Also on the to-try list: Greater Boston’s newest restaurants, from a quirky neighborhood bistro near South Station (with hefty slices of carrot cake) to a Korean food-truck-turned-restaurant in Jackson Square (with ultra-crispy fried chicken). Here’s the latest installment of our monthly guide to exciting newcomers to check out and older spots that have recently expanded or changed. (Check out last month’s guide here.)
New Restaurants to Try This Month
Recent openings you’ve got to check out.
Acapella by X (Dorchester, Boston)
Global small plates and a genre-hopping mix of live music and DJs co-star at this attractive new addition to Fields Corner. Think: crispy fried cheese with spicy guava dip; ponzu butter scallops; wagyu sliders; and patatas bravas.
1505 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester, Boston, 617-286-4620, acapellabyx.com.
Bakery Oma (Union Square, Somerville)
Caramelized sugar-topped queen puffs, buttery cookies, and other small-batch baked goods have arrived at Bow Market with the opening of a petite new bakery. Availability varies by day, but keep an eye out for tasty treats of all kinds, to eat on the spot or, in the case of some cookies and sablés, boxed and ready to gift.
1 Bow Market Way #15 (Bow Market), Union Square, Somerville, 617-764-2105, bakeryoma.com.
CocoMango Speakeasy. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
CocoMango Speakeasy (Cambridge)
A secret entrance, Cuban-sandwich-inspired rangoons, intricate cocktails with Caribbean flavors, live music—this new hidden bar connected to Top Mix Bar & Kitchen in Cambridge hits all the right notes for vibe-y nighttime fun.
50 CambridgePark Dr., Cambridge, cocomangolounge.com.
Gangnam Spice (Jamaica Plain, Boston)
Super-crispy Korean fried chicken has landed in Jackson Square. After operating a Korean street food truck for a year, husband-and-wife duo Richard Kim and Jiyeon Lee sold the truck and have just opened a brick-and-mortar space, serving flavor-packed chicken sandwiches, tenders, wings, and other Korean street food, such as spicy-meets-sweet tteokbokki. (Lee grew up in the Gangnam district of Seoul for which the restaurant is named.)
225 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, Boston, 617-516-8054, gangnamspice.com.
Gato Exotico (East Cambridge)
We can’t wait for the return of over-the-top 1990s mall dining with this soon-to-open (possibly before the end of the year) Mexican spot inside CambridgeSide, the mall formerly known as the CambridgeSide Galleria. It’s the sequel to tiki haven Wusong Road, so expect playful drinks, gorgeous glassware, and obsessive attention to the Rainforest Café-esque tropical décor.
100 Cambridgeside Pl. (CambridgeSide), East Cambridge, cambridgeside.com.
The team behind Holdfast Specialty Seafood Co. (From left: Tyler Paolini, Jesse Kim, and Nathan Gould.) / Photo by Colin Campbell
Holdfast Specialty Seafood Co. (Allston, Boston)
We love a fine-dining-chefs-go-casual story. Add this one to the list: O Ya and Sarma alums have just brought counter-service New England seafood, done as fancily as fast-casual allows, to Brighton Avenue. Think lobster rolls, crudo, and caviar—because we all deserve a little low-key luxury.
164 Brighton Ave., Allston, Boston, instagram.com/holdfast_allston.
A “matcha sunrise” pastry (a soft bun with matcha cookie crust) and an iced matcha latte from Komugi Bakery & Cafe. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Komugi Bakery & Cafe (Union Square, Somerville)
Yep, Union Square’s been having a sweet time lately—see Bakery Oma above. Also new to the neighborhood is Japanese bakery Komugi, a teensy spot (read: no seating) steps from the Green Line with soft, pillowy breads; sweet and savory filled buns; and more. To drink? Coffee from Kyoto-based roaster Ogawa, which has a long-running café in downtown Boston.
68 Prospect St., Union Square, Somerville, 617-764-2725, bakerycafekomugi.com.
My Girl (Downtown Boston)
It’s the latest from COJE (Coquette, Yvonne’s, etc.), so expect it to be gorgeous: My Girl could open before the end of the month in the Post Office Square space beneath its sibling Mariel. The ode to 1950s Havana will accompany a Latin-inspired menu with bottle service and live music and other entertainment.
10 Post Office Sq., Downtown Boston, coje.com.
SJ’s uni cacio e pepe with house-made tonnarelli pasta, uni crème fraîche, pecorino, black pepper, grated cured egg yolk, and Maine uni. / Photo by Jessica Reyes
SJ’s (Leather District, Boston)
From uni cacio e pepe to wagyu steak frites, this new downtown bistro pulls inspiration from France, Italy, and beyond—and sometimes closer to home: the South Shore-style bar pizza, for instance, available at the bar after 7 p.m. Chef/owner Sarah Wade, of Stillwater and Sloane’s, is known for over-the-top comfort food fare but is taking a more refined (but still fun!) approach here.
745 Atlantic Ave., Downtown Boston, sjsboston.com.
Older Restaurants Doing New Things
Expansions and other changes—time for a (re)visit.
A sea bream and truffle appetizer during a late autumn meal at 311 Omakase. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
311 Omakase (South End, Boston)
Not an “older restaurant doing a new thing,” per se, but rather an older restaurant getting recognized in a big new way. 311, which opened two years ago in the basement of a South End brownstone, is Boston’s first—and for now, only—Michelin-starred restaurant. In the colder months, the menu is almost entirely sourced from Japan (more local fish come into play in the warmer months), so now is a good time to try, for instance, smooth and creamy cod milt. Try it first; look it up later.
605 Tremont St., South End, Boston, 781-831-0311, 311boston.com.
Aatma at Widowmaker. / Photo by Gene Buonaccorsi
Aatma at Widowmaker (Brighton, Boston)
Brighton’s neo-goth Widowmaker Brewing taproom has new in-house food with a temperament to match: Chef Keith Sarasin brings Indian food “with attitude” to the table with Aatma. The New England chef—who founded a farm-to-table pop-up series called the Farmers Dinner and co-founded Greenleaf restaurant in New Hampshire—has devoted the past 16 years to the careful study of regional Indian cuisines. Aatma started as a New Hampshire pop-up, and now it’s rooted at Widowmaker. Alongside hazy IPAs, fruited sours, and other brews, snack on fried idli chaat, dig into flavorful curries, and try “Indian-ish” mash-ups like a masala-spiced burger with achari onions and amul cheese.
190 North Beacon St., Brighton, Boston, 617-390-0660, aatmacurryhouse.com.
Sandwiches at All’Antico Vinaio’s new Boston location. Top to bottom: La Schiacciata del Boss (prosciutto toscano, pecorino toscano, truffle cream); La Toscana (salame toscana, pecorino, truffle honey); and La Favolosa (salame toscana, pecorino and artichoke creams, spicy eggplant). / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
All’Antico Vinaio (Back Bay, Boston)
The new hero lunch that’ll save your workday? Sandwiches from Boston’s first outpost of this ultra-popular chain from Florence, Italy. (Take a gander at opening day, which drew huge crowds). Here, flawless meats and cheeses are piled high between crispy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside schiacciata, a.k.a. the ultimate Italian sandwich bread.
565 Boylston St., Back Bay, Boston, allanticovinaiousa.com.
Brassica’s koji risotto with parmesan and parmesan shoyu. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Brassica Kitchen + Café (Jamaica Plain, Boston)
Say hello to new, bigger digs (and a pizza oven!) at this Forest Hills favorite. (Here’s a peek inside.) The talented crew pairs brown-butter marshmallow with pork belly (what?!), and we can’t get enough of it—or the koji risotto shown above, or the fried chicken, for that matter.
3712 Washington St., Jamaica Plain, Boston, brassicakitchen.com.
Brick Street Bagels. / Courtesy photo
Brick Street Bagels (South Boston)
Carb fans, rejoice: It’s now infinitely easier to get your hands on a perfectly chewy Brick Street bagel, as the in-demand pop-up has finally opened its own permanent location. There’s coffee, too, for all your morning needs.
371 W. Broadway, South Boston, instagram.com/brick.street.bagels.
Cactus Club Cafe’s Back Bay location. / Courtesy photo
Cactus Club Cafe (Back Bay, Boston)
As of December 9, there’ll be a new Cactus Club on Boylston Street, and no, it’s not related to that defunct Boylston Street Mexican restaurant with the giant margaritas that we would fondly remember if we hadn’t had so many of those darn margaritas. This Cactus Club—Cactus Club Cafe, to be specific—is a Vancouver-based chain that touts “elevated everyday dining” with a swankily designed space, normal-sized margaritas, and a menu that jumps from sushi to rigatoni Bolognese to Baja fish tacos to steak and lobster. Not sure the latter counts as “everyday” dining, but we wouldn’t mind if it did.
500 Boylston St., Unit 170, Back Bay, Boston, cactusclubcafe.com.
Cafe Sushi’s akami (lean tuna) nigiri with herb gremolata and iced red onion. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Cafe Sushi Nisei (Harvard Square, Cambridge)
Cambridge’s beloved Cafe Sushi—which closed its dining room during COVID and has been focused on retail, takeout, and delivery since—is reopening its dining room on December 3, revamped and reimagined. It’s a new era—goodbye omakase; hello sake bar. (The fantastic retail/takeout/delivery portion of the business, Cafe Sushi Shoten, will remain in operation, too.)
1105 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-492-0434, cafesushicambridge.com.
Lanner Noodles & Bar. / Courtesy photo
Lanner Noodles & Bar (Seaport District, Boston)
The best way to get through the colder months is a steaming-hot bowl of rich, beefy broth packed with hand-pulled noodles. Good thing this Cambridge hot spot added a Seaport location recently—more Lanzhou beef noodle soup for everyone.
53 Pier 4 Blvd., Seaport District, Boston, lannernoodles.com.
Moona’s original location in Inman Square. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Moona (Kendall Square, Cambridge)
Moona 2.0 is expected to open later this month in Kendall Square; stay tuned. The Best of Boston Middle Eastern restaurant delights in its cozy Inman Square space, but the much bigger footprint at the new address will allow for all-day dining, including a serious coffee and tea program and an expanded menu inspired by cuisines of the Levant.
750 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge, moonarestaurant.com.
Restaurants Closing Soon
Plan a visit ASAP to support your favorites one last time.
A lamb burger on the Daddy Jones patio. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Daddy Jones (Magoun Square, Somerville)
This warmly hospitable, Greek-inspired restaurant (with a very cool patio) says goodbye on December 20 after a 13-year run. There’ll be some throwback nights with past staff members in the remaining days. We’ll miss the particularly good burgers (served on English muffins), 1980s nostalgia, and cozy neighborhood vibes.
After 25 years, JP’s tiny farm-to-table restaurant will close following service on New Year’s Eve, per posts on social media and the restaurant’s website from owner Krista Kranyak. The neighborhood staple has racked up awards over the years, such as a 2011 Best of Boston honor for best casual Jamaica Plain restaurant, with our team at the time praising the “divine but relaxed meals.” In recent years, weekly specials like “beerger Tuesdays” (featuring rotating beers and burgers) and “pasta Thursdays” have been a draw. Kranyak is keeping the space and working on something new “that honors the intentional, crafted, and change-making purpose that is my passion,” she adds. “Stay tuned—this story isn’t over yet.”
A version of this guide first appeared in the print edition of the December 2025/January 2026 issue with the headline, “The Hot List.”
