There should be lines out the door. In an area renown for seafood - there gentle twists make all the difference. Typically loving the bivalve in its pure state - their trio of squeeze bottle sauces are the kick. Go now. read more

Awesome service, and you can't go wrong with half price oysters (5pm-6pm). We made a reservation for two on a cold Friday night, and it was great to enter a cozy and warm atmosphere. Our server was super friendly and was willing to provide small samples of wine to help our decision-making - 5/5 service. The shrimp toast was great and I honestly could have downed three of those, but we had to save room for their burger and fries. Would definitely come back here! read more

Puritan Oyster Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Great happy hour specials and awesome service. I am gluten-free and loved all of the options on the menu, including a gluten-free bun, which I had with my lobster roll. read more

The soft shell crab special had a nice mild curry underneath but the batter on the crab was somewhat burnt. Carpaccio was spongy and crumbling after scraping it off the plate, would be a lot more satisfying to have thicker slices that preserve the integrity of the fish, such as at Faccia Faccia. Scallop crudo was coated with a thick congealed layer of brown butter. Bar burger was good. Stomach issues afterwards, maybe from the oysters. read more

Great meal at oyster bar! The oysters were expectedly good and offered a lot of variety. The shrimp cocktail and crudos were also very good. Hot food was good but the raw dishes were the stars! read more

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I was looking for a nice seafood place and thought the menu here looked great! My boyfriend and I made a reservation for 5:30pm--would recommend trying to get a res since it does seem to get busy. We ordered a handful of things to share and everything was a hit!! We got a few oysters apiece, the salmon crudo (maybe one of my favorite bites this year, SO flavorful and well-seasoned), the Greek salad (exceeded expectations--super creamy feta and really crunchy veg), and the cod over lobster bisque. We'll definitely be back! Very nice ambiance--small space but well-decorated. Classy, but not too upscale, dinner vibe. read more

This is hands down the best oyster bar I have ever been to. I would come here every day if I could. It gets pretty busy here, especially during their happy hour, so it's nice that you can make reservations. Overall the space and menu is smaller compared to next door, but the food is just as good. The oysters really are the star of the show. There's different varieties and you have the option to try every single one if you wanted to. They're all so fresh and flavorful. The lobster roll with butter is a great choice as well. There's tons of lobster meat and you can either can it cold or hot with butter. The caviar cone is also a nice appetizer. I would have eaten ten of those if I could. Everyone needs to come here to experience the best oysters! read more

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Came here with a group and we all thoroughly enjoyed happy hour oysters. They always have six varieties available, service is relatively fast and friendly, and they even asked a few minutes after happy hour was technically over for any last orders. Oysters were fresh, I would definitely come back if in the area and maybe also try some of their food options. read more

Puritan Oyster Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

This place was incredible! Everything we ate was sooo good. We started with oysters of course and they had so many fun choices to top your oysters with it was hard to choose. The oysters were fresh and tasted amazing. We also got the rolls and my goodness everyone who comes here needs to get them! They melt in your mouth with just the perfect amount of salt. To die for! I would come back just for bread and oysters! Salmon crudo was also delicious and so were the yellowtail tacos. We also go the cavier cones which i wasnt sure about but ended up being one of my favorite things we oredered! Service was fast and our waiter was knowlegable about all of our questions. I will definitely be back! read more

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I was in Boston for work, and had a night to myself so I decided to of course get some oysters since I was close to the ocean! I came across POB, and decided to check them out, and I'm glad I did, I was able to sit right at the bar and my bar tender was very attentive but not overbearing, I enjoyed fresh oysters and fish tacos, as well as some delicious strawberry ice cream. I had a delicious martini as well as some orange wine. This was an amazing place and I hope I can make it back one day! read more

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Puritan Oyster Bar was a true 5 star experience! We had the rolls, bass pâté, fresh oysters, and the crab pasta and ALL our dishes were top notch! The rolls were perfectly baked, airy but not spongy, and were perfect with the cultured butter. Our oysters were incredibly fresh and needed no accompaniment to make them taste good. They were just perfect oysters. The pâté was excellent and paired great with a green sauce from the oysters too (recommendation from our server Davis). The crab pasta though was the show stopper. Every part of it was PERFECT. The pasta was cooked PERFECTLY, it was seasoned PERFECTLY, the crab was PERFECTLY fresh and portioned, and it was PERFECTLY balanced! Our server Davis was excellent too and paced our meal perfectly. He was attentive but not overbearing and gave excellent recommendations from the menu! As for ambiance, the restaurant was clean, inviting, had lovely decor, and all the tables were spaced out well and it wasn't too hot or cold. Overall just a delightful experience! read more

Puritan Oyster Bar - Crab pasta - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

We made an early evening reservation and the oyster bar wasn't too busy yet. I thought that having our names written on the tables was a great touch and made us feel special. We started with oysters and my favorites from that day were the ones from Cadillac, ME (writing this mostly as a note to myself). More places should use the small squeeze bottles that they provide here; it's much more convenient then using tiny spoons to scoop up the condiments for your oysters. A second thoughtful little touch from Puritan. Just don't squeeze too hard. Next up were the bibb lettuce salad and white anchovy platter. Both were good, even if the salad was leaned pretty salty in my case. The white anchovy platter was a standout and I enjoyed everything there: the bread, anchovies, pickled vegetables (which were especially perfect), etc. The platter was more food than I expected, if quantity matters to you. I got the hot, buttered version of the lobster sandwich. It probably won't replace your current favorite lobster roll/sandwich or be THE place to try one, but I still liked it. Although the lobster was a bit overcooked, the bread was nice and buttery and toasted just to my liking. The fries were great as well, probably my favorite in recent memory. Since my food was more hands-on, the sinks in the hallway behind the main Puritan and Co. area next to the oyster bar are the third and last nice touch that I wanted to weirdly mention. Overall, I really enjoyed Puritan Oyster Bar and am looking forward to coming back as well as trying Puritan and Co. itself. read more

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Delicious food, fantastic service. We were all craving lobster rolls so we stopped by here. The bun is toasted and served with a decent amount of lobster, and super crispy fries. They had a special of fluke fried in tempura batter, but I'm pregnant and asked if the fluke could be steamed instead of fried (I had a craving lol). They were INCREDIBLY accommodating and went above and beyond. Puritan & Co. next door had a pan-seared swordfish dish, so they essentially replaced the swordfish with fluke and cooked it for me as a special order. It was delicious and I was so impressed. Absolutely recommend. read more

It's on the pricy side but the food was delicious. The scallop crudo was amazing. The portions are in the smaller side but it's a place to sip, enjoy the food and your company. read more

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It is connected to Puritan and Co, but has a completely separate menu. First off, service was awesome. Greeted by a guy who was either an owner or the absolute best manager ever. He offered up menus for both Puritan and Co and the Puritan oyster bar to let me decide which place I wanted to sit. Super friendly guy and just seemed like he was made for this business. I didn't expect him to be so accommodating, but it immediately set this place up for 5 stars. The space is so nice. Feels like a cape cod eatery. You definitely get the ocean vibe. It's spacious and nicely decorated. Food was awesome. Lobster roll was delicious. Comes in hot buttered or mayo style. Fries were crispy too. Salmon crudo was refreshing. I could have eaten another plate. Definitely get this dish. Caviar cone had a cool presentation. Also tasty. Yellowtail tacos were fresh and yummy. I could eat quite a few of these. The place does great small plates. I highly recommend getting a mix of things. It was all fresh. They do a selection of oysters too. With the oysters are squeeze bottles of toppings. Brilliant. Cocktails were good too. One had an oyster vodka. Overall... you need to go here. Best spot in Cambridge for small, fresh seafood plates with great flavors. I'll be back. read more

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This was the best burger I've ever had in my life. Genuinely life changing. Service was so fast, ambiance was chill, but room for conversation. And again: THAT BURGER. Best experience ever! read more

Puritan Oyster Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Enjoyable experience. Food was good not great. Probably would return and try other menu items but not in a rush

Kyle was awesome and provided great service and the food was amazing. Love the scallop crudo and lobster roll. My kids said the hamburger was the best we had on our trip. Lovely atmosphere highly recommend. We were there in April but I forgot to post review. Still remember as a highlight of our trip. read more

Pretty good seafood with crazy awesome happy hour deal. I want to rate 4.5, but rounding up to 5 due to friendly service and nice ambiance. $1 happy hour oysters were fresh and delicious. Just as good as the full price oysters. Oysters were served with lemon wedges and 3 sauces in tiny squeeze bottles. The green sauce was slightly spicy with a flavor that reminded me of latin salsa verde flavors. The red was classic shrimp cocktail sauce. And the clear one reminds me if a mignonette sauce, but even more sour. The lobster sandwich was good, certainly above average, but didn't blow my mind. It was accompanied by Bonito fries that were fun and inventive. The biggest negative for me was booze selection. No beers on tap and no single malt islay scotch to go with oysters. Overall, I definitely recommend visiting this oyster bar. The happy hour alone would make me a regular, if I lived in the area. read more

Puritan Oyster Bar - Lobster sandwich with bonito fries - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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When booking reservation, note that there is Puritan & Co and Puritan Oyster Bar. We booked the wrong place given both have the same address, but luckily, we could still get seated pretty quickly given we came late on a Friday night. The seafood is fresh and really good. I would highly recommend this for a date night spot or fancy catch up with friends. Be warned though, the salmon crudo was very spicy (but I also have a low spice tolerance). read more

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Not good. Food was really weird. Very pricey for what you get. Even the beer was in a can, $13 + tip lol. Cocktails were odd taste too. To be fair, service was good and oysters were fresh and tasty, but most had shell pieces and them. Other food items not good. Fish tacos were bizarre. Ceviche was so sour, like eating a raw bowl of limes. Clam coquettes were awful, so chewy and weird. Wouldn't go back. read more

My Partner and I attended Puritan Oyster Bar for our second anniversary and it was everything we could have imagined. Food Review: We began with a full tray of the Oysters, Ceviche, Caviar Cones, and Yellowtail Tacos followed by the Lobster Toast and Scallop Crudo. The caviar cones were complimentary from the staff due to the special occasion and they also provided us welcome drinks of Prosecco. We had two of the new cocktails added to the menu and finished with their Chocolate Cake that has Blueberries and a Caramel Coating on the Scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream along with the tasting menu for Amaro. Menu Items Purchased: 1) Oysters: Fresh Oysters with very true to taste descriptions. Provides a great variety whether you like a buttery or briny finish. 2) Ceviche: Incredibly rich flavor profile with fresh seafood and salty chips that created a very well balanced texture and meshing of flavors. 3) Caviar Cones: Extremely unique flavor profiles came from this item. The base is an egg salad that is well balanced with the saltiness of the caviar eggs and the sesame cone. 4) Yellowtail Tacos: Crunchy and fresh. We found these tacos to be on the lighter side, not too heavy of an appetizer, but packed with flavor. 5) Lobster Toast: Filling buttery sandwich reminded us of the dream grilled cheese you wish you had as a child. Rectangle in nature with the crusts removed, the bread is perfectly crisp and comes with a side of warm liquid butter for dunking. The lobster felt like a buttery spread showcased throughout the dish. 6) Scallop Crudo: If the other crudos here are anything like the scallop I'd likely get all of them at the same time. Second to the ceviche on the freshness and richness of the flavors highlighting the scallops. The gooseberries were a unique touch that distinguished this Crudo from other traditional crudos. 7) Chocolate Cake: This makes for a great treat to any chocolate lover and the ice cream with a touch of caramel and blueberries on the side add flavors we had not had in the dishes. It is a well sized portion if you still have room after the meal. 8) Amaro Tasting: We opted to have the tasting where we could select 3 of the Amaros listed on the menu. The bartender was extremely helpful and guided us to flavor profiles we were looking for. All Amaros were true to the description and the bartender's guidance, highlighting their knowledge of their menu. 9) Cocktails with Dinner: We unfortunately forgot to take a picture of the menu with the drinks that had recently been added. Both as noted in the pictures are beautifully presented and not spirit forward. They were the perfect complement to a seafood meal. We would order all items again but the Ceviche stood out to us as the star. The complexity of the flavors matched with the salty and crunchiness of the chips is something worth traveling to enjoy. There was no detail left unaddressed for all menu items and we thoroughly enjoyed. Service Review: Throughout the entire meal the staff was extremely attentive and professional with recommendations that made our evening spectacular. If you are looking for more white table cloth dining, their restaurant beside the Oyster Bar location might be a better vibe but we found the Oyster Bar side to be perfect for a date night. Music was not overpowering and enhanced the vibe of the space. We stayed for 3 hours and never felt rushed, we felt very valued at all times. Payment Choice: We paid with our Gold American Express Card which gives 4x points on dining and were able to find a reservation on OpenTable but also could have used Capital One's Dining selection to book the evening as well. Final Rating: 5 Stars and would dine again! -Your @EatsTravelPoints Food Critics J+M read more

Great spot to enjoy some seafood raw bar! The deco is trendy and the vibe in the place is very modern and hip! We loved our great cocktails, the fresh oysters, the rich flavor of the shrimp cocktail, salmon tartare and mango/avocado salsa... everything was delicious and to our liking. Definitely will be back soon! read more

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Everything about this place is great. Oysters are excellent, the burger is really good...a bit of a surprise since it's an oyster bar! Wait staff all are very good. read more

I was so happy to see that Puritan's oyster bar was doing a restaurant week deal and the lobster roll was on the menu because you get a $64 value meal for $46! We did 2 set menus + 1 app + 1 burger for 3 people. The order in which they brought out the food was interesting... first came the stouffie croquettes, which was like a fried loaded mashed potato, generously portioned (glad we shared it) but couldn't taste the seafood. The burger was decent but needed some crispy texture, I wanted the bun to be better toasted bun or the beef patties to have a crunchy crust or even some lettuce, the whole thing was just soft and fatty. The greek salad was ice cold, with very salty whipped feta, "urfa" didn't make a difference, not sure why the oyster bar is serving this. I've been to Puritan & Co a couple times and LOVE their fried mushrooms, and we were so happy our waiter was able to get us a bowl despite the oyster bar having a separate menu! As good as I remembered! Then we got 1 each of the hot and cold lobster rolls. The menu states they are 1/2 lb rolls, and I believe it! Lots of tender lobstery lobster, well toasted bread that complemented the meat, only the very butt ends of the bread were dry. I usually like hot butter lobster rolls but the cold mayo one was better this time, perhaps because the meat was more tender from not being heated again, and it wasn't overly mayonnaised. Probably the best cold lobster roll I've had (close tie with Trifecta at the Dalton). The fries tasted like McDonald's but a bit more firm. For dessert, they ran out of the banana cake from the set menu and also just so happen to only have 1 left of the fudge round, so we were able to choose a dessert from the regular menu. I'm so glad we didn't get two fudge rounds because it was overwhelmingly sweet and dense, I think the frosting in the middle was so sweet it tasted bitter like seaweed. So much more enjoyable if you scraped off the frosting and enjoyed the cookie like a brownie. The bread pudding was much more well balanced (I had a different version of this bread pudding at P&C that was overloaded with toppings), but could use more ice cream. The frangipane wasn't overwhelming so it's ok if you don't like the cherry medicine flavor of almond paste, it was subtle and enhanced the buttery parker house roll flavor! The oyster bar side of Puritan is small, but doesn't feel crowded! Although our table was situated oddly next to the door so cold winds kept coming in. We came for a reservation at 6:30 and spent a little over 4 hours for the entire meal because the service was so slow (1 guy bartending and taking orders) but not mad about it because I left so full and was able to spend quality time with friends, they didn't kick us out either when it got late! One other thing I noticed is that the caviar cones are $10 each at the restaurant! I tried them at a Boston magazine event a few months ago and they were delicious and little did I know I ate $50 worth of caviar cone samples not sure if I would pay $10 for this tiny cone read more

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What a great find! First night of first visit to Boston and, of course, we wanted some seafood. Walking in, there was an instant "vibe" that was precisely what we didn't know we were looking for. Small and cozy, clean, dimly lit and a jazzy, smooth playlist at the perfect volume. Kyle was at the bar, where we chose to sit, and mixed up an "In a Pinch" cocktail for me. Divine! He was super friendly and helpful, without rushing us. We ordered the clam chowder which was absolutely delicious and different than any I had ever had before. The lobster sandwich was on a perfectly buttered, toasted bun and full of sweet meat. French fries on the side were thin and crispy with the perfect dusting of salt. We decided last minute to add an order of the yellowfin tacos. Crunchy, fresh, and so tasty! Finally, after cleaning all the plates, we had a Big Deborah AND the chocolate carrot cake... both were fresh and the perfect finish. Not too sweet and clearly homemade. I am thrilled with my first stop here. It will be hard to not come back in the next couple of days and force myself to try other spots. The place has only been here since February and I have to think it's gonna be a favorite for locals. read more

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Loved our friendly waiter he made it so enjoyable. The Crab Cavatelli and the garlic shrimp starter were both delicious! The banana miso cheesecake was ridiculous! We almost ordered a repeat order to go so we could experience it all over again. read more

This restaurant has great happy hour deals and wonderful wait staff. We were staying nearby and ended up visiting twice in one weekend because we enjoyed it so much. read more

Quaint ambiance, satisfying drinks, and a creative spin on fresh sea food dishes. Swordfish pastrami and the White Anchovy Platter are musts. Oysters were also delicious and a great deal both times we went. Great service whether you sit at the bar or a table. read more

We ordered 2 dozen oysters which were good, although a few were a little parched in terms oyster liquor. The accompanying sauces came in little plastic squeeze bottles, which were efficient, but not ideal. No minced shallots in the mignonette. The meals themselves, broiled scallops and a lobster dish, were both top flight. As was the bottle of wine paired with the seafood dishes. Our bill came to about $250 for 2 people. Overall, it was a great experience. read more

The Oysters alone are worth a trip, but combined with the amazing service and other food items it's a must stop. The oyster selection is great, and the cucumber mignonette is a standout. It adds so much without taking away from the natural flavor of the oyster. I ordered the swordfish pastrami, which was delicious. Tasting the swordfish by itself you think it's almost too salty, but combined with the pickled onion and mustard sauce it's perfectly balanced. It's a very laid back environment that still provides a high end experience. Our bartender was perfectly attentive without being overbearing, and mixed some outstanding drinks. Pricing is extremely reasonable, making this a great spot for any day of the week. read more

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Definitely a place to try out! They have oyster from all over the place which was very good! The server was very nice and would always check in with us ! A lot of their apps were very good I tried the kampachi and salmon crudo which were really good and different! Their yellowtail tacos were so good definitely recommend! Their crab Rangoon dip was definitely something that was different and was also really good! This is a very nice little quiet bar spot that no one has found yet and it's definitely worth a try! Only bad part is parking is so hard to find around the area and there's not a lot of metered parking read more

Solid meal, good service, very accommodating for gluten free. Oysters and interesting cocktails, what more do you need!

There is nothing really bad about this place. However, there is nothing that knocks your socks off. The establishment offers an elevated oyster bar dining experience. The food is ok, and the flavor combinations are unique, although somewhat overpowering the seafood. The scallops in the scallop crudo were sweet and delicious, very fresh. The fried whole belly clams were chewy, and there were only eight in the order, piled on a mountain of french fries. The open faced white anchovy sandwich was good. Finally, the clam chowder was a great disappointment. The beautiful presentation could not make up for the lack of flavor. The two pieces of clam in the bowl were like chewing gum. The chowder broth seemed to be thickened with corn starch. The croutons were the highlight of the dish - maybe the best we've ever had. They were very tasty and maintained their crunch. The Swedish Fish at the end of the meal was a cute exclamation point at the end of the meal. Service was spotty because there was only one server in the bar - poor guy. read more

We loved the food and the servers were really nice and helpful. We got a dozen oysters (half price from 5-6pm Wed-Sun), the greek salad, the crab rangoon dip, and the cheeseburger. They were all great. Note that the cheeseburger is a sizable portion! read more

Puritan Oyster Bar - Oysters - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Food good, unique combinations of flavors. Nice ambiance. There are two restaurants side by side with the same name, so do pay attention which ones you would like to go. read more

Great fresh seafood, cocktails that don't take themselves too seriously, friendly service. Neighborhood vibe with destination-worthy food.

The service was excellent. Quick attention to detail and friendly faces all around. Worth it for a special occasion or for some fine bar experience. read more

Overall the whole experience was fantastic! Oysters, thought into dishes, service, and relaxed but high end feel... everything was phenomenal. the service really put it over the top though and made this the best dining experience I've ever had. read more