41 Best Restaurants in Back Bay and the South End, Boston

Comfy armchairs and a grand, high-ceilinged dining room give diners a heightened sense of self-importance, beginning with lunch when the city's power elite stop in for great pastas (half portions are available), prime aged steaks, and oversize salads. For dinner, some patrons snag quick, pretheater bites at the bar while others opt for a more leisurely experience, lingering over sophisticated Italian dishes like tagliatelle Bolognese and succulent grilled veal chops with creamy potatoes and port wine sauce. Gluten-free and children's menus are available, along with a killer Sunday brunch with such options as poached eggs and beef tenderloin with a popover and truffle hollandaise.

At the corner of two avenues (Commonwealth and Massachusetts), which is how this restaurant got its name (deux is French for "two"), you'll find this snazzy, dark-wood enclave serving sophisticated dishes like spice-crusted ahi tuna and braised pork belly, pan-seared Atlantic halibut, and organic chicken with parsnip and foie gras agnolotti. Make sure to pair your meal with a bottle from the thoughtfully crafted and surprisingly affordable wine list served by an attentive staff.

When folks need coffee, a great sandwich, or an irresistible sweet, like a pecan sticky bun, lemon tart, or double chocolate cookie—or just a place to sit and chat—they pay a visit to one of owner Joanne Chang's 10 Flour bakeries, including this one in the South End. A communal table in the middle acts as a gathering spot, around which diners enjoy morning pastries, homemade soups, hearty bean and grain salads, and specialty sandwiches, which change seasonally.

Pinstripe suits, dark paneling, Persian rugs, and waiters in white jackets give this single-location steak house a posh tone, and the kitchen places a premium on seasonal, organic ingredients and sustainable and humanely raised meats; the divine coconut cake is worth saving room for dessert. Two bars, a big, buzzing one overlooking Berkeley Street and a quieter, smaller one on the second floor by the cozy fireplace, serve excellent drinks, specialty Scotches, and bar bites, along with the full menu.

This sweet little white-washed taverna serves authentic Greek cuisine, with many ingredients imported directly from the Mediterranean, such as the feta, fish, and octopus. Order some crisp white wine off the hard-to-find Greek wines and liquors list to sip with a parade of home-style dishes, from tasty meze plates to entrées like grilled lamb chops. The tables may be tight and the wait a bit long without a reservation, but you'll forget about these tiny inconveniences once dinner arrives.

Since 1997, Boston's fashionable set has flocked to this long-popular South End restaurant with polished service and upscale yet unpretentious French-Mediterranean cuisine. While seasonal tweaks do occur, fail-safe favorites like Burgundy-style escargot, parfait of Hudson Valley foie gras, tuna tartare, duck with cranberries, and Dover Sole Meunière are part of a menu that rarely changes—but no one's complaining.

Pink and orange dragon decals cover the windows of this all-day Chinese café, where Joanne Chang (of Flour bakery fame) taps her familial cooking roots to create shareable platters of creative dumplings, wok-charred udon noodles, and stir-fries brimming with fresh ingredients and plenty of hot chili peppers, garlic, fresh herbs, crushed peanuts, and lime. The staff is young and fun, and the crowd generally follows suit. On Monday through Wednesday nights, the Great Date Night prefixe menu for two is a bargain at $65. Weekends are packed for the Dim Sum brunch menu.

Step into this Back Bay raw bar specializing in snappy cocktails and luscious preparations of all things seafood and you'll fall hook, line, and sinker for everything on the menu, including platters of fresh-shucked oysters on crushed ice, torched salmon belly with charred avocado, smoked fish that would make a New York deli owner proud, seafood-topped toasts, and a butter-drenched warm lobster roll overflowing with fresh meat. Rounding out the menu are tins of domestic and imported gourmet shellfish and fish (including caviar) served in all their oily goodness with bread, butter, smoked salt, lemon, and sweet pepper jam.

Snug quarters and no desserts can't quell the stream of diners pouring into this uptown enclave eager to savor oysters and seductive seafood combinations like salmon crudo with pistachio oil, Maine lobster cabbage-kale Thai salad, and blue prawns à la plancha. With 70% of the restaurant's catch coming from New England, plus a thoughtful libations list and polished service, you have all the ingredients for a good time, whether you're sitting at the bar, at the front communal table, or in the three-season alfresco area out back.

Chefs Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonnette's tapas joint, which now has an outpost in Manhattan, is a lively, popular spot where the Barcelona-inspired small plates, such as the jamon and queso, salt cod croquettes, and grilled corn with cotija cheese, are hefty enough to make a meal out of a few. The traditional or vegetarian paella is also perfect for sharing with a hungry crowd. A predominantly Spanish wine list complements the plates. Crowds have been known to wait it out for more than an hour for dinner, which is on a first-come, first-served basis. Aim to go for lunch during the week for a less hectic, but just as satisfying, experience.

B&G Oysters' chef Barbara Lynch (of No. 9 Park, the Butcher Shop, Sportello, DRINK, and Menton fame) offers a style-conscious seafood restaurant with fresher than fresh oysters from both coasts; creative, seasonal dishes; and New England classics, including one of the best lobster rolls in the city. Designed to imitate the inside of an oyster shell, the iridescent bar glows with silvery, candlelit tiles and a sophisticated crowd that in warm weather fills the hidden outdoor patio strung with tiny white lights.

While diving right into the monumental cheese and charcuterie menu seems like a solid starter bet, save some room for the outstanding tapas at this lively wine bar. Favorites on repeat with its young sophisticated diners include blistered shishitos, patatas bravas, chorizo with figs, spicy empanadas, and sauteed mussels. The animated crowd's chatter rarely lowers below a dull roar, and with a lengthy list of mostly Spanish wines, happy glass clinking can also be heard throughout the night. The location in Brookline is equally as popular (read: packed).

Black Lamb's chefs call the American brasserie "a love letter to the South End." Translation: they pour their hearts into the menu to captivate the palates of all who dine there, with dishes such as duck breast frites, lamb burger, roasted cauliflower with anchovies, and day boat scallops.

Buttermilk & Bourbon is chef Jason Santos's take on New Orleans fare, with dishes like beignets topped with powdered sugar, buttermilk biscuits paired with house-made sausage gravy, and fried chicken and waffles brought to your table in the cool lower-level space. Weekend brunch offers banana-cinnamon French toast, duck confit hash, and s'mores bacon. Cocktails, like hurricanes and sazeracs, keep to the NOLA theme.

Steps from the Boston Marathon finish line on Boylston Street, a coveted seat on the outdoor patio is worth the wait. If the weather isn't permitting, snag a spot inside this brasserie-vibe café inside the Charlesmark Hotel and be prepared to feast. The brunches are hearty, with traditional eggs and bacon sitting sidecar to Mediterranean labneh with za’tar and chickpeas, Greek yogurt with granola and honey, and eggplant and tahini spreads. The hummus bowls and shakshuka are some of the best in the city. Sip on Turkish coffee, have a tea ceremony, or slurp a huge Nutella milkshake.

While the sweeping Back Bay views and neoclassical–meets–art deco decor are something to behold, the menu is just as captivating at this new crown jewel atop the luxurious hotel The Newbury. Fanciful dishes such as melt-in-your-mouth squash carpaccio, spicy lobster capellini, and a signature 40-oz. dry-aged bistecca fiorentina are as dazzling as the crowd, a blend of well-heeled locals, city socialites, and trend-seeking singles (mostly at the buzzy bar). Designed like a conservatory with a glass roof and retractable panels for open air dining, this is one of the few year-round rooftops in Boston.

A small enoteca with a whole lot of personality, Coppa is the definition of a neighborhood staple. James Beard–winning chefs Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonnette have made this the South End spot to share Italian plates, charcuterie, and a spritz on the outdoor patio.

An epicenter for all things Italian, this powerhouse is all about one word: mangia. There are four restaurants, a marketplace, wine shop, cooking school, and seven to-go counters, so you can find anything you want to eat or drink here, and maybe discover a few things you didn't know you needed (perhaps a snack size of Piave Stravecchio DOP, a hard cheese from the Belluno province in northeastern Italy). Of note is the gorgeous new outdoor rooftop extension of the greenhouse-inspired third-floor restaurant, Terra, which is perfect for grabbing a glass of vino, some food, and some conversation.

Recharge with a fresh-baked sticky bun and oversize mug of coffee at this South End favorite. Award-winning chef Joanne Chang and her staff serve up delicious creations including soups, hearty salads, and sandwiches. There are additional locations in South End, Fort Point Channel, and Back Bay in Boston, and Central Square and Harvard Square in Cambridge.

A good spot to refuel on a budget is Flour Bakery + Café, a perennial candidate for Boston's best sandwiches and stuffed bread. Also superb are the fresh pizzas, dinner specials, and delicious pastries. You may end up taking home one of their cookbooks as a sweet keepsake.

Step down into this charming wine bistro and you'll feel like you've been transported to Paris, with a menu of classic French fare dressed up a bit, such as escargot toast or foie gras on brioche, paired with one of two dozen wines by the glass, all served with a smile by an attentive staff. The wall-length bar is a buzzy spot in the evenings, while those looking for a romantic nook choose the garden-side solarium. Tables fill up fast with diners lingering over escargot toast, duck magret, and steak frites. The mousse au chocolate for dessert ends a meal with a decadent and delicious touch. Visit their sister restaurant, Collette Wine Bistro, in Cambridge's Porter Square.

Inspired by a grandma's confections, these cupcakes are heavenly. It's tough to choose between flavors like chocolate ganache, red velvet, double milk chocolate birthday, salted caramel, and the list goes on. There's even gluten-free lava fudge and vegan apple cinnamon. Check the board for daily specials. Just grab a half dozen, and call it a day.

Challenging the typical cookie weight limit, Levain's freshly baked cookies are the perfect two-person dessert, although it can be tough to share with flavors like chocolate chip walnut, dark chocolate chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and dark chocolate peanut butter chip tempting your sweet tooth. The banana chocolate chip loaf is moist, and the country boule breaks with the perfect outer crisp.

Although the entrance to this superb sushi restaurant may elude you, simply follow the crowds of raw-fish fans streaming into the sleek, gray, industrial space, to find edible aquatic enchantment in the form of Tokyo-style soft-shell crab, lobster tempura, and Chilean sea bass. The vibe is stylish and so are the diners. While it's easy to rack up quite a bill, especially ordering endless sushi a la cart, the omakase is a splurge; at $265–$280 its six to nine courses include Wagyu with truffles and sake add-ons.

Boston has plenty of great seafood restaurants, but this sophisticated option near the Theater District turns out delicate and exquisitely prepared catches of the day fit for a king (and some say costing a king's ransom). Settle in with a seasonal cocktail in the sleek, pearl-white dining room before tucking into any one of the caviars or glistening raw fish tartares followed by a simply prepared entrée, whether it's a grilled sea bream in trevisano leaf or broiled Maine twin lobster. The kitchen has not left carnivores stranded at sea: In addition to sirloin carpaccio to start, you'll find several grilled steaks, along with luscious game hen and pasta preparations.

Enjoy coffee, snacks, and Wi-Fi access in this hip basement spot, one of several scattered about the city. Tea lovers needn't feel left out—there are plenty of excellent options, including jade oolong and chamomile medley.

With a name that's short for Pizza and Ice Cream Company, Picco is perfect for both kids and kids at heart. This South End spot combines an upscale, trendy feel with an old-fashioned soda fountain and a changing list of homemade ice cream flavors that might include chocolate malt chip, prickly pear sorbet, and honey. When your appetite calls for more than just chilly sweets, dig into their pasta dishes, pizzas, and salads. Want to imbibe with your meal? There's a long rotating list of craft beers and a hefty wine list.

In a pristine white space next to the Prudential Center, beloved local chef/co-owner Jody Adams takes Mediterranean fare up a notch, with starters like Spanish octopus, local burrata, and meatballs, and entrées like whole roasted branzino and house-made pastas wowing diners. Other popular dishes include grilled lamb chops and saffron mussels. In good weather, the outdoor bar and patio is a bustling spot to drink and dine.

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s newest venture within the Mandarin Oriental hotel offers a taste of his most well-known dishes along with a few local twists. While his famous beef Wellington sits front-and-center as a no-brainer choice entrée, he also gives a properly placed nod to local seafood with jumbo lump crab cakes and lobster, as well as clam bouillabaisse, Boston lager-steamed mussels, crispy skin salmon, and fish and chips. Should a lobster roll be served cold or warm? He appeases all by offering both versions.

This two-story French-inspired bistro and café offers a stylish spot to sip a latte and enjoy a quiche in the morning, power lunch at midday, or dine on dishes like duck l'orange or the plate of the day, such as lemon chicken tagine or trout almandine at night. The weekend brunch menu includes classics, like croque madame, with ham, Gruyère and bechamel on brioche, topped with a sunny-side-up egg, and a to-die-for cinnamon skillet bread. The decor channels Paris, with lots of subway tiles, copper accents, and art nouveau touches. Two bars, one on each level, offer plenty of space to spread out.