Nine Luxe Hotel Restaurants to Try around Boston Right Now
Catering to locals and visitors alike, these hot spots serve up house-made pasta, fresh sushi, and more.
Contessa photo by Douglas Friedman
If the words “hotel restaurant” conjure images of overcooked scrambled eggs doled out in tired dining rooms, you clearly haven’t been out in a while. Home to some of the city’s most talented chefs—and exquisitely designed for ambiance and comfort—the dining spaces inside Boston’s finest hotels offer a culinary experience to match the luxe accommodations. Here are nine that deserve a try.
Bar Enza
Launching Bar Enza inside the Charles Hotel was surely a full-circle moment for Belmont native Mark Ladner, who cut his teeth at local restaurants, including the original Olives in Charlestown, before embarking on a years-long tenure at acclaimed New York city eateries. Now back in the Bay State, the noted chef serves up big flavor in Italian dishes such as monkfish scallopini, lemon-ricotta gnocchi, and his signature 100-layer lasagna—complete with mozzarella crema and sharp provolone.
One Bennett St., Cambridge, 617-661-5050, bar-enza.com.
Colette
Decidedly romantic with its rosy tufted banquettes, floral wallcoverings, and soft lighting, this alluring bistro tucked inside the Porter Square Hotel has “date night” written all over it. But Colette, helmed by the team behind Frenchie in the South End, offers more than just a chic locale for your next Hinge meet-up. The restaurant also impresses with its savory selection of French dishes (the vol au vent with duck confit and mushrooms, for one) and extensive wine menu.
1924 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-576-2222, colette1924.com.
Contessa
It was big news when, after a lengthy renovation, the shuttered Taj hotel reopened as the Newbury Boston—and with a fresh restaurant to boot. Boasting some of the city’s most in-demand (and hard-to-book) tables since its 2021 debut, Contessa consistently wins over diners with its top-notch Italian cuisine, to say nothing of its novel rooftop setting. Start with the octopus agrodulce or imported burrata, then dig into the rigatoni carbonara. You’ll be grateful for your full belly while you sip a cardinale and take in skyline views.
Three Newbury St., Boston, contessatrattoria.com.
Coquette
Housed within the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport, Coquette is a serious treat for the senses. How else to describe a bar and restaurant where over-the-top floral installations and red-glass chandeliers, among other design flourishes, form the backdrop for tasty Spanish- and French-inspired fare? Order the wild-boar sticky ribs or the jambon flatbread, topped with roncal cheese, and don’t forget to check out the murals by local artists Erica Hagler and Julia Purinton—true eye candy, if ever we’ve seen it.
450 Summer St., Boston, 617-419-8140, omnihotels.com.
Hojoko
Rock mementos, vintage hair-dryer chairs, and colorful graffiti-style artwork lend a playful vibe to this Japanese izakaya, connected to the equally whimsical Verb hotel. Snag a seat in one of a few dining areas, including a poolside patio, and try to forgive yourself when you struggle to choose from Hojoko’s throng of tempting dishes: Karaage fried chicken thighs, shiitake-mushroom tempura rolls, and one of the best Wagyu burgers in town all have a place on the menu.
1271 Boylston St., Boston, 617-670-0507, hojokoboston.com.
Oak Long Bar + Kitchen
If you’ve ever set foot inside the Fairmont Copley, you already know that entering the historical hotel—which first opened in 1912—is, in all the best ways, a little like stepping back in time. Fittingly, the Oak Long Bar + Kitchen, the hotel’s onsite eatery, offers similar vibes. Settle into a leather chair at the 83-foot copper bar and admire the thoughtfully restored oak woodwork while you ponder menu items including Chatham mussels in plum-tomato sauce and steak frites.
138 St. James Ave., Boston, 617-585–7222, oaklongbarkitchen.com.
Photo by Brian Samuels
Peregrine
Coastal Mediterranean cuisine is always the order of the day at Peregrine, set just beyond the lobby of Beacon Hill’s Whitney Hotel. There, you can count on owners Joshua Lewin and Katrina Jazayeri—who also helm Juliet in Somerville—for picturesque plates such as radicchio with vermouth-soaked raisins or fregola-fueled paella with mussels, clams, and shrimp. Looking for brunch? The duo’s happy to oblige on that front, too, with dishes like pomodoro baked eggs—a saucy concoction featuring grana padano cheese and chili flake.
170 Charles St., Boston, 617-826-1762, peregrineboston.com.
Ramsay’s Kitchen
Long a go-to for its stellar spa, the Mandarin Oriental gave Bostonians a new reason to journey to Boylston Street when it began welcoming diners to this sprawling restaurant in early 2022. Spearheaded by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, of Hell’s Kitchen and MasterChef fame, the team whips up everything from seared sea scallops and warm lobster rolls to baked mac and cheese and beef wellington—all served in swanky dining spaces imbued with nods to local design.
774 Boylston St., Boston, 857-289-0771, gordonramsayrestaurants.com.
Uni
We’ve been saying it for years, but it bears repeating: This small sashimi counter turned bustling izakaya at the Eliot Hotel churns out some of the finest Japanese food around, luring curious eaters to its moody dining room with its long menu of creative sushi dishes and boozy cocktails. Your best bet? Corralling a group of your favorite dinner companions so you can try as many bites (think: crab-butter fried rice, sea bass sashimi, and fois gras nigiri) as possible.
370 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, 617-536-7200, uni-boston.com.
