Best restaurants in Brookline

311 Omakase

★ Michelin$$$$Japanese, Sushi

Located on the ground floor of a South End rowhouse, this intimate chef's counter is the vision of Chef Wei Fa Chen. Pale walls and light wood provide a blank canvas to show off the chef's seasonal selection of ceramic platters (from Kyoto and Asheville), custom-made tatami coasters and thoughtfully crafted cuisine.The chef's omakase features impressive nigiri showcasing high-quality product, much of it imported from Japan; and the range of fish could include fluke, striped beakfish and goldeneye snapper. Cooked items precede the sushi and highlight a particular cooking method, such as delicat

Mahaniyom

Bib Gourmand$$thai

Childhood friends who grew up north of Bangkok end up in Boston for college. It's not the plot of a cinematic hit; it's the story behind Mahaniyom. This Brookline Village spot, with seating for just two dozen, packs a punch with a highly original menu of Thai small plates and creative cocktails (sip the Mahaniyom Sazerac with Thai tea-infused rye). Dishes to consider include yum som-o, or pomelo salad, a seasonal treat featuring grilled tiger prawns arranged with diced citrus segments, roasted cashews and toasted coconut. Kang pu is a decadent bowlful of house-made red curry in rich coconut mi

🕐 Mo-Sa 12:00-21:00; Su 12:00-22:30

Jahunger

Bib Gourmand$$uyghur

Hailing from China’s Xinjiang region, Uyghurs are largely Muslim, and their cuisine is informed by both Chinese and Arabic cultures. That means you can expect plenty of lamb, spices, color and dishes full of verve and vitality. The specialty is hand-pulled noodles; these deliciously chewy, thick noodles slip down very easily, whether you’d gone for Laghman noodles or Jahunger noodles with Sichuan peppercorns – you can feel them nourishing your body and your soul. Start with dumplings with their own chili oil and end with refreshing homemade yogurt with honey. The original Jahunger opened in Pr

🕐 Tu-Fr 17:00-21:30; Sa 12:00-21:30; Sun 12:00-20:00

Pagu

Bib Gourmand$$japanese, tapas

Chef Tracy Chang’s flagship restaurant has been a Cambridge mainstay since the day it opened in 2017. With a fun menu that takes cues from both Spain as well as countries across Asia, the cooking delivers quality ingredients, bold flavors, and the right amount of care. Think patatas bravas with mojo verde, tempura-fried string beans with Thai chili hot sauce, crab laksa with ramen noodles and poached shrimp, and fluffy baos stuffed with pork belly. For dessert, there must be chocolate cake, a gluten-free, vegan-friendly effort made with tofu that disappears in a flash. From countless community

🕐 We-Sa 12:00-21:00

Sumiao Hunan Kitchen

Bib Gourmand$$Chinese, Hunanese

This bright spot among Kendall Square's many offerings is one of the few Chinese restaurants specializing in Hunanese cuisine in the area. Sumiao Chen trained as a doctor and scientist but her true passion for food led her to open this local favorite in 2017. There are plenty of Chinese staples but look closely to discover an enticing selection of regional specialties. Spicy, crunchy cucumbers are a flavorful accent to any dish. Chef Zhang's stir-fried rice noodles are a delightful heap strewn with egg, chives, cabbage and bits of pickled green beans, while Grandma's pork features shang gan, o

🕐 Tu-Su 11:30-22:00

Asta

$$$$Contemporary

For more than a decade, Chef Alex Crabb has cooked to the beat of his own drum on a quiet strip of Back Bay. The minimalist space is little more than exposed brick, a gold-painted tin-pressed ceiling, and a curved chef’s counter overlooking a tidy open kitchen. The tasting menu, meanwhile, is not easy to pin down, as dishes change on a whim, often in the same week, and at times are more conceptual than coherent. Nevertheless, this relaxed team is full of ideas, and chefs deliver dishes themselves. Recent highlights include herb-crusted John Dory with grapes, dry-aged duck with chicory, and cha

Select Oyster Bar

$$$seafood, oyster

Long a local favorite, Chef Michael Sherpa's oyster bar is located on the ground floor of a Back Bay rowhouse, and the intimate setting, dominated by an L-shaped pewter bar, radiates good vibes. High quality seafood is the order of the day, be it the daily crudo, crab salad or honey-butter dressed Maine uni toast. The icy plateaux is a splurge-worthy indulgence, best shared with friends (or not). In true oyster bar fashion, the menu is supplemented by a daily offering of oysters and other shellfish. Hearty appetites will appreciate the Casco Bay halibut, beautifully cooked and plated with shav

Pammy's

$$$Mediterranean Cuisine

Chef and owners Chris and Pam Willis run this utterly charming operation in Cambridge. With its inviting space outfitted with salvaged finds, personable service and enticing Mediterranean menu; it's the perfect neighborhood restaurant. The prix-fixe menu offers tempting flexibility and is designed to be a three-course meal bearing product-focused, Mediterranean inspiration. Baccala enriched with mascarpone and served with boquerones, dried sour cherries and puntarelle presents a riotous combination of flavors, while squid ink-tinted gnocchi are impressively light and tender. Dessert is additio

Toro

$$Spanish

Toro has been a mainstay of Boston’s South End for well over 20 years and its longevity is easy to explain: it’s fun, well run and who doesn’t need some tapas in their life every now and then? Round up some friends for a night out, then start with a glass of manzanilla and some pintxos like caña de cabra or matrimonio while you decide what to share. Highlights of the menu include crisp croquetas with creamy bacalao and roasted bone marrow with oxtail – or you can choose one of the paellas. Good cocktails and an all-Spanish wine add to the appeal, while the music plays in tune with the rustic,

La Padrona

$$$Italian-American

This glamorous, two-story looker is the place to be. Located within Raffles Boston, this playful Italian restaurant starts with an easygoing ground floor bar and lounge. Up the grand staircase, find a high-energy dining room, while a large, U-shaped bar anchors this gorgeous space fit with big windows, globe lights and gold accents. Thankfully, these stylish environs also come with substantial cooking. Start with cheese and fennel breadsticks before digging into beautifully seared scallops finished in saffron butter. The pastas are all made in-house and many of the entrees are portioned to sha

Oleana

$$$turkish, middle_eastern

The Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East and in particular Turkey are celebrated at this longstanding and ever-popular Cambridge restaurant. The menu is divided into vegetables, fish and meat and it’s well worth exploring all sections when ordering a selection of the small plates. Highlights include wonderfully light ricotta and corn dumplings; meaty swordfish chraimeh with couscous; and intensely flavored quail kebab with pistachio. For a refreshing summer dessert look no further than the Turkish bici bici.The wood paneling creates the feel of a cozy chalet, while above it a row of boncuk –

🕐 Su-Th 17:30-22:00; Fr-Sa 17:30-23:00

Mooncusser

$$$$seafood

With a colorful bar downstairs and a well-measured tasting menu upstairs, this two-part operation stands tall like a wedge of cake in the heart of Back Bay. Arched windows overlooking Columbus Avenue set the scene for this pleasant dining room where Chef Carl Dooley cycles through dishes with notable frequency. Know that no one cuisine calls this global kitchen, and inspiration can swing from the Mediterranean to Asia with seafood as a regular feature. Think Spanish mackerel crudo dressed with a salsa verde redolent of huacatay, or glazed local cod composed with mango pickle, citrus and flecks

Wa Shin

$$$$Japanese, Sushi

Wa Shin is tucked away in a chic residential tower in the Back Bay enclave of Bay Village. The space has a contemporary, polished look centered around an L-shaped hinoki counter, with dark stone tile flooring contrasting against light wood and softly calibrated lighting. Chef Sky Zheng presents an omakase focused on high-quality fish, much of it sourced from Japan, prepared in an edomae-inspired style. The menu begins with a few seasonal zensai before moving into a progression of nigiri, where preparations are generally simple, occasionally incorporating light torching, citrus or subtle garnis

Moëca

$$$$Seafood

The hum of contented diners, judicious lighting, a confident service team and a sophisticated feel to the room all reassure you the moment you enter that you’ve chosen the right spot, especially if it’s date night. Sharing is the key when it comes to the menu, where fish and shellfish are given center stage in an appealing collection of dishes, big and small. The seafood is responsibly sourced, and the flavors are global, whether that’s tamarind sauce with buttermilk-fried monkfish, or 'nduja with tuna. If you’re after some pasta, don’t look further than deliciously creamy spaghetti with Maine

Giulia

$$$italian

It’s all about the pasta here at Giulia, sister restaurant to Moëca around the corner. There are usually around nine varieties on offer; you can go for lighter choices like fresh-tasting fusilli with tomato and zucchini or plump for the smooth ribbons of pappardelle with succulent braised wild boar and pair it with a red from the all-Italian wine list. Start by sharing some burrata or caponata and you’ll leave feeling fully satisfied. The atmosphere is great and it’s always very busy – although the team copes effortlessly with the numbers. If you haven’t booked, try your luck with the counter

🕐 Mo-Th 17:30-22:00; Fr-Sa 17:30-23:00