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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.
Bomboloni and focaccia beckon to passersby, but it's the sandwiches and shareable custom charcuterie boxes that will keep customers coming back. Select from cheeses, meats, fruits, jams, and crackers—there are even options for vegetarians—when creating a charcuterie box, or opt for a loaded sandwich or bagel (weekends only). Prepare to take your meal to go; the tiny shop lacks tables and chairs. There is also a nice selection of imported sodas, sauces, and sweets.
This charming artisanal chocolatier is a staple for locals and tourists alike, who come for its famously adorable signature chocolate mice, chocolate bonbons, and chocolate bars. The elegant, life-changing hot cocoa may be just the thing to restore flagging spirits or weary feet with variations on the classic milk chocolate, including dark, spicy, and white. Served in giant cup and saucer (or a to-go cup if needed), the drink is dusted with cocoa powder and a dollop of cream. There's also a location in Boston's Back Bay. Take a few bags of drinking chocolate home with you for DIY treats.
If you're looking for a quiet evening out, don't bring your date to this South Boston institution. Packed every evening, whether it's the weekend when singles are mingling or on Tuesday when crowds come for the $1 oysters, the food is always tasty, especially the wood-fired pizza. Brunch is served every day of the week, as is the late-night pizza and wings menu.
A “gastropub meets bistro," Monument Restaurant & Tavern is quintessential Charlestown with a brownstone vibe of brick and weathered woods, 16-foot ceilings, and a 40-foot bar. Pizza is the menu's superstar, coming out piping and bubbly from the open kitchen's 900-degree oven, which is also used for wings, crab-artichoke dip, and roasted brick chicken. Hearty entrées for bigger appetites include pan-roasted day boat scallops and seared skirt steak. Their Smash Burger is a bucket list item, a messy two-hand burger topped with local Grillo's pickles, cheese, special sauce, and all the traditional toppings. The cocktail program gets crafty, with fun names like Back That Razz Up and Fancy Fizz. There's also a late night menu until midnight.
To try the creations of some of the best local chefs without paying four-star-restaurant prices, stop by Parish Café, where you can get a sandwich designed by the top culinary minds in Boston. The menu is full of the city's famous handheld snacks, all with the permission of their original makers, alongside chef Brian Poe's own creations. The bar is open until 2 am daily, with food service until 1 am, a rare thing in Boston.
Enjoy coffee, snacks, and Wi-Fi access in this hip basement spot, one of several scattered about the city. Tea lovers needn't feel left out—there are plenty of excellent options, including jade oolong and chamomile medley.
What may look like a simple neighborhood beer bar actually has a cultlike status for Brookline-ites and beyond. Serving an impressive amount of out-of-the-ordinary and artisanal beers—with almost two dozen on tap—the bar also offers tasty sandwiches, smaller entrées, and main dishes, of which the most beloved is the mac and cheese, customizable with additions including bacon, tomato, mushrooms, peas, egg, asparagus, shrimp, hot dog, and truffle cream. The burger game is strong too, with plenty of toppings on offer.
The seasonally inspired menu at this new American tavern brings American classics to the table, featuring signatures like the R. House burger (with cheddar, bacon, special sauce, and caramelized onions on a sesame brioche), a selection of tavern pizzas, and steak frites. Dinner entrées like fish-and-chips, duck breast, and smoked brisket sandwich are so good you'll want to keep them to yourself. To complement the menu, there's an interesting collection of all-American wines, including two regionals on tap, and a locally driven craft beer selection. The cocktail menu strikes a balance between familiar classics and modern handcrafted recipes using only fresh juices, homemade syrups, and infusions. Enjoy the intimate outdoor seating on the brick patio during the summer months.
This classic dive bar has been serving beer and wine (no liquor) and great pub food since 1933. Today, it's pleasantly untrendy and a no-frills alternative to Beacon Hill's stuffiness with a wood bar and booths, a simple setup, a dartboard, and perfectly poured pints. On a weekday afternoon, you might see a few regulars fraternizing at the bar and with the slightly salty, well seasoned bartender; evenings and weekends tend to be much busier.
This grab-and-go counter service shop offers up sandwiches heaping with meats and cheeses, as well as salads and wraps, soups, and cookies. The house-made chips are the perfect crunchy side. Favorites include the cauliflower Shawarma, Grafton Village grilled cheese, and the spicy Italian. Grab a beverage from the cooler (Mexican Coke, vanilla cream, or a cold brew coffee, to name a few) to wash it all down.
Café society blossoms along Newbury Street, particularly at Sonsie, where a well-heeled crowd sips coffee up front or angles for places at the bar. Lunch and dinner dishes veer toward basic bistro fare with an American twist, such as the Sonsie Caesar salad, brick-oven focaccia, and pan-roasted salmon with potatoes, charred broccolini, and onion rings. The restaurant is terrific for weekend brunch, especially sonsie when the light pours through the long windows; it's at its most vibrant in warm weather when the French doors open for stellar people-watching. A downstairs wine room, meanwhile, offers more intimacy. The late-night pizza and dessert menu (nightly until at least midnight) is perfect for after-hours cravings, including their famous espresso martini.
Right on the edge of Boston Harbor, this restaurant serves tasty, tavern-style food—seafood, salads, burgers, and crispy pizza. The atmosphere is lively and unpretentious, the cocktails are craft-made, and a tasty brunch is served on the weekends until midafternoon. In nice weather, take a seat on the expansive outdoor patio. This is a great destination before or after a visit to the New England Aquarium or a harbor cruise.
Here's comfort food at its best—sophisticated enough for adults (lobster potpie), yet simple enough for kids (burgers and pasta). The attractive indoor space has plenty of booths for spreading out in, and the great patio is a lively spot in summer. It's the perfect people-watching perch as you dine on dishes such as decadent three-cheese macaroni (you can add lobster), Stephi's signature burger, and the huge lunchtime Back Bay chopped salad.
This casual Beacon Hill restaurant focuses on two main things: meat and beer. But, what's unique is that its menu ventures beyond steak and chicken to bison, camel, ostrich, emu, kangaroo, snake, yak, elk, or antelope (and there's tofu, too). Tip Tap's vibe is lively, and the bar draws an after-work crowd from Government Center and the State House. The industrial space shows off a wall mural of Boston's past mayors, cedar shingles, and garage doors that open to the street in warmer weather.
Serving locally roasted Barrington Gold Coffee, this coffee shop runs the gamut of grab-and-go java—from Madagascar vanilla latte to Americano—along with several dine-in options for its 32-seat bar. Sweet snacks include 14 types of mini-doughnuts. Fruity Pebbles and strawberry Pop Rocks are favorite doughnut flavors, but heaping sandwiches, piping hot wood-fired pizza, a popular prime short rib and brisket burger, and shareable starters of popcorn chicken, poke nachos, locally made Eastern Standard Provision pretzels, and steak-and-cheese spring rolls also leave the kitchen.
Folks gather at the two-story Trident Booksellers & Café to review literary bestsellers, thumb through the superb magazine selection, and chow down on items from the perpetual breakfast menu. The restaurant also serves lunch and dinner and has an excellent local beer and wine selection. Readings, trivia night, Stitch & Bitch knitting, and other events are held at the bookstore almost every night.
Built in 1780 and reportedly one of the country's oldest taverns, this restored Colonial neighborhood pub in the quaint and historic gaslight district was once frequented by George Washington and Paul Revere. After a blustery walk through the Navy Yard, grab a seat by the fireplace and warm yourself with hearty chowder, lobster mac, or short rib shepherd's pie and a Sam Adams draft. Named after Dr. Joseph Warren, a physician and one of the revolutionary leaders killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill, the tavern was one of the first buildings reconstructed after the Battle of Bunker Hill, which leveled Charlestown. The building still oozes history, with beamed ceilings made from salvaged Charlestown Navy Yard wood, dark woods, low lighting, and large fireplace reflecting its Colonial roots.
This contemporary version of a Jewish delicatessen offers genuinely lean corned beef, chicken matzo ball soup, and a lovely whitefish salad plate. If you believe breakfast is the most important meal, you'll be happy to know it's served all day, so you can skip the hour-long weekend brunch waits elsewhere and enjoy the area's best pancakes, Benedicts, and stuffed French toast any weekday. You can also easily make a meal of the delicious potato pancakes with homemade applesauce and sour cream. If you have room, cheesecake or treats from the bakery case await.
Once beyond the vicinity of Harvard Square, Brattle Street lacks eateries, so before your walk consider stocking up at Darwin's Ltd. on Mt. Auburn, which carries delectable, Cambridge-inspired sandwiches and other "comestibles and caffeinated provisions."
A good spot to refuel on a budget is Flour Bakery + Café, a perennial candidate for Boston's best sandwiches and stuffed bread. Also superb are the fresh pizzas, dinner specials, and delicious pastries. You may end up taking home one of their cookbooks as a sweet keepsake.
Here's a happy reminder that dinner with children doesn't have to mean hamburgers and juice for everyone. While the youngsters race around the designated play space with sippy cups before noshing on hot dogs and homemade mac and cheese, parents can sip sangria, beer, or any one of the carefully chosen wines before tucking into more sophisticated fare, such as grilled salmon or sirloin with blue-cheese butter, arugula, and fries. Come dessert, kids can order the chocolate chip cookie as big as their head, while parents can get their own sugar fix with some warm maple bread pudding topped with whipped cream. Folks visiting sans child may want to ask for one of the grown-ups tables in the quiet, screened-off area near the front, but they also might want to consider another restaurant altogether: diners have compared the place to a day-care center or romper room.
The Hi-Rise Bread Company, just on the edge of Harvard Square, is a nice stop for a pick-me-up coffee, fresh-baked treat, or fantastic sandwich on homemade bread. It's a great spot for people-watching and the espresso is excellent.
The locally owned-and-operated J.P. Licks scoops homemade ice cream, frozen yogurts, sherbet, and sorbet in all the basic varieties, plus there are non-dairy, gluten-free, and vegan options, and seasonal flavors like Apple Crisp and Fresh Cucumber. There are 13 locations in and around Boston.
Here, chef-owner Tony Maws uses the same high-quality ingredients he cooks with at his fine dining establishment, Craigie On Main, but turns them into the rustic, belly-warming fare he makes for his family at home—crispy pork ribs with spicy BBQ sauce, wood-fired grilled chicken and child-friendly house-made hot dogs and spaghetti with meat sauce. Communal tables, wood floors, and brick walls contribute to the laid-back vibe, along with a 14-seat bar serving simple but tasty cocktails, artisanal beers, and off-beat wines. It's billed as a "neighborhood joint," but given the families, students, and city folk filling the tables, clearly word has gotten out.
Toscanini's Ice Cream is a well-loved local spot, specializing in all sorts of creative flavors; it has garnered national attention from the likes of the New York Times and People magazine. Also a good place for coffee, the shop frequently has small art exhibits. From the MIT Museum, it's two blocks up Mass Ave. toward Central Square; look for it on the right.
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