Maredecadent brunchthis was our first trip to Mare. The oysters and cherrystones were wonderful, as were the steamed Thai mussels. The midday prosecco added lots. The only not-perfect note: the lobster roll. For lobster roll perfection, go around the corner to Neptune Oyster Bar. That said, we'll certainly go back to Mare, and we recommend it.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMMother's Day TreatMy mother loves oysters and my father loves italian food, so Mare was like hitting 2 birds with one stone. My parents were in town for the weekend and we had a great time at Mare.
Mare serves up probably about 10-15 different varieties of oysters at any given time as well as clams, shrimp, etc on the raw bar. While most of the appetizers and entrees incorporate seafood of some kind, there are also options for that one person that just doesn't eat fish.
Additionally, I have to say, the service was excellent. The whole staff seemed to be under control and know exactly what was going on despite a VERY VERY busy night. The food was timed perfectly, the wine continued to flow, and all the entrees came out piping hot. Salud!5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMAwesomeWent up to boston with my girlfriend for the weekend. This was the first place we ate at and hands down the best. We had the clams, mussels, shrimp cocktail (biggest I've ever seen), and king crab leg (also biggest I've seen) from the raw bar and it was all amazing. Finished it off with a lobster roll which was the best I've ever had! No complaints at all it was truly perfect.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMFinally got in to have dinnerFinally got in to have dinner on a Friday night- well worth the wait. Excellent wait staff, raw bar selections were fabulous and our main entrees were well prepared and presented. Looking forward to a return visit!5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMHigh Energy - Great Food!Great food and service. I loved the very energetic atmosphere. This is not a place to go for a romantic experience....rather, you'll feed off the energy from the patrons around you. Tables are close together - barely enough room to squeeze between and you'll have to lean in toward the table to have a conversation with your date. I had the seafood cannelloni and enjoyed every bite. Reservations were on a Friday evening and I'm glad I had them. There was a long wait for those who didn't...4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMFresh and modernCome here for fresh, non-touristy food in the north end! Excellent food and service.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMLoved it. The food was fantastic.Loved it. The food was fantastic. Our waiter was attentive, but not invasive. The service was impeccably timed and each course was served at just the right moment. We ordered some oysters, the calamari special, and then I had the truffle-crusted tuna and my date has the mixed grill. Everything was delicious. If you like seafood, you won't be disappointed!4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMOysters were delicious. DinnersOysters were delicious. Dinners were very tasty. Service was spot on. My 11 year old son was able to get plain pasta, yeah!4/3/2013 12:00:00 AMMare, Multo Bene!Went with our daughter on her recommendation for Dad's birthday. Great view of Faneuil Hall and Boston skyline through large, spotless window walls! Oysters were outstanding! Disappointed couldn't get a bloody Mary, unless with flavored sweet vodka, but the Italian wine was excellent! The seafood was fresh, beautifully presented. I loved the tuna encrusted. The birthday boy had linguine with shellfish...could have been a larger serving of shellfish, but he said it was very tasty. As a restauranteur, that was quite a complement! We will gladly return, even if the prices were a little steep for the side and fish on the plate. It was very nice to note they brought out a candle with the desserts we ordered, too!3/31/2013 12:00:00 AMI love Mare and have beenI love Mare and have been several times. The food is great and the atmosphere is nice/fun. This weekend the service was very good but the food took forever to come out of the kitchen which is why I only gave the overall experience and service 'good' ratings.3/30/2013 12:00:00 AMDelish!Enjoyed the Restaurant Week Menu and great service! A lot of people in a small space, not a lot of privacy or room, but it wasn't really an issue. It was just lively.3/29/2013 12:00:00 AMalways great food, our favorites:always great food, our favorites: the warm lobster roll and the Alaska king crab leg. Very friendly and knowledgeable servers. This time we went for restaurant week: unlike some other restaurants, Mare had a nice selection on their menu.3/28/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was excellent (asThe food was excellent (as always)...but because we were just a party of two this visit we had another table sat next to us that literally was less that 2 inches away...basically they were dining with us and it was sort of weird. Our waiter was great...the food was great (though entrees came out immediately after our apps were eaten)...and we will definitely come back again!3/28/2013 12:00:00 AMMare Oyster Bar was greatMare Oyster Bar was great for restaurant week. They offered oysters on a half shell plus some other great seafood options. Majority of my table ordered the lobster roll, which was delicious (and mostly lobster) plus the bread was also delicately toasted. For dessert, the flourless chocolate cake was amazing with some hazelnut ice-cream to top it off. Our waiter was great and very attentive. The restaurant is very small, like most north end restaurants. But the ambiance was nice, very good for date night.3/28/2013 12:00:00 AMOutstanding food!!! GreatOutstanding food!!! Great selection for resturaunt week!3/24/2013 12:00:00 AMMarvelous Mare...The appetizers alone were worth the visit. We had the best calamari we have ever tasted, not to mention, the pan-seared scallops and the Thai-style mussels. The lobster rolls (both hot and cold options) were packed with big chunk lobster meat - very tasty. The sea bass entree got rave reviews from everyone who had it.
The presentation of all the dishes was excellent.
The service was attentive and friendly, but not overbearing.
In other words, a splendid time was had by all.3/24/2013 12:00:00 AMSplendidExcellent dinner, the selection of oysters was better than I've seen anywhere. Our server was incredibly knowledgeable of all the selections from drinks to dishes and the atmosphere was perfect for a romantic dinner for two or a small group. a bit tight for my tastes, but the best meal I had while visiting Boston.3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMFabulous!Wonderful seafood, beautifully prepared, fresh and amazing. Great variety. Each of us thought each course was fabulous. The appetizers were crisp, ultra fresh including the littlenecks on the half shell. Unexpectedly, the dessert (flourless chocolate cake with hazelnut ice cream) was one of the best I've ever had! I look forward to going back.3/21/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food is deservedly ravedThe food is deservedly raved about in many magazines. We found it superb. The clams were heavenly. We had them fried, on pasta, and in a chowder with roasted halibut. Oh my, the halibut was a fantastic dish. The restaurant is lovely but tiny. If you need elbow room to feel comfy, this is not for you. The service was friendly, un-intrusive, and efficient. Highly recommended.3/17/2013 12:00:00 AMTHe restaurant is small butTHe restaurant is small but lovely with windows all around and on a corner - great for people watching in the North End. If in someplace other than the North End, it would be a neighborhood gem but the North End is full of them! I don't think it is a great place for kids - saw a few there but the food is a bit too nice/expensive for little ones. They have TV's with sports on and a nice little bar. A great place for seafood. A great Restaurant Week menu - very good food for the money. The wait staff is very friendly, knowledgeable and attentive.3/17/2013 12:00:00 AMLoved the place, great food,Loved the place, great food, great spot, excellent service - very attentive and solicitous.
The ambiance is good, but place has tables packed family style. Typical of North End..., just not my favorite.3/16/2013 12:00:00 AMHad a lovely meal here onHad a lovely meal here on a slushy night. Delicious, fresh seafood prepared beautifully. I had the truffle crusted tuna, my husband had the salmon. Tried some unusual wine selections that were excellent also!2/23/2013 12:00:00 AMSea scallops in lemon pastaSea scallops in lemon pasta - wow!! Great dinner all around - doesn't have the "touristy" feel of some of the North Side resturants.1/23/2013 12:00:00 AMLittle noisy and tables areLittle noisy and tables are VERY tight, but great service and wonderful food.1/1/0001 4:00:00 PM