Where to Eat in Greater Boston for August 2025

New Restaurants to Try This Month

Recent (and imminent) openings you’ve got to check out.

Akami (Brookline)

This is a good summer for sushi lovers, with several new omakase options popping up around town (see also: Yoshida below). Akami, now open in Brookline, is making waves with its sub-$100, 13-course feast. (The bigger option, 16 courses, will set you back $109.) In the world of Boston-area omakase, that’s pretty much a steal, but this is no bargain-basement sushi: You’ll still find the meticulously sourced, seasonal ingredients the area’s pricier destinations offer—and a bit of theater. Reservations required.

187 Harvard St., Brookline, 617-383-5524, akamiboston.com.

Big Al’s Pizza (Billerica)

A bit outside of the city, Best of Boston chef Tim Maslow (Strip-T’s, Ribelle, Whaling in Oklahoma) is now serving up New York-style pizza at a casual neighborhood shop in Billerica that he just opened with his wife, Mallory, and family friend Mohammed Islam. Look for classics like cheese and pepperoni, or get a little fancier with, say, a white pie with mushroom, bacon, spinach, and garlic butter. The fine print: Cash only, takeout only, currently open Thursday through Saturday from 2 p.m. until sell-out.

240 Nashua Rd., Billerica, 978-667-6674, bigalsbillerica.com.

Outdoor dining at Capri. / Photo by Assembly Design Studio

Capri (South End)

Charlestown’s gorgeous Italian steakhouse Prima (a great spot for a private event) has a new South End sibling, and it, too, is a feast for multiple senses. Assembly Design Studio worked on the two-story space—well, spaces, because Capri is a few different experiences in one. There’s a main dining room upstairs (with a grand piano), a bar and lounge area with a fireplace, a lower-level dining room with private bar, and a sizable patio, including a cabana bar area and couches around fire pits. As for the food: Like at Prima, there’s an emphasis on house-made pastas (we’re eyeing the summery corn tortellini with Calabrian butter and garlic honey) and nice big steaks, like a made-to-share 44-ounce Brandt tomahawk.

500 Harrison Ave., South End, Boston, capriboston.com.

Darling’s shrimp toast on Japanese milk bread with sesame seeds, smoked pineapple, cilantro, chili oil, and scallions. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Darling (Central Square)

Come for the ever-changing, intricately crafted cocktails (such as a mandarin-and-tonka-bean highball with osmanthus amazake) and warm hospitality by owners and restaurant industry vets Brian Callahan and Zimu Chen. Stay for the dim-sum-and-nostalgia-inspired small plates (such as slow-braised Dr. Pepper pork ribs) by executive chef Mark O’Leary, formerly of fun, indulgent spots like Shojo and JM Curley. Ponder the inevitability of change and the passing of time over a plate of O’Leary’s take on suan la chow show, spicy Sichuan-style dumplings, a delicious nod to Mary Chung, the previous restaurant at this address.

464 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge, darlingcambridge.com.

Louis Corner. / Photo by MAZÍ Food Group

Louis Corner (South End)

MAZÍ Food Group—behind Best of Boston listening lounge Desnuda Cocina & Bar, Greek gem Kava Neo-Taverna, and other South End favorites—opens another spot in the neighborhood on August 6: Louis Corner, an American gastropub in the former Butcher Shop space. Adorned with a marble bar, brown leather banquettes, and brass chandeliers, Louis Corner serves a menu by chef-owner Jesus Preciado that is inspired by regional specialties throughout the United States (Rockefeller oysters, jambalaya, lobster roll). Open for weekday lunch, weekend brunch, and dinner daily.

Opening August 6. 552 Tremont St., South End, Boston, louiscorner.com.

Lou’s linguine with clams in white wine sauce. / Photo by Alyssa Blumstein

Lou’s (Harvard Square)

Good music, good food, and free parking—are we dreaming? Lou’s is here with a genre-hopping schedule of live music and DJs, plus a menu from executive chef Jason Bond (of Bondir fame) that draws inspiration from New England culinary history. (Bond is a food history enthusiast and a retired musician, so this couldn’t possibly be a better fit.) Sink into cozy lounge seating with a big plate of linguine and clams while enjoying reggae, jazz, bossa nova, and lots more.

Lou’s, 13 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge, 857-706-1100, wearelous.com.

Matcha Loves Boba (North End)

The Love Art Sushi team opens a new drink shop in the North End on August 16, showcasing a choice of different matcha grades and various purees and concentrates made with seasonal New England ingredients (raw honey from New Hampshire, Vermont maple syrup, Maine blueberries, local summer corn, etc.) Owner Ron SH teases an upcoming flavor: “local orchard-grown peaches paired with shishitos from our garden that we make into a jam and then mix into drinks for a light peppery sweet peach flavor profile.” Visit on opening day for 50% off drinks and various giveaways and other surprises. (There’ll be non-matcha-based drinks, too, like an ube sweet corn latte.)

227 Hanover St., North End, Boston, matchalovesboba.com. 

The Salt Marsh Winery (Scituate)

Yep, this one’s a bit of a hike from Boston, but you’ll want to make the trip to sample what chef-owner Douglas Rodrigues, a Clio alum, previously described to us as a sort of modern spin on a coastal Scituate restaurant, with lots of creative freedom. Think: a brown-butter lobster roll with umami-packed lobster X.O. sauce; a Sichuan-inspired lobster bisque with morels; and, sure, some non-lobster dishes, too. (We were huge fans of his French onion soup in his North Square Oyster days, so we’re delighted to see a version on this menu as well, punched up here with a parmesan-and-veal brodo, roasted garlic, and blistered fontina.) Also, Best of Boston doughnut queen Kate Holowchik is whipping up desserts like chocolate-chip cookie fritters with miso caramel and s’mores chocolate cremeux with birch beer ice cream. (By the way, this is not a winery—the name’s a nod to a mystery book written by Rodrigues’ grandfather.)

17 New Driftway, Scituate, thesaltmarshwinery.com.

Chefs prepare a wagyu, truffle, and maitake appetizer at Yoshida. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Yoshida (Back Bay)

Boston’s truly in its high-end sushi era: There’s another new omakase spot in town. Sibling to the Greater Boston mini-chain Karma Asian Fusion, known for its flashy sushi presentations and eye-catching restaurant design, Yoshida is an intimate space (only 24 seats) with 18 elegant courses by chef Tony Cao, including several appetizers and a vast array of traditional nigiri. It’ll set you back $300+ per person, and—a bit of a Boston rarity—there’s a written dress code (“smart business”). Button up and dive into luxurious seafood bites and intriguing sake selections by the carafe or bottle.

51 Massachusetts Ave., Back Bay, Boston, yoshidaomakase.com.

Older Restaurants Doing New Things

Anniversaries and expansions—time for a (re)visit.

Anna’s Taqueria

Super burrito fans, can you believe Anna’s is celebrating its 30th anniversary this month? You’ll have to wait until September to really celebrate, though: Head over to one of the 10 locations on September 10 for throwback 1995 pricing on super-sized burritos ($3.50 each), and if you’re among the first 50 customers through the door, each location is giving out commemorative T-shirts. Plus: Watch for a downtown expansion sometime next month, with Dedham, South Boston, and Cranston, Rhode Island to follow.

Multiple locations, annas.com.

The caviar cart at Bubble Bath Back Bay. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Bubble Bath Back Bay

From food hall to up, up, and away, Tiffani Faison‘s Champagne-focused wine bar Bubble Bath expands from Downtown Boston’s High Street Place to the tippity-top of the CitizenM hotel at Back Bay’s Lyrik development this month. The views: stunning. The wine: bubbly (and non-bubbly, too; there are tons of wine options for drinkers of all tastes). The snacks: fancy. You’re not eating ham and cheese; you’re eating cold-smoked speck from Italy with sottocenere cheese. Oh, and there are caviar carts.

Opening Wednesday, August 6. 408 Newbury St. (CitizenM Back Bay Hotel; take the first elevator to floor 2 and the next elevator to “R”), Back Bay, Boston, bubblebathboston.com.

Maple crullers at Daily Provisions. / Photo by Peter Garritano

Daily Provisions (Harvard Square)

Say what you will about chains and the evolution of Harvard Square, but we just can’t bring ourselves to be mad about the arrival of this beloved New York-based all-day café chain from Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group. Those irresistible crullers might have something to do with it. (By the way, the August flavor of the month is raspberry hibiscus.) Stay tuned for a Seaport location in 2026 (alongside a higher-end Italian restaurant from the same group, Ci Siamo), and maybe more locations after that. But in the meantime, enjoy those crullers, takeout-friendly roast chicken dinners, and hearty sandwiches and salads in the heart of Harvard Square.

1 Brattle Sq., Harvard Square, Cambridge, dailyprovisions.co.

Tacos and beer at Democracy Brewing. / Photo by Gene Buonaccorsi

Democracy Brewing (East Boston)

Downtown Boston’s worker-owned brewpub has expanded to Eastie; here’s a peek inside the new space. Snack on globally inspired dishes, from Cajun-spiced tater tots to Venezuelan-style braised beef tacos to Cuban sandwiches, and try a flight of Democracy’s refreshing brews, such as a key lime sour or a hopped lager.

154 Maverick St., East Boston, democracybrewing.com.

Chilled lobster salad with avocado, sweet corn, lemon vinaigrette, chickpeas, Bibb lettuce, and dill, accompanied by the Pink Pony Club cocktail (gin, lemon, strawberry amaro, guava, and basil oil) at Row 34 Kenmore. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Row 34 (Kenmore Square)

The Best of Boston seafood stunner opens its fifth location on August 7—and the Kenmore Square space may feel familiar to fish fans, as it has also housed Row 34’s one-time sibling Island Creek Oyster Bar, not to mention Great Bay and Pescador. The team’s feeling a bit nostalgic, to be sure, and chef/co-owner Jeremy Sewall is putting Island Creek’s beloved lobster roe pasta with braised shortrib on Row 34 Kenmore’s opening menu, but Sewall and co-owner Shore Gregory are also determined to keep pushing the growing brand into the future, always finding exciting new ways to showcase locally sourced seafood.

498 Commonwealth Ave. (Hotel Commonwealth), Kenmore Square, Boston, 617-213-7750, row34.com.