The Best Boston Restaurant for Every Zodiac Sign
What's for dinner? We've consulted the stars to find something for every taste.
Getty images
Whether you get super into astrology, casually check your daily Co-Star horoscope, or simply get a chuckle out of the many zodiac-related meme accounts on Instagram, you probably at least know the answer to the age-old pick-up question, “what’s your sign?” (If you don’t, here’s a primer on identifying your main sun sign, plus some background on what your backup-singing moon and rising signs mean, too.)
Okay, but what about the question, “what’s for dinner?” Well, why not let the stars guide your way? We’ve consulted the heavens to select the perfect restaurant for every sign, so give yours a go tonight. If nothing else, we predict you’ll leave very full, and very happy.
Photo courtesy of Prairie Fire
Aries: Prairie Fire
The headstrong first sign of the zodiac is also the first fire sign, and these people certainly possess a spark; they’re bright and catalytic by nature, if prone to fleeting (thank god) flare-ups of that famously incendiary temper. As far as Aries is concerned, life’s not worth living—and food’s not worth eating—unless it’s kissed by fire. Which is why this wood-fueled-oven-centric restaurant is right in line with their vibe: Nearly everything gets grilled or roasted somehow, from pizzas to oysters to broccoli rabe to beet toast. Even elements of the pasta dishes get fired up in the oven, because as an Aries well knows, everything is better with a little char around the edges.
242 Harvard St., Brookline, 617-396-8199, prairiefirebrookline.com.
Grill 23. / Photo provided
Taurus: Grill 23 & Bar
Taurus’s ruling planet is Venus, so there’s a sensuousness to this sign, and the Bull’s rigid old-school obstinance (some might call this “stubbornness”) means it leans toward classic tastes. What suits the appetite like a perfectly tailored jacket, then, is a top-tier steakhouse—somewhere to settle in for perfectly cooked chops, expertly poured glasses from one of the nation’s most lauded wine lists, and cigars hand-rolled table side for smoking later outside. Grill 23 is perfectly happy to oblige on all fronts, and in classically handsome, Boston Brahmin-style trappings, to which Taurus sniffs approvingly.
161 Berkeley St., Boston, 617-542-2255, grill23.com.
A selection of sherries at Tres Gatos. Photo by Ruby Wallace-Ewing
Gemini: Tres Gatos
Contrary to popular belief, Geminis are not two-faced. They are, however, airheads. Wait, wait! We mean that in the best possible sense: They’re intellectual types who live up in the ether, you see, curious about everything and constantly amassing tidbits of information (most of it, okay, useless) from everything they see, read, and hear. This makes for very stimulating dinner conversation at Tres Gatos, a Spanish-inspired tapas spot inside a Victorian residence that has the constant buzz of a house party. (Gemini sure can chat.) The rear room houses a book and record shop, and the ability to ingest even more content after the meal—or better yet, the chance to purchase a conversation-starting vinyl or nonfiction tome beforehand—will put a cerebral Gemini on Cloud Nine.
470 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, 617-477-4851, tresgatosjp.com.
Cobble photo by Allison Sepanek
Cancer: Cobble
Hard-shelled on the outside, soft and vulnerable on the inside, the Cancer is a nurturing homebody type at heart. Sure, they like to crawl outside once in a while to share their (surprisingly, kind of goofy) sense of humor. But even still, they’re drawn to comforting spaces run by similarly devoted caretakers. Spaces like Cobble, tucked away in Brookline’s Coolidge Corner Arcade building. The restaurant is four generously spaced-out tables inside what looks like a very nice apartment, and chef Emily Vena is the host in the kitchen, whipping up multi-course meals of elegant but unfussy Italian-inspired cuisine (mostly, not exclusively, veggies). She serves it at a single ticketed time each night. (Yay, routine!) You can bring-your-own bottle, then make use of her mixers. Cancer, feeling quite at home, will breathe a sigh and take sip.
318 Harvard St., Brookline, 601-301-2193, dinneratcobble.com.
Leo: Yvonne’s
Ruled by the Sun, these drama kings and queens of the zodiac (in their own mind, anyway) want—nay, deserve—to be in the center of it all. Most of the time, people are happy to join them: They’re gregarious and outgoing, they love glamour and the good life, and they’re generous enough to pick up the tab a lot. (The only repayment their secretly delicate ego requires is compliments. With interest.) Yvonne’s, in the heart of downtown, is absolutely where you’ll find them. After all, the ornate, globally inspired “modern supper club” is the unstated flagship of the COJE Restaurants crew, the reigning makers of restaurant-hotspots in Boston. Plus, status-conscious Leo loves that the address used to belong to Locke-Ober, which was Boston’s most exclusive-feeling restaurant for ages. [Mane toss.]
2 Winter Pl., Boston, 617-267-0047, yvonneboston.com.
Crispy chicken at Deuxave. / Photo by Andy Ryan
Virgo: Deuxave
The thing that’s most frustrating about a Virgo is how often they’re right. You don’t need to bother telling them that, because whatever it is they’re doing, they have already studied and fact-checked and analyzed and dissected the matter to the point they need a Pepcid AC, and thank heavens that we have people like this to build rocket ships and stuff. (That said, maybe they don’t have to point out every uncrossed t, all the time…) Because they could spot a mistake from outer space, Virgos are hard to impress; that’s exactly why they’ll be smitten with Deuxave, chef Chris Coombs’ sparkling French-American fine dining room in the Back Bay. From a meal’s beginning of crispy duck confit to its ending of chocolate soufflé—and with every oenophile-wowing wine proffered along the way—the place is a bastion of knowledge and technique. For Virgo, this isn’t just a meal; it’s a night off from finding a flaw.
371 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, 617-517-5915, deuxave.com.
Libra: Zuzu’s Petals
Libras are charming social butterflies. But as their symbol, the scales, probably suggests, they approach their flitting from a place that’s all about maintaining peacefulness and harmony and just the right unobtrusive decibel level on the background music. (This stands in contrast to, say, the loud grandiosity of Leo.) Zuzu’s Petals is just what they’re looking for: a wine, cheese, and dessert bar with a living-room-salon-like quality. After all, Libra loves both sweets and, irrespective of gender, that specifically coquettish kind of flirting best accomplished over chocolate. While records crackle in the background, they can bat eyes over biodynamic wines (restoring eco-balance to the world!) and Tahitian vanilla bean chocolate mousse. Best of all? Cell phones aren’t allowed, keeping vibe-kill distractions of bright blue lights and Twitter rancor at bay.
204 Hampshire St., Cambridge, 617-945-7749, zuzuspetalscambridge.com.
The Snakes & Rainbows cocktail at Hecate. / Photo by Adam Detour
Scorpio: Hecate
Ooh, Scorpios. Simultaneously bold of character and intensely secretive in practice, their deep wells of emotionality cause them to be fascinated by whatever lurks just beneath the surface of the everyday. So steal them away to Hecate, hidden down an alley (and down a dark flight of stairs) in the Back Bay. It is named for the Greek goddess of witchcraft and thresholds and magic, something Scorpio, which has its own associations with the underworld and generally mystical things, will greatly appreciate. They’ll also love the small and stylish sitting-room-only cocktail bar’s menu, designed like a spell book and bearing tinctures—like the rye, rum, and cherrywood-infused Wendigo—named in nods to folklore. Plus, the place is almost exclusively lit by candles, and Scorpios really drink up the dark.
Public Alley 443, Boston, hecatebar.com.
The Donkey burger. / Photo courtesy of Little Donkey
Sagittarius: Little Donkey
The easiest way to find the Sag in your crew? Take note of who follows the most travel-porn accounts on Instagram. This philosophical yet impish fire sign is positively afflicted with wanderlust, and would spend their lives eat- pray- love-ing all over the world, if they had their druthers. (Can you think of a better way to rack up stories, one-night-stands, and souvenirs?) Little Donkey will be a real delight to them, because James Beard Award-winning chefs Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonnette have distilled their globe-trotting into a menu that jumps from Bangkok street noodles to foie gras to Korean rice cakes to Turkish raviolis. In Sagittarius style, though, Little Donkey repackages everything to suit its own inimitable personality, and always—per the universally beloved cookie dough for dessert—while baring just a little bit of cheek.
505 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, 617-945-1008, littledonkeybos.com.
Geppetto. / Photo by Brian Samuels Photography
Capricorn: Cafe Beatrice, the Lexington, and Geppetto
Capricorns are hustlers, baby. These goats don’t make it to the top of any mountain on luck—they make it through ambition and hard work, putting one foot in front of the other, and climbing, climbing, climbing for as long as it takes. That’s exactly how chef Will Gilson managed to open three restaurants, stacked on top of each other in a still-developing Cambridge neighborhood, over the course of a pandemic. Not only will Capricorn love that industrious spirit, but as a practical matter, they’re thrilled by the all-day, every-occasion nature of the place: They can rise and grind at Cafe Beatrice, which starts serving coffee, breakfast sandwiches, and pastries at 7 a.m.; move over later to the Lexington, a seasonal New American restaurant with one of the only roof decks around; and finish with a cocktail off the amaro cart at Geppetto, Gilson’s Italian spot that is upscale enough for entertaining a new contact, not so snooty that they’ll be turned off. Smart thinking, Cap.
100 North 1st St., Cambridge, 617-945-1349, thelexingtoncx.com.
Aquarius: Mei Mei
There’s a reason that the Broadway musical Hair turned “the age of Aquarius” into an expression for the humanistic values of the hippie generation: If Aquarians sometimes seem a little cool on the personal level, it’s only because their very forward-thinking brain is busy fixing big-picture systems to make the world a better place. Among restaurants, that sounds a lot like Mei Mei, which no longer functions as a sit-down Chinese-American restaurant, instead focusing on special events and pop-ups, virtual and in-person cooking classes, and local and national sales of its now-packaged signature dumplings. That flexibility leaves chef-owner Irene Li more bandwidth to focus on the kind of justice-building work that recently won her a James Beard Leadership Award, given to “visionaries responsible for creating a healthier, safer, and more equitable, and sustainable food system.”
506 Park Dr., Boston, 857-250-4959, meimeiboston.com.
Yume Wo Katare’s porky jiro ramen. / Photo by Connor Sumner
Pisces: Yume Wo Katare
Pisces is the ultimate water sign: deeply sensitive souls to whom life is but a dream. They’re imaginative, kind, considerate, and will emotionally support you 100 percent in whatever harebrained scheme you hatch. (Just make sure you ask your Virgo friend to take care of the brass tacks.) And that’s why they’ll probably get all misty-eyed at Yume Wo Katare, a best-around ramen restaurant with a sweet tradition: When guests finish their bowl, they’re encouraged to write down a wish and share it with the room to the sound of supportive applause. It’s pure pork-broth soup for the Pisces soul.
1923 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge.
