Five Road Trip-Worthy Restaurants Beyond Boston

Our November 2025 issue is out now, featuring our annual Top 50 Restaurants list. This collection of top-tier special-occasion restaurants sticks close to Boston, but there’s so much to discover elsewhere in New England, too—so we wanted to share some of our beyond-Boston favorites with you. From Providence to Portland and beyond, here are five worth-the-drive restaurants we hope you’ll check out.

Black Trumpet

Nearly 20 years in, Portsmouth chef-owner Evan Mallett’s passion for local foodways shines in dishes like quail aji adobo with local farro and bok choy. The eclectic wine list roams from Vermont’s wild-fermented La Garagista to farther-flung finds.

29 Ceres St., Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 603-431-0887, blacktrumpetbistro.com.

See also: Must-Visit Restaurants in Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Gift Horse. / Photo by Catherine Dzilenski

Gift Horse

A touch of South Korean soul put this raw bar, sibling to Providence must-try Oberlin, on the map after its 2023 opening. Whatever changes come with the arrival of a new chef late in 2025, expect inventive small plates, with easy-drinking sips to match.

272 Westminster St., Providence, Rhode Island, 401-383-3813, gifthorsepvd.com.

See also: Must-Visit Restaurants in Providence, Rhode Island

Lune’s green bean almondine. / Photo by Charlotte Formichella

Lune

Cape Cod eateries don’t usually serve BLT tarts with bacon foam, but Lune isn’t your typical Cape Cod spot. This James Beard semifinalist centers around an open kitchen, showcasing hyperlocal bounty through tasting menus and wine bar–style à la carte nights.

587 MA-28, Dennis Port, Massachusetts, 508-237-6597, lunecapecod.com.

See also: Must-Visit Restaurants on Cape Cod

The Shipwright’s Daughter

This acclaimed “tide-to-table” restaurant centers everything on doing right, from ingredient sourcing to labor practices, creating delectable dishes like five-spiced yellowfin tuna and “sea-scargot” with slipper limpets that happen to be both ethical and delicious.

20 E. Main St., Mystic, Connecticut, 860-536-7605, shipwrightsdaughter.com.

See also: New England Travel Awards: 30 Escapes for Right Now

Twelve. / Courtesy photo

Twelve

Colin Wyatt’s croissant lobster roll may have gone viral on social, but the Eleven Madison Park alum’s Portland restaurant offers so much more. It’s where fine-dining experience meets breathtaking presentation—think almost-too-pretty-to-eat swordfish dotted with purple shiso leaves.

115 Thames St., Portland, Maine, 207-910-7400, twelvemaine.com.

See also: Must-Visit Restaurants in Portland, Maine

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.