The Verdict
Mariel is the COJE Management Group's lavish Cuban-Latin room on Post Office Square, opened in 2019 by the team behind Yvonne's. The draw is the spectacle as much as the food: drunken-monkey wallpaper, flaming rum cocktails and a tropical room that has become one of downtown Boston's most photographed.
Tom Berry, who oversees the COJE kitchens, built the menu around Cuban roast meats and small plates — lechon asado, fufu gnocchi, octopus manzanilla and congri — alongside Cuban pizzas and a strong cocktail list. It sits at the $$$ register (Time Out rates it three of four), and most nights it runs loud and social rather than quiet.
The Kitchen
Mariel is run by the COJE Management Group, the Boston hospitality company behind Yvonne's, Ruka and Lolita, and Tom Berry, who oversees its kitchens, created the Cuban-Latin menu. The kitchen turns on roast meats and Cuban staples: lechon asado, fufu gnocchi, octopus manzanilla and congri rice and beans, plus snacks such as pork empanadas and yuca cheese puffs and a short list of Cuban pizzas. Plates are built to share; the crispy flounder runs about $26, with most small plates lower (prices via DoorDash, June 2026).
The Room
The restaurant sits at 10 Post Office Square, Suite 120, in the Financial District, with a tropical-maximalist room — drunken-monkey wallpaper, palm motifs and warm light — that has made it a downtown selfie magnet. Service is polished, the bar program is a genuine strength, and the energy skews loud and celebratory most evenings rather than hushed.
Best for Closing a Deal
Book Mariel for closing a deal because the Financial District address is convenient, the sharing menu keeps a table of four moving, and the room has enough theatre to make a working dinner feel like an occasion. Banquettes suit a small group, and the cocktail list gives a deal something to toast.
Not For
Not for a quiet, intimate dinner or a fine-dining tasting menu. The room is loud, scene-driven and built for sharing plates and cocktails; couples after a hushed table, or diners wanting a hushed multi-course meal, should look elsewhere in Boston.
Reservations
Mariel takes reservations online and by phone, with weekend tables booking up well ahead. It runs at the $$$ tier — Time Out rates it three of four — with shareable small plates and mains such as the crispy flounder around $26. Dress is cocktail or smart; the bar takes walk-ins earlier in the week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mariel worth it?
Mariel is worth it for a lively, design-forward Cuban-Latin night in downtown Boston rather than for quiet fine dining. Opened in 2019 by the COJE group behind Yvonne's, it pairs roast meats and sharing plates with a strong cocktail list and one of the city's most photographed dining rooms.
What should I order at Mariel?
Order the lechon asado, the fufu gnocchi and the octopus manzanilla, with congri rice and beans alongside and pork empanadas or yuca cheese puffs to start. The crispy flounder runs about $26. Pair it with one of the bar's flaming rum cocktails, a Mariel signature.
Who is behind Mariel?
Mariel is operated by the COJE Management Group, the Boston company behind Yvonne's, Ruka and Lolita, and Tom Berry, who oversees its kitchens, created the Cuban-Latin menu. The restaurant opened on Post Office Square in 2019 and remains one of the group's flagship downtown rooms.
Does Mariel have a Michelin star?
Mariel does not hold a Michelin star; Boston has no Michelin Guide, and Mariel is a scene-driven Cuban-Latin restaurant rather than a fine-dining room. Time Out rates it three of four for price. Its appeal is the cooking, cocktails and tropical room, not awards.
Also in Boston
Explore the full Boston dining guide, or compare it with its sister room Yvonne's and the steakhouse Grill 23. See our best restaurants to close a deal.