Little Whale

Name: Little Whale
Address: 314 Newbury St, Boston, MA, United States, 02115
Telephone: (857) 277-0800
Price range: $50 and over
Rating: 4.7

4.7

432 Reviews

$50 and over

Seafood

Top Tags:

Little Whale Oyster Bar is a Classic New England Seafood Restaurant and Raw Bar from Chef Michael Serpa on Newbury Street in Boston's Back Bay. An ode to the seaside clamshacks are raw bars of the New England coast, Little Whale is a casual neighborhood spot focusing on local products and seafood friendly wines.

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Mar 23, 2023

7:00 PM

Booked 36 times today

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Cuisines
Seafood, Contemporary American, Wine Bar
Hours of operation
Mon–Thu, Sun 11:30 am–9:30 pm Fri, Sat 11:30 am–10:30 pm
Phone number
(857) 277-0800
Website
https://www.littlewhaleboston.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Owned/operated by
Latinx or Hispanic
Executive chef
Reggie Da Silva
Private party facilities
Please contact matt@grandtourboston.com for event inquiries.

Location
314 Newbury St, Boston, MA 02115
Neighborhood
Back Bay
Cross street
Newbury Street and Hereford Street
Parking details
Meter Parking 2hr. Prudential Center Lot. Dalton Street Lot. Closest Valet at Mandarin Oriental on Boylston Street.
Public transit
Green Line Hynes Convention CenterOrange Line Back Bay
Additional
Beer, Counter Seating, Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Vegan, Wine

Featured in

Popular dishes

Shrimp Cocktail {4pc}$16.00
old bay poached, cocktail sauce, lemon
Littlenecks on the Half Shell* {6pc}$18.00
jalapeño relish & lime
Tuna Crudo*$23.00
avocado green goddess, quick pickled cucumber, lime, sea salt
Salmon Crudo*$16.00
pickled fennel, orange, crispy carrots, sea salt
Hamachi Crudo*$24.00
golden watermelon, feta vin, aleppo pepper salt, mint
Mixed Ceviche*$22.00
fish & squid, leche de tigre, cucumber, chili, cilantro, peruvian corn
Dressed Maine Lobster$42.00
fresh lobster meat, lemon, olive oil, fines-herbes
Sardine Toast$15.00
marinated portuguese sardines, iggy's toast, pickled pearl onions, lemon
Caviar Omelette*$65.00
1oz island creek caviar, french omelette, herbs

Starters

New England Clam Chowder$14.00
fresh cherrystone clams, potato, smoked bacon, celery, thyme
Fried Ipswich Clams$29.00
whole belly clams, buttermilk, little whale tartar sauce, lemon
Bluefish Dip$12.00
toasted dark rye, apricot moustarda, pickled red onions, chives
Roasted Cauliflower$13.00
toasted almonds, golden raisins, harissa labneh
Rhode Island Squid Salad$20.00
cherry peppers, shaved cabbage, garlic bread croutons, tomato
Sautéed Clams$22.00
spicy tomato ragu, toasted garlic, basil, country bread
Maine Mussels$20.00
roasted leeks & fennel, mustard, white wine, crème fraîche, country bread
Broccolini$14.00
anchovy | caper | garlic, pickled fresnos, white anchovies, lemon
Beet Salad$16.00
ruby & golden beets, cranberry yogurt, blue cheese, endive, toasted walnuts

Sandwiches & Co.

Maine Lobster Roll$48.00
cold w/ mayo or warm w/ butter, iggy's brioche, fries
Fish Sandwich$24.00
beer battered hake, iggy's brioche, shaved cabbage slaw, tartar sauce, fries
White Clam Flatbread$26.00
fresh clams, garlic, oregano, chili flakes, parm, arugula salad

Mains

Gloucester Swordfish$40.00
marble potatoes, roasted fennel, country mustard beurre blanc
Maine Halibut$42.00
green curry shellfish broth, roasted broccoli, carrots, baby bok choy, cilantro
Greek Branzino$36.00
lentil salad, cucumber, radish, pickled onion, cauliflower puree
Lobster Spaghetti$48.00
roasted tomato ragu, toasted garlic breadcrumbs, basil, shaved parm
Steak Frites*$38.00
savenor's bavette {8oz} maître d'hôtel butter, mixed greens, frites

Plateaux

ask your server about our daily oyster selections

The Newbury*$95.00
6 local oysters, 4 shrimp cocktail, dressed lobster, ceviche, salmon crudo
The Grand*$145.00
12 local oysters, 8 shrimp cocktail, dressed lobster, ceviche, salmon crudo
The Big Whale*$295.00
24 local oysters, 12 shrimp cocktail, dressed lobster, ceviche, tuna crudo, caviar service

What 432 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7

4.7 based on recent ratings

4.7Food
4.7Service
4.5Ambience
4Value

Noise • Moderate

Sort by

Filters

P
Pete
New York Area
14 reviews
vip
5.0
14 reviews
Dined 4 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent seafood dinner. Got the Newbury appetizer platter which was incredible and could have been the entire meal for my wife and me. The entrees were equally terrific. Would recommend this to lovers of seafood without reservation.
LL
LauraL
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 4 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Little Whale has become one of my local favorites. The oyster selection is fantastic, fresh, and delicious. The wine perfectly compliments the food. And everything on the menu is amazing! Can't wait for our next meal here :)
OT
OpenTable Diner
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 5 days ago
overall5food4service5ambience4
Bartender (our server went above and beyond Saturday 18th).
FM
FoodieMom
Denver
15 reviews
vip
5.0
15 reviews
Dined 5 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Just had small plates and appetizers. Delicious and surprisingly filling. Mussels and hamachi were amazing.
R
Rhon
New England
7 reviews
vip
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on March 15, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Really sweet and helpful waitress. The cauliflower, blue fish paté & muscles were amazing as well as the halibut & swordfish! Excellent, clean meal. Can't wait to go back!!
OT
OpenTable Diner
New England
1 review
vip
5.0
1 review
Dined on March 12, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
We had the cutest lunch date here! The food was excellent and the staff were all very friendly and helpful. Can’t wait to go back!
DG
DavidG
New York Area
6 reviews
vip
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on March 11, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Food was excellent. Place was great. Lobster roll one of the best we have had.
OT
OpenTable Diner
New York Area
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on March 11, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience4
A lovely dinner. Food was excellent, service was very good. Our table was perfect. Will absolutely be back for more!
H
Harry
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on March 10, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
A quaint restaurant right on Newbury Street. Excellent food and great service!
LD
LizD
New England
69 reviews
vip
4.0
69 reviews
Dined on March 9, 2023
overall4food4service4ambience4
Very good. Sat at the bar and had 3 courses. Lovely oysters and crudo, brocollini, bluefish spread and entrees of swordfish and another fish. Very nice and knowledgeable staff.
GG
GeorgeG
Chicago
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on March 9, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great place for oysters and drinks! I will be back!
B
Binky1979
New England
45 reviews
vip
5.0
45 reviews
Dined on March 6, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent dinner! He had the mussels and I had the tuna crudo as appetizers. Both were scrumptious. For our main meals he had the halibut and I had the warm lobster roll. Both were delicious. Excellent service. We will be back!
JB
JoanB
New England
13 reviews
vip
5.0
13 reviews
Dined on February 25, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great menu with lots of options, outstanding oysters
OT
OpenTable Diner
New England
4 reviews
3.0
4 reviews
Dined on February 25, 2023
overall3food2service2ambience4
Server not friendly. Fish and chips lacked taste. Steak undercooked and chewy. Crab cake was yummy.
M
Metoo00000
New England
14 reviews
5.0
14 reviews
Dined on February 21, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Fantastic food and ambiance!
JK
JohnKacik
Denver
60 reviews
vip
5.0
60 reviews
Dined on February 20, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent oysters! The fish sandwich and lobster roll were tasty served with yummy fries.
N
Neveragain
New England
1 review
vip
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 19, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience3
I believe Little Whale was the best meal I have eaten in Boston and suburbs in the last 5 years. Every dish was memorable, and made to perfection. It felt healthy, and left me wanting to make mor reservations and introduce it to my friends. Fabulous
M
Mike59
New England
6 reviews
vip
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on February 18, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Little Whale is one of our favorite Boston restaurants and this was one of our best meals anywhere over the last few years
D
Dave
New England
60 reviews
vip
5.0
60 reviews
Dined on February 18, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Outstanding recreation from Michael Serpa. And love the option at that end of Newbury ... I was familiar with Select Oyster - but, I am now living in NH - so just getting to this one! A good friend and I shared "The Newbury", which was a perfect way to taste a blend of options. Two half pours of bubbly was a great side - and be impressed by how many wine choices worked with the menu. We both found Kandance to be knowledgeable, accommodating and sincerely personable. Cannot wait to return!! (To our right, we also got good reviews for the lobster spaghetti and to our left 2 thumbs up for the steak frites.)
JG
JamesG
Hamburg
4 reviews
vip
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on February 17, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
New favorite restaurant in Boston. Literally everything we’ve tried has been good to great. Hamachi crudo, fried clams, sautéed clams, sautéed mussels, broccolini, clam flatbread, halibut…. Everyyyyyything is good and different from one another. A+
OT
OpenTable Diner
New York Area
24 reviews
5.0
24 reviews
Dined on February 15, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
This is one of the best meals I have had I a while - got the plateau sampler and everything was delicious - more than I exited and perfectly seasoned. Also got broccolini…so great - only downside, no dessert, no coffee and no full bar!
TA
ThalitaA
Orlando
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on February 14, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Amazing food and service!
VN
VaibhavN
New York Area
2 reviews
vip
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on February 12, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great experience overall. Probably priced about 25-30% higher for what we would expect to pay for the dishes.
OT
OpenTable Diner
New England
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined on February 11, 2023
overall3food3service4ambience5
This place could be great. Most of our food was phenomenal, but the swordfish was overcooked (so disappointing) and ceviche was swimming in broth. They ran out of the wine we were drinking, which normally wouldn’t bother me but they don’t have a full bar - at least stock your white wine! Finally, they don’t serve dessert and just abruptly bring the check. Would come back for crudo, oysters, and beet salad only.
AD
ApostolosD
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 11, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Raw bar, and clamps fantastic. Mussels sauce with too much cream. Wine list very good. Bar ambience great.
OT
OpenTable Diner
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 9, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
I loved my meal here. The vegetable sides were amazing. The oysters and branzino were delicious. They were even able to accommodate my dairy allergy. My wife and I are already planning to go back.
OT
OpenTable Diner
New York Area
1 review
vip
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 29, 2023
overall5food5service2ambience3
Wished they had cocktails
JO
JaimeO
New York Area
4 reviews
3.0
4 reviews
Dined on January 28, 2023
overall3food3service3ambience3
Restaurant was cute but cramped/tiny. Service was fine. Food was fine: typical Back Bay spot that was overrated and underwhelming.
WO
WilliamO
New England
5 reviews
vip
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on January 24, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent restaurant. A little more upscale than sister restaurant “Select Oyster Bar”. Both excellent.
m
maryanne
New York Area
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 22, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Cozy, modern environment to enjoy incredibly fresh and well prepared seafood
CT
CarolynT
Washington DC
5 reviews
vip
4.0
5 reviews
Dined on January 21, 2023
overall4food4service5ambience4
The oysters with their sauces were unique and delicious. Our server made the night!
JL
JeffreyL
New England
6 reviews
4.0
6 reviews
Dined on January 21, 2023
overall4food3service4ambience4
It wasn’t as good as the first time we went. The “sauce” on the broccoli I was too heavy, the dressing on the side of salad of the clam flatbread was too vinegary, and the fries with the fish sandwich were too salty.
JH
JonH
Cleveland
7 reviews
vip
3.0
7 reviews
Dined on January 21, 2023
overall3food4service5ambience3
Yummy but nothing unusually amazing nor breaking new ground. It is Select which is nice but not unusual these days
GS
GuillermoS
New England
1 review
vip
4.0
1 review
Dined on January 14, 2023
overall4food4service5ambience5
I wish they had dessert
M
Meech
New England
3 reviews
vip
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on January 14, 2023
overall4food4service5ambience5
The seafood was incredibly fresh! Service was excellent. The only critique is I would have liked a little more acid or heat on the tuna and salmon Crudo. Food was delicious nonetheless.
JC
JerryC
New England
12 reviews
vip
5.0
12 reviews
Dined on January 8, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience4
Food was fresh and prepared perfectly. The waitstaff was welcoming and helpful.
HT
HungryTiger
Atlanta Metro
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on January 7, 2023
overall4food5service4ambience2
On the positive side, the fish is excellent, and the wines are well chosen. On the negative, management has bit of attitude: There is a $50 reservation cancellation fee, and what does a reservation get you? A seat at the crowded bar. Prices are high, and the 20% automatic service charge on top stings. Luckily, the service was friendly and efficient. Overall, a good meal, but with less than ideal conditions and value.
OT
OpenTable Diner
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on January 6, 2023
overall3food2service5ambience5
Having dined at Select I
OT
OpenTable Diner
New England
3 reviews
vip
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on December 31, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great service, amazing food. I would go back again for a special occasion. 10/10, thank you for an amazing evening, Little Whale!
OT
OpenTable Diner
New England
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on December 30, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
LOVED IT HERE! I’ll be back here very soon.

Safety precautions

Cleaning & sanitizing
- Surfaces sanitized between seatings
- Common areas deep-cleaned daily

Screening
- Sick staff prohibited in the workplace
- Staff is vaccinated

FAQs

Little Whale is rated 4.7 stars by 432 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Mar 23, 2023

7:00 PM

Booked 36 times today

314 Newbury St, Boston, MA 02115

Additional information

Cross street
Newbury Street and Hereford Street
Neighborhood
Back Bay
Hours of operation
Mon–Thu, Sun 11:30 am–9:30 pm Fri, Sat 11:30 am–10:30 pm
Cuisines
Seafood, Contemporary American, Wine Bar
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Meter Parking 2hr. Prudential Center Lot. Dalton Street Lot. Closest Valet at Mandarin Oriental on Boylston Street.
Public transit
Green Line Hynes Convention CenterOrange Line Back Bay
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Owned/operated by
Latinx or Hispanic
Executive chef
Reggie Da Silva
Additional
Beer, Counter Seating, Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Vegan, Wine

Website
https://www.littlewhaleboston.com/
Phone number
(857) 277-0800
Private party facilities
Please contact matt@grandtourboston.com for event inquiries.

Little Whale

Make a reservation

Additional information

5 restaurants pushing the envelope in Boston

LatinX-Owned and -Operated Restaurants to Support in Boston

Maine Lobster Roll

The Big Whale

Maine Halibut

Fruits De Mer

Shrimp Cocktail {4pc}$16.00

Littlenecks on the Half Shell* {6pc}$18.00

Tuna Crudo*$23.00

Salmon Crudo*$16.00

Hamachi Crudo*$24.00

Mixed Ceviche*$22.00

Dressed Maine Lobster$42.00

Sardine Toast$15.00

Caviar Omelette*$65.00

Starters

New England Clam Chowder$14.00

Fried Ipswich Clams$29.00

Bluefish Dip$12.00

Roasted Cauliflower$13.00

Rhode Island Squid Salad$20.00

Sautéed Clams$22.00

Maine Mussels$20.00

Broccolini$14.00

Beet Salad$16.00

Sandwiches & Co.

Maine Lobster Roll$48.00

Fish Sandwich$24.00

White Clam Flatbread$26.00

Mains

Gloucester Swordfish$40.00

Maine Halibut$42.00

Greek Branzino$36.00

Lobster Spaghetti$48.00

Steak Frites*$38.00

Plateaux

The Newbury*$95.00

The Grand*$145.00

The Big Whale*$295.00

Overall ratings and reviews

Sort by

Filters

Cleaning & sanitizing

Screening

FAQs

How is Little Whale restaurant rated?

Is Little Whale currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information

Featured in

5 restaurants pushing the envelope in Boston

LatinX-Owned and -Operated Restaurants to Support in Boston