Top 10 Restaurants in Boston

          I get asked for restaurant recommendations all the time, and I'm often asked questions like"what's the best restaurant in Boston" or what's your "favorite restaurant?" I have a really hard time with these because I love so many restaurants, but after thinking about it for a long time I was able to come up with a top ten list. In no particular order (ok, alphabetical order) here are the winners:

CRAIGIE ON MAIN

         Craigie on Main's Central Square location, wide-open kitchen, blackboard listing featured ingredients for the evening, and warm atmosphere give it a cozy, intimate feeling as if you were dinner guests in someone's home. Craigie on main was one of the first of Boston’s “locavore” restaurants and arguably set this trend....Read more

L'ESPALIER

          L’Espalier is one of the only restaurants in Boston with traditional caviar service. They offer a few selections, with all of the traditional accompaniments (blinis, sour cream, onions, scrambled egg, toast points, etc.). I dream about this and a glass of champagne on a regular basis.... Read more

MARE OYSTER BAR

          Mare Oyster Bar is an Italian seafood restaurant in the North End, with an extensive menu including a raw bar, caviar service, and a mix of classic New England fare (fried clams, hot and cold lobster rolls) and gourmet dishes (truffle crusted tuna, pasta with mushrooms and truffle cream sauce...Read more

NEPTUNE OYSTER

          Neptune Oyster is a tiny restaurant in the North End, known for its hot buttered lobster rolls, exceptional selection of oysters, and a notoriously long wait to get in....Read more

NO 9 PARK

          No 9 Park is Barbara Lynch's original restaurant; it's location (a Beacon Hill townhouse overlooking the common) and decor give it a very old Boston feel. The food is upscale Italian, with a constantly changing seasonal menu, and extensive wine list. The signature dish, which is always on the menu, is a prune stuffed gnocchi appetizer with pieces of seared fois gras and a vin santo sauce. This is by far my favorite dish in any of Barbara Lynch's restaurants (and I have been to them all!)... Review coming soon.

OISHII

          Oishii is one of my favorite sushi places in Boston. I’ve been several time to both the larger restaurant in the South End and the tiny sushi bar in Chestnut Hill. The fish is always the highest quality, and they have a mix of high end gourmet style sushi (accented with truffles, caviar, and gold flakes) and basic sushi, sashimi, and rolls...Read more

OYA

          Oya is one of the best sushi restaurants (and restaurants in general) in Boston. The sushi is a more creative, gourmet style and while the menu notes that most items can be traditionally prepared, when they come topped with truffles, fois gras, caviar, and gold leaves I can’t imagine anyone would want to...Read more

SALTS

          Salts is a tiny french bistro in Central Square, featuring delicious local seasonal cuisine (and some of the prettiest food pictures I've taken). I tried it several years ago after the Maitre d' at Per Se told me it was her favorite restaurant in Boston...Review coming soon.

TOMASSO

        Tomasso isn't technically inBoston (it's west of the city in Southboro) but it's so good I couldn't leave it off the list! They serve northern Italian cuisine featuring local, seasonal ingredients, and wines to go with them. I have dined here on many occasions, and attended countless cooking classes, wine classes, food/wine/beer tastings, and dinners featuring Italian wine makers and local farmers. I’ve never had a bad meal, but my favorites have been during white truffle season...Read more

TROQUET

          Troquet is an upscale French restaurant overlooking the Boston Common, known for an extensive list of wines by the glass intended to pair with the food. The list includes many varieties by the glass and a good mix of French, Italian, Spanish, and American all available in two or four-ounce pours for pairing...Read more