Moeca

Amazing experience! I have to first give props to the restaurant for holding our table over the phone even though we were running late due to traffic on a Friday night. As for the food, they all came out at the right time as we just finished our previous dishes. And they were all very delicious! My highlight would have to be the tuna, both the raw and cooked versions. The pastas are very unique and tasty. The fried monkfish is very tender with a nice crispy outside. We weren't impressed with the smoked trout mainly because the amount of breading was too much, but the sauce on that was still very delicious. Ironically the portion for the "share" section is surprisingly small as compared to the "large" section, even though the price difference is not much. But we were very full at the end of the night and had a great time at the bar. I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that this is a sister restaurant with Giulia right next door.

This was my third visit to Moëca, and each time I have been impressed. It's the perfect spot for a special occasion dinner. Emily, our server, was super knowledgeable about the food, and helpful in figuring out dishes I could eat with my various dietary restrictions (gluten, dairy, soy). She was attentive and her timing was impeccable. The food was delicious. We got two of the specials and loved both. We got 1 small plate, two mediums and an entree to share and it was more than enough food. Cocktails were delightful too.

It was my boyfriend and I’s 3rd anniversary and we had such a wonderful time. The food was delicious, every dish seemed to top the next. We tried the tuna neck special and the stuffed paparadelle and my mouth was watering. I was so impressed. But most importantly the restaurant was beautiful, clean, and decorated amazingly. I loved all the details down to the plates and glasses. Our server was the sweetest human being ever that made sure we were comfortable and happy the entire time. I loved that she checked in, gave good advice, and even used a warm cloth to wipe down the table (amazing attention to detail). I have never received such good service. I loved this restaurant and would recommend it to everyone! Thank you for making our anniversary so special!

Really enjoyed the dinner. Nice atmosphere, knowledgeable waiters and great shareable food. Classic as well as innovative cocktails. The beet salad was amazing, the beets were folded with a little cream inside them with a pinch of dill. The monk fish was very buttery and perfectly cooked. The shishito peppers were nicely charred with a tangy sauce. The macaron dessert had a nice mix of flavors. Overall excellent.

Always admire chefs who seem to challenge themselves with creating new flavor combinations. Every single plate we ordered featured complex texture and flavor combos. Really tasted the work and hours that must have been placed into every single dish. Bravo! Looking forward to go back and try other items on their innovative (sea inspired) menu!

Food was excellent and service fantastic! We had the unicorn oysters (melon might have overpowered the oysters), squid, fried monkfish, charred beets (very good!), lobster spaghetti and the grilled swordfish. Sounds like plenty for 2 but we were given to understand 5-8 plates would be just about right. We ended with the smoked Tahitian vanilla ice cream with the caramel popcorn which I found too sweet. Cocktails feature an extensive mezcal-based selection which were great. Definitely the highlight of our first time in Boston. Would highly recommend!

Great service and great food. We followed the suggestion to go with sharing plates and were not disappointed. Everything was carefully prepared and delicately plated, and naturally, delicious and flavorful. During our visit they had a scallop special which would be a lovely addition to the main menu - really delicious and perfectly cooked. The unicorn oysters were good, but with the topping ratio, the true taste of the oyster was a bit too masked. That said, you really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu.

Highly recommended! Almost all dishes were great (exceptional ravioli), and cocktails were quite punchy too

Dessert sorbet dish is epic level (one of the best desserts I've had in Boston). Very tasty grilled items and monkfish. I think the croquettes is not that tasty compared to other items. A little bit expensive but worth it for special occasions!

We've visited Moeca a few times since my original review, and it's been most excellent every time. To start, I don't eat much seafood (although my wife enjoys it very much) - and yet, even with a menu focused on the ocean, I have always had good experiences here. The service, the food, and the cocktails are all superb. This time around was a new Year's Eve, an early 6:30p reservation so that we could get home and act like the old fogeys we hope to someday be. We were seated in the last booth before the entrance to the kitchen. Our waiter (server, liaison, whatever) was a younger man who we had the pleasure of meeting on a previous trip. Super friendly, and a most excellent combination of fun and professional - I'm sorry I didn't get his name, but hopefully he (and management) can figure out who I'm speaking of so that he can be commended. Food: the charred beets are always nice, bread and butter course totally worth it, potatoes with the salmon roe and lobster sauce delicious. The thing I keep coming back for us the chickpea pancake - this is like, the greatest latka my mind can imagine. So good. She had the fried monkfish, and I had the pasta with beef and black truffle. I have never seen so much black truffle. Delicious all around. No dessert, no room in our bellies. In fact, we had to take quite a bit home (such a shame ;)). Drinks: I've enjoyed all the cocktails I've had at Moeca, with the Mantero, Oaxacan Along, and the Basil Rathbone were all superb. Also a glass of porto to finish. Very happy this place is within walking distance, and hopefully my wife and I will throw our hermit-like tendencies aside in order to visit more often. Great restaurant, great service, would highly recommend. ----original review from... 2022ish? ---- We visited Moëca for my wife's birthday, and we had a really good time. The food was very good, and I say this as someone who doesn't eat much seafood - but this was my wife's birthday, and she loves it! I think I tried every vegetarian dish on the menu, and all were quite tasty! Favorite may have been the chickpea pancake, but the beets, potatoes, bread course, and grain salad were all delicious. Loved the cocktails as well. We live around the corner and will definitely recommend, and return.

I went here with the family for my sons birthday. Service was great. We sampled a lot of food, almost all were excellent, with two exceptions: the semolina gnocchi and the John Dory. I think the gnocchi was ok, but not up to par with the rest of the menu, the John Dory was a definite miss, and even more underwhelming is the confit of artichoke which I was looking forward to. The stand outs: yellow fin tuna started was absolutely spectacular! Family loved the unicorn oysters, and I think they were great, but the tuna blew my mind (freshness, balance of flavors and texture). I was particularly thankful that the server allowed us to get a 4th oyster so that we can each have one without having to order two servings. A side note, our server was so helpful and collaborative in helping us decide what to double up on and to listen to our likes. She was very knowledgeable and cool. Cape cod scallops is a must! Would I have got a second order of that vs the tuna? No the Tuna dish was the star for me but if I didn’t get the tuna, I would have definitely doubled up! Beet-leek fritters with Labne were excellent. Beet forward, and light. Texture was perfect, firm and structured, not oily as most fritters could be, the addition of a tangy labne underneath was inspired, only wish it had a touch more, and the chili was just right. We would have ordered a second serving if we hadn’t had so many more dishes to come. The asparagus with trout roe was a good plate to share and added freshness. The sauce was really good, the overall dish is good, and I understand why it’s on the menu, and why we needed to order it, but I would give it an 8. Would I order it again, no but happy we tried it. Paying $8 for two rolls was a bit steep, but ok. The placement of it on the menu (half way through the sharing plate, was a little odd, so I expected a little more). It was meh, it could have been given for free and would have added more to the experience than paying for it. I would have ordered two soft shell crab. Really delightful and bright dish. I’d order this again, for sure!! The lumache with ramp pesto was truly surprising for me. I think the pasta was over cooked slightly, but the ramp pesto was delightfully light, flavorful and on point! The whole toasted pine nuts so fresh and added the beautiful pop of texture and richness. The cook on the branzino was amazing. Skin so crispy, and spring onions so delicious, we fought over them! Is it worth $52, maybe. 52, not 50, not 49, 52! On a second thought, yes! No doubt the John Dory needs to go off the menu. None of the components delivered! We ordered two deserts, the strawberry with a whipped cheesecake (was ok) and lemon desert with pistachio sorbet (excellent) The drinks were strong, good, the service was relaxed and attentive without being overbearing, the atmosphere was nice. The menu is a 9, and I want to come back, and for that I give them a 5 stars.

We are longtime fans of Giulia and have been there many times, so we were very excited to try their sister restaurant, Moeca. We had dinner in this beautiful space last night, for my birthday. It was sensational. The concept here is shared plates, mostly seafood, incredibly fresh and expertly prepared. Chef Pagliarini has done it again! We started with the Unicorn Oysters, which were topped with a celery granita....we each had two, but I could've easily taken down a dozen. Next we had the tuna crudo, which was so delicious, we wouldn't let the server take out plate--we ordered the sourdough to sop up the savory chili vinaigrette that remained! We also devoured the octopus, squash agnolotti and steamed green crab custard. Lastly, we shared the Lobster Spaghetti, which was incredible. For dessert, the Lemon Bomb with pistachio ice cream. Drinks were lovely. Service was attentive without feeling intrusive. All in all, a truly wonderful experience. I will say, be prepared to spend here. We (two of us) each had a cocktail, split a bottle of wine (the least expensive on the menu,) had 6 small plates, shared an entree and shared a dessert and the total came to $286, before tip. Definitely a special occasion spot for us, but we will be back!

Had dinner here on their opening night. We have been excited about this restaurant for a couple months now and it exceeded expectations. The oysters and striped bass crudo were hi-lights of our dinner, although all of our dishes and drinks were delicious! The striped bass crudo was one of my favorite dishes I have had in a long time. To drink, we tried the Tisane Spritz, which was refreshing and highly drinkable. The beets were an unexpected delight and they could hold their own against the seafood dishes. We also enjoyed the salt cod which was a hearty and rich small plate that was serious comfort food. We are so happy to have this gem in the neighborhood and cannot wait to return!

Delightful experience and food! Very nice ambiance in the restaurant with delicious cuisine!

an awesome experience here. Large spaces restaurant, but I say at bar. Bartender was very knowledgeable about the dishes as well. It took me four plates and a dessert to be full, so portoes are small but great quality The only slight complaint I have is the pacing .all four of my dishes came out in rapid succession. Three at a time. And then the other before I finished my last dish . I had plates everywhere and felt rushed. That wasn't their intention at all, but it is something to note. I was eating solo so maybe they are used to bringing everything out at one time for large parties? I ordered two specials and two menu items Special: Sardine raviolis with a clam broth: this was awesome. Raviolis were more like dumpling and were nice and crispy on outside and nice and pillowing on inside. Dish has a very clean fishy profile and the clam sauce added a savory taste. Interesting and delicious 5/5 Black bass belly with crispy fish skin: This was amazing! The bass belly was rich with flavor and melt in your mouth fattiness. The crispy fish skin added some salt and there was a little kick too. Very original and yummy 5/5 Regular menu: Smoked trout on potato roll: Awesome! Trout was like a pate spread on the soft and delicious potato roll. Trout had a prominent bbq smokiness to it. Very savory and natural. Not that liquid smoke flavor. 5/5 semolina gnocchi Delicious. This was a scallop with the innards they usually removed included. It was all very tender and delicious and came with a very nice tomato broth. 5/5 Surfer clams: Very pretty dish with edible flowers. Clams were fresh and clean tasing and came with a nice buttermilk sauce 5/5. Zucchini cake; Good dessert. Didn't blow me away, but had good presentation and did taste good. Id prob not order this again, but this was.my first zucchini cake so I didn't not know what to expect 4/5 Will be coming back for the amazing food, a different dessert and the friendly service 5/5

Finally I found someone in Boston trying something different and innovating the boring Boston cuisine landmark. In this place you can try new flavors matched them together in a new experience dish. Don’t come here and expect the tune or the salmon …. Or the lobster. You may found them (menu change every day), but in total different way. Like food, this place offers new tasty and enjoyable cocktails …. Not gasoline like many other… if you like and enjoy food and try something different this is the place to go. I wish I can give them 6 stars…. And hope the owner and the chef keep going and maintain this high level food quality, diversity and innovation for the time been.

Moëca offers a unique Italian seafood experience. All of our dishes tasted great and were presented beautifully, and their complex and unexpected flavor profiles reminded us of Moëca's sister restaurant, Giulia. The Cape Cod scallop, tuna n'duja, and bucatini were the highlights. The decor is refined and modern, though the ambiance is a bit dark. The prices are high for the modest portion sizes, but the outstanding quality more than makes up for any deficiencies in quantity.

Food was amazingly creative, blending familiar and far from common ingredients to delicious result. Unless you are a serious foodie, you may need a bit of explanation from the very knowledgeable servers, or have Google at the ready. Speaking of service, did I mention they are deeply knowledgeable about every dish on the ever changing menu, as well as each esoteric cocktail ingredient, and uncommon wines. This place is truly an adventure! Atmosphere was on the loud side of lively and it was slightly challenging to converse across the table. On the flip side, the table space was more than adequate to not feel like you are in another table's space/conversation.

A week on and just as good as we anticipated. Moëca will be a big hit as it has been its well established parent joint…Giulia. The dining room is simple, well lit, lively and with a view on a great bar and a pick into the kitchen—great to see the fish bones saved for seafood broths. The cocktails list is diverse and unique. The ‘Tropea’ with mezcal and a squared watermelon ice cube was very, very good. The beer list is minimal. The wine list has a good variety. The food was simply great! The concept is about small, tasty, well presented shareable dishes. WoW!

Our visit to Moëca was absolutely delightful. The food was both flavorful and inventive, complemented by impeccable service from the moment we arrived until we left. The ambiance was inviting, exuding warmth with refined decoration. Although the menu lacked a kid-friendly option, the staff graciously accommodated our request and prepared a special dish for our little one. Their thoughtful attention and effort truly made the birthday celebration we were enjoying feel special.

Operating under the team behind Giulia, Moëca is a great place to enjoy inventive seafood dishes in an intimate atmosphere. Recently took a visit to check out the hype around this new place. Due to their frequent changes in the menu, I wasn’t able to find some of the dishes that I wanted to try. Nevertheless, most of the dishes we ordered were fantastic, and the creativity exhibited in Giulia was seen on some of the plates. The unicorn oysters were great introductions to our meal. Taking a bite of the oysters topped with yuzu granita was a sheer bliss as the briny taste of the oysters was elevated with a mildly sweet flavor from the yuzu. Green crab custard was also one of my favorites. Although small, the custard was packed with crab fat and was extremely flavorful. Smelts and chips seemed like fish and chips with a creative twist, and this was low-key the most addictive dish of the meal. The only dish that I had gripes with was the charred cabbage that was overly salty. From the large plates, we tried the monkfish and the lobster spaghetti. I’m usually not a huge fan of monkfish, but their execution of grilled monkfish was fairly good. Sweet potato purée and crispy kale were good complements to the fish. Lobster spaghetti reminded of the one I tried in Judy’s bay. The perilla leaf toppings were perfect additions to the slightly acidic shiso sauce with a subtle lobster flavor. For desserts, we chose a scoop of smoked vanilla mascarpone gelato which was phenomenal. Spicy caramel popcorn toppings were interesting and its pleasant spice level put a great finish to our meal.

Moëca was great! Went for our anniversary and so happy we did. Our food and our waitress Jordana were fabulous. She helped us with a great wine recommendation and Jordana was awesome with helping us navigate the menu. Cant wait to go back!

Service efficient knowledgeable and discret without the extra nonsense of excessive information. Delicate food, respectful of flavor with a high quality ingredient/ techniques and textures simplicity to perfection. Atmosphere sober and restful exactly what is necessary to make you feel comfortable! Before I forgot dessert to not miss. Bravo to the all involved team!

I'm not sure how relevant this review will be since I went here a month ago and I heard that the menu changes every ~4 weeks. Moeca is certainly not a cheap option for food, but there were some real winners amongst the many (many) dishes we tried. Also, looks like it's booked out for a while, so try to plan early for a reservation! This might be our new go-to place for celebration meals -- what other place can you say changes their menu every time you go? We had two drinks -- Gold vibrations and Tropea (both $14). We asked for the sweetest drinks and Gold vibrations was recommended as the sweetest. It was very tasty. Tropea sounded like it would be sweet from the menu, but it was more mild, with a smoky taste and a nice watermelon juice ice cube. The drinks were quite strong, so I think they are pretty worth it. I'll break down the food into three categories: love, like, and gripe. Things I loved: - Swordfish with mussels ($38): This was my favorite. I thought the fish was quite perfectly cooked (though the thicker part was nicer since it was less cooked), the mussels were perfectly cleaned and cooked, and the sauce was delicious. A perfect dish, I would definitely recommend. - Sturgeon saltimboca ($24): Very delicious and the mushroom sauce was to die for. - Grilled oysters with XO sauce ($12): Very tasty as well, perfectly cooked, perfect flavors. - Raspberry guava sorbet with almond macaron and cheesecake ($9): 100% worth getting. I thought it would just be sorbet, but it was an artfully created dessert with 3 components and everything went wonderfully together. Things I liked a lot: - Octopus ($28): Perfectly cooked -- crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. It came with baked beans though, which I thought was an odd pairing (I skipped the beans). - Ricotta gnocchi with chanterelles ($22): Amazing in terms of textures and got me hooked on ricotta for the following week. I thought the sauce was too acidic though, and it was a bit lacking on sauce amount. Things I had some gripes with - Caviar ($28) with crispy potato: Tasty, but I would say the money would be better spent on more substantial seafood than caviar. - Green crab custard ($16): Decent and smooth (I think it's made from the tomalley of the crab) but I wouldn't get it again. - Focaccia ($10): Very delicious, but the accompanying sauce was a bit too tart for me. The chili crunch definitely had a kick. - Shishito peppers ($12): Not it for me. It seemed like there were non-shishito peppers, and many of them were sweet and/or too burnt to eat. The sauce was nothing special. - Strawberry gelato panino ($13): Decent but the bun was lukewarm so it was lacking the contrast in temperatures and it felt unnecessary. Overall had a great time trying everything, and excited for my next visit!

They have natural wines Lobster spaghetti is great. They pickle fish great. They cook fish perfectly.

In this area, we've gone to a lot of expensive small plates places and left feeling only somewhat satisfied. Moeca is one of the best restaurants we have been to in a long time. Every single dish we ordered was outstanding - don't sleep on dessert! And the wine list was incredible. We will definitely be back

I love sitting at the bar in evenings just after they open. It's quiet, small, and intimate, the bar itself is a very relaxed atmosphere with beautiful lighting, and plenty of room to eat your meal, chat with company, and relax. The service is excellent, the food is delicious, and the bartenders (who are the same two people over the last year!) are informative, friendly, and fun to watch while creating drinks.

Had a nice celebratory dinner here. The lingo squid, cauliflower, and delicata squash plates were amazing. The rest was good but not memorable. Our server was very helpful and extremely friendly. Fairly expensive menu and zero parking options.

Great small plates and cocktails! The portion size of plates from Raw and Share section of the menu are small so definitely order a few. we were a party of three and ordered 5 (raw and share) and 2 from large. Crudi misti, Beef tartare, Loligo squid and Peanut butter ganache is a must try.

Food Many of the dishes were unique and I wish they had photos on the menu. Some of them came out completely different than what we expected. Even though the flavour was decent, we wouldn’t had ordered them if we had known how they would be. Everything else The ambiance was subtle and had a quiet Mediterranean vibe. Our waitress was friendly and attentive.

Been craving a lot of contemporary dishes lately, so I decided to try a uinque and modern seafood tapas place in Cambridge: Moëca. If you are familiar with the Italian restaurant Giulia, this is their sister property! Though the small plates may seem pricey, I can assure you that the quality and visual presentation of the each dish is phenomenal. A splash of ever-changing flavor profiles as you go through the guest dining journey makes the experience very memorable. The service time was slightly long considering the portions of certain dishes, but our server was amazing!! Ambience is a 10/10. Lovely interior designs and seatings. Here are some hilights of the evening: 🦄Unicorn Oysters: rhubarb granita, dried lemon 🐟Hiramasa: pear, radish, white soy, green onion 🐚Maine Mussels: hazelnut, vadouvan, lime 🐙Octopus: rhubarb mojo, citrus, coriander 🥞Chickpea Pancake: wild onion, anchovy butter 🦞Maine Lobster Spaghetti: coral butter, fermented chilli, shiso 🗡️Swordfish: tom yum, cucumber, wild onion 💨Smoked Vanilla Mascarpone Gelato: spicy caramel 🥛Milk Chocolate Mousse: sesame shortbread, strawberry, yuzu sorbet 🍷Specialty beverages🍹

Yes Yes Yes; if someone ask you to join them at Moeca for dinner! The food is absolutely amazing. I couldn’t believe the size of my swordfish! Huge and only $38! The eggplant and black bass small plates are definitely worth ordering-and the spaghetti with Maine lobster-delicious. Service is meh-we waited for water refills, the host (who walked with her head up and an air of superiority towards staff and guest) passed by numerous times and even folded the napkins at the table beside us-while ignoring us and not noticing the empty drinking glasses as we were eating. Good staff know to always be aware of people and tables around them-if the restaurant cleaned up their staff situation I’d give them 5 stars.

This restaurant was a mixed bag. Pros: -Impeccable service. -The swordfish schnitzel was delightful. -The desserts were yummy. Cons: -Felt like a pop-up space. The booths were comically small and uncomfortable. My body hurt after a multi-hour meal with friends. -Many of the plates were just meh (here is looking at you cauliflower) and for the price-point I expected to be blown away (which I was mostly not).

Service is great. The server is friendly and on his foot / speedy w things. The atmosphere is okay too. P dark, but overall spacious! The food is okay. They’re charging manhattan prices for… not manhattan level location and vibes. The gnocchi had a few bites that had a very strong “stale walnuts” taste to it. The mussels w squid ink sourdough was a mess to look at, with mussels piled on top and a sprinkle of parsley. The oysters was also meh - radish as a condiment was not a hit for me. The sourdough was also soaked and turned a weird texture. I’d have preferred it separate until served and I can dip it if I chose to. The smoked trout appetizer is basically a glorified lox and though the taste is good, I’d not opt for it again. The best dish of the night was probably the charred fish (I forgot the name) in the first photo. overall, pretty unappeased by the dishes. The sizes are tiny for the price and imo not worth it. If you’re looking for a proportional value-to-quality&quantity ratio, I’d try another place. If you’ve got money to blow for avg dishes and tapas, this is a good choice.

The food was alright, but not worth the price. I had one of their special "share" plates of fried battered pufferfish tails, and the batter overwhelmed the pufferfish taste. I then had the Maine lobster spaghetti, which was good, but the portion was rather small. Had a glass of rosé with this, which was good. Finished off with vanilla ice cream, which I don't have any complaints about, though they did forget to bring a spoon with it.

Just okay. Very noisy atmosphere, the food was just okay and very one note. I just wasn’t impressed by most of what we ordered. Drinks were good though and I’d come back to sit at the bar, service was also good and I liked our waiter. But you will spend a lot of money and still be hungry - portions are pretty small.

We enjoyed the lovely ambiance and great service, but the food here was disappointing. The only dish we liked was the smoke trout - a well balanced combination of smoked fish and bread. The rest of the food included raw oysters, shiitake salad and udon pasta, which was super sour to our tastes. It felt like a whole lemon was squeezed into each plate…I only had a small bite of the pasta and then gave up trying. Also, The lychee sobert almost gave me diabetes. Lol.

We came here expecting a fine dining experience, the cocktails were decent, but the food very disappointing. The two starters were not great. The tuna n’duja and chickpea pancake came both burned, it is probably how they wanted to cook it. But it wasn’t nice! We could taste the burned dough and bread. Is that fine dining? The lobster pasta was another disappointment. The lobster was fresh. The sauce tasted like supermarket pasta sauce. The portion size, very small! Baby portion. We paid 150$ for this. Never again.

Decent food. Service is just ok. Price is high for what was offered. Food: we had the beef tartare, crab lil gem, pil pil, gnocchi, halibut. We especially liked the crab lil gem salad - refreshing taste and high quality ingredients. Beef tartare and pil pil were tasty too. The exception was the gnocchi, which had a lardo topping that tasted like stale walnuts. It reminded me of old and burnt oil. Upon informing the staff (waiter/bus boy?) about it, the person just shrugged it off and said that’s how it should be. We thought that was a strange/condescending response. I saw another customer’s review mentioned the same issue with this dish so maybe we are not the problem? The other waiter was nice though. We also had cocktails and the lemon cake for desserts. The cocktails were good. The cake was decent. Overall good and creative food but price is on the higher end.

The food quality is good but the service was either absent or too attentive. A server poured a beer while walking to the table instead of leaving it loosely capped with a glass to let me pour it myself. Little things matter. The portions are small and the prices are high.