stoped @6pm on a monday. we were immediately seated outside & they dropped the oyster ordering card for us with menus and tap water. someone who wasn't our server grabbed the oyster card and we waited to order drinks and more food. but a server never came. the oysters were dropped @ the table & we were told which was what. ate the oysters and still no server. so when we flagged someone down we just decided to pay for the oysters and leave because we didn't know why we never had our drink or food orders taken. read more

Great place to go for $2 oysters and a cocktail but otherwise it is Newbury street pricing that doesn't match the quality of the food. $20 for a $3 tin of sardines laid out with three olives and some toated white bread. read more

Food was great. Service was great. But their tipping is broken. Mandatory 23% tip!? There's a 20% tip added to every order, and then a 3% "service" charge additionally. I'm sorry, but this is BS. That's not a tip if it's mandatory, it's a fee. read more

Little Whale - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Awesome spot on Newbury St for some seafood. I was running for a flight and wanted to grab a quick bite, so just sat at the bar and asked what was quick. I ordered the Chowder, Old Bay Shrimp and the Beet Salad (which was too much food) but they were all incredible. They brought everything out in 4 minutes for me. Had a great conversation with the bartender. Would definitely return here for a more normal paced lunch or dinner in the future. Sent a coworker after me and he had the Lobster Roll. It wasn't cheap, but he loved it too. read more

I return to Little Whale from time to time, and I am always impressed. This time I enjoyed the Greek Branzino (main dish) ~ Pan-seared branzino filet, served with lentil salad, cucumber, radish, and pickled onion on a bed of cauliflower puree. Here is a dish that is beautiful inside and out ~ fresh, flavorful, and nutritious ~ a harmony of well-proportioned ingredients, textures, and flavors. I also enjoyed the local oysters (Duxbury, MA and Dodge Cove, ME) ~ cleanly shucked, excellent. Service is friendly and prompt. Little Whale is where I go for consistently high-quality, delicious, and healthy meals and welcoming hospitality. read more

Little Whale - Greek Branzino ~ fresh, falvorful, nutritious - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

We wondered in for a late lunch one day while in town for a conference. We got some soda for the kids and some local beers. My husband and I shared the newbury, and they made some plain pasta for the kids. The kids LOVED the pasta, not sure what they did but they raved and they eat a lot of pasta. We loved the newbury especially the crudo and oysters. It was exactly what we wanted. This was more then enough for us and took home ceviche and lobster and it was great later that night as well. read more

Little Whale - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

See all

Absolutely the best place I visited in Boston! Great staff and amazing food! Plus they are located in a nice neighborhood with lots to see and do after a meal! Will certainly be back! read more

Had an awesome dinner here last night. Oysters were fantastic and fresh. The warm lobster roll was on top ten I have ever eaten and maybe top 5. Pinot Grigio was served nice and cold and blended well with the meal. Very good and attentive service. This place is expensive though. You will get quality but u will pay for it. Highly recommended. read more

Quaint and cozy bar and restaurant on newbury street. Amazing oysters and even better lobster rolls. The bar only serves beer and wine. Great service and atmosphere. Highly recommend read more

See all

The raw seafood selection was great - we ordered a variety of oysters, the hamachi crudo, and the ceviche. Seating and service was quick as well, would definitely visit again! read more

Little Whale - Oyster selection - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Must be five stars. The seafood here is very delicious, especially the lobster roll, the lobster meat is tender and elastic. I hope to taste it again. read more

Food was good and pretty reasonably priced. Ambiance is very cute! Attention from the wait staff was also great and they made sure to check in on us! read more

Really mixed feels with this restaurant. The food is undeniably good but man do they price gouge. Lobster Spaghettini for almost $60. "Service fee" added into the bill along with a mandatory "20% gratuity" on top of everything even for a party of 2. So whatever your total is be prepared to add around 25%. On top of the already high prices...Yikes. I guess it's fine for a splurge but I can't see myself coming back often unless it's for smaller lunch fare. Had the fish sandwich, Maine mussels and steak frites. Fish sandwich was excellent, mussels were amazing and the fries were some of the best I've had but the service was lacking. They served us warm water on a hot summer day and I had to ask twice for ice because the waitress didn't understand our request. The food was pretty slow too and there were only 3 tables at the time. read more

Such a perfect spot for appetizers outside, Bridgette gives amazing service! The yellowfin tuna tartar is to die for. Will definitely be coming back read more

Limited menu. Pricey for portion. Cramped surroundings. Staff was friendly and accommodating but the vibe was off. Not the best representation of what Boston has to offer. read more

This was the best restaurant experience on our trip East. The Clam chowder was amazing, lobster roll, perfectly prepared and their lobster spaghetti was a treat to my pallet. and our waiter, Aaron made us feel right at home read more

Came for dinner on a weekday night. It was full - would recommend making reservations if you have plans. This is Michael Serpa's place - following the hugely popular Neptune's Oyster in the North End. Our favorite there is the Lobster Roll - hot with butter; but of course the wait is equally legendary, so we haven't been in years. Decided to give it a shot then, if only to try the Lobster Roll. As of March 2023- Market price for the lobster roll was $48. Hot with butter, overflowing with chunks of lobster, brioche bun. Fries were dry tho. MP - lobster spaghetti, $48. Large portion, lots of lobster. Light tomato sauce, tasty. Alas, for what it's worth, I preferred the food, seating and overall value at Saltie Girl nearby. read more

Fries and oysters and fish sandwich were excellent. Cold lobster roll with mayo dressing was very strong on the vinegar. read more

Little Whale - Patio seating - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Rainy day in Boston which was perfect to enjoy lunch at the Little Whale. New England chowder was the best yet in Boston and perfect for a colder spring day. Enjoyed the fried Ipswich clams, a hamachi crude appetizer (which was excellent), and a fantastic beet salad. Nice interior, unpretentious, and clean environment with a view of the kitchen! Service was personable and attentive. We will be back! read more

Wonderful seafood. Highly recommend the seafood platter. Great service. Friendly and thoughtful staff. Can't wait to go back! read more

Little Whale - Newbury platter. Delicious! - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Personally, I considered the food overpriced, but with good portions. The servers were very nice, but the dishes took a while to come out even during non-peak hours. It is a nice place to go and check out! read more

Great experience. If it wasn't rude to lick a plate in public it may have happened. Was in town for Mother's Day weekend strolling when I had to pull a good place out of "look something up on your phone!" I really won bonus points for this pick. Wine offerings, oyster offerings, fresh seafood options were . Would come back in a second and bring a friend. read more

Great place, fast and polite service, food was terrific. Well worth trying. It was 80 degree beautiful nite on Newbury Street. Inside vibe was awesome. read more

Little Whale - Crab pasta - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

See all

Came here the other night, and it was pretty okay. I am not sure if I would go again simply because I am not sure if it was worth the price. Service was great though, although I would have appreciated a heavier pour of the rose. Ambiance was pretty nice. I got the clam flatbread, which was okay, and a side of fries. I tried to replace the arugula side with the fries but apparently they don't do that. The side of fries were $10, and I'm not sure if that was worth it. My friends got the $55 lobster roll, and it looked good, and came with a lot of fries. This is definitely a great place for special occasions, but I am not sure if I would go back. read more

Little Whale - Clam flatbread $26, side of French fries $10, lobster roll $55 - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Found this place after scrolling through the app and saw the spaghetti lobster and thought, yeah, I gotta check this place out! Oysters...I wish there were a way to use Homer Simpsons's voice when he'd drool over things...that was my reaction to their oyster...de-lis-ious. Had the spaghetti lobster and did it deliver! Yes, it is one of the priciest items on the menu but worth every bite. The waitress was delightful and incredibly efficient. Service was impeccable. Ambience was nice too...tight but warm and welcoming. Wine selections were fantastic, had the blanc de blanc sparkling from New Mexico of all places and a glass of Bordeaux with the spaghetti lobster. Yes, it is pricey; however, it is worth literally every penny...can't always say that about many places. read more

Go for the fish sandwich! It was the best dish that night. Nice outdoor seating. Pleasant staff overall. Recommended areas for improvement: (1) when the halibut is undercooked be proactive and offer something else (2) stop leaning over to pick up the dishes. It's not proper service. read more

Little Whale - Fish sandwich - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I forgot to take photos, but everything was absolutely fabulous. Everything was very fresh and well seasoned.

Delicious food. It reminds me of Neptune's in the North End, but the food is better here, not the service though. The menu was simple but well prepared and seasoned. From the hamachi crudo with all the unique flavor profiles to the scallop ceviche. All of it was excellent. The grilled branzino and maine halibut was a flavor explosion. Perfectly cooked too! I loved everything about this place EXCEPT the tacky 20% automatic gratuity and 3% operations fee....Isn't gratuity supposed to be for great service AFTER a meal has been served not an automatic addition to your check. I get that the staff have families and if you as a business are worried about them being able to make a living, then perhaps you should pay them more? It doesn't really motivate servers to work any harder if they already know they are getting 20% right off the bat. (BTW- our service was ok. Not attentive and not very friendly, just meh.) I always tip above 20% post tax if service is great because I appreciate how hard the staff has worked to ensure that my experience at the restaurant was great, but it shouldn't be a given. Perhaps the reason they add these fees is to ward off foreign visitors because in other countries tipping is not expected? I don't know, but I think doing this cheapens the restaurant. So that is the reason this is not a five star place, not because of the food. I took off one star for the tackiness and one for lackluster service. If you are put off by the automatic tip culture, do not go here because you will also be put off by the 3% operations fee (for administering the 20% automatic tip) Ha! read more

The service was great and so was the food! It's a quaint little restaurant in Newbury. Highly recommend if you're seeking a bougie, upscale food place in back bay! read more

Food was good and service was great. But I think prices are too expensive. A lobster roll costs like $55. I think it's way too much. It was a good experience but probably won't go back again since it's too expensive read more

We ate outside on the patio so that we could people watch. The food was delicious. One of the best lobster rolls I've had. The lobster spaghetti was amazing. I definitely recommend! read more

See all

A decent oyster bar tucked into a cozy location on Newbury St. I came with my friend near closing time and we tried a half dozen oysters and the salmon crudo. The oysters were fairly fresh, but a tad pricey for the quality. The salmon crudo was quite solid, with a good amount of acidity, and the crispy carrots added great texture to the dish. It could have been a bit more light instead of hitting your face with salt and acid - the fish could not shine through. Overall, not bad at all, just a little pricier than I would like for what you get, but that is to be expected for restaurants on Newbury. read more

Little Whale - various oysters - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

See all

Fantastic waitstaff! The food is outstanding. Fresh seafood. The oysters were really good and the non hot sauce was good too. Add lemon to the oysters! The swordfish was cooked perfectly. We will return! read more

Little Whale - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Oysters were great The space is east coast vibe. You will enjoy it as a tourist and I am sure as a local. Franseca was amazing and recommended amazing items from the menu. read more

Deliciously yummy lobster roll maybe the best one I ever had. If we just stuck to that, I would've given it five stars got the crabcake. It was mush contrary to other yelp reviewers I couldn't tell where the crabcake ended and the slaw began. It might have been the worst crabcake I ever had had the oysters they were top-notch. pretty expensive for what you get read more

So, like a lot of other reviews. Service wasn't very good and you have to pay the 23% which is frustrating but this was my big problem. I looked on their website before I left the hotel today and it showed the Lobster Roll as $48 on their actual website. My daughter and I arrive and it shows MK (market price) I ask what's the price of the Lobster Roll and our server says $68. AYFKM. Only $20 difference than what your website said. New England Clam Chowder was good but the lobster roll would have been good for $48 but I should have had a whole 1.5lb lobster on my bun for $68. Like I said, I had to pay the 23% add on on top of that. Won't be going back. Should have taken the Uber to James Hook. read more

Little Whale - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Lobster roll and service left something to be desired. Not worth the $ , lots of other vibey places worth trying in the area

Something about Atlantic oysters! Recommend you try a few from each available selection of you can. Loved sampling! We also had the Lobster spaghetti and wow! Everything about this meal was delicious and satisfying! Definitely returning next visit to Boston! read more

Little Whale - 6 different oysters so decided to get 3 of each! - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

My wife and I were in town and hungry, and had just read about this place in the Globe, so we were delighted to be able to get a table. The oysters were fresh and delicious. The mignonette was on point. You shouldn't use the cocktail sauce--and if you're a fan of horseradish you'll need to ask for it. These were some of the best oysters I've had in Boston, and as much as I love horseradish, it would have ruined them. The sautéed clams came in a broth that was incredibly flavorful. Spicy enough to make my nose run, not so spicy I didn't want to keep eating. We asked for extra bread and sopped up every drop. The bluefish dip was smoky and delicious. Personally, I think it could use capers, but I'd still order it again. The broccolini was perfectly cooked and had just the right amount of heat. We had a tiny table and a toddler, and the waitstaff (who were incredibly attentive and accommodating) brought each dish out one at a time, and timed it perfectly. I highly recommend the experience, and we'll definitely be back. read more

Excellent food. Service was very good and the restaurant spared no expense on the details. Good wine portions as well.