The 38 Essential Restaurants in Boston

Where to find irresistible ceviche, spicy hand-pulled noodles, heaping bowls of ramen, and so much more

Presenting Boston’s updated Eater 38, the answer to any question that begins, “Can you recommend a restaurant?”

Whether new to Boston or a lifelong resident, an eater will find much to explore here: The city is lucky to have an incredible seafood-filled dining scene, for one thing, but there’s so much more, from spicy hand-pulled Xi’an-style noodles in a casual storefront to heaping bowls of ramen in a restaurant that wants its customers’ dreams to come true to flavor-packed Mediterranean on a romantic patio to funky wines in intimate bars.

As such, this elite group of 38 must-try restaurants is meant to cover the city of Boston and a little bit beyond while spanning multiple cuisines, costs, and neighborhoods, collectively satisfying every restaurant need.

Every quarter, Eater Boston adds a few pertinent restaurants that were omitted, have newly become eligible (restaurants must be open at least six months), or have stepped up their game. As such, a few restaurants are retired from the map each quarter — not necessarily forever — to make room.

This quarter, we welcome a few newcomers and a few classic spots to the map: Blossom Bar in Brookline, Branch Line in Watertown, Dear Annie in Cambridge, Seabiscuit in East Boston, Spoke Wine Bar in Somerville, Taiwan Cafe in Chinatown, and Tres Gatos in Jamaica Plain.

For details on past 38 entries, consult the Eater 38 archive. And do check out the Eater Boston Heatmap to find the hottest new restaurants in town right this very second.

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Note: Restaurants on this map are listed geographically.

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