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Spicy ramen in Coolidge Corner, beer and mussels in Washington Square, sherry and tapas on Beacon Street
Brookline’s drinking and dining scene is more than just Coolidge Corner (although Coolidge Corner is a very good neighborhood for drinking and dining): There’s good food and drink to be found all across the town’s various squares and corners and main streets.
This map ties all of those neighborhoods together, highlighting a dozen of the best dining options Boston’s neighbor to the west has to offer.
Read MoreTaberna de Haro is a Spanish tapas joint with a wine list that’s about as thick as a phone book — and there’s a bottle for almost every budget. Get the patatas bravas because doing otherwise would be unwise, and get the sweetbreads, too. Don’t forget to dive deep into the extensive sherry selection.
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Rami’s, which has been serving kosher Middle Eastern-Israeli food since 1990, is among the best Middle Eastern restaurants in the Boston area. The grilled chicken is the order.
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Waits are usually long, but the ramen at Ganko Ittetsu is worth waiting for. (You can always pop across the street for a beer or two at the Coolidge Corner Clubhouse while you wait.) Get the gankara miso, which is a spicy miso-based broth served with cha-shu, tan-tan pork, a five-minute egg, bean sprouts, Napa cabbage, wakame, scallions, corn, and sesame seeds.
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Ask to sit in one of the semi-private booth-sized rooms at Fugakyu — it’s a trip. Get shumai, gyoza, lobster tempura, whatever sushi or sashimi strikes your fancy, and two or three cold Japanese beers.
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Michael’s Deli might have the best pastrami sandwich north of New York City. It closes at 5:30 p.m. (and at 3 p.m. on Sundays), so make it a lunch trip.
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The Publick House is the dope spot for mussel pots. It also has an astounding beer list. Odds are you’ll be able to drink the beer your mussels were cooked in.
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The bartenders at the Washington Square Tavern know how to build a cocktail. Get something classic at this classic neighborhood hangout, which also serves solid gastropub fare.
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Tacos, tequila, and queso fundido. Who could ask for more? Oh, and the space is stunning.
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This Italian joint is a sleeper hit. It’s part dine-in, part take-out, but it’s all delicious. The Tuscan panini is the order — it’s packed with prosciutto, soppressata, roasted red peppers, and fresh mozzarella, dressed with basil-infused olive oil.
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Blossom Bar boss Ran Duan is one of the best bartenders in the country, and he hires other great bartenders, too. Following on his success with the Baldwin Bar at Sichuan Garden in Woburn, Duan revamped his parents’ Brookline location of Sichuan Garden into Blossom Bar, featuring a pared-down menu (the house eggplant, the hot dry chicken, and the dan dan noodles are all still available, which is all that matters) and some of the best cocktails Greater Boston has to offer.
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Cutty’s is Guy Fieri-approved. Fieri, like most everyone else, was after Cutty’s beloved Roast Beef 1000. While the roast beef is on point, as is the once-a-month fried chicken sandwich, it’s the proper sausage, egg, and cheese that can’t be missed. Get it with truffle ketchup. It’s a breakfast sandwich that’s hard to beat.
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Tucked away outside of Brookline’s best-known neighborhoods, Bess’s is worth the extra effort to find. This cozy spot offers up a succinct menu of home-style Chinese cuisine, featuring dumplings, noodles, and irresistible scallion pancake wraps.
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Taberna de Haro is a Spanish tapas joint with a wine list that’s about as thick as a phone book — and there’s a bottle for almost every budget. Get the patatas bravas because doing otherwise would be unwise, and get the sweetbreads, too. Don’t forget to dive deep into the extensive sherry selection.
Rami’s, which has been serving kosher Middle Eastern-Israeli food since 1990, is among the best Middle Eastern restaurants in the Boston area. The grilled chicken is the order.
Waits are usually long, but the ramen at Ganko Ittetsu is worth waiting for. (You can always pop across the street for a beer or two at the Coolidge Corner Clubhouse while you wait.) Get the gankara miso, which is a spicy miso-based broth served with cha-shu, tan-tan pork, a five-minute egg, bean sprouts, Napa cabbage, wakame, scallions, corn, and sesame seeds.
Ask to sit in one of the semi-private booth-sized rooms at Fugakyu — it’s a trip. Get shumai, gyoza, lobster tempura, whatever sushi or sashimi strikes your fancy, and two or three cold Japanese beers.
Michael’s Deli might have the best pastrami sandwich north of New York City. It closes at 5:30 p.m. (and at 3 p.m. on Sundays), so make it a lunch trip.
The Publick House is the dope spot for mussel pots. It also has an astounding beer list. Odds are you’ll be able to drink the beer your mussels were cooked in.
The bartenders at the Washington Square Tavern know how to build a cocktail. Get something classic at this classic neighborhood hangout, which also serves solid gastropub fare.
Tacos, tequila, and queso fundido. Who could ask for more? Oh, and the space is stunning.
This Italian joint is a sleeper hit. It’s part dine-in, part take-out, but it’s all delicious. The Tuscan panini is the order — it’s packed with prosciutto, soppressata, roasted red peppers, and fresh mozzarella, dressed with basil-infused olive oil.
Blossom Bar boss Ran Duan is one of the best bartenders in the country, and he hires other great bartenders, too. Following on his success with the Baldwin Bar at Sichuan Garden in Woburn, Duan revamped his parents’ Brookline location of Sichuan Garden into Blossom Bar, featuring a pared-down menu (the house eggplant, the hot dry chicken, and the dan dan noodles are all still available, which is all that matters) and some of the best cocktails Greater Boston has to offer.
Cutty’s is Guy Fieri-approved. Fieri, like most everyone else, was after Cutty’s beloved Roast Beef 1000. While the roast beef is on point, as is the once-a-month fried chicken sandwich, it’s the proper sausage, egg, and cheese that can’t be missed. Get it with truffle ketchup. It’s a breakfast sandwich that’s hard to beat.
Tucked away outside of Brookline’s best-known neighborhoods, Bess’s is worth the extra effort to find. This cozy spot offers up a succinct menu of home-style Chinese cuisine, featuring dumplings, noodles, and irresistible scallion pancake wraps.
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