Guides

Where to Eat in Greater Boston for May 2025

New and exciting restaurants to check out, plus new reasons to visit older spots.

By Rachel Leah Blumenthal· 5/1/2025, 1:30 p.m.

A plate of crispy glazed chicken with peanuts and daikon sits next to a pink cocktail with a black salt rim and lychee garnish.

General Lee’s chicken at Nowon, with the Evil Eye cocktail (hibiscus mezcal, Cocchi Rosa, passionfruit, and wasabi). / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

This month in Greater Boston food and drink: tons of Thai food, plus Roman-style pizza, hearty Italian sandwiches with a side of The Sopranos, Korean-American fusion, and lots more. Here’s the latest installment of our monthly guide on exciting newcomers to check out and older spots that have recently expanded or changed, plus a peek ahead at imminent openings. (Check out last month’s guide here.)

Jump to:

New restaurants to try this month: Recent openings you’ve got to check out.
Older restaurants doing new things: Local expansions, reopenings, and such—time for a (re)visit.
Looking ahead: Here are a few spots we’re keeping an eye on, set to open in the next couple months or so.

Also check out our recently published or updated dining guides: Edibles | Patios, courtyards, and other outdoor dining | Waterfront patios | Wine bars

New Restaurants to Try This Month

Recent openings you’ve got to check out.

Thai food in delivery containers, including small plump sausages, a cloud of fried fish topped with peanuts, and a big container of pale orange curry.

Delivery from Fighting Fish, including crispy fish flake salad (yum pla duk fu) in the foreground and Northeastern sausage and panang curry in the background. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Fighting Fish

Yep, this new Everett spot’s already earned a place in our delivery repertoire for dishes like its yum pla duk fu—only available at a few Greater Boston Thai restaurants—and plump Northeastern Thai-style sausages.

241 Beacham St., Everett, 617-294-0095, fightingfishthaicuisine.com.

Four rectangular slices of Roman-style pepperoni pizza, with charred pepperoni cups, sit on a wooden counter in front of a white-tiled wall.

Gary’s Pizza’s pepperoni pizza. / Courtesy photo

Gary’s Pizza

Thick, airy Roman-style pizza is a rarity in Boston, so we’re thrilled to have a new option this spring. Even better, one with a fine-dining pedigree, courtesy of the crew behind Mistral, Mooo, and more. (Take a peek inside.)

1744 Washington St., South End, Boston, garyspizzaboston.com.

Small Korean plates on a light wooden table, including bulgogi, a big raw shrimp in a pool of soy sauce, raw scallops in a chili sauce, and radish kimchi.

A spread of food at Iru, including bulgogi (bottom left) and ganjang seu, soy-marinated raw shrimp. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Iru

Boston’s about to get on Michelin’s radar, but in the meantime, check out this Korean spot in Brookline with Michelin-recognized siblings in Japan. The signature dish: steaming bowls of heartwarming samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup). But the rest of the menu shines, too, from three types of kimchi to raw shrimp marinated in soy sauce.

238 Washington St., Brookline, instagram.com/iru_boston.

Kiin Thai Sushi

North Cambridge’s Thai chicken rice spot Chicken & Co. is a hidden gem, so we’ve got an eye on the team’s brand new Thai and Japanese spot, Kiin, over in East Cambridge. Hat Yai fried chicken, sushi, ramen…yes, please, to all of these.

145 First St., East Cambridge, instagram.com/kiinthaisushi.

A small retail shop and restaurant features shelves of truffles, foie gras, and other luxury food items, and a couple small white marble tables with royal blue chairs, banquettes, and walls.

Marky’s Caviar Boston. / Photo by Adriana Dirany

Marky’s Caviar

If you’ve got the budget for caviar flights and Champagne, this just might be your new favorite spot. Don’t forget to peruse the retail section (truffles, foie gras, etc.) to knock some gourmet food lovers off your gifting to-do list.

420 Harvard St., Brookline, markyscaviar.com.

Mr. Tamole

Boston Public Market just got a flash of new energy with the exciting addition of this vendor, a mother-and-son team serving up tamales, tortas, and tacos based on Pueblan family recipes.

100 Hanover St. (Boston Public Market), Downtown Boston, mrtamole.com, bostonpublicmarket.org.

My Mother’s Cutlets. / Courtesy photo

My Mother’s Cutlets

Stop giggling about the name and stuff your face with a filling sandwich from this new counter-service Nick Varano joint, where you just might see some straight-up Sopranos murders on a big television screen while you’re waiting for your chicken parm.

371 Hanover St., North End, Boston, 617-456-5700, mymotherscutlets.com.

A bowl of Korean rice cakes topped with cheese and an Italian-looking red sauce sits on a table next to a pink cocktail.

Nowon’s “chopped cheese” rice cakes with spiced beef, soy-pickled jalapeño, parmesan, and garlic breadcrumbs, and a Rock the Bells cocktail with gin, bell pepper, strawberry, and yuzu. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Nowon

We’re still thinking about the chopped cheese-inspired tteokbokki we snacked on at the photoshoot for our opening story on this lively Korean-American, New York City-based gastropub that just expanded to the Seaport. Soon, watch for the launch of lunch service, for which chef-owner Jae Lee is dreaming up some Korean-inspired spins on classic New England dishes.

119 Seaport Blvd., Seaport District, Boston, nowonusa.com.

A person in a black, flour-covered apron holds two chin-crust pizzas with charred crusts.

Rockport Brewing Company. / Photo by Gene Buonaccorsi

Rockport Brewing Company

From temperance to taproom? The North Shore town of Rockport—dry for well over a century—now has its first brewery and taproom, a chill hangout with pizza and good vibes.

17 Railroad Ave., Rockport, rockportbrewingcompany.com.

Older Restaurants Doing New Things

Local expansions, reopenings, and such—time for a (re)visit.

A classic martini sits atop a piano in a dimly lit room.

The 88 Club at Kings Back Bay. / Courtesy photo

The 88 Club at Kings Back Bay

Bowling and entertainment venue Kings debuts an underground piano bar on May 2, featuring “nostalgic cocktails” and “rowdy nights,” as promised by a press release. To start, the schedule includes live music on Friday and Saturday nights (plus Thursdays soon) and comedy on Sunday nights.
50 Dalton St. (underneath Kings), Back Bay, Boston, playatkings.com.

Bun-shaped pastries are covered with a dusting of light brown spices.

Flour’s Embrace morning bun. / Photo by Leah Willis

Flour Bakery + Café

The Embrace statue in pastry form? Sounds good to us! Joanne Chang has brought her sweet local bakery chain right to the middle of Boston Common, complete with a sugary ode to the nearby sculpture.

1B Charles St. (Boston Common), Downtown Boston, flourbakery.com.

Jamaican food in takeout containers, including jerk chicken and golden brown crispy shrimp.

Jerk chicken, coconut shrimp, and sides from Jamaica Mi Hungry. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Jamaica Mi Hungry

We love the jerk chicken, beef patties, garlic shrimp, and more at the Jamaica Plain location, and now we’re loving them at the shiny new downtown location, too—it makes for a convenient, and hearty, workday lunch.

289 Devonshire St., Downtown Boston, jamaicamihungry.com.

Overhead view of a plate of gnocchi with lobster on a light wooden table.

Little Sage. / Photo by Lane Caroline Photography

Little Sage

Been missing chef Tony Susi’s dreamy gnocchi from a couple decades ago? You’re in luck: He’s back with a revived version of his North End icon Sage, with a mix of throwback dishes and tasty new treats.

352 Hanover St., North End, Boston, littlesageboston.com.

Love Dog Hot Dog Buffet

Love Everett’s iconic late-night, over-the-top Brazilian hot dogs? Now, at least from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, you can eat them in greater comfort: This Best of Boston food truck has opened a brick-and-mortar location in the same plaza as the truck (which remains in operation, too!) with hot dogs, burgers, and more.

1871 Revere Beach Parkway, Everett, instagram.com/lovedoghotdogbuffet.

Thai Place

After a three-year hiatus to rebuild from a fire, this Allston favorite is back. Put this khao kha mu, a classic street-food dish of braised pork leg and rice, on your must-eat list this month.

184 Brighton Ave., Allston, Boston, thaiplaceboston.com.

Looking Ahead

Here are a few spots we’re keeping an eye on, set to open in the next couple months or so. See our full guide of anticipated openings—We Can’t Wait for These Greater Boston Restaurant Openings in 2025—for lots more to look forward to.

Two black bins are full of puffy bagels with various toppings.

Brick Street Bagels. / Courtesy photo

Brick Street Bagels

It takes major effort to snag a chewy, carb-y round from this über-popular pop-up. Good news, then, that it’s putting down roots this spring, which will allow for a more reliable supply (and new menu items, too!).

371 West Broadway, South Boston, instagram.com/brick.street.bagels.

Caribbean Hut Take-Out

The team behind the lovely Grêp Kafé & Sweets Bakery—a Haitian treat shop in Medford, across from the “mini” Target—is going savory with the addition of a takeout spot a couple doors down, serving Haitian (and, more broadly, Caribbean) cuisine. It could open around late June, they say.

466B Salem St., Medford.

A silver pan full of black pasta and scallops, tossed with a ground calamari and herb topping.

The Daily Catch’s squid ink linguine aglio olio with scallops. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

The Daily Catch

Lines typically stretch down Hanover Street for heaping piles of the Daily Catch’s squid-ink linguini, so we’re thankful a takeout/delivery storefront is opening this spring down the street: Skip the wait; eat pasta in your pajamas!

331 Hanover St., North End, Boston, thedailycatch.com.

Overhead view of a Haitian chicken dish with rice, pikliz, and fried plantains on the side.

Gourmet Kreyòl. / Photo by Reginald Anis

Gourmet Kreyòl

This food truck and catering company is having a big year, with both a fast-casual and sit-down restaurant opening on the way. The casual Mattapan spot debuts first—on May 24—and we’re eagerly anticipating these mix-and-match Haitian combos and flavored lemonades.

1210 Blue Hill Ave., Mattapan, Boston, gourmetkreyol.com.

Little Wolf Coffee Roasters

Ipswich’s beloved Little Wolf café and roaster is expanding to Boston this spring, opening a new café “very soon” in the Seaport. The original location features flash-chilled iced coffee, signature drinks like a house-made cola with coffee cream cold foam, and other fun stuff.

51 Sleeper St., Seaport District, Boston, littlewolf.coffee.

Rendering of a bar and restaurant with large windows open to waterfront dining space and lots of greenery and light wood inside.

Rendering of Mila’s. / Courtesy image

Mila’s at Gibson Point

Stunning waterfront views are even better with tasty food in hand. Enter this Revere newcomer, sibling to Dryft and Fine Line: café fare by day, pizzas and small plates by night, gorgeous sights all the time.

1 Gibson Way, Revere, livegibsonpoint.com.

A version of this guide first appeared in the print edition of the May 2025 issue with the headline, “The Hot List.”