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A black plastic bowl of thick hand-pulled noodles, heavily dusted with chile powder and topped with greens and a generous dollop of garlic. A wooden skewer of lamb pieces sits across the rim of the bowl, which is on a Chinese Zodiac placemat on a red tray. — Hand-pulled noodles at Gene’s Chinese Flatbread Cafe

16 Restaurants to Try in Downtown Crossing

Whether you’re looking for a working lunch or a nice cocktail

by Dana Hatic@DanaHatic Nov 25, 2019, 9:00am EST

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Hand-pulled noodles at Gene’s Chinese Flatbread Cafe

| Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

by Dana Hatic@DanaHatic Nov 25, 2019, 9:00am EST

One of Boston’s most compact neighborhoods, Downtown Crossing is nestled between the Common and the Financial District, coming close to the Theater District, Leather District, and Chinatown as well. A hub for commuters and shoppers, the neighborhood is often overlooked for reliable dining options, but it really does have a little bit of everything: places for after-work drinks, fine dining, grab-and-go lunches, and more casual options. These 16 excellent restaurants provide a mix of all of the above.

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Haley.Henry

This cozy wine bar is tucked into the base of an unassuming building, like many restaurants in this neighborhood, but walk inside and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into a nautical oasis. Let the staff help you select any of the bar’s rotating natural wine selections, and tuck into some tinned fish while you’re at it.

Open in Google Maps

45 Province St, Boston, MA 02108

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Silvertone Bar & Grill

The ownership changed a few years back, but this longtime Downtown Crossing hangout is still a reliable spot for good, fairly inexpensive cocktails and comfort food. (Try the mac and cheese.)

Open in Google Maps

69 Bromfield St, Boston, MA 02108

Visit Website

A vintage cigarette poster hangs on a red wall, across a corner from a blue neon sign that reads Silvertone. — Silvertone Bar & Grill

Also featured in:

Boston’s Best Neighborhood Hangouts

Sam LaGrassa's

This is the go-to option for huge sandwiches in Downtown Crossing. Sam LaGrassa’s serves loaded hoagies and sandwiches with pickles, with an array of classic options like pastrami on rye and chicken cutlet parmigiana.

44 Province St, Boston, MA 02108

Visit Website

A sesame-studded bun loaded with chicken parmesan cut diagonally — Chicken parm from Sam LaGrassa’s

Also featured in:

Marliave

A historic spot known for its oyster specials and cocktails, Marliave also has a killer French onion soup enhanced with short rib. The Sunday gravy gnocchi dish is also particularly satisfying. The restaurant was open in some form or another from 1875 (1885 at the current location) to 2006 before closing, but chef Scott Herritt bought and reopened it in 2008.

10 Bosworth St, Boston, MA 02108

Visit Website

Overhead shot of gnocchi and a meat sauce on a white plate — Sunday gravy at Marliave

Also featured in:

Shed’s BBQ

Everyone has an opinion about Boston’s barbecue situation. There aren’t a ton of options around town, but the relatively new Shed’s BBQ has been filling a niche in Downtown Crossing since opening in 2017. The casual joint offers various smoked meats on sandwiches or platters, plus ribs, sides, and selections of barbecue sauces. There are also “bowls” that feature meats on a base of grains or greens.

Open in Google Maps

32 Bromfield St, Boston, MA 02108

Visit Website

Pabu

This Millennium Tower restaurant from famed chefs Michael Mina and Ken Tominaga celebrates sushi, with a luxurious omakase menu, sushi rolls, robata grilled-items, and more. Pabu — an import from San Francisco — offers sashimi and nigiri as well, plus cocktails, beer, and vast selections of sake, wine, and whiskey.

Open in Google Maps

3 Franklin St, Boston, MA 02110

Visit Website

A line of sushi laid out on a dark platter — Pabu Izakaya

The Merchant

The Merchant has a pretty-far reaching dinner menu, which includes raw bar items and entrees like pork chops and roasted half chicken. It also serves lunch, and it offers a nice selection of beer, wine, and cocktails.

Open in Google Maps

60 Franklin St, Boston, MA 02110

Visit Website

Interior of a brightly lit restaurant with yellow walls and shiny red booths — The Merchant

Also featured in:

The Ultimate Boston $1 Oyster Guide, Spring 2022

Yvonne's

This swanky spot is worth visiting for the decor alone, but it has some fine snacks and cocktails, as well as large-format dishes and drinks to share with friends. The Yvonne’s team also runs Ruka down the road (see below.)

2 Winter Pl, Boston, MA 02108

Visit Website

Wide angle of a restaurant with a marble bar, plush seating, and elaborate wall decor — Yvonne’s

Also featured in:

JM Curley

A classic Downtown Crossing pub, JM Curley is the place to go for comfort food and a beer. Get the mac and cheese or a big burger with fries. (Note: It has a tiny steakhouse hidden inside.)

21 Temple Pl, Boston, MA 02111

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Stoddard's Fine Food & Ale

Stoddard’s is a dark and cozy pub that boasts cask beer, a fine whiskey selection, and plenty more spirits. For food, get the pretzel or charcuterie, or any number of cheesy, warm entrees.

48 Temple Pl, Boston, MA 02111

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Democracy Brewing

Relatively new to the neighborhood, Democracy Brewing has a nice selection of its own beers, plus some pretty sturdy snacks, like loaded nachos, flatbreads, and burgers. Open for lunch and dinner, Democracy is a great place to escape the rain or cold, and the interior has some fascinating design features. As an added bonus, the kitchen is zero-waste, and the business is employee-owned.

Open in Google Maps

35 Temple Pl, Boston, MA 02111

Visit Website

Democracy Brewing

Sarah Storrer/Eater

Boston Chops

A shiny second edition of the popular South End steakhouse, Boston Chops is among the fine dining options in Downtown Crossing. Open for lunch on weekdays and until 1 a.m. seven days a week, the restaurant offers classic steakhouse fare, plus seafood towers, multiple preparations of potatoes, cocktails, and more, all in a leather-and-marble filled space.

Open in Google Maps

52 Temple Pl, Boston, MA 02111

Visit Website

A dark restaurant with wood tables, banquette seating, and place settings — Boston Chops

Also featured in:

Chacarero

The namesake item at Downtown Crossing mainstay Chacarero — a casual shop that does bustling weekday lunch business — is a Chilean sandwich made with steak or chicken (or both), Muenster cheese, tomatoes, steamed green beans, avocado spread, and hot sauce. Chacarero got its start as a pushcart before moving into a permanent storefront back in 2005.

101 Arch St, Boston, MA 02110

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Ruka

A sibling to Yvonne’s (see above), Ruka showcases nikkei cuisine, or Japanese-Peruvian fare. The elaborately designed interior provides a nice atmosphere for digging into the menu of grilled snacks, sushi, and more. The cocktails are the highlight on the beverage side, but there’s also plenty of beer, wine, and sake.

505 Washington St, Boston, MA 02111

Visit Website

Slices of wagyu beef above a flame with a small dark bowl filled with dipping sauce — Fuego wagyu at Ruka

Also featured in:

Kingston Cuts

This restaurant space has been overhauled multiple times in the last several years, and now as Kingston Cuts it serves a mix of pub fare like sandwiches, burgers, and nachos, along with mac and cheese, steak, and more.

Open in Google Maps

25 Kingston St, Boston, MA 02111

Visit Website

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe

On the bottom end of the neighborhood, Gene’s Chinese Flatbread Cafe is a great lunch spot and source for hand-pulled noodles. Get the standard noodles (#4 on the menu) seasoned with so much chile and garlic, and add a skewer or two of lamb — and perhaps a tea egg — on the side.

86 Bedford St, Boston, MA 02111

Visit Website

A black plastic bowl of thick hand-pulled noodles, heavily dusted with chile powder and topped with greens and a generous dollop of garlic. A wooden skewer of lamb pieces sits across the rim of the bowl, which is on a Chinese Zodiac placemat on a red tray. — Hand-pulled noodles at Gene’s Chinese Flatbread Cafe

Also featured in:

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Haley.Henry

45 Province St, Boston, MA 02108

This cozy wine bar is tucked into the base of an unassuming building, like many restaurants in this neighborhood, but walk inside and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into a nautical oasis. Let the staff help you select any of the bar’s rotating natural wine selections, and tuck into some tinned fish while you’re at it.

Open in Google Maps

45 Province St, Boston, MA 02108

Visit Website

Silvertone Bar & Grill

69 Bromfield St, Boston, MA 02108

The ownership changed a few years back, but this longtime Downtown Crossing hangout is still a reliable spot for good, fairly inexpensive cocktails and comfort food. (Try the mac and cheese.)

Open in Google Maps

69 Bromfield St, Boston, MA 02108

Visit Website

A vintage cigarette poster hangs on a red wall, across a corner from a blue neon sign that reads Silvertone. — Silvertone Bar & Grill

Sam LaGrassa's

44 Province St, Boston, MA 02108

This is the go-to option for huge sandwiches in Downtown Crossing. Sam LaGrassa’s serves loaded hoagies and sandwiches with pickles, with an array of classic options like pastrami on rye and chicken cutlet parmigiana.

44 Province St, Boston, MA 02108

Visit Website

A sesame-studded bun loaded with chicken parmesan cut diagonally — Chicken parm from Sam LaGrassa’s

Marliave

10 Bosworth St, Boston, MA 02108

A historic spot known for its oyster specials and cocktails, Marliave also has a killer French onion soup enhanced with short rib. The Sunday gravy gnocchi dish is also particularly satisfying. The restaurant was open in some form or another from 1875 (1885 at the current location) to 2006 before closing, but chef Scott Herritt bought and reopened it in 2008.

10 Bosworth St, Boston, MA 02108

Visit Website

Overhead shot of gnocchi and a meat sauce on a white plate — Sunday gravy at Marliave

Shed’s BBQ

32 Bromfield St, Boston, MA 02108

Everyone has an opinion about Boston’s barbecue situation. There aren’t a ton of options around town, but the relatively new Shed’s BBQ has been filling a niche in Downtown Crossing since opening in 2017. The casual joint offers various smoked meats on sandwiches or platters, plus ribs, sides, and selections of barbecue sauces. There are also “bowls” that feature meats on a base of grains or greens.

Open in Google Maps

32 Bromfield St, Boston, MA 02108

Visit Website

Pabu

3 Franklin St, Boston, MA 02110

This Millennium Tower restaurant from famed chefs Michael Mina and Ken Tominaga celebrates sushi, with a luxurious omakase menu, sushi rolls, robata grilled-items, and more. Pabu — an import from San Francisco — offers sashimi and nigiri as well, plus cocktails, beer, and vast selections of sake, wine, and whiskey.

Open in Google Maps

3 Franklin St, Boston, MA 02110

Visit Website

A line of sushi laid out on a dark platter — Pabu Izakaya

The Merchant

60 Franklin St, Boston, MA 02110

The Merchant has a pretty-far reaching dinner menu, which includes raw bar items and entrees like pork chops and roasted half chicken. It also serves lunch, and it offers a nice selection of beer, wine, and cocktails.

Open in Google Maps

60 Franklin St, Boston, MA 02110

Visit Website

Interior of a brightly lit restaurant with yellow walls and shiny red booths — The Merchant

Yvonne's

2 Winter Pl, Boston, MA 02108

This swanky spot is worth visiting for the decor alone, but it has some fine snacks and cocktails, as well as large-format dishes and drinks to share with friends. The Yvonne’s team also runs Ruka down the road (see below.)

2 Winter Pl, Boston, MA 02108

Visit Website

Wide angle of a restaurant with a marble bar, plush seating, and elaborate wall decor — Yvonne’s

JM Curley

21 Temple Pl, Boston, MA 02111

A classic Downtown Crossing pub, JM Curley is the place to go for comfort food and a beer. Get the mac and cheese or a big burger with fries. (Note: It has a tiny steakhouse hidden inside.)

21 Temple Pl, Boston, MA 02111

Visit Website

Stoddard's Fine Food & Ale

48 Temple Pl, Boston, MA 02111

Stoddard’s is a dark and cozy pub that boasts cask beer, a fine whiskey selection, and plenty more spirits. For food, get the pretzel or charcuterie, or any number of cheesy, warm entrees.

48 Temple Pl, Boston, MA 02111

Visit Website

Democracy Brewing

35 Temple Pl, Boston, MA 02111

Relatively new to the neighborhood, Democracy Brewing has a nice selection of its own beers, plus some pretty sturdy snacks, like loaded nachos, flatbreads, and burgers. Open for lunch and dinner, Democracy is a great place to escape the rain or cold, and the interior has some fascinating design features. As an added bonus, the kitchen is zero-waste, and the business is employee-owned.

Open in Google Maps

35 Temple Pl, Boston, MA 02111

Visit Website

Democracy Brewing

Sarah Storrer/Eater

Boston Chops

52 Temple Pl, Boston, MA 02111

A shiny second edition of the popular South End steakhouse, Boston Chops is among the fine dining options in Downtown Crossing. Open for lunch on weekdays and until 1 a.m. seven days a week, the restaurant offers classic steakhouse fare, plus seafood towers, multiple preparations of potatoes, cocktails, and more, all in a leather-and-marble filled space.

Open in Google Maps

52 Temple Pl, Boston, MA 02111

Visit Website

A dark restaurant with wood tables, banquette seating, and place settings — Boston Chops

Chacarero

101 Arch St, Boston, MA 02110

The namesake item at Downtown Crossing mainstay Chacarero — a casual shop that does bustling weekday lunch business — is a Chilean sandwich made with steak or chicken (or both), Muenster cheese, tomatoes, steamed green beans, avocado spread, and hot sauce. Chacarero got its start as a pushcart before moving into a permanent storefront back in 2005.

101 Arch St, Boston, MA 02110

Visit Website

Ruka

505 Washington St, Boston, MA 02111

A sibling to Yvonne’s (see above), Ruka showcases nikkei cuisine, or Japanese-Peruvian fare. The elaborately designed interior provides a nice atmosphere for digging into the menu of grilled snacks, sushi, and more. The cocktails are the highlight on the beverage side, but there’s also plenty of beer, wine, and sake.

505 Washington St, Boston, MA 02111

Visit Website

Slices of wagyu beef above a flame with a small dark bowl filled with dipping sauce — Fuego wagyu at Ruka

Kingston Cuts

25 Kingston St, Boston, MA 02111

This restaurant space has been overhauled multiple times in the last several years, and now as Kingston Cuts it serves a mix of pub fare like sandwiches, burgers, and nachos, along with mac and cheese, steak, and more.

Open in Google Maps

25 Kingston St, Boston, MA 02111

Visit Website

Related Maps

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe

86 Bedford St, Boston, MA 02111

On the bottom end of the neighborhood, Gene’s Chinese Flatbread Cafe is a great lunch spot and source for hand-pulled noodles. Get the standard noodles (#4 on the menu) seasoned with so much chile and garlic, and add a skewer or two of lamb — and perhaps a tea egg — on the side.

86 Bedford St, Boston, MA 02111

Visit Website

A black plastic bowl of thick hand-pulled noodles, heavily dusted with chile powder and topped with greens and a generous dollop of garlic. A wooden skewer of lamb pieces sits across the rim of the bowl, which is on a Chinese Zodiac placemat on a red tray. — Hand-pulled noodles at Gene’s Chinese Flatbread Cafe

Related Maps