Can’t Get into These Top 50 Restaurants? Try Their Siblings.

A spread of dishes from the opening menu at Merai, with lobster-topped khao soi fettuccine in the foreground. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Can’t snag a reservation at one of the hot spots on this year’s Top 50 Restaurants list? Try one of these similarly satisfying sibling restaurants instead.

If you like Bar Vlaha, try Kaia (when it opens in late 2024) for a seafood-heavy taste of the Aegean.

The latest project from Xenia Greek Hospitality, opening imminently, is an ode to “fishing, feasting, and foraging,” as CEO Demetri Tsolakis puts it. And getting diners in without reservations is a priority: The space is large, and it’ll feature lots of non-reservable tables and bar seats. “Who knows who’s going to be hungry at 7 p.m. on a Thursday in two weeks?” says Tsolakis. On the menu: grilled whole fish with honey, ladolemono, and herbs; lamb carpaccio with razor clams; a trio of prettily plated shellfish preparations; and more beach-y fare.

380 Harrison Ave. (the Quinn), South End, Boston, kaiasouthend.com.

Pizzas and more at June Bug. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

If you like Field & Vine, try June Bug for wood-fired pizzas and whimsy.

And fun crudos and salads, too! While Field & Vine feels more like a special-occasion spot, its playful little sibling around the corner feels like the type of place you want to hang out at weekly (at least), sipping something bubbly at the bar while eating some of the best wood-fired pizza in town. “I hope people view this as more of an any-night kind of spot,” co-owner Sara Markey told Boston last year, shortly after opening the restaurant. “The lights might be a little lower, the music might be a little louder—sit at the bar, come for a date night.” (And might we recommend saving room for a little bit of flan?)

251 Washington St., Union Square, Somerville, 617-718-0569, junebugrestaurant.com.

Merai’s kra pao sausage with caramelized onions, salted yolk mayo, and bacon. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

If you like Mahaniyom, try Merai for Thai-inspired snacks in elevated dive-bar digs.

Brookline’s acclaimed Mahaniyom aims to provide an authentic taste of Thai cuisine from various regions, served up in a casual, bar-like space. Nearby, the recently opened Merai also has bar vibes (and, like its older sibling, a great cocktail program), but the food is inspired more globally, starting with Thai flavors and melding them with other cuisines. It’s symbolic of remembering where you’re from but following your dreams elsewhere, co-owner Chompon “Boong” Boonnak said earlier this year. That means tasty, fusion-y dishes like Korean-style cold buckwheat noodles in a Thai-style tom yum broth; a “hot dog” of Thai kra pao sausage with caramelized onions, salted yolk mayo, and bacon; and a vegan, Thai-meets-Italian dish of tom kha mushroom risotto. The different concepts of the two restaurants “let our customers enjoy two different styles [of cuisine] but still let us focus on what we do best, which is Thai,” said Boonnak.

14 Harvard St., Brookline Village, instagram.com/merai.bar.

Fresh crudo and cocktails at Bar Mezzana. / Photo by Adam DeTour

If you like No Relation, try Bar Mezzana for coastal Italian by way of pastas and crudos.

The lobster paccheri—a menu mainstay that brings together a hefty portion of lobster meat with luscious lobster crema and big tubes of pasta—is enough of a draw on its own. Add in some delicate crudos and intriguing cooked seafood dishes, plus some meatier options for those in the mood for, say, steak tartare or a grilled pork chop, and Bar Mezzana is a can’t-miss destination in the South End. Check out weekend brunch for the fan-favorite chicken “parmezzana” sandwich or cannoli French toast.

360 Harrison Ave., South End, Boston, 617-530-1770, barmezzana.com.

Ceviche at Celeste. / Photo by Lizzy Barrett

If you like La Royal, try Celeste for a festive ceviche-and-pisco dinner party.

La Royal is the spacious sequel, but the lively, intimate Celeste came first and continues to delight with its streamlined menu of ceviches (four variations!), causas, and a few hearty entrees. Our favorite, the lomo saltado, fills the small space with the irresistible smell of stir-fry as the beef, tomatoes, and onions sizzle in soy sauce. A pisco sour completes the package at this hip Union Square spot.

21 Bow St., Union Square, Somerville, 617-616-5319, celesteunionsquare.com.

If you like Toro, try Coppa for neighborhood Italian, including a to-die-for broccoli-sauce pasta.

15 years in, this cozy enoteca still draws crowds for its approachable pizzas and pastas. Approachable—but not boring. Don’t be surprised to find unexpected ingredients pop in, like Maine uni atop spaghetti carbonara or Thai basil on Coppa’s version of a Hawaiian pizza. And that broccoli pasta, on the menu since day one? We can’t get enough of it.

253 Shawmut Ave., South End, 617-391-0902, coppaboston.com.

Coquette. / Photo by Richard Cadan

If you like Yvonne’s, try Coquette for a fresh take on Mediterranean fare in an over-the-top floral setting.

Pastel florals, eye-catching light fixtures, and cheeky cherub sculptures fill the space at this restaurant that happens to be in a hotel (but feels a lot cooler than the stereotypical “hotel restaurant”). A restaurant could probably coast on this ambiance alone, but Coquette delivers on the food and drink front, too, with a broadly Mediterranean menu that dances from borek-inspired spring rolls to crispy pizzas to za’atar salmon, not to mention three variations on a gin and tonic.

450 Summer St. (Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport), Seaport District, Boston, 617-419-8140, coquetteboston.com.

A version of this piece was first published in the print edition of the November 2024 issue as an addendum to the Top 50 Restaurants list.