The Eater Boston Winter 2022 Dining Headquarters

Boston’s buckling in for another snowstorm, so it’s time to dig the sleds and snow pants out of storage if you haven’t already, plan some complicated baking projects, and figure out which local restaurants are serving boozy hot chocolate on their fire pit-bedecked patios.

Bookmark this page: Updated frequently throughout the season, this will be your place to find out how to make the most of winter in Boston — and beyond — in terms of what to eat, drink, and cook. Whether you’re looking for the best soups at Boston-area restaurants or a guide to a winter-friendly getaway in Portland, Maine, you’ll find it here.

Have a burning question about local winter dining that’s not yet answered here? Email boston@eater.com and we’ll do our best to help out.

This page was originally published on January 7, 2022; the date of the most recent update appears above.

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Jump to a section:

• News
• Local maps and guides
• New England travel maps and guides
• Outdoor dining, including heated patios, igloos, yurts, and more
• Snow day specials at local restaurants
• Seasonal pop-ups and such (a ski lodge-inspired indoor patio, a bar by a skating rink, and more)
• Stay home (takeout and delivery; cooking, baking, and entertaining)
• Stay in the loop (how to follow Eater for news all season long)

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• Boston, Brookline, and Salem all had proof-of-vaccination mandates in place for indoor dining earlier in the winter; all have since been rescinded. Still, check with an individual restaurant ahead of time as a few are still independently requiring proof.
• Here’s a running list of Boston-area restaurants that have opened or reopened in winter 2022, including Toscanini’s, Wusong Road, and more.
• And here’s a running list of local restaurant closures this season, including Bar Lyon, Anh Hong, and more.

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More to come. What do you want to eat when it’s cold? Let us know.

Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater Boston

• A dozen hot new restaurants to try in February 2022, including Bar Volpe, Dear Annie, and Café Sauvage
• Boston’s best spots for hot chocolate, boozy and not, including Gâté Comme Des Filles at Bow Market, Alcove, and L.A. Burdick
• Superb soups in and near Boston, including khao soi and tom yum noodle soup at Dakzen, udon at Yume Ga Arukara, and spicy tomato soup at Sportello
• Or more specifically, the best ramen, udon, and chowder in and near Boston
• Or maybe you’d like to order a single slice of cake, dumplings, or hand-pulled nooodles
• Make every night a pizza night
• Having trouble finding a restaurant that’s open? These tried-and-true neighborhood spots are typically open seven days a week and likely to stay open regardless of the weather
• Or just cozy up at your nearest dive bar
• In need of food or have extra to give? Here’s a growing database of community fridges in and around Boston

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Looking for a winter-friendly road trip from Boston filled with good food and drink? Try one of these.

The Canteen

• What to eat and drink during an off-season weekend in Provincetown
• How to make the most of a quick, off-season trip to Portland, Maine
• And likewise for Kennebunkport, Maine
• Four Maine winter adventures that end with good beer
• Where to eat and drink in Vermont’s Mad River Valley
• Eat your way around North Adams in the Berkshires while visiting Mass MoCA
• Spend a day in the Pioneer Valley in Western Massachusetts (starting with lots of coffee in Northampton)

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From enclosed patios to private igloos, restaurants are trying to keep diners warm outside (or sort of outside) this winter.

Envoy Hotel

Visit our winter outdoor dining map for 30 Boston-area restaurants that have heated patios and/or private heated igloos, yurts, or greenhouses and intend to keep them open throughout all or most of winter 2022.

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Here’s a running list of Boston-area restaurants that are offering snow day specials throughout the season.

• Grand Tour (314 Newbury St., Back Bay, Boston): Whenever a snow emergency has been declared, get complimentary frites with every bottle of red wine ordered all day.
• Kings Dining & Entertainment (multiple locations): On snow days, Massachusetts locations of Kings are giving children under 12 free play on arcade games all day with purchase of a bowling game.
• Publico Street Bistro (11 Dorchester St., South End, Boston): Whenever it snows three or more inches in Boston, there’s a $5 menu available at the bar.
• Rebel’s Guild (Revere Hotel, 200 Stuart St., downtown Boston): All season long on any days with significant snowfall, Rebel’s Guild is offering free hot chocolate after the meal (with purchase of an entree) and half-off orders of beef and ricotta meatballs with tomato sauce (normally $12). There’ll also be hot toddies and hot rum ciders on the menu.
• The Salty Pig (130 Dartmouth St., Back Bay, Boston): Whenever it snows three or more inches in Boston, $1 garlic knots will be available at the bar.
• Select Oyster Bar (50 Gloucester St., Back Bay, Boston): Whenever a snow emergency has been declared in Boston, get complimentary avocado toast with every bottle of Champagne ordered all day.
• SRV (569 Columbus Ave., South End, Boston): When a snow emergency is declared in Boston, get $1 polpette in the bar area.

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Get ski lodge vibes without leaving the city.

Publico Street Bistro

• Après Skate Bar at Time Out Market Boston (401 Park Dr., Fenway, Boston): There’s a skating rink at Time Out Market Boston, and the Skate Bar will be operating through March 6 on Fridays (4 p.m. to 9 p.m.) and weekends (11 a.m. to 9 p.m.). On the menu: hot drinks with and without alcohol, including hot chocolate, hot apple cider, hot buttered rum, and more, as well as non-hot drinks like local beers. For food, there are soft pretzels and Liege waffles from Eastern Standard Provisions Co.
• The Lodge at Publico Street Bistro (11 Dorchester St., South Boston): The South Boston restaurant is continuing its annual tradition of turning its interior courtyard into a ski lodge-inspired space; it’ll be operational through the end of March, open Thursday through Sunday. There are flannel blankets, fire pits, heated lounge areas, and artificial snow to set the mood, with a menu of lodge-inspired snacks and drinks (including a Shot-Ski and hot drinks).
• Snowport (88 Seaport Blvd., Seaport District, Boston): WS Development, which is behind Boston Seaport (a giant development project within Boston’s Seaport District), is hosting Snowport through February 28, a lineup of winter activities (like curling), events, markets, and more. Find a full schedule and other details, including information on other Snowport activities, at the Boston Seaport website.

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Between snowstorms and COVID surges, it’s a great season to spend some time cozying up at home and enjoying some cooking projects as well as takeout and delivery from your local favorites.

Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

• Sign up for a local food or drink subscription package to get spices, oysters, wines, and lots more delivered right to your doorstep.
• Here are some of the takeout and delivery options that kept the Eater Boston team going in 2021; maybe you’ll find a new favorite or be reminded of an old standby.
• Or try an interesting takeout package from a local restaurant, from red-sauce Italian to omakase to suckling pig.

• Buy a cookbook from a local restaurant or two to make your favorite dishes at home.
• Take a virtual cooking class from a local restaurant or business. A more extensive list is coming soon, but for now, browse the options at places like Mei Mei, Flour Bakery & Cafe (via MasterClass), and Curio Spice Co.
• Visit Eater at Home, Eater’s headquarters for recipes, cooking advice, entertaining ideas, and more.

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Eater Boston publishes news, features, maps, and guides every weekday, all year long. Keep up-to-date in the following ways.

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