The May Hit List: Fox & the Knife, Next Door, Hecate, and More

For a supposed speakeasy, Next Door is doing a pretty poor job at staying on the down-low. The freshly opened East Boston cocktail lounge is commanding the type of competitive reservation-booking that’s rarely seen in Boston: at press time, Next Door is booked solid through June. Our advice: watch this space and jump on the next available Resy should you wish to experience an After Hours Espresso Martini with vanilla espresso whipped cream or a Lock & Key with pineapple-infused rum, Madeira, and coconut cream syrup.

And just like that, Back Bay has a serious cocktail bar. Hecate, named after the Greek goddess of witchcraft, is a 24-seat, European-style cocktail bar located directly below Greek wine bar Krasi. The subterranean bar’s occult-themed offerings are eclectic, to say the least: consider the Feast of Gevaudan made with saffron gin, cider, falernum, mustard, horseradish, paprika, and mustard — and garnished with its own miniature charcuterie board — or the Loy Krathong, which mixes Cognac, amaro, krupnik, banana, Calpis, and chocolate bitters to bewitching effect.

Walk-ins only.

The Observatory Hill sequel to Celeste continues to dominate the dining conversation in Cambridge (and beyond) with frothy pisco sours, Nikkei-style portobello mushroom sashimi, and chicken-stuffed purple corn tamales. But perhaps no dish from the opening menu warrants a visit as much as the “jalea La Royal,” a sort of Peruvian take on the fisherman’s basket that piles fried cod, shrimp, squid, and yucca in an acidic broth with fresh mussels and housemade tartar sauce on the side.

An offshoot of the Garrison House, Village Social Club is an underground cocktail bar and entertainment venue that’s ensuring your next Scotch daiquiri comes with a side of live music. Whether you’re catching a jazz act or just looking to match some confit chicken wings to a Life on Mars made with mezcal, falernum, passion fruit, and lemon, Village Social Club should be on your radar.

Call 617-487-8537 for reservations.

A fresh cocktail menu has touched down at Shojo, inviting patrons to unwind to the tune of a No Days Off prepped with coconut-infused Japanese whisky, togarashi cola, tiki bitters and Fernet; or a Phoget About It with vodka, pho spices, starfruit and lemon. No matter the potable possibilities, consider chasing them with an order of bulgolgi beef bao or pork belly dumplings — as owner Brian Moy understands, this is a combo that never gets old.

Proving that South Shore-style bar pizza (and beer) isn’t only for the post-noon hours, Castle Island’s in-house restaurant Bardo’s is now serving brunch on Sundays. You might find yourself tucking into a “Lox of Love” bar pizza crowned with smoked salmon, capers, sour cream, and a spinach and caramelized onion spread, or a plate of fried chicken and waffles finished with whipped hot honey butter and scallions.

Recent wine world accolades provide fresh impetus for booking a spot at what’s certainly the greatest natural wine bar in DTX and quite possibly the entire country. However, acclaim hasn’t changed the humble haley.henry formula: you’ll still find an ever-changing wine list stocked with thoughtful, most likely new-to-you picks (that can be neatly summed up by the ever-helpful staff), a veritable cannery of tinned fish, and simple small plates like duck prosciutto with beer mustard or anchovy tartine toast with vanilla butter, fennel, and dill.

The Cafeteria-shaped hole on Newbury Street has at last been filled in with Eva, which comes to us from the same owners as the space’s previous tenant. Yes, a couple of Cafeteria-era favorites like the brick oven spinach artichoke dip and the pickled cabbage-topped tuna burger persist on the new menu, but they’re joined by fresh selections like braised short rib gnocchi with Parmesan cream sauce and brick oven pizzas such as the “Honolulu” topped by mozzarella, pineapple, ham, and banana peppers.

Call 617-546-5155 for reservations.

Baseball has returned to Fenway Park, making now as good a time as ever to remind you that fried scallop rolls, hanger steak frites, and slow-braised lamb shoulder risotto have never left Citizen Public House. The ballpark-adjacent bar and restaurant is waiting to furnish your pre- or post-Sox experience with all of the above, plus a whiskey menu sporting over 375 choices.

While its follow-up sister restaurant Bar Volpe continues to command the zeitgeist, it would be a mistake to sleep on Karen Akunowicz’s original solo restaurant. Even more so now that Fox & the Knife has begun rolling out new dishes for the season like sunchoke agnolotti with miso butter and chive blossom or a serves-two crespelle verde with nettles, spinach, and bechamel.