This was my first time at Mare. First the positive: oysters are fresh and reasonably priced; cocktails and wine exceptional; seafood risotto and lobster ravioli tasted great. Slightly annoying: even early in the evening you need 3 out of 4 people to be seated at your table. I get later in the evening, but when the room is only a quarter full it seems too rigid - they lost nearly 50 dollars in additional cocktail revenue. Second the daily specials are priced too high. Don't rip off your customers. When Halibut cost more than your lobster dishes you know they are pushing margin. read more

Perfect spot to spend a beautiful evening in the North End. Everything from the raw bar to the outdoor seating by the fire pits exceeds expectations. The food deserves 6 stars, everything that comes out of the kitchen is delicious. If you're looking for an unforgettable dining experience in the historic North End, you will find it at Mare Oyster Bar. read more

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A native of Mass now living on the West Coast visits back home always include the North End for a bite. I lived all over Mass including the islands so I know my seafood as well had fun going in and out of as many North End spots as possible back in the day. My last visit home I tried Mare on a friends suggestion and was extremely pleased with this little gem. Great open air atmosphere, friendly service and the food spot on! For any seafood lover the "Zuppa di Mare" dish is a must you won't be disappointed. Next time though I will be by the ambient fireplace seating. One could hope! Yum! read more

Although I had several other places on my list to try while we were in Boston, our tour guide from our food tour that afternoon recommended this place so we went. When we arrived we were worried that they would not sit us as we were definitely under-dressed (having been walking in the rain all day and not able to change for dinner) as their sign outside stated they had a strict dress code but they still sat us nevertheless. After taking our order for a bottle of wine they brought a loaf of fresh baked Italian bread along with extra-virgin olive oil, Castelvetrano olives, and marinated garlic cloves. I ordered the Linguine and Clams Macchiato. Fresh pasta with New Zealand cockles and cherry tomatoes. It was delicious and I really enjoyed the addition of the tomatoes. Hubby ordered the Wild Boar Pappardelle and it was to die for! The wild boar was so tender with no hint of gaminess to it at all. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the ricotta salata and oyster mushrooms added a depth of flavor that complemented it perfectly. I commented how I could eat that at least three times a week and not get tired of it! Our waiter was friendly and attentive and the manager was very gracious. We highly recommend! read more

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Made a reservation for my birthday excited to have a nice seafood dinner with my bf. Of course it's been a heatwave in Boston, expected to sit inside, but they sat us outside. They have a very small indoor dining area so I assumed the inside was reserved. Hindsight is 20/20, and we should of just left to find another place to eat, but I was excited and still wanting some good seafood. So... the service was very bizarre. It's an oyster bar, so you would think the servers are knowledgeable and are gonna want to up sell and explain the options and different oysters/dishes. Nope. We had to ask questions which only led to short responses and made us question how much he knew. Also, there were a lot of wait staff... like 10+ people just standing around and everyone looked miserable and awkward. We ordered and most everything was good minus some shrimp that was extremely over cooked. After appetizers and dinner, we were looking to order some dessert.... We had to ask one wait staff to get a small box, and then another to either get our server or a dessert menu, we waiting over 20 minutes for our server to come back. Mind you, it's 90+ degrees with zero air flow so we were growing impatient as we were melting. So by the server came back we were both over it and just asked for the check. We even mentioned we were looking to get dessert but since no one could acknowledge us we just want to leave. Zero care, just said okay. No, "I'm so sorry, my apologies" whatever, just nothing.... To me, when you are spending over $200 you would think servers would care. So I would love to give this place a higher rating, but the service was terrible so would never recommend. Definitely made my birthday dinner not enjoyable at all read more

We celebrated a family birthday with an early dinner on Sunday, and while the ambiance was nice, the food was quite expensive and was not nearly as good as authentic Italian restaurants outside the North End. Our party mostly ate seafood and they seemed to enjoy their food. A non seafood eater, I took a cautious route of a mozzarella di bufola salad, gnocchi with tomato sauce and a side of broccoli di rabe. The mozzarella chunks were tasty but each was still a bit frozen, which is off-putting for obvious reasons. The gnocchi were hard, not fresh tasting, and the sauce felt not quite canned but also not quite fresh. The broccoli tasted like it had been fried in the same oil as fish, and I could not eat it. The service was friendly but after completing my glass of wine half way through the meal I was never asked if I wanted another. All in all, I feel like Mare is one of those restaurants that feels like its location means it doesn't have to try. At its price point I expected much much more. read more

Great food, great servers, TERRIBLE MANAGEMENT! Had to make 2 reservations for 8 people because they did not allow more then 6 people seating in the same table, which is totally acceptable! Got there in time with the first group and we were seated right away. The second group was late so it took some time for them to be seated, which again is totally acceptable. So we politely ask the manager, since the first group was seated at a table of 6 people, if it would be OK to add two extra chairs. The manager said no because the total capacity per table was six, and again very understandable we accepted the terms. THIRTY MINUTES LATER a group of people sitting right across from us bring in 2 extra people to a total of 8 people, and the manager comes over to our table to ask us for our extra chair. At that point we were VERY UPSET. It's out of my reach to understand why that was allowed and right in front of us! At that point, because of actions like this is what makes you wonder if the skin color is what denied us the privilege of being allowed such exception and customer service. read more

Went there on a Saturday night with dinner reservations for 7pm. Food was good but service was horrible! Serval things went wrong. The server never told us the special; when asked for bread it was brought to the table next to us, had to wait another 6-8 minutes until server came back so that we could order the bread, again. We rarely saw our server. When my friend's meal arrived, she asked for parmesan cheese and the server said "i don't think it will go with what you ordered". Although we appreciate his unsolicited input, if my friend is paying for her dish she will put parm cheese on it if she wanted to. We would have rather the server keep his opinion to himself since he is not the one paying for the dish. In addition, if he was more present during our service we could have perhaps asked him for his opinion. Wont be in a hurry to go back, but overall good was decent. read more

Made an open table reservation for 1. When I arrived, I was offered a table that was impossible to access. After waiting, I observed several other open tables, wondering, why are they crowding me in. The hostess did not return to offer me a better accommodation, instead moved the table a centimeter. Still inaccessible. that's two strikes, not giving you a chance for a third. I walked out and went to taranta. Sure, Mare is fine... just not if you are solo. Good to know. read more

Great food and atmosphere - good for a bigger group outside and love the area. Good service and we had a great time

We made a 9:15 reservation and we taken within a reasonable amount of time from our reservation. The restaurant was packed. All staff members were courteous and kind. The wine we selected was delicious at an affordable price point. Nebbiolo from Piedmonte, Italy. The appetizer of stuffed calamari was perfect portion size to share! It was delicious! Our entrees included the boar pappardelle and the lobster tagliatelle. Both were epic! My husband and I kept feeding each other fork fulls of each other's dinners because we had to share the "perfect bites!" Dinner was delicious and the service was flawless. We HIGHLY recommend Mare! It's not an inexpensive dinner, but it's worth every penny! read more

I LOVE MARE and hate Mare. Too crowded, noisy etc, old guys young girls.. So , ok, Frank, you have the business plan and venue operations.. but really, can we put the FOOD back on the plate. We love the atmosphere, vibe etc. and I have had the best and worst meals in the last 12 months. Some nights i am over the top . Other nights, well , take a break .... overall , worth the gamble for the vibe, scene, drinks and most of the food. Keep going, we love your effort and know you aim high. My last meal was fabulous and I thought .. OMG you are back and serving what made us all fans at the original Mare. read more

Went to Mare for my graduation dinner and wow, it was one of the best meals I've had in Boston! Shared a lobster roll and the surf n turf special with my girlfriend. The lobster roll was delicious and it came with soo much lobster! The surf and turf were awesome, too, and came with lobster mashed potatoes. Highly reccomend and can't wait to go back! read more

My boyfriend and I were in Boston for the weekend. This rests was highly recommended to us by our hotel concierge and locals. We really enjoyed it. Terrific service and delicious food. We ordered the lobster ravioli (best I've ever had) and the grilled swordfish. We also started off with the burrata with prosciutto and crostini - fantastic! Highly recommend this restaurant if you are in Boston. read more

I hate when restaurants play customers as stupid. Ordered Kumamoto oysters, they sent out some random "dry" west coast bivalve. Mentioned this to the waiter and offered to replace with kumomotos. 2nd round, send out Kusshi oysters. Wasn't happy that they tried to play with me. Skip the crudo...just tasteless. The risotto came out a bit hard and the scallops had a fowl odor. The restaurant came highly recommended. Did I mentioned, came out with hives, must have been hit with a histamine. I guess we live and learn. read more

Waitress actually argued with us that we had ordered an appetizer that came to our table instead of what we ordered. Wow, really? Six people spending $850 on a business dinner and that's the treatment we get? Go to Mama Maria...better food, attentive service and nice ambiance. read more

Went there with friends during a business conference. The food was very good and plentiful but the service was almost non-existent and snotty. It took us almost 90 min. to get our food and then we were asked to hurry up! We had been given $50 gift cards by the conference host to use anywhere and the restaurant would only honor $40 on them. The hostess got bitchy when I took a wrong turn attempting to find the front door. There are many more great restaurants in the North End to go and spend our money and we will be going to one of them the next time. read more

Had dinner here last evening. Great service, food was very good. Very enjoyable experience. Recommend making a reservation.

This is an email I wrote to the GM on Sunday and still haven't received a response : Last night, I was celebrating my wife's birthday at your beautiful restaurant, however, our waiter was not pleasant at all. We decided to make reservations at Mare because it was recommended by one of my colleagues. We were both excited to try a new seafood restaurant. We have been to the north end plenty of times and never knew this was here! The atmosphere was very nice, my wife complemented how intimate the restaurant is and loved it. The hostess sat us at our table, and we had a very nice table outside, which I had requested. Our waiter, John came over to us and was very cold and not so welcoming to us. It's my wife's birthday so of course I want her night to feel special especially at a restaurant that is considered one of the top restaurants in the country. His demeanor was not pleasant. He barely came to check in on us to see if we enjoying the food. The whole experience was not what we expected. We came here hoping to have a wonderful dining experience to share it with others. Unfortunately the waiter made us feel unwelcomed. The food was good but the waiter gets thumbs down for hospitality and service. read more

Mare does it again!!! Amazing food, defiantly try their seafood pizza and lobster ravioli. The patio is great specially on a warm evening. Little fire lounge they have is great as well to just sit down and have few drinks. read more

Service is always excellent. Food is always perfect. My only complaint is last time I was there i sat next to a guy who complained about everything. It must be people like him leaving these Less than 4-Star reviews. Mare, I will be back time and time again. read more

Fantastic food and wonderful service, what more can you ask for? Far and away the best lobster bisque I have ever had! I would go back to Boston just for a bowl. read more

Went here before a Celtics game, wanted to eat light (no leftovers to carry), and didn't see the seafood casserole on the menu so decided to order 3 appetizers, our waiter clearly did not like this. Ordered two (of the same) appetizers, costing $30 each, more than most entrees on the menu. Good food but over-priced. Waiter was not kind, made us feel uncomfortable. Environment was cold. Too many other good restaurants in the area to return here. read more

Amazing food. Great service. Waitress was terrific. Rita, the hostess was exceptional. We paid it forward with the table next to us as they were having a great time. One of the best impromptu date nights I can remember. Classy service made it special. As soon as we arrived we were offered a better, more spacious table. Noticed that another group had one of their party sat in a throughway and his chair was being knocked as people walked past. The staff immediately moved the table without him mentioning anything. This place is classy and comfortable with exceptional food and ambience. read more

Food is just ok. Not the best, but not the worst. A little too much use of oils and butter. Tables are packed in way too tight...people were squeezing by our table and constantly bumping us (restaurant staff and guests). I definitely wouldn't go back. read more

Wrote an email, called twice, hoping that leaving a yelp will finally get someone's attention. Last week I went to mare and had dinner. Food was good, but my server, Maro, was incredibly rude. He also over charged my credit card and I'm looking to be refunded the difference immediately. Yet nobody has been able to return my calls or emails. Do not go here. They will add $ onto your tip. Going to file a fraud complaint. Update: was emailed to take down my review read more

I love the new location. Great vibe, outside seating and music. Just really too bad that service and food can't be great too. We had so many servers around us but it still took 45 minutes to bring a glass of wine. Restaurant was half full. My raw tuna was no more special then the 99! The rolls... well...I wouldn't feed them to my dog for fear it would break his teeth! Disappointing is putting it way too lightly! read more

Meh. This place sort of sucked. Perhaps my NYC standards have made me a food snob but I was really disappointed. It was just such a let down. The drinks- were bleh. I ordered a margarita- every bartender should know how to make this basic drink and when there's premium tequila involved, it should really be a refreshing drink. Getting sour mix with a table salt rim is not my idea of a classy cocktail. If you don't know how to make them good, they really should be on your cocktail menu as a fancy cocktail... Perhaps they boast about their wine selection which looked plentiful. We ordered 16 oysters. Id say 14 were good! Two bad shells. The portions were very small... too small... outrageously small for the price. The food was bland and I hate having to ask for salt and pepper and they brought over the pepper and did it themselves which I don't love... and I had to ask twice for the salt. It reminded me of Washington DC where you basically have 6 inches between your table and the table next to you. I felt like I was on a double date. The service was... tolerable. But nothing memorable. If you're looking for a trendy looking place with a less should cost more attitude- this is your place. read more

Amazing seafood here! There's a decent selection of oysters as well. Went on a Sunday night and the ambience was perfect. A slight wait to get seated, but it was worth it. The patio felt very cozy with soft music in the background & a real fire pit with couches surrounding it - seriously a great place for just drinks & apps or for a full meal! read more

Smallest clams ever for appetizer, lobster ravioli & seafood risotto only average, not worth the price

Unfortunately this establishment did anything but impress... From having a reservation for our anniversary and checking in...and given a 10-15 minute window and then 5 minutes later asking if "we had a reservation and waiting".... We were greeted at the table with complimentary bubbles for our anniversary but everything else went downhill. Our server was nice... But food was superbly sub-par... Oysters were good but then stuffed calamari (which was recommended on yelp) was horrible. I make better on xmas eve. Flavorless, dry, all breading for the stuffing, and nothing to write home about... Bottom line...pretentious place with menial culinary talent and nothing overwhelming when it comes to customer service. Nico BLEW them away with making us feel at "home." Won't bother to visit again... read more

The outdoor ambiance is nice. Most dishes were good. Pizetta and mushroom spaghetti were poor. In general, highly overpriced for the quantities. The service is over the top, that it was phony. Suggesting one of the most expensive bottles of wine at the start is a little off-putting. read more

My review is really only about the service and ambiance because the food is really delicious but this restaurant has some issues executing. This past Saturday was my 2nd time going to Mare. The first time I went was at their previous location near Fulton St in the North End. (My dinner was dropped on the floor by a waiter so I was unable to eat with the rest of my party. Then they gave us a round of lemoncello shots to I guess apologize about my dinner but never took my dish off the bill. My friend had to speak to the manager about it until they removed it). So I thought I'd give the new restaurant a shot. The renovations are very nice, however, still pretty cramped and hard to move around the restaurant. We were seated in the "outdoor" space that is covered by tarp but it kept the cool air away so I was happy with that. We were practically sitting with the table next to us though, only about 5" away from the other couple. The lightening was also really bright for a Saturday date night kind of dinner. Our waiter took forever to get us the bottle of wine we ordered and opened it up rather sloppily. He also gave the tasting to my boyfriend when I ordered the wine...not a big deal but it showed his lack of care. Everyone around us was given bread before they ordered an appetizer. We ordered the trio of cudos and was only given one pair of chopsticks instead of 2 when we were clearly sharing.... They also never gave us any side plates to use. I asked for bread about 3x until the bus boy finally brought it over with no side plates....then finally when our meal was brought out; I decided I should ask the waiter straight up what I needed because he wasn't going to come back and check (1. bowl for the shells, 2. crushed red pepper and 3. Parmesan cheese). I ordered the frutti di mare but had them switch out the risotto for linguine (no problems with the switch). My boyfriend ordered the swordfish and practically licked the plate clean. So all in all the food quality is really great but if you're looking to be taken care of I wouldn't recommend going here. The table on the other side of us also had issues with the same waiter we had. One of the guests had gotten her entire meal to go because she wasn't hungry after the appetizer and they threw out her entire meal. The waiter and manager gave the party a pretty hard time about it. We left before anything was resolved but I know I would have been pretty upset in that situation too. read more

Was looking forward to eating here. First, hostess couldn't care less that you showed up. She forgot we checked in, 20 minutes later decided to see why we were hanging out in front of the restaurant. Finally were seated...cold intro initially but server warmed up during conversation. Ordered oysters....they were awesome! Come here for oysters. Then leave. Appetizers were ok, stuffed calamari had no flavor. Kampachi tartare was very good. Anyways, this is a try to be south beach in Boston. Good and bad. read more

Typical upscale menu except it lacks variety as well as portion size with the exception of the $70 stuffed lobster. Ambiance is wonderful but they lack any uniqueness in their choices read more

Bland stuffed calamari. Tables on top of each other. Half the restaurant is outdoors, it was cold. Cocktails were off, girlfriend only took a few sips. Not worth the price. Small portions. read more

Great food. GREAT. Very fresh seafood, modern sleek restaurant tucked away off of Hanover. Usually a wait after you check in for your reservation, but its okay, its worth it. A bit on the pricey side, but you know the quality will be there, otherwise they wouldn't be where they are at. Mare is a blend of modern and traditional Italian plates and heavy on the fish, just as they should be. Its all fresh, delicious and memorable. Drinks are great as well. Tables are a bit snug and you can hear conversations next to you but its the North End, little Italy, its what you should expect. Setting is interesting with their half indoor half tarped outdoor right next to the tunnel, both rooms stay fairly warm and comfortable (even in January). We like to come here every other month. Crusted and slightly seared tuna is special, whole sea bass (Branzino) is as fresh as can be and delicious (can be filleted if you don't like to work for your food). Just go here, but don't go too often because I will get jealous. read more

A business traveler coming through town and I had a nice meal. in the north end/Italian area. Anna the hostess greeted me wonderfully and is the right person for the restaurant in that position. I am a bit out of sorts with Boston pricing but honestly I think the menu prices are not that much different from other similar restaurants in the area. Translation, if you are not from the east coast; Boston, NY, DC, the prices will seem surprisingly high. No value menus anywhere close LOL. read more

Excellent dinner! We are from Chicago so fine dining is not new to us, we were a little late for our reservation and they still accommodated us on a busy Saturday night. Our waiter (Antonio) was exceptional, he was extremely knowledgeable on the food and wine selections and attentive to our needs throughout the dinner. The manager (Rita) came over and made sure we were having a great experience and also gave us other recommendations for dinner for the rest of our trip! Love this place will be back when we visit again! read more

Came here on Valentine's Day with my boyfriend and I got the Zappa de pesce while he got the stuffed lobster. Even though this place is expensive, they were both fresh and delicious. Totally worth the money. Their wine is very good too as well as their mussels. Waiter was very helpful and attentive. I would go here again! read more