Insider Pages Reviews for Mare

1 Stars: Would not recommend (by Jsol18)

Jsol18 — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 09:00:00 GMT

We tried Mare for Restaurant Week, to which the meal was OK but would never pay what they are actually charging for these dishes. In addition, the alchol was outrageously overpriced including a house bottle of wine for $55 (I have never paid that for house wine at any restaurant in the North End). Also, it was extremely hot inside as if their AC was not working. People kept asking for the air to be turned up but they said it was at it's max so we all just used our napkins to blot sweat instead...ridiculous.

1 Stars: OVER RATED (by Beantown B.)

Beantown B. — Sun, 03 May 2009 19:17:00 GMT

We made reservations at Mare for a nice Valentine's Day dinner, and were very disappointed (and it takes a lot to bother us). The waiter was a total snob, and gave us a dirty look when we wanted to split an appetizer. He then explained to us that "Mare is a traditional Italian restaurant, so you should get an appetizer, a first course, and a second course." Boy was he WRONG. The salad was fine, but I ordered the Linguine Frutti de Mare and it was semi-disgusting. I love seafood, but the mussels were actually bad, and made the whole dish hard to eat. I had a stomach ache for the rest of the night and woke up the next morning with the worst breath of my life. Not okay. The waiter continued to be a jerk for our entire meal. SOOOO not worth the big check we got at the end!

4 Stars: very good quality seafood (by Bonnie C.)

Bonnie C. — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:43:00 GMT

The seafood at Mare was wonderful. We made reservations for a business dinner and had one side of the restaurant to ourselves. The waitstaff was very attentive and really took care of us. The sampler fish platters were a hit as was the other fish that was ordered in our party. Very good.

2 Stars: Surprised at high rating (by unavaham)

unavaham — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:00:00 GMT

The food was just ok. The same food at a place with an Entree' half the price would have earned a great review.

As others have suggested here, just the grilled octupus is worth the visit.

4 Stars: Very good seafood (by t1willia)

t1willia — Mon, 12 May 2008 09:00:00 GMT

I would like to start off by rebutting a few statements made by other reviewers. First of all, any time you see a restaurant with $30+ entrees, it should be small. Beware of any restaurant that can seat 150, and/or one which you don't need a weekend reservation for. Generally speaking, you can be sure your food is prepared with less care, probably by some first year sous chef or lower. Secondly, these restaurants are only in it for the money. Finally, if you have ever been to Italy, you will know that the majority of Italian restaurants are small and family owned, not corporately franchised. As for the bar scene, obviously you don't go to an Italian seafood restaurant for the bar. As for the food, we stuck to the seafood, because it is a seafood restaurant. I started with the grilled octopus, which was good. It came with a pesto sauce and a potato foam. My girlfriend ordered the chef's grilled fish sampler for her entree (a nice idea, more places should do this). It came with six fish, all great accept for the monk fish, which was dry (way overcooked). I ordered the whole sea bass, which was fantastic. If you have never ordered whole fish before, just beware of small bones than can stick or choke you. The service was on par for a restaurant of this caliber. My only complaint was that the waiter charged us twice for alcohol. I quickly noticed the price discrepancy and pointed it out to him. He immediately apologized and recalculated the bill for us. So just look over your bill before paying. But after all, you won't find any mathematicians who wait tables on the weekend. So in conclusion, very good seafood, good service, wine was fine, nice atmosphere, don't go to propose or to get trashed at the bar.

3 Stars: Best Bread Pudding Ever! (by bettygurl2008)

bettygurl2008 — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 09:00:00 GMT

My boyfriend and I went to Mare for the first time & when we got there we saw that the place is really small. There is virtually no bar, so you can't sit and have a drink before dinner. The waiter arrived and was on top of us and pushed us to order when he arrived, took our drink order, delivered our drinks.... you get the idea. Anyway- we ordered the Bufala Mozz and it was insanely yummy. The mozz just melts in your mouth and the heirloom tomatoes and mushrooms with it are a great addition. Just before the apps came out a woman came over and said that our waiter went home so she would be taking care of us. She was wonderful, kept up with us without being in our faces. Our main dishes were not impressive at all. The Wild Boar was so salty that I couldn't eat more than half and my throat was on fire from it. His spaghettoni was good but being at 6'5" he was upset with the small portion. The dessert however was DIVINE. the vanilla bread pudding with caramel and Amaretto Gelato was the best I have ever tasted. I was fine, but he left hungry and ate again when we got home. End Result: go for Mozz and bread pudding. Eat dinner elsewhere

3 Stars: 1st Time Restaurant Week Visit (by kelbot74)

kelbot74 — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 09:00:00 GMT

We live about a 10 min. walk from Mare and it is in a good location and the outside is very appealing. The restaurant is beautifully decorated, although small, but is unique to most restaurants in the city. We were disappointed to find out they did not have bar to sit at and have a cocktail before dinner, but they did make us some drinks as we waited for our table. The lemon drop martinis are made with lemoncello and they are incredible!

We decided to order from the restaurant week menu and the mussels were fresh and delicious! Our dinners took about 40 mines to arrive after our appetizers, which were a bit annoying, but they were very nice about it and we were having fun anyway so it did not matter so much. I had the salmon which was very fresh and sweet, one of the best pieces of fish I have had in Boston. My husband ordered the gnocchi and it was ok, not great as the gnocchi seemed to be a bit too firm and the sauce was a bit tasteless. There are many other places in the North End to get better gnocchi. This is a seafood restaurant, so I would stick with getting fish here. Dessert was nothing unique but very tasty and fresh. We would go back, but we would order from the regular menu this time and stick with the fish dishes.

5 Stars: Lovely place (by veggie2001)

veggie2001 — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 09:00:00 GMT

Went for an early Sunday dinner, and really enjoyed the experience. Our waiter (I believe his name was Giovanni) was very helpful in describing the dishes and specials. He helped us select wines by the glass and advised us that the primi course can be ordered in half portions.

I had the restaurant week menu - the mozzerella in the caprese salad was so fresh, and the gnocchi had a lovely sweetness balancing the earthy vegetables. Also samples were the truffle skate (very rich), the stuffed lobster (SOOO much food), fried clams (from Ipswich, with a light batter), octopus (the foam accompanying it was very interesting), and lemon pasta (a fresh, light alternative to oil & garlic). My menu came with the ricotta torte (basically a lemony cheesecake) for dessert.

The space is simple and fresh, and we enjoyed watching the videos of the Italian countryside on the TVs.

All in all, a really great experience.

5 Stars: Great North End Dining (by bostondiner26)

bostondiner26 — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 09:00:00 GMT

Usually the North End is a destination I reserve for out of town guests with indiscriminate palates who want Italian food. The typical restaurant can serve a good version of pasta with marinara and meatballs, but is rarely notable. Mare, however, was awesome. The food was atypical for the North End with a focus on seafood and gourmet pasta rather than the usual, boring dishes that can be found anywhere on Hanover or Salem Streets. I started with the grilled octopus which, while smallish, was VERY tender and flavorful. I split the spaghetonni (spelling ?) with a friend for the second course and it too was awesome, tastes of (i think black) truffles and wile mushrooms with a creamy sauce were perfect for the fall/early winter Boston weather. For a main course, I had the Halibut which, though other reviews said was not worth it, I found to be great. The accompaniments were neither imposing nor unnecessary. I will definitely be going back. The service was very good, knowledgeable, and unrushed (though the server did have a difficult time helping us decide between a few dishes as he said our choices were "all very good" and "depended on personal taste"). Also, good selections of wine by the bottle including good reserves, though the at least the red wines by the glass could use a slight tweaking (only one Chianti, no Barolo and a seemingly randomly placed tempranillo for an Italian restaurant). All in all, a good experience with great food, will definitely return.

1 Stars: Worst high-end restaurant I've visited in Boston, BEWARE, the fish made us SICK (by catalano1)

catalano1 — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 09:00:00 GMT

This was our second time at Mare, the first was right after it opened, and was terrible, but we chaulked it up to "newness" and not working the kinks out yet. Unfortunately, it was even worse.

The waiter wasn't friendly, and seemed like he just didn't want to be there, speeding through descriptions, and not enthusiastic at all. They then mixed up our wines pouring the wrong wine in the wrong glass.

The octopus was small and tasteless, and the other fish wasn't fresh by any stretch. I took two important clients there and I got the great call 2 days later that they got sick from the food. I wanted to impress them with true "itralian seafood" as I keep raving about restaurants in my home city of Pesaro (I was born on the adriatic coast of Italy, sea food central!)

2 Stars: Mare Not Woth the Trip (by jeno790)

jeno790 — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 09:00:00 GMT

I have dined at Mare twice this year (2007) and my experience couldn't have been more different each time. The first time I went it was for a friend's birthday. The service was great and the seafood was just terrific. I just returned from my second trip to Mare and it was just terrible! The only highlight was the service - very friendly but not obtrusive. I ordered the caesar salad which was just plain bad. Lettuce was still very wet from being washed and the popcorn shrimp on top of the salad was an odd choice and not very good. We also ordered the Wellfleet oysters and the group agreed that the limoncello with the oysters was weird - the oysters were not finished. We also ordered the zucchini fritters - bland. For the entree I ordered the halibut - it arrived way over cooked to the point of being a bit shriveled. At $30 this was much too expensive to justify.

I was embarassed that I recommended this restaurant to my friends as I could tell that they were just as disappointed as I was leaving the restaurant.

3 Stars: underwhelming (by elvistaco1)

elvistaco1 — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 09:00:00 GMT

We answered the eternal Boston question: "Italian or Seafood?" with Mare, and regretted our indecision. We found the atmosphere plain, bare, and cold, rather than cool and hip. The vaunted BBQ Octopus was only a tiny piece with some grill seasoning, and the potato foam was pointless. Not the freshest, either. The Tuna Crudo was listless, really just a hunk of raw tuna, and the "Proscuitto Canneloni" was goofy; it neither complemented nor enhanced the tuna. The Seafood risotto was tasty, however.

5 Stars: Great seafood!! (by aruber)

aruber — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 09:00:00 GMT

This restaurant was excellent! We were very pleased with the food, drinks, and service . The lemon drop martini and caribbean breeze martinis were very good. We had the halibut and the Frutti del Mar. Both were outstanding. We highly recommend this place!!

1 Stars: OK except for the food (by yabbadabba)

yabbadabba — Sat, 26 May 2007 09:00:00 GMT

I've heard such good reviews about Mare, I was psyched to finally check it out. Service was attentive -- but then again, it was very early so we were the first customers at that hour and the place was practically empty. My date ordered a pasta dish with scallops and in spite of the teeny tiny portion, he didn't bother finishing it. We both ordered the ceasar salad with shrimp. It was flavourless and bland. The "popcorn" shrimps were curious additions (I don't know what the chef's intentions were with these) as they were dessicated, like something that had been freeze-dried. The worst were the oysters. Truly the worst oysters I've ever had. They were not at all fresh and the greenish slime around the shells and edges made them unappealing. The lemon ice they were served with might have worked if the oysters themselves were palatable. Plus, they weren't shucked very well I had to navigate around the fragmented bits of shells in the meat. I have no idea how this place remains popular. To be fair though, the ambience, in spite of being a bit crowded, is refreshing. After the sad meal, we were afraid to order dessert.

3 Stars: Cool atmosphere, Pretty Average, Pricey (by jeffdo)

jeffdo — Thu, 17 May 2007 09:00:00 GMT

This place looks very cool and is quite nice inside. The service was very good as well. However the food left a lot to be desired. The fried clams was fairly pathetic for New England standards; they were not crispy at all and lacked flavor (no salt). The creamy wasabi tartara sauce with it was tasty though. My girlfriend got some kind of lemon spaghetti and scallop dish which she said was pretty bland and flavorless (I did not taste). I had the skate wing which was OK, not really memorable except that it was a massive portion. Why do all nice Boston restaurants have to serve so much food? I'd rather have a small entree and room for dessert. Unforunately, I did not have room to taste the desserts. Lastly, I think all the wines were Italian so don't look for any diversity there. BL: I wouldn't go back here unless someone else was treating.

4 Stars: Decadent stuffed lobster (by bubbleandsqueak)

bubbleandsqueak — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 09:00:00 GMT

Organic costal cuisine, quite a concept, and quite a taste. The stuffed lobster is one of the most deliciously decadent dishes I have had. They do not have a liquor license for hard alcohol but they make up for it by serving martinis made from flavored liquors. Regional seafood is very fresh and tasty.

Ambiance is nice if a bit drab. A seat at the small bar gives you a view direct into the kitchen.

5 Stars: Great place for a girls night out (by jeudiblonde)

jeudiblonde — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 09:00:00 GMT

Went with three of my girlfriends...we were treated like gold. Service was informative and unobtrusive. Wine list is excellent. Mixed drinks are great too. Food melted in our mouths. The only bad thing was that it got a little cold with all of the windows open and there really is not room to wait at the a 4-seat bar.

5 Stars: Wine, Food Pairing (by gwi)

gwi — Sat, 15 Apr 2006 09:00:00 GMT

Ordered the Pizzetta, Spaghettoni, Black Squid Ink Ravioli, and the Tuna Mezzo Crudo. Had sommelier pair each course with wine and she did an excellent job. Food was excellent, wine was excellent, ambience OK.

4 Stars: Good food and outstanding service (by theduke37)

theduke37 — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 09:00:00 GMT

3 out of 7 courses were world class, while the other four ranged from average to good. The 3 outstanding ones were the asparagus and proscuitto with truffle sauce, the wild mushroom spagettoni and the Nantucket Bay scallop carrot soup. The tuna was average at best. The surf and turf was about the same. Seafood antipasto was inventive and interesting, although nothing jumped out as outstanding. The lobster pasta was good, but not great. I'd stick with appetizer and pasta here. The entrees seem to lag behind a little bit. Nevertheless, well worth a trip.

Service was excellent, even on Valentine's Day. Very cool atmosphere with a Miami vibe.

5 Stars: Mare is not to be missed! (by valletta)

valletta — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 09:00:00 GMT

Four of us visited Mare on the first weekend after New Years, perhaps a relatively calm time. On that particular Friday night, we received flawless food and service (we are all frequent restaurant goers in all price ranges -- two of us in San Francisco, two in New York). Pricey, but well worth it. We did the 5-course tasting menu, every course was scrumptious and innovative, and the whole was perfectly balanced. Especially memorable were the potato flan topped with crawfish and the ricotta-stuffed zucchini flower beignet. Also wonderful carrot soup, pastas, and a classy surf and turf. We went with a wine flight, the sommelier was spot-on with the choices. The service was terrific in general, prompt and professional but very warm, and the kitchen crew gave us a nice send-off as we left (I think they enjoy preparing the tasting menu!)

5 Stars: thankfully not your typical italian restaurant (by purrbox)

purrbox — Fri, 30 Dec 2005 09:00:00 GMT

The passion in the food is so evident, you must try the angel hair with scallops and the spaghetoni (sp) pastas, not only are the flavors full and fresh but the scents are breathtaking. The BBQ octopus app was cooked to perfection and not like any other we have had before, delicious! The service was very friendly and knowledgeable without being stuffy, we felt welcomed and very comfortable. We can't wait to go back, especially in the summer time when they open all the windows that surround most of the restaurant, it must be magical

1 Stars: User review by joanned_02149 (by joanned_02149)

joanned_02149 — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 09:00:00 GMT

I must say that I agree with most of the reviews for Mare. Although I love the friendly lady with the short hair and funky eyeglasses that floats around there, I do not think that I will be going back there again anytime soon. Even with 8:00 reservations, we were the last table seated around 9:30 or so. After placing our orders we waited a while for our appetizers - give me a break! Fifteen dollars for two stuffed zucchini blossoms? I understand organic is expensive but come on! After that we waited nearly an hour before a waitress came over to tell me that they were all out of the fish I had ordered, so then we had to wait longer for our entrees to arrive after that. They did comp us a bottle of wine but we had already had two so it wasn't really enjoyed.

1 Stars: ICK ICK ICK (by ruggy)

ruggy — Thu, 27 Oct 2005 09:00:00 GMT

What I liked: Excellent white chocolate martini. The caesar salad with shrimp is very good. The service was attentive and thorough. The location was easy to get to, and I liked the corner spot.

What I didn't: Tables are right on top of each other (and the people next to us kept butting into our conversation!). The portions are small, especially for the price. I had the parrechi (sp?)...the crab meatballs tasted like they had shells in it. Ick.

Overall, I was disappointed...I never make it to the north end, and I wish we went to a more classic italian rest. where I know I would get a good meal.

1 Stars: Hungry? Keep Walking (by svenseven)

svenseven — Sun, 23 Oct 2005 09:00:00 GMT

The "food" was all so very precious. We thought maybe they were joking. They weren't. Fortunately this trendy little fishbowl is close enough to enough places where you can actually eat. You'll spend a lot here, get very little, and listen to your stomach growl.

1 Stars: Disappointment (by spilly777)

spilly777 — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 09:00:00 GMT

I was very excited to try Mare after many enjoyable meals at Bricco, but have to say I was extremely disappointed with the experience. I liked the contemporary decor and overall atmosphere, but that is all. The service was below average; our waiter was not helpful and even arrogant. I ordered a seafood risotto which was, if I recall, $24, and the portion was the smallest I've ever been served, bar none. There were two girls sitting at a parallel table that actually laughed at me. I eat out very often and have no problem paying for quality, but my meal at Mare was one of my more disappointing in recent memory. I've read many excellent reviews, but I have to disagree wholeheartedly.

4 Stars: Very Good (by me73)

me73 — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 09:00:00 GMT

I was very excited to try this new restaurant, was pleased that my party was seated promptly, staff very helpful in making recommendations and was attentive. Food costly, but excellent, had the special tuna with eggplant, fabulous, desert was even better, blueberry crepe, can't say enough nice things, would definitely go again, very romantic and enjoyable.

1 Stars: User review by ouchita (by ouchita)

ouchita — Mon, 08 Aug 2005 09:00:00 GMT

Was excited to try Mare last week, despite the objections of a friend who recently went and gave it a thumbs down. Went with 5 friends last week and couldn't have been more disappointed. Atmosphere was pretty cool, service was fine, but food was terrible, and way overpriced - some entrees up to $40. I know they are going for some organic feel for the food but seafood antipasta just didn't work. A few of the people liked their food, but no one was blown away and my seafood stew was nothing special at all. With so many good places around, and with the prices being so high, definitely never heading back there. Being local and a big seafood fan, I had high hopes.