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Neptune Oyster

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 Boston, 02113

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About

Neptune Oyster is a small raw bar on Salem Street that treats the oyster list as its main event. The list of farms it buys from reads like a map of the New England coast, from Wellfleet, Island Creek, Katama Bay and Cotuit in Massachusetts to Pemaquid and Glidden Point in Maine and Matunuck in Rhode Island, with Kumamoto and Kusshi from the West Coast for contrast. It opened in 2004, in a neighborhood better known for red sauce than for shellfish.

It suits a seafood lunch or an early dinner for one or two more than a large group on a schedule. Neptune takes no reservations and seats walk-ins only, the room is narrow, and the kitchen serves straight through from 11 a.m. every day, so a mid-afternoon visit is worth considering if you would rather not wait for a seat at the usual dinner hour.

The johnnycake and the lobster roll

Two dishes carry the reputation. The Neptune johnnycake comes with honey butter, Boston smoked bluefish and sturgeon caviar, and the Maine lobster roll is served on a toasted brioche roll, hot with butter or cold with mayo, with sea salt fries on the side. Both appear on the current menu; the lobster roll is priced at market.

Beyond the raw bar

The raw bar also shucks littlenecks and cherrystones and builds tiered plateaus for sharing. From the kitchen come crudo such as golden sea bream and bluefin, Wellfleet clam chowder, fried Ipswich clams, a North End cioppino of grilled local fish and shellfish in a spicy broth with saffron rice, and the N.O.B. clambake with a whole two-pound Maine lobster, clams, chorizo and sweet corn. The Neptune burger, topped with fried oysters, and a bone-in ribeye cover anyone at the table who would rather skip the shellfish.

Recognition

The James Beard Foundation named Neptune Oyster a semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurant in 2020, and the restaurant is included in the MICHELIN Guide's Boston selection, which describes its dark blue facade and the window of oysters on crushed ice.

Beyond the dining room

The restaurant supports the Massachusetts Oyster Project, a volunteer group restoring native shellfish to local beaches and estuaries, and rides as a team in the Pan-Mass Challenge, which raises money for cancer research at Dana-Farber.

Sources: Neptune Oyster, menu, oyster bar, press, events, MICHELIN Guide, James Beard Foundation. Checked September 27, 2026.

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Company Name
Neptune Oyster
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Location
63 Salem Street
Boston, 02113

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About Neptune Oyster

Quick answer: Neptune Oyster is a restaurant at 63 Salem Street, Boston, MA 02113. Walk-in North End raw bar on Salem Street: New England oysters, the Neptune johnnycake, a hot or cold lobster roll. MICHELIN-listed.

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Neptune Oyster is a small raw bar on Salem Street that treats the oyster list as its main event. The list of farms it buys from reads like a map of the New England coast, from Wellfleet, Island Creek, Katama Bay and Cotuit in Massachusetts to Pemaquid and Glidden Point in Maine and Matunuck in Rhode Island, with Kumamoto and Kusshi from the West Coast for contrast. It opened in 2004, in a neighborhood better known for red sauce than for shellfish.

It suits a seafood lunch or an early dinner for one or two more than a large group on a schedule. Neptune takes no reservations and seats walk-ins only, the room is narrow, and the kitchen serves straight through from 11 a.m. every day, so a mid-afternoon visit is worth considering if you would rather not wait for a seat at the usual dinner hour.

The johnnycake and the lobster roll

Two dishes carry the reputation. The Neptune johnnycake comes with honey butter, Boston smoked bluefish and sturgeon caviar, and the Maine lobster roll is served on a toasted brioche roll, hot with butter or cold with mayo, with sea salt fries on the side. Both appear on the current menu; the lobster roll is priced at market.

Beyond the raw bar

The raw bar also shucks littlenecks and cherrystones and builds tiered plateaus for sharing. From the kitchen come crudo such as golden sea bream and bluefin, Wellfleet clam chowder, fried Ipswich clams, a North End cioppino of grilled local fish and shellfish in a spicy broth with saffron rice, and the N.O.B. clambake with a whole two-pound Maine lobster, clams, chorizo and sweet corn. The Neptune burger, topped with fried oysters, and a bone-in ribeye cover anyone at the table who would rather skip the shellfish.

Recognition

The James Beard Foundation named Neptune Oyster a semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurant in 2020, and the restaurant is included in the MICHELIN Guide's Boston selection, which describes its dark blue facade and the window of oysters on crushed ice.

Beyond the dining room

The restaurant supports the Massachusetts Oyster Project, a volunteer group restoring native shellfish to local beaches and estuaries, and rides as a team in the Pan-Mass Challenge, which raises money for cancer research at Dana-Farber.

Sources: Neptune Oyster, menu, oyster bar, press, events, MICHELIN Guide, James Beard Foundation. Checked September 27, 2026.

Restaurants Seafood Oyster Bar North End restaurants
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Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Where is Neptune Oyster?+
At 63 Salem Street in the North End, Boston, MA 02113.
Q. What are Neptune Oyster's hours?+
The restaurant opens at 11 a.m. every day. On weekdays the kitchen serves until 9:30 p.m. and the raw bar until 10 p.m.; on weekends the kitchen serves until 10:30 p.m. and the raw bar until 11 p.m. Check the restaurant's website before you go, as hours can change.
Q. Does Neptune Oyster take reservations?+
No. The restaurant states that it takes no reservations and seats walk-ins only.
Q. How much does a meal cost?+
On the current menu, Wellfleet clam chowder is $15, the Neptune johnnycake $21, the North End cioppino $38 and the Neptune burger $25. Oysters, the lobster roll and the clambake are priced at market.
Q. Which oysters does Neptune serve?+
The raw bar lists East Coast and West Coast oysters at market price, drawn from farms including Wellfleet, Island Creek, Katama Bay and Cotuit in Massachusetts, Pemaquid and Glidden Point in Maine, Matunuck in Rhode Island, and Kumamoto and Hog Island on the West Coast. Availability changes daily.
Q. Is there anything for people who do not eat seafood?+
A little. The menu includes a 16 oz bone-in ribeye with house-cut fries, and the Neptune burger with Vermont cheddar, which comes topped with fried oysters.
Q. Can I order takeout?+
Yes. The restaurant's website links to its own online ordering page.
Q. Is Neptune Oyster in the MICHELIN Guide?+
Yes. It is included in the MICHELIN Guide's Boston selection, without a star or Bib Gourmand. The James Beard Foundation also named it a 2020 semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurant.

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