Boston’s foodie scene is finally bouncing back after the tough year of 2020. This year, we saw everything from ping pong bars to vegan pizzerias popping up in every corner of the Hub. Read on to find our favorite new spots of 2021!
The Tall Ship
The Tall Ship was easily Boston’s hottest new restaurant this summer, and for good reason. The former seafaring vessel stands 245-feet tall and boasts mahogany bars encircling the ship to offer diners lush 360-degree views of the pier, harbor, and city skyline. While The Tall Ship doesn’t skimp on luxury or dramatics, its menu is elegantly simple, with an oyster and shellfish raw bar, sushi, and charcuterie boards.
Find it docked at Pier One, 1 East Pier Drive, Boston, MA 02128.
Kured
It’s no secret — charcuterie is huge on TikTok. And in early June, Gilli Rozynek’s Kured charcuterie shop opened in Boston’s Beacon Hill. The result? A viral sensation! Dubbed the Edible Arrangements and the Chipotle of charcuterie, the quick-service joint centers around a simple premise: Guests pick from a selection of meats, cheeses, and garnishes to create a customized charcuterie board.
Check out the fruits (and meats and cheeses) of their labor at 83 Charles St, Boston, MA 02122.
Spin
Spin Boston features 14 Olympic-caliber ping pong tables, two private rooms which can be reserved, and a full bar and kitchen. The menu includes twists on local classics, like fluffernutter wontons and Boston cream pie, and the cocktails also happened to be Boston-themed, with one named after the T. It’s great food and drinks to be shared in a group of ping-ponging party-people.
Find Spin at 30 Melcher Street, Boston, MA.
Bar Enza has been serving Italian brasserie food in Harvard Square’s Charles Hotel since the end of September. With Michelin-starred chef Mark Ladner at the head of this new restaurant, the food here is top class. The rotating farm-to-table menu includes Ladner’s “Hundred Layer Lasagna,” a dish he was famous for at Del Posto in NYC where he earned recognition as one of the country’s best Italian chefs.
Find Bar Enza at 1 Bennett Street, Cambridge.
Coquette
Coquette, located on the ground floor of the new Omni Boston Hotel, opened its doors this September to serve Bostonians inventive seafood dishes. Inspired by coastal French food, the menu features decadent shellfish towers like the La Flambé, featuring baked oysters, clams gratinée, butter broiled lobster tail, and more. Their raw bar carries a selection of oysters, shrimp cocktail, and Tahitian Tuna, a French Polynesia-inspired plate with coconut, lime, and charred jalapeño.
Find Coquette at 450 Summer St., Boston.
If you frequent the foodie side of Instagram, there’s a good chance you saw a peculiar new donut shape appear on your Discover page this year. Mochi donuts are a combination of your classic American donut and mochi, a Japanese dessert made with a sticky, glutinous flour. Together, you’ve got a delicacy that delivers a crunch on the outside and a sweet and chewy center. Just this fall, two new mochi donut shops opened in Boston—Pon de Joy and Mochinut, both located in Allston.
Find Pon de Joy at 1 Brighton Ave., Allston, Boston.
Find Mochinut at 154 Harvard Ave., Allston, Boston
Remember summer? It seems like it was just last week! One of our favorite summertime spots this year was The Sunset Club on Plum Island Beach. The bar and restaurant is open year-round and has a fantastic view of the water, perfect for watching sunsets. On the menu, you can order tacos and ceviche accompanied by cocktails and beer.
Find The Sunset Club at 4 Old Point Road in Newbury.
Menya Jiro opened its first Boston location this year, and it lives up to the hype! An international ramen chain, Menya Jiro’s Brooklyn location has been named among the best ramen restaurants in America by Thrillist. The ramen chain hails from Kagoshima, Japan, and is characterized by its perfectly balanced pork- and chicken-based broth, accented by fried onions and garlic The soy sauce and seasonings are sent directly from Japan to Menya Jiro’s US locations, preserving an essentially Japanese flavor.
Find it at 57 John F. Kennedy St, Cambridge, MA 02138.
Double Zero
The celebrity chef-headed vegan pizzeria Double Zero opened its first Boston location in the Back Bay this July, perfect for all dairy-averse pizza lovers. Its celebrity chef owner Matthew Kenney serves up a vegan alternative to classic pizza by substituting vegan alternatives for dairy-based cheese, finding the perfect balance between old-school techniques and new-school ingredients.
Find it at 163 Newbury St, Boston, MA 02116.
[featured image: Facebook / Bar Enza]