Review: Belfry Bistro in Sandwich, Massachusetts

If you are looking for a religious dining experience, it is now within your reach. Eating at the Belfry Bistro will take you to a whole new level. It is a former Catholic Church that has been converted into a very upscale restaurant while retaining much of the architecture detail of the church. If you are really nice to your waiter or waitress they might be willing to show you the wine cellar that is located in the former confessional. This is a great place to eat on an evening where you can appreciate the sun coming through the stained glass windows.

There are a couple of romantic niches where you can have quite a private dining experience.

Our host at the Isaiah Jones Homestead called in a reservation for us. We decided that we would celebrate our wedding anniversary here and it was a great choice.

If service is important to you, you will be delighted, it is stellar. Our waiter Philip started off a little stiff but he warmed up and is quite a personality. Our water glasses were kept filled and our silverware was changed as the courses changed, it was all seamless. We never wanted for anything at any time during our meal.

While you are deciding what to order the warm rolls will arrive. One is just a white roll but the other was whole wheat with cranberries and it was really good.

One of the starter choices is the Capabilities Farm Tomato Salad which was in reality Caprese with a gentrified name, very good Caprese if I have to say so myself. Another good choice is the house cured gravlax of organic Scottish salmon. Portions are not huge but the quality of the food is very high.

For my main course I chose the sautéed local dayboat cod which was served on top of lobster risotto and had asparagus and beautiful carrots as sides and a butter tarragon sauce. It just melted in my mouth; the risotto was so incredibly creamy. This was a phenomenal dish.

My husband had the filet mignon served with fingerling potatoes, grilled corn and Vidalia onions. His filet was perfectly cooked and everything on his plate except one lone carrot disappeared.

If I have one complaint it would be that too many of the main courses have a wine based sauce. Anyone who can't or chooses not to have wine will have a limited choice here.

If you are a vegetarian there was a vegetable risotto and a nice selection of salads to choose from. The menu is heavy on sea food but of course this is the Cape. Lamb and duck were offered as well as carpaccio and foie gras so carnivores aren't neglected.

We decided to share a dessert and we chose the triple chocolate dessert with a flourless chocolate cake, chocolate mousse and chocolate ice cream. It was definitely a delicious blast of chocolateness.

If you are looking for a fantastic deal every evening except Saturday from 5-5:45 there is a three course dinner offered for the price of the entree only. It isn't choice of menu but there are some excellent choices, you can choose to start with the chowder or a salad, and dessert is sorbet. You choose the entrée and any additions. It is an exceptional bargain.

If you are looking for a great meal in a very unique, historic and even romantic location then I can't recommend the Belfry Bistro highly enough.

Belfry Bistro

8 Jarves Street,

Sandwich Ma

Executive Chef, Daniel Kenney