Michelin Recognizes These 26 Greater Boston Restaurants
It’s the first time the Boston area has been included in a Michelin dining guide, and we landed a single one-star spot and a handful of other honors.
311 Omakase. / Photo by Armani Thao
It only took 99 years for the Michelin Guide to arrive in Boston, but the international dining authority is finally here. As announced at a November 18 gala in Philadelphia, 26 Greater Boston restaurants earned recognition in the region’s inaugural year, part of the Northeast Cities edition of the guide. 311 Omakase took home Boston’s single Michelin star for 2025, and Mahaniyom co-owner Chompon “Boong” Boonnak was honored with the Michelin Exceptional Cocktails Award, one of five special prizes given across the five regions in the Northeast guide (Boston, Philadelphia—also new to the guide, New York City, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.) The remainder of locally recognized spots are “Bib Gourmand” restaurants (chosen for “good quality” and “good value cooking”) and “Recommended” restaurants that serve good food but haven’t yet reached star status. There were a few omissions that are a real bummer, but lots to celebrate: Congratulations to all included in Boston’s first Michelin year.
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Born from the French tire company, Michelin Guides have been around in various forms since 1900—tracking travel essentials like gas station addresses to start, with dining recommendations coming into play in 1926. Now international, the widely respected dining guides are released annually, with restaurants rated by full-time anonymous inspectors with hospitality-industry pedigrees. They focus on ingredients, flavors, cooking techniques, consistency, and “the personality of the chef as expressed through their cuisine,” although the stars are technically awarded to the restaurant, not the chef. Factors like ambiance and service take a backseat.
The top honor is three stars, awarded to restaurants “where the cooking elevates the craft to an art form, with some dishes destined to become classics.” Two-star restaurants, meanwhile, serve food “that is both refined and inspired … where the team’s personalities and talents shine through in expertly crafted dishes.” Boston missed the boat on these two categories—better luck next year. (To be fair, there are only around 150 three-star restaurants and 500 two-star restaurants in the entire world, and several longtime three-star recipients in the United States were downgraded to two stars this year, including Alinea in Chicago.)
Mahaniyom’s bar area, where co-owner Chompon “Boong” Boonnak earned his Michelin Exceptional Cocktails Award. / Photo by Troy Ali
In many cases, regions have to pony up cash to Michelin—often hundreds of thousands of dollars—to encourage the company to cover the area. The costs, says Michelin, go toward marketing and promotions; individual restaurants can’t buy stars. In Greater Boston’s case, Meet Boston and the Cambridge Office for Tourism were among the organizations that sealed the deal with Michelin (terms have not been disclosed, but the Globe reports that the three-year partnership costs just over a million.) Inspectors reportedly ate their way around Boston proper, Cambridge, Somerville, and other areas within the Route 95/128 corridor.
In the end, Michelin found a handful of local restaurants worth honoring—including 15 in Boston proper and the rest in Cambridge, Brookline, Newton, and Lynn. Here is the inaugural collection of Greater Boston’s Michelin-recognized restaurants—and a smattering of our own insider advice on each spot, since we just completed our annual Top 50 Restaurants list and have been eating our way through the area obsessively.
One-Star Restaurant
Michelin awards one star for “high-quality cooking.”
311 Omakase’s kegani (horsehair crab) uni caviar. / Photo by Anna Arriaga
311 Omakase
What it is: One of the newer entries in Boston’s burgeoning omakase scene, tucked into a nook of space in a South End brownstone basement.
What Michelin likes: The intimacy of chef Wei Fa Chen’s counter, with the space providing a “blank canvas” for seasonal, “thoughtfully crafted cuisine.” The nigiri is “impressive,” featuring “high-quality product, much of it imported from Japan.”
What we like: The use of ingredients not often seen in Boston, like kegani (horsehair crab).
What to do if you can’t get a table: Add yourself to the waitlist if your desired night is booked; you’ll be contacted in the event of a cancellation. In the meantime, try another local sushi restaurant—we’ve got lots of great ones in town.
Where to find it: 605 Tremont St., Unit G, South End, Boston, 781-831-0311, 311boston.com; reservations.
Bib Gourmand Restaurants
Michelin looks to affordability when it awards “Bib Gourmand” recognition for “good quality, good value cooking.”
Bar Volpe. / Photo by Kristin Teig
Bar Volpe
What it is: Friendly and fun Italian, with an eye to Southern Italian cuisine and particular care with house-made pastas.
What Michelin likes: “Familiar dishes that deliver on flavor and finesse,” plus “a lengthy amaro selection” and can’t-miss desserts.
What we like: The culurgiones—potato-and-goat-cheese dumplings on the menu since day one—are a delicious example of the hands-on pasta-making that brings Bar Volpe to another level of Italian.
What to do if you can’t get a table: It’s pretty roomy, so this isn’t one of the toughest tables in town, but a bar seat at an odd hour is always a good strategy if you run into trouble.
Where to find it: 170 W. Broadway, South Boston, 617-865-7100, barvolpe.com; reservations.
Fox & the Knife. / Photo by Brian Samuels
Fox & the Knife
What it is: Older sibling to Bar Volpe above, this one focuses on hearty Northern Italian fare, inspired by chef-owner Karen Akunowicz’s year cooking in Modena.
What Michelin likes: Pasta is “the main attraction,” but the inspectors bid diners to start with the always-popular taleggio-stuffed focaccia.
What we like: Admittedly we’re very into that focaccia, too, but you’ll also find us lingering over comforting plates of tagliatelle Bolognese and amaro cart service.
What to do if you can’t get a table: Hop right down the street to the spacious Bar Volpe.
Where to find it: 28 W. Broadway, South Boston, 617-766-8630, foxandtheknife.com; reservations.
A spread of dishes at Jahunger. / Courtesy photo
Jahunger
What it is: One of Greater Boston’s only Uyghur spots, this Cambridge expansion of a Providence favorite features tingly, Sichuan peppercorn-spiked noodles.
What Michelin likes: Dumplings, any of the noodle dishes, and a simple dessert of yogurt with honey.
What we like: A similar progression, but we’d add in “lamb on dry land” (a lamb dish studded with crispy naan bits) and wrap up with a slice of honey cake.
What to do if you can’t get a table: The food travels quite well for takeout and delivery.
Where to find it: 272 Brookline St., Cambridgeport, 617-801-9725, jahunger.com.
Mahaniyom. / Photo by Chris McIntosh
Mahaniyom
What it is: A Thai restaurant that ushered in a new era of Greater Boston Thai food with a small, focused menu; a party-like atmosphere; and excellent cocktails.
What Michelin likes: Cocktails! In addition to the Bib Gourmand recognition, Mahaniyom earned Michelin’s Exceptional Cocktails Award for co-owner Chompon “Boong” Boonnak. He “has worked as a bartender and it shows,” the inspectors noted. As for the food, try the “decadent” kang pu, crab curry.
What we like: Pairing nang kai tod (crispy chicken skin) with a spicy seasonal salad while sipping Thai herb-infused liquors. (Celebrating something? The hospitable team just might bring over shots.)
What to do if you can’t get a table: Sibling spot Merai—an “elevated dive bar” that fuses Thai flavors with global inspiration—is right down the street. Krapaw sausage hot dogs and Thai tea tiramisu await.
Where to find it: 236 Washington St., Brookline, 617-487-5986, mahaniyomboston.com; reservations.
Pagu’s green pea bao. / Photo by Brian Samuels
Pagu
What it is: Part Spanish, part Japanese, and more—an ode to the cuisines of chef-owner Tracy Chang’s childhood and stunning culinary resume (including time in the three-Michelin-starred kitchen of Martín Berasategui in Spain).
What Michelin likes: “Quality ingredients, bold flavors, and the right amount of care.”
What we like: Spicy knife-cut noodles (or the off-menu spicy biang biang noodles), green pea bao, miso roasted black cod, and Chang’s many community-service initiatives.
What to do if you can’t get a table: Pop down the street for a drink at Central Square’s newest cocktail hot spot, Darling, and then try again.
Where to find it: 310 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge, 617-945-9290, gopagu.com; reservations.
Sumiao Hunan Kitchen. / Photo by Graciela Montecinos
Sumiao Hunan Kitchen
What it is: A welcome spotlight on Hunanese cuisine in a region where most Chinese restaurants are Sichuan. Plus: live music to amp up Wednesday and Thursday evenings.
What Michelin likes: The “enticing” regional specialties, and the “care” throughout the menu: “Even the General Tso’s chicken is tossed in a house-made sauce.”
What we like: Bringing groups here to enjoy the music and feast together on dishes such as double-cooked five-spice duck and fish fillet in a fiery broth.
What to do if you can’t get a table: Takeout and delivery are available, and much of the menu travels well.
Where to find it: 270 Third St., Kendall Square, Cambridge, 617-945-0907, sumiaohunan.com; reservations.
Recommended Restaurants
Michelin recognizes “Recommended” restaurants, also referred to as “Selected,” for “good cooking.” They don’t have a star yet, but maybe in the future…
Asta. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Asta
What it is: A minimalist dining room with an open kitchen, serving only tasting menus with dishes like lentils (turnip, phytoplankton foam) or duck (quince and potato pavé, mustard greens)—caviar add-ons optional and encouraged.
What Michelin likes: That the team is “relaxed” and “full of ideas,” and the restaurant’s details like a handwritten wine list “add to the charm of this fine-dining veteran.”
What we like: The juxtaposition between carefully technical, sort of Scandinavian dining and little quirks like a popcorn dessert or the Zeus mural that remains from a previous occupant of the space.
What to do if you can’t get a table: It’s a vastly different experience, but lots of fun—swing by for a fried chicken and biscuit sandwich between noon and 2 p.m. on the first Saturday of every month.
Where to find it: 47 Massachusetts Ave., Back Bay, Boston, 617-585-9575, astaboston.com; reservations.
Carmelina’s in the North End. Clockwise from top: tonno siciliano; rollati with pistachio and mortadella; frutti di mare; and lobster ravioli. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Carmelina’s
What it is: A seafood- and pasta-filled North End favorite that puts a modern spin on Sicilian comfort-food classics.
What Michelin likes: “This is food that sticks to your bones,” say the inspectors, noting that “garlic, tomato, cream, and butter run wild across a seafood-forward menu.”
What we like: The spicy vodka-sauced lobster ravioli—topped with tiger shrimp, because why not?—is a bestseller for a reason, but we won’t say no to the baked rollati of the moment, currently featuring pistachio ricotta, pistachio cream, mortadella, and spinach.
What to do if you can’t get a table: Sorry, this one books out weeks ahead of time. Your best bet is a weekday lunch reservation, although even those can be a little tricky—plan in advance.
Where to find it: 307 Hanover St., North End, Boston, 617-742-0020, carmelinasboston.com; reservations.
Farro casarecce at Giulia. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Giulia
What it is: The pinnacle of pasta in Greater Boston.
What Michelin likes: “It’s all about the pasta,” and staff that “copes effortlessly” with the crowds.
What we like: White truffle season is always fun (Giulia has been known to serve a truffle gelato if you’re looking for a lesser splurge than the pricey supplements to the savory courses.) And in colder months, be sure to try the pappardelle with braised wild boar.
What to do if you can’t get a table: Wait for a bar seat—go early or late.
Where to find it: 1682 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-441-2800, giuliarestaurant.com; reservations.
La Padrona. / Photo by Brian Samuels
La Padrona
What it is: Glam Italian in a glam hotel. Boston culinary icon and James Beard Award winner Jody Adams, formerly of Rialto, is among the owners; the group is also behind Porto, Trade, and Saloniki.
What Michelin likes: Aside from pastas, try “beautifully seared scallops finished in saffron butter” and peruse the “extensive” wine and “astute” cocktail lists.
What we like: The vibes—this is one of the only restaurants we’ve dressed up for in recent memory. And executive chef Amarilys Colón’s dreamy, seasonal pastas are particularly memorable.
What to do if you can’t get a table: Try walking in for a seat in the luxurious first-floor lounge, which has its own bar-snack menu (with “snack-sized” martinis) as well as the full dinner menu.
Where to find it: 38 Trinity Pl., Back Bay, Boston, 617-898-0010, lapadronaboston.com; reservations.
Duck press dinner at Lenox Sophia. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Lenox Sophia
What it is: New American tasting menus—choose omnivore or vegetarian—in a tiny South Boston space with BYOB (a rarity!)
What Michelin likes: The “intimate” experience with chef-owner Shi Mei, who “openly engages customers and cooks with a refined casualness that often takes you by surprise.”
What we like: The semi-annual duck press dinners are wonderful (if you have a big appetite). Year-round, we love snagging a counter seat to watch the show in the open kitchen and dine on dishes with simple descriptions that only hint at the wonders you’re about to taste.
What to do if you can’t get a table: No sibling spots or walk-in bar seats to recommend, but with a little bit of patience and a little flexibility around timing, you’re sure to get a seat in the not-too-distant future. Reservations open a month in advance.
Where to find it: 87 A St., South Boston, 617-597-2170, lenoxsophia.com; reservations.
Moëca. / Photo by Emily Trotochaud
Moëca
What it is: A seafood restaurant that defies genres, plucking inspiration from anywhere and everywhere. Sibling to Giulia (see above.)
What Michelin likes: Responsible seafood sourcing, “global” flavors, and “confident” service.
What we like: Eating unusual (and unusually delicious) dishes like crispy squid tentacles with green-crab laksa and smelts and chips with seaweed ranch in this attractive space.
What to do if you can’t get a table: Try for a bar seat at Giulia instead, a short walk away.
Where to find it: 1 Shepard St., Cambridge, 617-945-0040, moecarestaurant.com; reservations.
Mooncusser. / Photo by Brian Samuels
Mooncusser
What it is: A seafood-focused tasting menu with global inspiration and surprising ingredients and flavors, courtesy of a Top Chef alum.
What Michelin likes: “Relaxed service … that is anything but stuffy” accompanies the “well-measured tasting menu,” and “wine lovers will delight” in the “astute” bottle selection.
What we like: The ambiance leans in the traditional fine-dining direction, but the food is modern through and through, and chef Carl Dooley doesn’t hold back on the heat.
What to do if you can’t get a table: Head to Mooncusser’s lively offshoot, Moon Bar, right downstairs for big flavors and fun cocktails. The Jamaican beef patty and the banana-leaf-wrapped black sea bass are must-tries.
Where to find it: 304 Stuart St., Back Bay, Boston, 617-917-5193, mooncusserboston.com; reservations.
Fluke crudo at Neptune Oyster. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Neptune Oyster
What it is: Energetic, always-crowded North End seafood joint with a to-die-for lobster roll.
What Michelin likes: “Keep[ing] it simple” with, for example, “some briny bivalves” and the fritto misto sandwich on Iggy’s brioche in the “cozy” setting that is “just short of boisterous.”
What we like: Yeah, you have to get the lobster roll (we like the hot-with-butter version best), but also explore dishes like the johnnycake, topped with smoked bluefish and caviar, or the crudo special of the day.
What to do if you can’t get a table: Neptune doesn’t take reservations, so everyone’s in the same walk-in boat. If you show up 15-30 minutes before opening on a weekday, or an odd time like mid-afternoon, the line is usually at its most manageable.
Where to find it: 63 Salem St., North End, Boston, 617-742-3474, neptuneoyster.com.
Nightshade Noodle Bar’s house-made egg noodles with caramelized garlic sauce. / Photo by Alyssa Blumstein
Nightshade Noodle Bar
What it is: Roughly a bajillion adventurous courses (or 7, 9, 14, 21, or 30) of Vietnamese- and French-inspired dishes, with loads of seafood.
What Michelin likes: This is a “bold and borderless style” aimed at “risk takers and daredevils.” (Note: Michelin mentions à la carte ordering, but this is only available for takeout—dine-in is reservations-required, tasting-menu meals.)
What we like: The surprise and delight of the mostly-blind tasting (you can express a few preferences before you start, but you’re otherwise at chef-owner Rachel Miller’s whim.) Try the lobster glacé supplement, an intriguing mix of smoked vanilla and chili flavors.
What to do if you can’t get a table: Several popular dishes are available for takeout and delivery Thursday through Sunday evening. We love the house-made egg noodles with caramelized garlic sauce, chili crisp, Thai basil, shredded beef, and peanuts.
Where to find it: 73 Exchange St., Lynn, 781-780-9470, nightshadenoodlebar.com; reservations.
Oleana. / Photo by Brian Samuels
Oleana
What it is: Nodding to Turkey and the broader Middle East through creative small plates, this mainstay also has a beloved seasonal patio, one of the most romantic in town.
What Michelin likes: The “wonderfully light” ricotta and corn dumplings and “intensely flavored” quail kebab are among the “highlights.”
What we like: Forcing ourselves to go beyond the iconic baked Alaska to try the other desserts, which are admittedly just as amazing.
What to do if you can’t get a table: We’ve had luck sneaking in for a seat at the petite bar on the later end of the evening.
Where to find it: 134 Hampshire St., Cambridge, 617-661-0505, oleanarestaurant.com; reservations.
Pammy’s
What it is: A “New American trattoria”—Italian-ish food, warm hospitality, and an ambiance equal parts lovely and neighborhood-cozy—with a flexible three-course prix fixe.
What Michelin likes: It’s an “utterly charming operation” with an “enticing Mediterranean menu.” Squid-ink gnocchi, for instance, are “impressively light and tender.”
What we like: Sure, we obsess over that famous lumache with gochujang-spiked Bolognese, but the lasagne bianca with wild mushrooms and spring onion chutney is irresistible, too. Beyond pasta, crudo is always a winner.
What to do if you can’t get a table: Walk-in space is available in the bar and lounge area with an à la carte menu.
Where to find it: 928 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-945-1761, pammyscambridge.com; reservations.
Select Oyster Bar’s bouillabaisse. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Select Oyster Bar
What it is: Upscale Mediterranean-inspired seafood in a trendy Back Bay bistro-style space, from longtime Neptune Oyster (see above) alum Michael Serpa.
What Michelin likes: “Good vibes” and “high-quality seafood,” with the massive shellfish plateaux a “splurge-worthy indulgence.”
What we like: If we’re not going all-in on small plates, we gravitate toward the bouillabaisse, full of fish and saffron.
What to do if you can’t get a table: Try lunch—Select is open for lunch and dinner every day, serving the full menu.
Where to find it: 50 Gloucester St., Back Bay, Boston, 857-239-8064, selectboston.com; reservations.
A spread of dishes and banchan at Somaek. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Somaek
What it is: Homestyle Korean food through the lens of prolific chef-restaurateur Jamie Bissonnette and his Korean mother-in-law Soon Han.
What Michelin likes: The jogae jeon (pan-fried pancakes with clams and chive salad) are a “standout” dish.
What we like: Sharing an almost endless parade of banchan and small plates with friends before heading to a show in the Theater District nearby. Don’t miss the kkaennip-jeon, egg-battered and stuffed sesame leaf, and the restaurant’s namesake drink, a mixture of soju and beer.
What to do if you can’t get a table: Somaek has a couple of siblings and a couple of cousins right on the same block; you’ll find a table somewhere. Temple Records (a listening bar) and its downstairs sushi hideaway, Sushi @ Temple Records, are from the same team and right next door. Another door down, you’ll find comfort food galore at JM Curley, steak and such in hidden steakhouse Bogie’s Place, and intricate cocktails at Wig Shop, each sharing partial ownership with the aforementioned trio.
Where to find it: 11 Temple Pl., Downtown Crossing, Boston, somaek.com; reservations.
Thistle & Leek. / Photo by Brian Samuels
Thistle & Leek
What it is: A British-inspired gastropub with creative, well-made small plates.
What Michelin likes: No corners are cut on the “tight, eclectic menu,” with breads, pastas, and more made carefully in-house.
What we like: Starting with the toasted sesame focaccia of the moment (currently topped with sweet potato, pimenton honey, and manchego); eating way too many small plates, especially whatever pasta is available; and ending with house-made ice cream.
What to do if you can’t get a table: Try lunch, offered Tuesday through Friday, walk-ins only. (The menu is smaller than at dinner but still a great way to get to know this Newton Centre gem.)
Where to find it: 105 Union St., Newton, 857-404-0260, thistleandleek.com; reservations.
Toro’s paella (half portion). / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Toro
What it is: A 20-year-old Boston stalwart for Spanish tapas in a full-of-life dining room.
What Michelin likes: “It’s fun, well run and who doesn’t need some tapas in their life every now and then?” Croquetas with bacalao and roasted bone marrow with oxtail are among the inspectors’ favorite dishes.
What we like: The maíz asado has been a fan-favorite forever, for good reason, and the gambas al ajillo is a flavorful must-order.
What to do if you can’t get a table: Remember when Toro didn’t take reservations? It’s easier to get in these days, especially with the addition of a larger patio during COVID. Try for brunch if you can’t land a dinner table at the desired time.
Where to find it: 1704 Washington St., South End, Boston, 617-676-0072, toro-restaurant.com; reservations.
Duck at Urban Hearth. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Urban Hearth
What it is: Exceptional locavore fare with a particularly creative chef’s-counter tasting menu in a small, comfortable dining room with upscale-meets-rustic charm.
What Michelin likes: The farm-to-table dishes “showcase the best of New England.”
What we like: The fact that some ingredients are foraged by chef-owner Erin Miller herself. Plus: the biscuits with smoked maple miso butter are divine.
What to do if you can’t get a table: More seating opens up in the warmer months with the addition of a cozy patio. And keep an eye out for Urban Hearth’s move to a bigger space (which’ll include bar seating) in Cambridge’s Inman Square in 2026.
Where to find it (for now): 2263 Massachusetts Ave., North Cambridge, 617-682-7295, urbanhearth.net; reservations.
Wa Shin. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Wa Shin
What it is: Elegant omakase from chef-owner Sky Zheng, who trained at the Michelin-starred Sushi Nakazawa in New York City.
What Michelin likes: Zheng’s “impressive skill” working with “high-quality fish, largely imported from Japan” and presenting “mildly seasoned and judiciously embellished cuts.”
What we like: Watching the seamless ballet behind the sushi counter and getting to know Zheng and his team as the night progresses.
What to do if you can’t get a table: Watch for new reservations to be released at noon daily, booking two weeks in advance. While you’re trying to land one, you can also enjoy Boston’s other numerous sushi destinations.
Where to find it: 222 Stuart St., Bay Village, Boston, 857-289-9290, washinboston.com; reservations.
Woods Hill Pier 4’s lobster popover. / Courtesy photo
Woods Hill Pier 4
What it is: Extremely farm-to-table cuisine, in that one of the farms in question is owner Kristin Canty’s own, served in a glitzy Seaport space with gorgeous water views.
What Michelin likes: The locally sourced, “hearty, global cuisine,” not to mention the prime real estate.
What we like: We keep coming back for the squid ink casarecce with lobster and crab ragu. Dry-aged duck breast is also particularly good, or bacon-wrapped pork loin from Canty’s farm if you want to go very meaty.
What to do if you can’t get a table: Head next door to the Block at Woods Hill, Woods Hill Pier 4’s sibling restaurant/market, which also features local, seasonal cuisine. Dry-aging and charcuterie are in the spotlight at the Block.
Where to find it: 300 Pier 4 Blvd., Boston, 617-981-4577, woodshillpier4.com; reservations.
Lanzhou beef noodle soup at Zhi Wei Cafe. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Zhi Wei Cafe
What it is: Lanzhou-style beef noodle soup in a sleek, tucked-away space in Boston’s tiny Leather District.
What Michelin likes: The “constant whack and thud ring[ing] out from the kitchen” as the noodles are made fresh.
What we like: Beyond the soup, all things lamb—chops, simmered or deep-fried; barbecue skewers; mala lamb.
What to do if you can’t get a table: Open for lunch and dinner daily, Zhi Wei typically has availability, but you can always get takeout if not.
Where to find it: 104 South St., Leather District, Downtown Boston, 857-277-0937, zhiweicafeboston.com.
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