For a town that prides itself on its maritime roots, it’s shocking how long it took for posh seafood to hit Boston. For decades, clam shacks and old-school hangouts slinging lobster rolls reigned; save for a few choice oyster bars like Neptune and B&G, Legal Sea Foods and Atlantic Fish Co. were the only places you could find great fish and a respectable wine list.

It’s a whole new era. During the past five years, our upscale seafood offerings have more than doubled, from Legal’s elegant Harborside dining room to oyster-bars-and-more like Kenmore Square’s Island Creek and Fort Point’s Row 34. Now we have Ostra, which chef-owner Jamie Mammano and his Columbus Hospitality Group opened in the former Avila space in late November.

Just as its siblings Mistral, Sorellina and Mooo offer glamorous takes on French bistro, Italian and steakhouse fare, respectively, Ostra presents seafood with designer flourishes. Sophisticated and sexy, the restaurant’s decor makes subtle nods to the Mediterranean: pure white walls, overscaled black-and-white images of sand and rock, and translucent jellyfish-esque pendants dangling from the soaring ceilings. Mosaic patterns and a hand-painted mural—two design elements that go wrong in so, so many restaurants—dazzle in the entry and bar, where the tinkling of a jazz pianist makes you wish live music was more commonplace in our restaurant scene. The daily catch is proudly displayed under a bright light, the bass and monkfish glistening on a stage of pebbled ice.

The cuisine, too, rakes in the presentation points. A stunning horseshoe crab-emblazoned charger greets you at the table, only to be whisked away as your bread arrives. That bread is a gorgeous, warm ciabatta-like mini loaf covered with crisp, paper-thin slices of potato and onion; it’s accompanied by an herb-topped dollop of soft butter in a pool of olive oil. Some entrees arrive in dramatic fashion, in huge-handled skillets or plated under a silvery dome. In case the prices—$18 and up for raw appetizers, including a $160 Israeli osetra caviar, and a $40-something average for entrees—didn’t make the point, these touches tell you that you’re dining with a capital D.

Executive chef Mitchell Randall hails from Scarborough, Maine, and his adoration of great seafood shows. A cylinder of sea bass tartare with truffle aioli ($24) is blanketed with shavings of winter black truffles and served with fennel pollen crostini. The clear, delicate truffle flavor doesn’t mask the flavor of the fish, which is perfectly chopped to showcase the natural texture of the bass. Truffles also star in a starter of ricotta gnocchetti ($24), where sweet, generously sized lumps of Maine lobster mingle with pleasantly chewy little dumplings and beech mushrooms in a velvety black truffle sauce.

A pan of paella ($44) overflows with the fruits of the sea: lobster, shrimp, mussels, clams, calamari and octopus, all infused with a fragrant saffron aroma. Grilled sea bream ($42) is a deceptively simple preparation, completely deboned and wrapped in trevisano (a longer-leafed radicchio). It’s hit with a bit of lemon, herbs and olive oil, leaving the emphasis squarely on the moist and tender fish.

Even non-seafood ingredients excel. Giannone Farms roast chicken with roasted winter vegetables ($28) is crisp and satisfying. Lamb osso bucco with tomato, artichokes and creamy polenta ($36) has incredible richness and roasted tomato flavor.

But much depends on the kitchen’s pace and your evening’s server, who can range from confident and informed to reserved or a bit hard to track down. When halibut ($38) arrives after some delay, it’s on a scorching-hot plate and dry, with mushrooms and a potato puree that want for seasoning. When we request a by-the-glass wine recommendation, we’re offered chardonnay or sauvignon blanc, without winemaker or context.

Finish on a high note by ordering dessert. No one should miss the Snow Egg ($11), an oval puff of lemon mousse-filled meringue served with fresh raspberries and basil syrup and crowned with a nest of spun sugar. And any Nutella lover would fall for the chocolate hazelnut cremeux ($13), an intense ganache-like brick paired with popcorn-flavored ice cream and a swoop of Pop Rocks-embedded chocolate.

Both plates wow you with good looks, then deliver surprising depth. That’s true of much of what you’ll find at Ostra. It may need time to shake out a few new-restaurant wrinkles, but this debut’s stylish approach to seafood is one that’s long been overdue.

 

Donna’s Picks   

– Sea bass tartare

– Ricotta gnocchetti with Maine lobster

– Grilled sea bream

– Paella

– Lamb osso bucco

– Snow Egg

 

Hours: Dining room open Sun.-Thu., 5:30-10 pm, Fri.-Sat., 5-11 pm; Bar and lounge open Sun.-Thu., 5-11:30 pm, Fri.-Sat., 5 pm-12 am

Reservations: Yes

Credit Cards: Yes

Parking: Valet and street

Liquor: Full bar

 

Ostra | 1 Charles St. South, Boston | 617-421-1200 | ostraboston.com


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