10 Boston Restaurants To Try While You’re In The City
This season hit the town to try all of the amazing restaurants Boston has to offer. This coastal city is truly a destination for dining from delicious seafood and Italian enotecas to rooftops boasting gorgeous views of Boston Harbor. Take a look at our favorite Boston restaurants to try next time you find yourself in Beantown.
1. Island Creek Oyster Bar
Part of one of Boston’s best restaurant groups, ICOB is the hotspot to go to this summer for fresh oysters, delicious cocktails, and a lively atmosphere. The menu is packed with a variety of fresh seafood items that rotate seasonally, giving you the freshest ingredients and ensuring the highest quality food.
Bonus: the staff is extremely knowledgeable of wine and food pairing, giving you consistent and fantastic recommendations for brunch and dinner service.
2. Legal’s Harborside
Boston’s seaport district is up and coming, and Legal’s Harborside is proof of that. This two-level restaurant overlooks Boston Harbor and is the perfect spot to enjoy a rooftop happy hour of sangria and oysters or grab a seat on the downstairs terrace on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
3. Scampo
This Boston hotspot is located in the Liberty Hotel in Beacon Hill and is known for their eclectic menu of Italian favorites and wood-fired pizzas. From their extensive wine lists to their antipasti and dessert, this is a Beacon Hill favorite that can’t be missed.
Pro-tip: After dinner head to after-dinner drinks at the bar Clink in the lobby to mingle with some of Boston’s most stylish Millenials.
4. Eastern Standard
As the sister restaurant to Island Creek Oyster Bar, Eastern Standard is a Boston staple on the restaurant scene for craft cocktails, raw bar, and rotating seasonal appetizers and entrees. This spot is hopping on Friday and Saturday nights and is also the perfect place to grab burgers and beers before a Red Sox game at Fenway Park around the corner.
5. Terra
Terra, located on the third floor of Eataly, is a true gem on Boston’s modern restaurant scene. The airy, rustic space is further enhanced by the lush hanging planters and pots lining the back wall. The menu is for the bold and well-seasoned eater as it derived from an Italian shared plate philosophy and allows diners to experiment pairings of seasonal ingredients.
From ‘things on skewers’ to small plates and charcuterie Terra offers dishes fit to every diner’s tastes in addition to giving the difficult decision of what to order to the Chef. The ‘Chef’s Selection’ grants the Chef permission to curate a unique, family-style tasting for the table. Despite its hidden location, Terra is always busy throughout lunch and dinner service so be sure to reserve online ahead of time.
6. Fox & The Knife
This South Boston venture is the newest hotspot on every Bostonian’s list after it was ranked on a list of America’s best restaurants in Food & Wine. It draws upon recipes from the Emilia Romagna region in Italy that brought the world the first magical plate of bolognese.
Chef Karen Akunowicz brings the bubbly Italian vibe to life in her South End joint around the perfect Taleggio-stuffed focaccia, handmade pasta, and the fantastic wine and spritz selection.
Bonus: there are 18 wines available by the glass that show female winemakers from Italy some love.
7. Colette
Porter Square’s newest French restaurant in the Porter Square Hotel in Cambridge has quickly become a cult favorite for its chic aesthetic, brunch menu, and the stylish crowd it welcomes during its dinner service.
Colette pairs the best of French culture with a unique dining experience to give you a one-of-a-kind laidback meal that is reminiscent of an excellent cafè in Europe.
8. Frenchie
Frenchie is the newest chic wine bar to grace the streets of Boston’s South End. This French-inspired bistro is the perfect spot to indulge in adventurous dishes such as Escargot Toast or the classic and savory Croque Monsieurs. In addition to a full menu, Frenchie also offers a variety of cheese and charcuterie along with an extensive wine list (they offer 26 by the glass!).
The best time to dine is during brunch over their Nutella crepes and duck confit hash and pair it with their Corpse Reviver #2 cocktail (Gin, Lillet Blanc, Cointreau, Lime, Pastis). Their outdoor sidewalk seating is very Parisian and equally as elegant to enjoy an afternoon of brunch while watching stylish Bostonians stroll by with their pups in tow.
9. Coppa Enoteca
Coppa is one of Boston’s most beloved Italian restaurants in the South End known for its cozy atmosphere and a delicious menu packed with Italian favorites from wood-fired pizza to specialty kinds of pasta and a variety of mid-sized plates to be shared like tapas.
Pro-tip: They offer a fantastic brunch menu on weekends and also have a small outdoor patio seating area that’s first come first serve.
10. Il Panino
Il Panino is a favorite North End haunt for savory pasta dishes that come served in the same pans their sauce has been simmering in. This cute trattoria has been tucked away and frequented for years by a variety of celebrities and local Bostonians. This is the most authentic North End spot for delicious Italian food in an authentic style, as proven by the Italian waiters who can be heard chatting in Italian amongst themselves and older North End residents.
