Mare

Probably my favorite restaurant in Boston. I love Mare but have only been two times. The restaurant itself is clean, hip and intimate. There is this cool light fixture that fills the dining area with an assortment of warm colors that changes every so often, creating a unique ambiance. The first time I went, I ordered the stuffed Maine lobster. It was absolutely delicious and I recommend it to everyone who goes. You will not be disappointed. The second time I went there, I wanted to try something different and ordered the wild boar pappardelle. This dish was also extremely good. I love pappardelle and this was possibly the best pappardelle dish that I have ever tasted. I also tried their bone marrow which was very good. I had never tried bone marrow before but I was pleasantly surprised. Mare is probably my most favorite Italian or seafood restaurant in the city. It is that good.…

Would not recommend. We tried Mare for Restaurant Week, to which the meal was OK but would never pay what they are actually charging for these dishes. In addition, the alchol was outrageously overpriced including a house bottle of wine for $55 (I have never paid that for house wine at any restaurant in the North End). Also, it was extremely hot inside as if their AC was not working. People kept asking for the air to be turned up but they said it was at it's max so we all just used our napkins to blot sweat instead...ridiculous.…

Very good seafood. I would like to start off by rebutting a few statements made by other reviewers. First of all, any time you see a restaurant with $30+ entrees, it should be small. Beware of any restaurant that can seat 150, and/or one which you don't need a weekend reservation for. Generally speaking, you can be sure your food is prepared with less care, probably by some first year sous chef or lower. Secondly, these restaurants are only in it for the money. Finally, if you have ever been to Italy, you will know that the majority of Italian restaurants are small and family owned, not corporately franchised. As for the bar scene, obviously you don't go to an Italian seafood restaurant for the bar. As for the food, we stuck to the seafood, because it is a seafood restaurant. I started with the grilled octopus, which was good. It came with a pesto sauce and a potato foam. My girlfriend ordered the chef's grilled fish sampler for her entree (a nice idea, more places should do this). It came with six fish, all great accept for the monk fish, which was dry (way overcooked). I ordered the whole sea bass, which was fantastic. If you have never ordered whole fish before, just beware of small bones than can stick or choke you. The service was on par for a restaurant of this caliber. My only complaint was that the waiter charged us twice for alcohol. I quickly noticed the price discrepancy and pointed it out to him. He immediately apologized and recalculated the bill for us. So just look over your bill before paying. But after all, you won't find any mathematicians who wait tables on the weekend. So in conclusion, very good seafood, good service, wine was fine, nice atmosphere, don't go to propose or to get trashed at the bar.…