When you walk along the bustling streets of Boston’s Financial District, you might not expect to find a glitzy steakhouse tucked high above the city’s historic streets, but if you look a little closer, you would be hard pressed to miss the eye-catching, Dale Chihuly-designed, 30-foot glass art sculpture “Vermilion Fiori,” floating high above the 35-seat bar at The Vermilion Club: Steakhouse and Cocktail Bar.
Named after the shimmering sculpture, the swanky chophouse located at Winthrop Center is the brainchild of Chef John Fraser, who brought the elevated concept to Boston last year after opening the chef-curated food hall, The Lineup. Fraser’s prominent collection of nationwide restaurants now spans from Los Angeles to New York City.
Being located right in the middle of the Financial District, The Vermilion Club quickly gained attention for its two- and three-course express lunch offerings, featuring everything from clam chowder and chicken Paillard to steak frites and New York cheesecake.
If you are lucky enough to score a seat at the bar, be sure to indulge in the exclusive Vermilion Club Burger that is only available here. The juicy half-pound burger served on a brioche roll features grass-fed Piedmontese beef, gooey Welsh cheddar from 5 Spoke Creamery and tangy house made ketchup.
On a recent visit, we were seated in the bustling bar area at a table with fantastic views overlooking the Financial District. Our friendly server greeted us and suggested we get started with one of their creative craft cocktails and we were glad she did.
The Vermilion Dirty Martini was a strong pour while a Spicy Margarita kicked things off just right. Their signature warm buttered rolls are almost too good not to fill up on so be sure to save some room for the reason why you came here – their mouthwatering steaks.
To keep things light, their starters include fresh East Coast oysters with all the accoutrements, jumbo (and we do mean enormous) shrimp cocktail accompanied by an extra spicy wasabi cocktail sauce, and their must-sample French onion dumplings that arrived swimming in a tasty shiitake consommé.
One of their most popular appetizers is a Three-Way Tartare, showcasing Bourdain-style beef, tuna, and heirloom tomato. For an elevated experience, try the roasted canoe-cut bone marrow with buttered littleneck clams.
Chef Fraser has created an approachable menu that not only features dry-aged meats, but also a nice selection of seafood, poultry, lamb, and veal dishes. Highlights include whole roasted Dover sole, Australian lamb chop, Faroe Island salmon, and veal chop Pizzaiola.
Their beef selections come from Snake River Farms and Creekstone and include everything from a Club-style filet mignon and dry-aged Tomahawk to a spice-crusted Prime rib and Prime porterhouse. We recommend the 14-ounce cowgirl ribeye, a well-marbled cut that was cooked to our medium rare liking, and the equally tender New York strip.
Steaks here are served a la carte, so you will want to pair them up with some of their signature side dishes like the decadent truffle mac and cheese, wild mushrooms, or new potatoes with ramp butter.
If you can save room for dessert, they offer a dark chocolate souffle, stout sticky toffee cake, burnt bee baked Alaska, and toasted butter cake. If you didn’t, there’s always an espresso martini or coffee rum-groni that provide the perfect ending to a memorable dining experience.
The Vermilion Club: Steakhouse and Cocktail Bar is located at 115 Federal Street in Boston.
