Where to Eat in Greater Boston for January 2025

Lucky Tiger Asian Bistro. / Courtesy photo

New year, new restaurants. Here’s the latest installment of our monthly guide on where to eat and drink around Greater Boston in January, from a sultry Seaport cocktail lounge to a stately Quincy steakhouse. (Check out last month’s guide here.)

Jadu

This welcoming neighborhood coffee shop in Jamaica Plain—now open in the former Espresso Yourself space—has a succinct but delightful collection of breakfast and lunch items, from labneh parfait to a mezze “situation.” Coming later this year: evening wine bar service. (Fitting, as Jadu was born out of wine-filled pop-up events.) Worth a visit now, and worth eyeing for later.

767 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, Boston, jaduboston.com.

Lan Feast

At this Brookline spinoff of Cambridge’s popular Lanner Noodles & Bar, Lanzhou-style hand-pulled beef noodle soup stars, while other Chinese dishes such as brisket scallion pancake wraps, stir-fried lamb with potato noodles, and spicy chicken stew round out the menu. The restaurant has been quietly open for a few weeks now, with a grand opening still to come.

250 Harvard St., Brookline, 617-383-5103, instagram.com/lanfeast.

Lucky Tiger Asian Bistro. / Courtesy photo

Lucky Tiger Asian Bistro

Crab Rangoon, spicy tuna rolls, garlicky udon: An Asian fusion restaurant from the team behind Tradesman and Urban Wild is now open in the same Charlestown complex as its siblings. Formerly home to the award-winning (but short-lived) Good Company cocktail bar, the space now has a mural of a giant tiger in a bathtub and serves up yuzu martinis and scorpion bowls.

100C Hood Park Dr., Charlestown, Boston, 617-377-4992, luckytigerboston.com.

Marcelino’s in Boston’s Seaport. / Photo by Paul Tabet

Marcelino’s

From an earthy cocktail with mushroom butter and soy balsamic to a whiskey-based cocktail with baklava notes, this Providence-based bar—newly expanded to Boston’s Seaport—draws inspiration from the Levant. With swanky vibes galore, this spot should be on your date-night list.

2 Northern Ave., Seaport District, Boston, 857-957-0094, marcelinosboutiquebar.com/boston.

Masons Steakhouse

Steak lovers, take note of this buzzy Quincy debut, built in an old Masonic lodge. Joining the lineup of ribeyes and filets: coal-roasted giant prawns with harissa; ricotta tortellini with braised rabbit ragu; risotto with marrow butter escargot; and more. Absolutely save room for dessert.

1170 Hancock St., Quincy, masonssteakhouse.com.

The lower level at McGonagle’s features an expansive bar, lots of seating, and a back room with a stage for live music. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

McGonagle’s Pub

Boston can never have enough Irish pubs, especially when they’re filled with comforting food, perfect Guinness pours, and a packed live music schedule. The team behind the award-winning Dubliner downtown is at it again with a busy new Dorchester venue. Be sure to try the spice bag, an Irish-Chinese fusion dish of spiced crispy chicken and fries with curry sauce.

367 Neponset Ave., Dorchester, Boston, 617-514-4689, mcgonagles.com.

Wagyu waiting to be cooked at Mikiya. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House

What’s better than shabu-shabu? Wagyu shabu-shabu. And what’s better than wagyu shabu-shabu? All-you-can-eat wagyu shabu-shabu. Mikiya, part of a growing chain, features absolutely decadent hot-pot dining with options starting as low as $38 per person. Now open with limited hours and no alcohol. An extended schedule and booze are expected to debut next month.

21 Hudson St., Chinatown, Boston, mikiyashabu.com.

PLNT Burger vegan burgers. / Courtesy photo

PLNT Burger

Lots of meat in this month’s roundup, but there’s none at PLNT Burger in Coolidge Corner, Greater Boston’s first standalone version of the vegan fast-food chain cofounded by celebrity chef Spike Mendelsohn. (Two other local outposts are inside Whole Foods markets.) Burgers, fries, and meatless takes on crispy chicken and fish sandwiches abound.

297 Harvard St., Coolidge Corner, Brookline, 617-651-2280, plntburger.com. 

PopUp Bagels

New York-based PopUp Bagels—hilarious tagline: “Not famous but known”—is opening its first permanent Greater Boston spot in the Seaport around mid-January. (Wellesley’s already got a pop-up location out of Captain Marden’s.) The growing northeast chain is a mix of pop-ups and permanent locations, aiming to serve bagels that attain the crispy-outside-soft-inside gold standard. At the soon-to-open Boston shop, keep an eye out for a Grillo’s Pickles collab.

70 Pier 4 Blvd., Suite 330, Seaport District, Boston, popupbagels.com.

Tilde

Coffee by day, wine by night. This cheery neighborhood nook, now open in North Cambridge, keeps things simple with a menu of snacky things you want with your wine: popcorn and mixed nuts (each made with a spice blend from nearby Curio), meat and cheese plates, Gracie’s ice cream floats, and just a few other options. The wine list includes selections from Acton’s Marzae Wine.

2376 Massachusetts Ave., North Cambridge, tildecambridge.com.