A Beautiful Cuban Restaurant Opens Downtown Tonight

An established family of swanky Boston restaurants adds another member to the mix this week in the downtown neighborhood, and it’s filled with Caribbean flare. Mariel is the newest restaurant from the Coje Management Group (stylized as COJE) — which includes Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar, Ruka Restobar, and Yvonne’s — opening Monday, September 30, at 4 p.m., at 10 Post Office Sq., Boston.

Mariel pulls flavors and design elements from Cuba, hitting on a new regional focus for the restaurant group (Lolita leans into Mexican flavors, while Ruka pulls from Peruvian and Japanese traditions.) Coje’s Chris Jamison, Mark Malatesta, and Tom Berry largely kept details on the restaurant under wraps since first announcing the project in July 2017 (and many of the details have changed since then), but now they’re ready to unveil the restaurant in all its glory.

Coje, an Eater Awards design winner for its Lolita Fort Point restaurant, has once again pulled out all the stops on the interior of Mariel, and there’s an equally stirring menu, including dishes such as sweet corn arepas, fufu gnocchi, and vaca frita.

The restaurant takes its name from Mariel Harbor, a port west of Havana from which more than 100,000 Cuban emigrants departed, heading for South Florida. The menu for the restaurant incorporates common ingredients from Cuba, including sour oranges, sweet potatoes, bijol spices, and more. Other highlighted ingredients include hierbabuena, a specific strain of mint used in mojitos; a slow-fermented pizza dough that’s thick and a bit sweet; and house-made tomato sauce blended with peppers and spices.

Josh Jamison

Josh Jamison

On the beverage side, Mariel is showcasing rum, with multiple varieties from around the world. There will be cocktails (yes, including a mojito), as well as wines by the glass, bottled exclusively for the restaurant. See below for the full menu.

Mariel will operate seven days a week to start, from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., with lunch service coming soon. The restaurant joins a fairly small local Cuban dining scene, most of which is concentrated in Jamaica Plain.

• First Look at Mariel, Downtown Boston’s Gorgeous New Cuban Lounge [BM]
• Mariel [Official Site]
• Mariel Coverage on Eater [EBOS]