Baleia brings Portuguese cooking to the South End under Executive Chef Andrew Hebert, who previously ran kitchens at The Salty Pig and Gufo. The menu leans seafood-forward, built around petiscos and larger plates served a la carte, with an Explorador option that turns the menu into a family-style spread for the whole table.
Signature plates include octopus carpaccio with crispy potato, salt cod bolinhos, crispy sardines, and shrimp mozambique built on a chili-and-lemon broth. On the meat side, duck rice, braised beef alcatra, and piri piri chicken round things out, alongside a whole roasted fish for the table.
The space, a former Area 4 location, keeps some of its bones while adding its own identity: yellow booths, netting hung from the ceiling, and a bar that spans the back wall. It tends to run full, with the bar often the easiest place to land a seat.
Signature plates include octopus carpaccio with crispy potato, salt cod bolinhos, crispy sardines, and shrimp mozambique built on a chili-and-lemon broth. On the meat side, duck rice, braised beef alcatra, and piri piri chicken round things out, alongside a whole roasted fish for the table.
The space, a former Area 4 location, keeps some of its bones while adding its own identity: yellow booths, netting hung from the ceiling, and a bar that spans the back wall. It tends to run full, with the bar often the easiest place to land a seat.