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The man himself at the 2025 MICHELIN Guide Northeast cities ceremony, held in Philadelphia on Tuesday, November 17. / Photo by John Ryan

 

In a whirlwind of stars, Bib Gourmands, and one anthropomorphic stack of tires, the Michelin Guide announced the contents of its 2025 Northeast Cities edition on November 18. Boston was included in the international set of where-to-eat guides for the first time, along with another newbie, Philadelphia, and returning cities New York, Chicago, and D.C. Our region emerged with a single star (congrats to 311 Omakase!), a special cocktail award for Mahaniyom co-owner Chompon “Boong” Boonnak, six Bib Gourmands, and 19 recommended restaurants.

In the wake, Greater Boston’s food lovers and restaurant industry workers are feeling a mix of emotions: There’s lots to be excited about, but many hoped the region would earn more stars and more restaurants recognized overall, with several seemingly obvious omissions coming up again and again (Sarma, for example). It’s only the first year in what will be at least a three-year partnership between local tourism bureaus and Michelin, so there’s room to grow.

“Gauntlet thrown,” as Globe food critic Devra First writes. “It gives ambitious chefs something to aim for, and a reason to stick around town.” But in addition to restaurants upping their game in the coming year, we hope the Michelin inspectors dig deeper, too, particularly when it comes to scouting potential Bib Gourmand and recommended restaurants. While Michelin stars typically go to fine-dining, tasting-menu-type destinations, the other two categories spotlight a broader swath of restaurants. Bib Gourmands are awarded to restaurants with “good quality” and “good value cooking”—sometimes affordable hole-in-the-wall types of spots, and sometimes moderate-to-kinda-upscale neighborhood staples that exemplify value. Recommended restaurants include moderate/upscale-ish spots, too, and some finer-dining restaurants that show potential for a future star. Or simply “good cooking,” as the Michelin Guide itself reads, without an emphasis on price.

So with an eye toward 2026, here are 20 Greater Boston restaurants that we hope the Michelin inspectors visit in the coming year. (This is by no means an exhaustive list, just a sampling of some obvious Michelin fodder and some under-the-radar picks that were top of mind as the 2025 announcement rolled out this week.)

 

Yume Ga Arukara

This little Japanese udon shop draws big lines (and national attention), and it added a bustling second location last year. The streamlined menu offers just a few options and lets the staff train their focus on making flawlessly bouncy noodles. Oh, how we love the spicy cold niku udon in particular. Pro tip: Order extra beef.

1815 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge; 70 Pier 4 Blvd., Seaport District, Boston; yumegaarukara.com.

Bar Vlaha and Kaia

At Xenia Greek Hospitality’s Bar Vlaha, rustic Greek cuisine serves as an ode to the mountainous lands of the nomadic Vlach people. It makes for lively group dining, especially at the communal table looking into the open kitchen. We can’t get enough of the fried mushrooms and the sourdough bread (bring a loaf home!), both nice accompaniments to big, beautiful roasts. And the group’s newest endeavor, Kaia—maybe too new to have been on Michelin’s 2025 radar?—is a swanky coastal Greek dream inspired by the Aegean, with adventurous, attention-grabbing dishes, including impressive whole-fish preparations.

Bar Vlaha, 1653 Beacon St., Washington Square, Brookline, 617-906-8556, barvlaha.com; Kaia, 370 Harrison Ave., Boston, 617-514-0700, kaiasouthend.com.

Boonnoon Market

Regional Thai specialties abound at this suburban nook, which somehow packs shelves full of retail Thai goods into the miniature space, too. We gravitate towards Northern dishes: lovely renditions of khao soi, a sunshine-yellow curry noodle soup marked by the bite of pickled mustard greens, and ua lao, a spicy, dill-y sausage. The orange rosemary Thai tea soothes the heat.

161 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington, 781-316-0059, boonnoonmarket.com.

Brassica Kitchen + Café

This Jamaica Plain hot spot, freshly moved into a bigger space next to its original location, is monumentally hard to define. But in a big nutshell: Italian-ish/Japanese-ish with French roots and an obsession with fermentation, upcycling, and reducing waste. The signature koji risotto with parmesan and parmesan shoyu is an absolute must, and a great metaphor for the team’s zero-waste aspirations, but don’t miss the Best of Boston doughnut if you spot it on the dessert or brunch menu. Other must-tries: fried chicken with all the house hot sauces; pork belly with brown buttered marshmallow and ginger chutney; a “secret” burger (get there early).

3712 Washington St., Jamaica Plain, Boston, 617-477-4519, brassicakitchen.com.

Celeste and La Royal

This showstopping Peruvian duo—with a spectacular dinner-party-esque sibling up in Vermont and a high-profile Back Bay sibling opening this winter—constantly wow us with bright, citrusy ceviches, deeply savory lomo saltado, and other Peruvian and chifa (Peruvian-Chinese) fare, not to mention the sweetest hospitality. The compact Celeste, a Union Square staple, feels like you’re right in the owners’ kitchen, while La Royal is bigger and moodier, with a date-night ambiance.

Celeste, 21 Bow St., Union Square, Somerville, 617-616-5319, celesteunionsquare.com; La Royal, 221 Concord Ave., Cambridge, 617-823-1595, laroyalcambridge.com.

Comfort Kitchen

It can be hard for a restaurant to excel when covering multiple cuisines, but 2023’s Best New Restaurant Comfort Kitchen is up to the challenge, taking on the wide world of the African diaspora and the flavors and techniques that entails. Think: cassava gnudi with goat ragu; jerk roasted duck leg with pikliz; and a coconut-based fish chowder with cornmeal fried cod. And don’t skip the vegetable dishes; we’re still thinking about an entrée from half a year ago starring brown-butter mushrooms with cassava-spinach dumplings.

611 Columbia Rd., Dorchester, Boston, 617-329-6910, comfortkitchenbos.com.

The Eaves and Saigon Babylon

At this duo (and their delightful sibling café Cicada), stories of modern Vietnamese cuisine are told through local sourcing and intricately designed, unique spaces, one tucked cozily into a former storage area at Bow Market in Somerville (the Eaves) and one perched gorgeously on a Cambridge rooftop (Saigon Babylon). Small but expertly crafted menus anchor each spot, with noodle soups and whiskey starring at the former and winners like a lemongrass beef carpaccio and tamarind Old Fashioned at the latter.

The Eaves, 1 Bow Market Way, Union Square, Somerville, instagram.com/midnight_eaves; Saigon Babylon, 907 Main St., Floor 5, Cambridge, 617-945-4509, instagram.com/saigon_babylon.

Fallow Kin and Talulla

We were bummed to see the James Beard-nominated Talulla and its exquisite farm-to-table cuisine, available in both tasting-menu format and à la carte, absent from the Michelin nods. We’re daydreaming about a late-spring strawberry gazpacho, but any time of year, the pasta dishes always delight: a lasagna Bolognese with kimchi and gremolata, for instance. Plus, the Talulla team, partnered with Tasting Counter alum Marcos Sanchez, opened Fallow Kin late this year, too recently for 2025 consideration, but fingers crossed for next year. The seasonal, local restaurant showcases vegetables (without being vegetarian) with fine-dining precision and zero-waste aspirations. This is certainly one to watch.

Fallow Kin, 853 Main St., Central Square, Cambridge, fallowkin.com; Talulla, 377 Walden St., Cambridge, 617-714-5584, talullacambridge.com.

Field & Vine

Come here for innovative farm-to-table fare in a beautiful dining room reminiscent of a forest fairytale. We love discovering new-to-us vegetables and condiments melded together in intriguing ways. If something on the menu makes you say “What?!”—that’s what to order. (Bonus recommendation: Field & Vine’s casual, pizza-focused sibling June Bug is right around the corner and so fun. Start with shrimp toast; end with flan.)

9 Sanborn Ct., Union Square, Somerville, 617-718-2333, fieldandvinesomerville.com.

Lê Madeline

Head south of the city for this big-flavored, modern spin on Vietnamese food through the lens of second-generation Vietnamese Americans. We implore you not to leave without trying the Việt Cajun crawfish noodles and the Vietnamese-inspired lobster roll of the moment. On the more traditional side, the shaking beef is a top-notch homage to a classic. The old-school phở and rice plates from the lunch menu are also available at dinner upon request, and you can add bone marrow to any soup.

409 Hancock St., Quincy, 617-328-9600, lemadeline.com.

Rubato

Another Quincy hit, this petite Hong Kong-style counter-service café features comforting fare, savory and sweet alike, in the morning and afternoon. Our regular order is the warming congee with all the fixings or the ji cheung fun (steamed rice rolls) with curry fish balls, and the buttery bolo bao stuffed with crispy fried chicken is always a tempting option. Watch for Rubato @ Night events, occasional intimate tasting-menu dinners.

412 Hancock St., Quincy, 617-481-2049, rubato-food.com.

Sarma

The top restaurant in Greater Boston in 2025, in our humble opinion, and probably the most frequently mentioned spot in the “what Michelin missed” discourse. The lively, Mediterranean-inspired destination features a huge menu of ever-changing, bold-flavored small plates and some long-running favorites like an off-menu fried chicken. Don’t leave without an order of the Black Sea cornbread with feta, honey, and sesame and the harissa barbecue duck shish. And don’t be afraid of the notoriously tough-to-book reservations: Just try for a bar seat. 8:30 p.m. is the sweet spot, says chef-owner Cassie Piuma.

249 Pearl St., Somerville, 617-764-4464, sarmarestaurant.com.

Singh’s Roti Shop

Boston’s Caribbean food scene leans heavily in the Jamaican and Haitian directions, so it’s always a joy to indulge in some of the less-represented cuisines of the region. Case in point: Singh’s Roti Shop, celebrating Trinidadian roti in almost endless variations (try oxtail or goat). Don’t leave without a bottle of one of the fiery house hot sauces and an order of sweet-spicy doubles.

554 Columbia Rd., Dorchester, Boston, 617-282-7977; 76 Revere Beach Blvd., Revere, 781-629-3049; singhsrotishop.net.

Spoke

This multi-year Best Wine Bar winner is a wine bar, yes, but don’t ignore the highly creative, artistically plated food that comes out of the tiny kitchen. For instance: enoki cakes with sausage spice and pineapple sauce; lamb neck steak with marigold pesto and kiwis; or the fan-favorite sunchoke doughnuts with XO gouda and powdered leeks. Spoke excels at drinks and food equally, so hopefully Michelin inspectors will be lured to the food side of the equation.

89 Holland St., Davis Square, Somerville, 617-718-9463, spokewinebar.com.

Tonino

This comfy neighborhood Italian spot is a little bit eclectic in the best ways. Get the countneck clams with guanciale and Calabrian chili, a must-try in addition to whatever pizza and/or pastas you order. Plus, don’t miss the small but mighty sake selection, a sneakily good pairing for Italian. (Can’t get a seat? Some of the menu, mostly pizza, is available for takeout, and you can turn on the restaurant’s Spotify playlist at home: instant vibes.)

669A Centre Street, Jamaica Plain, 617-524-9217, toninojp.com.

Uni

It’s tough to stand out in Boston’s increasingly large high-end sushi scene, but Uni has a two-pronged approach, nailing both serious omakase skills and fusion-y kitchen dishes that complement your sushi feast. The menu changes often, but you’ll typically spot duck confit gyoza with chili crisp—definitely get those—and beautiful vegetable dishes where ingredients like beets or carrots are treated with as much care as seafood. Venture onto the cocktail menu, too, where savory ingredients are used in surprising ways: a wasabi and snap pea drink, for example.

370A Commonwealth Ave., Back Bay, Boston, 617-536-7200, uni-boston.com.