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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.
With a full menu served until 1:30 am and an industry-heavy clientele, the Franklin has jumped to the head of the class by keeping things simple yet effective, from the well-crafted cocktails to the homey cuisine: think skillet-smoked mussels, lasagna, and steak frites. The vibe tends to feel more like a bar than a restaurant (hence the copious bartender awards), so be forewarned that it can get loud, and the wait for a table (there aren't very many of them) can be long.
Tucked in next to the Opera House, the French Quarter's marquee signage fits right in. This ode to Louisiana features a menu of popcorn shrimp, fried okra, sticky chicken, and crab-crusted catfish, and toasts the Southern experience with a Vieux Carré and much more. On a nice evening, sit by the front windows—they open.
This Chinatown newcomer pairs art deco decor (the lights! the columns! the floor!) with fresh, scratch-made Shanghainese food in a comfortable environment. No menus here—order straight from your phone at any time during your stay. Menu standouts include the rainbow soup dumplings delivered to your table in a bird cage, Peking duck deconstructed with pancakes, and the sweet and sour pork ribs; everything is ordered via your smartphone. Patrons include young adults from the Chinatown community and nearby Emerson and Suffolk University grad students.
The name in Japanese means "house of elegance," and the gracious and efficient service hits the mark at this flagship location, along with the interior's tatami mats, rice-paper partitions, and wooden ships circling a moat around the sushi bar. The extensive menu is both elegant and novel, with thick slabs of superfresh sashimi, inventive maki rolls, and plenty of cooked items, like beef fried rice or chicken curry, for those not into seafood or raw fish.
This snow-white shop in Union Square makes microbatches of ice cream daily and serves it, if you wish, in a torched marshmallow-cream–lined cone. There are six All the Time Flavors (chocolate, sweet cream, black raspberry chip, mint chip, cookies and cream, salty whiskey) and five Sometimes Flavors. The often-crazy flavors have included the likes of Fruity Pebbles (the cereal), black sesame and honey, and Gronk Mash (peanut butter ice cream with potato chips, pretzels, Kit Kat pieces, peanuts, and chocolate chips). One dairy-free sorbet option is always available, too. There's contactless ordering online or via the app.
In a building originally designed by historic architect Charles Bulfinch in 1816, this place has a lively atmosphere day or night, with the sounds of revelry bouncing off its exposed brick walls and wooden beams. The kitchen serves up decent comfort food and a solid weekend brunch.
Just before you reach the Chinatown Gate, this bakery offers you red bean buns, milk cake, fruit puffs, custard tarts, and fresh dessert cakes, among other sweet and savory baked goods. There's also a dim sum menu, rice soup, woks, and Hong Kong--style noodles, and a few places to sit. The prices are a bargain.
This Beacon Hill legend was the first bar in the city to get its liquor license after the repeal of Prohibition—and it's almost 100 years old. Patrons sit at the dark-wood bar and high-tops to watch a Celtics game and dig into a menu of tasty burgers, salads, and pizzas. The place is often packed with doctors and nurses from nearby Mass General enjoying post-shift drinks.
Located in the Charles Hotel, this cheerful, country-style restaurant is named after chef-owner Peter Davis's pet pig, Henrietta. Davis is passionate about working with small area growers and purveyors, as well as harvesting veggies and honey from the restaurant's rooftop garden and hives, which is evident in his fresh, honest, wholesome, New England–style dishes like juicy Yankee pot roast, Ritz-crusted scrod, and creamy Maine crab-corn chowder. He occasionally even offers that old Yankee standby for dessert, Boston cream pie, but his signature chocolate bread pudding with caramelized rum bananas and vanilla bean ice cream is always available. Purchase a stuffed Henrietta pig in the small gift shop. Grab a seat at the U-shape bar (next to the photo of Henrietta with Pres. Bill Clinton) to enjoy a preprandial coffee, cocktail, or zero-proof refreshment, or head outside in spring or summer to dine al fresco in the large outdoor patio.
From "feast"-sized portions to classic New England fried plates to wood-fired seafood dishes, the kitchen's focus is on local waters at this contemporary Seaport spot near the harbor. The menu is curated and relatively pricy, but quality shows in the food, and there are lots of beers, ciders, and wines by the glass.
This dimly lit, nautically inspired spot pays homage to the ocean in not only decor but tasty fare. Against a backdrop of sailing ships and vessels, antiqued mirrors, and chandelier bubblelike bulbs, daytime appetites fill up on beer-battered fish-and-chips, po'boys, and lobster rolls, while the dinner crowd enjoys entrées like bucatini frutti di mare, seared scallops, swordfish tacos, and an oyster bar that features dozens of the bivalve beauties, as well as a massive chilled grand seafood tower. Even the cocktail list gives a nod to life at sea, with names like the tequila-based Oyster Shooter, an Irish whiskey concoction known as Fool's Gold, and the Bow & Arrow rum drink.
Attached to TD Garden and North Station, this unique food hall serves up more than a dozen and a half mouthwatering food and drink outposts operated by local chefs and restaurants. Try barbecue at the Smoke Shop or Italian desserts at Mike's Pastry. While quick service is the name of the game, one thing is for sure: If you don't like crowds, avoid this place when there is an event at the Garden.
Since 1981, J.P. Licks has been serving up delicious homemade ice cream and frozen yogurt, later adding its own roasted coffee and baked goods, in a fun, funky atmosphere. This is the original shop, but outposts can be found all over the city, all with the same great flavors and service. You can pop in for a latte and scone in the morning and return in the afternoon for a scoop or a frappe. In warm weather, the outdoor patio is packed with ice cream lovers.
Simple but sublime cones have made many addicted to the fun and funky likes of J.P. Licks, which serves a traditional stable of ice cream flavors, like peanut butter cookies 'n' cream and mint chip, along with hard and soft frozen yogurt offerings, best smothered with the shop's superb hot fudge sauce and any of the wet (whipped cream, marshmallow sauce) and dry (M&M's, Heath Bar) toppings. Dairy-free coconut-based "ice creams" exist, along with sorbets and sherbets.
The signature Curley Burger is what originally brought in crowds when this place opened years ago, and it's still very much a staple of the menu, but there's way more American comfort food to pick from. If you're looking for a nosh after 11 pm, you can order up snacks like corn dogs and chicken wings until 1:30 am—a rarity in Boston. Less well known is Bogie's Place, a secret-ish room that serves up steaks and caviar service from behind a curtain.
This is a solid spot for great burgers, pizzas, and brews, though a full bar and a few pasta and main dishes, such as chicken marsala and mac and cheese, are also on offer. Somewhat rare for the neighborhood, the restaurant is open daily for breakfast/brunch with an extensive menu of classics, like eggs Benedict, Belgian waffles, and pancakes.
The huge, juicy roast-beef sandwiches served at Kelly's Roast Beef, a local institution since 1951, are the sole reason some Bostonians make the trek to Revere. Other menu favorites include the fried clams and hand-breaded onion rings. It's open from 5 am to 2:30 am Sunday through Thursday, and until 3 am Friday and Saturday.
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.
The newest endeavor by James Beard award--winning chef Jody Adams, this Italian eatery inside the luxury Raffles Boston hotel lavishes diners with dishes created from ingredients sourced both locally and direct from Italy. The menu has house-made pasta and local seafood, with a menu taking a tour of the regions—think paccheri (looks like rigatoni) and clams, lobster and uni risotto, slow-roasted porchetta, and desserts like a brioche gelato sandwich and funnel cakes. The two-level 8,600-square-foot space greets you with a lounge and bar that offers shared bites and drinks, then continues up a grand staircase to deliver you to the sexy second-floor dining area with its elegant "Golden Era of Cinema" decor reveal.
The Vietnamese noodle soup pho is the name of the game in this quick and casual eatery (it's set inside The Garage, a small mall in Harvard Square); at $11, it's a meal unto itself with chicken, shrimp, or beef, steaming hot in a big bowl. Fresh salads, rice plates, steamed vermicelli, seafood entrées, and stir-fries are offered, as well as crispy spring rolls, summer rolls, and Chinese chicken wings. It's all notably fresh fare, and, even better, it's healthy, without gloppy sauces, and many of the dishes are steamed. Those approaching from JFK Street can access the restaurant through the main Garage entrance; just head all the way through toward the Dunster Street side at the back.
What began as a tiny restaurant adjacent to a Cambridge fish market has acquired regional status, with more than 25 locations around the country. The hallmark is the freshest possible seafood, whether you have it wood-grilled, in New England chowder, or doused in an Asian-style sauce. The jumbo lump crab cakes are divine (no fillers) and the clam chowder has been served at presidential inaugurations. For a true taste of New England, don't miss the golden cracker-crowned baked lobster stuffed with shrimp and scallops, one of the most popular entrées at all Legal restaurants.
With a roof deck, patio, balcony, and floor-to-ceiling windows, Legal Sea Foods' flagship restaurant features abundant space for diners to take in panoramic views of Boston Harbor no matter the season or the weather. The menu is classic seafood: from raw bar and sushi offerings to grilled fish, fried fish, and sandwiches, there is plenty to eat here—unless you're a landlubber.
Massachusetts's only restaurant on Esquire magazine's Best New list in 2023, this tavern serves Jewish cuisine in a welcoming environ to all. With a name that means “house of learning” in German, the space is half restaurant, half library, and also hosts cooking classes, book events, and live music and classes. The meatless and kosher menu has dishes such as beet "pastrami" reuben, herring tartine, house-smoked fish paté, and a Chopped Not-Liver made with eggplant and nuts.
Challenging the typical cookie weight limit, Levain's freshly baked cookies are the perfect two-person dessert, although it can be tough to share with flavors like caramel-coconut chocolate chip, lemon, vegan and gluten-free chocolate chip walnut, oatmeal raisin, and dark chocolate--peanut butter chip tempting your sweet tooth. The banana--chocolate chip loaf is moist, and the country boule breaks with the perfect outer crisp. There's also a new location in the Seaport.
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.
Ingredients from the Mediterranean region and local waters mix on the menu at this upscale Greek restaurant. Dig into a whole grilled fish (six options!), zucchini chips, and craft cocktails. The raw bar is notable, as are a few lamb dishes. Overall, the vibe here is elevated and fun; it's great for a night out with friends or a first date.
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.
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