Boston’s Best Restaurants

I’m from Key West, a tiny tropical island off the coast of Florida, but I’ve lived in Boston’s frozen tundra for the past 5 years. I spent 4 years in Boston while earning my Bachelor’s at Boston University and an additional year in Boston working full-time after graduating.

Between Boston and Key West, I’ve worked in 3 restaurants, and I’m thankful for each of these opportunities. Unfortunately, quarantine is financially devastating the restaurant industry. To show my support for local businesses, I’d like to shine a light on my favorite Boston restaurants. I recommend dining out at your favorite restaurants as soon as quarantine orders are lifted. Together we can help our favorite restaurants get back on their feet.

You can also read about my favorite Key West restaurants here.

Traditional shakshuka with iced coffee

Tatte is my favorite cafe in Boston. I love bringing visiting family and friends here. Tatte is actually a cafe chain but you wouldn’t know it because each location is designed intentionally to reflect the neighborhood. My favorite location is in Brookline on Beacon Street. This is my favorite location because it offers the most patio seating and the neighborhood is super cozy and fabulous.

My favorite thing to order for lunch at Tatte is their BALT sandwich (bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato). The BALT sandwich paired with a crisp iced coffee hits the spot in the summertime and their delicious shakshuka is the perfect winter comfort food. Shakshuka is a North African tomato stew. Tatte serves theirs with soft boiled eggs on top and slices of buttery challah bread. It’s garnished with fresh parsley. My favorite breakfast option at Tatte is their egg and halloumi cheese breakfast sandwich. It is DIVINE. The cheese is so rich and flavorful. No bacon is needed!

Last but not least, their lattes are out of this world. Their coffee is strong and every drink contains 2 shots of espresso. Despite being strong, their lattes are not bitter thanks to their velvety creamer. The result is a silky smooth and indulgent latte that will keep you caffeinated all day long.

Bostonians LOVE flour!! My favorite menu item is their chicken, avocado, and jicama sandwich. I like to add a drizzle of sriracha for extra flavor. Their pastries are popular, too. Most notable is the Boston Creme pie.

Iced coffee and classic chocolate donut

My favorite donut is the classic chocolate. It pairs perfectly with an iced coffee.

Want to blend in with the locals? Drink a Dunkin iced coffee. Dunkin Donuts (DD) was founded in Quincy, MA and Massachusetts has more DD per capita than any other state in the U.S.! Bostonians are passionate about their Dunkin and most refuse to even step foot in a Starbucks. (It must be all the tourists keeping Starbs in business). Us real Bostonians drink iced coffee YEAR ROUND and would not even consider ordering a hot coffee from Dunkin.

Oolong milk tea with boba

Limered’s boba is the best in the city. The pearls are the perfect consistency. LimeRed Tea House is in Allston, a neighborhood that is home to mainly BU college students and recent graduates.

If you visit Allston, I highly recommend trying some delicious Korean food. Allston has so many Korean restaurants that I’ve heard some people call it ‘Korea Town’ or ‘Little Korea.’ I loved living in Allston because of the authentic and affordable Korean cuisine on every street corner. My favorite Korean restaurant in Allston is Coreanos. Coreanos specializes in Korean/Mexican fusion. It’s a casual counter-service establishment with a variety of trendy menu items. My favorite thing on the menu is their bulgogi beef tacos.

If you’re looking for table service, Shabu-Zen serves some wicked good hot pot. Hot pot in Allston is a MUST, especially if you’ve never tried it before. You order raw meats and vegetables then cook it yourself at your table in boiling water. See picture below.

Hot pot at Shabu-Zen

This smoothie bar outside of Back Bay Station makes the best smoothies in Boston. My favorite is the Waka Waka. In addition to their incredible smoothies, they also offer fruit and vegetable juices, ginger shots, acai bowls, coffee, and vegetarian sandwiches.

Phoenix Sunrise roll and Passiflora cocktail

Most Bostonians are familiar with Yvonne’s, a swanky restaurant just across the street from Park Street station. Fewer Bostonians have heard of Ruka, Yvonne’s sister restaurant. Ruka is an absolutely gorgeous Japanese/Peruvian fusion restaurant. It’s decorated brilliantly. Seriously. Even if you don’t go to Ruka for dinner, at least go for a drink. It is BEAUTIFUL inside.

The #1 best sushi roll at Ruka is the Phoenix Sunrise. It is heavenly! I also recommend the blackened octopus. It is so tender and full of flavor. If you’re still hungry, order the pork wontons and pork belly katsu. My favorite cocktail on the menu is the Passiflora. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and tart.

Blackened octopus

Nirvana is my favorite Indian restaurant in the Boston area. It’s located in Porter Square, Cambridge. I recommend ordering the chicken tikka masala and garlic naan. Yummmm.

Sapporo specializes in ramen that is greasy, authentic, and delicious. There’s almost always a line to get in, but it moves quickly. Sapporo can be found in Lesley University’s food court in Porter Square, Cambridge. For additional ramen cravings, I recommend Santouka. They have locations in Harvard Square and on Newbury Street.

Hungry yet? Which Boston restaurants did you miss the most during quarantine?

– Travel Alli