Diners' Choice: Best Food restaurants in Boston

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants with the best overall cuisine in Boston? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Dotty's Kitchen & Raw Bar

5.0

5 (15)

$31 to $50

Seafood

Quincy

About the restaurant

Coming Soon!

Top review

Emily

Dined 3 days ago

The food here is really delicious. Everything from the appetizer (we had arancini) to the side (brussels sprouts) to the entree (streak frites) was prepared with the care and attention to detail that makes for a memorable dining experience. The cocktails are great too and the waitstaff are attentive and friendly. This is our go to place for fine dining in Quincy.

Nirvana: The Taste of India

5.0

5 (178)

$30 and under

Indian

West Cambridge

About the restaurant

Nirvana, an epicurean Indian restaurant in Cambridge presents traditional Indian cuisine with a contemporary flair. We boast a lunch buffet, outdoor seating during the warmer months and a full-service bar with craft cocktails that flatter our flavor rich dishes.
Our head chef Paramjit Singh hails from Punjab, India where the tandoor method of cooking originated. He brings over 20 years of experience to our kitchen and combines traditional cooking methods with novel ingredients to create innovative meals for our guests. As an 80-seat restaurant on historic Massachusetts Avenue, Nirvana endeavors to promote a transcendent experience through food, drink and great company.

Top review

Patricia

Dined 4 days ago

It was a great experience. Food was delicious, place was nice and staff was amazing!! My family and I will definetely go back!

Moonshine 152

4.9

4.9 (1773)

$30 and under

American

South Boston

About the restaurant

A modern -American, neighborhood bistro restaurant in Southie (South Boston) by Chef-owner Asia Mei (as seen on Chopped, Beat Bobby Flay & Phantom Gourmet). With a globally-inspired, comfort food meets street food menu, Chef Asia puts her unique spin on both East & West Coast style cooking, striving to match the beautiful restaurant’s aesthetic, contributing to numerous glowing re-reviews, accolades & praise. Her "Best of Boston" Buttermilk Fried Chicken Wings, her award-winning Burgers & Vegetarian Burgers, Street Tacos & weekly changing specials are only some of the reasons she was awarded the 2023 Best of Boston Neighborhood Restaurant in South Boston.

Moonshine 152 is located at 152 Dorchester Avenue, on the corner of Dorchester Avenue & West 4th Street in South Boston. We are one block from the Broadway Red Line train station, with bus connections local bus connections. We are a short walk from the South End & Ink Block neighborhoods as well as The Seaport & Downtown Boston.

Top review

IreneVIP

Dined 3 days ago

What a fantastic spot! This was our first visit to Moonshine and we spent most of our meal discussing when we could return. The menu offers a variety of options, most done with an interesting twist. The menu has something for everyone and an assortment of add-ons so you can personalize any meal. We enjoyed the caramelized onion-roasted beet dip, Hot Honey- Buffalo mac'n'cheese fritters, hungarian mushroom bisque,, pulled duck tacos, carnitas Birria tacos, and crispy Tempura fish tacos. Everything was delicious and cooked perfectly. Flavors were balanced and interesting. Desserts looked awesome too but we were too stuffed. The atmosphere and service is warm and friendly. Chef & Owner Asia Mei was serving and connecting with guests as well. A real treat to say hello to the chef. Finally, there is full bar with nice list of cocktails, beers, and wine. I highly recommend Moonshine152 if you want something a bit different and delicious.

Discover more

Popular dish

Butterscotch Pudding

A photo of 'Shine Famous Bacon Wrapped Stuffing Bites of a restaurant

Popular dish

Jalapeno Crab Rangoons

Vuolo's

4.9

4.9 (176)

$30 and under

Italian

Winthrop

About the restaurant

Named after our beloved grandfather, we are a small family-owned establishment built on a commitment to making every patron that walks through our doors feel they are at home. Our approach, in addition to supplying friendly and attentive service, is to take the traditional Italian cuisine that our family grew up eating and elevate it to something new and fresh.

Mangia!

Top review

NakiaVIP

Dined 4 days ago

The food was absolutely amazing!! Very very very friendly staff.

Piccolo Nido

4.9

4.9 (310)

$31 to $50

Italian

North End

About the restaurant

Piccolo Nido in Boston is an Italian restaurant with a family atmosphere, owned and operated by chef Pino Irano from Napoli. Piccolo Nido’s dinner menu includes a daily soup option, as well as classic antipasto and pasta dishes. Enjoy an espresso or cappuccino with dessert, and enjoy getting to know Pino when he steps out of the kitchen to greet the patrons.

Entrees at Piccolo Nido include favorites such as spaghetti and gnocchi, but also has options for lovers of true Italian flavors, such as veal and trout. The fresh catch of the day is also available for the freshest seafood around, and diners can also enjoy tiramisu or a dessert of the day.

Top review

Peggy and greg

Dined on Dec 12, 2024

Outstanding….My favorite North End restaurant. The whole night was a great experience.

Select Oyster Bar

4.9

4.9 (2518)

$31 to $50

Seafood

Back Bay

About the restaurant

Select Oyster Bar, the first solo venture from chef Michael Serpa, is a neighborhood oyster bar & seafood restaurant in the heart of Back Bay. Select offers fresh, local seafood with Mediterranean influences in a cozy brownstone space. A carefully curated raw bar, creative crudo, and thoughtful fish entrees round out the menu. A seafood centric wine program feature classic pairings as well as off the beaten path selections is the center of the beverage program, alongside artisan cocktails and craft beer.

Food & Wine America's Best New Wine Bars, Boston Mag Best New Restaurant & Best Wine Program, Improper Bostonian Best Seafood.

After 15 minutes past reservation time, we may seat your table. Please call us if you are running a bit late.

If you do not find the time slot you are looking for, give us a ring 857-239-8064.

Visit our website for more information on our reservations.

Top review

Billy

Dined 1 day ago

Hands down best seafood in Boston ! Please don’t go there, I hate waiting !

Discover more

4.8

4.8 (94)

$30 and under

Cocktail Bar

Back Bay

About the restaurant

Welcome to Moon Bar. We offer globally inspired small plates by Chef Carl Dooley in a bar setting.

Top review

Ethan

Dined on Dec 6, 2024

Excellent food for the value, service was mildly slow

Rossetti Restaurant of Lynn

4.9

4.9 (2563)

$30 and under

Italian

Lynn

About the restaurant

Rossetti Restaurant aims to serve well executed, traditional Italian cuisine, alongside the art of mixology and inspired craft cocktails. Our kitchen offers a variety of classic and new age dishes with nothing but the best ingredients. Our bar and resident mixologists offer fantastic service and cocktails, highlighted by details: hand-cut ice, house made bitters, barrel aged concoctions, and daily fresh squeezed juices. We aim to please all of our guests, and make sure we create a casually elegant, but most importantly, comfortable atmosphere. We hope to see you there!

Top review

Elisa

Dined 6 days ago

We were 6 in our party. 5 of us had one of the specials of the evening. The other person in our party had the Bolognese. The service was great. Caroline is a great server. We had4 desserts. 2 crème brulee, 1 lemon cake and one chocolate torte. They were delicious. We will definitely return!

Discover more

Popular dish

Chicken "Margherita"

Popular dish

Fresh Lobster Ravioli

Yellow Door Taqueria - Dorchester

4.9

4.9 (137)

$30 and under

Mexican

Dorchester

About the restaurant

At Yellow Door Taqueria, we are serving up traditional & contemporary Mexican cuisine with a New England Spin. Our traditional tacos each have an individual twist and they're all served on the tortillas we make fresh every morning. We offer a full bar and have a stacked drink menu including several different kinds of Margaritas, an extensive tequila, and mezcal list, as well as carefully craft cocktails. If you're not into the hard stuff, no worries, we have mocktails, Mexican sodas, beer, wine, and more!

This is our original location which lives in the heart of Lower Mills, Dorchester. We are right in between our two sister restaurants Lower Mills Tavern and Madre Osteria & Bar - Perfect spots to grab a drink before or after your reservation!

Our second location resides in Boston's South End at the InkBlock apartment community.

We are open 7 days a week for dinner & for brunch on the weekends!

Top review

DennisVIP

Dined 2 days ago

A friend suggested this place and spot a great place. First off, service was spot on perfect. The server was prompt, polite and checked in regularly. Drinks were delicious. Food totally scrumptious. Perfect portion sizes. Everything was as advertised, highly recommend if you are on Dot Avenue and want a place to eat this is the place.

Prairie Fire

4.8

4.8 (493)

$30 and under

American

Brookline

About the restaurant

We are currently open seven days a week. Saturday & Sunday we are open with an All Day Menu. Reservations can be made on our website, or through OpenTable. Due to the intimate nature of our dining room, if you would like to make a reservation for more than 4 guests, please give us a call at the restaurant.

We hold reservations for a 15 minute grace period. Please call us if you are running late, we will do our best to hold your table but cannot guarantee it. Due to the size of our dining room, we do appreciate 1.5 hour dining experiences for parties of 1-2 guests, 2 hours for parties of 3-4, and 2.5 hours for parties of 5 or more guests that book reservations. We always welcome walk-in guests to our bar.

Reach us at 617-396-8199 with questions, comments or additional assistance. We hope to see you soon!

Top review

lauren

Dined 7 days ago

Great service with recommendations on what to order. Pizza was fantastic and complimented well with starters.

Explore Diners' Choice best of Boston

Explore more Diners' Choice lists