as others I’ve tried.

The wine list is extensive ranging from a variety of regions and a nice price range to choose from however, the staff knows little about helping guests to choose just the right wine to pair up with their meals.  Unfortunatley, for Sel de la Terre, it may well depend when you go and who you’ve got serving you as to what type of experience you’ll have.

The dining room is intimate and well laid out with enough privacy to serve nicely for a date night but considering the mixed experience with the food and service, it is not a guarantee that you’ll have a well deserved night out.  Giving Sel de la Terre a try is worth it but be prepared to be disappointed if the front and back of the house aren’t at their best.