Boston’s Essential Cozy Locales

Bar Lyon

South End

Plush red booths and a cozy corner space make this bistro feel warm from the moment you walk in, but just wait until you sample the hearty Lyonnaise fare. Thaw out with a bowl of French onion soup, and then tuck into P.E.I. mussels in a steaming hot broth with Calabrian chiles and Sauvignon blanc, or coq au vin with bacon and pappardelle.

Field & Vine

Union Square

Four words: cast iron cheddar cornbread. Field & Vine has rightly earned a reputation for its locally sourced vegetable offerings and seasonal menus, but the Union Square staple also puts slow-roasted pork shoulder, marinated poblano peppers, scallions, maple syrup, and chile flakes in the same warm cast iron pan. Pair it with a locally made cider and prepare to perk up.

Burro Bar South End

South End

A trip south of the border is one way to escape the cold; consuming tacos and mezcal stateside provides a similar tonic. Both specialties are in good supply at Burro Bar, where you’ll encounter taco selections like braised brisket, gulf shrimp with habanero salsa, beets and kale, and more. Don’t miss the mezcal-laced margaritas and a Smokey Blues cocktail made with mezcal, blueberry puree, and jalapeno honey.

Burro Bar Brookline

Brookline

Café du Pays

Kendall Square

If anyone knows how to cope with cold via cuisine, it’s the Canadians. Luckily, Boston has its own slice of Canadian cooking: Cambridge’s Café Du Pays. The inviting space recalls the living room of a friend with uncommonly good taste, while dishes like poutine, pea soup with smoky pork, and venison-and-pork pies will have you feeling toasty in no time.

The Frogmore

Jamaica Plain

Southern hospitality is in full bloom at The Frogmore, a Jamaica Plain restaurant specializing in the Lowcountry style of the Carolinas. Slide into one of the repurposed church pews that fill out the manor-like interior, and lose yourself in dishes like Sherry-laced turtle soup, steamed mussels made with bacon-tarragon butter, and braised short ribs with smoked parsnip puree.

Highland Fried

Inman Square

Fried chicken and tiki drinks are a delightful combination year-round, but they’re particularly welcome in the midst of a punishing Nor’easter. Seek refuge at a spot where a three-piece fried chicken dinner comes with your choice of sauce — chicken gravy, chile-honey, Buffalo, or Nashville hot. Potent tiki classics, like the Painkiller and the Zombie, are just an ask away.

Prairie Fire

Brookline

Any restaurant centered around an enormous wood-fired oven is the ideal place to take shelter from blustery temperatures. At Prairie Fire in Coolidge Corner, said oven offers delicious fare to boot. Wood-roasted oysters emerge with scampi butter and breadcrumbs; mushroom pizzas arrive with toppings of garlic and smoked mozzarella. Even the sweets get in on the oven action: Think brown butter ice cream with roasted vanilla apples for dessert.

T&B Pizza

Union Square

A custom-built oven delivers comforting pies at this recently opened pizzeria from the same husband-and-wife team responsible for Bronwyn. Tuck into a Neapolitan pizza piled with mozzarella, thick-cut bacon, and pickled jalapeños to put the winter blues on pause; or settle down with a Roman-style al taglio slice, topped with kielbasa and peppers.