Five Favorite Restaurants in the Boston Suburbs

On newsstands now: our November 2025 issue, featuring our annual Top 50 Restaurants list. That lists sticks pretty close to Boston, but we didn’t want to let some of our current favorites farther outside of the city go unrecognized. Here are five suburban standouts we’re loving these days, serving locavore French, sushi with dry-aged fish, cozy gastropub fare, and more.

A spread of food at Bernadette. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Bernadette

Salem isn’t just for Halloween—it’s for Daniel Boulud–trained chefs doing French magic. Year-old Bernadette should top your Witch City must-try list thanks to Aaron Chambers (who climbed the ranks in Boulud’s empire) putting a fresh French spin on farm-to-table fare, with très délicieux results.

65 Washington St., Salem, bernadettesalem.com.

Bucatini all’amatriciana at Mida Fenway. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Mida

Boston’s best arancini can also be found in the suburbs. The Newton outpost of chef Douglass Williams’s popular Italian restaurant group delivers expertly made pastas and lightly charred thin-crust pizzas for the ultimate carb fest.
Bonus: Weekday lunch means garlic-buttered chicken Parm sandwiches.

Northern Spy

Savor the culinary revolution at Paul Revere’s former copper mill site, where chef Marc Sheehan is leading the charge. This food history buff oversees an extremely New England-y menu, from baked stuffed scrod to seafood pot pie. Don’t be afraid to veer beyond the classics into dishes like Plimoth Grist Mill polenta with mushroom-and-leek stroganoff.

4 Rolling Mill Way, Canton, 781-989-1850, northernspycanton.com.

Thistle & Leek’s shawarma spiced chicken. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Thistle & Leek

London called—and Newton Centre answered with the perfect gastropub. This modern British-inspired hideaway beckons with seasonal small plates, Old World wines, and house-made ice creams—a truly great trifecta. Start with focaccia; try whatever pasta they’re serving; and watch for fan favorites like shawarma-spiced chicken or lamb meatballs.

105 Union St., Newton, 857-404-0260, thistleandleek.com.

XOXO Sushi Bar. / Photo by Joe St.Pierre

XOXO Sushi

You’ve heard of dry-aged steaks; how about dry-aged fish? The technique is a highlight at this trendy spot, resulting in new levels of tenderness and pure fish flavors. The non-sushi options are worthy of your attention, too, including robatayaki (charcoal-grilled dishes)—savory-sweet chicken thighs with brown-sugar soy, for example.

1154 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill, 617-505-3378, xoxosushi.com.

A version of this piece was first published in the print edition of the November 2025 issue as an addendum to the Top 50 Restaurants list.