People in Boston do care about more than just the Red Sox (and the Pats, the Bruins, and Dunkin’). They care about their food, from classic New England seafood fresh off the boat to mindbending bistros and bars with attitude. When it comes to exciting eating, this is a big town: The best stuff is happening on the other side of the river, so get ready to explore the outer neighborhoods of Somerville and Cambridge, including a Middle Eastern café well worth the trek.
Boston
The Hit List
Restaurants, Bars, and More
Bar Mezzana
Where handmade pastas and tiki drinks somehow pair perfectly
Shepard
The smartest restaurant in Cambridge
The Wine Bottega
Natural wine hideaway in the North End
Backbar
Hidden-away Somerville haunt for innovative yet unstuffy cocktails
Bondir
Cozy Cambridge romance in tasting menu format
Loyal Nine
Old-fashioned New England cuisine goes new-school
Row 34
Eat Boston’s best oysters straight from the source
Alden & Harlow
Yes, you can order ALL of the veg-forward small plates
Neptune Oyster
Raising the (oyster) bar to new heights
Craigie on Main
The classic farm-to-table bistro for every grown-up dining need
No. 9 Park
Classic refinement from the chef who started it all
Spoke
Somerville’s welcoming wine bar with serious small plates
State Park
Once upon a time there was a bar…
Drink
Quintessential craft cocktail bar in Fort Point
Render Coffee
Serious coffee in a chill space
Pavement Coffeehouse
The micro-chain to seek out
Barrington Coffee Roasting Company
Your parents’ coffee company—but totally not
Farm and Fable
Shop for new pottery and old cookbooks
Boston Shaker
Cocktail shop to the pros
The Verb Hotel
Design hotel next to Fenway Park with rock ‘n’ roll vibes
The Liberty Hotel
Historic, elegant hotel in (yes!) a former prison