Newbury Street brownstones, Boylston shopping and the hotel-bar dining row. Krasi's Greek list and Saltie Girl's seafood counter live here.
Kathy Sidell's Back Bay seafood room on Dartmouth Street has run the tinned-fish-and-crudo agenda in Boston since 2016. Caviar service, lobster rolls and a rose-heavy list.
Signature: Tinned fish board, Lobster roll
Order: Tinned fish board with anchovies, mussels, sardines and butter on toast.
Tip: The window counter is the easier walk-in seat at 17:30. Brunch books two weeks out on weekends.
Demetri Tsolakis's Krasi on Gloucester Street has poured the country's largest all-Greek wine list in Boston's Back Bay since 2020. Regional Greek mezze, charcoal-grilled lamb and fish.
Signature: Spanakopita, Whole grilled fish
Order: The taramosalata with house pita and a glass of Assyrtiko.
Tip: Reservations open four weeks out on OpenTable. The bar serves the full menu for solo diners.
Ken Oringer's UNI inside the Eliot Hotel on Commonwealth Avenue has run the city's contemporary izakaya programme in Boston since 2002, expanded 2016. Nigiri, sashimi, late-night ramen.
Signature: Hamachi sashimi, Wagyu nigiri
Order: The omakase nigiri flight and the spicy tuna roll with toasted sesame.
Tip: Late-night ramen menu kicks in at 22:00; the room is at its best after the dinner rush clears.
Ken Oringer's UNI inside the Eliot Hotel runs a contemporary Japanese izakaya and omakase counter in Boston's Back Bay since 2002, expanded in 2016. Late-night ramen menu after 22:00.
Demetri Tsolakis's Krasi on Gloucester Street has run a regional Greek tasting room in Boston's Back Bay since 2020. Country's largest all-Greek wine list; whole-fish service, charcoal-grilled lamb.
Kathy Sidell's Saltie Girl on Dartmouth Street runs tinned fish, crudo and lobster rolls in Boston's Back Bay since 2016. Caviar service, a 300-bottle list heavy on rose and Champagne.
Signature: Tinned fish board, Lobster roll
Order: The tinned fish board: anchovies, mussels and sardines on warm butter toast.
Tip: The window counter is the walk-in seat. Brunch books two weeks out on Saturdays.
Thinking Cup on Newbury Street pours Stumptown coffee in Boston's Back Bay since 2010. Three Boston locations; the Newbury sit-down room is the work-friendly option with strong wifi.
Signature drink: Stumptown Hairbender espresso
Tip: Counter pours Stumptown Hairbender espresso. Avoid the 10:30 to 13:00 lunch rush if you need a laptop seat.
Pavement on Newbury Street has run a local Boston roaster and cafe in Back Bay since 2008. Bagels boiled in-house, cortados the house drink; seven locations across Boston and Cambridge.
Signature drink: House blend cortado and bagel
Tip: Bagels until 14:00, then pastry only. The Newbury location is the largest sit-down room in the small chain.
Barrington Coffee on Newbury Street is the Boston outpost of the Berkshires roaster in Boston's Back Bay since 2014. Single-origin filter coffee, espresso, no laptop ban but the room runs small.
Signature drink: Single-origin filter coffee
Tip: Roasted in Lee, MA; the Newbury store sells whole-bean retail. Filter at the counter, espresso the secondary order.
Tzurit Or's Tatte runs an Israeli-style bakery-cafe across Boston and Cambridge since 2007. Shakshuka, pistachio croissants and the green-shakshuka brunch list; multiple locations citywide.
Tip: Shakshuka books out by 11:00 weekends. The Charles Street and Harvard Square branches keep the strongest pastry selection late.
Worth the queue: Shakshuka with feta and herbs
Pavement Coffeehouse is Boston's small-batch roaster across seven cafes since 2008. Boston-area roasted house blend and single-origins; bagels boiled in-house, cortado the signature drink.
Tip: The Newbury Street store is the largest sit-down; the Symphony location is the work-friendly room with the most outlets.
Sources from: Ethiopia, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras
How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Whole bean retail
Barrington Coffee on Newbury Street is the Boston outpost of the Berkshires roaster founded in Lee, MA in 1993. Single-origin filter coffee, the city's longest-running specialty roaster.
Tip: Roasted in Lee, MA. The Newbury Street retail counter pours filter coffee daily and stocks whole-bean retail.
Sources from: Ethiopia, Kenya, Colombia, Costa Rica
How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Whole bean retail
Demetri Tsolakis's Krasi on Gloucester Street holds the country's largest all-Greek wine list in Boston's Back Bay since 2020. 300 Greek bottles, regional meze; Wine Spectator Best Award.
Signature pour: Assyrtiko from Santorini by the glass
Wine focus: All-Greek wine list
Food: Greek meze and small plates
Tip: The bar serves the full menu for solo diners. Wines by the glass rotate weekly; ask for the Limnio.
Copley Square Farmers Market on St James Avenue runs Boston's downtown seasonal greenmarket from mid-May to late November every Tuesday and Friday. 30 Massachusetts farms and producers; the city's central greenmarket.
Tip: Tuesday is the calmer day; Friday at lunch is the busy office crowd. Closed November through early May.
Dine Out Boston runs the city's twice-yearly restaurant week in Boston since 2001. 140 restaurants offer multi-course prix fixe; winter edition February, summer edition August.
Tip: Lunch $27-$36, Dinner $38-$55. Book three weeks ahead on Resy or OpenTable. The marquee restaurants book out fastest.
Kathy Sidell's Saltie Girl on Dartmouth Street runs a seafood brunch in Boston's Back Bay since 2016. Lobster benedict, crudo, tinned-fish boards, the 300-bottle rose-heavy list.
Order: Lobster benedict with hollandaise on the side.
Tip: Brunch books two weeks out on Resy. Saturday at 11:00 is the walk-in seat at the bar.
Ken Oringer's UNI inside the Eliot Hotel runs a late-night ramen menu in Boston's Back Bay since 2002. Late-night kitchen kicks in at 22:00; the menu shifts to ramen and yakitori only.
Try: Late-night ramen menu
Tip: Late-night kitchen from 22:00. The Hokkaido miso ramen is the under-ordered bowl; the spicy tantanmen is the cult order.