clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile
A close-up photo of a sushi roll with rice, a slice of browned beef, orange uni, scallions, and truffle pate.
A luxurious wagyu handroll from Matsunori Handroll Bar.
Matsunori Handroll Bar

The Hottest New Restaurants in Boston, March 2023

New restaurants to try in and around Boston, including an inventive sushi bar and a vegan-friendly counter-serve spot for tacos and burritos

View as Map
A luxurious wagyu handroll from Matsunori Handroll Bar.
| Matsunori Handroll Bar

More often than not, friends, family, and readers of Eater have a single burning question: Where should I eat right now? The Eater Boston Heatmap, updated monthly, is where restaurant obsessives can find what's new and exciting around the city — where to get the latest dumplings, hot chicken sandwiches, Sichuan-style hot pot, and more. (Looking for a drink? Check out the Eater Boston Cocktail Heatmap.)

New to the map in the March 2023 update: Matsunori Handroll Bar, a sushi bar serving up high-quality handrolls, Puritan & Company’s fun-loving oyster bar offshoot Puritan Oyster Bar, and Across the Border, a casual new spot in Jamaica Plain serving up vegan and vegetarian-friendly tacos and burritos.

For all the latest Boston dining intel, subscribe to Eater Boston's newsletter.

Read More

Hot Chix Boston

Copy Link

Nashville hot chicken pop-up Hot Chix finally opened a permanent location in Inman Square last August. The small counter-service spot features the irresistible spicy fried chicken sandwiches, honey butter biscuits, and banana pudding fans loved during the pop-up days, while also adding a few new treats like fried mushrooms, fried shrimp, waffle fries, and potato salad.

A hand grabs a chicken wing coated in spices from a bowl and dips it into a white sauce.
Hot Chix’s garlic lemon pepper chicken wings.
Malakhai Pearson/Hot Chix

Puritan Oyster Bar

Copy Link

The team behind Cambridge cornerstone Puritan & Company recently added an adjacent no-reservations oyster bar to the property. Here, chef Will Gilson is letting his hair down a bit: There are caviar cones, yellowtail fish tacos, and glug jugs to wash it all down.

An overhead shot of colorful plates filled with seafood on a light wooden table.
A spread of dishes from Puritan Oyster Bar.
Puritan Oyster Bar

Batifol

Copy Link

South End favorite Petit Robert Bistro has a new sibling in Kendall Square, where Batifol opened in October. Expect a similarly elegant experience at the new spot, with well-executed French classics from house-made croissants, a croque monsieur, and omelets at brunch to French onion soup and steak frites with green peppercorn sauce at lunch to beef bourguignon and escargots at dinner. Interesting wines and cocktails (both alcoholic and non) round things out.

Si Cara

Copy Link

Central Square pizzeria Si Cara brought something a little new to Greater Boston’s pizza scene this past summer: canotto-style pizza, an offshoot of Neapolitan that features an extra-puffy crust. (Chef Michael Lombardi says, “It’s essentially like eating a loaf of bread fresh out of the oven, with fresh toppings,” so be prepared for a lot of crust.) The vegetable-heavy menu is Italian-inspired, hence uncommon pizza toppings like mushrooms with kimchi as well as shrimp and zucchini with salsa verde. And while Si Cara has a full liquor license for cocktails like the Italian Ice — shaved ice flavored with gin, limoncello, and Lillet — the beverage focus is on natural wines.

A Neapolitan-ish pizza with an extra-puffy, charred crust sits on a plate on a wooden table, surrounding by glasses of wine; a platter of bread, meat, and cheese; and more.
Pizza, wine, and more at Si Cara in Cambridge.
C. McIntosh Photo/Si Cara

Mimi’s Chūka Diner at the Station

Copy Link

Mimi’s Chūka Diner, a pop-up inspired by chūka ryori, or dishes with Chinese origins made in a Japanese style, is turning its temporary residency at Artifact Cider Project’s Central Square taproom, called the Station, into a permanent partnership called Mimi’s at the Station. That means you can continue to eat some of Boston’s best dumplings fresh alongside Massachusetts-made hard ciders.

A small bowl is filled with wontons in a spicy red oil, garnished with scallions, with a small bowl of red sauce to the side.
Sichuan chile wontons from Mimi’s Chūka Diner.
Jon Awerman/Mimi’s Chūka Diner

Pescador

Copy Link

Yes, it’s another seafood restaurant in a town already full of them, but Pescador leans into a globe-trotting menu of coastal seafood dishes, including various interpretations of crudo, aquachile, ceviche, and paella, to excellent effect. The bar is stocked with over 70 mezcals and tequilas from Mexican producers, and the cocktail lineup includes Brazilian caipirinhas, margaritas, and build-your-own palomas. The restaurant is one of three new Kenmore Square spots from NYC-based restaurant group Blue Ribbon. (The first, Blue Ribbon Sushi, opened in June, and the last, a brasserie, is forthcoming.)

A short, wide bowl filled with fish, vegetables, and a green broth.
A crudo at Pescador.
Pescador

Matsunori Handroll Bar

Copy Link

Located a couple of blocks from Fenway Park, Matsunori Handroll Bar is, as the name suggests, all about sushi handrolls. There’s a few expected players here — salmon avocado; spicy tuna — but the stars of the show are the more intriguing bites like the miso black cod topped with a kabocha squash puree. Don’t miss the A5 miyazaki wagyu roll, featuring meat sourced from the owner’s own ranch.

A photo of one end of a sushi roll, photographed so that you can see the inside of rice, scallops, and red masago.
A spicy scallop roll with Hokkaido scallops, masago (a type of roe), and spicy mayo.
Matsunori Handroll Bar

Mei Mei Dumplings

Copy Link

Mei Mei’s new dumpling factory merits inclusion in this list for the long-awaited return of the Double Awesome alone — the scallion pancake-wrapped riff on an egg sandwich is absolutely worth the hype — but there’s lots more happening in the team’s new space in South Boston. Check out the factory and grab packages of lemongrass pork and cheddar scallion potato dumplings to go, or make them yourself in one of the regular public classes that Mei Mei hosts on-site.

Metal trays filled with dumplings, egg sandwiches with scallion pancakes, and side salads, sitting on a wooden table in the sunlight.
Trays filled with dumplings and a Double Awesome sandwich at Mei Mei.
Mel Taing/Mei Mei

Madhouse Cafe

Copy Link

Madhouse Motors owner J. Shia recognized that there was a desire for a coffee shop and gathering place along this part of Blue Hill Avenue, and in response, Madhouse Cafe was born. The warmly lit coffee shop is stocked with roasts from Cambridge’s own Broadsheet Coffee Roasters, and Lebanese snacks like sfeeha, or bite-sized savory pies. Eat and drink while peering into the attached motorcycle repair shop via a big window built into the back of the cafe.

A warmly lit cafe with a long banquette and tables and chairs set up alongside.
Madhouse Cafe in Roxbury.
Stephen Canino/Madhouse Cafe

Across The Border

Copy Link

There’s a little something for everyone at Across the Border, a colorful new corner spot in Jamaica Plain serving up tacos and burritos with fillings to please carnivores, vegetarians, and vegans. It’s playful, too: Upgrade any order with a healthy dose of Fritos, Cheetos, or Doritos.

Three tacos, a cup of black beans, and a scoop of Fritos arranged in a styrofoam takeout container lined in red and white checkered paper.
(Non-vegan) tacos showered in Fritos from Across the Border.
Erika Adams/Eater Boston

Comfort Kitchen

Copy Link

It’s only the beginning of 2023, but one of Boston’s most anticipated restaurant openings of the year has already landed. Comfort Kitchen uses its menu to highlight global comfort foods through the lens of the international spice trade. That translates to dishes like jerk-roasted duck legs, seared okra with masala-spiced yogurt, and a whole lot more. There’s also a daytime cafe with pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and quirky sandwiches and salads.

Three dishes lined up on a kitchen pass, ready to go out, with papers and cafe menu letters resting on the pass in the foreground.
From L to R: A breakfast sandwich, jerk jackfruit sliders, and a tartine from Comfort Kitchen’s daytime menu.
Malakhai Pearson/Eater Boston

At anticipated Italian restaurant Tonino, you’ll find Philadelphia-inspired tomato pie and pizza bianca with ricotta and hot honey; house-made pastas like cappelletti and chitarra with clams; and snacks like roasted squid. There’s also an eclectic assortment of drinks, from the expected (wine and amaro-centric cocktails) to the unexpected (sake, thanks to co-owner Claire Makley’s work helping open Boston’s first sake bar, the Koji Club.) The Jamaica Plain restaurant is seeking to become a neighborhood fixture like the cozy bars and restaurants that surround the center of Rome.

An overhead image of five white plate-bowls, filled with different pasta dishes, on a white tablecloth, along with a couple glasses of wine and a couple candles.
A spread of pastas from Tonino.
Brian Samuels Photography/Tonino

Wei Shu Wu Hot Pot 味蜀吾火锅

Copy Link

Wei Shu Wu brought bubbling vats of spicy Sichuan hot pot to North Quincy just in time to thaw everyone’s insides as temperatures dropped. There are nearly endless options of meat, seafood, and veggies to dunk here, including skewers of duck gizzards, lobster meat, oysters, and thin slices of marinated beef. Bring a group and gather around the restaurant’s wide wooden tabletops, or sidle up to the bar where smaller hot pots are installed. The restaurant is an expansion of an international chain; this is its first location in the Boston area.

A hot pot table with dishes of beef, noodles, bok choy, rice cakes, duck gizzard skewers, and more laid out around the center bowl filled with two hot broths.
A feast at Wei Shu Wu.
Erika Adams/Eater Boston

Rubato is a modern take on a cha chaan teng, or Hong Kong-style cafe, led by chef Laurence Louie (whose past cooking credentials include stints at Eastern Mediterranean destination Oleana in Cambridge and fine dining restaurants in London) and his wife Rary Ratsifa. At Rubato, Louie focuses on Hong Kong and Cantonese comfort foods, from fluffy bolo baos stuffed with fried chicken or spam and egg, to thick, savory congees, and Hong Kong french toast filled with custardy salted egg yolk. The opening marks a homecoming for Louie, whose mother Joyce Chan previously ran Contempo Bakery (named after Chan’s rock band, also called Contempo) in the same space for 22 years.

A stack of golden yellow you tiao on a small black serving pedestal, against a white cloth background.
Don’t forget to order some you tiao, Chinese fried dough sticks, to dip into Rubato’s house-milled soy milk.
Matt Li/Rubato

Hot Chix Boston

Nashville hot chicken pop-up Hot Chix finally opened a permanent location in Inman Square last August. The small counter-service spot features the irresistible spicy fried chicken sandwiches, honey butter biscuits, and banana pudding fans loved during the pop-up days, while also adding a few new treats like fried mushrooms, fried shrimp, waffle fries, and potato salad.

A hand grabs a chicken wing coated in spices from a bowl and dips it into a white sauce.
Hot Chix’s garlic lemon pepper chicken wings.
Malakhai Pearson/Hot Chix

Puritan Oyster Bar

The team behind Cambridge cornerstone Puritan & Company recently added an adjacent no-reservations oyster bar to the property. Here, chef Will Gilson is letting his hair down a bit: There are caviar cones, yellowtail fish tacos, and glug jugs to wash it all down.

An overhead shot of colorful plates filled with seafood on a light wooden table.
A spread of dishes from Puritan Oyster Bar.
Puritan Oyster Bar

Batifol

South End favorite Petit Robert Bistro has a new sibling in Kendall Square, where Batifol opened in October. Expect a similarly elegant experience at the new spot, with well-executed French classics from house-made croissants, a croque monsieur, and omelets at brunch to French onion soup and steak frites with green peppercorn sauce at lunch to beef bourguignon and escargots at dinner. Interesting wines and cocktails (both alcoholic and non) round things out.

Si Cara

Central Square pizzeria Si Cara brought something a little new to Greater Boston’s pizza scene this past summer: canotto-style pizza, an offshoot of Neapolitan that features an extra-puffy crust. (Chef Michael Lombardi says, “It’s essentially like eating a loaf of bread fresh out of the oven, with fresh toppings,” so be prepared for a lot of crust.) The vegetable-heavy menu is Italian-inspired, hence uncommon pizza toppings like mushrooms with kimchi as well as shrimp and zucchini with salsa verde. And while Si Cara has a full liquor license for cocktails like the Italian Ice — shaved ice flavored with gin, limoncello, and Lillet — the beverage focus is on natural wines.

A Neapolitan-ish pizza with an extra-puffy, charred crust sits on a plate on a wooden table, surrounding by glasses of wine; a platter of bread, meat, and cheese; and more.
Pizza, wine, and more at Si Cara in Cambridge.
C. McIntosh Photo/Si Cara

Mimi’s Chūka Diner at the Station

Mimi’s Chūka Diner, a pop-up inspired by chūka ryori, or dishes with Chinese origins made in a Japanese style, is turning its temporary residency at Artifact Cider Project’s Central Square taproom, called the Station, into a permanent partnership called Mimi’s at the Station. That means you can continue to eat some of Boston’s best dumplings fresh alongside Massachusetts-made hard ciders.

A small bowl is filled with wontons in a spicy red oil, garnished with scallions, with a small bowl of red sauce to the side.
Sichuan chile wontons from Mimi’s Chūka Diner.
Jon Awerman/Mimi’s Chūka Diner

Pescador

Yes, it’s another seafood restaurant in a town already full of them, but Pescador leans into a globe-trotting menu of coastal seafood dishes, including various interpretations of crudo, aquachile, ceviche, and paella, to excellent effect. The bar is stocked with over 70 mezcals and tequilas from Mexican producers, and the cocktail lineup includes Brazilian caipirinhas, margaritas, and build-your-own palomas. The restaurant is one of three new Kenmore Square spots from NYC-based restaurant group Blue Ribbon. (The first, Blue Ribbon Sushi, opened in June, and the last, a brasserie, is forthcoming.)

A short, wide bowl filled with fish, vegetables, and a green broth.
A crudo at Pescador.
Pescador

Matsunori Handroll Bar

Located a couple of blocks from Fenway Park, Matsunori Handroll Bar is, as the name suggests, all about sushi handrolls. There’s a few expected players here — salmon avocado; spicy tuna — but the stars of the show are the more intriguing bites like the miso black cod topped with a kabocha squash puree. Don’t miss the A5 miyazaki wagyu roll, featuring meat sourced from the owner’s own ranch.

A photo of one end of a sushi roll, photographed so that you can see the inside of rice, scallops, and red masago.
A spicy scallop roll with Hokkaido scallops, masago (a type of roe), and spicy mayo.
Matsunori Handroll Bar

Mei Mei Dumplings

Mei Mei’s new dumpling factory merits inclusion in this list for the long-awaited return of the Double Awesome alone — the scallion pancake-wrapped riff on an egg sandwich is absolutely worth the hype — but there’s lots more happening in the team’s new space in South Boston. Check out the factory and grab packages of lemongrass pork and cheddar scallion potato dumplings to go, or make them yourself in one of the regular public classes that Mei Mei hosts on-site.

Metal trays filled with dumplings, egg sandwiches with scallion pancakes, and side salads, sitting on a wooden table in the sunlight.
Trays filled with dumplings and a Double Awesome sandwich at Mei Mei.
Mel Taing/Mei Mei

Madhouse Cafe

Madhouse Motors owner J. Shia recognized that there was a desire for a coffee shop and gathering place along this part of Blue Hill Avenue, and in response, Madhouse Cafe was born. The warmly lit coffee shop is stocked with roasts from Cambridge’s own Broadsheet Coffee Roasters, and Lebanese snacks like sfeeha, or bite-sized savory pies. Eat and drink while peering into the attached motorcycle repair shop via a big window built into the back of the cafe.

A warmly lit cafe with a long banquette and tables and chairs set up alongside.
Madhouse Cafe in Roxbury.
Stephen Canino/Madhouse Cafe

Across The Border

There’s a little something for everyone at Across the Border, a colorful new corner spot in Jamaica Plain serving up tacos and burritos with fillings to please carnivores, vegetarians, and vegans. It’s playful, too: Upgrade any order with a healthy dose of Fritos, Cheetos, or Doritos.

Three tacos, a cup of black beans, and a scoop of Fritos arranged in a styrofoam takeout container lined in red and white checkered paper.
(Non-vegan) tacos showered in Fritos from Across the Border.
Erika Adams/Eater Boston

Comfort Kitchen

It’s only the beginning of 2023, but one of Boston’s most anticipated restaurant openings of the year has already landed. Comfort Kitchen uses its menu to highlight global comfort foods through the lens of the international spice trade. That translates to dishes like jerk-roasted duck legs, seared okra with masala-spiced yogurt, and a whole lot more. There’s also a daytime cafe with pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and quirky sandwiches and salads.

Three dishes lined up on a kitchen pass, ready to go out, with papers and cafe menu letters resting on the pass in the foreground.
From L to R: A breakfast sandwich, jerk jackfruit sliders, and a tartine from Comfort Kitchen’s daytime menu.
Malakhai Pearson/Eater Boston

Tonino

At anticipated Italian restaurant Tonino, you’ll find Philadelphia-inspired tomato pie and pizza bianca with ricotta and hot honey; house-made pastas like cappelletti and chitarra with clams; and snacks like roasted squid. There’s also an eclectic assortment of drinks, from the expected (wine and amaro-centric cocktails) to the unexpected (sake, thanks to co-owner Claire Makley’s work helping open Boston’s first sake bar, the Koji Club.) The Jamaica Plain restaurant is seeking to become a neighborhood fixture like the cozy bars and restaurants that surround the center of Rome.

An overhead image of five white plate-bowls, filled with different pasta dishes, on a white tablecloth, along with a couple glasses of wine and a couple candles.
A spread of pastas from Tonino.
Brian Samuels Photography/Tonino

Wei Shu Wu Hot Pot 味蜀吾火锅

Wei Shu Wu brought bubbling vats of spicy Sichuan hot pot to North Quincy just in time to thaw everyone’s insides as temperatures dropped. There are nearly endless options of meat, seafood, and veggies to dunk here, including skewers of duck gizzards, lobster meat, oysters, and thin slices of marinated beef. Bring a group and gather around the restaurant’s wide wooden tabletops, or sidle up to the bar where smaller hot pots are installed. The restaurant is an expansion of an international chain; this is its first location in the Boston area.

A hot pot table with dishes of beef, noodles, bok choy, rice cakes, duck gizzard skewers, and more laid out around the center bowl filled with two hot broths.
A feast at Wei Shu Wu.
Erika Adams/Eater Boston

Rubato

Rubato is a modern take on a cha chaan teng, or Hong Kong-style cafe, led by chef Laurence Louie (whose past cooking credentials include stints at Eastern Mediterranean destination Oleana in Cambridge and fine dining restaurants in London) and his wife Rary Ratsifa. At Rubato, Louie focuses on Hong Kong and Cantonese comfort foods, from fluffy bolo baos stuffed with fried chicken or spam and egg, to thick, savory congees, and Hong Kong french toast filled with custardy salted egg yolk. The opening marks a homecoming for Louie, whose mother Joyce Chan previously ran Contempo Bakery (named after Chan’s rock band, also called Contempo) in the same space for 22 years.

A stack of golden yellow you tiao on a small black serving pedestal, against a white cloth background.
Don’t forget to order some you tiao, Chinese fried dough sticks, to dip into Rubato’s house-milled soy milk.
Matt Li/Rubato

Related Maps