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New Restaurants to Try in Boston, October 2026
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New Restaurants to Try in Boston, October 2026

New and exciting restaurants to check out, plus good reasons to visit older spots.

A meal featuring a cast iron skillet with sliced medium-rare steak, a bone with green herb butter, and a roasted garlic bulb. On the side, there is a small black pot of creamed spinach on a white plate, a small black pot of baked macaroni and cheese with a spoon, a glass of red cocktail garnished with a cherry, and a metal cup filled with French fries wrapped in white paper. All items are placed on a dark wooden table.

Hawksmoor’s dry-aged, charcoal-grilled porterhouse with bone marrow, creamed spinach, macaroni and cheese, and beef fat fries. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Fall is in full swing, despite today’s 85-degree forecast, and we’re thinking cozy and casual for upcoming meals: French-Canadian comfort in Fort Point (yes, there’s poutine); on-the-go Lebanese wraps, Korean kimbap, and Yemeni coffee; cocktails, charcuterie, and reading in a romantic bookstore. With that, we’re back with our monthly where-to-eat guide, featuring new restaurant openings, expansions and revamps of existing businesses, and loads of caffeine. (Check out last month’s guide here.)

New Restaurants to Try This Month

Recent (or imminent) openings to check out.

About Thyme (Harvard Square)

Fast-casual Lebanese-inspired wraps—on fresh-baked manousheh—are already drawing crowds; try sumac honey chicken or spicy kafta. Iced drinks like cardamom-and-honey lattes and pistachio rose matcha are keeping those crowds coming.

1 Brattle Sq., Harvard Square, Cambridge, aboutthyme.co.

Bap Street (Packard’s Corner)

Korean comfort food stars at this family-owned newcomer on the Boston/Brookline line, with an emphasis on bibimbap and kimbap. The latter—rice-and-seaweed rolls with various fillings—aren’t very prevalent in Boston, despite the city’s broad Korean dining scene, so try them here in varieties such as spicy Buldak chicken or beef bulgogi.

1026A Commonwealth Ave., Boston, bapstreet.com.

A person wearing a black long-sleeve shirt is pouring gravy from a silver gravy boat onto a plate of roasted chicken and French fries garnished with herbs. A glass of beer is placed on the table next to the plate.

Celine. / Photo by Emily Kan

Celine (Fort Point)

The diva of Fort Point has arrived, bringing steak tartare, moules marinières, and poutine. The cozy Montréal-inspired endeavor comes from the team behind several Italian favorites (SRV, Gufo, Salty Pig) and a Portuguese stunner (Baleia).

324 A St., Fort Point, Boston, codarestaurantgroup.com.

A wooden table set with various dishes including a bowl of risotto, a plate of scallops with corn and sauce, a salad with cherry tomatoes and cucumbers, a plate of roasted vegetables, a bowl of Brussels sprouts with cheese, a dish with a piece of cooked fish in broth, and a plate with three rectangular pastries topped with red garnish. There are also blue water glasses, wine glasses with red and white wine, white plates with folded napkins, and silverware arranged around the table.

Puritan Tavern. / Photo by Brian Samuels

Puritan Tavern (Groton)

Suburbanites, this one’s for you: Chef Will Gilson, owner of Cambridge’s Puritan & Company, skews a little more casual at this New England tavern in his hometown. Watch for the resurrection of the farm-to-table tasting-menu dinners he used to host at sibling spot the Herb Lyceum.

20 Station Ave., Groton, puritantavern.com.

Zhu (Back Bay)

This glam multi-level spot features Chinese seafood, dim sum, and dumplings galore in upscale digs. Currently in soft-opening mode; stay tuned for a full opening soon. (No relation to Arlington’s pan-Asian vegan restaurant Zhu.)

903 Boylston St., Back Bay, instagram.com/zhuboston.

New Drink-Focused Spots to Try This Month

Cafés aplenty—plus bars and a distillery.

A glass of frothy tea with a rich amber color sits on a wooden tray next to a small, clear, flower-shaped glass bowl holding a single ripe strawberry with green leaves. The scene is softly lit with natural light.

Bloom’s strawberry Calpico fizz (strawberry white tea and Calpico foam). / Photo by Christian Doan

Bloom (Seaport)

Christian Doan, a.k.a. the influencer @chopstickmurphys, has rounded up some big names in Boston beverages for his tea-bar-by-day, cocktail-bar-by-night: Michelin-recognized cocktail expert Chompon “Boong” Boonnak, who co-owns Mahaniyom, and Markus Yao, who managed the bar at Shōjō, are the beverage directors; Backbar alum Iruma Shibuya is heading the operations. Snack on Japanese sandos and other small bites; sip intriguing matcha drinks, tea-based cocktails, and more.

60 Seaport Blvd., Seaport, Boston, instagram.com/bloom.boston.

A plastic cup with a logo for the brand byChae is full of a layered matcha drink, with orange puree at the bottom, green matcha, and thick white foam. In the background, shelves hold green ceramic bowls.

ByChae’s mango sticky rice matcha latte. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

byChae (Back Bay)

Boston’s having a matcha moment, and nowhere is that more apparent than at ByChae, a pop-up-turned café now open on Newbury Street. One sip of the dreamy coconut-cream-topped “mango sticky rice” matcha, and you’ll never order anything else.

222 Newbury St., Back Bay, Boston, instagram.com/bychaeofficial.

Cafè+ by Pagu (Central Square)

Taiwanese doughnuts, empanadas, bentos, matcha, coffee, and more—Pagu now has a café offshoot in an MIT building nearby. “It’s like a mini Pagu down the street,” says chef-owner Tracy Chang: a chance to reinvent the daytime service that Pagu once offered, as well as an opportunity to showcase Chang and Pagu’s community work by featuring chefs from the Refugee Supper Club organization.

134 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge.

A large, dome-shaped pizza oven with a mosaic tile exterior and a black metal front and legs. The front panel has a metal sign that reads "C'YOOL YEMENI CAFE & BAKERY." The oven is situated indoors on a concrete floor.

The C’Yool oven. / Courtesy photo

C’Yool (South End)

A few big Yemeni café chains have appeared in Greater Boston over the past year, but this Yemeni café and bakery is homegrown, from the team behind Fenway’s Bab Al-Yemen. The name (pronounced see-yool) is symbolic of abundance, referring to the swelling of Yemeni rivers after heavy rain (and the start of the coffee harvest). The menu is abundant, too, with savory and sweet breads, pastries, and rich Yemeni coffee.

600 Harrison Ave., South End, Boston, 857-305-3147, cyoolcoffee.com.

A person with curly hair and multiple earrings is holding a glass of iced lemon drink in one hand and an open book with an intricate black and white illustration of a tree in the other hand. They are seated at a white table with a bookshelf filled with colorful books in the background.

The bar and cafe at Lovestruck Books. / Photo by Sierra O’Mara Moraes

Lovestruck Bar & Cafe (Harvard Square)

Not new, but a revamp: The bar and café in Cambridge’s Best of Boston bookstore Lovestruck Books has been renovated and is being run in-house now instead of by George Howell Coffee (although the breakup was amicable, with the coffee still on the menu and future event partnerships reportedly in the works). The new bar and café operates all day, from breakfast sandwiches and coffee to charcuterie and cocktails. And fans of Somerville’s now-closed 7ate9 Bakery should be sure to stop by as 7ate9 owner Sarah Amaral is now Lovestruck’s COO and has brought some recipes along, including salted Nutella syrup (try it in the salted Nutella latte) and lavender mocha.

44 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge, 617-286-2346, lovestruckbooks.com.

A wooden table holds three dishes and a cup. The main dish on a white square plate contains stir-fried rice cakes with sliced carrots and green onions in a reddish sauce. Behind it, a metal plate has green olives topped with thin red strands, and another metal plate holds a shrimp dish garnished with chopped green onions. A small ceramic cup filled with a light-colored liquid is also on the table. The background features green leafy plants and wooden surfaces.

Namu Distilling Co. features an ever-changing menu of anju, Korean drinking snacks, like the tteokbokki, cucumber salad, and olives pictured here. Namu’s soju cups were made by local ceramic artist Sang Jeong Lee. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Namu Distilling Co. (Mission Hill)

New England’s first soju distillery is here—and founders Will Blessing and Josh Moss are using the fermented-rice base to distill a unique gin, too. Head to the spacious, plant-filled distillery and cocktail bar for Korean drinking snacks and very fun cocktails that highlight Namu’s spirits.

89 Heath St., Mission Hill, Boston, namudistilling.com.

A clear glass bowl with black leaf patterns and a gold rim is placed on a cork coaster featuring a bamboo design. The bowl and coaster are on a white marble surface with gray veining. Red leather chairs are partially visible in the background.

Overproof Cocktail Lounge. / Courtesy photo

Overproof Cocktail Lounge (South Boston)

Rum’s the focus when Overproof Cocktail Lounge opens later this month, courtesy of drink and hospitality experts Jen LaForge and Will Isaza. A place of their own has been a long time coming for the industry vets, who most recently managed Ama at the Atlas and Foxglove Terrace respectively and used to be fixtures at Blossom Bar, Birds of Paradise, and other local cocktail destinations. Isaza teases a drink from opening menu called the Spanglish Remix (Ron Zacapa 23, mango milk, sesame, lime, amontillado sherry), which “perfectly encompasses our bartending journey throughout the years,” he says, combining “a Latin American rum with tropical mango flavors, balanced by savory sesame components and a nutty, rich Spanish aromatized wine.” Watch for an intriguing cobbler featuring cold brew and bell pepper, too. In partnership with Common Craft’s South Boston location (and built into the space that was originally planned as Common Craft’s Stillroom cocktail bar), Overproof will feature bar bites by chef Tony Messina, Common Craft’s executive chef and partner.

85 Damrell St., South Boston, overproofcocktaillounge.com.

Overhead view of restaurant dishes on a white marble table with dusk-like lighting. There's a salad, a flatbread, a plate of lemon wedges, a pink cocktail, and more.

Pomona Café & Wine Bar in East Boston. / Courtesy photo

Pomona Café & Wine Bar (East Boston)

Sunlight-drenched mornings over a cup of Colombian coffee; evenings full of wine and global small plates. All-day cafés are hot right now, and Eastie’s latest is a hit thanks to its warm hospitality.

18 Meridian St., Maverick Square, East Boston, 617-418-0261, pomonaeastie.com.

Older Restaurants Doing New Things

Expansions and other changes—time for a (re)visit.

A stack of three golden-brown pancakes on a white plate, topped with chopped nuts, a lemon slice, and green crumbled garnish, placed on a wooden table with a yellow wall and wooden bench in the background.

Brookline Lunch’s baklava pancakes. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Brookline Lunch (South Boston)

Any morning with baklava pancakes is a good one. Southie got a lucky break with the expansion of this bustling, nearly 40-year-old Cambridge brunch favorite.

108 L St., South Boston, instagram.com/blinesouthie.

Comfort Kitchen (Dorchester)

The café is back! The acclaimed Upham’s Corner destination has restarted its casual, neighborhood-y café service on Thursdays and Fridays, offering a petite menu of egg sandwiches, mo:mo (Nepali dumplings), and a few other snacks, plus coffee and tea. (Try the chiya, Nepali milk tea.)

611 Columbia Rd., Dorchester, Boston, comfortkichenbos.com.

Two sandwich halves with breaded chicken cutlets, shredded cabbage, and a creamy sauce, placed in a clear plastic container on a wooden surface.

A katsu sando during the soft opening of Ebisuya in its new Medford space. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Ebisuya (Medford)

A gone-but-not-forgotten Japanese market has been reborn as a restaurant in a new space, and it’ll soon offer one of Greater Boston’s first tastes of Tokyo-style pizza. (More carb-y good news: Kevin’s popular house-made breads live on.) The menu and hours are limited during the soft-opening phase; watch social media for updates. There are plans for live music, too (small acoustic groups), and Ebisuya is running a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for music-related expenses.

24 High St., Medford, ebisuyaboston.com.

A fried fish sandwich with melted cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, and a creamy herb sauce, served on a toasted bun on a white plate. A green leafy plant in a gold pot is in the background.

Hawksmoor’s beer-battered fish butty. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Hawksmoor (Fort Point)

We’re chuffed to welcome this U.K. steakhouse chain to the city’s meaty fray. Its British bona fides include a tempting Sunday roast, but the waterfront patio and ice-cold martinis are undeniably New Boston.

15 Necco St., Fort Point, Boston, 781-208-8300, thehawksmoor.com/us.

A black cast iron dish containing six cooked escargots topped with green herb butter, placed on a white plate. To the upper right, there is a glass of rosé wine casting a shadow on the white tablecloth. Part of another white plate with food is visible on the right edge.

LPM Restaurant & Bar’s escargot. / Courtesy photo

LPM Restaurant & Bar (Back Bay)

Daydreaming of a Mediterranean vacation? Travel to the French Riviera by way of this new spot at the Four Seasons Hotel One Dalton Street, aided by a tomato cocktail and salt-baked sea bass.

1 Dalton St. (Four Seasons Hotel One Dalton Street), Back Bay, Boston, lpmrestaurants.com.boston.

Má Minh by Việt Citron at Eastern Edge Food Hall (Kendall Square)

Inside Best of Boston food hall Eastern Edge, the popular Vietnamese restaurant Việt Citron has added an offshoot. While you can get hearty dishes like bánh mì, bánh hỏi, and more at the original, head to the Má Minh counter for a snackier menu, featuring summer rolls and sugarcane juice.

290 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge, easternedgefoodhall.com.

A spread of Lao food, including a crispy fried fish, sausage, fried pork and mushroom rolls, herbs, and sauces.

Pun mieng—Lao-inspired drinking food—at Phaeng & Phiu’s inaugural pop-up series at Rubato, February 2025. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Phaeng & Phiu at Shore Leave (South End)

Chef Veo Robert’s Best of Boston Lao-meets-local pop-up has taken up residence at tropical bar Shore Leave for the bar’s final few months. (Shore Leave, along with siblings No Relation and Bar Mezzana, will close at the end of the year.) Robert is serving plenty of classic Lao dishes while emphasizing local sourcing, such as in pad kee mao talay, a rice noodle dish with New England seafood.

11 William E. Mullins Way, South End, Boston, 617-530-1775, shoreleaveboston.com.

Two white bowls sit on a pale green tray, one featuring thick noodle rolls with fish balls and a swoosh of sriracha, the other with chopped cucumbers.

Rubato’s ji cheung fun (steamed rice rolls) with curry fish balls and a spicy cucumber salad. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Rubato (Quincy)

This tiny Hong Kong-inspired café in Quincy has been bustling since its 2022 debut—but it’s even buzzier these days thanks to chef-owner Laurence Louie’s finalist finish on the 23rd season of Top Chef. While it’s traditionally kept breakfast and lunch hours with the very occasional evening pop-up, Rubato is finally adding regular dinner hours as of October 9. Look for new dishes such as a fried fish sandwich on a steamed chili crisp bao, molten custard black sesame French toast, and a whole clay-pot rice menu section.

412 Hancock St., Quincy, 617-481-2049, rubato-food.com.

Ye Olde Pepper Candy Pantry Pop-Up (North End)

Ye Olde Pepper Candy Companie really is “olde”—it’s the oldest continuously operating candy company in America. Taste history as the Salem shop pops up at Boston’s Old North Church Historic Site through the end of October with old-timey artifacts and, of course, sweets.

193 Salem St., North End, Boston, oldepeppercandy.com.

A version of this guide first appeared in the print edition of the October 2026 issue with the headline “The Hot List.”

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