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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.
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."
Recharge with a fresh-baked sticky bun and oversize mug of coffee at this South End favorite. Award-winning chef Joanne Chang and her staff serve up delicious creations including soups, hearty salads, and sandwiches. There are additional locations in South End, Fort Point Channel, and Back Bay in Boston, and Central Square and Harvard Square in Cambridge.
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.
A rotating gallery of Persian art adorns the walls of this pearl-gray eatery specializing in home-style Iranian dishes. Along with classics such as fesejan, duck leg in a satiny pomegranate-walnut sauce, you'll find brain fritters, smoky eggplant puree, pollo (rice dishes), kebabs, and richly spiced lamb stews, including one seasoned with dried lime. The staff obviously enjoys explaining the menu, and the wine list is well selected for foods that often defy wine matches.
What began as a tiny restaurant adjacent to a Cambridge fish market has grown to important regional status, with more than 30 East Coast locations, including almost a dozen in Boston. The hallmark is the freshest possible seafood, whether you have it wood-grilled, in New England chowder, or doused in an Asia-inspired sauce. The jumbo lump crab cakes are divine (no fillers) and the clam chowder is so good it has become a menu staple 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.
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.
Stop here for some ultra-thin-crust slices to go.
