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The sushi here is pretty fantastic. They have good quality fish and add garnishes that complement each bite really well. I just wish the uni wasn't $26 a piece! The space is a bit odd. I wish it was not in the basement and a little more spacious, but I know space is hard to come by in downtown Boston. It can get pretty cramped if you go on a popular night. Staff here are lovely! I honestly have a hard time getting bartenders' attention but I was able to flag bartenders down successfully whenever I needed to. I appreciate the care they took!
Really cool place! First time here for karaoke on a Friday night. Parking was easy right on the street across from the complex that this is around the corner from. When you get there, you have to go down a couple flights of stairs so it's in the basement of this building. It was pretty crowded when we got there. Luckily our friend had already gone there ahead and got us a table. We were all the way inside at the back. It's a really cool place quite big and fun ambiance with the tropical theme on the walls. Loved the tropical vibes all throughout. Nice lights and lighting fixtures too. The menu is mostly bar food. There is a long bar too with seating. The hubs ordered sushi spicy salmon roll and I ordered the veggie dumplings. Both were quite good. Our server was nice and service was friendly. Eventually we moved up front when the karaoke started. We chatted with the DJ who seemed nice. Hubs & I sang 1 song. We wanted to sing more but there were a lot of people so didn't get another chance. They have these huge books of songs (People's karaoke). The hubs actually went again the following Friday with his friend and this time he got to sing 3 songs!! He was happy! Overall a nice time here!
We went for drinks and loved it! We went twice during our 3 day visit to Boston which should say something. It's the only place we visited twice! The first time I tried the Shore Leave signature drink and it was your basic citrusy rum tiki drink - it was okay. But my friend tried the Ramen Martini and wow was that insanely good. That martini is the drink that made us come back! I hate gin but I loved this drink. Also on our second visit the bartender recognized us and gave us shots as a send off for our last night! Definitely loved the personal touch and great vibes. We recommended this place to everyone in Boston!
What a fun night! Shore leave is the place to go for good energy, good food, and a guaranteed good time. We went on a Sunday and were blown away by the fun ambiance with lots of string lights and cute decor. The music is fun and the servers and hostess were so kind and helpful. Now the best part of the night was when we found out we had accidentally come for their monthly Sunday drag night! Every last Sunday of the month they host this fun free event during dinner. The queens were gorgeous, fun, and incredible dancers. Could not think of better entertainment for a fun dinner. Now the food was also a highlight-- the menu is a mix of sushi and Asian inspired hot dishes. The sushi quality was excellent and I think my favorite dish of the night was the salmon nigiri flight--it comes with three different kinds of salmon and two pieces of each, which was perfect for sharing. We also got the Shore Leave roll with shrimp tempura, pineapple, and bit of a kick which was super yummy. The hot dishes were also good, and I particularly enjoyed the Pad Thai Brussel Sprouts which were very nicely seasoned. The Okonomiyaki Tator Tots were also fun, though got a little mushy by the end. The Gochujang wings had a nice kick but were slightly dry. We also had two different mock tails, the No New Friends and an Elderflower cocktail which were soooo good--would highly recommend as a great option for anyone not drinking! Overall I had such a fun time and can't wait to come back and try more of their dishes!
The other reviews are all right - the vibes here are great and the service is also stellar! I visited on a Thursday (with reservations) -- it wasn't too busy at all so I think we probably could've skipped on the reservations since there's a credit card hold. My group and I didn't order any food, just drinks! The food options all sounded pretty good and unique. The cocktails also stood out a lot, I appreciated how much variety there was! It's a bit hidden, in the basement a couple flights of stairs down. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience and I loved how fun and decorated it was :)
Went on an off-season evening for dinner, just after the holidays. We made reservations but probably wasn't necessary. The ambience was fun and lively, and food was decent. We had the tater tots for appetizer which was satisfying and flavorful. In terms of sushi, we ordered the Shore Leave Rolls and a selection of nigiri including yellowtail, tuna, salmon, and scallop. Salmon and scallop were definitely winners; it was melt-in-your mouth delicious, and I'd definitely get it again. I do think nigiri was standout so would order more of that in the future and would be curious to try the salmon set of nigiri's. We also tried the Shore Leave cocktail which we were hoping would come in a fun or special drinkware, but it was just a simple glass but still very tasty and good strength level.
Came here around Christmas, absolutely loved the decor. There were lots of options for someone gluten free. I'm celiac and I had the tots, wagyu skewers, and two of the sushi sashimi rolls. The service was friendly and attentive, would absolutely be back!
Who doesn't love a good tiki bar? My husband and I were in town visiting friends who live a a short walk from this bar. We were able to grab a table for five fairly quickly. Our server was great and attentive. Between the five of us, we ordered most of the drinks on the menu. My favorite was the pineapple upside down. The Jingle Bird is very bourbon forward. We ordered a bunch of food - gyozas, tater tots, salmon avocado roll and a Chicago hot dog. My favorite was the tater tots. Don't recommend the Chicago hot dog but you probably could've guessed that for a bar in Boston :)
The vibes are absolutely immaculate! Such a hidden oasis tucked three flights down the stairs in the Southend. This is the spot for a good time and good bites! I highly recommend the Okonomiyaki Tater Tots. Perfectly fried and dressed with sauce. Some bites were extra crunchy and crisp. Others had so much flavor and soaked up the sauce. The Jalapeño cheese on the bottom of the plate was a delicious surprise! My other favorite dish was the Wagyu & Crab Claypot Rice. The Wagyu pieces were so tender and melted in my mouth. The yolk also added a wonderful creaminess and flavor to the rice plate. The kimchi and cucumbers were a nice brightness and acidity to the dish. I also really enjoyed the cold Dan Dan Noodles. The chewy noodles were mixed in peanut sauce and paired nicely with cilantro and cucumbers. And the spicy tuna roll was fresh and the perfect amount of spice! I came here for the food, Rupaul Drag Race Watch Party, the drinks, and I'll be back for more! I'm really interested in trying their omakase for my next visit. The servers were really nice and the food came out quickly. Drinks were served immediately. I came on a Friday night with reservation. Street parking is available but limited in the area.
We came for drinks and the love island launch party was happening. The drinks were balanced and there was a good selection at the bar. I had the shore leave and the mai tai flight. I wasn't a huge fan of the spicy mai tai but the place was great and I would def suggest it.
Came on a Wednesday night without a reservation and was seated right away. Ordered the crispy brussel sprouts and a sugar plum Mai Tai. I loved all the decorations and our server was very attentive. The drinks were classic strong tiki drinks served in the cutest tiki cups for the holiday that were also available for purchase! The music, the lights and the drinks were great! Love a great tiki bar!
I agree with the reviews about the bartenders and atmosphere. Both are 5s. Food is a bit less stellar. High price relative to the quality and value. More like a 3.
My friend and I visited Boston this past weekend and were disappointed with the food and prices. I understand that seafood will generally be more expensive than other dishes, but this was a total ripoff. This was the saddest salmon & avocado roll I've ever ordered. I hardly tasted either main ingredient. Y'all fumbled this, I would have been happy to give a 5-star review if it weren't for this debacle. On the upside, our bartender and waiter were incredibly kind and hospitable when serving our drinks. I also loved the ambiance and Halloween theme.
4 years ago
The salmon sashimi, salmon roll, and scallop nigiri were fish-gasm Get the chefs choice. So many good things. Came here on vacation and came back our last night we loved it so much (and never would I normally "repeat" restaurants on vacation... it was worth it) Service was FUN! Drinks are excellent! I am a fan read more
7 years ago
It's a cute little tiki inspired bar that was nicely decorated for Christmas. It was extremely busy and had to put our name down at the bar to get seats for the two of us bar side. The drinks are decent, if you're into cocktails, if not they can make you anything else you may want. Food is at best mediocre. Very tiny portions considering the price. For $9, you get four tiny Rangoons. I found that the pork belly in the Bao was overdone/burnt to a crisp; it was more crispy than juicy and tender. The pork kastu sandwich has good flavor profile but not a big fan of their thick piece of white bread. The coconut shrimp was my favorite but there were only three decent sized shrimps. Not a bad place to stop by after work for a drink but I wouldn't plan on coming here for a good meal read more
This place is okay. It is located underground, that is why it is a little bit hard to find it. They have nice cocktails. They tasted great. The atmosphere is nice. However, the food is not worse. This place is good for cocktails but not for food. I ordered Dungeon Burger. The way they served it was weird. It was in a kind of foil wrap and it looked like I was in some fast food place. It did not taste good, it was a dry burger. They did not put any afford to make it look nice or at least taste good. The way how they serve food do not the same as how they serve drinks. Each drink looks great, and it tasted delicious. Please improve the quality of food. read more
7 years ago
Nice place for happy hour... drinks + snacks, definitely not a place for dinner... kind of pricey but consider the location. Drinks are good... $9 for street corn which taste alittle compared to other Mexican street corn as they added seaweed. The tikki pork rinds are crunchy with a dip of yogurt and curry. The dan dan wonton was too salty as the sauce was not mixed well. Might come back for drinks if I only want to drink without eating or having snacks around the area... also, they added 3% for the kitchen on the bill. read more
4 years ago
My favorite part about Shore leave is, unsurprisingly, their holiday pop ups. They do a great month long Halloween event as well as the more common Christmas pop up bar. The decor is full out and creative and the holiday drink menu is extensive for both holidays. While I make it a priority to come for the holiday events, the food and drinks in general here are surprisingly good for a kitschy tiki themed restaurant. Drinks are strong but good. It's more of a drinks and bar bites (both comfort food and some great sushi and Japanese inspired dishes) than a full dinner type place. I've only been here once for the karaoke but people were getting very into it and the crowd was fun. The staff is always lowkey and easy to talk to. I definitely recommend it for groups if you're looking for a casual but fun place to chat, meet people, and get a good bang for your buck. Keep in mind it's in a basement so you may lose service, which can be a plus to disconnect but potentially an issue if you're trying to meet up with people. read more
5 years ago
Food: 3.5/5 Service: 4/5 Ambiance: 5/5 -- Adjustments to net score -0.5 disjointed menu Net score: 3.5/5 - rounded up for the great vibes! TLDR: This is definitely a very cool place for great cocktail drinks and bar eats, just would not mix menus between the sushi menu and the bar menu. Was a little too weird eating chicken wings alongside salmon sashimi. Sushi quality and inventiveness of the rolls was quite good. Would recommend expanding sushi menu - which it looks like they are planning to do! Great music choice as well. Ordered (Drinks): - Shore leave cocktail - 4.5/5, great citrus taste - Amaro do cocco cocktail - 5/5, good blend, only annoying thing was the conch shell it was served in (though cute). Ordered (Food): - Salmon sashimi - 5/5, good quality salmon, loved the twist. - Chicken karaage - These are literally just chicken wings, not karaage. Good as bar wings, bad as karaage. - Wagyu skewer - 4/5, tasty but just awkward to eat as a skewer. - Shore leave roll - 5/5, loved the mango in this, very refreshing. - Lobster salad roll - 4.5/5, interesting fresh take. Service: - Clearly understaffed, but very friendly! read more
7 years ago
I just love Tiki bars and Shore Leave is no exception. The location is cool, especially for being in basically the basement, but the vibe and decor definitely work. The menu is mostly your standard assortment of Chinese food classics, I had the Pupu Platter and Pork Belly Bao Buns, both were great and better than most Chinese take out places I order from. Drinks were tasty and creative, the Shore Leave cocktail was amazing. It came with a piece of candy honeycomb that I loved. This place would is perfect for a solo drink at their large bar or tiki drinks with a group of friends. read more
3 years ago
3 years ago
4 years ago
What a great time!! Took my Xmas-obsessed bestie to the Sipping Santa pop up. The cocktails were strong & fun. Our bartender was amazing (I wish I could remember his name! The kitchie decor put us all in the Christmas spirit! read more
4 years ago
2 years ago
2 years ago
amazing experience. tasty food but amazing whiskey sours! come here for crazy good sushi. shout out to simon for being so great !! love shore leave :) read more
Shore Leave's holiday pop-up bar was perfectly festive and the drinks were terrific! They really went the extra mile to make each cocktail unique and fun, and I really enjoyed spending a weekday evening here, soaking up all the Christmas vibes! Highlights: -Quality & theming of the cocktails - shout-out to the Sippin' Santa, served in a tropical Santa mug (note: we only tried their seasonal cocktails, but their normal cocktail menu looked impressive too!) -The lights and decorations for the pop-up bar were awesome - and even without that, the overall vibe to this place was laid back and cozy, which I loved. -The pu pu platter was a little hit or miss, but the scallion pancakes & spring rolls that came on it were both pretty tasty Things that could be better (but we still had fun!): -The chili peanuts had a little too much burn for my liking (and I usually like really spicy stuff, but these were just... not enough reward to accompany the hotness) -Service was a little slow (I had to check in on the status of my drinks a few times), but maybe it was a hectic night. It definitely wasn't bad enough to be a deal-breaker for returning. Shore Leave was overall an enjoyable place to spend a December evening with friends, and their holiday pop-up bar was the perfect way to get into the spirit of the season (with some tasty spirits!). read more
4 years ago
5 years ago
Food and drinks are amazing me. The bartenders at the car are super friendly and just fun to be around. The manager is super bitter and disrespectful, he made us move twice. He was condescending and a bigot. Manager needs a customer service class ASAP . We should have listened to the bad reviews, help yourself and don't go there for any reason read more
3 years ago
4 years ago
I recently visited the Sippin' Santa experience at Shore Leave and it was so unique and joyful!! I love this time of year and they have really embraced it - the decor, menu, music, everything - it's all so festive and fun. On top of that, the drinks were excellent. I ordered the Shore Leave and the Kris Kringle Colada and both were delicious though my favorite was the Shore Leave - one of the better tiki drinks I've ever had. The bartender made my boyfriend a Zombie (off menu which was nice) and it was tasty too. We also ordered the tater tots which were great, not too spicy either. All the sushi coming out looked good, so I'd love to come back another time and try that too. From the food and service to the atmosphere, I'd highly recommend this spot!! read more
4 years ago
Came here with a large party with my coworkers for a Christmas celebration dinner. The decorations were amazing and they really went all out for Christmas. We got a bunch of shareable plates like the sliders, gyoza, sushi boat, fried rice, peppers, and more and all we're out of this world. The cocktails were amazing and super creative and they had a solid beer selection too. Highly recommend this place for a fun time with a group. read more
Cute atmosphere and decor - the drinks are pricey and a little too sweet for my liking but I think it's the nature of 'tiki' style drinks? Supposed to be tropical? The food was also decent - got the scallops pancakes which were a little overdone, too crispy along the edges but the dipping sauce was good. Can get a little noisy and busy so service can vary. Not a bad place to start the night but I don't think I would be able to get multiple drinks here - just too sugary. read more
My best friend and I were excited to stop by the Miracle pop-up last night. For a Sunday evening, I was surprised to find a full-house and not an open chair in sight. Luckily, after putting our name in the queue we only had to wait 5-10 minutes for a seat. Our friendly bartender looked like Kat Dennings. From the bar to the restrooms, there was noticeable emblazoned decor to spread the holiday cheer. The tiki bar inspired drinks were sweet and festive. If you wish, you may purchase the winking Santa mugs. Overall, in this enjoyable atmosphere we had fun girls night out. You should definitely stop by for the Miracle pop-up it's available until December 31st! read more
The food was below average, but the drinks were pretty good. The $80 duck was completely dried out and flavorless..yuck! I couldn't even eat it. The fried clam baos were alright, but nothing special. King crab dip was overpriced at $24 but decent if you got the money. It became clear to me by the end of the night that this was more of a bar than restaurant. read more
3 years ago
1 because once again I can not give 0. First of all you couldn't find the way into the place. Second this feels like I'm on my way to class. Third the music sucked. Not christmassy at all. Lastly but the WORST OF ALL!!!--- COULD NOT GET A DRINK FOR THE LIFE OF US. WASNT EVEN BUSY AND WE LEFT AFTER 20 MINS WITH NO DRINKS. Attracts creeps like flies, they swarmed us. Rudest bar tenders ever. Do not fall for the marketing tricks on instagram not worth it. read more
3 years ago
5 years ago
Place is OK. This is a good spot to stop off for a bar crawl because of its atmosphere. It's located underground and has a beach vibe. We had reservations for the sippin Santa pop up which was kind of a gimmick. You don't need reservations and can just go to the bar for the Santa drinks. The drinks were sooo bad. I see where they were going with the holiday cocktail menu but they were hard to throw down. I didn't even finish my drink. My boyfriend said his $20 burger was low quality and tasted like someone threw it on a grill at a cookout. My $20 sushi also came out 30 minutes after his burger was served. Honestly, Market Basket and Star market serve better sushi. I ordered the shore leave roll and it was flavorless but smelled strongly of fish (a huge indicator that the fish was not fresh). I liked our waiter though so kudos to him for making it a little fun. read more
4 years ago
4 years ago
I went to this place for the Halloween pop up bar. I was not disappointed! The management and servers were awesome and gave great recommendations. The food was delicious and the drinks were fun and festive! I would highly recommend this place. read more
7 years ago
Cool atmosphere (like a speakeasy), mediocre food. It was recommended by a friend (a bartender) for drinks, so some colleagues and I went to test it out. We ordered a few rounds of apps and drinks and each round got a little less impressive. The drinks were definitely creative - My favorite drink of the night was the "shore leave" cocktail, their signature drink. The food on the other hand... none of us could really decide whether we'd want to come back for food again. The staff were friendly initially but as the night got busier, they became less attentive, we had to try and waive different people down to try and order more food and drinks. I'd go back for some drinks to hang out after work, but let's just say if I have friends from out of town, it wouldn't be my first pick. read more
2 years ago
Shore leave is an interesting underground tiki bar located across the street from the whole foods in Ink Block. Always pumped to try new speak easies and bars, shore leave left me a tad disappointed. We stopped by on a Tuesday, though we couldn't make a reservation. You can only set one up for a group of six or more, otherwise it's first come first serve. After checking in, you go down a short set of stairs to get to the restaurant. I didn't see an elevator so call ahead to confirm they have accessibility if thats needed for you. It was pretty busy for Tuesday but we were able to get a table straight away. The atmosphere is good, though with dim lighting, it's pretty dark. Taking pictures left me feeling like i was shining a spotlight at our table. There's a large bar area to the left, divided from the dining area to the right. It has a good capacity. Shore Leave definitely had the makings of a good date spot. The drinks here are pretty tasty. We had the titular shore leave and the Mexican pearl. They both were good though not particularly boozy. The drinks sometimes come in the illustrated glasses from the menu but not always. The food was average in my opinion though. We got the chicken karaage and a variety of the baos. The chicken was under seasoned but it was very crispy. The baos seemed to be twists of other sandwiches like oyster po'boys or Vietnamese banh mi. The execution was good though I thought the flavors could have been a bit more explosive. There's plenty of potential here though with a large cocktail menu and some interesting large format dishes I'd like to try. read more
2 years ago
4 years ago
We were in Boston temporarily and looking for a tiki bar- we're sad we found this place close to the end of our stay because we would have come here regularly had we found it sooner! The few times we were able to visit we sat at the bar and had an amazing experience every time. The vibe is definitely chic tiki, with some fun elements like a disco ball and great music. The drinks were 10/10- and the bartenders are willing to make you tiki drinks that aren't on the menu. Everyone we interacted with was great. We didn't get a lot of the food here, just the tots each time sans bonito flakes but they were also 10/10. read more
8 years ago
Beautiful space, awesome drinks and food. Ryan, Colin and team have created another outstanding destination. While Tiki is the hip thing now this one is different. Many takes on classics but with creative twists. The food is delicious. The thai beef salad has the right amount of heat and the flavors are spot on3. The pork belly bao is tender and perfectly prepared. The Amaro de Coco is awesome, the perfect combination of a Pinacolada and a Negroni having a love child. Too bad they don't offer endless refills. Definitely a must visit destination and perfect place to go on a mini vacation without having to book a flight or hotel. read more
4 years ago
More info about Shore Leave
11 William E Mullins Way
Boston, MA 02118
South End
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(617) 530-1775
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http://shoreleaveboston.com
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