The 10 Restaurants That Defined Boston Dining This Year

Thanks to an archaic liquor licensing system that punishes small proprietors and privileges deep-pocketed restaurant groups, true epicurean surprises are a rarity in Boston. But that’s just the right description for The Koji Club — Boston’s first-ever sake bar. Situated in the Speedway, a converted horse-racing track turned marketplace, and with just 16 seats and nary 250 square feet, the establishment’s tiny size proves a boon to its core mission: educating drinkers on sake produced near and far.

With an intimate setting that melds the hospitality of a corner bar with the openness of a college classroom, it’s of little surprise that a curious city formerly parched of sake knowledge has enthusiastically drunk in founder Alyssa Mikiko DiPasquale’s vision — just in time for a burgeoning sake awakening across the country. You’ll drink well, and also snack well on caviar with potato chips, Japanese potato salad, mushroom miso soup, and Basque cheesecake — perfect little doses of sake-friendly umami.

For better and for worse, Boston is shedding its reputation as a regional city and embracing its new status as a cosmopolitan, international hub. A key step in that march was the opening of the Raffles hotel, and within it, a new restaurant from George Mendes that sees the Michelin-starred chef apply his cerebral touch to Portuguese cuisine 17 stories up. If Boston is no stranger to Portuguese cooking, Mendes is a distinct talent, and Amar provides a great new stage.

When Eastern Standard closed in 2020, many diners found it impossible to imagine the local scene without the bedrock bistro. Well, now it’s more impossible to contemplate than ever … because Eastern Standard is back. In a new space that melds a more contemporary design with ES greatest hits ranging from roasted bone marrow to baked rigatoni with lamb sausage to banana bread pudding, its resurgence proves that Bostonians are just as loyal to their favorite restaurants as they are their sports teams.

Call 617-530-1590 for reservations.

Many of Boston’s post-pandemic openings have been big, bold and brassy, capitalizing on the greater space provided by new constructions and a population itching to get out and celebrate again. Lenox Sophia, incidentally, is the exact opposite: a 20-seater prix-fixe experience with the intimacy of a dinner party, a feeling further accented by its BYOB policy. So far, Bostonians have proven more than willing to put down the $99 per head to partake in dry-aged duck with swiss chard and brussels sprouts or butter beans with pork belly and sofrito.

For five years or longer, Greek food has been hot, hot hot. And while it’s hard to tire of an expertly cooked octopus tendril in salt and lemon, it’s been refreshing to see a Greek concept that doesn’t draw its inspiration exclusively from the islands and the coasts. Bar Vlaha instead looks to the more rustic and meat-forward cuisine of Central and Northern Greece, with slow-roasted lamb legs, flaky feta pies and savory vegetable dishes galore.

Call 617-906-8556 for reservations.

Boston’s downtown, and bar scene generally, have taken longer to recover from the lingering effects of the pandemic. The arrival of the Wig Shop was a boon for both, allowing the crew behind JM Curley’s and Bogie’s to try their hands at something entirely different—a glitzy yet never too serious cocktail lounge where you’re just as likely to order a “Pony Star Martini” with a diminutive Miller High Life on the side as you are a rare bottle of Champagne. It’s a bar for all comers, which makes it just the sort of party we needed.

2023 may just have been the year that South Boston grew up, as further evidenced by the arrival of Petula’s. From the same proprietors of party-hard neighborhood establishments including Loco Taqueria and Lincoln Tavern, Petula’s presents a vibe that’s a little more tuned-down—and rewards diners with a marble and light-filled space where they can tuck into salmon crudo or spatchock chicken in a celery root pure, finding a temporary oasis in an otherwise raucous neighborhood.

As we’ve said many times, Chinese restaurants on these shores have for far too long been pigeonholed as either “ethnic food” or simple takeaway options. By exposing diners to the cuisine of China’s Yunnan province, Yunnan Kitchen has managed to broaden palates and minds — earning chef Yisha Siu a nomination for a James Beard award in the process. It’s further evidence that Boston is contributing to the dialogue about how we view cuisines that are an essential part of the American experience.

Call 617-936-4123 for reservations.

Few corners of Boston have changed as much as Union Square in the past few years, and Juliet has followed the shift. First opened in 2016 as an all-day café and restaurant built around changing, themed menus. Owners Josh Lewin and Katrina Jazayeri have since moved the restaurant into a larger space next door and refined its focus on Niçoise cuisine, creating an establishment that’s just as equally capable of comforting and surprising.

Yes, Boston is now awash in natural wine, but few have done it better than Gray’s Hall. Perhaps that’s because the South Boston establishment is the rare place where once can wax poetic about the virtues of a Lambrusco’s second fermentation in bottle, and pair it to a “Gray’s burger” topped by pickles and American cheese. Nailing that vibe is what will give the best among our growing roster of natural wine bars some longevity.