Fan-Favorite Seafood Spot Row 34 Is Headed to Kenmore Square

After two recent seafood stumbles in the area, another fish-centric spot is trying its luck in Kenmore Square. But this time around, the name will likely already be familiar to many Boston diners: Row 34, the modern New England seafood restaurant, is opening its fifth location inside the Hotel Commonwealth, at 498 Commonwealth Avenue, in Fall 2025.

This is the first Row 34 in the neighborhood, but it is a homecoming of sorts for co-owners Shore Gregory and chef Jeremy Sewall. Gregory and Sewall were former co-owners of the famed Island Creek Oyster Bar, which occupied the same location inside the Hotel Commonwealth from 2010 to 2021. Before that, Sewall was the first executive chef of Great Bay, an award-winning seafood restaurant run by Christopher Myers and Michael Schlow that occupied the space in the early 2000s.

Most recently, 498 Commonwealth Avenue was home to yet another seafood spot, Pescador, which was run by the NYC-based Blue Ribbon restaurant group and highlighted seafood dishes from around the globe, including ceviches, paella, and more. But Pescador shut down after only 18 months. At the time of the closure, Blue Ribbon said that the decision “reflects the challenges and dynamics of the restaurant industry.” Blue Ribbon still runs two other restaurants attached to the hotel: Blue Ribbon Sushi and Blue Ribbon Brasserie.

Pescador wasn’t the only seafood spot having trouble attracting customers in the neighborhood. Just down the road, industry-favorite Boston brasserie Eastern Standard (which was previously located inside the Hotel Commonwealth until owner Garrett Harker parted ways with the landlord during the pandemic) opened an adjacent seafood restaurant called All That Fish & Oyster in Fall 2023. However, the team ended up closing it down after just four months. Eastern Standard is now getting ready to debut an Italian restaurant, Standard Italian, in its place later this month.

Though seafood restaurants have had a rough go of it in the neighborhood lately, Row 34 co-owner Shore Gregory is optimistic that his own restaurant will have staying power. “There’s so many reasons why [restaurants] don’t work or do work,” Gregory says. “For us, we think about how we can do our jobs well and try to be a complementary component to what is a really vibrant and dynamic neighborhood. Our guests have always really responded well to Row 34 and we are super optimistic that will continue in Kenmore Square.”

Row 34 also has locations in Fort Point, Burlington, Cambridge’s Kendall Square, and Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The restaurant is an essential player in Boston’s dining scene, drawing in many fans over the years for its classic lobster rolls, silky clam chowder, and other reliably great New England seafood dishes.