We dined at Ostra with a friend from Back Bay, Boston. This restaurant stands out for fresh seafood, decent wine list, beautiful decor, and excellent service. We strongly recommend the Spanish Paella. read more

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Food, service, and ambience is excellent. The dishes were well prepared with creativity. I had a great experience. Definitely will return when I am in Boston read more

Food was great! Service was better! I sat at the bet and sampled different small plates...all . Make a reservation- my wait on a friday evening for one at the bar was 45 mins. And, yes it was worth the wait! read more

I booked this place for a birthday. My guest loves seafood and I heard this place was really good. We had an early dinner during the middle of the Christmas and New Year's week so I wasn't sure if it was going to be busy. The place was empty when we arrived but filled up as the night went on. High ceilings almost museum like ambiance but still very clean and well decorated. Our server was excellent and talked about the menu giving us recommendations. We ordered oysters, grilled octopus and hamachi crudo. All of the appetizers were excellent the oysters were fresh and briny but the hamachi crudo was by far and way the best appetizer. There were 4 of us and 3 of the 4 ordered seafood. We ordered salmon, paella and branzino. My non seafood guest ordered the filet mignon well done. Overall the food, experience and service were excellent. There were a lot of people waiting on our table which is great. 5 stars read more

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Ostra is elegant and delicious with impeccable service. Expensive, but you do pay for what you get. Obsessed with the horse-shoe crab plates, although the rest of the decor somewhat chintzy. I'll take the chintz for an otherwise consistently superb experience read more

Thank you so much for the best dessert Warm Chocolate Torte** Chocolate Crumble, Vanilla Ice Cream, Baked to Order Snow Egg** Meringue, Lemon Curd Mousse, Raspberry, Basil read more

I wish I liked Ostra as much as everyone else, but I did not care for the food whatsoever. Everything was either bland and ordinary or salty with no distinct flavors. The steaks were okay, risotto was too salty, paella was good for the first bite but got boring really quickly. The branzino was the biggest disappointment of the night - we saw every table around us order it so we thought we would try it too. It was over cooked, and way too sour from the oregano lemon sauce. Even by itself, the fish was bland and just not enjoyable. The most memorable part of my dining experience was the gorgeous decor & furnishing as well as the great attentive service received. read more

Really good seafood and certainly worth trying. We had a good mix of dishes and the lobster was easily my favorite. Potato bread was also surprisingly on point. Nice for date night, nice family dinner or business casual get-togethers. read more

Enjoyed a good dinner at Ostra while in town for college visits with my daughter. We sat outside enjoying the balmy weather in Boston. My daughter had booked the place after reading about it and these reviews were correct, the food is good. We shared 2 starters, the lobster risotto (meaty and tasty but overcooked and oily) and the grilled octopus. As main, we ate the branzino (with heavy parmesan truffle fries) and the sea bream (with an incredible heirloom tomato salad.) I applaud the team @Ostra for the way they're managing social distancing and cleanliness at the restaurant. They have an attentive staff which is working to ensure diners are safe. Well done! read more

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Exceptional service and great food. I am glad I visited Ostra while in Boston. We enjoyed everything. read more

Ostra - Broiled Twin Maine Lobster split into two - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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We walked in to have dinner here and got seated promptly. However, the general manager (Massi Ouyahia) was quite rude in his comments and verbal delivery and so we decided to not dine. Though I cannot comment on the quality of the food, my brief encounter with the general manager makes me never want to return. read more

Aptly located in the Theater District, Ostra sure knows how to put on dinner and a show! The details were all there - from our beautiful charger plates featuring a gold-outlined horseshoe crab to the "smoked-to-order" Faroe Island salmon tartare, which was served with the smoke still trapped beneath a glass dome, to the high-ceilinged space with walls dominated by massive nautical wall art, to the whimsical plating of our mains and desserts, we were taken on a memorable visual and culinary journey from beginning to end. It's rare that my family struggles with what we want to order, but everything on the massive menu at Ostra looked so good, we were indecisive up until the moment we placed our order. Table favorites included the aforementioned smoked salmon tartare ($23) and the intensely flavorful, perfectly cooked Valencia-style paella ($49), but really, every dish we tried was outstanding. Service was excellent as well - though the restaurant was clearly short-staffed for the holidays, our waiter was extremely attentive and the pacing of the meal was great. Also, we ordered some cocktails in the lounge area since there was a ~30 minute wait after our reserved time for our table to clear (I will say it would have been a nice gesture if they had comp'd us something for waiting that long) and all of our drinks were expertly mixed. All in all, if you find yourself in central Boston looking for a classy (albeit very pricey) dinner spot that delivers on the wow factor in ambiance, service, and food, I would highly recommend Ostra. read more

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Oysters - accruements were excellent. Oysters were good but not enough brine for my taste. Caviar was good. Again, the accruments/sides were excellent. Linguini bolognese was average. Paella - fish cooked perfectly and the seasonings were spot on. However, it was a tad dry from being overcooked as the sauce was a little burned on the sides of the pans. Wine was excellent. Although food was very good, this is lime fast food fine dining. The uptempo music is bordering like being at a casino and the staff rush everything with two of my dishes almost being thrown on the table. They just seem like they want you in and out fast so they can keep turning tables which takes away from the dining experience. read more

I don't understand how so many people love this place. I chose this dinner place based on all the excellent reviews for this place and it was a short walk from our hotel. First off when we sat down we were asked if we wanted still or sparking water. Generally in Italy when they ask that it's either sparkling water from a bottle or just tap water. I said still but then realized later there is still bottle water for $13 we paid for. I wish I knew I had to pay for water before they gave it to us. Moving on we weren't that hungry so we decided to order some small plates. We got a plate of bread and butter (average). I got the crab risotto while my friend got the spaghetti with shrimp. For $30 the crab risotto was okay. It was under seasoned with barely enough seasoning. I had to ask for salt to make it better. There is also so little crab as well (and the dish itself was tiny). My friends pasta dish was better than my dish atleast. I did like the ambiance of the place but the food is mediocre with high prices. I don't mind spending a pretty penny on food but it better be worth it. Our server also ignored us most of the night and it took awhile to finally get our bill and leave. Not worth the time or money in my opinion. read more

Our party was eager to start our trip to Boston with an authentic seafood meal. We sat down and the server was gracious and welcoming: this was the only positive part of our dining experience. Our order was taken and our wine arrived quickly followed by bread and main course. We felt as though we were being rushed through the meal. Which made me think... Was the pasta already cooked and we got there? The pasta was tasty but the portion left everything to be desired. Not only did we leave hungry but the food was definitely overpriced. We were in and out of the place before 30 minutes were over: still hungry and on the search for proper meal! Expensive: $38 for seafood spaghetti ( portion would fit in a tuna can) and sparkling water was $14 ! Per bottle. Didn't care for the ambiance: it felt cold and unwelcoming. Don't waste your hard earned money. read more

The food and service here was wonderful, but the ambiance was just ok. Busy, but very quiet. Not sure I would go back. read more

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Came here for a dinner while I was visiting Boston. I enjoyed the atmosphere and service of the restaurant. The food was also great - seafood was extremely fresh as you would expect from Boston. Only thing was I probably wouldn't want to pay that amount if I wanted to eat lobster or get a nice amount of grilled octopus. read more

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Overall - an excellent choice for a night out, Ostra offers a fine spread of contemporary and stylish dishes that please both the palette and the eyes. While there were some weak points with the paella, l enjoyed most of the dishes we order! The Fare - Grilled Spanish octopus - juicy and flavorful, the octopus was charred just right with a good pairing of Vidalia onions and capers Smoked salmon tartare - a fun starter, smokey and sweet with a bed of yams and apple Pan seared scallops - well paired with the mandarin dressing, though I recommend pairing this with an additional side for more quantity Valenciana style Paella - the risotto and chorizo base was good, however the seafood portion was somewhat overcooked Snow egg - a signature treat worth trying to round up your evening read more

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Everything was delicious! We came here as a party of 4. We booked a table through open table the night before (we ate on Monday night at 7pm). If you don't have a car, the restaurant is right between the bolyston and Arlington green t stations. Once you enter, you're greeted by a smiling hostess who asks to take your jackets/bags. Once seated, we were in awe of the restaurant interior design. Everything was simple and nice. But anyways on to the food. Because that's what we're all here for. We ordered 4 appetizers: kale cesear salad, snow pea salad, campanelle, and the calamari. Both the salads were delicious! The amount of dressing was just enough. The snow pea salad was chopped finely and tasted very fresh. The calamari was also delicious, not overly greasy or rubbery tasting. Even the complimentary bread was good and freshly warmed. On to the main dishes, there was a custom vegetarian dish (not on the menu, but just ask for it), grilled sea bream, paella, and pan roasted halibut. Everything again was delicious. I cannot explain it, you just have to go try it for yourself. Lastly dessert! We ordered the apple spice cake and the snow egg. I think the snow egg would be better with a mint sauce instead of basil, but it was personal preference. Both desserts were again delicious but the apple spice cake was the favorite for the table. Overall food was amazing. Service was superb. The restaurant was clean and modern. Definitely will come back to try new and have the same dishes! read more

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Still one of my top restaurants in Boston! We came here to celebrate Valentines Day. As always, the food and service could not be beat. We ordered: Salmon Tartare: 5/5 great presentation and so delicious with smoked undertones Sea Bass Tartare: 5/5 i love the thin crisps it comes with to dip in. Very light, fresh taste Ricotta Gnocchetti: 4/5 I actually ordered this as my entree as I came pretty full and it was enough. Loved the ingredients but it was a bit too salty 48 Day Prime Dry Aged Ribeye: 5/5 this tasted pretty sweet but worked so well Yuzu Cremeux: 4/5 a lot more citrusy and tart than we had expected but a very nice dessert to end dinner Overall, food is amazing and they use quality ingredients. What I was most impressed with this time was the service. A busser accidentally spilled water on my date and she was very quick to clean it up. We ended up getting our drinks for free along with dessert. I'll be coming again and recommending Ostra! read more

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Excellent food and overall experience!! Knowledgeable staff and perfect recommendations, would love to go back!

As always, beautiful delicious food and impeccable service. Ostra has been one of my favorite places for a Mediterranean seafood menu for years. This past minute we had a split a kale salad to start and had the lobster gnocchi appetizer, Both of which were nice and refreshing. For dinner I had the Columbia river grilled salmon and my husband ordered the monkfish, of course as usual we had no complaints. The manager is wonderful always caring for the guests. read more

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Ostra has impeccable service and is extremely mindful of the COVID-19 precautions. We ordered the sea bass tartare, king crab, risotto, fried oysters and paella. Overall, I thought the food was good but not exceptional. We also thought the entree menu was limited and not eye catching. It is a good restaurant. I had a good experience, especially with its staff. However, given that it is an upscale restaurant, i expect everything to be perfect. As I found the food to be just good, not great, I give it four stars. read more

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The food? Delicious! The service? Second to none! The ambience? Fantastic! We arrived early and were seated right away. Staff took great care of us and the food was out of this world! Can't wait to go back. read more

We had an excellent meal - started with delicious caipirinhas and moved to fish soup - delicious (small portion but that's ok) which had chunks of fish in a delicious base (not a broth more pureed tomato base) We had sea bream for a main course, which was well cooked and not dressed up but had delicious natural flavor. Well worth the visit read more

Came for dinner with my fiancé and we were really disappointed. Food is always great here which is why we have returned multiple times, but the service has gone very far downhill. It was so bad we spent over 2.5 hours in the restaurant waiting on multiple courses. Our bottle of wine we ordered never came for appetizers and we were informed it was out of stock after we finished eating them. We didn't order anything that takes time (like the Branzino) in fact our first 2 courses were raw... We were never informed of the chef's specials of the night which left me with a disappointing lava cake when the table next to us was served a gorgeous chocolate mousse,I didn't know existed, decorated in florals. It was like night and day. Honestly the staff looked frazzled. I feel quite bad, but for the price we paid for 2 people (close to $500) the service was NO WHERE near worth the price what so ever. We even tried to let the hostess know on the way out to which she replied "oh okay". Such a shame honestly. We used to be frequent guests. read more

Worst experience with this restaurant.. First, service is really slow. Second, I got food poison from this place. Threw up five times all night. I was really excited about this restaurant but end up had worst fine dining experience ever in my life. read more

My favorite restaurant in Boston 10/10. Every single item from the menu is amazing.Alaskan King Crab,Hamachi CrudoLobster GnocchiRicotta GnocchettiSea Bass TartareSmoked Salmon TartareYellowfin Tuna read more

Amazing dinner and service! The seafood was fresh and expertly prepared! My sister has celiac and her meal was made with special care! Thank you Caitlin for the recommendations and excellent service! Oh and the ambiance was beautiful. read more

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Ella the bartender was an encyclopedic knowledge of the menu as well as the beverages. We enjoyed our dinner at the bar where a foodie friend and I were able to share many of the fabulous dishes like the Alaskan King Crab starter, Baby Kale Caesar, Ricotta Gnocchetti (my favorite), and a perfect medium rare Petite Filet. Desert was the Bomba Rice Brûlée also one of Ella's recommendations and it did not disappoint. Several of her recommendations were amazing and the service of the entire staff was friendly, engaging and fun. Thanks for a great dinner after a tough day building a kitchen. PS. The blue cheese olives in the martinis are not to be missed either. read more

Where do I start? I have never submitted a written survey before, but Ostra has earned my praise and deserves this distinction. I took my husband to Ostra for his birthday, and, dare I say, it was an experience from the moment we got there. The staff, from the hostess to the waiter, wished my husband a happy birthday (I had mentioned it on the reservation). The food was excellent (the caviar and the branzino were superb). We were offered towels for refreshment between courses, and our silverware was also changed. The tables were also cleared of any crumbs, and attention was given to every aspect of our culinary delight. All in all, my husband and I had a wonderful time and can't wait to return. Thank you, Ostra team, for your part in making my husband's birthday a memorable one. read more

By my estimation, Ostra is one of the very few restaurants in the Theater District worth your time and money. The menu is truly decadent and the focus on seafood goes far beyond the norm. I was in the mood for a steak, so had the 48-day dry aged prime ribeye ($63), which was a bone-in 16oz cut from Creekstone farms. The steak was prepared to perfection and the red wine reduction it came with was as classic as it gets. Of all the steaks I've had in Boston this was among the best (with the 100-day aged ribeye at Grill 23 also coming to mind), and a side of broccolini and pine nuts made a fantastic pair. I have to take a star off because what I actually asked for was the 12oz prime sirloin, but maybe the waitress just had my best interests at heart. Or maybe she was too distracted by the woman next to me who kept asking for her drink to be remade again ... and again. Oh, and the dated ambience is straight out of the 90's (complete with bar piano player), and if you're not wearing at least business casual you'll feel somewhat out of place, but hey--welcome to Boston. read more

Ostra - 48 Day Prime Dry Aged Ribeye - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Perhaps my favorite restaurant in Boston. Worth the price. Fresh, fresh, fresh. Service is impeccable. Wine list superb.

Oh my goodness. This was the absolute best seafood restaurant experience of my entire life, and I live in the Bay Area where seafood is fresh and plentiful. The service - We were greeted immediately and the staff was so warm and inviting, especially toward our 8 year old daughter (a formidable foodie herself). The hostess was so kind, taking our coats and getting right down at our daughter's eye level to speak to her and offering her paper and colored pencils. All the food arrived quickly and our water glasses were constantly refilled. The staff is incredibly professional and the entire place operates like a well-oiled machine. The food - WOW! We started with the yellowtail tuna carpaccio, which arrived along with steaming hot bread with tiny potato crisps on top and a bowl of olive oil, butter, and fresh oregano that was salty in a wonderful way. I could have made a meal of just the bread. The carpaccio was decadent, fresh, and bursting with umami. All three of us devoured it. My daughter got the grilled salmon which comes with a green hummus and perfectly cooked vegetables. I tried some and it was so perfectly seasoned, juicy, and beautifully (lightly) pink in the center. She kept saying, "This is the best! I'm so overwhelmed!" My husband had the monkfish saddle and there were multiple layers of flavor to the broth/sauce. He was so happy. My king crab risotto was the single best risotto I have ever had in my entire life. It was more crab meat than rice in a gorgeous bisque-like sauce. I will remember that risotto forever, not exaggerating. It was heaven. For dessert we all shared the ice cream sandwich, which had house-made sprinkles and dots of incredibly rich and delicious raspberry, caramel, and butterscotch sauces. We also shared the snow egg, which had beautiful sugar floss atop a crispy meringue shell filled with softer meringue, over an intensely flavored basil sauce and fresh raspberries. The flavor combination was fantastic. I would happily eat here every night if only I could. Run, do not walk, to Ostra! If you only visit one restaurant in Boston, this should be it. read more

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This place is pricey, but it serves absolutely phenomenal seafood dishes. I had the octopus (which was perfectly tender and went well with capers) and the foraged mushroom pasta. Both fantastic. read more

Ostra - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Celebrated wedding anniversary there, this place is one of the best places we've been in!!! The staff is OUTSTANDING!!! If in Boston you must go to OSTRA!!! read more

Amazing! Yes this is a late review, but OMG the food was amazing. We decided to eat here for my husbands birthday dinner while in Boston and even though we had our 16 month old, we decided to try it out anyways because they had great reviews. When we arrived we were an hour early, so we ended up sitting in the bar/lounge area and could not have been more impressed. The waitress that helped us took awhile and maybe it was because we had our little guy, but the food and the dessert made up for it. I was worried that our little one was going to cause a scene because he's a little guy, but everyone eating and the piano player kept him entertained and allowed us to enjoy ourselves. We loved it and it was so neat to see the seafood options in person on ice waiting to be cooked. If ever we are in town again we would love to go back, this time minus little man. read more

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I was expecting something more delicious. But still ok. The sea bass tartar is the best of all. I have also tried the brazino. Ordinary level. read more

A great place to have a luxury dinner, but not an astonishing experience. Salt crust branzino had an interesting outfit, but tasted fair enough. So was the king crab dish. The daily dish soft shell crab was outstanding. Crispy shell with tender meat inside came with sour sweet sauce at the base. The snow egg was the dessert bomb. Sweet top candy came with crispy shelled egg. The green sauce at the bottom was refreshing. The service was descent. The server constantly changed our utensils and gently asked for orders. read more

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My husband and I are visiting Boston and this restaurant stood out with its reviews. Additionally, our concierge at XV Beacon, not only recommended it but stated that he has gone there for the last three years for his birthday. Now if I could give this restaurant 10 stars I would. We started out with the lobster gnocchi as recommended by many of the reviews. We split the Caesar salad, and I ordered the grilled Bronzino. My husband ordered the seafood paella. We will be salivating over this meal in our minds for a very long time! The food, the service, and the ambience... Perfect and impeccable! read more