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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.
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.
Family owned and established in 1951, this beach-style dairy bar—affectionately nicknamed Sully's—serves fried seafood, hot dogs, hamburgers, and ice cream at Castle Island. Don't expect frills or indoor seating—there is no need since its surroundings provide sloping lawns, picnic tables, benches, and beach vistas for lunching. Fries don't automatically come as a side with sandwiches, so if you want them, make sure you order them.
With a cozy saffron-yellow interior and an outdoor patio that fills up in warm weather, this tapas bar has a mostly Spanish wine list (more than 300 bottles, 95 of which are sherries). Authentic hot and cold tapas and raciones (medium-size plates) include such classics as a tortilla Española, shrimp in garlic oil, braised eggplant, and octopus, along with favorite entrées like paella.
It might be short on space, but this Taiwanese bakery has a heathy reputation for fresh, authentic baked goods. There are so very many types of cake here---tiger skin rolls, cheesecake, red bean cake, cream cake, milk rolls, and a wide variety of mooncakes---as well as sticky rice buns, mochi buns, mung bean with pork floss pastry, scallion bread, and the don't-miss shaved ice with half a dozen topping choices. Smoothies, juice, black/green tea, and milk tea are also available.
Unsurprisingly, this Chinatown restaurant specializes in the cuisine culture of Taiwan and has for 40-plus years. The big challenge is selecting what to eat from the massive menu of authentic dishes, although the tofu and house-special fried pork chop over rice are two of the best.
This small corner spot in Chinatown serves up the signature rice noodles of Yunnan, China. Try them in tomato soup with or without meat, or with different preparations, like the pickled pepper rice noodles and the kimchi beef rice noodles. Staff is friendly, and service is quick.
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.
A food hall curated by the media company known for its magazines and books, Time Out Market Boston features more than a dozen eateries run by some of Boston’s most acclaimed chefs, plus two bars, a demo cooking area, and communal seating. The 25,200-square-foot space is a fun place to sample everything from sweet treats at Union Square Donuts to meatballs at chef Michael Schlow's, by one of the city's most acclaimed chefs. The venue also hosts concerts, talks, and other events. Just outside, there’s a branch of Trillium Brewery, and in winter, an ice rink is set up.
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.
Despite having an unparalleled wine list, this restaurant flies somewhat under the radar. Still, locals know it's the place to go for French bistro fare, including five- or seven-course tasting menus and a traditional caviar service. This may sound fancy, but the atmosphere is pretty relaxed and unpretentious.
This local hangout is a true community space, with everyone from commuters grabbing an organic coffee and a pastry in the morning to locals enjoying a soup-and-sandwich combo at lunch to students snacking on a muffin while doing their homework in the afternoon. The owners pride themselves on offering an inclusive space and using sustainable practices, such as using compostable products instead of plastic.
Another addition to the already impressive dossier of hot spots from local restaurateur Frank DePasquale, this classic Italian steak house features rustic cuisine influenced by the Umbria region as well as a selection of steak cuts, house-made pasta, and local seafood. Pair a delicious glass of red with classic dishes and a variety of decadent beef cuts—from a rich and nutty 55-day dry-aged New York bone-in sirloin to a gentle Japanese Wagyu sirloin to a grass-fed Tomahawk rib eye for two. Venture up to Mia, the North End’s newest and only roof deck bar, for specialty apps designed for sharing, signature cocktails, and music.
Inside the tasteful boutique Eliot Hotel lies an innovative izakaya (informal Japanese gastropub) helmed by chef-owner Ken Oringer and executive chef David Bazirgan, who offer boldly flavored renditions of Asian street food—grilled eel, Wagyu beef dumplings, chow fun noodles, Dungeness crab fried rice, and dozens of tempting sashimi and nigiri choices. Although the bites can add up price-wise, the menu has a sprinkling of inexpensive dishes, like Kurobuta spare rib and blistered shishito peppers. Cocktail aficionados will appreciate the creative and sophisticated offerings, and it's worth checking out the extensive reserve sake menu.
Walk into the Upper Crust's first location, and you'll see the staff pulling scratch-made dough in the open kitchen. The Neapolitan-style pizza—you can order by the slice (they're huge) or by the pie—is really tasty, and toppings go creatively beyond a classic cheese or pepperoni. We recommend ordering at the Beacon Hill shop and eating at the few stools there or taking it to-go and heading for Boston Common, which is just a short walk away, rather than utilizing the delivery service.
This California-based fast-food chain makes living that plant-based life a little easier. The extensive meat-free menu features burgers, sandwiches, entrée salads, tacos, burritos, and desserts sans meat, dairy, eggs, and other animal products, so you can fill up on tasty meals without sacrificing any dietary restrictions. Go bowl or go home, with heaping mounds of ancient grains and veggies, topped with plant-based proteins and spices; or enjoy a sunrise kimchi Beyond Burger or crispy chick’n parm. Snack on the popular nachos or buffalo chick'n wings, and wash it all down with their fountain ginger hibiscus or pomegranate green iced tea.
Inspired by Copenhagen's Vesterbro meatpacking district, this edgy café caters to South Boston's residents on weekdays. Everything is made to order, whether you are looking at a selection of toasts, breakfast sandwiches, salads, or wraps, and there's a selection of fresh pastries to go with tea, coffee, and espresso drinks.
Although this place looks like it could be part nightclub, the soup here is no joke. Each bowl of broth has been simmered over a long stretch to create a rich and flavorful base for a dozen varieties of ramen topped with fresh ingredients. There's a great selection of sake and soju (a rice alcohol), including a house sake brewed in the United States.
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.
Aptly named for a plot on a map, Waypoint is a step on the path to coastal-inspired fare that includes an excellent raw bar with crudo, bivalves, and the celebrated caviar served with doughnut holes. On the menu, as an homage to the ocean, are whole-fish roasts and indulgent seafood pasta dishes, as well as slow-roasted meats and inventive pizzas for landlubbers. The creative cocktail program is highlighted by several varieties of absinthe served from copper, twist-top faucets.
This small South End spot might be unassuming, but its chef-founder, Yisha Sua, earned herself a James Beard Foundation Award Best Chef Northeast nomination in 2023. Enjoy classics like spring rolls, garlic shrimp, and General Gao’s chicken, or try authentic Dian dishes found nowhere else in Boston, such as wood ear mushroom salad, Grandma’s Potatoes, mint beef, and the sharable Xishuangbanna lemongrass tilapia. It has a sister restaurant, South of the Clouds, in Brighton, known for its Yunnan rice noodles.
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.
Algiers Coffee House, upstairs from the Brattle Theatre, is a favorite evening hangout for young actors and artists. Linger over mint tea or a plate of hummus, or enjoy a glass of wine on the second-floor terrace and watch the world go by.
Cozy, clustered tables fill both floors at this genuine Middle Eastern café, where you can peer at soaring, wood-paneled cathedral ceilings as you listen to classical music. The updated menu at this beloved Harvard Square landmark includes beer and wine, as well as pita bread, hummus, tabbouleh, varied salads, exotic teas, and strong coffee—Arabic or Turkish, brewed in a brass briki (brass or copper pot). Service tends toward low-key; visit when you're in the mood to linger over conversation or a novel.
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."
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