Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts restaurant, Bravo, is a European-style respite from the typically loud American bistro style of dining experience. It gets its name from the restaurant’s first art exhibit, which included acquired works by Chilean artist Claudio Bravo. The cuisine is progressive American, with an emphasis on local ingredients. The inviting, warm ambience complements a rotating selection of some of the museum’s modern and contemporary masterpieces.

Over the last 25 years, the quality of MFA’s food has varied greatly, ranging from exquisite to weird. In one period, a famous pastry chef paired inconsequential entrées with desserts so exquisite that the restaurant became a brunch destination for cocktails and dessert alone.

Recently my partner and I had a chance to leave Harvard early enough on a Friday night to make it for dinner and a film. At 6 p.m. I put the tickets on the side of our table at Bravo and called attention to the waiter, who acknowledged the need for a timely check in order for us to make the 7:30 p.m. film. That was plenty of time to have three courses—or so I thought.

An ample bread basket was promptly brought to the table, and our wine order was taken. The breads were pleasantly varied, from cranberry-walnut to rye, and there were a few sheets of herbed flat bread which were a bit stale. We looked over our shoulders a few times for the waiter as we waited for our wine—the first sign of a potential service deficiency.

Although it was a Friday night and it was the final showing of a critically acclaimed film, the dining room had only five occupied tables and three waiters. With great film offerings and, now, free parking with dinner, I am surprised that this restaurant has not achieved destination status. Based on our experience, it seems that the service and food quality are the problem.

The waiter finally arrived with the wine, pouring from the bottles so we could see we were getting what we ordered—a nice touch. There is a small but good selection of wines by the glass. Per-glass prices range from $8.50 to $13.50, and the pour is decent. We ordered one simple salad to share ($12) because we had eaten the entire bread basket while waiting for our wine. We also placed our dinner order, and reminded the waiter of our need to get to the movie on time. A seeming eternity passed, while another waitperson brought a complimentary sampling of the potato bisque.

The salad of local baby greens—just enough for the two of us—finally arrived. The accompanying “fennel sea salt grissini,” a pencil-sized stick of crispy, dry bread originating in Turin, Italy, was a dismissible nod to the current Venetian exhibit. Bravo has a complete menu changeover with each major exhibit, and rather loosely ties the region of the exhibit to the items on the menu.

Our entrées arrived with a great flourish of activity by our waiter and a helper. We each had ordered a glass of red wine to go with dinner, and after I stressed the timing to the waiter by making eye contact, the wine arrived a few minutes later. John’s wine was a bit corky, so I overrode the waiter’s recalcitrant gaze with a great flourish of arm-waving, and another bottle was opened to replace the pour. It was fine, and we appreciated the quick remedy.

I ordered the bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin ($27), accompanied by rather salty grits and a wonderful braised red cabbage. The bacon coating was crisp and the pork was perfect—slightly pink and succulent. Unfortunately, the portion was quite small; I would guess it was about three to four ounces. John ordered the braised short ribs ($29), accompanied by potato gratin, spinach, and a cheddar cheese sauce. The sauce saved the dish, because the two small boneless ribs were somewhat dry, the meat stringy and chewy. If we had had more time this dish would have been sent back.

It was getting too late to risk ordering dessert, but we ordered coffee and asked for the check. A very robust brew arrived in time for us to gulp it down while we waited for the waiter to return the processed check with my credit card. We needn’t have rushed, as he somehow managed to disappear into the almost empty room. We made it through the doors of the theater about two minutes into the film.

A few weeks later, we again visited Bravo with our friends Peter and Phoebe; we had brunch before viewing the new Venetian exhibit. The weekend brunch is very popular at Bravo, and deservedly so; this is where it shines. I recommend making reservations two weeks in advance. We were seated promptly at a table overlooking a lovely courtyard, with the sounds of live piano and bass gently flowing over the quiet murmur of the full dining room. A budding weeping willow and a blossoming magnolia were outside our window. We each ordered a Bellini (peach nectar and sparkling wine), which was delicious with the basket of mini bread muffins and fresh, crisp flatbread. The mini muffins (chocolate chip, cornbread, whole wheat biscuit) were such a hit we ate them all and asked for another basket, which arrived immediately.

Our waiter was delightfully attentive throughout the meal and was knowledgeable about the menu, having “tasted everything,” he said. We started on the three-course ($38) menu, with appetizers of local beets and French feta, seared sea scallops, and roasted tomato soup. The beets were golden yellow and pink, packed with an earthy flavor and served with arugula, saba (an early form of balsamic vinegar) and hazelnuts. The three small scallops were perfectly seared and served with blood oranges, haricot verts, mizuna lettuce, and miso vinaigrette. It was a perfect surprise. The roasted tomato soup was a rather generous bowl prepared with crème fraîche and basil oil, and it had a bit of heat. It was smooth and satisfying.

For the main course we ordered pancetta and spinach quiche, roasted leg of lamb, and spring pea risotto. The quiche, served with greens and a red wine vinaigrette, was generous and light as a soufflé with a crispy crust. It was full of flavor, if just a bit too salty from the pancetta. The risotto was prepared with wild mushrooms, English peas, and aged Parmesan. The rice was just a bit on the dry side, and the pale green pea sauce was a bit bland, however the generous and varied wild mushrooms packed a lot of flavor. My guess is the chef did not want other flavors to compete with the mushroom, which is fine, but the arborio was perhaps rushed and not as creamy as it could have been. Nevertheless, it was a good dish.

The leg of lamb (three thick slices—a dinner-size portion) was served with Yukon gold potatoes and garlic spinach. I asked for mine medium rare and Peter ordered his medium; both were done to perfection. The meat was very lean and tender, and the vegetables were fresh. We sampled a variety of white wines by the glass with dinner. All were satisfying, but one in particular was a real standout: the Ferrari-Carano Pinot grigio (2007 Russian River Valley; $11.50). It was bright and clean with an unexpected nuance of almond in the background.

For dessert, Peter and John indulged in bittersweet chocolate crème brûlée, an intense and creamy custard, accompanied by a fresh cherry and almond biscotti. It was pure heaven. Being nearly full, I chose the trio of gelatos and sorbet with a merlot reduction. It was as refreshing and light as it sounds. Phoebe had the buttermilk cake, layered with strawberries and vanilla bean gelato. It was a delicate, flavorful, and satisfying dessert. We finished off with coffee, which was freshly brewed, rich, and delicious.

It would be wonderful if Bravo put the same effort toward dinner as its brunch, however for now I recommend sticking with the weekend brunch, which has been consistently fabulous for many years.