Boston Magazine
2005
Zagat Survey 2004
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2004
Boston Phoenix
10/03
Best of Boston
2003
Slammed 2/03
Impropr Bstnian
7/07
Digital City
'02
Stuff@Night 11/02
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'02
Boston
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Boston Magazine
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Slammed
By Denny Lewis
02/03
"Dalí may be the only restaurant you might enter and hope for a wait for a table. Chefs, foodies and locals alike enter through the wooden doors of the restaurant and immediately become swept away by the bacchanalian atmosphere and want to be parked at the bar for at least one pitcher of sangria. Never has a 'no reservation' policy been more welcome.
Tamara Bourso and Mario Leon created the design of Dalí from the sheer will to bring their concept to life. Bourso, a Russian born in Stuttgart, and Leon, a Basque born in Argentina, were determined to open a tapas bar, yet had no budget to complete the space. Despite the lack of capital, they created through their inventive sense of whimsy an Old World décor that has often been credited for their success.
You might believe you have stepped into a gypsy caravan as Dalí reveals its hidden joys to you. Rhythmic, intoxicating Latin music fills the air. A Gaudi-esque, gold-leaf 'crying wall' weeps before you. Iberian tiles are scattered from floor to bar to tabletop. Daumier's 'Don Quixote' stands in triptych.
Bourso believes lighting is the single most important physical element and has created 'a sensual, golden glow' throughout the restaurant. She softened the walls with a glazing technique using gauze to add texture. She chose rich tones of red and amber because they are 'the best for dining'. The coppery highlights of the most remote room are reminiscent of gypsy caves. Leon counsels, 'You must only talk of romance,' as he leads you to a secluded table.
Bourso and Leon constructed much of what they conceived with their own hands. Bourso created the crying wall by dripping bucket after bucket of plaster from a cake decorating bag. Leon pieced together wooden tables from Spanish wine cases and installed a hardwood floor from an old church. He built the bar and designed arches between the rooms to keep them 'separate but together.' Bourso claims that Leon is the perfect restauranteur who can 'cook a great meal and fix the plumbing.'
Their success has brought them offers of original artwork but they decline, not wanting the space to become a museum. Of their hodgepodge of elements, Bourso says, 'An eclectic house can work if it comes from the heart. Then it reflects the personality of the owner.' If you're lucky, you might have time to reflect on their personalities over a glass of sangria at the bar. You might also come to realize that when they say 'No Reservations,' they're really talking about their own lives."
