SRV, or the Serene Republic of Venice, is a South End small plates spot with an exclusively Italian wine list, plates of pasta made with locally-milled flour, and a level of impeccable service that you might have heard doesn’t exist anymore. The food and drink offerings riff on baraci, the casual drink-and-snack bars you might pop into after work in Venice, but the vibe is extremely upscale South End neighborhood hangout.

While Neptune Oyster is cramped, crowded, and almost always filled with tourists, if we’re ever in the area and there’s a break in the line, we’ll absolutely head in and take a seat at the bar, even if we just ate. It’s that good, and it’s the type of oyster bar that makes you wonder why you don’t do this more often. Seriously, even if you just downed a plate of clams over linguine around the corner, snag that bar seat and buckle up for the johnnycake, crudo, and lobster roll.

When Oleana opened in 2001, the richly spiced, vegetable-forward Mediterranean small plates were a revelation to Boston palates. The servers were like hip baristas, but armed with knowledge of nigella seeds, heirloom squash, and fortified wine pairings. Everyone knew their stuff, and they were refreshingly secure enough to not be a jerk about it. Over two decades later, all of that holds true. You came here to be quietly delighted, and you will be.

La Padrona is the latest addition to Jody Adams’ Boston restaurant empire, and it’s arguably the crown jewel of the lot. A burgundy-soaked space, all mirrors and dark corners, with some of the best Italian food in the city. Get the Tagliatelle Emilia-Romagna, and save room for the tiramisu, too.

Greek food is having a moment in the Boston area, and Bar Vlaha is the best example of the cuisine done exactly right. The food is all about super shareable dishes from the mountain regions of Greece: think pork and fennel sausage, whipped feta aloifes, and flatbread-style pitas topped with fresh cheeses and smoky meats. It’s one of the toughest reservations to get in town, unless you show up right at 5pm on a Wednesday (and even that’s iffy).

Field and Vine is good for almost any occasion. Like just about every Camberville restaurant, this is a place you can waltz into with jeans and a hoodie, but the whole Fern Gully vibe might make you want to dress up a little, order a nice bottle of riesling, and get some shellfish on ice for the table. The traditional Argentine asado at the center of the open kitchen adds a beautiful char to dishes.

Celeste is quite possibly the most fun restaurant in Somerville. Head here with a date or even a double-date (more people, more sharing) for ceviche that’s been marinated in the Peruvian-style leche de tigre. Get the mixed seafood ceviche (blue cod, shrimp, and squid) and a glossy lomo saltado with perfectly cooked steak and softball-sized onion slices. Top it off with a purple pisco drink while you watch the flames dancing from the fast-moving pans in the kitchen.

In a landscape of Thai restaurants that try to squeeze every popular dish from the entire country onto their menus, Mahaniyom stands out. There’s no filler on the tight menu, but we particularly love the kang puu, a red curry over delicate vermicelli noodles with enough crab that you won’t mind sharing. Speaking of sharing, the best way to approach this spot is with a group of friends who appreciate grazing and fill the table with dishes.

If Le Madeline’s sunny corner space feels familiar, you’re not imagining things: Co-owner Tam Le used to run Vietnamese noodle shop Pho Linh out of the same space. But while the restaurants share some DNA, Le Madeline is a Vietnamese spot with heavy Texas influences, thanks to the years Le spent in Houston. There’s bún bò huế and phở aplenty, but the party really gets started in picks like the Viet-Cajun crawfish noodles.

Sushi @ Temple Records has ruined most other sushi spots for us. Walking into the basement space underneath the vinyl bar feels a bit like visiting your cool friend’s older sister’s apartment as a teenager. The brick walls are covered with colorful murals, and a tightly curated soundtrack plays deep cuts from the bar’s collection upstairs. What you should order is a moriawase set, the spicy tuna maki roll, and the owan bowl with silken sesame-studded tofu topped with boba-like salmon roe.

Since opening in the Seaport in 2018, Chickadee’s seasonal, Mediterranean-leaning menu and expansive industrial-chic space have been a hit with locals and people visiting the area. This big, noisy spot (shoutout to whoever creates the playlists) sits in a design center with major cool kid vibes and menu mainstays like chickpea panisse fries, fresh baked pita and spreads (consider this a love note to the feta pimiento), and labneh-ranch dressed fried chicken that keeps us coming back.

Every city should have an old-school steakhouse with incredible service, great prime-aged steak, and perfect highball cocktails. Grill 23 is that spot in Boston. They’ve been open since 1983, serving up martinis speckled with chunks of ice, overflowing seafood towers, and steaks aged and cooked to perfection. One of the best things we put in our mouth this past year was the grade A5 wagyu striploin, but the 14-ounce prime New York steak isn’t shabby either.

Puritan & Co. is the kind of restaurant you can take anyone to (yes, that includes your grumpy cousin who constantly corrects your grammar). This cozy New England restaurant uses produce in most of their dishes from a farm they operate, and it all happens in a classic bistro setting in Cambridge. They’ve got simple pastas that change regularly (get the short rib pappardelle if it’s available), seafood risotto loaded with shellfish, and Parker House rolls perfect for sopping everything up.

A casual bite for lunch or breakfast can still be something you'll be thinking about for months. That’s why you come to Sofra, a counter-service Mediterranean cafe and bakery from the team behind Cambridge spots Sarma and Oleana. Go for a dreamy Turkish breakfast, shakshuka, any mezze for lunch, and baklava for dessert.

The menu at Dear Annie doubles as a zine with a grainy cover photo of Tina Turner and David Bowie sharing a swig from a bottle of wine. It’s a fitting image for a New American restaurant that encourages mingling both with people you know and those you don't. Dear Annie focuses on vegetarian and pescetarian dishes served alongside a formidable wine list from low-intervention producers. Order something to drink you've never heard of before and the Sea Dog.

This Italian restaurant opened in May 2023 and it’s already a neighborhood hit—probably because they’re offering the freshest plate of pasta in Dorchester. The decor is unfussy, but gives the feeling of a retro Roman holiday, with colorful prints, hanging wine glasses, and tons of baked goods on display. The menu features a lot of seafood, so expect dishes like aglio olio peperoncino with fresh hunks of tuna. The cacio pepe suppli are also a must, as is a pizza or two for the table.

Boston is proud of its Irish pubs, but we’re aware it might seem wild to put one on a list of best restaurants. Let us explain. You won’t find mozzarella sticks on the menu at The Dubliner, but you will find what’s quite possibly the best pot pies, scotch eggs, housemade soda bread, and Irish stew this side of the Atlantic. The space works for big groups or dining alone at the bar (with a perfectly poured Guinness, of course) and they have live music on the weekends.

At Woods Hill Pier 4, the food and harbor views will constantly battle for your attention. This is a good thing, because both are excellent. We love the smoky adelita margarita, the Cubano with ham and pork shoulder confit on the butteriest baguette, and any towering shellfish platter that comes, naturally, with Old Bay aioli. Go for brunch to sit in a comfy booth, gaze out the floor-to-ceiling windows, and try the lobster popover.

Besides Jayson Tatum and literally any of the musicians at Wally’s Cafe, there’s almost nothing we currently rep for harder than Daily Catch on Hanover Street. This is where you’ll find the best Italian American seafood in the city, with pasta and sauces made fresh daily and seafood that was probably plucked from the ocean the morning of your visit. There’s almost always a wait, but try to walk in on a weeknight (they don't take reservations).

Ask enough people, and you’ll start to realize this colorful Winter Hill Mediterranean spot is everyone’s favorite restaurant in Boston. And it only takes one visit to realize that the people might be onto something. This is one of the longest menus in Boston, but ironically, you’ll be thrilled with just a few of the Middle Eastern small plates that punch you in the face with flavor.

If you’ve ever wanted to blow your whole paycheck in one night (first off, please get a financial advisor), or you have access to a corporate credit card, you’re not going to do much better than this Leather District sushi restaurant. Expect lots of over-the-top touches of truffles, caviar, and gold leaf to go with perfect cuts of fish. The $295, 20-course omakase menu will be an exceptionally memorable meal.

South Boston recently had a restaurant glow-up, and Lenox Sophia is a welcome addition to the growing lineup. This cool, casual spot turns out a French and Asian tasting menu four nights a week for under $115, featuring things like tagliatelle with black truffles and buttermilk fried qual with nori wasabi seasoning. Everything you eat is going to be excellent, whether you go for the omnivore or vegetarian menu. This spot is tiny and almost always packed, so make a reservation.

There are a lot of exciting restaurants in Boston serving food from the African diaspora. And Comfort Kitchen, with plates of Senegalese yassa chicken, za’atar-brown-butter trout, and jerk jackfruit sliders, is the best option for a decadent, boozy dinner in Dorchester. Pair anything you eat with a daiquiri and snag one of the five seats at the bar for a front-row spot to see the chefs in the open kitchen do their thing.

Tonino is a small restaurant where people from the neighborhood actually have dinner, and it’s impossible not to find happiness on the menu. Especially if you order the taleggio cappelletti and pizza bianca that you can customize with pairings like ricotta and hot honey or eggplant caponata. There are plenty of two-tops for dates, but try and snag the two counter seats in the back that look into the open kitchen.

There’s an extraordinary number of excellent Vietnamese restaurants in Field’s Corner in Dorchester. Everyone has their spot, and ours is Pho Le. They have some incredible soups, and the best is the house special with rare-eye round, well-done flank, brisket, tendon, tripe, and a super savory bone broth. Add on plates of roasted quail and tapioca dumplings filled with caramelized shrimp, and don’t plan on eating for the rest of the day. Even though it’s always busy, you can usually get a table.