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My mami, from the group behind Yvonne’s and more, opens downtown with an opulent, grown-up ambiance.
My mami. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
In luxe subterranean digs inspired by Havana’s pre-Castro era as “the Monte Carlo of the Caribbean,” Boston’s COJE Management Group (Yvonne’s, Coquette, more) is betting that locals want a nightlife destination that’s all grown up. The team’s new endeavor, My mami, beckons to those who want to sink into comfortable lounge seating with a chimichurri oil-spiked dirty martini or caramelized banana Old Fashioned, enjoying live track or DJs who don’t drown out conversation. The vibe: a little “grown and sexy,” as COJE director of bars Ray Tremblay puts it, or more cocktail lounge than nightclub.
My mami. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
That distinction is quite deliberate, as COJE ran a club, Mariel Underground, in this Post Office Square space for five and a half years. That previous downtown venue became even more nightlife-oriented than the team had originally planned, says CEO Chris Jamison, perhaps owing to the type of revelry people were initially seeking as the city eased out of COVID restrictions. But with the 2023 debut of sibling nightclub Caveau a short walk away, “we realized we were competing for the same demographic in an environment where nightlife and bottle service and dance floors were becoming less involved than in the past,” says Jamison. “There was an opportunity for us to pivot here.”
My mami. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
The group looked for gaps in the market, landing on the idea of “an upscale cocktail lounge that’s vibey during the week, not just on weekends,” says Jamison. “A place you’d go after work or after dinner. I’m 42 immediately, and how do I want to spend my nights? Going to dinner, and then going somewhere with a good soundtrack, sitting back, and grabbing some martinis.” (As for that soundtrack, it might be genre-hopping DJs, a live-request piano residency on Thursdays with New York-based musician Tim Young, or other live entertainment.)
A selection of dishes at My mami. / Photo by Josh Jamison
Like every COJE venue—from the red-and-gold glamour of Mr. H in the Seaport to the historical opulence of Yvonne’s downtown—My mami is beautiful. There’s a loose thread of Cuban inspiration from the group’s ground-floor restaurant above, Mariel, to the new spot below, but Mariel’s design is meant to evoke a frozen-in-time “faded elegance” vision of Cuba while My mami is a celebration of the pre-Revolution decadence of the 1950s—cabarets and lounges dotting Havana, frequented by the “glitterati,” says Jamison.
My mami. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Working with London-based designer Natalia Miyar, COJE transformed Mariel Underground into My mami over the past six months, trying to inject some energy and whimsy into the space without going totally over the leading. “We focused on a few key elements,” says Jamison, like custom-made light fixtures inspired by Art Deco chandeliers. “We want [the space] to feel like a warm cocoon and be able to fade into the background.” Paintings by contemporary Cuban artists add pops of color to the gold-and-blush palette.
My mami. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
The drinks go beyond Cuba, toying with broader tropical influences and flavors, says Tremblay. Take the Caribbean Bramble, for instance, combining gin and green tea umeshu (plum liqueur) with jerk pineapple, citrus, and cinnamon. Or the Yucatán Club, with tequila, strawberry amaro, guava, and scotch bonnet. But it’s the martinis (try them in two-sip form) that get leading billing on the menu, and Tremblay and his team are spending quite a lot of time making ingredients in-house, from a custom vermouth blend to the brine for the dirty martini. It’s a subtle nod to the Cuban era that inspired My mami’s design, as Tremblay credits bartenders in pre-Revolutionary Havana as laying the groundwork for “a lot of what we know of as American cocktail culture.” They were focused on martinis and other well-balanced drinks, he says, not just the mojitos and Hotel Nacionals that people immediately associate with Cuba. (Don’t look for a classic mojito here, by the way, although the Que Rico fits the same craving with white rum, cucumber, mint, and yuzu-lime soda.)
My mami. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
While My mami will likely do plenty of after-dinner business, COJE’s chief culinary officer Tom Berry is offering intriguing small plates here that call for saving some room. While there’s a clear mix of Latin and Japanese influences, “I’m not officially calling it ‘Cuban nikkei,’” says Berry, but the moniker makes some sense. (Nikkei, which refers to Peruvian-Japanese fusion, is the focus at another of the group’s restaurants, Ruka.) The opening menu includes, for example, crispy chicken with Japanese chili oil hot honey; scallops with “mochi gnocchi” (little dumplings made of glutinous rice flour) and the Latin seasoning Bijol; and a Caesar salad with miso-infused dressing. The food is “designed to be fun, shareable, and interesting but recognizable,” says Berry. “Not too many esoteric ingredients.”
My mami’s Pursue Happiness cocktail (rum blend, sherry, coconut, clarified pineapple, coffee salt). / Photo by Josh Jamison
Speaking of those Japanese influences, it’s smart for the team “to start getting situated” with them, says Berry, because My mami isn’t the only new thing COJE is working on in the Post Office Square building. Later in 2026, the group will open a private members’ restaurant on the same level as My mami, with various dining areas and bars. Japanese food, particularly sushi, will play a role there, says Berry. Also in the works: a (public) Italian restaurant on the ground floor, next to Mariel, highlighting Sicilian food and the broad swath of cuisines that have influenced it.
Lots to look forward to in the coming year, but for immediately, head to My mami to relax with a green tea Negroni and crab fondue with sesame toast. If Jamison and the COJE team have their way, you’ll be unable to resist going back “once or twice a week.” Whether you’ve left your clubbing days behind or just need a night off, “tuck back into a sofa and grab a martini,” says Jamison.
10 Post Office Sq., Downtown Boston, mygirlinboston.com.
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