10 Boston Bars And Restaurants To Visit This Winter

While Boston’s many green spaces are packed full of locals and tourists alike during the warmer months, this historic city takes on an entirely different atmosphere in the dead of winter. The howling winds and plunging temperatures tend to keep people off the streets at all hours—but fortunately, the city comes equipped with its fair share of cozy bars and restaurants that are perfect for escaping the cold. From cozy French-inspired bistros to elevated cocktail bars, Boston is certain to have the perfect venue in place for your next cold-weather foray into the city.

Kaia

A recent addition to Boston’s South End, Kaia shines a spotlight on the natural bounty of the Aegean, providing diners with a wealth of flavorful dishes inspired by the cuisine of coastal Greece. The menu offers creative spins on classic dishes, with the kopanisti featuring bold notes of spicy feta, boukovo and stinky tofu to mimic the flavors of one of the most iconic cheeses of the Cyclades, while the souvlaki features succulent lion’s mane mushrooms bathed in a dulse lemonato, creating a flavor profile that’s bursting with notes of both umami and citrus. And as an added bonus, the restaurant has mastered the art of spanakopita, offering an elevated take on the dish that’s enhanced with preserved black truffle and a rich blend of Aegean herbs.

Hei La Moon

Boston’s Chinatown is rife with top-tier East Asian eateries, but when it comes to dim sum in particular, few venues can compare to Hei La Moon. This colorful, two-story restaurant comes equipped with a colossal menu packed full of classic Chinese favorites, with options like pork shumai, shrimp hargow and steamed roast pork buns all available for guests. Seafood aficionados should be sure to snag an order of stuffed crab claws and shrimp rolls—or some vegetable shrimp kew, if you’re in need of something more substantial—while the egg yolk buns are bursting with sugary custard, making them perfect for any visitors with a sweet tooth.

Parker’s Restaurant

Newcomers to Boston can get a double dose of Bay State history and hearty American fare during a trip to Parker’s Restaurant, an elegant diner that serves as the centerpiece of the Omni Parker House hotel. Savory dishes abound across the menu, with sherry-infused French onion soup and Boston scrod—a baked whitefish dish that’s been served at the hotel since 1906—both serving as the perfect choice for a cold winter day, but this refined venue is best known for one plate in particular. The Boston cream pie was invented at the Omni Parker House back in the 1850s, and in the modern era, this sweet dessert can still be enjoyed just a few steps away from its place of origin.

Vejigantes

There’s a little slice of Puerto Rico in the Bay State in the form of Vejigantes, a colorful venue found in Boston’s South End. While the restaurant is perfect for dining on beloved dishes like beef pastelillos and crab alcapurrias—both of which pair perfectly with a signature Coquitini—it also offers an opportunity to sample one of Puerto Rico’s crown jewels of Caribbean dining. Known as trifongo, this hearty dish consists of a rich blend of cassava as well as green and ripe plantains, each one mashed together in a pilón and combined with butter and garlic. Next, this mass of starch is combined with a healthy serving of pork or beef, making it the perfect dish for warming up on a cold Boston day.

Lolita – Back Bay

After perusing some of the finest boutique shops along Newbury Street, Lolita is waiting with an all-star roster of refreshing tequila cocktails to chase away the cold. The venue excels at the art of the classic margarita, with options spanning from spicy cucumber to the elderflower and citrus-infused Broken Heart, while other agave-based concoctions include the mezcal-based Flor de Luna and tequila espresso martini—and to sweeten the deal, Lolita is no slouch when it comes to dining, either. The duck taquitos and pork carnitas are both ideal options for meat lovers, while seafood aficionados should be sure to spring for the ceviche taco crunch, a flavorful starter that’s packed full of hamachi, sweet mango chili and crispy shallots.

Mr. H

Adorned with vibrant red design flourishes and a gilded dragon statue, Mr. H stands out as one of the Seaport’s most captivating dining destinations—but there’s a lot more to the restaurant than just its looks. The venue is home to a treasure trove of upscale Chinese dishes, with the menu divided into four separate sections spanning from Cold Treasures to Wok & BBQ. While the restaurant is a top spot for seafood fans thanks to dishes like tangerine tuna, oysters mee sua and crab and shrimp shumai, it also doubles as an ideal destination for a night out with friends, with an impressive cocktail selection and multiple large-format dishes like Cantonese fried chicken and imperial steak up for grabs.

Equal Measure

Boston is no stranger to high-end cocktail bars, but in recent years, few venues have matched the prestige of Equal Measure. Recently named a semifinalist for “Best New Bar” in the 2025 James Beard Awards, this lauded spot invites guests to sample a wealth of refined cocktails alongside a diverse array of beer, wine and bar snacks. Visitors can spring for tried-and-true classics like the Toki highball and espresso martini, but for a particularly unique experience, don’t miss out on the Gracias Gazpacho. Crafted to mimic a classic Spanish soup, this cocktail comes loaded with clarified tomato, cilantro serrano oil and a dose of Botanist gin for a double punch of umami and salinity.

Bistro du Midi

Wild mushroom tartes, seafood bouillabaisse and truffle-infused filet mignon are just a few of the high-end dishes that can be enjoyed at Bistro du Midi, a staple for French cuisine found just a few steps away from the Public Garden. While the property comes equipped with a cozy, street-facing lower level and a grandiose upstairs dining room, both spaces are perfect for exploring the restaurant’s lengthy drinks menu, with no shortage of high-end cocktails and wines to sample during a visit. For gin aficionados, the Bistro Quinze is a particularly refreshing option that’s brimming with citrus and black cherry, while the Smoke in the Vineyard blends Cognac, mezcal and Cynar for a rich, spirit-forward experience.

Lucy Ethiopian Cafe

In the mood for classic East African cuisine? Look no further than Lucy Ethiopian Cafe, a casual Huntington Avenue spot that’s been drawing Northeastern students and local residents for well over a decade. For vegetarian diners in particular, the venue offers a particularly diverse array of dishes to sample, with options spanning from timatim fitfit—a fragrant blend of onions, tomatoes and jalapeños—to the yellow combo, a vibrant platter that comes loaded with split pea stew, potatoes and spiced cabbage. Meat lovers, on the other hand, also have their fair share of options, with doro wot (a type of spicy chicken stew) and lamb tibs both gracing the menu.

Zuma

Seafood fans take note—Zuma offers some of the finest nigiri, sashimi and maki in all of the Bay State capital. To kick off the meal, guests can dine on top-quality hamachi and uni, then crank up the flavor with a few sushi rolls, with options spanning from snow crab-loaded California maki to the sake no aburi, a hearty selection that’s loaded with torched salmon belly and fresh truffle. To sweeten the deal, Zuma also comes equipped with savory robata options like shishito pepper beef skewers and salt-grilled branzino, while shellfish fans can splurge on the ise ebi no oven yaki, a 1.5-pound roasted lobster that comes complete with an added dose of shiso ponzu butter.