Eater Boston: The 38 Essential Restaurants in Boston

by Erika Adams and Celina Colby

elcome to Boston’s Eater 38, otherwise known as the answer to any question that begins with: “Can you recommend a restaurant?”

Whether new to Boston or a lifelong resident, an eater will find much to explore here: The city is lucky to have an incredible seafood-filled dining scene, for one thing, but there’s so much more, including world-class bowls of udon, fantastic banh mi, and some terrific tagliatelle. As such, this elite group of 38 must-try restaurants is meant to cover the city of Boston and a little bit beyond, while spanning multiple cuisines, prices, and neighborhoods, collectively satisfying every restaurant need. If you’re looking for the hottest new restaurants around town, check out Eater Boston’s heatmap, which is updated at the beginning of every month with the latest and greatest Boston-area restaurant openings.

For the quarterly updates of this map, Eater Boston has added newly eligible restaurants that have been open for at least six months, or older ones that have stepped up their games.

This fall, we welcome three new addition to the map: Bab Al-Yemen, Boston’s only Yemeni restaurant in Kenmore Square; relaxed Southie wine bar Gray’s Hall; and traditional Greek hub Bar Vlaha in Brookline.

And for now, we part ways with Celeste, Krasi, and Lehrhaus.

We’ve also refreshed the map to include even more relevant information for diners, including general pricing ranges for each restaurant and insider tips on how to snag reservations, must-order dishes, and more. — Additional reporting by Rachel Leah Blumenthal and Terrence Doyle.