The Ultimate Guide to Winter Dining in Boston
Comfort food, cozy restaurants with fireplaces, and more.
Ooh, cozy. Capo in South Boston is one of a few dozen Boston-area restaurants with fireplaces. / Photo by Assembly Designs
Another round of snow is on the way, and we’re all about cozy dining: steaming mugs of hot cocoa; hearty comfort food like pot pies or mac and cheese; restaurants with crackling fireplaces. This page serves as an archive of our recently updated, cold-weather-friendly dining and drinking guides, whether you’re making holiday-season plans or figuring out what to eat during the darkest days of the year. (We’re excited to spend these months checking out as many newcomers as we can, so we’ve included links below to some of the most exciting restaurant, cafe, bar, and brewery openings of late 2023.)
We’ll be adding more throughout the season, so be sure to bookmark this page—and give us a shout if there’s other wintery restaurant coverage you’d like to see.
Last updated February 12, 2024.
Jump to:
- Current Specials: Watch this section for general winter dining specials as well as storm-specific deals. (Currently tracking the weekend of January 6-7, 2024 for storm deals.)
- Cold-Weather Favorites: Our recently updated dining guides to get you through the holidays and winter: comfort food, Christmas cocktails, heated patios, “Dry January”-friendly drinks, and more.
- New Restaurants: …and cafés, and even a movie theater with a full food menu!
- New Breweries and Bars: If your urge to check out new spots this winter leans more in the beverage direction, this section’s for you.
Current Specials
Watch this section for general winter dining specials. Please note that while we aim to keep this section as up-to-date as possible, restaurants may change operating hours and specials at a moment’s notice—it’s always best to call or check social media before heading over.
- Alcove: Cozy up with an afternoon glass of wine at Alcove’s weekly Wine Cellar Saturdays, which launched in January. Each class focuses on a different wine region (such as the West Sonoma Coast or Bordeaux); you’ll taste wines, learn about them with restaurateur and wine director Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli, and snack on bites from chef Mark Cina. Register via OpenTable. 50 Lovejoy Wharf, West End, Boston, 617-248-0050, alcoveboston.com.
- Atlántico: On snow days, get a complimentary order of patatas bravas with purchase of a bottle of wine. Also this winter, watch for $2 oysters nightly from 4 to 6:30 p.m. and during lunch and brunch on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. 600 Harrison Ave., South End, Boston, 857-233-2898, atlanticoboston.com.
- Back Bay Social Club: A special hot cider cocktail joins the menu on snow days, as well as a 15% discount on Uber Eats orders. 867 Boylston St., Back Bay, Boston, 617-247-3200, backbaysocial.com.
- Bar Enza: Resolving to eat more vegetables this winter? The Charles Hotel’s Italian restaurant is featuring an à la carte “resolutions” menu in addition to its usual offerings, featuring vegetable-focused, Mediterranean-inspired dishes such as roasted cauliflower with butternut squash puree, tahini, and toasted pepitas. Available through the end of February. Plus, on snow days, get a complimentary plate of biscotti with purchase of an entree (while supplies last). 1 Bennett St., Harvard Square, Cambridge, 617-661-5050, bar-enza.com.
- Bleacher Bar: Get a free cup of chicken noodle soup with purchase of an entree all day during snowstorms, as well as 20% off Uber Eats orders. 82A Lansdowne St., Fenway, Boston, 617-262-2424, bleacherbarboston.com.
- Harvard Gardens: Get a free doughnut and coffee or hot chocolate with takeout purchases (minimum $20). 316 Cambridge St., Beacon Hill, Boston, 617-523-2727, harvardgardens.com.
- Lansdowne Pub: On January 6, enjoy half-priced apps and try a special maple bourbon hot toddy. 1 Lansdowne St., Fenway, Boston, 617-247-1222, lansdownepubboston.com.
- Legal Seafood: This Leap Year, Legal Seafood is celebrating the extra day of February with an extra lobster. On Thursday, February 29, customers can get two twin one-pound lobsters for $29. The tagline for their promotion says it all: “An extra day, an extra lobster.”
- The Lexington: Enjoy a three-course prix fixe menu during snowstorms ($45) with optional wine pairings. A past menu featured wintery dishes like roasted chestnut and sunchoke soup and black forest cake. 100 N. First St. (Cambridge Crossing), East Cambridge, 617-945-1349, thelexingtoncx.com.
- Loretta’s Last Call: When a snowstorm arrives, so does the hot chocolate bar. It starts at $8, and there are a variety of options for toppings (and added booze). Another snow day special: 20% off Uber Eats orders. 1 Lansdowne St., Fenway, Boston, 617-421-9595, lorettaslastcall.com.
- Lucie Drink & Dine: During snowstorms, enjoy all-you-can-eat short rib poutine for $5 at this Colonnade Hotel restaurant. (The full food and drink menu is also available.) 120 Huntington Ave., Back Bay, Boston, 617-425-3400, luciebackbay.com.
- Lucky’s Lounge: Tenders are a buck and burger sliders are $2 on snow days, and Uber Eats orders are 15% off. 355 Congress St., Fort Point, Boston, 617-357-5825, luckyslounge.com.
- Osteria Nino: Snowstorms are for comfort food: Get a free meatball order with every entree ordered. Also, watch for 15% discounts on Uber Eats and Bento Box orders. 19 3rd Ave., Burlington, 781-272-1600, osterianino.com.
- Publico Street Bistro & Garden: Whenever it snows more than three inches, look for $1 mini doughnuts with Nutella (available for dine-in). 11 Dorchester St., South Boston, 617-622-5700, publicoboston.com.
- Puritan & Company: Puritan’s three-course snow day menu ($40) is in effect during snowstorms. A past menu included pumpkin bisque or chopped salad; pesto fusilli or braised short rib; and devil’s food cake or seasonal ice cream/sorbet. 1166 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge, 617-615-6195, puritancambridge.com.
- Rochambeau: Enjoy dollar oysters all day during snowstorms. (Also, don’t miss Rochambeau’s new steak frites-centered prix fixe menu.) 900 Boylston St., Back Bay, Boston, 617-247-0400, rochambeauboston.com.
- The Salty Pig: Enjoy $1 garlic knots during snow emergencies. 130 Dartmouth St., Back Bay, Boston, 617-536-6200, thesaltypig.com.
- Scampo: On snow days, get a dessert for half off with purchase of an entree. 215 Charles St. (the Liberty Hotel), Beacon Hill, Boston, 617-536-2100, scampoboston.com.
- Si Cara: Whenever it snows more than three inches, Margherita pizzas are half-off for dine-in. 425 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge, 617-945-7629, sicarapizza.com.
- SRV: If a snow emergency is declared in Boston, look for $1 cicchetti meatballs at the bar while supplies last. 569 Columbus Ave., South Boston, 617-536-9500, srvboston.com.
- Summer Shack: On snow days, the restaurant offers a 15% discount on Uber Eats orders and 20% on takeout orders made on the restaurant’s website. 50 Dalton St., Back Bay, Boston, 617-867-9955; 149 Alewife Brook Pkwy., Cambridge, 617-520-9500, summershackrestaurant.com.
- Thistle & Leek: This comforting Newton Centre gastropub offers popular Sunday Suppers with an ever-changing menu—dinner for two for $90, reservations strongly recommended. Menus this winter have featured dishes like cassoulet, coq au vin, and the like. 105 Union St., Newton, 857-404-0260, thistleandleek.com.
Cold-Weather Favorites
Our recently updated dining guides to get you through the holidays and winter: comfort food, Christmas cocktails, heated patios, “Dry January”-friendly drinks, and more.
You could add chartreuse to this ultra-thick hot chocolate at Zuzu’s Petals in Cambridge. Might as well enjoy winter! / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Where to Warm Up with Hot Cocktails around Boston These local bars and restaurants know that a warm, boozy drink is the best way to fight off the cold. Where to Indulge in Holiday Lunch in Boston Here’s the 2024 rundown on special weekday lunch menus available around the city this holiday season, featuring luxurious steaks, seafood, and lots more. The Ultimate Holiday Guide to Eating, Drinking, and Merrymaking in Boston Where to find the best holiday cocktail pop-ups, hot chocolate bars, Santa teas, highly decorated restaurants, and ski-lodge-inspired winter patios in and around the city. Sneak Peek: Stratus at View Boston Decorates for the Holidays Glittering winter decorations and special holiday cocktails await 51 stories up. Where to Find the Best Pot Pies around Boston There’s a reason it’s the ultimate comfort food. Bookmark these picks for gravy-drenched-chicken classics, plus a couple curveballs. Where to Find the Most Romantic Restaurants in Boston Right Now Whether you’re in the mood for an inviting vibe, incomparable views, or impeccable wines, these spots aim to please. Where to Find the Tastiest Steak Frites in Boston A couple local restaurants are featuring all-you-can-eat frites deals, and we’re here for it. Where to Find the Best Mac ’n’ Cheese in Boston Right Now These options for gooey, cheesy comfort in a bowl (or a skillet, or a mug) will get you through Boston’s colder months. The Best Patios for Winter (Yes, Winter) Outdoor Dining Between the insulated igloos, fire pits, and hot cocktails, they’ll keep you toasty all season long. 31 Boston Restaurants with Cozy Fireplaces Whether you’re braving the cold for dinner, a date, or just a few drinks. Snowport, an Extravagant Winter Holiday Market, Opens in Boston's Seaport Holiday season has arrived with tons of shopping, winter-y pop-up bars, Swiss raclette cheese, pasta served in a giant cheese wheel, and did we mention cheese? Oh, and a giant pink yeti. Where to Find Greater Boston's Greatest Hot Chocolate Warm up with a rich, decadent cup of cocoa at some of the area’s best cafés.
New Restaurants
…and cafés, and even a movie theater with a full food menu!
The wor matzoh ball soup at Blue Ribbon Brasserie, now open in Kenmore Square, is jam-packed with just about everything. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Somerville’s Wade BBQ Makes a Case for Boston Barbecue From an alleyway takeout counter, the Union Square newcomer aims to define a regional style. June Bug Opens in Somerville with Wood-Fired Pizza and “Fun” The team behind acclaimed farm-to-table restaurant Field & Vine gets a little playful at a new spot in Union Square. New Haven Icon Sally’s Apizza Arrives in Greater Boston Here’s a sneak peek inside the Woburn location, opening December 14. Blue Ribbon Brasserie, a New York City Mainstay, Lands in Boston With late-night hours and a huge menu—from seafood platters to escargots to a loaded matzoh ball soup—there’s something for everyone in the former Eastern Standard space. Fan-Favorite Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Chain Finally Arrives in Boston With heated, reclining seats, strict rules against talking and texting, and a full menu, this is a truly luxurious movie-watching experience. Our Fathers Opens in the Fenway with Tender Pastrami and Frozen Cocktails Galore It’s a neon rebirth for the former Allston deli and restaurant—a little more tropical this time. Hook + Line Brings Modern New England Seafood to the Seaport The new sibling restaurant to West End staple Alcove also has a fish market for on-the-go fried clams, beer and wine, fresh seafood, and more. Cambridge's Newest Café Invites You to Slow Down and Unplug Wine-and-dessert bar Zuzu’s Petals adds screen-free café service with delicious treats and live-in-the-moment vibes. Mida’s Douglass Williams Opens a French Restaurant in the Fenway DW French is going to warm up winter with French onion soup, steak frites, and charming hospitality. Moon Bar, a Casual Offshoot to Elegant Restaurant Mooncusser, Opens in Back Bay The high-energy street-level bar features dishes and drinks with lively, globally inspired flavors. It’s Eastern Standard Time: The Iconic Restaurant Has Been Reborn The new Eastern Standard Kitchen and Drinks debuts October 12, a short walk away from its original Kenmore-transforming location. El Tacuba, an Ode to Home-Cooking in Veracruz, Arrives in Medford Square The long-planned Tenoch sibling is about to open its doors. Welcome to the Real World, Central Perk: Friends Coffeehouse Opens in Boston This Fall And it’s not just a themed pop-up—the permanent café debuts in October in the Back Bay. Amar, from Acclaimed Chef George Mendes, Debuts 17 Stories above the Back Bay The modern Portuguese restaurant spearheads the food and beverage program at the newly opened Raffles Boston. Restaurateur Garrett Harker Debuts the First of Four New Venues All That Fish + Oyster opens in the Fenway, and the new Eastern Standard is on deck.
New Breweries and Bars
If your urge to check out new spots this winter leans more in the beverage direction, this section’s for you.
Sip cocktails at Charlestown newcomer Good Company this winter. / Photo by Elissa Garza
Sabina, Boston’s First Mezcaleria, Opens on Newbury Street Get to know rare varieties of the agave-based liquor mezcal while enjoying grasshopper guacamole, huitlacoche empanadas, and more Mexican cuisine. A Woman-Owned Brewery and Taproom Comes to Jamaica Plain Drawdown Brewing Company will open in Egleston Square this month, drastically diversifying Boston’s beer scene. Good Company, a New Charlestown Cocktail Bar, Features ‘Farm-to-Glass’ Creations Local produce plays a starring role in intriguing drinks at longtime bartender Seth Freidus’ first solo spot. A Neo-Goth Taproom Opens in Brighton Widowmaker Brewing’s second location tries to keep Boston’s punk-rock spirit alive with stoner-metal vibes and an in-house restaurant by Bone and Bread.
