Boston’s Newest Restaurant Openings, Now on Resy
Want to know the latest — and greatest — restaurant openings in Boston? You’re in the right spot.
From an Italian destination courtesy of Jody Adams to a trio of exciting dining concepts in a luxury Downtown hotel, we have you covered with this continuously updated list of hot new debuts.
And if you’re seeking out some beloved Boston spots that are now bookable on Resy, we’ve got you covered here.
Matria Downtown
Newly added!
Steak or Italian food? That’s a choice that has to be made, sometimes. But you can have either or both now at this handsome venue in the InterContinental Hotel, where the fare ranges from Northern Italian classics, like the meat-filled agnolotti del plin, to first-rate steakhouse meats, including Piedmont beef, sometimes called “Italian Wagyu.”
Bar Fellini Downtown
Newly added!
You’ll want to put this homage to Italy’s aperitivo culture on your list of essential Boston bars for its opulent but welcoming interior, its Italian-style small plates (from zucchini fries to tiramisu), and most of all, its game-changing variations on the martini, the Negroni, and the Aperol spritz.
Loyall Counting Room Downtown
Newly added!
Here’s a semi-secret cocktail hideaway inspired not by Prohibition-era speakeasies, but by the clandestine Boston meeting places of the patriots plotting to defeat the British in the Revolutionary War. Expect conspiratorially soft lighting, all-American bar bites, and drinks served in tankards and cut crystal.
The Berkeley Back Bay
Newly added!
For good old-style French cuisine (think gratinéed onion soup and coq au vin) with some modern touches in a stylish indoor-outdoor setting, you can’t do much better than this upscale bistro on the site of the former Precinct Kitchen + Bar, in what is now the posh AKA Back Bay Boston hotel.
The Vermilion Club Downtown
Chef John Fraser, who won raves for his Dovetail and Nix in New York City before opening The Lineup, a food hall in the Financial District’s Winthrop Center, raises the stakes with this suave chophouse in the same skyscraper, where the menu contrasts classic steaks with cheeky innovations (foie gras Boston cream pie, anyone?).
La Padrona Back Bay
James Beard Best Chef winner Jody Adams is known for her Greek and Italian restaurants (Saloniki, Porto), but she’s never had a place like this before: a two-level culinary mecca in the luxury Raffles hotel, with décor inspired by an Italian villa and a menu that roams Italy’s countryside, from Sicily to Piedmont.
Saigon Babylon Cambridge
Sushi @ Temple Records Downtown Crossing
James Beard Award-winning chef Jamie Bissonnette and his partners have added a cool, no-frills sushi bar to Downtown Crossing, where it joins their Korean-focused Somaek and Temple Records Japanese-style listening bar. The simple but elegant creations of sushi chef Kenta Katagai, who was imported from Hawaii, will keep you coming back.
The James Pub, Essex Essex
Lucky Essex: Needham’s against-the-stereotypes modern Irish pub has come to town with an outpost featuring its sometimes unconventional comfort food (the chili is made with bison; the corned beef sandwich comes with kimchi slaw), “young fella” and “aul fella” cocktails, and a selection of Irish whiskeys that’ll make you forget all about Scotch.
Headroom Hi-Fi Lounge Fort Point
If you’re into leather chairs and couches in a room framed in weathered brick and rich hardwoods, just upstairs from Trillium Brewing in Fort Point, this hi-fi lounge is for you. Throw in sounds old and new playing non-stop on vinyl; variations on time-honored cocktails made with Trillium spirits, as well as a full roster of the brewery’s beers; things to eat ranging from oysters to chocolate cake … What are you waiting for?
Temple Records Boston
Talk about cool: Chef Jamie Bissonnette and the BCB3 restaurant group (Wig Shop, JM Curley) channel the culture of Japanese listening bars here, with a laid-back vibe, serious cocktails, rare Japanese whiskeys, izakaya-style snacks, and a broad range of music spinning on vinyl — via a sound system Bissonnette built himself.
Seamark Seafood & Cocktails Everett
No prizes for guessing what the specialties are here. Legendary Boston chef Michael Schlow (of the lamented Radius) has joined forces with Carver Road Hospitality to turn this Encore Boston Harbor destination into a must-visit spot for New England seafood classics, enhanced by sublime libations at the semi-hidden Old Wives’ Tale bar.
XOXO Sushi Chestnut Hill
Chef Kegan Stritchko garnered quite a following thanks to his witty, Japanese-inspired creations at Uni and Fat Baby Sushi. Here, he gets even more serious with spectacular renditions of classic sushi and robata dishes, reinterpreted using a world’s worth of ingredients, and the results are something else. Case in point: the live scallop with candied quinoa, which you might just think wouldn’t — but does — make glorious sense.
Amar Back Bay
After winning many awards and accolades for Aldea in Manhattan, chef George Mendes continues his story of modern Portuguese cooking from high above the city. The room is stunning, as are the unobstructed views through large windows. The menu is tightly woven around Portuguese staples and local ingredients via the chef’s creative interpretations. Your Portuguese avó might balk at his versions of traditional fare, but chances are they’ll still find it utterly delicious.
STK – Boston Back Bay
No matter which STK you visit, it’s always buzzy, service is top-tier, and the steaks are on point. There’s a lot to love about shellfish towers and Parmesan truffle fries with a DJ keeping the party going.
Good Company Charlestown
Barman about town Seth Freidus has a way with cocktails, and that shows at this unpretentious spot in Charlestown. The vibe is laid-back, but there’s a lot of thought behind the creative drinks, and the snacks to go with them.
Lê Madeline Quincy
Boston-born chef Peter Nguyen, most recently chef at Riel in Houston, came home to open this sparkling contemporary-tinged Vietnamese place, where the food (blackened shrimp with kabocha purée, duck breast with banana flowers) is so bright and pretty that you almost don’t want to eat it … but of course you eat it anyway, and are very glad you did.
Painted Burro – Harvard Square Harvard Square
Joining its siblings in Somerville and Waltham, this lively university-adjacent hot spot — more than 7,000 square feet of it, with two full bars — serves top-notch Latin American (mostly Mexican) fare you won’t want to miss, from chipotle meatballs to street cart chicken (and you’ve got to love a place that lets you add pork belly to your guacamole).
Long Bar & Terrace Back Bay
It’s not the only reason to find your way to the Raffles 17th floor lounge and terrace — there is breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea — but don’t leave without sipping a Singapore Sling. The drink was conceived at the original Singapore Raffles, so consider this the one to compare all others to. The swanky cocktail lounge and gorgeous garden terrace have phenomenal views of the South End, perfect for any time of day and snack.
ReelHouse Oyster Bar Seaport Seaport District
This sibling to chef Marc Orfaly’s ReelHouse locations in East Boston and Marina Bay is making its mark at the Seaport with oysters (of course), caviar, sushi tacos, poke bowls, and an array of Neapolitan-style pizzas, all served with a panoramic view of Fan Pier Marina.
Hobgoblin Downtown Crossing
Because this moody Downtown Crossing restaurant and piano bar (there’s a seven-foot instrument involved) has an occult theme and comes from the people behind Mad Monkfish. Expect a cocktail list that includes “magic potions” and a menu of Thai-leaning Asian tapas that makes magic of its own.
Pinky’s Back Bay
It’s South Beach on Newbury Street at this high-energy bar created by the team behind Rock & Rye and the Flamingo — complete with vibrant cocktails (like a tropical rum punch for two, served in a conch shell) and a menu by chef Scott McCarthy (of Bar Mercato) that references Mexico, South America, China, and beyond.
Scores West End
This two-level 6,300-square-foot West End gathering place may be packed with sports memorabilia (TD Garden is next door) and equipped with 33 big-screen TVs, but it ups the sports-bar game with a non-stop menu of everything you really want to eat, from wings to smashburgers to classic fish and chips.
Borrachito Taqueria & Spirits – Boston Seaport District
An import from Manhattan’s East Village, Borrachito has a speakeasy secret: Up front, this Seaport hot spot is a modern counter service taquería — but through what appears to be a walk-in freezer door next to the counter, there’s a semi-secret bar featuring “Kinda Like a Margarita” cocktails, michelada variations, and more.
