Ostra

Truly a ***fine dining experience***, Ostra was amazing, and I’d come back here in a heartbeat! We started with two bottles — a super sweet, German Riesling (I like white wine to be dryer, but my coworker picked this out — it wasn’t bad for what essentially tasted like sugar water) and Forever Young Malbec. Then, we had the oysters — the Duxbury and the Hatch which weren’t too briny, though they were both East Coast. For my entrée, I had the Hokkaido scallops with chanterelles and winter black truffle sauce — an amazing meal I’ll dream about for many months to come!
Other notes: the service was excellent; the ambiance was nice (would be a great date spot); and we were able to get a last-​minute dinner reservation on a weeknight.

What an amazing dining experience! This was the first restaurant in a while that we left thinking that we will definitely come back VERY soon. We came here for no specific occasion — just date night. When we walked in, we were really surprised at how airy, elegant, yet simple the space was. The tall ceilings are awesome and the décor is very unassuming but classy.
We went with an order of 6 oysters to start. We mixed the types of oysters and got 2 of each kind they had. Definitely worth it to mix and match. We followed with two first course plates: the Ricotta Gnocchetti and Pappardelle. Both were amazing. The flavors in both were delicate and simple, yet very well developed. We were impressed.
For the entrée, we split the Branzino. The dish smelled amazing when the waiter was placing it down in front of me — the roasted potato, onion and radish smelled sooooo good. The fish itself was very good. We enjoyed it but wished there was a little more to the dish.
For dessert we ordered the Snow Egg and the Hazelnut Cremeux. They were good but the Cremeux was definitely much better. I think the snow egg has great presentation but was super light and for dessert, I definitely prefer something sweeter.
For drinks, my husband got a Gimlet and I got a cocktail (I don’t remember the name but it was beet red). Both of our drinks were amazing and we both got several throughout the night.
Overall, the whole experience was great. Our waiter was awesome — super friendly, not too pushy and had a sense of humor. We will be coming back soon for sure!

Pleasant dining experience, food is outstanding and service is flawless.
We had oysters and clams from raw bar. Alaskian crab and broiled lobster. Every dish is well presented. Since husband and i shared everything, kitchen thoughtfully prepared dish on seperate plates.

It was overpriced for what is was. Nothing on the menu excited me. The apps were the best part. Table side smoked salmon was fun.

Excellent ambiance and service. Oysters and cold apps are brilliant (the hamachi was to-​die-​for). Great wine selection as well (tho the mark-​up is more than usual, even for Boston: The Prisoner for $ 80! You can get that at most wine shops for $ 15).
Was a bit let down by the pasta course. We had a mushroom pappardelle that was dull and flavorless (and took quite a while to come out, btw).
Our main courses were very good: I got the 10 oz filet that was cooked to perfection and had good seasoning and flavor, but not overwhelmingly so. My wife had the simple grilled Branzino which was also very good (but a little on the salty side).
For dessert, we had the snow egg, which gets rave reviews. Honestly, it was little disappointing. The green basil sauce overwhelmed the flavor of the merengue crust and the sweet custard. Was decent, just not great.
Lastly, Ostra is VERY expensive. $ 21 for 6 oysters? Our bill was $ 400 for two people. Not really worth it, imo.
Overall, we enjoyed Ostra. Just was flawed and more expensive than it should be

My boyfriend and I could not leave Boston without experiencing a fine dining restaurant. We looked around and settled on Ostra. No regrets!
To start off the night, the service was superb. What I really liked was that aside from being professional and friendly, all of the servers were personable. They had us laughing and just really made our dinner that much more enjoyable.
Food was amazing! Boston is all about seafood so what better way to experience fine dining than at a restaurant that specializes in seafood? We pretty much had a 4 course meal because there were so many different things on the menu we wanted to try. Basically we were so indecisive we couldn’t narrow down our choices to a typical 3 course meal. Again, no regrets. We started off with the Faroe Island Salmon Tartare which is smoked to order. The salmon was as fresh as can be. I loved the way it was presented to us with the dry ice. After the tartare we enjoyed the Ricotta Gnocchetti. Then we got our main course which was the Grilled Branzino Filet that everyone keeps talking about on Unilocal.This is a must. There is no other way to put it. The fish is cooked to perfection. I loved the lemon sauce they serve with it. It adds just enough citrus without overpowering the flavor of the fish. There is a reason why so many people are raving about it! Finally we ended our meal with dessert :) I ordered the snow egg, which is another favorite on Unilocal.It’s a meringue shaped into the shape of an egg. You break it and theres lemon mousse inside that you eat with the meringue. Delicious.

Special occasion restaurant with outstanding food and service. We have been here for the past two birthdays and have been more than happy each time. The branzino recommended here was exceptional and this last visit I tried the beef carpaccio which is probably the best I have ever had. Great wine list. Good service.
Have not yet sat at the bar and would like to as we typically prefer a more casual vibe and menu.

So I have not been to Ostra for dinner. Or drinks. Or anything but one thing: the dessert.
I was told that coming to Ostra and getting the Snow Egg would be life changing. And by god, it’s hard to disagree with them once you’ve had this.
We sat in the back, in a quiet but beautiful area. The whole restaurant is beautiful, mood lit, stark white and elegant. It’s the perfect spot for eating, drinking, going on a date or just hanging out with people.
And we did order the Snow Egg. If you haven’t seen a pic of it, it is a meringue egg sitting on top of a sauce, with spun sugar and lemon custard injected into the middle. It is one of the most beautiful, and most delicious, and most fun desserts I’ve ever had (you get to crack it like an egg and then eat everything.)
I have never had a dessert like it, nor do I think I will again. Every bite was amazing, every bite was possibly life changing. If you are in Boston, do not miss this spot.

⁶⁄₁₀.
Ostra was decent. I was taken here for a work dinner, so I got the opportunity to try a ton of different things, which was awesome. We started with a bunch of appetizers including: fried calamari, saffron fettuccine with crab meat, raw oysters, red wine infused mushrooms, and truffle fries.
My favorite appetizer was the saffron fettuccine with crab meat. It was insanely tasty and cooked just right. The calamari was pretty good as well, but some of the smaller pieces seemed too battery. The mushrooms were decent, but somewhat tough to chew through. And obviously the truffle fries were pretty delicious, but I’ve never had fried potatoes I didn’t like, so I’m not sure that says a ton.
For dinner, I got grilled branzino. It came with a couple small potatoes. It was pretty expensive (I think $ 45), and honestly just not that good. It had this lemon flavor on it that tasted a lot more like lysol than true lemon. It was kind of disappointing.
For dessert, I got the chocolate torte. It was served with a small scoop of ice cream, and it was delicious.
My overall thoughts on this place: it’s very expensive and probably not worth the price unless you can truly afford it. I can think of a handful of seafood places I’d rather go for much cheaper. The ambiance is modern, but the high ceilings and tons of white comes off as kind of factory-​like to me. I didn’t quite feel like I was in a super fancy restaurant. But that’s just me.
I’m really glad I got to try this place out. It was on my list for quite some time. But I won’t be rushing back. There’s just too many other places in the city that don’t cost as much yet deliver much more.

We dined at Ostra in September during our week there for the Deutsche Bank Championships. My husband and I walked to Ostra from the Four Seasons Hotel, about four blocks, and from start to finish a really wonderful experience. We were warmly greeted, and shown to our table (a two-​top in the back by the window), with the perfect amount of privacy and warmth. The décor is perfect to my liking, with warm lighting and a sophisticated ambiance. The bar is tucked nicely to the side of the entrance and away from the main dining areas, so it’s a separate experience before or after dinner and the music and conversation don’t intrude on hearing your dining companions.
We started early, with a reservation at 6:30, and I had Champagne and my husband Knob Creek (they had it!) on the rocks w/​a splash. Our server was top notch, one of the best we’ve had in all our dining in New York City or Boston. Friendly, non-​intrusive, but there when you wanted something, and just the right amount of personality. Perfection in serving, and proper wine presentation and opening, and kept our glasses filled in harmony with apps and entre service.
Our appetizers were exceptional. We shared the Wellfleet oysters (mouth wateringly delicious), and the Yellowfin Tuna Tartare (Yuzu, Ginger, Soy, Cilantro, Honshimeji Mushrooms, Sesame Toast). From there we ordered our main courses. I opted for the Roasted Monkfish Loin because of the mushrooms (Foraged & Exotic Mushroom Ragout, Fine Herbs, Shaved Matsutake). The presentation was impressive, and it had good flavors, but when I go back I want the Red Wine Braised Short Ribs… I get them so often in other restaurants I felt I had to try something different, but those or the scallops next time. My husband had the Grilled Branzino Filet, and as is usually the case, he chose the winning dish, though both were delicious and memorable.
The desserts were some of the most creative I’ve experienced in a long while… I chose the Chocolate Hazelnut Cremeux with Popcorn Ice Cream, Salted Caramel, Pop Rocks and it was seriously divine! I wanted more, and damn near ordered another one. Creative genius! Had a cappuccino to end it and wasn’t disappointed, as it was strong and robust in flavor, with perfect foam. Often not the case in even the best restaurants. My husband had the Snow Egg with Meringue, Lemon Curd Mousse, Raspberry, Basil. Delicious and refreshing!
We love Boston, and had usually wanted to go to L’Espalier, but had a really disappointing meal and service on our last visit. Ostra offers it all, and can’t wait to go back!

One of the best meals I’ve ever had:
* Hamachi in citrus, aji aioli, jalapeño oil, mexican chiltepin pepper
* Prime sirloin carpaccio with horseradish, green apple, lemon thyme aiolo, shaved matutake, parmesan
* Grilled Spanish octopus in lemon, olive oil, crispy salt capers, raw sweet vidalias
* Spain’s Jamón Iberico manchego, quince, black mission fig
* French escargot with with bomba rice risotto
* Shishito peppers with sea salt
* Truffle parmesan fries
Our server was a little cool, but I’d still come back for the amazing food. Very modernly hip décor too.

Went here for a private dinner where I was not paying so be clear that this review is not one of value or price worthiness but just a reflection on the place.
1) Atmosphere was cool, nice and quiet inside, good furnishings as you’d expect. I think someone here described it as «sleek» and I would agree. No issues with service. Enjoyed it.
2) Food was delicious. I think the bread is overrated (if you’ve been to Gaslight in the South End and had the bread you’ve had better bread) but it does have a good taste so definitely try it. We also had a simple salad appetizer which was put together well with good dressing — not sure the name but I’d be confident ordering a salad here in the future. Had the filet mignon which was really spectacular — HIGHLY recommended. Dessert was the weakest part of the meal but what we had was not on the normal menu so not very helpful for you.

Great place for seafood!!! We went for an special occasion and everything was good. Beautiful place too, stylish and chic!

One of the best restaurants I have been to in the Boston area.
We started with a random selection of a dozen oysters, which were all as fresh as they get. The spicy sauce added amazing flavors as well. After that we ordered a large number of first courses to share. The special Tuna tartare with caviar was freaking amazing. The hamachi was so good that we got a second one. For entrée we ordered the paella, which has heavy seafood and really flavorful rice. We finished off with four desserts. The chocolate lava cake is a must try. It was so good my colleague almost cried.
The ambiance is also on point. It was classy and sleek but not overly fancy.

I actually had a pretty disappointing dinner there, especially going in with really high expectations by the fabulous Unilocal reviews here.
The space is very nice as everyone else has described, tall ceiling, really nice service ware. However despite the ceiling height and a relative large overall space, the 2 person tables felt quit cramped and it was pretty loud in the restaurant. We had barely any room on the table to fit any of our food and had to keep shifting things around. Even ended up bumping into a glass of wine and spilling it everywhere…
The oysters were fresh and good but I’ve had better and at much cheaper. The sauces come in super cute serving dishes, but other than that, it’s really not worth $ 4 a piece which is probably the most I’ve ever paid for an oyster.
The fan favorite octopus had good flavors and was just tender enough, but again, I’ve had better elsewhere.
I think I can pretty much say the same about the rest of the meal, we got the 3 lb lobster and the seafood paella. Both were good but not memorable. Just in Boston alone, I liked the paella at Barcelona better, though of course it didn’t come with fancy seafood like lobster in it. The only redeeming thing is that the paella is actually a good sized portion. I took half of it home. I looked around and saw the salt crusted fish was a popular choice among other diners. I think the concept is cool but not novel. And for 90 bucks, you actually don’t get much fish at all in the end…
But the worst part of our dinner here is how painfully SLOW the service was. We were literally here for 3 hours, and that’s with quick ordering and quick eating. We waited 20 minutes between most of the courses, which to me is way too long. I’ve had 10+ course meals in the same amount of time elsewhere. Thank god I like my dinner date (the husband)…
Overall, I think Ostra is overpriced for what it provides. This was by far the most expensive meal I’ve had in Boston so far but does not even make top 10 in how much I enjoyed the food. Not worth it at all in my mind. If money is of little concern, or you really want to impress a date, perhaps it’s ok, but make sure you either really enjoy that person’s company or you’re just that good of a small talker, because it’s gonna be a long night!

The oysters and salmon tartare were out of this world. I also had an amazing white wine recommended by our server that was light, fresh, yet flavorful. It was crisp and refreshing and just incredibly well made. I kept a star on just for the wine.
We are frequent paella eaters and the paella here was incredibly disappointing. It was just too salty. The rice we had was undercooked and had a bite to it which we really didn’t appreciate. We sent it back and requested the chef to try it. The chef told our waiter he didn’t think anything was wrong. We ended our night there.

One of my favorite places I have visited in Boston.
The ambiance is what this place is all about. You walk in to this beautiful, sleek, clean restaurant with amazing décor. The ceilings are high which make this place feel even more swanky. The tables had crisp white plates with horseshoe crabs painted on them. I searched the web and these go for $ 125 each. Impressive.
The bread alone was a 5. The bread is warm and soft with onions on top. The butter comes in a dish with oil around it and it’s melt in your mouth.
I had the oyster platter and the Pacific Oysters WON me over. They came with a bunch of toppings, but the mignonette was the BEST. So refreshing.
I then had the calamari which was the perfect texture and size. It came with lemon, olive oil, crispy salt capers, and raw sweet vidalias. I did eat some of my mom’s paella because I underestimated my level of hunger… and you could definitely share the paella.
The DESSERT! HOLY. This is where I practically fell over. I ordered the Strawberry Verrine with native strawberries, rose-​strawberry gelee (a jello and even if you dont like jello, YOU will love this), shortcake, white chocolate mousse (most unbelievable thing I have ever tasted), vanilla bean ice cream, elderberry granita.

The best meal ever. I don’t even know what else to say. I wish Memphis had restaurants like this (although it would be impossible to get this fresh of seafood… and from the East coast… all our stuff comes from the Gulf). The décor is breathtaking, elegant, and special. The service is on point. My new favorite restaurant in Boston and I would come back to the city just to visit Ostra and have another perfect dinner.

The best seafood I had in Boston, while on business for a week.
Must order the seafood paella and grilled octopus. Never had better octopus and paella anywhere else.

Ostra is definitely in my top 5 favorite restaurants in Boston. Started off with a random assortment of oysters — all delicious and expertly shucked. Then we ordered the grilled octopus which they pre-​split onto plates for me and my boyfriend — it is one of the best octopus dishes I’ve ever had. Extremely tender and the accompaniments perfectly supported, not masked, the delicate meat.
After reading Unilocal reviews, I HAD to try the salt-​crusted branzino. The presentation was absolutely stunning and watching them skin and filet the fish was a sight to behold. The fish was moist, flaky, and delicious. One of the best preparations I’ve had to date. I’d honestly like it better with just salt, as the lemon was a bit overpowering at times.
We finished off the night with a beautiful snow egg — I was wary at first due to the flavor profile, but after trying everything together, I couldn’t help but turn giddy with every spoonful. The flavor is truly indescribable, but I’ll tell you one thing — it’s definitely worth a try.
Service was excellent, restaurant has a very modern appeal — will definitely be back.