All are worthy destinations, but Celeste is the spot for bright ceviche, fragrant lomo saltado, and the feeling of sipping pisco as the honored guest at the joyfully crowded dinner party of co-founders JuanMa Calderon and Maria Rondeau.
Its story is told through multi-course meals; hands-on, kamayan-style feasts; or snacks and cocktails; depending on the night. Juliet , another Eater Boston Restaurant of the Year , is simply doing lots of things right — and with a lot of heart. Since its opening, diners could find anything from a takeout breakfast taco and a cup of coffee to a fancy multi-course dinner and many things in between , all in one cozy space.
Juliet is a neighborhood favorite, and other neighborhoods should be a little jealous. The patio is the place to be. Cafe Sushi has been serving up amazing and affordable sushi for more than 30 years , a favorite of industry folks and general sushi lovers alike.
The cozy restaurant has one of the most romantic patios around, and its seasonally rotating menu delivers a different experience with the same hospitality time after time. Tawakal Halal Cafe is a story of rebirth: The Somali restaurant used to operate in a different part of East Boston, with a slightly different name, and had quite a popular following before closing in The sambusas — embellished with the house-made, mango-based hot sauce — are a must, as is the beef hilib tawakal plate, in which chapati strips cooked in a spiced tomato sauce take on a satisfying texture similar to Thai drunken noodles.
Go to this particular location — the original — rather than one of many offshoots. The crust on a pizza from Regina is simultaneously chewy and crispy, and there are ample bubbles on the exterior ring. There will most likely be a wait outside, but it will be worth it.
Sit at the bar if you can, order a pepperoni and mushroom, and drink a pitcher of Peroni. One of the few non-Italian restaurants in the North End, this busy, noisy seafood spot consistently generates long lines at all hours, but the wait is worth it for one of the best lobster rolls in town. Also necessary: oysters and fried clams.
Even the burger topped with fried clams, of course is great. This is the place to go for those who want to eat Portuguese tinned smoked eels, perfectly paired with a funky, hard-to-find wine. Gene's offers Xi'an-style Chinese cuisine, a little bit difficult to find elsewhere in Boston, and while the restaurant's name refers to the flatbread sandwiches stuffed with beef or pork, the real highlight of the menu is the chewy, garlicky hand-pulled noodles.
Add a skewer of cumin lamb and a tea egg or two on the side. Counter-service, no-frills, and only open for lunch and early dinner.
Sushi lovers who have not yet embarked on O Ya's iconic course grand omakase have not yet lived. And it's not just the seafood — the tender wagyu beef strip loin is stunning with a price tag to match.
Hidden in the Leather District, this tiny spot has accumulated numerous awards, including a James Beard for chef and co-owner Tim Cushman. Also compulsory: pork soup dumplings and garlicky sauteed string beans. Saltie Girl boasts a large selection of seafood dishes that touch on so many different genres. A table might have everything from a raw bar tower to whole fried black bass for two to fried lobster and waffles, and there are plenty of imported tins of seafood as well.
Minimalist diner meets trattoria with a small open kitchen, counter seating, and a menu of pleasing pastas and more. And oh, that spicy tomato soup. This lively "workingman's oyster bar" is the embodiment of Boston's current New England dining scene. Row 34 is one of several key players in the Fort Point restaurant boom, drawing massive crowds to a once-quiet section of town. With a creative beer list, ultra-fresh seafood, and some of the best lobster rolls in town, Row 34 is one of the trickiest reservations to snag.
Chickadee resides in the intersection between seasonal New England ingredients and Mediterranean influences, with a touch of Portugal, too. Highlights include the squid ink fusilli, the sea scallops, and the roasted porchetta.
Her stacked team consists of master bakers, pasta makers, and chefs who turn out beautiful dishes, cocktails, and desserts. The cheesy focaccia is a must. South End, barmezzana. At his first Cambridge restaurant, chef Michael Scelfo continues to awe with a more-is-more approach to flavor that feels distinct in the oft-understated American farm-to-table genre. Every dish, in fact, benefits from his bold burnishes: Countnecks beguile in an herbaceous stew of garlicky butter, while late-summer beets and ground cherries usher in fall with a coat of warm berbere spices.
Cambridge, aldenharlow. At a time when so many of their peers have launched casual concepts, one thirtysomething married couple is carrying the torch for white-linen dining—while making it notably less stiff.
But with just 12 seats in a cozy setting, the restaurant is as perfect for a laid-back Tuesday meal as a birthday celebration. Cambridge, talullacambridge. South End, coppaboston. Select Oyster Bar shucks bivalves within a Back Bay brownstone. Back Bay, selectboston. Like most new Seaport restaurants, Chickadee looks slick and modern—befitting its nest inside the Boston Design Center.
Smart cocktails—say, a Japanese whiskey tonic with toasted coconut and green apple—reinforce the idea that Chickadee is much more than pretty plumage. Seaport, chickadeerestaurant. Near the heart of Central Square, a fireplace-warmed room beats with intangible warmth. Cambridge, pammyscambridge. How could we not be, after taking in the flora draping every corner of the dining room, and the wood-fired grill holding court at the center of it?
From there, chef Dan Bazzinotti sends out flame-kissed meat skewers and lamb T-bones augmented with cherry agrodolce—all ready for pairing with ice-cold beers aged on-site in an oak wine barrel. Back Bay, eataly. Cambridge, oleanarestaurant. After dinner, enjoy an actual stogie, prepared tableside for puffing outside. Here, the grandest forms of the Good Life live on. Back Bay, grill Everyone else certainly does, including chefs Jeremy Kean and Philip Kruta, who bob behind the kitchen line morning to night with boundless energy, infusing their fine-dining backgrounds with punk-next-door whimsy.
The resulting menu bounces everywhere, from fried chicken smothered in maple umeboshi to striper buried under sweet succotash and edible flowers. Play with us , it implores. Jamaica Plain, brassicakitchen. Fenway, tigermamaboston. But this unapologetically scene-y, rococo resto-lounge—which replaced the most hallowed of Boston dining rooms, Locke-Ober—continues to win us over with a freewheeling menu; service as bright and beguiling as the chandeliers; and plenty of ironic opulence behold a painting of Bill Murray in military regalia.
Downtown, yvonnesboston. An old-school Boston seafooder with white tablecloths, formal service, and conventional coursing on a top list in—gasp! You betcha. Duck breast with a chestnut waffle, anyone? Back Bay, mooncusserfishhouse. Sure, the Spanish-inspired small plates on the menu—say, seared scallops with salt-cod espuma —well surpass anything we could pull off in our own kitchen, but home is where the heart is, and ours is right here. Jamaica Plain, tresgatosjp.
Carb lovers, unite! Dough aside, Michael Pagliarini also knows his way around small-bite sfizi and hearty meat-and-fish mains swordfish with caper-studded caponata is a favorite. Biden pushes infrastructure and mass transit while visiting NJ train yard. Ad Microsoft. Full screen. Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Lucca - Rating: 4. Arya Trattoria - Rating: 4. Santarpio's Pizza - Rating: 4. Slideshow continues on the next slide. Cantina Italiana - Rating: 4. Scampo - Rating: 4. La Famiglia Giorgio's - Rating: 4. Carlo's Cucina Italiana - Rating: 4. Nico - Rating: 4. Roast beef sandwiches and lobster rolls emerge from the street-level takeout window.
Other treats on offer may include beer-battered fish and chips, burgers, fish tacos and more. This multi-story, seafood-focused enterprise is focused on the second floor restaurant, where a variety of locally-sourced seafood is served with aplomb. Patrons looking for something lighter can visit the Moon Bar, and for those in a hurry, there's Cusser's , a street-level takeaway spot specializing in seafood and roast beef.
Friendly staffers help customers navigate the lengthy menu of nutritious, plant-based foods and beverages. Local moms and office workers pop in for made-to-order juices, smoothies, bowls, and toasts, along with healthful grab-and-go treats. Customers fully committed to following Revolution's diet approach can follow cleanse programs, meal plans, and customized packages.
The festive atmosphere pairs nicely with colorful cocktails and a lengthy tequila list. In certain circles, Schlow is best known for his Italian fare, so head over to Time Out Market to check out Michael Schlow's and Monti for top-notch pastas and pizzas. Just follow the crowds and the aroma of fried dough. The uber-popular bakery has made waves from day one, turning out inimitable flavors like maple bacon, berry pistachio and sea salt bourbon caramel.
Having grown into a larger space, Union Square Donuts has evolved to serve even more quick-to-sell-out options, including donut holes and vegan versions. Many of the best Boston restaurants have a signature version on the menu, but cheap-eats legends are also staking their claim for "the best". Boston has a great selection of restaurants for vegetarians, and many of the best Boston restaurants offer vegetarian options or are happy to modify their dishes for the meat-free.
About us. Contact us. Photograph: Courtesy Sarma Sarma The 25 best restaurants in Boston right now There's no shortage of fantastic food in the Hub, but these Boston restaurants made our shortlist of the city's top eats.
Discover the best of the city, first. We already have this email. Try another? Time Out Market Boston. Read more. Best restaurants in Boston. Restaurants Mediterranean Somerville price 3 of 4. Book online. Restaurants North End. Buy ticket. Spoke Wine Bar. Bars Wine bars Somerville price 2 of 4.
Restaurants Japanese Leather District price 4 of 4. Urban Hearth. Restaurants Contemporary American North Cambridge. Order online. Restaurants Mexican Somerville. Restaurants Peruvian Somerville price 3 of 4. Order delivery. Nautilus Pier 4. Restaurants Seaport District. Restaurants Italian Harvard Sq price 3 of 4. Restaurants Soul and southern American Dorchester. Restaurants Italian Porter Sq price 3 of 4.