clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile
Symphony Hall
Symphony Hall
Joseph Sohm/Shutterstock

Where to Eat Near Symphony Hall in Boston

Options for dining before or after a performance

View as Map
Symphony Hall
| Joseph Sohm/Shutterstock

Nothing will dampen the mood of a live music performance like a grumbling stomach, so to save concert-goers from unplanned percussion, here are 16 options for dining out before catching a show at Symphony Hall (or for filling up afterwards). They’re all within a 20-minute walk from Symphony Hall (or a quick cab ride).

Centrally located on Massachusetts Avenue between Back Bay and the South End, Symphony Hall is just a stone’s throw from so many different cuisines for every occasion, from casual to fancy, from high-end sushi to wood-fired pizzas. Depending on the time of day of Symphony Hall performances, there are opportunities to grab a bite before or after, and most places offer cocktails, beer, wine, and other beverages — and even live music in some cases.

Note: Map points are ordered north to south, not ranked.

For more stories and maps about road trip destinations and tourist-friendly spots inside and outside of Boston, consult the Road Trip Week storystream.

Read More
If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

Deuxave

Copy Link

A source for upscale French food near Symphony Hall, Deuxave is a fine-dining option, open nightly at 5 p.m. There are dishes such as lobster gnocchi, halibut en croute, and prime steaks, plus elaborate desserts and cocktails.

Deuxave
Deuxave
Facebook

Ken Oringer and Tony Messina’s Back Bay restaurant — which grew up into the former Clio space in early 2016 after living cozily in the Clio lounge since 2002 — serves a mix of inventive sushi and small plates, including noodles, soup, and vegetables. There’s a full selection of sake, plus cocktails, beer, and wine. The restaurant is open nightly at 5:30 and offers a late-night menu from 10:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

A classy restaurant interior with gray walls and booths, a hardwood floor, and striking round light fixtures
Uni
Provided

Located on the top level of Eataly Boston, Terra has skylight views and an earthy menu with a surplus of wood-fired dishes. This full-service restaurant accepts reservations and provides refuge from the hustle and bustle of the rest of Eataly, which is perpetually crowded. Terra serves bruschette starters, small plates, and pastas, plus larger secondi, shareable plates, and skewered meats, seafood, and vegetables. It opens at 5 p.m. nightly.

Terra Eataly Boston
Terra at Eataly Boston
Official Site

Pho Basil

Copy Link

There’s a combination of Thai and Vietnamese dishes available at Pho Basil, including the signature pho and bun vermicelli, plus curry, seafood, and veggie options. It opens daily at 11:30 a.m. for lunch and dinner.

Pho Basil
Pho Basil
Official Site

Woody's Grill & Tap

Copy Link

True to its name, Woody’s serves wood-fired pizzas cooked at 500 degrees. It’s a casual spot with shareable appetizers, including wings and spinach dip, along with meat and pasta, plus sandwiches and wraps.

Giacomo's

Copy Link

With three locations around Greater Boston, including one in the North End, Giacomo’s serves classic Italian fare, including pasta, seafood, and of course, dessert. The South End location is closest to Symphony Hall and opens at 5 p.m. daily. It is cash only, so come prepared.

Giacomo’s
Giacomo’s
Facebook

Mumbai Spice

Copy Link

This Mass. Ave. restaurant has a wide spread of Indian and Indo-Chinese dishes, including Mumbai street food, tandoor dishes, noodles, vegetables, and plenty of meaty options, plus bread and dessert. Mumbai Spice is open daily from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Mumbai Spice
Mumbai Spice
Facebook

Ichiban Yakitori Sushi House

Copy Link

Good for a light bite, Ichiban Yakitori Sushi House serves an array of sushi rolls, plus gyoza, soup, salad, and yakitori skewers. The restaurant opens Monday through Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and Sunday at 12 p.m.

Ichiban Yakitori Sushi House
Ichiban Yakitori Sushi House
Facebook

Ginger Exchange

Copy Link

This delivery staple is also quite pleasant for full-service dining — and it’s very close to Symphony Hall. Be on the lookout for specials at the bar, such as dollar oysters and 50-cent dumplings; depending on the day and time, there are various deals available. The large menu runs the gamut from sushi to Korean, Chinese, and Thai-inspired rice and noodle dishes and more. Open for lunch and dinner, but consult the website before heading over because the closing time can vary depending on whether it’s during the school year or the summer.

Ginger Exchange (Symphony location)
Ginger Exchange (Symphony location)
Official Site

Moby Dick

Copy Link

A good source for Persian dishes, Moby Dick is a longtime neighborhood staple that’s very close to Symphony Hall. The casual restaurant serves lunch and dinner. There are items such as chicken curry and biryani, plus skewers, sandwiches, rice platters, and vegetarian options.

Diners will find pasta, risotto, Italian small plates, and sweet desserts at this Venetian-inspired restaurant in the South End. SRV has a lengthy list of Italian wines and cocktails. It opens at 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and offers Sunday brunch starting at 11 a.m.

A restaurant interior with a brick wall and red booths
SRV
Katie Chudy for Eater

Darryl's Corner Bar & Kitchen

Copy Link

This Southern-style restaurant also features live music, in case concert-goers are looking for a double dose. Dishes include gumbo, catfish strips, shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles, and burgers, and there’s an all-you-can-eat jazz brunch on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Darryl’s opens at 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 5 p.m. all other days except Monday, when it is closed.

Darryl's Corner Bar
Darryl's Corner Bar
Facebook

This lovely new Italian-inspired restaurant is a cozy date-night spot that features fresh pasta dishes (half-sized options available) and more. Dinner service begins at 5:30 p.m. nightly. Heading there after a show? There’s a late-night menu available from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday, featuring a few small bites, Connecticut-style lasagna (with optional fried pork jowl), fried cheesy beef ravioli, and gelato.

Crispy lamb ribs at Mida
Crispy lamb ribs at Mida
Rachel Leah Blumenthal for Eater

El Centro

Copy Link

This casual spot serves Mexican dishes, including chile relleno, ceviche, carne con chile, tacos, salads, and more. There are also red and white wines, sangrias, and margaritas, plus tequila and beer. El Centro is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, but closed between 3 and 5 p.m.

El Centro
Facebook

Orinoco Kitchen

Copy Link

This is the original location for Orinoco, which also has restaurants in Brookline Village and Harvard Square. The menu features Venezuelan classics like arepas, empanadas, and pepitos, and there is custard and cake for dessert. Orinoco is open for lunch and dinner, plus brunch on Sunday, but closed Mondays.

Orinoco
Orinoco
Facebook

Toro Restaurant

Copy Link

Another Ken Oringer spot, Toro is a good place to go for tapas — hot and cold. There are sandwiches and salads available during lunch, and two different kinds of paella from which to choose. For drinks, there are Spanish-style cocktails, ciders, wine, and beer, plus a selection of sherry.

Toro's chilaquiles
Toro's chilaquiles
Instagram

Loading comments...

Deuxave

A source for upscale French food near Symphony Hall, Deuxave is a fine-dining option, open nightly at 5 p.m. There are dishes such as lobster gnocchi, halibut en croute, and prime steaks, plus elaborate desserts and cocktails.

Deuxave
Deuxave
Facebook

Uni

Ken Oringer and Tony Messina’s Back Bay restaurant — which grew up into the former Clio space in early 2016 after living cozily in the Clio lounge since 2002 — serves a mix of inventive sushi and small plates, including noodles, soup, and vegetables. There’s a full selection of sake, plus cocktails, beer, and wine. The restaurant is open nightly at 5:30 and offers a late-night menu from 10:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

A classy restaurant interior with gray walls and booths, a hardwood floor, and striking round light fixtures
Uni
Provided

Terra

Located on the top level of Eataly Boston, Terra has skylight views and an earthy menu with a surplus of wood-fired dishes. This full-service restaurant accepts reservations and provides refuge from the hustle and bustle of the rest of Eataly, which is perpetually crowded. Terra serves bruschette starters, small plates, and pastas, plus larger secondi, shareable plates, and skewered meats, seafood, and vegetables. It opens at 5 p.m. nightly.

Terra Eataly Boston
Terra at Eataly Boston
Official Site

Pho Basil

There’s a combination of Thai and Vietnamese dishes available at Pho Basil, including the signature pho and bun vermicelli, plus curry, seafood, and veggie options. It opens daily at 11:30 a.m. for lunch and dinner.

Pho Basil
Pho Basil
Official Site

Woody's Grill & Tap

True to its name, Woody’s serves wood-fired pizzas cooked at 500 degrees. It’s a casual spot with shareable appetizers, including wings and spinach dip, along with meat and pasta, plus sandwiches and wraps.

Giacomo's

With three locations around Greater Boston, including one in the North End, Giacomo’s serves classic Italian fare, including pasta, seafood, and of course, dessert. The South End location is closest to Symphony Hall and opens at 5 p.m. daily. It is cash only, so come prepared.

Giacomo’s
Giacomo’s
Facebook

Mumbai Spice

This Mass. Ave. restaurant has a wide spread of Indian and Indo-Chinese dishes, including Mumbai street food, tandoor dishes, noodles, vegetables, and plenty of meaty options, plus bread and dessert. Mumbai Spice is open daily from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Mumbai Spice
Mumbai Spice
Facebook

Ichiban Yakitori Sushi House

Good for a light bite, Ichiban Yakitori Sushi House serves an array of sushi rolls, plus gyoza, soup, salad, and yakitori skewers. The restaurant opens Monday through Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and Sunday at 12 p.m.

Ichiban Yakitori Sushi House
Ichiban Yakitori Sushi House
Facebook

Ginger Exchange

This delivery staple is also quite pleasant for full-service dining — and it’s very close to Symphony Hall. Be on the lookout for specials at the bar, such as dollar oysters and 50-cent dumplings; depending on the day and time, there are various deals available. The large menu runs the gamut from sushi to Korean, Chinese, and Thai-inspired rice and noodle dishes and more. Open for lunch and dinner, but consult the website before heading over because the closing time can vary depending on whether it’s during the school year or the summer.

Ginger Exchange (Symphony location)
Ginger Exchange (Symphony location)
Official Site

Moby Dick

A good source for Persian dishes, Moby Dick is a longtime neighborhood staple that’s very close to Symphony Hall. The casual restaurant serves lunch and dinner. There are items such as chicken curry and biryani, plus skewers, sandwiches, rice platters, and vegetarian options.

SRV

Diners will find pasta, risotto, Italian small plates, and sweet desserts at this Venetian-inspired restaurant in the South End. SRV has a lengthy list of Italian wines and cocktails. It opens at 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and offers Sunday brunch starting at 11 a.m.

A restaurant interior with a brick wall and red booths
SRV
Katie Chudy for Eater

Darryl's Corner Bar & Kitchen

This Southern-style restaurant also features live music, in case concert-goers are looking for a double dose. Dishes include gumbo, catfish strips, shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles, and burgers, and there’s an all-you-can-eat jazz brunch on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Darryl’s opens at 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 5 p.m. all other days except Monday, when it is closed.

Darryl's Corner Bar
Darryl's Corner Bar
Facebook

Mida

This lovely new Italian-inspired restaurant is a cozy date-night spot that features fresh pasta dishes (half-sized options available) and more. Dinner service begins at 5:30 p.m. nightly. Heading there after a show? There’s a late-night menu available from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday, featuring a few small bites, Connecticut-style lasagna (with optional fried pork jowl), fried cheesy beef ravioli, and gelato.

Crispy lamb ribs at Mida
Crispy lamb ribs at Mida
Rachel Leah Blumenthal for Eater

El Centro

This casual spot serves Mexican dishes, including chile relleno, ceviche, carne con chile, tacos, salads, and more. There are also red and white wines, sangrias, and margaritas, plus tequila and beer. El Centro is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, but closed between 3 and 5 p.m.

El Centro
Facebook

Orinoco Kitchen

This is the original location for Orinoco, which also has restaurants in Brookline Village and Harvard Square. The menu features Venezuelan classics like arepas, empanadas, and pepitos, and there is custard and cake for dessert. Orinoco is open for lunch and dinner, plus brunch on Sunday, but closed Mondays.

Orinoco
Orinoco
Facebook

Related Maps

Toro Restaurant

Another Ken Oringer spot, Toro is a good place to go for tapas — hot and cold. There are sandwiches and salads available during lunch, and two different kinds of paella from which to choose. For drinks, there are Spanish-style cocktails, ciders, wine, and beer, plus a selection of sherry.

Toro's chilaquiles
Toro's chilaquiles
Instagram

Related Maps