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5 restaurants we can’t wait to try in December
Small, shareable plates are taking over Boston this month.
Small, shareable plates are taking over Boston this month, from mezze in the Seaport to pintxos in Beacon Hill, and tapas in the Back Bay and South End. This exciting new wave feels timely as we approach a New Year—and we can’t wait to settle in and stay awhile at these tapas-style lounges. Standing out among them: a new outpost of a popular Vietnamese cafe shines bright in Cambridge. Here are the five restaurants you’ll find us at in December.
D16
Combining the best attributes of a cocktail lounge and a tapas bar, D16 just opened in the former Back Bay police station—tastefully converted by Assembly Designs. “Every once in a while, in our line of work, you get to place your hands on the past. When asked to design a sexy underground lounge in the unused basement of one of Boston’s oldest police stations, we couldn’t wait to jump on this opportunity,” shared the Assembly Design team. The result: A “classic meets art deco detective vibes.” Guests will feel how special D16 is upon entrance through the custom-built steel staircase that transports them from Boylston Street into an oasis of awe. The space is anchored by a 27-foot-long bar, with clock and brass details, ready to shake up creative cocktails, like the Tidal Bay with Appleton estate rum, absinthe, Fernet-branca, spicy ginger and lime or the Beanpot, built with Gunpowder gin Campari, orgeat and lime. On the food menu: shareable dishes ranging from traditional tapas like croquettes ($13) and gambas al ajillo ($16) to internationally-influenced small plates like steak house sliders ($18), bao buns ($16) and flatbread ($16).
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955 Boylston St., Boston
Now Open
Desnuda Cocina & Bar
Bi-level and multi-cultural, MAZI Food Group (behind Gigi, Ilona, Kava) opened their newest concept at the end of last month: a retro Latin American and Asian-inspired lounge. The space spans two stories, each of which offer a unique experience with Parisian-style bistro seating on the ground floor and a Japanese listening bar on the lower level. The former features petit bar tables, exposed brick, bronze sconces and suede banquettes while the latter is enveloped in a ruby mood lighting, wood panels and curated tunes spinning from a customized vinyl sound system.
The menus also vary: downstairs serves a late-night menu of small plates that’s available after 10 p.m. and meant to complement craft cocktails like Amarillo Passion with tequila, yuzu liqueur, aji amarillo, passionfruit syrup and lime. Upstairs, executive chef Jesus Preciado presents a broad spectrum of Latin-Asian flavors. Bocaditos are their “little bites” which include grilled corn with cotija cheese ($11), fried yuca ($9) and roasted pork belly ($14). The separate sea and land sections are also meant to share, respectively inclusive of fish tacos, mixed seafood tempura, miso cod, and maitake mushroom ceviche, root salad and seared green beans with a sesame puree (starting from $12). The entree category, or Platos Fuertes, is brief, but mighty with highlights of beef stir fry ($28) and arborio rice with duck leg confit.
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647 Tremont St., Boston
Now Open
Phinista Café
Four years ago, during the height of the pandemic in August 2020, Phinista Café debuted in Fenway. The French-Vietnamese cafe found immediate praise for their bánh mì, crepes and Vietnamese coffee, so much so that they’ve opened a second location in Porter Square. The new outpost maintains the “tropical oasis” vibe that they became known for in Fenway, but is slightly larger, with plenty of seating for enjoying the expansive menu. Their bánh mì menu alone offers six variations on the meat-filled baguette, from the traditional with pork bologna, ham, pate and butter aioli ($11.50) to the breakfast version that includes two sunny side up eggs with pickled vegetables ($11.50) and even a tofu version for the vegetarian friends ($12.50). There’s also rice bowls, like the lemongrass marinated-steak with honey glaze ($12.50) and salads like the grilled barbeque pork salad bowl ($12.50). Of course, the Vietnamese coffee that’s listed as “Cafe Trung” might be the most popular drink (traditionally served over ice with a whipped egg cream), but Phinista also offers seasonal refreshing spritzers, like the lychee spritzer with fresh lemonade, butterfly pea and lychee extract ($5.50).
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1876 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge
Now Open
Marcelino’s, Levantine Cocktails & Cuisine
Inspired by the Spanish and Arabic architecture of Andalusia, Marcelino’s will bring an exotic cocktail lounge and mezze-style menu to the Seaport. Every detail of Marcelino’s, from the made-to-order cocktails to the ambiance and cuisine was inspired by the team’s upbringing in the Mediterranean, watching their elders rely on natural ingredients and create the likes of wine, arak, syrup and spices from scratch. The design process spanned more than three years as co-founder Marcelino perfected the room temperature, sound levels and ambiance.
“I believe that designing a space is about evoking emotions and fostering communication with our guests through color palettes, coziness, and the overall vibe of the environment,” he says.
While the culinary menu, spearheaded by chef Maroun Nohra, is still under wraps, bar director Refaat Ghostine walks us through two of Marcelino’s forthcoming cocktails. The Oregano Tomato Cocktail, somewhere between a martini and a gimlet, is crafted with gin, white vermouth, fresh oregano essence, clarified tomato cordial, verjus, and salted white balsamic vinegar, to capture the fresh ingredients of Lebanon. The Watermelon/Rhubarb cocktail is composed of rhubarb-infused gin, Aperol, fresh watermelon, and a splash of lemon that’s topped with a savory feta cheese foam and sprinkle of dried oregano. “This cocktail transports me back to my childhood, where the simple joy of watermelon and feta cheese was the ultimate snack,” teases Ghostine.
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2 Northern Ave., Boston
Opens: mid- to late December
Zurito
Beacon Hill newcomer transports you to Spain’s Basque country with its pan con tomate, gildas (Cantabrian anchovies, guindillas pepper, manzanilla olive) and an entire section of jamones, including an acorn-fed variety (starting at $4.50) The aforementioned bites make up just a few of the pintxos, or small bites, that are native to the autonomous region in northern Spain and while often compared to tapas, they have an identity of their own, typically served on picks for an seamless, handheld bite. While pintxos might be relatively new for Bostonians, the BCB3 Hospitality team behind Zurito (Somaek, Temple Records) is certainly familiar with Jamie Bissonnette at the helm as chef/partner alongside co-partners Babak Bina and Andy Cartin. Zurito’s larger plates, called raciones, are still shareable, like the risotto nero, made with squid ink, celery root and goat cheese ($15) and grilled octopus with fingerling potatoes ($19). Half of the entree-sized dishes are steak: the Txuleton, a 32 oz bone-in ribeye served with french fries and kimchi ($125) as well as a 14 oz ribeye, or Txuleta ($47).
26 Charles St., Boston
Now Open
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