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Burro Bar Brookline (art by Raúl Gonzalez III)
The very pretty Burro Bar Brookline, featuring art by Raúl Gonzalez III
Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

Where to Eat and Drink in Brookline

Spicy ramen in Coolidge Corner, beer and mussels in Washington Square, sherry and tapas on Beacon Street

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The very pretty Burro Bar Brookline, featuring art by Raúl Gonzalez III
| Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

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.

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Taberna de Haro

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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.

taberna de haro paella
Delicious paella
Taberna de Haro/Facebook

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.

rami’s
Falafel from Rami’s
Rami’s/Official Site

Ganko Ittetsu Ramen

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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.

A large bowl of ramen shows an oily broth, a slice of meat, and toppings of a soft-boiled egg and vegetables.
Gankara miso at Ganko Ittetsu Ramen
Ganko Ittetsu Ramen/Official Site

Fugakyu Japanese Cuisine

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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.

fugakyu
Sashimi and sushi a Fugakyu
Fugakyu/Facebook

Michael's Deli

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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.

Sandwiches at Michael’s Deli
Sandwiches at Michael’s Deli
Michael’s Deli/Facebook

The Publick House

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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.

publick house
Mussels and fries (not pictured: a delicious Belgian beer)
Melissa S./Yelp

Washington Square Tavern

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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.

Have some charcuterie with your cocktail at Washington Square Tavern
Have some charcuterie with your cocktail at Washington Square Tavern
Washington Square Tavern/Facebook

Burro Bar Brookline

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Tacos, tequila, and queso fundido. Who could ask for more? Oh, and the space is stunning.

A cocktail at Burro Bar Brookline
A refreshing cocktail at the very stylish Burro Bar
Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

Bottega di Capri

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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.

Rice spotted with mussels and shrimp.
Try the risotto, too
Bottega di Capri/Facebook

Blossom Bar

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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.

blossom bar
Don’t skip the dan dan noodles
Blossom Bar/Facebook

Cutty's

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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.

A sausage, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich sits in a paper container on a red tray on a wooden table
The best breakfast sandwich going
Katie Chudy/Eater

Bess’s Cafe

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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.

Beef is wrapped in a flaky scallion pancake, sitting on a white plate on a black tabletop
Scallion pancake wrap at Bess’s Cafe
Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

Taberna de Haro

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.

taberna de haro paella
Delicious paella
Taberna de Haro/Facebook

Rami's

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.

rami’s
Falafel from Rami’s
Rami’s/Official Site

Ganko Ittetsu Ramen

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.

A large bowl of ramen shows an oily broth, a slice of meat, and toppings of a soft-boiled egg and vegetables.
Gankara miso at Ganko Ittetsu Ramen
Ganko Ittetsu Ramen/Official Site

Fugakyu Japanese Cuisine

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.

fugakyu
Sashimi and sushi a Fugakyu
Fugakyu/Facebook

Michael's Deli

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.

Sandwiches at Michael’s Deli
Sandwiches at Michael’s Deli
Michael’s Deli/Facebook

The Publick House

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.

publick house
Mussels and fries (not pictured: a delicious Belgian beer)
Melissa S./Yelp

Washington Square Tavern

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.

Have some charcuterie with your cocktail at Washington Square Tavern
Have some charcuterie with your cocktail at Washington Square Tavern
Washington Square Tavern/Facebook

Burro Bar Brookline

Tacos, tequila, and queso fundido. Who could ask for more? Oh, and the space is stunning.

A cocktail at Burro Bar Brookline
A refreshing cocktail at the very stylish Burro Bar
Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

Bottega di Capri

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.

Rice spotted with mussels and shrimp.
Try the risotto, too
Bottega di Capri/Facebook

Blossom Bar

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.

blossom bar
Don’t skip the dan dan noodles
Blossom Bar/Facebook

Cutty's

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.

A sausage, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich sits in a paper container on a red tray on a wooden table
The best breakfast sandwich going
Katie Chudy/Eater

Bess’s Cafe

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.

Beef is wrapped in a flaky scallion pancake, sitting on a white plate on a black tabletop
Scallion pancake wrap at Bess’s Cafe
Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

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