Service was good...food something to be desired. Cold, not to many choices. Very disappointed.

Oh shoot, I missed my train stop and ended up in...OYSTER TOWN!. This place fucking RIPS! Upon entering Select Oyster, or as I like to call it, S.O., you're quickly transported to an abyss-like underwater dreamworld. Not far from the aquatic feel that The Little Mermaid bestowed upon me when I was a child. The conch shells for toilet paper dispensers was a very creative touch :) The menu offers all the familiar bites you'd see in a seafood restaurant. Jalapeño poppers, shrimp dip, and tripled holed donut bites, to name a few. But what really drew me in was the section titled "Crabetizers"! A section solely devoted to the lil' crustaceans we all dread to have, as the late Steve Erwin would have said, "down unda". I ordered the trio of shell scrap and the water pickled dungeness thumb. Select Oyster did NOT disappoint. My food was clearly crafted by the hands of a true seafood chef, that would have the crabmen of Gloucester doffing their caps. The cocktail program is amazing, too. Though, I have to say I might have overdone it with four Rumplemintz Rum Runners, but it was worth it! Diet starts Monday!!! :() *One thing to note. Try to avoid the waitress named Patricia, or Marisha? She has kind of squinty eyes and resembles a koala, but in an overly aggressive way. The kind that scares children at the petting zoo :( read more

Service was great. Food was also exceptional. This was our first time here and we will definitely be back.

Great service! So much attention to detail, flavor, and plating. Best meal ive had in boston so far!!

Went here Monday with a Gilt city deal and ended up trying a whole lot more! The oysters and bottle of muscadet which was the deal were delightful. Next we ordered the plateau which was nothing short of magical and oustanding. The ceviche was on point, perfect level of acidity with sweet peppers and gorgeous fresh fish. Not a fan of the littleneck clams but that's just a personal preference, however, the shrimp cocktail was delicious, a classic and a goodie. The dressed lobster with loads of fresh herbs was heavenly and the char-grilled octopus with green chili's and blistered snow peas I could probably eat for the rest of my life. The octopus was so tender and rich and the peas and peppers added a necessary brightness that elevated the entire dish. The service was fantastic, very friendly, welcoming, quick and knowledgeable about the menu. No complaints about the automatically added 20% tip. If you don't like it, don't go out to eat! We would gladly return! read more

Select Oyster Bar - Plateau spread! - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

See all

Small and cozy but there are a number of seats at the bar. It was not very busy at lunch. Prices are high but the ingredients and quality of seafood are exceptional. I had a sampler of half a dozen oysters and 5 little neck clams, each one expertly shucked. My favorites were the Pleasant Bay oyster from Orleans (creamy, soft flesh, light brine) and the Kusshi from Deep Bay, BC (small cupped shell, firm flesh, crisp, clean melon finish). The little necks were from Wellfleet and had an impressive umami taste. The mignonette is served in a squeeze bottle and I'm guessing an emulsification of oil, vinegar, and shallots. It did not add much to the oysters and I ate most of them with just a small squeeze of lemon. The oysters were accompanied by their beer on tap: Sixpoint The Crisp, a very pleasant Brooklyn pilsner with a mild citrus hop. The main course was a Spanish octopus and cuttlefish salad with wilted pea greens, Basque espelette chilis and lemon. Both the octopus and cuttlefish were perfectly cooked, tender with a slightly smoky and just a hint of spicy heat. Service was good though I was the only customer until about 12:45 pm. My experience here compares favorably to ICO Bar, B&Gs, and Row 34 with comparable prices. They do not take reservations unlike those other places. There is outdoor seating in the back. Michael Serpa has stepped it up a few notches from his time at Neptune. Bravo! read more

Select Oyster Bar - Pleasant Bay oyster from Orleans. Creamy, soft with a hint of brine. - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

See all

While visiting Boston, my husband and I happened across Select Oyster for a late lunch. We walked into an albeit, small, but cozy restaurant with tasteful decoration in keeping with a Back Bay eatery. The oysters were deliciously fresh and paired beautifully with our drinks. But the star of the show was their daily special. The warm lobster roll! It was a perfect plate...a leafy salad with thin pieces of fennel throughout in a light vinaigrette. The sandwich was the type of thing that makes your eyes widen automatically, it was piled high and overflowing with fresh, lobster pieces on an absolutely perfect brioche bun. The sandwich had nothing in it, but those two ingredients plus the generous serving of melted butter poured over it. If you live close, you are a lucky son-of-a-gun! If don't, next time you are in the neighborhood, stop in. You will not be disappointed. read more

Great spot. We come to Boston this time every year and have always stop by Neptune's, a great restaurant. This year we asked a concierge for a new place. He suggested this place. So glad he did. The food is wonderful, inventive and fresh. The service was impeccable. In fact, we had lunch here and ended up coming back for dinner. The 20% tip automatically added to the bill is fine. The service is great and we in fact added to it. We will be back as often as we can. The folks complaining about the tip added to the bill obviously must be very hard to please. Can't wait to return. read more

Lovely. Atmosphere. Oysters. Little necks. The parsley garlic wine sauce was GREEN - so much herb YUM! Wish I could have tried everything. Perfect balance of relax and attention to detail. read more

Liked the feel of the place, bartender -where I sat was great..had some oysters...which were thumbs up..the char I had high expectations for but felt a bit let down after having. Would go back again because I was so up in the air on the menu, I think I choose wrong for myself... But if this place were in my neighborhood, we would go at least once a month! read more

Exceptional food, annoying tipping policy. Food was spectacular. We had two rounds of 12 oysters and then the superb halibut and lobster salad entrees. Ambiance/decor/vibe was appealing, service was curt but short of rude. Our waitress seemed impatient with us but the rest of the staff were extremely friendly. What bothered me enough to write this review was the automatic 20% gratuity. I wondered if perhaps this was because we were speaking in Spanish so I went to their website to double check. I wondered if this was a preemptive move against foreigners who might not grok US tipping customs (I'm from the US, the rest of my party live in the US). On one hand I was relieved to see this wasn't a discriminatory thing against Latinos. On the other the more I read the more bothered I got by their preposterous explanations for why they justify forcing you to tip their staff 20%. Here's what it says on their site: "We add a 20% Pre-Tax Gratuity to all checks at Select. This is designed to make sure our front of house service staff can focus on delivering great hospitality to our guest and not focus on how much they will be making in gratuity. We also believe that after a great meal, you shouldn't be subject to a math session. Our staff members have family, children, mortgages and other financial obligations and we think they should be able to rely on a steady income. This included gratuity is noted on both our menus and our printed receipts. We believe that treating our service staff well, our kitchen staff well, and most importantly our guests well. If any guests strongly oppose the 20% gratuity please ask to speak with management and we will kindly remove all gratuity from the check. This gratuity is only distributed to our service staff and no member of management or any kitchen only staff receives any portion of this service charge." Where to begin? If you really want the staff to focus on delivering great hospitality why guarantee their tip? Hello? If there is any point in tipping in the first place (debatable, see below) it's to incentivize the service providers to provide great service. Companies do not pay their salespeople their full commissions at the start of every quarter so that they can focus on doing a great job without stressing about making their sales quotas. You "believe that after a great meal one shouldn't be subject to a math session?" That's dishonest. These days tips are always calculated and printed on the bill so you don't need to do the math. Your "staff members have family, children, mortgages and other financial obligations and we think they should be able to rely on a steady income." Coincidentally at my company our employees have the exact same set of financial obligations and you know what -- we pay them a salary so they can rely on a steady income! If you believe so strongly that they deserve a steady income why not just pay them one? Customers are, directly or indirectly, covering the cost of all your staff, of course, but by doing it in this patronizing way the optics are such that you are paying them the minimum in W2 income while getting your customers to pay the lion's share. Furthermore if your restaurant has a slow night the waiters make less that night so this automatic tip doesn't even deliver what you say you want, i.e., a steady, predictable income. Restaurants in Japan and Europe pay their staff a living wage. Enlightened restaurants in NY (e.g., Danny Meyer's restaurants) are increasingly doing away with tipping and paying their staffs a steady salary. If you really believe what you say about helping your servers pay their bills, then act accordingly and pay them a steady income. It's annoying to be told how much to tip (incidentally we'd have tipped 20% anyway!) and your disingenuous explanation only makes it worse. Five stars for food, one for the lame policy and dishonest explanation. read more

My new favorite Swordfish destination. The oyster selection is outstanding and our waiter was on point! I would definitely make a reservation, not sure you can get in otherwise. Roasted potatoes, salad, shrimp cocktail were all really great. read more

This place was really loud and we had terribly slow service. The food was great, we ordered good wine, but when we asked for bread and water refills it was like we had asked for the moon. The server disappeared for long periods and didn't check on our food. Then they included a 18% tip on all tables, which doesn't seem to provide much motivation for improvement. We were a small party. read more

This is an awesome place for a date. You should be aware it's a bit on the pricey side but you're also paying for high quality. Our bartender was great, she beautifully made unique and refreshing drinks. I shared everything with my girlfriend. The oysters were great, good size and solid selection. The mussels are a must have, the sauce is insane (*pro tip: ask for extra toast). The Maine lobster salad dish was very hefty sized salad and was one of the best I've had! It was so such a fresh taste, I highly recommend that as your main dish. Will be back again! read more

The food was ok. Just like average Boston seafood restaurant. The oysters were mediocre. But, the roasted Maine lobster was delicious. If you come here, I def recommend the roasted lobster as a main dish. Service was mediocre. Nothing special. read more

One of my favorite new places in town. The Oysters are the best. Good and drinks top notch. Service is friendly and many of the staff seem to have moved here from Island Creek Oyster. Still love Island Creek for the big, hustle and bustle oyster feeling but compared to Island Creek, Select is cozy and casual. Also, Select seemed to have a better traditional menu for those not solely focused on the raw bar. read more

It was our first time going to Select after hearing and reading positive reviews. We really enjoyed the cocktails, food, and service. The staff was great and attentive. We shared a few dishes but our favorite was the croque-select and it was delicious. The uni was awesome! Highly recommend this dish. We also shared a special, the lobster pasta dish. I don't know how often they offer it but if you're there and it's available, order it! Definitely want to come back. read more

Decent atmosphere and nice location but very overpriced for the quality of food and a very limited menu if you are looking for something outside of oysters. The drinks were very good though so kudos to the bartenders read more

If you liked Neptune Oyster this is your new favorite spot. Chef and proprietor Michael Serpa has done a great job with his new restaurant. The best seats are at the bar but I haven't tried the patio yet. Food is great, cocktails and wine are spectacular and the staff is friendly and attentive. Try the txakolina rosé with your oysters and they make a great Negroni :) Congratulations Chef Serpa! read more

Select let me down. On a positive note, the scallops salad on the Select Plateau and white anchovy appetizer were excellent. The bartender/waiter was friendly and did a great job. However, it is sad that a seafood restaurant has figured out a way to produce mostly tasteless lobster and crab salads on the Select Plateau and served oysters that tasted less than fresh. How does a chef manage to remove the flavor from fresh lobster? I don't know. The bar seating is packed more tightly than the quite tasty white sardines that we were served as an appetizer. We shall not return. read more

The food is very good, but the selection is limited and it is expensive. Particularly the wine list is way up there in price. Given the prices, one would expect excellent service. Unfortunately, our waitress was not very friendly. She was pushy in getting us to put in our orders. The fact that the service is included means that she had no incentive to be friendly. read more

Increíble creative menu- surprisingly the burrada and beers salad was delicious. The muscle sauce may be the best ever though- we kept ordering more bread to finish it almost asked for a to-go cup. Will be back for more muscles! read more

Fresh, yummy oysters and fish. The fish was beautifully prepared, great accompaniments, friendly service. We sat in the back room which was quieter and lighter. I usually tip 20% unless something was terribly wrong with the service, so the fact they include this on the bill didn't bother me (especially since the waitress was great)! Will definitely be back! read more

Extraordinary. A perfect experience. We sat at the bar and were amazed at the skill and charm of the bartender. We didn't get her name but she is in a league of her own. read more

Our experience (4 of us) of Select Oyster bar is that it is loud (Thursday evening?), and way over priced for what you get. We had the one of the platters with oysters , crab, lobster and cerviche. The food was nice but unremarkable. Service was also good but unremarkable. Wine was excellent. Cost was outrageous. And they added a 20% tip automatically???? For a table of 4. I won't go again. read more

Shrimp cocktail were nice portion. Especially enjoyed the dipping sauce. Dressed Maine lobster changed my husbands perspective on lobster all together. Not much for raw seafood so the bartender suggested the steamed clams which neither me or my husband had previously had, very similar to steamed mussels. Overall a very enjoyable experience, only down side was it was a bit pricey, but I would certainly return. Looking around at other selections people had the pan roasted lobster, and swordfish are the next on my list of items to try. read more

Absolutely delicious and fresh EVERYTHING. Loved the ouster variety, and the staff was highly knowledgable on the taste, texture, and brine. The octopus was the star of our meal and probably the best I've ever had. The cocktails and beer selection is fantastic as well. read more

Great wine, great food, GREAT SERVICE! We had oysters, a large assortment and all delicious.

Stopped by here last month (just wandered by the restaurant and went in on a whim) during an afternoon of sightseeing to have some MA oysters, and they were tasty and fresh. We sat at the bar and considering the bartender was less than a foot from us, service could have been a bit speedier. Chic interior. Part of me likes the 20% mandatory tip, but it's also unusual. Of course no one asks to have it removed (at least I think they don't), but I still think the diner should decide how much they want to tip. Interesting concept, though, and it certainly does take the guesswork out of tipping, especially for European visitors, who are often overwhelmed by the American system. read more

Ok... I do this because I want to shout from the top of The Pru how much I love Select Oyster but I'm not great with heights We have been three times now and it keeps getting better! Although not a "cheap eats" night out, it's so worth every penny!! The oysters are great but, the Ceviche, Crudos, octopus and "dressed" lobster are To Die For!!!! We tried the razor clams special! We then ordered ANOTHER!!! That's how good they were. Great wine& beer list as well as full bar. They even fresh squeezed grapefruits for our drinks!!!! The Atmosphere is cool and clean and being small it's very intimate while feeling totally casual . The Staff are dynamite!!!' Every time we walk in they greet us like we are there all the time! So nice and into the food as expected! Our waitress Kristie was awesome. Turns out her husband is our favorite waiter at Toro!!! Small world. Anyway , Thanx Select Oyster. We love u! See you soon!!! read more

We came to Select to have lunch and i honestly have to say it was the best meal I have had in the past few months. We started with the Wellfleets they were fresh and just briny enough... Next the hamachi crudo, the anchovies which were unbelievable..the octopus with greens.. All was great will be back.. read more

Have been to Select now 4 times and it never disappoints. Some favorite apps are the buratta, the hamachi and the octopus cilantro salad. Couple that with a great atmosphere, terrific staff and wonderful wine and beer selections and Select really is a must visit. read more

Select Oyster Bar - Octopus cilantro salad - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

See all

Meh, just not worth it in Boston. With Neptune, Ostra, Row 34 and island Creek executing flawlessly every night, select really just can't compete. The oysters were just OK, the mignonette was basically garlic purée in an awkward squeezy bottle. The crudo and tuna tartare are the best things on the menu, If you must go, I recommend both. The octopus is good, but the dish is unnecessarily messy. The lobster and steak dishes are total disasters with countless overdone or unnecessary ingredients. Halibut was decent. At this price point I'd definitely skip and try one of the other way better restaurants mentioned earlier, Bon appetit read more

I had a truly amazing and wonderful lunch experience here last week. The oyster selection was scrumptious. The wine selection and tastings were lovely. The mother kruto was unbelievable. I especially enjoyed the white anchovies drizzled in chive oil with sweet potato puree. The menu is inventive, fresh, and delightful. The staff is knowledgeable and charming. I can't wait to return! read more

Great place, with a nice style of service, and no rushing. We went for our anniversary. They offered great drinks options and helped us choose wisely. The Crudos (white anchovies!!) were great, and the oysters were a ton of fun. We went surf and turf and got the Savenor Steak -- splitting a plate so I could get my steak nice and rare! Yummo! It was a lot of fun. read more

The food and service was amazing! We had delicious oysters, an incredible salmon crudo, I had an amazing lobster salad and my husband devoured his sea bass. In addition the beer selection was terrific. I didn't give the 5th star for a few reasons- maybe petty but worth knowing: 1) the glass of wine price point starts at $17. That feels super high to me. 2) 20% gratuity is included in every check. Our server deserved it and more, but I'm think gratuity should be at the discretion of the diner. 3) THERE IS NO DESSERT! This alone is reason for one less star read more

I love this place. I've been here a couple of times, both for business dinners, but it's a great spot for a date or dinner with friends, too. It's small and cozy inside, with a small covered patio in the back. The cocktails are great. For food we got the Select platter (great ceviche!), and my entree was the highlight - the Icelandic Arctic Char. The roasted leeks and 'frisee aux lardons' (basically bacon) add really great flavor - best dish I've had in a while. read more

Some of the best seafood and service in the city. The food was incredible, but what really makes this place special is the staff. I was with my father who is in a wheelchair and he could not stop gushing about well he was treated. In an old city like Boston, it is difficult to find a place that is both accessible and welcoming for someone who is handicapped. Select Oyster Bar checked off both boxes. We surely will be back! read more

Great vibe and good food. Service is hit or miss. Oysters were excellent. Some of the other dishes we ordered were mediocre and expensive.. But this place is known for the oysters! read more

One of my favorite oyster joints in Boston compared to the other ones. Sat at the bar and the service was great! Even though they had a small oyster selection the bar staff was well knowledged and very attentive to my partner and I. I know that some people can get mad about the 20% auto grad but they live up to it. Got hightop/bar seats and was so happy we did. read more