Mare Oyster Bar

"When we heard about The Mermaid Inn opening an "Oyster Bar" in the Village, we were fired up like burnouts scrambling for tickets to the Phish shows at MSG. We've been frequenting the East Village location for years now, and the uptown outpost is just as good. They both serve up great fish and a nice lobster roll, and you'll be hard pressed to find a safer bet for a First/Early in the Game Date. I also just recently had an incredible meal at Neptune Oyster in Boston and it's been on the brain ever since. So naturally, we went in to the new Mermaid optimistic and ready to throw down some bivalves. Now, the place has all of the same appealing qualities as it's predecessors and the food is good, but an oyster bar? I guess fifteen or so varieties qualify you, but we were hoping for a deeper raw bar and a little more excitement. Where's the oyster inspiration? How about an oyster stew, maybe a po' boy? The menu is standard Mermaid Inn fare, which is fine, but we had hopes for something a little more inventive. What it comes down to is that the Oyster Bar is perfect for mid-day beers and a dozen on ice, but it's really just another Mermaid Inn. Hit up Flex Mussels if you're looking for some inspired variations on a theme. Food Rundown A Shitload of Oysters No other way to approach it, but to order a snow shovel's worth of oysters, a few beers, and some fries. Unless you are a hardcore oyster expert, let the waiter pick an assortment from both coasts and go nuts. The deep shelled Kumamotos are particularly amazing. Sautéed Calamari This is a big serving of tender sautéed calamari with feta and frisee. It's really a big calamari salad, and it's excellent. Jonah Crab Cake A perfectly good crab cake, but honestly nothing that will have you racing back. The slaw that comes on the plate, however, is another story. A thick julienne of celery root and butternut squash, it's sweet and crunchy and very awesome. Not sure if this is what comes when you order the coleslaw side, but it should be. Old Bay Fries Mermaid Inn's standard fry offering. Old Bay makes everything better. Sautéed Spinach During and after a serious oyster session, some greens can provide a much needed change from all that salty metallic goodness. We like to keep it simple, and the sautéed spinach with garlic does the trick." - Chris Stang

"We hate to use the term “hidden gem” here, because this Italian seafood spot is busy every time we’ve visited, but people tend to think of the menu before they think of this gorgeous deck. If the weather permits, you’ll get breezes off the bay and skyline views during your dinner of cacio e pepe (prepared tableside!), zuppa di mare, and grilled branzino. There’s a retractable roof, and heaters, so this space is open much of the year." - Tanya Edwards, Eater Staff

"Mare Oyster Bar is another prime place for bivalves, and the pasta is a must at the North End eatery. Try the tagliatelli served with lobster and shaved black truffles or the crowd-pleasing cacio e pepe prepared tableside." - Katie Lockhart

"Boston does classic American Italian and seafood incredibly well, and Mare Oyster Bar is the best of both worlds. Mare’s lobster roll comes with a generous portion of claw meat that’s served hot or cold, and we love the buttery sweetness of the hot version. The lobster meat is served on a freshly baked brioche roll from Italian bakery and shop Bricco Panetteria and comes with crispy rosemary fries. The North End spot also has one of the best retractable roof deck situations in town, and we’re fairly sure lobster rolls always taste better on a roof deck. " - tanya edwards, team infatuation

"Head to restaurateur Frank DePasquale’s Hanover Street hot spot on December 25 from 4 to 11 p.m. for oysters, crudo, and more, either indoors or while cozying up around a warm firepit on the restaurant’s enclosed patio. Another of DePasquale’s restaurants located on the same block, Bricco, is open for service on Christmas Day from 12 to 11 p.m." - Erika Adams