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    Pagu

    3.6 (598 reviews)
    Open 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    PAGU ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Trendy
    Classy
    Upscale

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    Recommended Reviews - Pagu

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    Spicy Mushroom Knife Cut Noodles
    Neha N.

    Food was fantastic, wait staff was kind and attentive and answered our questions well! The portions are a bit smaller but the food is great flavor wise and also a quite unique menu in the city. The ambiance is a little upscale, great for a nicer dinner with colleagues or friends. The cod croquettes (not pictured unfortunately) were one of the absolute best dishes we tried!

    Tina Z.

    The duck paella was so so good. It was so soft and tender and flavorful. Probably one of my favorite dishes I've had from all the restaurants I've been to. It reminds me of the paella I had from Spain when I went last summer. The string beans were also really good. It may sound simple but the way they cook it gives it a nice crunch and flavor. The drinks were really pretty and the waitress was nice to make recommendations. The other dishes were also well made. We were seated at the bar where our view was an open kitchen. It was my first time seeing this kind of style.

    Black Cod Croquetas (3pc), Green Pea Baos (2pc), Tempura String Beans
    Nina F.

    Having received a Michelin Bib Gourmet, Pagu is appropriately described as good food at a good price. While marked as fusion, the dishes we ordered leaned more Asian and didn't disappoint in variety. Even so, they did boil down to mostly basic flavors and lacked nuance. All were good, but nothing was great. Even so, the atmosphere and service made this a great place for any group from coworkers, dates, or family celebrations. There was plenty of seating and we would have loved to hear more from the staff about their cooking classes.

    dessert
    Lily Q.

    Came here with a large group! The ambience is upscale and the food was decent. I did like the matcha cookies so try those out if you have room for dessert!

    tempura string beans
    Parita A.

    True rating 4.5 We had a really lovely dinner at Pagu. The ambiance is beautiful, warm, and welcoming, making it great for a special night out. Service was a little slow to start (we waited a while before someone came by), but they were clearly very busy, and once things got going, our server was incredibly kind and thoughtful. I have an egg intolerance, and they were super helpful in walking us through the menu and making recommendations, which I really appreciated. Food-wise, there were some real standouts. Tempura string beans were delicious; perfectly crisp, not greasy at all, and packed with flavor. Shio koji roasted corn was probably my favorite small dish of the night. The lime zest with the aioli was divine and so well-balanced. Green pea bao had great flavor and was really unique, but I wished it had a bit more sauce -- it felt slightly dry. Spicy knife-cut noodles with mushrooms were just okay for me. I loved the concept, but the flavor profile didn't quite land and felt a little muted. Dessert absolutely delivered. The ube panna cotta was incredible. And this is coming from someone who usually doesn't love panna cotta because of the texture. The ube added so much depth, making it rich, flavorful, and really special. As a thoughtful touch, they brought us a complimentary non-alcoholic tea to celebrate our anniversary since we weren't drinking, which was such a nice gesture. Overall, a really memorable meal with great flavors, a lovely space, and genuinely kind service. Would definitely go back.

    Lamplighter by Birds of a Feather
    Navila H.

    Rating experience from July 11, 2025--------------------- First, Pagu means Pug dog in Japanese and the motif of pups are everywhere- absolutely adore. This innovative Japanese/Spanish Tapas spot has a lot to offer: space, great service and food! It was a hot summer late afternoon and we came in for dinner, got seated immediately as they are a larger restaurant. They do allow pets on their patio. We opted for the private patio space behind the planters, enjoying the fresh air and summer warmth while sipping on the cold crisp beer. My partner and I don't usually opt for alcohol but the weather and their selection made it irresistible. I ordered the "Lamplighter" by Birds of a Feather and by boyfriend got the white allagash by Lord Hobo. The FOOD! I still think about the patatas bravas today. PATATAS BRAVAS (10/10) PAGU hot sauce, alioli, togarashi HAMACHI CRUDO (9.5/10) lime, garlic, aged soy, fish sauce, thai chili CHICKEN KATSU (9.8/10) PAGU sauce, pickled cabbage, alioli, sesame, rice CRAB LAKSA (6.7/10) ramen noodles, shrimp, coconut milk, chili crisp, fried shallots, herbs My partner and I loved our dinner at this tapas restaurant and would definitely return if in the area. Shout out to Mariana H for making our meal so memorable!!

    Annie B.

    This was our first time visiting Pagu but won't be our last. The food was all really delicious and the customer service was amazing. We mentioned we were gonna split all the dishes and on the noodle dish which would be harder to split they actually served it in two dishes vs one to make it easier. Drinks were amazing too.

    Hamachi Crudo
    Stephanie C.

    The staff is very nice with a very relaxed environment, however the food lacked perception that the ambience was giving off. I ordered 3 types of fish dish, anchovies, hamachi (yellowtail) and black cod. All the fishes were very fresh, but the sauces and flavors lacked. Most of them had too much acid and covering all the fish's actual flavor. I enjoyed the tapas style and Spanish fusion with Japanese dishes, but Japanese dishes should lean towards savory than acid marinated type of fish.

    Patatas Bravas (5pc)
    Chris W.

    Came in on a Sunday evening at 6:30 for dinner after making a reservation an hour before. After finding street parking, we arrived and were promptly seated in the intimate low top dining area. The wait staff was incredibly friendly and took our drink order and walked us through any questions we had about the menu. The food is tapas style which means small, shareable dishes that come out as they're ready. We put in our first salvo of orders after we got our cocktails. The Pica Pika was an excellent combo of mezcal, lime, and Thai chili. The flurry of food started coming out about 15 minutes later. The traditional Spanish Tapas dishes were the classics you'll see at many tapas joints across the world. The pan con tomate was two lightly toasted pieces of baguette with a tomato, garlic, and olive oil spread. The boquerones were a few sliced anchovies in a vinegar and olive oil marinade. The patatas bravas were baby Hasselbacked potatoes with a lovely aioli and mojo verde on them. The black cod croquetas had the same aioli on them and were incredibly flavorful with some lovely pickled onions as garnish. The shio koji elote was a lovely combination of feta cheese with za'atar seasoning and that same great aioli as the previous dishes. There was a potato chip special on the menu called "txips" which were simply prepared with nothing else accompanying them. If I had to prioritize the traditional tapas dishes so as to be able to try as much as possible, I'd go with the patatas braves, croquetas, and elote over the pan con tomato and boquerones. Unfortunately, I would pass on the txips entirely as there wasn't anything about them that stood out, would be worth revisiting if they added some of the Thai chili aioli or something else to go along with the chips. The braised pork belly bao was super tender, melt-in-your-mouth pork belly in a soft and pillowy bao bun and the green pea bao was a green pea fritter sandwiched into a soft bao bun with the aioli and some pickled papaya. Both were two pieces in each order and were lovely! These were both definitely worthy orders. The chicken karaage was a nice and crispy dish with small pieces of coated and fried chicken thigh in a lightly sweet garlic-ginger marinade. I'd love to see it be more savory and less sweet, but it was definitely enjoyable! We got the spicy knife cut noodles with mushrooms (we ordered pork, but there was a miscommunication and didn't feel like sending it back and waiting for the pork version to come out since it was our last dish). The midnight ramen was lovely with the alkali noodles, tender pork belly, and the perfectly cooked soft-boiled egg with jammy yolk. If I had to revisit my choices, I'd pass on the mushroom spicy knife cut noodles (can't speak to the pork version which we'll try next time). I did appreciate the way the noodles were prepared and the garnishes including the fried shallots did enhance the dish. For dessert, we got the matcha cookie, yuzu Basque burnt cheesecake, and the ube panna cotta. There was also a dark chocolate cake, but after reading the description there wasn't anything that stood out to us and after seeing a few go to other tables it just seemed to be a generic crowd pleaser. The ube panna cotta was very coconut forward which was great, but not much ube flavor to it aside from the purple aesthetic. The matcha cookie had a crispy exterior and soft interior and made a great small dessert if you're feeling full. The standout for me was the Basque burnt cheesecake. It was dense with that cream cheese taste you're looking for and the blueberry sauce thinned out the heaviness of the cheesecake. Overall, I was worried it would be pretentious/snobby since they're a Michelin bib gourmand award winner, but it was just the opposite! We will be coming back again to revisit some other dishes and cocktails as well as hopefully sit by the kitchen since we enjoy watching the flurry of food being prepared. Definitely recommend this joint and it was worth making the trip into the city to try it out!

    Cutting the dough
    Jesse S.

    What a wonderful place! We took a hand-pulled noodle class at Pagu today. Tracy and Johnny were the perfect teachers/ hosts- making it all very easy and approachable. They both provide lots of insights and guidance in a way that was very comfortable. Everybody's noodles came out great in our class of 13. It was SOOOO yummy! We are eager to return both for other classes and to eat at the restaurant. We might even try one of their overseas excursions, which sounds amazing and of course are food-centric. Check out Pagu, you will love it!

    Kate C.

    Overall, this was a really nice dining experience. The cold dishes were very strong - the crudo, the ceviche special and the eggplant. The noodles were also delicious. Bao buns were fine, but I'm never really wowed by bao buns. Our cocktails were great as well. We had a really nice table in the center of the restaurant. I knocked off a star for timing and service. Our drinks didn't come until we already had five tapas. We also ordered pan con tomate and it never came. We didn't get charged, but that was a bummer. I probably would not re-order the patatas bravas or the cheesecake dessert. Otherwise, would reorder everything including the drinks!

    Gonna be Golden
    Kevin G.

    Always a great time at Pagu! I've been to Pagu before, so I knew I'd enjoy it again. The food and cocktails were excellent as usual and I was happy to see them being recognized by the michelin guide, a well earned award! I most recently joined on Friday night, which was super busy as you might expect and service did take some more time, but they are busy for good reason. We had the Gonna be Golden (sunflower orgeat is great for those with nut allergies!), pork bao, corn, crab laksa, and tuna tartare. I thought the bao and laksa were dishes that particularly stood out in terms of freshness and quality. I also love the open kitchen and the transparency of the kitchen. I look forward to trying more of their menu soon-the tuna collar handrolls sound excellent!

    Miso Roasted Black Cod  1.5 out of 5  Needed Salt and Acid
    Matt R.

    Just a reminder... I only rate food and drinks, not service, atmosphere, if there enough bathroom accents. It's solely about the food. Txakolina | 4 out of 5 Crudo | 4 out of 5 Ceviche | 4 out of 5 Pork Belly Buns | 3.5 out of 5 Corn | 3.5 out of 5 Fries | 4 out of 5 Miso Black Cod 1.5 out of 5 Why - No Salt at all, and needed more acid to carry the dish. Even with all elements in my "1" bite, there were no "perfect bites." Duck Paella | 2 out of 5 Why - Same reason. Little to no salt, needed more acid to balance the dish. I didn't have an acidic bite that made we want to keep eating. Also, duck skin wasn't crispy and fat wasn't rendered at all.

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    3 months ago

    Great flavor and variety in dinner menu. Decent service and prices were a tad high. Noodle making experience was unique too

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    5 days ago

    Great food. No squid ink baos when we went but awesome service and everything was delicious

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    Pagu Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Pagu

    Is the patio dog-friendly?

    Yes, but call and let them know ahead of time. There are only so many dog-friendly spots available.

    Is the Lobster Tortilla still available on the menu?

    Sadly, no. The variety of tortillas from earlier in the year are no longer on the menu :(

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    Sarma

    Sarma

    4.4
    (1.4k reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $$$$

    After seeing this place on social, we were lucky to grab a reservation on a Tues night at 5:30. We…read moregot seated right at our reservation time. All street parking and we had to circle around to find a spot so plan ahead. We got a red wine and the flawless victory cocktail. I got to try a couple wines before committing to a glass. My partner loved his cocktail. Super well balanced and really unique combo of flavors. Both drinks paired well with all our food too. Zucchini pancakes (2/5) - the only miss. The pancakes were not crispy at all and ate very mushy. The carrot curry was delish but all the flavors together with the raita didn't really do it for me. White bean hummus (4/5) - amazing flavor and the little sesame ring it comes with was yummy. The texture of the hummus could have been smoother though. Sugar snaps (5/5) - perfect sweet and salty balance and really great texture from the quinoa. Good creaminess too. Octopus souvlaki (5/5) - well charred octopus and tender. The flavors were rich in flavor. Yellow split pea was a nice creamy base. Revani snack cake (5/5) - we almost didn't get dessert but glad we did! It a citrus pound cake with a pineapple glaze and a spiced macadamia crunchy topping. Served chilled. Very yummy and not too heavy. Overall very happy we tried this place. It's pricey for what you get but nice for a special occasion.

    Wow! flavors like these will make your mouth happy! Every dish was unique, creative, and packed…read morewith flavor. It's easy to see why reservations are so hard to get. The menu changes often, which makes me wish I lived closer so I could visit regularly. We ordered quite a few dishes, and the portions were perfect for sharing. The fresh bread was an amazing start to the meal, and the sugar snap peas were a standout. Since the menu is always evolving, my recommendation is to ask your server what the chef is most excited about and order it. You really can't go wrong. This was a memorable dining experience, and I hope my next visit won't be too far away.

    Photos
    Douggy, our bartender/waiter
    Douggy, our bartender/waiter
    Sugar Snaps
    Sugar Snaps
    Feta Cheese Gnocchi

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    Feta Cheese Gnocchi
    Little Donkey

    Little Donkey

    3.9
    (1.1k reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$$

    Little Donkey is definitely more of a "let's order a few things, chat for a while, and try bites…read morehere and there" kind of spot than a place you go to when you're starving. I've been extra hungry lately, so fair warning: if you have a big appetite and care a lot about portion-to-price value, this may not fully hit the spot. First things first: no bread. Not a complaint, just important information as I discover which spots in Boston are part of the bread movement. We started with the salmon crudo. I somehow thought it came with the burnt crispy rice, but that was my mistake - it's actually four small slices of salmon. That said, it was really flavorful and tasty. Next was the arancini: three pieces plus a pepper to share. Super good if you're into cheese. Crispy outside, cheesy inside, cooked well, no complaints there. Then the burger, which came split into two. Honestly, yummy burger. Simple. Solid. Probably the most filling thing we ordered, especially alongside the beer, which I was genuinely grateful for because it helped balance out the tiny portions situation. Dessert was the cookie dough. Exactly what you'd expect: cookie dough served on a mixer ladle with cream on the side. I didn't care much for the cream, but the cookie dough itself was good in a very straightforward way. If you like cookie dough, you'll like it. Overall, I'd say it's a good spot if you want to taste and try different things in a fun atmosphere. But if you're someone with a serious appetite who's looking for generous portions and strong value for size, there are probably other spots I'd pick first. Food came out fast and with the serving sizes and the speed of eating, was done with the meal in less than an hour - should've chewed slower lol

    Reservation on a Friday night. Got seated quickly and they were busy but not overcrowded or behind…read morein service at all. Super social waitress helped us chose from their nice sized menu. Very easy for gluten free needs with the majority of the options workable. Service was well paced with next plates coming out just as we were finishing the prior ones. Never felt rushed and also never waiting. Friendly and comfortable place. All plates were yummy. We'd come again!

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    Poppin bar
    Poppin bar
    PARKER HOUSE ROLLS
    PARKER HOUSE ROLLS
    Can't remember the name but it was great!

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    Can't remember the name but it was great!
    Olespana Whiskey & Tapas

    Olespana Whiskey & Tapas

    4.2
    (54 reviews)
    3.0 mi

    I feel like a lot of my reviews these days are post-mortems…read more.. Sad to see this place close recently, but I saw the warning signs. I've mainly visited here mid-week. While I know mid-week is a slow period, but it can't be dead. Every occasion I've visited, you might see a couple of people at the bar but the tables are all empty. Which is sad because... The food was pretty solid and affordable. The tapas fare is pretty conventional, which can be good. The croquettes were crispy enough and flavorful. The lamb chops were also flavorful, while being tender and not over-seared. The patatas bravas were hot and crispy. The paella for two, at a decent $35 price, had a good amount of rice and seafood. The seafood might've been a little overcooked but it's hard to time it. The churros made for a nice ending, with a lovely chocolate dipping sauce. They had vegan tapas options, which was good for some in my party. However, the menu was a bit too extensive. They had menu options from seemingly all places and that does not make life easy for BOH. Service was generally okay, but seemingly stretched. Even though there weren't many customers in mid-week, staff appeared to have a variety of tasks. So sometimes we weren't checked on for long stretches. The spot was a former bar, so it had that bar atmosphere. It's located in a decent area, so I hope something good rises out of the ashes.

    Solid tapas spot in Watertown if you don't feel like trekking further into Boston. From a quick…read morecompare of the menu here versus the menu for Barcelona Wine Bar, the prices are about the same or cheaper, especially for the seafood paella for two ($35 at Olespana, which was a sizable portion, versus BWB's $56). Plus, Olespana has a parking lot in the back, as well as abundant metered options along Wells Avenue, which is always a plus in my book. Here were the dishes we ordered, ranked from favorite to least: 1. Patatas with garlic aioli - you cannot go wrong with the combo of basically french fries and mayo but definitely eat this as soon as it hits your table. Otherwise the fries turn mushy, doubly so from the sauce. If you're with a large group, definitely order two of these. 2. Seafood paella - I'm by no means a paella expert but I was impressed by the crunchy bits of rice on the bottom and how flavorful it was. A good amount of different seafood, including shrimp, mussels, clams, and squid, but I would've liked to see the shrimp a little less pink. 3. Garlic mushrooms - I'm a fiend for mushrooms and will order it any time I spot it on the menu, though I'm partial to when they either fry or sauté so the mushrooms get these nice crispy edges. These were a touch too heavy on the sauce, which was very acidic, but I finished pretty much the whole plate of it on my own. 4. Croquettas - Wasn't a fan of the mushy insides though my cousin loved them. 5. Beet salad - Eh. At this point, I should give up on ordering salads in restaurants when I can make them easily at home. The balsamic vinegar dressing was way too tart and I've decided I'm not a fan of oranges in salads. Overall, a fun eclectic spot to eat some tapas and drink whiskey. I got a kick out of how their menu has a section of tapas from other countries, including the USA - our featured options were wings and steak tips. That said, the menu is way too sprawling for its own good - tapas, burgers, pizza, and nachos? That might explain the inconsistency in the dishes we ordered.

    Photos
    Menu page 1 of 3
    Menu page 1 of 3
    Menu page 3 of 3
    Menu page 3 of 3
    Shot over the bar.

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    Shot over the bar.

    Pagu - japanese - Updated July 2026

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