Restaurants
This month, we’re eyeing a chic French bar in Coolidge Corner, a Southeast Asian patio spot, and other new restaurants perfect for summer dining.
A new al fresco raw bar, a shareable Southeast Asian hotspot with two patios and a French-focused watering hole sing to the summer season. As warmer weather settles in this month, we can’t wait to take our reservations outside and our taste buds on an international trip without leaving the city at these five new restaurants.
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Bar Lunette, a French cocktail venue focused on signature craft cocktails and timeless classics, debuted at the end of last month and will continue its soft opening phase “for the next couple of weeks,” according to their Instagram. The new bar comes to Coolidge Corner from the team behind Paris Creperie, in fact, it sits right next door to its sibling spot and during off-hours, hungry imbibers may be able to order one of their sweet or savory French galettes. The more permanent food menu will feature comfort snacks like tater tots as well as more substantial offerings like sandwiches, but for now the focus is on its distinctly French spirited libations whipped up by Brother Cleve. Current signatures include Day For Night, a “Frenchified” version of a white negroni ($15) and Lunette’s French Martini with vodka, pineapple, mint and blackberry ($16). For a sweeter cocktail, Cleve liquifies a Francophile favorite dessert, crème brûlée, with The Flaming Cremmes — egg nog style ($14).
278A Harvard St., Brookline
Now Open
There’s a new kid on the block at Assembly Row and they’re already making their mark with the bold flavors of their Southeast Asian cuisine. The restaurant, both its name and concept, are inspired by executive chef Quang Trang’s mother, focuses on a shared culinary experience with dim sum and rotating street-food style small plates. The former includes dumpling options like lobster siu mai and teriyaki mushroom bao buns while the latter offers adobo pork skewers, confit duck wings, wok fried green beans and “addicting” cabbage salad prepared with ramen seasoning and fried garlic. The rice and noodle options are also shareable with the likes of Hoi An pork noodles (Cao Lau) composed of rice udon, roasted pork, chicharron, bean sprouts, lime and garlic broth or crab basil fried rice (phat kaphrao) with blue crab, green beans, Thai basil, house chili oil and fried egg. The new spot offers two bars, two patios and a seamless flow to their indoor-outdoor dining — just in time for the summer season.
661 Assembly Row, Somerville
Now Open
Island Creek is coming back to the city, this time with an outdoor, seasonal restaurant in the Seaport neighborhood. “We are firm believers that New England’s greatest assets are its coastal communities, and Boston is the greatest example of that,” shared Skip Bennett, founder of Island Creek Oysters. The Duxbury-based oyster farm turned all-encompassing raw bar and restaurant, is bringing a taste of their oceanfront locale to the Seaport with their A-frame huts and vintage neon signage as well as their signature culinary items including tinned fish, caviar-topped hot dog (though this will be a late night item), chowder, tempura lobster bao as well as freshly shucked oysters and littlenecks. “We’re thrilled to bring a taste of what we do in Duxbury to Seaport and we’re looking forward to meeting new friends and seeing familiar faces,” said Bennett.
99 Autumn Lane, Boston
Opens: early June
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Boston’s beloved vegan restaurant is expanding from South Boston for a citywide imprint from Fenway to Cambridge. Last month, the plant-based venue opened at Time Out Market and this month, they’ll be opening a counter-service joint in Kendall Square. Heralded by executive Chef Brian Corbley, the Kendall Square location will offer all its vegan favorites from brunch sandwiches to loaded lunchtime salads and dinner highlights like their mezze, Korean lettuce wraps and pastor tacos (made with seitan that’s so flavorful and a texture that’s just right it doesn’t even make you miss the real thing). The new location will also feature a full beverage program with craft cocktails, as well as vegan, organic wines and local, craft beers. “We’re thrilled to share this concept with the Cambridge community,” shared Mary Lattouf, co-founder of Lulu Green. “Our vision is to create more than just a restaurant—we want to offer the community a welcoming gathering space where incredible food, genuine hospitality, and a fun atmosphere come together to create a remarkable experience that people want to share with their friends and family.” Fun fact: in addition to Lulu Green’s Boston-based fandom, it’s actually garnered national attention as comedian Nikki Glaser dined at the flagship location after her six sold out appearances at the Boch Center earlier this year.
675 W Kendall St, Cambridge
Opens: mid-June
Dorchester-favorite cafè and bar is bringing its neighborhood vibe closer to Boston’s nucleus — City Hall. The new cafè will feature a condensed menu tailored to the suits and ties of downtown with atomic coffee, Union Square donuts, pastries and breakfast sandwiches. They’ll also feature a grab-n-go lunch menu with salads and a rotating sandwich (both $10.50). Their signature brunch items also made the cut, like their Irish sausage roll baked in flaky pastry with brown sauce ($5.75) and their Deli roll breakfast sandwich with fried egg, American cheese and a choice of sausage or bacon ($8.99).
1 City Hall Square, 3rd Floor, Boston
Opens: early-June
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