Select Oyster Bar

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, Bön appetit

This place is incredible!
The staff are sooo friendly and kind
The ambience is so cool and comfortable
The foooood is more than amazing!!! I love the lobster roll, its a MUST!
The uni toast was WOW!
Everything, almost everything was soooo delicious!
One point is that the prices could be a little (like 20%) cheaper.

Decent oysters (from a surprisingly small selection of choices), passable cocktails, and satisfactory service… but INCREDIBLY overpriced. Like, criminally, almost insultingly so. 3 drinks + 6 oysters= $ 80 check. No thanks. The mandatory 20% tip is beyond presumptuous, and this place is obviously *very* impressed with itself.

A charming seafood place, was busy but not at all loud on a Friday night. Friendly staff, good ambience, tasty food. Perfect for a date, quiet night out with friends or when you simply want to treat yourself.
I didn’t try their oysters, but had several appetizers. Japanese madai crudo was excellent. Spanish octopus was good, but buried underneath a ridiculous amount of cilantro, which was almost like having a cilantro salad. Sea urchin special with cucumbers and rosewater was very original, but I found the rosewater flavor overwhelming. Tuna tartar with caviar — fresh and a generous portion, maybe lacked some sort of side, like crostini or greens.
Decent and reasonably priced wine selection that goes well with the food, and they also have cocktails and beer.
The prices are comparable to similar places in Boston, and I, personally, didn’t mind the mandatory 20% tip, because the service was excellent and that’s what I would have left anyway. Will definitely be back.

Very good for a Michael Seapta’s first place.
Good seafood options and all that we had to try were excellent. Just make sure to bring your checkbook, and/​or make sure your minimum on your credit cards are up to the challenge. This place (like a majority of the seafood restaurants in Boston) can get pricey fast.
Definitely worth a look for those looking to splurge on a nice evening out. Also, it can get a bit LOUD in the back porch and dining area, just forewarned.

Probably some of the best seafood I’ve had. Everything I tried was fantastic, though my meal was raw centric, I will need to come back and try some cooked food.
Wine — Sancerre
Oysters — duhh — I did 3 but could easily have done more
Scallop crudo — was a special (i think), was awesome and beautifully plated
White Anchovies — If you like anchovies (not like the ones you get on pizza or ceasar salad though) you will like this
Salmon Crudo — I definitely recommend this
I was to full to try an deserts, will be looking forward to my next visit to Boston and will have to come back.

Now that I moved to Orlando from Boston, and travel to Boston for work, I can finally seek out the finest oyster bar in town.
After eating at Neptune, Row 34 and B&G, this was the next on the list.
Tried a few of each of the six oysters being offered and all were cold, salty and delicious. 5 local offerings and one from Washington.
Wine list was extensive, but I drink beer so not an interest to me. Beer offerings were good and had two Sculpins.
At the recommendation of the bartender, and seconded by my bar neighbor, had the fantastic Spanish octopus. Offered as an appetizer. Hearty portion with lots of extra greens, cilantro, snow peas (?) and a good, flavorful sauce.
Smaller space and bar seats are tight. Had to eat with one arm tucked between my legs. I’m not exactly small and we are in the heart of an ancient, major city, so whatever.
Overall, I’d go back for sure.

This is a great place to have a nice dinner, friendly staffs and amazing food. Also, I like their red wine selection.
I spent four nights in Boston, had dinner at the Ritz and Mandarin hotels. Select Oyster Bars by far is better and unpretentious.
The oysters are fresh and amazingly good. I had halibut for the main course, well done!
Excellent place.

I came to Select twice before actually making it to sit down and eat dinner. It’s quite popular, and quite cozy (read: tiny), so the wait can be ridiculous.
To beat the rush, my friend and I came early (like early-​bird grandma early) on a Saturday and consumed a selection of oysters (obviously), the salmon crudo, and the tuna tartare.
I had a «death in the afternoon» cocktail (it has absinthe in it — I was totally expecting to hallucinate the green fairy a la Ewan McGregor in Moulin Rouge… but that didn’t happen).
We were astonished by how good the food was. I had informed my friend about my previous abandonments due to the wait, and so we had high expectations, but we were blown away after we sat down to eat. Everything was so FRESH and an interesting mix of flavors.
Took off one star because I feel like I can only hit it on off hours… but maybe the exclusiveness is part of the appeal?

I’m back in Boston and naturally want seafood. I tried this place in the hopes of finding a new gem in the Boston food scene, and I have to say I was disappointed.
The oyster variety is good, with Island Creeks (my favorites) among the six available to order. But the prices were at least fifty cents to a dollar more than the same or similar fare at Row 34 (phenomenal place). I also tried the lobster roll, which was on ciabatta with a tomato aioli and an avocado/​cilantro spread. The lobster meat quality was good, and I like the idea of dressing up the workingman’s lobster roll. But, as someone who is okay with cilantro, it was horribly misplaced here. Also, the overall flavor was extremely acidic. I like a mix of tang and sweet overall in my lobster roll, but this made me want milk. Strongly acidic. The greens on the side were dressed in a similarly acidic dressing-​better flavor than what was on the sandwich, but the acid content was through the roof. Again, this cost more than the Row 34 roll, which is a tastier product though a smaller portion-Select’s lobster roll was huge.
I will say, the ambience and décor is great. This is an attractive place-​hip and classy to keep with the greater Newbury vibe. I walked right in and got a great bar seat. It’s not bad at all, and definitely a nice change of pace from Boylston bars, but it’s definitely a tier below Lineage in Brookline, Row 34, or Legal Sea Foods.

Simple doesn’t mean stupendous, but it also doesn’t not mean that. You know what I mean, man?
*P.S. before the letter even starts ~ don’t miss the subtlety unsubtle Life Aquatic décor theme, it’s really quite nice.
Salmon crudo with pistachio oil and togarashi was my favorite edible of the night. The haddock crudo with pickled pumpkin was a miss for me, and the tuna tartar wasn’t anything to write on a linen napkin, slip into a bottle, and throw into the ocean, but it was good (although not $ 22 good). I ate oysters but there is almost never a point to reviewing oysters — they’re only fantastic. It is worth noting however that they do have an extensive selection. Not Neptune Oyster extensive, but far better than your other typical Life Aquatic themed oyster establishments.
The drinks were simple and classic, but totes d0p3. Sazerac and negroni were total winners and desperately proper. The Grüner Veltliner was delicious, dry, and composed — a perfect white for this menu.
I’m kicking myself that I didn’t get the hamachi crudo, because I’m not sure I care enough to go back, but if I did ever end up returning, I’d be vdown.

I had dinner here with my sister on my recent trip home to Boston. Allow extra time for parking as it can be challenging in the neighborhood. They have a huge bar and communal table at the front. We elected to eat at the bar. There were a number of seasonal offerings and a nice menu with tons of seafood options to choose from.
We started with the dressed Main poster which was to die for! I’d order it again the next time I’m there. We also had a salmon crudo which was fresh and delicious. For the main courses, we had a special of the day fish served with heirloom tomatoes that was light and delicious. We also had a grilled salmon that was presented on top of a thick green sauce that was too heavy and overpowered the dish. We skipped dessert. The service was great and they have a nice selection of wines by the glass that are a little pricey. Overall, we had a good meal and I’d recommend the restaurant for a casual night out in Boston.

Considering how much I enjoy Neptune Oyster and oyster bars in general, I wanted to love Select Oyster, as I hoped Chef Michael Serpa would take his magic there and create something that the Back Bay has needed for a long time. It’s conveniently located in a beautiful brownstone and has outdoor seating (albeit without much of a view or ambiance). But in two visits there for lunch, I’ve enjoyed the food but haven’t been blown away by the overall experience.
On a first trip, we enjoyed some oysters, the Spanish octopus as an appetizer, and the Icelandic arctic char as an entrée. I thought the arctic char, which was highly recommended by an over-​enthusiastic waiter, was really the high point of the meal. On a second trip this last weekend, we again got oysters, all of which were perfectly shucked, followed by a tuna tartare with sturgeon caviar, and their special crudo of the day. This time, the tuna tartare was the star of the show. The bar program seems fine, but having only one beer on draft (it was a Lagunitas Pilsner most recently) is odd. Prices are high, but pretty much on par with Neptune and most other seafood places in the city.
While the food is unquestionably good, obviously fresh and beautifully presented, I don’t love the ambiance of the restaurant. Some people have complained in previous Unilocal reviews about lackadaisical service, and while I haven’t found that to be the case, I do think that the automatic 20% gratuity is negatively affecting service. I personally don’t have an issue with the 20% charge itself — while steep, most people would add it anyway. I did notice though that the servers are almost apologetic about it, and they preemptively explained it to us without being asked. I wonder if getting rid of the automatic charge would allow the servers to be less defensive, and perhaps loosen up a bit.
Overall, a fine choice for raw bar and interesting seafood in the Back Bay and a place I’d happily go back to because of the quality of the food, but I hope they’ll rethink the gratuity policy.

We came to Select Oyster on Memorial Day weekend based on a friend’s recommendation and were a little trepidatious because of the lowish Unilocal reviews. We were worried about not getting a table but I guess people cleared out of the city during that weekend and we got a table on the cute back patio right away. Select has a cute intimate interior; simple but clean and modern industrial chic lighting. The bar area looked fun and seemed like a good place to meet a friend.
The servers that helped us were patient, enthusiastic and helpful. Hubs was a raw oyster virgin so ended up getting a variety of oysters for an appetizer and they were so good we ended up getting a couple more of his favorite. We also ordered the lobster over roasted green onions in a wonderful broth and full sea roasted sea bream which was cooked perfectly — tender, flaky with great seasoning. The sides weren’t plentiful though, so be warned. We thought about getting the avocado toast but toast for $ 12? Fuggedabaoutit. They really need to add veggies for sides or include it in the entrée.
Another high note– the wine list was fantastic and I really appreciated they didn’t have the obligatory 1 rose– they had 5 or 6 to choose from and one that was particularly unusual and zesty one that sounded Greek but think it was from Spain. It made my night, and unfortunately looking at their website, they’ve since changed the menu and I can’t remember the name of it (starts with Z or X?) and am kicking myself for not documenting it. Anyway, they have done a nice job curating their wines.
We skipped dessert because the dessert menu was uninspiring that night so can’t speak to the sweets. I see a lot of other people complained about the service charge– we didn’t notice and usually tip 20% so NBD.
Bottom line: great for oysters and well-​executed seafood. Not the best if you’re super starving and just want to stuff your face.

Having a big night out at work & we all decided to head here. Walked in without reservations & asked for a table (Not the High Bar) and we were told about 30 mins wait, when all of a sudden they started whipping tables together out of no-​where to seat us and then as we were about to seat, they said there was a spot opening up on the back deck if we wanted to wait.
So within 5 mins we were seated & It was great, A little warm that night but ok for the most part (Fan was plugged in RIGHT Next to me)
We had already been to Lolita before for drinks & snacks so sitting for a while was ok.
We ordered the Gloucester Plateau and the Select Plateau because we thought just one wouldnt be enough… OMG Delishness. The Dressed Lobster was to die for & the Scallop Ceviche was just the best thing I ever ate. I am soo going back to order just those!
We got tons of sides, Blue Prawns, Spanish Octopuss
Then we got the Roasted Lobster, OMG Everything was just delish!
Hung out there for too long, Had some Orange wine which was really good also!
Will def be back once Im able to eat again!

Didn’t like the mandatory 20% tip even for two people. Don’t get the mackerel special… doesn’t taste anywhere close to freshly caught mackerel and was a bit overcooked.
Biggest disappointment was the prawns a la plancha… there was no wooden board which is what plancha means and there we no mention that the seven slightly overcooked shrimp had heads/​shell on and I hate peeling shrimp :-(
best parts of the dinner was the vegetables under the mackerel and the octopus starter.
p. s. «porch» isn’t worth sitting at… you get a view of the wall of the building next door and we smelled Lysol from someone cleaning downstairs.

As I embark on my Oyster Summer Tour 2015, I stumbled here on a Monday evening, hiding from the unseasonably cold rain and wind.
The place is small, delicate and intimate, the set up classy with a well balanced and reasonable drinks list and and a changing Oyster menu. The hostess will seat you at either at the available two tops or the bar. [I was not able to tell if there was another room to the location this very may well be] A quick chalk board lists a couple of the daily specials. New to oysters, I stumbled through the listing settling first for the littlenecks [5 for $ 12 — very nice] and later for 4 from Peters Point and Island Creek [$ 2.75 a pop and both from MA]. I loved the sweetness of them as I sucked them down with delight!
As a small app to fill my warm dish need [I’m not always a fan of a cold dinner], they had a dish of the day of cuttlefish, quite well cooked on top of a hazelnut romesco [a twist from the usual almond original], sprouts/​delicate greens and finished with sea salt. Quite delicious. To drink they offer on the onset tap or sparkling water and I had an accompanying glass [or 2 — it’s me] of Gruener Veltlinger [an Austrian White]
The service was prompt and courteous and I sat at the Bar with little interaction, however I was not over or underattended to. Keep in the back of your mind there is a standard 20% pre-​tax gratuity added to the bill, which naturally can be taken off if need be.
An excellent start to this season

*insert heavenly sound here here*
What a gem! Back Bay finally has its own true ouster bar! I love everything about this place — it’s low-​key, the décor is a rustic-​chic, the staff is incredibly friendly, and of course, their oyster selection is on point!
They really do a lot with the small space they have and it doesn’t make you feel cramped or claustrophobic at all. Most seating is at the bar counter with a few small tables and one larger table, but it’s all very comfortable and perfectly spaced out. They also will be opening up the back patio soon that has some cute twinkle lights.
Priced at $ 2.75 a pop, they had a variety of 6 oysters: Wellfleet (Wellfleet), Island Creek (Duxbury), Pleasant Bay (Orleans), Pemaquid (Damariscotta, ME), Riptide (Westport), and Hog Island (Marshall, CA). We had one of each and it was a great sampling. They shuck them right at the end of the bar counter so you know they’re fresh!
A place like this is exactly what Back Bay needed! I will definitely be returning again soon!

WELCOME to the NEIGHBORHOOD!
Didn’t think an oyster bar would do anything to the Back Bay, but SO wrong. This place is SO right!
Yes there are oysters, lots of them, from all over. But for my group of diners, what made it was everything else.
The escargot… omg… a bowl of delish mixed in WITH toasted garlic bread strips that can only be described as ‘sex in a bowl’. I’ve had escargot everywhere on this planet, yet something so simple as to package and serve it WITH the bread was beyond me. They reinvented the wheel with this one.
The seafood plateau was 2 layers of temptation. Lobster, ceviche, little necks, cherry stones, oysters, shrimps… confetti exploded in my pants.
But for you fish lovers, especially those that love Branzino-​types, you simply MUST have the whole roasted sea bream «taverna style» in herb dressing. It was my first multiple «O». I was truly surprised they didn’t serve it with condoms to prevent my pants from staining. My khakis no longer have a need for starching at the dry cleaners. I’ll be standing upright for months.
I hear that the patio will be open once the weather allows, which will make this one of the coolest, trendiest places to eat in the neighborhood.
Just remember they don’t take reservations. You’ll get wait-​listed if you come during peak hours, so plan to eat early, or have a lot of free time. But trust me. Worth it.

Thrilled to have this new addition to the neighborhood! My fiancé and I came for the grand opening and had a wonderful meal, starting with a dozen delicious oysters and the poached champagne prawns. Prawns were fresh and flavorful, you do have to peel them so a bit messy, but worth the work.
Next up was the asparagus app. I especially loved the textures of this dish– tender asparagus with crisp potatoes in a creamy refreshing sauce with fresh herbs and a bit of caviar.
For our main course we shared the whole sea bream and arroz frito (fried rice). The rice was the highlight of the evening for me! Black rice with perfectly roasted cauliflower, a little crisp to the rice and a creamy rich uni to top it off. Wonderful flavor combination.
The sea bream was amazing as well but as with all whole fish, a little difficult to eat while working around the bones, though fresh and flavorful.
I tried a few cocktails off the drink menu. My favorite was the vermouth panache which wasn’t sweet and very smooth.
Great service, especially for opening night. Interesting note– they include 20% gratuity on all checks. A little strange but as long as management keeps the service up to par, it shouldn’t be a problem… I can definitely see it bothering some people though.
Welcome to the neighborhood Select! Can’t wait for the outdoor patio