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In a city synonymous with tradition, Boston chefs have spent recent years rewriting culinary history. The stuffy, wood-paneled formality is gone; the endless renditions of chowdah, lobster, and cod have retired; and the assumption that true foodies better hop the next Amtrak to New York is also—thankfully—a thing of the past.
In their place, a crop of young chefs has ascended, opening small, upscale neighborhood spots that use local New England ingredients to delicious effect. Traditional eats can still be found (Durgin-Park remains the best place to get baked beans), but many diners now gravitate toward innovative food in understated environs. Whether you're looking for casual French, down-home Southern cooking, some of the best sushi in the country, or Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches, Boston restaurants are ready to deliver. Eclectic Japanese spot o ya and iconic French restaurant L'Espalier have garnered widespread attention, while a coterie of star chefs like Barbara Lynch, Lydia Shire, and Ken Oringer have built mini-empires and thrust the city to the forefront of the national dining scene.
The fish and shellfish brought in from nearby shores continue to inform the regional cuisine, along with locally grown fruits and vegetables, handmade cheeses, and humanely raised heritage game and meats. But don't expect boiled lobsters and baked apple pie. Today’s chefs, while showcasing New England’s bounty, might offer you lobster cassoulet with black truffles, bacon-clam pizza from a wood-burning oven, and a tomato herb salad harvested from the restaurant’s rooftop garden. In many ways, though, Boston remains solidly skeptical of trends. To wit: the cupcake craze and food truck trend hit here later than other cities; the Hawaii-inspired poke movement has only recently arrived. And over in the university culture of Cambridge, places like the Harvest and Oleana espoused the locavore and slow-food movements before they became buzzwords.
At the corner of two avenues (Commonwealth and Massachusetts), which is how this restaurant got its name (deux is French for "two"), you'll find this snazzy, dark-wood enclave serving sophisticated dishes like spice-crusted ahi tuna and braised pork belly, pan-seared Atlantic halibut, and organic chicken with parsnip and foie gras agnolotti. Make sure to pair your meal with a bottle from the thoughtfully crafted and surprisingly affordable wine list served by an attentive staff.
Featuring floor-to-ceiling windows and sweeping 270-degree views of the Boston Harbor waterfront, this sophisticated and lively restaurant serves up midsized plates that are meant to be shared—two to three per person. The well-curated menu features meat and produce from the owner's 360-acre New Hampshire farm, as well as handmade pasta and sustainably sourced seafood. Diners with specialized diets can choose from many gluten-free, dairy-free, and/or vegan dishes.
Silver service, crystal chandeliers, a roaring fireplace, book-lined shelves, and a gilded bar area set the tone at this brassy, classic reimagined supper club. You'll want to start with an ice-cold martini or cava by the glass, and then move on to a bounty of food options, including snacks, stone-fired pitas, toasts, sharing plates, and bigger "feasts" for two-plus people. This is so much more than a restaurant—it's an experience.
Enjoy earthy, market-fresh dishes at this cozy, brick-walled former butcher shop, where foodies, families, and folks from the neighborhood and beyond can't get enough of dream-team chefs David Punch and Lydia Reichert's culinary homage to New England. Begin with a cocktail from the excellent bar and end with a satisfied smile—made even bigger because area parking is plentiful and mainly free.
Black Lamb's chefs call the American brasserie "a love letter to the South End." Translation: they pour their hearts into the menu to captivate the palates of all who dine there, with dishes such as duck breast frites, lamb burger, roasted cauliflower with anchovies, and day-boat scallops. Take a seat on the seasonal patio for people-watching.
With three foodie destinations under one roof, The Shed is a dining hat trick right in the middle of Cambridge Crossing's Picnic Grove (a lush green area in the heart of the city). The Lexington is chef-owner Will Gilson's shining star of the space, serving up dishes that highlight foods from the Herb Lyceum, a 4-acre working farm in Groton operated by his family since the 1800s. Dine high above the city on the restaurant's coveted roof deck. Favorites have included grilled Berkshire chops, rabbit mafadine, mushroom tartine, and spring rigatone. The Shed also is home to sister eateries Cafe Beatrice, an early-morning breakfast spot, and Geppetto, an eatery for all things Italian. Gilson also has a new Mediterranean-inspired café, Amba, between Kendall Square and Cambridge Crossing.
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s venture within the Mandarin Oriental hotel offers a taste of his most well-known dishes along with a few local twists. While his famous beef Wellington sits front and center as a no-brainer choice entrée, he also gives a properly placed nod to local seafood with jumbo lump crab cakes and lobster rolls, as well as Boston lager-steamed mussels, crispy-skin salmon, and fish-and-chips. The five-course chef's table menu has the best of it all.
This tiny candlelit space is an enchanting mix of elegance and chummy neighborhood revelry—both in the atmosphere and the food. Simple but high-quality dishes, such as gnocchi alfredo and braised lamb shank, are prepared expertly, and the menu changes frequently; fun theme nights include "Beerger Tuesday," when you can enjoy a burger, beer, and fries for just $16, and "Pasta Thursday," with a different featured pasta, accompanied by a serving of wine, for $22.
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