Boston's Le Mari brings Mediterranean tapas to Newbury Street

With her first restaurant, former Fox & the Knife artist Leigh Whittaker Bringing European communal food to one of Boston’s busiest blocks.

Photo by Alyssa Blumstein Photography

Owning a restaurant is like a marriage, the saying goes. When chef Leigh Whittaker had to name her first restaurant, the Massachusetts native decided to call the Newbury Street spot Le Mari, which is French for “the husband.” It’s a nod to Whittaker’s commitment to the project as well as the Back Bay restaurant’s European-inspired, convivial atmosphere, which is meant to evoke the communal dining traditions of Spain, Portugal or the South of France in one of Boston’s busiest neighborhoods.

Opened this summer in the former Bar a Vin 1855 In the rooms beneath the Newbury Guest House, Le Mari presents a cuisine that’s “a little bit like Mediterranean tapas,” says Whittaker, an alumna of South Boston’s acclaimed Fox & the Knife. For 20 years, the University of Connecticut graduate ran a global trade organization for a medical device company, which required her to travel 250,000 miles each year. “I really felt at home when I was in the South of France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Greece,” she says. “You sit in the streets of Barcelona and you just get a big plate of food to share – it’s (an institution) that fosters so much community and conversation.”

Photo by Alyssa Blumstein

Whittaker loves that energy — eating and drinking as a social connector, not a face-on-the-plate feast. That’s the spirit behind Le Mari, a 120-square-meter space that reimagined Bar à Vin 1855’s dining room in Aegean blue, white and gold and expanded the bar area from six to 18 seats. “When I go out, I want to sit at the bar,” Whittaker says. “It’s just a little bit more exciting.” The new space also features two Parisian-style terraces, one of which is open year-round. “I don’t see the trend being that people want a full dinner,” Whittaker says. “Everyone just wants a little bit of everything.”

Duck confit with crispy rice, fennel and blood orange. / Photo by Armani Thao

Before entering the restaurant business, Whittaker enjoyed cooking for family and friends. “People would always say, ‘Oh, you should really do this for a living.'” When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and travel was restricted, Whittaker realized it was “time for a change” and enrolled in the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, where she graduated as valedictorian of her class in 2021. Stops at farm-to-fork restaurant Earth at Hidden Pond in Kennebunkport, Maine, and Fox & the Knife got her thinking about her own place—and then this spot fell into place. “When it came to this, I just thought, ‘Wow, this is my dream,'” Whittaker says. “Who in their wildest dreams could expect to open a restaurant on Newbury Street?”

Le Mari’s menu begins with four crudo dishes. Inspired by Whittaker’s time at Earth at Hidden Pond, the carne crudo resembles beef tartare and is served right on the bone with a rich bone marrow aioli and roasted beech mushrooms. Whittaker’s personal favorite is the razor clam crudo, served right on the half clam shell. Its tender flesh is enhanced with Marinella peaches, Calabrian chili caviar and a dry Cava wine sauce. Other standout small plates include: the duck confit with crispy rice, fennel and blood orange; and the king crab, another chef favorite that’s a flavorful and sweeter alternative to lobster and is prepared with a creamy black garlic confit and buttery lemon sauce—then flamed, steamed and topped with a lemon espuma whipped cream.

King crab / Photo by Armani Thao

For mains, Le Mari offers dishes from land and sea like steak frites, sea bass served with tzatziki, fennel, Granny Smith apple and sumac, and chicken Milanese. Whittaker’s version of the latter is a little more daring than the traditional Italian classic – marinated in harissa, a spicy chili paste, and served with whipped goat cheese and a drizzle of honey. In keeping with this theme of upscale classics, there’s also the cacio e pepe, which Whittaker jokingly refers to as “fancy mac and cheese.” A look at the ingredients shows that “fancy” is just right: The fresh, house-made pasta is made creamy and decadent with buffalo milk butter and white Alba truffle, and jazzed up with some microgreens.

Finally, the cocktail menu offers a selection of cheeky drink names. One of the highlights is Yes, Chef – which is no indication of The bearbut a tribute to Whittaker herself, with Altos Blanco, Agave and Thai Bird Chili (“I drink Skinny Spicy Margs,” she explains). Beauty Is Fleeting is a Sex and the City Reference with Opihr Gin, Aperitivo Rosato and ginger, and “I’ve Studied Abroad” is a teasing nickname for an Espresso Martini, which Whittaker compares to a “vodka Red Bull for adults.”

Whittaker is thrilled to be a part of Boston’s dining scene with Le Mari. “We’ve always been kind of the ugly stepchild of Manhattan, but now there’s such a great dining scene developing. It’s nice to hopefully be a part of it.”

259 Newbury St., Back Bay, Boston, 617-224-0285, lemarirestaurant.com. Tuesday to Sunday, 5pm to 10pm, the bar stays open longer.