Henry Marliave, a French immigrant from Paris, arrived in Boston with his wife by his side, a collection of recipes, and the dream of finding success in the United States of America. After honing his cooking skills at the Young’s Hotel and mastering the English language, young Henry Marliave achieved his American dream by opening his namesake: Restaurant Marliave at 10 Bosworth Street in 1885. Henry Marliave and his successors have continued to operate at this location serving cuisine inspired from classic French, Italian and New England fare for over 120 years. The Boston dining landmark has survived World Wars, the Great Depression, prohibition (and many published liquor seizures because it operated as a speakeasy), and twenty-three different presidents.

Chef Scott Herritt, of Grotto restaurant, has taken the Marliave under his wing and is restoring the dining institution that is as rich in culinary history as Boston itself. He has fallen in love with the building and has taken great pains to respectfully restore the restaurant while retaining its vintage architecture and design. He extensively researched the menus served by the restaurant over the years and has updated the dishes to feature seasonal, locally-farmed meat and produce.

The Marliave will open with two classic dining options: The Upstairs affords its famous view and serves classic continental cuisine such as butter-poached lobster, Beef Wellington, and halibut baked in a salt crust. The Downstairs, harkens back to Marliave’s bootlegging days serving classic prohibition-era cocktails and updated versions of the classic dishes you would have found at the Marliave a century ago, such as Yankee pot roast, Welsh rarebits, and freshly shucked oysters.