Pre-COVID: 4 stars (probably closer to 4.5) for the dungeon-like Tiki haven slinging well-made, if sometimes uneven, tiki classics and their own spins with average Asian bites. When this reopens, I'll be one of the first customers. ******* Post-COVID: Probably close to 2 stars. I feel this needs to be written as a warning for folks looking for an outdoor experience that comes close to replicating the one underground. The drinks are (I presume) pre-mixed and then poured over ice in a plastic cup, undiluted, and served with the notion that you let the drink dilute in glass. That's pretty rough when it's 60-70 degrees out and drinks take a LONG while to get to a point of dilution to get to the actual flavor of the cocktail (said differently, the drinks will be overly strong to the point of being way out of balance). I heard multiple tables complaining of the same thing near us. No bathroom (you gotta use a porta-potty), limited food options, and undiluted drinks. I get that maybe this is all they could do based on the city or whatnot, but it's still rough. That said, sticking with the pre-COVID score as I honestly enjoyed the spot a lot. read more

This place is AWESOME! To be honest I didn't know what to expect after seeing some so-so reviews and seeing how "instagram-worthy" the interior was, I think I just expected it to be more of a bar vibe but I was blown away by not only the food but the service as well. We visited to celebrate a friends birthday and everything was perfect. The interior is so cute and different, kind of like a disco tropical lounge. The cocktails we tried were absolutely delicious and the food was even better. We tried a lot of different things - sushi, nigiri, tots, fish, chicken, potstickers, fried rice - each thing was better than the last. Our server was lovely and made great recommendations. My new favorite spot in Boston! Will definitely be back. read more

Fun tropical theme! Average sushi, but the tarter tot appetizer was a fun and delicious grown up take on the childhood throwback. It is underground, and there is not much around here, so I would recommend it if you plan to stay for dinner and drinks. read more

Shore Leave - Fourth of July cocktail - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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This place has a ton of potential and I can't wait for the newest addition to this part of the south end!! I was blown away by the interior. 3 full bars that are all beautiful. Came here on a date and we shared the wontons, bluefin tuna poke, pork belly baos, and standout scallion pancakes. This place definitely has kinks to work out but the food was all still tasty for a new spot that opened a week ago. The sauce with scallion pancakes has garlic in it and it's unreal. We both got the morale and & welfare, which was the best drink of the night. Mexican pearl was good but not as good. Can't wait to come back! read more

Shore Leave - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Pre covid review: Trust the x on the door and go in, because you've found treasure. At least that's how I think they meant it/how they want you to feel. the drinks were good but had odd ingredients like butter which I couldn't taste and was all my friends did taste on that drink. It's so dark even the 23 year olds had to pull out their phones to see by. The staff were great and helped a lot with the questions our group had. read more

It's a cute hidden place that you walk down into a apartment like stairway and you enter into a beautiful decorative bar/restaurant. The food is interesting, it's not your typical sushi restaurant per se, so you're met with flavors that are not typical but original to their theme. For example, I got a shiitake tempura roll and shore leave roll which were okay. The tater tots were good for some time, but then it gets soggy and the sauce after a while. Otherwise I would come here for more of the atmosphere and grabbing drinks. read more

Only decent tiki bar I've come across in Boston so far. Drinks were good and sushi pretty good. The burger was average and small for the price -- let down for that. I wasn't fond of the music they played when I went on Saturday-- it was all jazz and classical. read more

The vibe was completely on point and the decor and service were great. The drinks were forgettable and expensive for Boston $16+ but at least well decorated read more

Great ambience and some of the best sushi I have enjoyed in Boston. Additionally the staff were incredibly kind. I lost my glasses in a borderline cartoonish fashion, and their kindness really helped ease the blow. 10/10 would leave shore again read more

I really enjoyed this place. It has a great atmosphere, food/drinks , and service. I had the Brussels sprouts, dungeon burger (that was like butter), and the soy wings. For dessert, i had the Coconut ice cream and it's spectacular, not just straight coconut hitting you in the face but a nice amount still leaving some of the original flavor and sweetness. read more

Shore Leave - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Nice vibe and decoration in case you are looking to enjoy a chat over tasty drinks! Decoration is cute and tropicaL and a long list of mixed cocktail are on tHe list! I enjoyed two of them and they were tasty and well balanced. We had two small appetizers and they were fine. Would go back to try the rest of the drink menu! read more

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Really fun dinner here. Decor gives off a lovely tropical vibe without being too kitschy. Drinks were solid - able to do some impressive riffs on tiki drinks without feeling like they were super sweet. We had their large format "Rule 35" which was probably the best drink of the night (followed closely by the "Shore Leave"). Food was all really solid. The scallion pancakes were *exceptional* - I could have had 5 orders of those. We were discouraged from getting the duck by our server as she thought it might be too much food for four (given we had four small plates), but we housed it no problem and it was delicious. Would definitely recommend - don't be dissuaded. Had my first "hoodsie cup" as a non-native New Englander, spiced up a bit with some whipped cream and sherry. yum! All-in-all, really excellent night - a fun subterranean tropical oasis. Nice addition to the neighborhood and would come back! read more

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Shore Leave is an underground tiki bar which makes the whole experience pretty cool. You walk down a set of unassuming stairs and voila a tiki bar that has a hip vibe. Interesting drink selection and delicious apps! Pretty comparable price range to similar spots in the area. They do require upfront downpayment for larger crowds. read more

I came here for restaurant week with high hopes, but was disappointed. First, the restaurant wasn't even half full and our waitress was nowhere to be found most of the time. We got drink menus first, and when we asked for the food menu, she was pushy about having us order drinks first even though we insisted we were still looking. The food was mediocre. I liked the salmon poke tostadas, and the fried clam bao could use some seasoning, but it had a good bao bun. The sandwich was a disappointment. The katsu sandwich was heavily sauced, the bread was stale, and it just did not taste good. It was more bitter as opposed to sweet or even salty. I won't be back. It's not worth it for the price. read more

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I've been wanting to come here since they opened up and finally had the chance. It was super easy to find and very easy to get to by public transportation it's about a 5 mins walk from the Broadway T stop. Shore Leave has been turned into a fun Christmas oasis and man there decorations were incredible. The Santa with the Hawaiian shirt was my favorite. We only came here for the holiday drinks but they were fantastic and major bonus points to fun glasses. It was super crowded but the services was still top notch the bartenders really were quick and apologize for the wait. I will definitely be back to try the drinks and more tiki drinks. read more

Very cool tiki bar that would be hard to find without knowing where to go. You put your name down on the list and will probably have to wait, but it is worth it! The drinks we had were sooo good and everything was served in really cool tiki glasses (which they sell if you want to take them home). I went during the Christmas pop up and the decorations were really cool. The surfing santa tiki glass was also super fun! The bartenders are super helpful. Will definitely be back to this spot! read more

We were a big group and we were there very early so it was pretty empty. Awesome set up and it's quite large. Drinks & food were yummy.

Fun tiki drinks in a subterranean setting, from the team behind Bar Mezzana.

I Really wanted to like this place because I love tiki bars! I even came back again before writing the review to see if I just had one meh experience, but no, it is meh... The whole thing feels a bit over the top, and the drinks feel over thought. They make it a point to be "different" and I feed like it just makes the tiki drinks not great. The food portions are small, food just ok, and overpriced. And finally, I collect a lot of tiki mugs and thought I would be buying their cute coconut one, but it is $30!!!! I know tiki mugs can be expensive, but these cost more than the ones at Disneyland! No thank you. All in all it was fine, nothing terrible, but a bit overpriced and felt like it was trying too hard to be an upscale tiki bar (especially considering it is in a basement) read more

Don't even bother with this place. Just walked over to get a drink at the bar and scope out the scene. Checked in with the upstairs hostess and headed downstairs for the "standing room bar" (isn't that what a bar is by nature?) Got downstairs and got turned away for "no space" at the bar or in the "standing space". First, if you make a mistake in that you don't have room, make an exception for us and find us a space to stand. Second, the place was dead....really. Gladly giving our business to ANY other venue. Good luck to this place. Worst. read more

Great burgers, overpriced sushi, unimpressive cocktails, and poor service. The highlight of then evening was my wife's burger -- it was fantastic. I explored a menu of exotic sushi items, which were pricey at between $6 and $8 per piece. The arctic char was amazing, as were a couple of other pieces, but overall I was not blown away. Neither of the drinks we ordered were great, and my wife's blue martini drink was overly strong and with a metallic taste. To her credit, our waitress graciously let us exchange the drink. The irony of the service was that our waitress was clearly experienced and skilled. Restaurants have been having trouble hiring good staff, but she seemed to be someone who has been around for a while and understood the restaurant's concept. Despite this, she almost entirely ignored us most of the evening. Anytime I needed anything, I needed to flag her down. There was almost no exception. The place was not super-busy at least at first. And we waited for 15 minutes before she even approached us. I nearly had to complain to the host. At the end of the evening, she ran our check using a machine at table side, and we were given three options for a tip -- 20, 25, and 30 percent. This was on top of a 4.5 percent administrative fee for non-wait staff. Due to the expensive sushi I ordered, and the pricey cocktails, the bill was bloated. Under no circumstances, based on the service we received and the overall size of the bill, would i have tipped more than 15 percent. Instead, I ended up ambushed with no other option than 20 percent minimum. Yes, I paid essentially a 25 percent mandatory charge on the entire meal including alcohol. It was insult to injury at that point. I suppose I would recommend trying this brief for the burgers, which again seemed outstanding. Some of the other bar food, like tater tots and fried Brussell sprouts, might also work out well. Ultimately, the service fell well short of what I would have expected, and unfortunately the quality of the food and drinks did not make up for it. Sadly, probably a 20 percent great effort and attention to detail from our waitress would have made the evening about 50 percent more enjoyable. read more

Loved this place!!! The vibe was super cool and unique. The food was delicious, we got the gyoza, Dan Dan noodles, shore leave roll, mock-tails, and the Reese's ice cream. Would recommend all of them! Our waitress was lovely. I will be returning :) read more

Pay attention to your tab!! My friends and I came for Friday night drinks - before ordering they immediately asked for a card. The drinks themselves were ok, but nothing I'd get again. When it came time to closing the tab via toast I was just handed the total w the screen to tip and continue. Once I received my print out receipt I realized I was not just charged for the drinks, but also a 4% fair wage and wellness fee for the kitchen (only drinks here!) AND an automatic 20% gratuity!!! As well as the tip I had left as prompted by toast. Feels very sneaky to be using apps like toast where you don't see your bill beforehand and add gratuity. read more

We tried most of the cocktails on the menu, and they were all excellent! Didn't end up trying the rum water guns, though... Maybe next time.

The food was pretty good, but the menu is rather small. Waiter was kind of meh and kept disappearing not to be seen for a while. Cool The strangest part of this tiki bar is that it's a chic tiki bar - somewhat minimalistic South End Boston tiki. I would rather see some more tropical plants decorating the inside so it wasn't so much of concrete basement with wood shingles on the wall. Overall, I think the design of the place needs to go one way or the other - more city chic (cold and clean) and less tiki or more vacation tiki tropical (warmer and more decorated). Given how many chic bars exist in Boston I'd vote for the latter. When I go Tiki I want fun not fancy. read more

First time going out in Ink Block and for a neighborhood (if you can even call it that) that's only a few years old, it's got some personality and interesting spots to check out. I had heard about Shore Leave when it opened and it had been on my list ever since. Something about underground tiki bar seemed worth checking out. We plugged in the address in the Uber and headed over. The driver had a hard time finding it. Just look out for the green sign over the door. We walked in and were met by the hostess at the top of the stairs. We were told they were at capacity. It was around 10pm on a Saturday night. Good sign. We headed across the street for a drink and waited for them to text us that a table was ready. This worked our pretty well. When we got the text we walked down maybe three floors and met the same hostess. She walked us to our table. This was about an hour worth of wait. The place was pretty lively. It definitely had a lounge feel at that time of night. It was dimly lit and huge group drinks seemed to be on every table. We were sat near the back and got a large Mai Tai. The drink was nothing to write home about. There was so much ice it got watered down pretty quick. It also came with massive plastic straws (just a heads up) We also got a couple of snacks to nibble on and they came in small bags. We got the Sweet Chili Peanuts and Salt & Pepper Pork Rinds. So-So at best. Overall, it has a really cool vibe and other parts of the menu look really interesting. Great energy in the place and definitely has that exclusive feel. Definitely worth checking out. Definitely will impress your friends that haven't heard about it. Pro Tip: Ask about the secret sushi restaurant in the back read more

When on Shore Leave, it's best to take in the sights. This new take on a classic tiki bar vibe has all the right stuff going for it. What it makes up for in pizzazz, style and ambiance, it does lack in quantity of service. Now I'm not taking a star away because service was slow or I was dissatisfied with my time there. The overall experience was quite delightful. Their system for seating guests moves quite quickly and efficiently. I do appreciate their "no loitering" by the bar. Everything you order is by a server or the bartender directly if you're seated at the bar. No pushing, no fighting for space. It's all quite orderly. However, that system is premised on having enough staff to run this well oiled machine, and here, like many of the new restaurants opening up in the Greater Boston area, there is a dire lack of service industry workers to adequately staff these new restaurants. All in all, the drinks were strong, tasty and the food was just enough to last our time there. read more

Love coming here for drinks and bar bites! I've never had a full dinner but I plan to come back. All of the drinks are well-crafted, so the drinks and the ambiance alone really make this place great. read more

I am not a huge drinker anymore but I still enjoy a good cocktail and my preferred bar is a tiki bar. Some friends told me about Shore Leave so when we decided to have a drink we made this the one bar we visited. The outside is unassuming and it makes the bar have an almost hidden/secret speakeasy type feel to it. The bar is downstairs and has a fun feel to it. The lights are low, the décor nice but modest, and the service fantastic. The drinks were fun tiki drinks and although I enjoyed them I feel like the mixes could be improved a bit. We did have some snacks as well and thought the avocado BAO was really good. Overall this is a fun place to go for drinks. read more

I came here with a friend tonight, and had high expectations from the get-go... however, it was a very disappointing one. I loved the idea of a tiki bar, so I have been dying to try... I ordered what sounded like a sweet tropical drink, but when the drink came... it was horrible. It is so bitter that I only had a few sip of the cocktail. I had water instead with my appetizer. My friend also ordered a cocktail, and he didn't finish it either. I'm surprised why no one asked us how the drinks were, since it was only consumed 1/4 of the way. read more

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I was so excited to hear about a new tiki bar opening in the Ink Block area - but had a relatively middling experience. They're still working out the kinks, which is fine. However, when I ask for a bar seat when I walk in off the street and am told bar is full but they have a seat for me, then I walk into the actual bar downstairs and am given a very standoffish greeting, I'm not into it. I felt like I was interrupting the downstairs hostess just to ask to sit. Once we sat, things were fine. In general, we more had to flag down servers than get asked for things - and the drinks and food both took a very long time to come out. Our drinks took about 25 minutes, at which point our scallion pancakes were almost gone. The edamame didn't come til we asked once or twice. We decided not to stay for another round. If it weren't a new spot, I would've said three stars - but since this could be opening jitters, I'll give 'em one more shot. read more

Yo This place was great. Rare kinda menu that really builds. Order five things and share. Cocktails were divine. Server was prompt, pleasant and unobtrusive. Will return read more

I went here for the Santa sipping. I have a few problems with this place. First of all, the music was so so sad and depressing. The DJ must've just had like his entire family die in a fire depressing. Also, 0 Christmas music at a Christmas themed pop up bar? It was so loud I could barely hear my friends. Secondly, the service was a bit slow but I know everyone is understaffed right now so will let that slide. She seemed very skilled but ignored us for most of the meal. However, they still rushed us out for another reservation even though it wasn't our fault our food came out so late? The sushi was pretty average, and drinks are pricey for the gimmick. Also they added a 4% kitchen wellness fee???? For the staff??? How about just pay them more?? The margin on the $20 drinks are likely over 90%. It's an awful shame they don't just pay the staff more. They definitely deserve it. Cool spot to see the lights, but the sad atmosphere and being rushed out made me not want to ever come back. I'd recommend just getting a quick drink at the bar if you must for the gimmick and leaving. read more

Shore Leave - Kitchen admin fee? - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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First saw this place on my way to Whole Foods in South End. It's a hole in the wall but have heard a lot of buzz around town. Finally tried it out on a late Thursday night for couple drinks and apps. Initial impression: You go down couple flights of stairs. Felt pretty cozy and almost exclusive. At the end of the stairs, Shore Leave opens up to a darkly lit room that's very spacious and yet has an intimate feeling. It has a cool vibe that relaxes you into the place. Service: Staff here is very attentive and will accommodate you accordingly. Once it gets packed, you will have to anticipate for some wait. Perhaps because it is relatively new, I did feel the place was a bit under staffed. Drinks: Probably the home runner for this place. Very island-centric drinks. Lives up to the tiki vibe with the drinks. Would highly recommend the "Take Me With You" and "Takes Two To Mango". Food: To start off, we got Tuna Poke. It was refreshing and well seasoned. Right balance of flavor that went well with the drinks. Got some pork and fried clam baos and they were equally delicious. Perhaps more bun than we wanted but the baos satiated our hungers. Overall: Would recommend if you are in the mood for drinks and apps but expect a high bill. read more

Have you been to a place where the appetizers were the best part of your dinner? Well you will love it here since all they have is appetizers. The fried clam bao is wow. The salmon poke is not just okay it's fantastic. I got dibs on the Philippines ribs. And I didn't even mention the drinks yet. Fun and islandy tiki drinks. The 3 of us had 6 drinks and 9 of the pan-Pacific apps all of which I would highly recommend. Including tax and a 20% tip it was a very reasonable $200 read more

Drinks are amazing, inside super fun. So happy inside retro tiki dark and lights. Top notch sushi super fresh nice sized rolls. Dungeon burger was SO incredibly salty. I could tell it would have been so good except for the salt!! My salt threshold is pretty high too, due to my carnivore diet. read more

Hamachi fish collar was moist in the inside, crispy on the outside! Best enjoyed with a cocktail or two/three (can't remember). Place is in the basement and is hard to miss but give it a shot and you won't regret! read more

Best place in Boston for rum, tiki drinks, and sushi! Huge selection of sushi/nigiri and rolls. If you're a rum fan this is the place to try new pours, especially their private cask selections from Privateer! Never had a bad experience here! read more

Came here with a group on a Saturday night to grab a drink. It has a speakeasy feel. We headed downstairs to find a polished, dimly-light space with tropical wallpaper and wooden accents. There were multiples bars and tables for us to choose from (it was surprisingly empty for a Saturday night). I listened to the Yelp reviews and ordered the "Shore Leave" ($14), the bar's signature drink. Overall a well-made drink, bright, tangy, and strong! It was garnished with mint and this candy-coated cookie (do not attempt to eat it, disgustingly sweet). Definitely would be willing to come back and try another one of these over-the-top drinks. read more

Shore Leave - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Drinks: 4/5 Food: 3/5 This place is a somewhat hidden venue in South End. Vibrant scene, live music on Thursdays....decor feels like a tropical island. Drink menu was inventive, bar tender was nice, craft cocktail take a long time to make! Dinner menu was challenging. Limited options w majority fried items. Dishes we served...piled upon another with several dishes arriving at once. I was stressed! Scallion pancakes w King Crab Dip - probably two items that do better apart rather than together. Crab Rangoons w Pineapple Duck sauce - resembled empanadas. Small amount of filling. The pineapple duck sauce missed the mark. Baos: Pork - nice flavor combination, a bit salty, but well composed Fried clam - good concept but the flavors did not mix well with the bao Come here for drinks and live music! As we were leaving they started playing the Game of Thrones Soundtrack. Instantly regretted leaving. read more