Where to Eat in Greater Boston in March 2024

March is here, the weather is confusing, and we’ve got one foot in our comfort-food season and one foot in is-it-too-early-to-eat-on-a-patio? season. Either way, there’s great food to be had, and we’re back with our monthly guide on where to eat around Greater Boston—a mix of new restaurants, old restaurants doing new things, a few particularly great meals Boston staffers have enjoyed lately, and a peek ahead at imminent openings.

Older Restaurants Doing New Things

Interesting menu changes, special events, new chefs. 

Beard Papa’s

Not so much an older restaurant doing a new thing but a previous spot making a comeback: Japan-based chain Beard Papa’s has returned to Boston. Known for its cream puffs, the bakery chain used to have a handful of local outposts that closed in the past few years, but Boston fans can once again enjoy the fresh-baked, light-as-air pastries stuffed with decadent cream. Here’s a peek inside.

232 Newbury St., Back Bay, Boston, 857-449-9156, beardpapas.com/boston.

Committee

Lamb frites and shrimp saganaki, anyone? The Seaport District Greek restaurant and cocktail bar is getting a boost from a new menu, the return of lunch, and a (sort of) new executive chef. Luis Figueroa is now at the helm of the kitchen, but he was actually on Committee’s opening team back in 2015. (In the interim, he’s cooked at a few other places, including Greek restaurant Kosmos in Walpole.) The revamped lunch service includes a convenient mix of salads, sandwiches, and customizable bowls.

50 Northern Ave., Seaport District, Boston, 617-737-5051, committeeboston.com.

Lê Madeline

After 10 years, Quincy’s Pho Linh, a traditional Vietnamese noodle shop, has transformed into Lê Madeline, showcasing modern Vietnamese with a twist (not to mention a ridiculously good lobster roll and some killer cocktails). Executive chef Peter Nguyen, a Boston native who was most recently cooking down in Houston, draws some inspiration from the south, like in his Việt Cajun crawfish noodles dish (pictured above). You can still get the old Pho Linh menu at lunch, but head in for dinner for the full revamped Lê Madeline experience.

409 Hancock St., Quincy, lemadeline.com.

Phinista

As of the beginning of February, this French-Vietnamese café in the Fenway is under new ownership. Now, the daytime crêpe-and-bánh-mì-focused menu eases into dinner entrees in the evening, including Thai dishes like khao man gai (chicken and rice with garlic and ginger) and guay tiew neau toon (stewed beef with noodles). Watch social media for other updates.

96 Peterborough St., Fenway, Boston, 617-262-7700, phinista.com.

Rochambeau

This French stunner has been going strong since 2019, but now there’s a fresh reason to stop by: The downstairs dining area has been transformed into “The Steak Room,” a prix fixe steak frites heaven—with endless frites!—for lunch and dinner.

900 Boylston St., Back Bay, Boston, 617-247-0400, rochambeauboston.com.

Sullivan’s Castle Island

Not exactly a new thing—just Boston’s first sign of spring! Sullivan’s reopens its original Castle Island location on March 2 after its annual winter break. Hot dogs, burgers, fried fish, and ice cream await.

2080 William J. Day Blvd., South Boston, 617-268-5685, sullivanscastleisland.com.

Wink & Nod

By design, this South End cocktail bar’s culinary program rotates from time to time—and the time has come for the latest switch-up. Chef Louis DiBiccari’s Mediterranean-inspired pop-up, SubRosa, bid farewell in February, and now chef Brad Druckenbroad is onboard with Cenetta, “a contemporary approach to Italian classics.” You’ll find dishes such as tuna crudo cannoli, baked cod puttanesca, and limoncello cheesecake.

3 Appleton St., South End, Boston, 781-435-0394, winkandnod.com.

Staff Recommendations

Just a few places we’ve enjoyed recently that we think you’ll love too.

Deuxave

Every plate that comes out of Deuxave’s modern French kitchen is a work of art; go ahead and browse the restaurant’s Instagram account for a minute, and we’ll be here when you get back. But the French onion soup—well, we were pleased to find that the team deviated from swooshes and perfect plating here, instead opting for the rustic delight of molten Comté cheese baked to the sides of the bowl, the way French onion soup should be. And this one just so happens to be one of the tastiest around, thanks to the fantastic depth of the nine-hour beef broth. The rest of the meal was delicious, but it’s the soup we’re still dreaming about a week later.

371 Commonwealth Ave., Back Bay, Boston, 617-517-5915, deuxave.com.

Eastern Standard

Eastern Standard is back; the baked rigatoni with lamb sausage is back; all is right in the world. Get the rigatoni, plus the luxurious butterscotch bread pudding with praline ice cream and salted butter caramel for dessert—and perhaps start or end at sibling cocktail bar next door, Equal Measure, for a cocktail.

775 Beacon St. (in the Bower), Fenway/Kenmore, Boston, 617-530-1590, easternstandardboston.com.

La Brasa

The smell of the wood fire and the beautifully designed wooden interior will catch your attention first when you enter this East Somerville mainstay: It feels like the type of place that could be your comfortable neighborhood hang or your wedding venue. (Conveniently, the restaurant does host a lot of weddings!) You’ll want to make sure part of your meal includes tortillas, which are made in-house completely from scratch, starting with the nixtamalization of the corn. Might we suggest the fan-favorite cochinita tacos, made with chile de árbol, salsa verde, cilantro, and onion? We could eat a dozen of these—but then we wouldn’t have room for the expertly prepared entrees. Go for whichever version of duck or chuleta is currently on the menu.

124 Broadway, East Somerville, 617-764-1412, labrasasomerville.com.

Tora Ramen

No-frills but friendly, this cash-only Chinatown spot will get you in and out quickly on your lunch break. Choose from around 10 ramen options and an assortment of small plates (takoyaki, gyoza, etc.) We love the black garlic tonkotsu ramen, a hearty, umami-packed pick that stars torched pork belly and corn in a rich broth that takes about two days to make.

99 Harrison Ave., Chinatown, Boston, 857-233-4680, toraboston.com.

Looking Ahead

We’ve got an eye out for these soon-to-open spots. (Find our full list of 2024 anticipated openings here.)

Ciao Somerville

Love the wood-fired pizzas from Chelsea’s acclaimed Ciao, but hate trying to find a seat? You’re in luck: The tiny eatery is expanding to Somerville’s Ball Square, steps from the Green Line, any day now. This location has a bit more room—and a bigger menu, from bruschetta with seasonal toppings to larger selections of pastas and salads than at the original. Watch social media for updates on an imminent opening-day announcement.

688 Broadway, Ball Square, Somerville.

Seamark Seafood & Cocktails / Old Wives’ Tale

Seafood towers, lobster rolls, creative cocktails: It’s all on deck at Encore Boston Harbor’s forthcoming seafood spot (and speakeasy-style hidden cocktail bar, Old Wives’ Tale), set to open in April just off of the glamorous main lobby of the hotel and resort. Restaurateur Michael Schlow has signed on as chef-partner, collaborating with Vegas-based Carver Road Hospitality (which is run by Boston native Sean Christie). If you’re a longtime Bostonian, you’ll recognize Schlow from his past restaurants Radius, Via Matta, and more. And yep, that famous Radius burger will be on the menu at Seamark.