The 12 Best Restaurants in Somerville

The menu at this lively Somerville small-plates spot runs Eastern Mediterranean at its core, then wanders wherever it pleases, poutine with fried halloumi curds one moment, jalapeño cornbread with feta the next. Chef Cassie Piuma treats the mashup as a method, not a gimmick, and it holds together more often than it has any right to. A James Beard Outstanding Chef nominee, she keeps the room packed and the menu long enough that regulars still find surprises.

1. James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Outstanding Chef · Cassie Piuma
2. AAA Three Diamonds
3. USA Today Restaurants of the Year

The room glows cobalt blue under a neon sign, which is either pretentious or perfect depending on how the ceviche lands, and here it lands. This Peruvian restaurant in Somerville times the lime marinade to the minute before serving, so the fish stays clean and bright rather than mealy. The lomo saltado lets you call the doneness of the beef, a detail that says something about how seriously the kitchen is paying attention.

1. The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in Boston Right Now
2. Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants in Boston

Wisteria and grapevines twist overhead like they're mid-takeover of the exposed ductwork, and the candlelight does the rest. Field & Vine is a New American restaurant tucked down an alley in Somerville, where a wood-burning hearth crisps duck legs and chars cabbage while the menu quietly gets weird in good ways, miso butter on cornbread, fish-sauce aioli in the tartare. The New York Times named it among Boston's 25 best.

1. Boston Magazine #9 · Top 50 Restaurants in Boston
2. The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in Boston Right Now

The sunchoke doughnuts with XO gouda are reportedly un-removable from the menu, which tells you something about this Davis Square wine bar. The list leans toward small producers and natural winemakers, and the staff actually know it. Small plates from the kitchen are the kind of thing a food scientist might dream up on a generous budget. A James Beard Outstanding Bar semifinalist for 2026.

1. James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bar
2. Boston Magazine #16 · Top 50 Restaurants in Boston
3. Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants in Boston

1. Esquire The Best New Restaurants in America
2. Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants in Boston

1. Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants in Boston

1. Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants in Boston

1. Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants in Boston

1. James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Northeast · Ellie Tiglao

1. Boston Magazine 2025 · Best Clam Chowder · Best of Boston

Trina's is a pinup-flavored Somerville dive where the corners are dark, the beer runs from local IPAs to buckets of High Life Ponies, and the staff has been pouring so long they're basically load-bearing. Bartenders from other bars turn up for the Monday industry brunch, which is the closest thing to a seal of approval a bar can get. There's mac and cheese with a buttery Ritz crust and a mango margarita with a BBQ-spiced rim.

1. The Infatuation The Best Bars In Boston
2. Boston Magazine 2025 · Best Non-Seafood Tower · Best of Boston

1. Bon Appétit America's Best New Restaurants