We had the "The Select Plateaux": oysters, shrimp cocktail, scallop ceviche, peekytoe crab salad, and dressed Maine lobster. The lobster had a tough texture. I enjoyed the peekytoe crab salad and scallop ceviche. We also ordered specials: black bass crudo and king crab. There were a lot of vegetables and we had to scavenge hunt for the king crab in the dish. The baby Brussels sprouts were on the salty side. SPANISH OCTOPUS was tenderly delicious. Pretty pricey but they serve in-season seafood. read more

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I don't understand the 5-star reviews. We had a disappointing experience at Select Oyster Bar. It began when we had reservations for two, on a Wednesday night, and in spite of this they initially tried to seat us at the bar. We declined, asked for a table, and got one because, yes, tables were available. Next, we immediately discovered the restaurant is insanely loud. Like can't-hear-yourself-think loud. We were seated nearly on top of one another, in the back sunroom area, but still had to lean in to hear a normal conversation. From our observation the decibel level throughout the entire restaurant is off the charts. As for the food, we had raw oysters to start and fish for main courses. The oysters were ok, although I've had better elsewhere, and I'd say the oysters probably aren't the headliner one might expect from a spot that prides itself on having a raw bar. (Tip: Avoid the red onion reduction for the oysters. It is not a mignonette, and it would be much better if it were.) My husband got the halibut as a main, and it was subpar. The fish was unevenly cooked, mostly dry and bland, and the heaping of cauliflower salad that was applied over the dish made it worse. The cauliflower salad didn't pair well with the dish overall, and on its own the salad was not very integrated flavor-wise. I had the char, which was ok. I appreciated the effort with the frisee greens and lardon accompaniments, but the dish wasn't anywhere close to a 5 or 4-star meal. We were dying to leave after just a few bites of our entrees. Honestly, the best part of the night was when we walked out of the restaurant into the relative silence of the Boston streets. read more

Select is a great location for a fancy night out. I went with 3 of my friends for an early Sunday dinner. We made our reservation on open table, and had plenty of options for times. When we arrived, our server greeted us warmly and gave us our choice of seating. You wouldn't know it when you firs walk-in, but they do have "outside seating" towards the back of the restaurant. During the colder months, it's an enclosed outside patio, with heating, which is a great way to shake off the feeling of being cooped up inside. As others have mentioned, it's pricey. We ordered about 5 small plates from the menu, and had 2 bottles of wine, for a little over $220. But, the food is great! We loved everything we ordered (avocado toast, tuna crudo, anchovies, mussels)- with one exception: the cauliflower dish. The avocado toast is awesome, and while I think it normally comes in 3 slices, since there were 4 of us, our server added an extra slice so the entire table could enjoy - a nice touch! Our server also very graciously brought us out multiple orders of bread, that broth from the mussels was too good to go to waist! There are 3 things you won't find on the menu: 1) tea 2) warm drinks 3) dessert Happy Dining! read more

You can't screw up oysters. The clams, however, were reminiscent of a Mexican resort trying to copy an Italian style tomato pepperoni sauce. Then it was served with overcooked toast. WTF. Drink was good and bar makes up for ok food. Oysters were great. read more

Went here last night for an oyster date. Very quiet, as the place was pretty empty on a Sunday night. Had the end of the bar to ourselves. The service was excellent. We ordered 2 of every oyster and definitely enjoyed them and thought they were very good, but weren't the best we had ever had! We also had the clams which were very good! Overall, would definitely go back. read more

Fantastic food and service. Gina the bartender made awesome recommendations for wine and food and was very attentive. Will go back next time I am in Boston! read more

I've been to Select several times since it's super close to me, on date night, with friends and even by myself. I've always had a good meal here, but there's certainly much better seafood restaurants in Boston. On my most recent visit (by myself), I had: Oysters - a few varieties to choose from. I think overall they're quite good (fresh and no shell fragments) and actually pretty close to my favorite ICOB not too far away. Live Maine uni - I like the fact that you get a whole urchin shell filled with a solid amount of uni for the price. However the flavor just didn't work. The tartness of the pickle chanterelles on top was too overwhelming for the delicate uni. I ended up eating all the mushrooms by themselves first, then dug into the uni. Avocado toast - I had this a while ago as my first ever avo-toast. I do like this dish, it's really simple but they do a good job seasoning the avocado to keep it from being boring. My only complaint is the presentation. Why 1.5 slices of bread (3 halves)? It's an odd, literally, number. And while there's a ton of avocado on top, I have no idea why a bunch of it was also smeared on the underside of the toasts. It makes eating a bit more messy than I would like. The entrees from my prior visits (had mostly fish dishes) were just fine but nothing that jumps out of my memory. Overall, I will come back to Select because of the convenience, reservation availability and decent food. But many other places top my list for seafood in Boston. read more

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Fantastic clams, octopus and wine list. The sea bream had a beautiful composition. The potatoes were good too. The cocktails look great too!

Post Boston Marathon dinner - so fresh and delicious! Great service and you can watch the runners from the outdoor seating.

Came here based on reccomendation and it did not disappoint one bit. We didn't even eat oysters and I'm guessing that is the best on the menu. The swordfish and halibut were both full of great flavors and filling today the least. Had a salmon starter that was also amazing. The bartender / waitress made good drinks and provided great service. I think I would actually prefer sitting at the bar here especially If you are on a date. Convenient location near a T stop but reservations were harder to come by on the weekend! read more

I really want to give this place more stars because it was good and had a great time when I was there, but I feel like I later got really sick from the food later on. In the lovely Newbury street, the area is so nice for a walk before or after. We made a reservation for 7pm on a Tuesday night, and the restaurant was fairly busy. We got seated at the end of the bar. The interior was trendy. We got 2 of every oyster which came up to $25 for 2 people. Loved the selection, you can really taste the difference in each one. We also shared a halibut entree. The fish was thick, with a salty crispy pan crust and soft and moist in the middle, very well cooked. and it came with lots of mushrooms, delicious brussel sprouts and the wild rice added a great crunch texture to the ragout. If I had it myself it would be a large amount of food, but I wasn't super full from sharing (but that's fine, shake shack is close by) Service was great and attentive and felt like a happening place for a Tuesday. Great seafood selection on the menu, but I just feel like the oysters may have gotten me sick. =( read more

Select Oyster Bar - great selection of oysters - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Back in Boston and I had to go back to this place. Just as good as it was pre covid. Oysters were so fresh and the rest of the fish was so fresh and wonderfully prepared. Can't miss spot. read more

Really weak drinks. I had a $16 tequila and mezcal drink that tasted like pure juice. Snotty servers that bordered on rude. They even add 20% to a drink only tab, kind crazy and unnecessary if your drinks are strong and service is friendly. read more

Watch out double tipping !!! They included tip(20%) in the bill. Today I realized i paid tips 28$ for $65 meal. read more

Absolutely love this restaurant. Made a reservation ahead of time and it was full and lively on a Thursday night! Excellent oyster selection, also loved the Arctic char and halibut and romanesco cauliflower. Amazing dinner and we will definitely be back! Thank you! read more

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Thrilled to have this new addition to the neighborhood! My fiancé and I came for the grand opening and had a wonderful meal, starting with a dozen delicious oysters and the poached champagne prawns. Prawns were fresh and flavorful, you do have to peel them so a bit messy, but worth the work. Next up was the asparagus app. I especially loved the textures of this dish- tender asparagus with crisp potatoes in a creamy refreshing sauce with fresh herbs and a bit of caviar. For our main course we shared the whole sea bream and arroz frito (fried rice). The rice was the highlight of the evening for me! Black rice with perfectly roasted cauliflower, a little crisp to the rice and a creamy rich uni to top it off. Wonderful flavor combination. The sea bream was amazing as well but as with all whole fish, a little difficult to eat while working around the bones, though fresh and flavorful. I tried a few cocktails off the drink menu. My favorite was the vermouth panache which wasn't sweet and very smooth. Great service, especially for opening night. Interesting note- they include 20% gratuity on all checks. A little strange but as long as management keeps the service up to par, it shouldn't be a problem...I can definitely see it bothering some people though. Welcome to the neighborhood Select! Can't wait for the outdoor patio read more

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The service here is horrible. I waited over 10 minutes to be be greeted before getting seating. All of the staff is incredibly rude and couldn't be bothered. The waiter was not helpful whatsoever, and he would not describe or recommend any dishes when our party asked. Once we ordered our food, it took almost an hour to arrive! It was decent, at best, and the portion sizes where good, but for the price in this area is not worth it. If you're looking for good seafood in Boston, skip this place. The ambiance is bland and generic. They definitely play it safe with the decor and vibe. Very easy skip. read more

Came here after recent visit to Island Creek. I gotta say...there are less choices here for oysters (I think like 6 as compared to 12 in island) but I love the choices they have provided. It is really an assortment of different flavors, some light and some a bit more salty, but they really do melt in your mouth. Thought the price was a bit more expensive though. Overall the service was great and definitely less of a wait. read more

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Loved everything I've tried here in two visits with a few friends. Great staff who get how to make a restaurant experience fun. read more

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Didn't like the mandatory 20% tip even for two people. Don't get the mackerel special...doesn't taste anywhere close to freshly caught mackerel and was a bit overcooked. Biggest disappointment was the prawns a la plancha...there was no wooden board which is what plancha means and there we no mention that the seven slightly overcooked shrimp had heads/shell on and I hate peeling shrimp :-( best parts of the dinner was the vegetables under the mackerel and the octopus starter. p.s. "porch" isn't worth sitting at...you get a view of the wall of the building next door and we smelled Lysol from someone cleaning downstairs. read more

Select Oyster Bar - Blue prawns a la plancha...seven...no plank... - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Fantastic spot! Oysters were great and so were the drinks. Also the ceviche is amazing, I would definitely order that again. If I'm in the area again I would for sure stop back in read more

Sat outside on the front patio of Select for cocktails and appetizers. Sitting right on Gloucester Street, it was a perfect spot to enjoy an afternoon in Back Bay with a view of both Newbury and Boylston Streets as well as the Prudential Center. We enjoyed the shrimp cocktail, tuna tartare, sautéed clams, and a variety of oysters. All of the seafood fresh and tasty, and the service was prompt and pleasant. Would definitely return to try some of the dishes and entrees. read more

Select Oyster Bar - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Best Crudo - Love the Wine Dinner Best Seafood Restaurant in Boston Great Foodies read more

The same chef that used to work at Neptune has some ownership here (Neptune = 5 star seafood to me). Back to Select Oyster Bar, it's "Select" oyster and has a curated selection of oysters (on the day I went 6 different kinds) plus other kinds of raw bar items available. It's a casual neighborhood restaurant with a low key vibe and low key pleasant service that isn't as formal as some old school steak and seafood type restaurants. It's very good and the pricing is on the pricier side, but is appropriate given the real estate off Newbury Street in sight of the Prudential building. The dishes we had were great, the raw bar being the highlight and well worth the price. I'll be back for raw bar especially given the fact that I can book an Opentable reservation here in advance. read more

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The halibut here is simply amazing and we also got a huge selection of oysters as well! The oysters were also amazing here and they were simply delectable. I wouldn't hesitate to come back here again - the ambiance is very cool especially if you sit in the back room too. read more

Select Oyster Bar - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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As I embark on my Oyster Summer Tour 2015, I stumbled here on a Monday evening, hiding from the unseasonably cold rain and wind. The place is small, delicate and intimate, the set up classy with a well balanced and reasonable drinks list and and a changing Oyster menu. The hostess will seat you at either at the available two tops or the bar. [I was not able to tell if there was another room to the location this very may well be] A quick chalk board lists a couple of the daily specials. New to oysters, I stumbled through the listing settling first for the littlenecks [5 for $12 - very nice] and later for 4 from Peters Point and Island Creek [$2.75 a pop and both from MA]. I loved the sweetness of them as I sucked them down with delight! As a small app to fill my warm dish need [I'm not always a fan of a cold dinner], they had a dish of the day of cuttlefish, quite well cooked on top of a hazelnut romesco [a twist from the usual almond original], sprouts/delicate greens and finished with sea salt. Quite delicious. To drink they offer on the onset tap or sparkling water and I had an accompanying glass [or 2 - it's me] of Gruener Veltlinger [an Austrian White] The service was prompt and courteous and I sat at the Bar with little interaction, however I was not over or underattended to. Keep in the back of your mind there is a standard 20% pre-tax gratuity added to the bill, which naturally can be taken off if need be. An excellent start to this season read more

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Simply fresh and oh so delish... Oysters on the half shell, great selection and we left it up to our waiter to decide on the trio Octopus Salad marvelous grilled n tender peeking out from the fresh greens Scallop Cerviche. Sweet n tender Lobster, shelled, just the right touch of seasoning Tuna tartare divine A bottle of Rose, nice selection reasonably priced read more

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I had been dying to go to select since I walk by them every day and I LOVE oysters. I finally went and it was amazing. I didn't have a reservation but the hostess was so nice and gave us a table in the back room. The whole place is small in an intimate way, and the back room is definitely where you want to sit. It has large windows that face an oyster mural and a lot more seating. The oysters themselves were great and the drinks were even better. I would definitely recommend coming here and can't wait to come back! read more

Considering how much I enjoy Neptune Oyster and oyster bars in general, I wanted to love Select Oyster, as I hoped Chef Michael Serpa would take his magic there and create something that the Back Bay has needed for a long time. It's conveniently located in a beautiful brownstone and has outdoor seating (albeit without much of a view or ambiance). But in two visits there for lunch, I've enjoyed the food but haven't been blown away by the overall experience. On a first trip, we enjoyed some oysters, the Spanish octopus as an appetizer, and the Icelandic arctic char as an entree. I thought the arctic char, which was highly recommended by an over-enthusiastic waiter, was really the high point of the meal. On a second trip this last weekend, we again got oysters, all of which were perfectly shucked, followed by a tuna tartare with sturgeon caviar, and their special crudo of the day. This time, the tuna tartare was the star of the show. The bar program seems fine, but having only one beer on draft (it was a Lagunitas Pilsner most recently) is odd. Prices are high, but pretty much on par with Neptune and most other seafood places in the city. While the food is unquestionably good, obviously fresh and beautifully presented, I don't love the ambiance of the restaurant. Some people have complained in previous Yelp reviews about lackadaisical service, and while I haven't found that to be the case, I do think that the automatic 20% gratuity is negatively affecting service. I personally don't have an issue with the 20% charge itself - while steep, most people would add it anyway. I did notice though that the servers are almost apologetic about it, and they preemptively explained it to us without being asked. I wonder if getting rid of the automatic charge would allow the servers to be less defensive, and perhaps loosen up a bit. Overall, a fine choice for raw bar and interesting seafood in the Back Bay and a place I'd happily go back to because of the quality of the food, but I hope they'll rethink the gratuity policy. read more

Select Oyster Bar - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Tons of love for Select Oyster Bar. The location, the people, the ambience, the beverages and the FOOD all come together perfectly (and consistently). In Boston, great service is harder and harder to come by but it is always top notch here. I have eaten everything on the menu except for the steak. It is all amazing. I would recommend any crudo, the char, octopus & cilantro, whole fish and bouillabaisse. Shout to Stephanie for always holding down on Saturday's. Wines are great; I always drink the rotating local IPA. Enjoy. read more

Had dinner at Select Oyster Bar on Friday night. A pricey, but delicious seafood feast. Quality: Our meal started with Local Oysters and Shrimp Cocktail. Due to COVID they only had three oyster options, Island Creek, Moonshoal, and Glidden Point, but they were all tremendous. Perfectly handled and unbelievably fresh. The Shrimp was similarly delicious and a great way to get a meal started. Next up was the Blue Crab Salad, which mixed in avocado, fennel, and aleppo, for a tasty bite. The Yellowtail Hamachi Crudo, was solid, though a little bit on the sour side for my personal taste. And finally the Spanish Octopus, our only warm dish was fantastic. Not only was the octopus great, the greens it was served with complemented the flavor extremely well. Quantity: Anytime you are ordering fresh seafood the portions are going to be smaller, but we ordered plenty to feel satisfied. Value: $3.50 for each Local Oyster. $16 for Shrimp Cocktail. $24 for Blue Crab Salad. $22 for Yellowtail Hamachi Crudo. $22 for Spanish Octopus. Ambiance: Select Oyster Bar is located in the Back Bay of Boston. Along busy Newbury Street, the restaurant has a small indoor space, dominated by a bar, a back patio, and with COVID additional outdoor seating in front. We ended up in the newly constructed outdoor area, which took the time to add in good barriers and some umbrellas for shade. While a less public area further from vehicles would have definitely been preferably, they really did a good job trying to maintain the same experience in these difficult conditions. My one request would be to find a way to bring music outdoors, to combat some of the traffic noise. Crowd: We arrived soon after they opened and the outdoor dining areas quickly filled up. Reservations are a must any day of the week. Service: Even with additional COVID protocols, they still managed to provide great service. Our waiter was wonderful and knew how to still engage with us, while maintaining social distancing. Parking: Street parking in the nearby area, more limited than usual with outdoor dining extensions. read more

This is a place where you can eat and chat with your friends and family. The music is very relaxing. I strongly recommend the octopus dish and bouillabaisse. Very fresh and tasty. Also have steak with medium cooking, juicy and tender, coming with large portion of greens and carrots. Like blue prawns too( yes, I like everything I ordered). 20% of gratuity is included. Nice server. Will recommend read more

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Food was fresh the service was excellent and food cooked perfectly. Excellent place but a little small and cramped. read more

Select Oyster Bar - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Crudo Scallops. Excellence on a shell. A half block from the convention center, this is a nice little oasis of good wine, beer and seafood. Small portions, high prices, worth it! read more

Select Oyster Bar - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Fabulous restaurant with a fabulous atmosphere and menu. The hamachi is to die for (all variations). It is pricy, but unbelievably well worth it. read more

Select Oyster has been our reigning favorite Boston restaurant since it opened. When we moved from Boston to the burbs, we continue to come when we want a delicious meal. the Food is incredible, the cocktails and wine selection are fantastic-- in fact it is thanks to Select that I found my favorite wine - and the team is the best part. Clearly they enjoy working together as well as we have enjoyed seeing the same folks since it opened. We love Select Oyster-- always our top choice. the crudos are amazing, specials are always great, the romanesco salad is bonkers great, the Spanish octopus and the lobster salad are our favorites. read more

Everything about this place was 5 stars. The food, wine, and the service were all top notch. Our waitress recommended a variety of delicious oysters, we drank an exquisite wine and all of the food was perfectly balanced and sophisticated in flavor but not fussy. I would HIGHLY recommend stopping here no matter the time of day. read more

As every other review says, Select is expensive but it's worth it for a fun night out. The decor was great, the seafood was very fresh, and the drink menu was great. We ordered oysters, shrimp, cauliflower, octopus, and the clams. I would recommend all of these - especially the cauliflower. It was one of the best cauliflower dishes I've had. I'd recommend going for a date night or with a friend - it's more of an intimate vibe so it wouldn't be my choice for a big group. read more

*insert heavenly sound here here* What a gem! Back Bay finally has its own true ouster bar! I love everything about this place - it's low-key, the decor is a rustic-chic, the staff is incredibly friendly, and of course, their oyster selection is on point! They really do a lot with the small space they have and it doesn't make you feel cramped or claustrophobic at all. Most seating is at the bar counter with a few small tables and one larger table, but it's all very comfortable and perfectly spaced out. They also will be opening up the back patio soon that has some cute twinkle lights. Priced at $2.75 a pop, they had a variety of 6 oysters: Wellfleet (Wellfleet), Island Creek (Duxbury), Pleasant Bay (Orleans), Pemaquid (Damariscotta, ME), Riptide (Westport), and Hog Island (Marshall, CA). We had one of each and it was a great sampling. They shuck them right at the end of the bar counter so you know they're fresh! A place like this is exactly what Back Bay needed! I will definitely be returning again soon! read more

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Awesome place. Fresh oysters!!! Clams chorizo yum! Octupus ok. Little pricey but the oysters are so worth it!!