A selection of food and drinks at La Padrona including, from above: charred arrowhead cabbage, campanelle alla Nerano and traditional tomato carpaccio. / Photo by Kristin Teig
In addition to this year’s Top 50 Restaurants list, we’re also excited to highlight 10 new must-try spots that are shaping the future of Boston’s food scene. These recent openings show exciting potential and we will certainly be keeping a close eye on them in the coming year and beyond.
La Padrona marks chef and co-owner Jody Adams’ return to preparing Italian cuisine in a hotel setting, but she and her partner Eric Papachristos’ new restaurant at Raffles isn’t set in the past (aside from the much-regarded Rialto Greadstick recall) . This new era is all about shared platters of lamb chops with Lambrusco demi-glace, delicious lobster uni risotto and decadent chocolate cake. World-class hospitality matches the glamorous international hotel location; We even forgot we were in Boston when the positions of a left-handed person’s eating utensils were quietly swapped.
Back Bay | Italian | Read more | Reservations
A selection of dishes and banchan at Somaek. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Restaurateur and chef Jamie Bissonnette (formerly of Toro, Coppa, etc.) is out with a new crew these days – the folks behind JM Curley and others – and while we all love their new spots, it’s this loving ode to Korean home cooking Hands down our favorite. Bissonnette developed the menu with his Korean mother-in-law, Soon Han, who is considered a consulting chef and brings popular dishes like kkaennip jeon or stuffed sesame leaves to Boston. Add the namesake cocktail—a somaek is a fun combination of soju and beer—and a few creative banchan cocktails, and you’ve got yourself a party.
Intersection in the city center | Korean | Read more | Reservations
Wa Shin. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Just steps from the Theater District, sushi chef Sky Zheng, who trained at New York’s Michelin-starred restaurant Sushi Nakazawa, adds a worthy new competitor to Boston’s omakase thunderdome. Across 18 courses, Zheng and his team strive for the balance promised by the restaurant’s name (Wa Shin means “Harmony of the Heart”), putting on a show behind a handsome Hinoki wood counter while adding a touch of spiciness, Citrus fruits and spices add salt to the restaurant’s pristine cuts of fish.
Bay Village | Japanese | Read more | Reservations
Lê Madelines Cá nướng Branzino and other dishes. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
From Viet-Cajun garlic noodles with crawfish to fried lobster rolls with tamarind, Lê Madeline is a slam-dunk showcase of modern Vietnamese with tantalizing influences from the American South, New England and beyond. Add in a pandan negroni or a lychee martini, and you’ve got more than enough reasons to trek to Quincy and check out this impressive reimagining of a former traditional Vietnamese noodle shop.
Quincy | Vietnamese | Read more | Reservations
Baleias Cataplana, a braised pork and seafood stew. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
While the old-school Portuguese spots in the Boston area tend to be more casual, newcomer Baleia offers an upscale date-night touch with its yellow-accented South End dining room, a portal to Portugal’s sun-drenched south—without the long-haul flight. Imagine coming from the beaches of the Algarve as you sample cataplana, a braised pork and seafood stew, and sip ice-cold Super Bock beer.
South end | Portuguese | Read more | Reservations
Lemongrass Beef from Saigon Babylon. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
A feast for the eyes and the stomach, this beautifully decorated Vietnamese restaurant has packed everything we loved about its older sibling, Eaves and Cicada Coffee Bar, into a bigger, glitzier package, complete with rooftop cocktails ( Tamarind Old Fashioned). , anyone?). Lemongrass beef carpaccio – thin slices of rare American Wagyu with passion fruit and sea salt – is a must, as are the duck slices with fresh rice noodles.
Cambridge | Vietnamese | Read more | Reservations
Mr. H’s dumpling lounge. / Photo by Josh Jamison
This lively newcomer is already stealing the spotlight in the seaport’s evolving, high-energy nightlife scene. Taking center stage is a cool, opulent dumpling cave (where food is served until 1:30 a.m.) with shades of jade and purple mingling under a brass lotus chandelier. But it’s the consistently bold flavors and knowledgeable servers, often offering smoky drinks, that have made chef Tom Berry’s Asian-inspired homage a sure-fire hit; Here it is truly dinner and a show.
seaport | Chinese | Read more | Reservations
A selection of dishes at Jahunger. / Free photo
Last June, Providence superstar Jahunger came to teach us—deliciously—the Uyghur cuisine of Central Asia, a rarity in the Boston area. Haven’t been there yet? Consider the eponymous Jahunger noodles, hand-pulled and peppered with chili, as your first order of business. The cumin-spiced lamb stir-fried with Uyghur naan pieces helps drive home the lesson—and shows why chef and co-owner Subat Dilmurat earned a James Beard semifinalist award this year.
Cambridge | Uyghur | Read more
Citrus & Salt moved that. / Photo by Mike Diskin
With flowers dripping from the ceiling, painted flamingos galore, and bejeweled tequila bottles, celebrity chef Jason Santos’ recently relocated coastal Mexican restaurant is now one of Boston’s most dazzling restaurants. But it’s not just good for the ‘gram: Indulge your other senses with plenty of tequila and favorites from the restaurant’s previous incarnation in the Back Bay, from street corn to blue crab empanadas and a tasty new crudité bar.
Fort Point | Mexican | Read more | Reservations
Seamark lobster fries. / Photo by Paolo Verzani
Yes, Seamark still has the classic Schlow burger that ushered in Boston’s fancy burger era. But chef and partner Michael Schlow’s culinary vision has evolved since his days at Radius and Via Matta: Go for it at this seafood-focused temple with a dash of casino glitz “typically New England” Lobster rolls and upscale caviar creations, then head to the hidden Old Wives’ Tale cocktail bar.
Everett | Seafood | Read more | Reservations
First published in the November 2024 print edition of Boston Magazine as part of the Top 50 Restaurants package.
The cozy interior of Bar Vlaha. / Photo by Kristin Teig
