23 Best Restaurants in The Back Bay, Boston

Comfy armchairs and a grand, high-ceilinged dining room give diners a heightened sense of self-importance, beginning with lunch when the city's power elite stop in for great pastas (half portions are available), prime aged steaks, and oversize salads. For dinner, some patrons snag quick, pretheater bites at the bar while others opt for a more leisurely experience, lingering over sophisticated Italian dishes like tagliatelle Bolognese and succulent grilled veal chops with creamy potatoes and port wine sauce. Gluten-free and children's menus are available, along with a killer Sunday brunch with such options as poached eggs and beef tenderloin with a popover and truffle hollandaise.

At the corner of two avenues (Commonwealth and Massachusetts), which is how this restaurant got its name (deux is French for "two"), you'll find this snazzy, dark-wood enclave serving sophisticated dishes like spice-crusted ahi tuna and braised pork belly, pan-seared Atlantic halibut, and organic chicken with parsnip and foie gras agnolotti. Make sure to pair your meal with a bottle from the thoughtfully crafted and surprisingly affordable wine list served by an attentive staff.

Pinstripe suits, dark paneling, Persian rugs, and waiters in white jackets give this single-location steak house a posh tone, and the kitchen places a premium on seasonal, organic ingredients and sustainable and humanely raised meats; the divine coconut cake is worth saving room for dessert. Two bars, a big, buzzing one overlooking Berkeley Street and a quieter, smaller one on the second floor by the cozy fireplace, serve excellent drinks, specialty Scotches, and bar bites, along with the full menu.

Step into this Back Bay raw bar specializing in snappy cocktails and luscious preparations of all things seafood and you'll fall hook, line, and sinker for everything on the menu, including platters of fresh-shucked oysters on crushed ice, torched salmon belly with charred avocado, smoked fish that would make a New York deli owner proud, seafood-topped toasts, and a butter-drenched warm lobster roll overflowing with fresh meat. Rounding out the menu are tins of domestic and imported gourmet shellfish and fish (including caviar) served in all their oily goodness with bread, butter, smoked salt, lemon, and sweet pepper jam.

Snug quarters and no desserts can't quell the stream of diners pouring into this uptown enclave eager to savor oysters and seductive seafood combinations like salmon crudo with pistachio oil, Maine lobster cabbage-kale Thai salad, and blue prawns à la plancha. With 70% of the restaurant's catch coming from New England, plus a thoughtful libations list and polished service, you have all the ingredients for a good time, whether you're sitting at the bar, at the front communal table, or in the three-season alfresco area out back.

Buttermilk & Bourbon is chef Jason Santos's take on New Orleans fare, with dishes like beignets topped with powdered sugar, buttermilk biscuits paired with house-made sausage gravy, and fried chicken and waffles brought to your table in the cool lower-level space. Weekend brunch offers banana-cinnamon French toast, duck confit hash, and s'mores bacon. Cocktails, like hurricanes and sazeracs, keep to the NOLA theme.

Steps from the Boston Marathon finish line on Boylston Street, a coveted seat on the outdoor patio is worth the wait. If the weather isn't permitting, snag a spot inside this brasserie-vibe café inside the Charlesmark Hotel and be prepared to feast. The brunches are hearty, with traditional eggs and bacon sitting sidecar to Mediterranean labneh with za’tar and chickpeas, Greek yogurt with granola and honey, and eggplant and tahini spreads. The hummus bowls and shakshuka are some of the best in the city. Sip on Turkish coffee, have a tea ceremony, or slurp a huge Nutella milkshake.

While the sweeping Back Bay views and neoclassical–meets–art deco decor are something to behold, the menu is just as captivating at this new crown jewel atop the luxurious hotel The Newbury. Fanciful dishes such as melt-in-your-mouth squash carpaccio, spicy lobster capellini, and a signature 40-oz. dry-aged bistecca fiorentina are as dazzling as the crowd, a blend of well-heeled locals, city socialites, and trend-seeking singles (mostly at the buzzy bar). Designed like a conservatory with a glass roof and retractable panels for open air dining, this is one of the few year-round rooftops in Boston.

An epicenter for all things Italian, this powerhouse is all about one word: mangia. There are four restaurants, a marketplace, wine shop, cooking school, and seven to-go counters, so you can find anything you want to eat or drink here, and maybe discover a few things you didn't know you needed (perhaps a snack size of Piave Stravecchio DOP, a hard cheese from the Belluno province in northeastern Italy). Of note is the gorgeous new outdoor rooftop extension of the greenhouse-inspired third-floor restaurant, Terra, which is perfect for grabbing a glass of vino, some food, and some conversation.

Inspired by a grandma's confections, these cupcakes are heavenly. It's tough to choose between flavors like chocolate ganache, red velvet, double milk chocolate birthday, salted caramel, and the list goes on. There's even gluten-free lava fudge and vegan apple cinnamon. Check the board for daily specials. Just grab a half dozen, and call it a day.

Challenging the typical cookie weight limit, Levain's freshly baked cookies are the perfect two-person dessert, although it can be tough to share with flavors like chocolate chip walnut, dark chocolate chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and dark chocolate peanut butter chip tempting your sweet tooth. The banana chocolate chip loaf is moist, and the country boule breaks with the perfect outer crisp.

Boston has plenty of great seafood restaurants, but this sophisticated option near the Theater District turns out delicate and exquisitely prepared catches of the day fit for a king (and some say costing a king's ransom). Settle in with a seasonal cocktail in the sleek, pearl-white dining room before tucking into any one of the caviars or glistening raw fish tartares followed by a simply prepared entrée, whether it's a grilled sea bream in trevisano leaf or broiled Maine twin lobster. The kitchen has not left carnivores stranded at sea: In addition to sirloin carpaccio to start, you'll find several grilled steaks, along with luscious game hen and pasta preparations.

Enjoy coffee, snacks, and Wi-Fi access in this hip basement spot, one of several scattered about the city. Tea lovers needn't feel left out—there are plenty of excellent options, including jade oolong and chamomile medley.

In a pristine white space next to the Prudential Center, beloved local chef/co-owner Jody Adams takes Mediterranean fare up a notch, with starters like Spanish octopus, local burrata, and meatballs, and entrées like whole roasted branzino and house-made pastas wowing diners. Other popular dishes include grilled lamb chops and saffron mussels. In good weather, the outdoor bar and patio is a bustling spot to drink and dine.

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s newest venture within the Mandarin Oriental hotel offers a taste of his most well-known dishes along with a few local twists. While his famous beef Wellington sits front-and-center as a no-brainer choice entrée, he also gives a properly placed nod to local seafood with jumbo lump crab cakes and lobster, as well as clam bouillabaisse, Boston lager-steamed mussels, crispy skin salmon, and fish and chips. Should a lobster roll be served cold or warm? He appeases all by offering both versions.

This two-story French-inspired bistro and café offers a stylish spot to sip a latte and enjoy a quiche in the morning, power lunch at midday, or dine on dishes like duck l'orange or the plate of the day, such as lemon chicken tagine or trout almandine at night. The weekend brunch menu includes classics, like croque madame, with ham, Gruyère and bechamel on brioche, topped with a sunny-side-up egg, and a to-die-for cinnamon skillet bread. The decor channels Paris, with lots of subway tiles, copper accents, and art nouveau touches. Two bars, one on each level, offer plenty of space to spread out.

Café society blossoms along Newbury Street, particularly at Sonsie, where a well-heeled crowd sips coffee up front or angles for places at the bar. Lunch and dinner dishes veer toward basic bistro fare with an American twist, such as kale Caesar salad with grilled chicken and pan-roasted salmon with potatoes, chard, and beet "ketchup." The restaurant is terrific for weekend brunch, when the light pours through the long windows, and is at its most vibrant in warm weather, when the open doors make for stellar people-watching. A downstairs wine room, meanwhile, offers more intimacy. The late-night pizza and dessert menu (nightly until at least midnight) is perfect for after-hours cravings, including their famous espresso martini.

Here's comfort food at its best—sophisticated enough for adults (lobster pot pie), yet simple enough for kids (burgers and pasta). The attractive space has plenty of booths for spreading out in, and the great patio is a lively spot in summer. It's the perfect people-watching perch as you dine on dishes such as decadent three-cheese macaroni, Stephi's burger, and huge Back Bay chopped salad.

Boston uberchef Jasper White's casual New England seafood restaurant is a boisterous, bright, fun eatery next to the Prudential Center (he also has one in Cambridge and at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut), where creamy clam chowder and fried Ipswich clams share menu space with golden crab cakes and cedar-planked, maple-lemon–glazed salmon. In addition to a handful of chicken and meat dishes for those not into seafood, White features some of the most succulent lobsters in the city (he has a patented process for cooking them). Go super local with a traditional New England clam bake, complete with red potatoes, corn, linguica, clams, and mussels served in a net bag.

Diving head first into dishes like cuttlefish ink spaghetti, rare tuna steak with roasted eggplant, and salmon with pork belly and spring peas, chef Robert Sisca pays homage to New England’s long-standing fishing tradition. While the ocean's bounty is its main theme, he doesn't leave landlubbers stranded; there are a few chicken and turf dishes as well. A first-floor raw bar offers stellar crudo, oyster, and caviar selections. The Banks Lobster Bake is a pricey feast worth every penny, and the Fisherman's Feast is a heaping plate of fried cod, shrimp and clams.

A carnivore's utopia awaits within the clubby, dark-wood walls of this beloved steak house favored by those on expense accounts. Adjust your starched napkin and tuck into such staples as lobster and crab cakes, a massive shellfish platter, and succulent meats such as the 24-ounce dry-aged porterhouse. The crowd-watching is as tasty as the food: VIPs in striped suits make deals over dessert, and women in Manolo Blahnik heels sip martinis.

Folks gather at the two-story Trident Booksellers & Café to review literary best sellers, thumb through the superb magazine selection, and chow down on items from the perpetual breakfast menu. The restaurant also serves lunch and dinner and has an excellent beer and wine selection. Readings, writers clubs, speed dating and other events are held at the bookstore almost every night.

Inside the tasteful boutique Eliot Hotel lies an innovative izakaya (informal Japanese gastropub), owned by Boston star chefs-partners Ken Oringer and Tony Messina, who offer boldly flavored renditions of Asian street food—Sai Oua lettuce wraps; Mai duck carnitas; Wagyu beef dumplings; shrimp teriyaki fried rice; and dozens of tempting sashimi and nigiri choices. Although the bites can add up price-wise, the menu has a sprinkling of inexpensive dishes, like fried chicken bao bun and blistered shishito peppers. Cocktail aficionados will appreciate the creative and sophisticated offerings, and it's worth checking out the extensive reserve sake menu.