The 50 Best Restaurants

SO YOU WANT TO KNOW what the hordes think about dining out in the city? Just pull up one of a million amateur-review websites or flip through a couple of those quote-filled guidebooks. But if it’s serious, considered advice on where to eat that you’re after, you need to put in a whole lot of research. Thankfully, we’ve taken care of that for you. For the past six months, we’ve been tearing through scores of Boston’s top restaurants, checking out the newcomers that are making waves and popping in on old favorites to see who’s still at the top of their game. We ate, analyzed, and argued, all to create our annual guide to the city’s greatest dining experiences. This time around, we also name Boston’s new must-try dishes and explore how we’ve become a hub of gastronomic discovery. Overthinking things? Maybe. But here it is: the intelligent diner’s guide to dining out now.

Blue Ginger's tuna poke on a perfectly crisped sushi-rice cake. All photographs by Anthony Tieuli 

Alta Strada

Chef Michael Schlow isn’t exactly a quiet-suburbs kind of restaurateur; the guy’s got an eatery at Foxwoods, for Pete’s sake. But the original Alta Strada in Wellesley forgoes flash for a delightfully cozy feel; it’s a family-friendly Italian restaurant with exposed brick and warm lighting that just happens to serve exceptional food. From the tender pistachio-topped sacchetti to the Heritage Farm pork chop bursting with flavor, it’s amore on a plate. >> Order This: Homemade ricotta with crostini; sacchetti pasta. >> Great For: Group gatherings.

92 Central St., Wellesley, 781-237-6100, altastradarestaurant.com.

1 Culinary Genius: How Bostonians are redefining the way the world thinks about food.

2 The New Icons: Classics still stand tall, but a fresh crop of signature dishes has risen to join them.

3 The Map: Where to find all 50 stops.

4 We're talking about Boston's 50 Best Restaurants all month long! Find updates on Chowder and jump in the conversation @ChowderBoston (#50Best).

Bergamot

That Somerville is now a hot dining destination is due, in large part, to Keith Pooler. In his kitchen at Bergamot, the chef takes the ubiquitous farm-to-table theme and runs with it, producing plates like a witty root vegetable “reverse risotto” and a pork chop with sweet-tart fig-and-gooseberry sauce. Swing by the bar for surprisingly creative drinks and snacks like pimiento cheese and crackers. >> Order This: Lobster melt (on the bar menu); crispy duck salad. >> Great For: Vegetarian dining, standout wine list.

118 Beacon St., Somerville, 617-576-7700, bergamotrestaurant.com.

Bistro du Midi

There are few restaurants in Boston our staffers recommend to friends more frequently than Provence-inspired Bistro du Midi. In its favor: location (across from the Public Garden), vibe (exceedingly polished, yet easygoing), and versatility (sip cocktails downstairs at the bar or have a more-formal meal upstairs). The clincher, of course, is the food — chef Robert Sisca’s Marseilles-style bouillabaisse and other seafood dishes are some of the most reliably impressive plates in town. >> Order This: Pan-roasted cod with golden raisins and chorizo; grilled Mediterranean sea bass. >> Great For: Date night, business engagement, creative cocktails, standout wine list.

272 Boylston St., Boston, 617-426-7878, bistrodumidi.com.

Blue Ginger

It’s been 13 years since this French-Asian spot opened, and more than 10 since People proclaimed chef Ming Tsai one of the country’s most beautiful people. But a meal here still delights. With artful presentations (tuna poke on a perfectly crisped sushi-rice cake) and brilliant flavor combinations (lobster in white wine–butter sauce with garlic and pepper) — not to mention impeccable service — this is a restaurant with beauty and brains. >> Order This: The garlic–black pepper lobster with lemongrass fried rice; the five-spice mini doughnuts. >> Great For: Business engagements, group gatherings, vegetarian dining.

583 Washington St., Wellesley, 781-283-5790, ming.com/blueginger.

Bondir

Jason Bond doesn’t proclaim anything. He buys local, but his menu doesn’t name-check every farm. No bigwig architect conceptualized his space. (In fact, he did most of the work himself.) So when you go to his petite, year-old restaurant, the experience will catch you off-guard. Every dish has a why-didn’t-someone-make-that-before originality, like a beetroot spaghetti the color of roses. Where other chefs’ food shouts, Bond’s whispers. Listen closely: The message is profoundly good. >> Order This: Sage tagliatelle; handmade burrata; any of the sorbets and ice creams. >> Great For: Date night, standout wine list.

279A Broadway, Cambridge, 617-661-0009, bondircambridge.com.

All photographs by Anthony Tieuli