In the last decade, Boston’s restaurant scene exploded. Internationally-infused menus have gained traction, with the likes of Greek, Arabic and modern European flavors earning Boston’s rank as one of America’s burgeoning foodie destinations. Here are four of the most impeccably designed restaurants, placing emphasis on presentation from decor and design to cuisine and cocktails.
Abstracting the European-style cafe, Frenchie offers all-day allure from fresh croissants at brunch to hearty Franco-favorites at happy hour (escargot and coq au vin, anyone?!). Its intimate locale in the midst of the South End provides diners with a choice of recessed sidewalk seating or garden-room views, with the middle restaurant settings around a focal bar.
Tucked off Boston’s populous Newbury Street, Krasi transports diners to the unhurried “ouzeris” of Greece with their meze variety, including brizola, louza and grilled octopus, served alongside the second largest Greek wine list in the country. The menu educates with the origins of specific dishes, where both chef and wine director are always willing to guide you through a tasting. The restaurant-length bar lends itself to taste at your leisure, while the cozy booths play-up the venue’s minimalist color palette, and are date night-approved.
Located in Boston’s newfangled Seaport District, Woods Hill hugs the city’s waterfront, making it an idyllic setting for fresh oysters and an escape from the bustle of downtown. The restaurant butchers, smokes and ferments all their food, and its namesake farm supplies pasture-raised, grass-fed livestock, organic and sustainable produce, foraged herbs and mushrooms. If your visit doesn’t align with a sunny, summer afternoon on the docks, slide into a stool at the modish bar, where hanging plants frame seasonally-crafted cocktails.
Inspired by the Arabic pantry, using spices, nuts, dried fruits and pickled vegetables in dry and wet mixes that build the foundation of the menu, Moona is a marriage of New England and the Middle East. The restaurant’s owners skillfully blend their Lebanese heritage with regional Moroccan favorites, including fava-bean falafel and lamb tagine, while they borrow from Islamic architecture with the intricate geometric wall art against pops of penny blue tiles, influenced by the hues of the Mediterranean.
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