2025: My Top Five Favorite Restaurants & Four New Restaurants

As 2026 approaches, it's time once again to reflect upon the past year, to remember and savor pleasant memories. It's the time for my Annual Year-End Favorite lists, from restaurants to wine. And I'm starting this year with my Top Five Favorite Restaurants of 2025 & Four New Restaurants. 

These end-of-the-year lists should provide a comprehensive summary of my favorites, allowing my readers to more readily locate such gems, the best of my recommendations. I'll note that last year this list included only my Top Four Favorite Restaurants. However, this year, I decided to add one more restaurant, which continues to impress me with its consistent excellence. It's more than worthy of being on this list, but the other four restaurants already on the list remain worthy as well. So, this year, there will be a Top Five list, to accommodate this new Top Favorite.

This list is also in no particular order, and is purely a subjective list, based on my own preferences, and makes no claims about being the "best" of anything. However, all of the restaurants here earn my heartiest recommendation and I hope you'll enjoy them as well, as so many others have done. For more Restaurant reviews, you can just search my blog posts for the past year.

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My Top Five Favorite Restaurants are those exceptional spots which are consistently excellent, offering great food and drink as well as top notch service. These are the five places which first come to my mind when I want a celebratory dinner, or just want a sublime dining experience. They receive my unqualified highest recommendation. These are also the restaurants I most frequently recommend to others when I'm asked for my top restaurants. And those people who then go to these restaurants usually become big fans of these restaurants too.  

Krasi Meze & Wine (Boston)

Part of the Xenia Greek Hospitality group, this Greek restaurant is amazing, where nearly every innovative dish is exceptional. Their menu consists of a wide selection of small plates, perfect for sharing, and offers creative Greek cuisine, with roots in tradition but it's not afraid to experiment. Their Greek wine list, the largest in the country, is superb with so many delicious and interesting options. Service is excellent, and the servers are very knowledgeable of the food and wine. Krasi never disappoints. This past year, I celebrated my Anniversary there, and it proved once again that it's thoroughly worthy of being one of my Top Five restaurants. 

Nightshade Noodle Bar (Lynn)

Offering inventive and delicious French/Vietnamese inspired-cuisine, with their own unique spin, this restaurant offers Tasting Menus, of various number of courses. Their dishes are exceptional, bursting with flavor, and creatively composed. Plus, they have an excellent wine list and cocktail program. I like their homey vibe, service is always excellent, and they have an open kitchen, which I've always loved. Be adventurous with your palate and you'll be amply rewarded. This year, they were also awarded recognition, and duly deserved, by the Michelin Guide. 

A Tavola (Winchester)

This excellent Italian restaurant in Winchester is owned by Chef Joe Carli, who is very talented and personable. His Italian cuisine is as good as anything you'll find in the North End. The restaurant is relatively small and intimate, perfect for date night or a business dinner. Much of the sourcing is from local farms. I especially love their superb home-made pasta dishes, as well as when they have Duck Wings as a special. Their wine list concentrates on Italian wines, and there are many good choices. You also should check out their event list, which includes fun and tasty wine dinners and cocktail classes. Recently, they also introduced a special Pasta tasting menu on Wednesdays, but only for those seated at the chef's counter. 

Il Ponte (Woburn)
Chef Beni Kurti of Il Ponte has brought his deep passion, lengthy culinary experience, and charm to Woburn. It's a homey restaurant, with a casual elegance, and the Italian cuisine is top notch, from home-made pasta dishes to exquisite Neapolitan pizza. During this past year, I've thoroughly enjoyed so many different dishes here, such as the Lamb Lollipop Milanese. Their Swordfish Puttanesca, which is a Special all the time, is amazing, an ample piece of tender and moist Swordfish with a compelling puttanesca sauce. Service is excellent, the servers being genuinely personable and attentive, without being obtrusive. It's consistently superb and every person I've recommended has raved about their own dining experience.  

Row 34 (Burlington)

This year, I've decided to add Row 34 to my Top Favorites, as this seafood restaurant has continued to impress me since it replaced Island Creek Oyster Bar. Fresh seafood, from raw oysters and crudo to lobster rolls and fried clams. Every seafood dish pleases the palate, even something as simple as their delicious Tuna Melt. They have an excellent wine and cocktail program, and service is always top notch too. Whether I want a tasty lunch or a celebratory dinner, Row 34 doesn't disappoint, and is well worthy of being included in my Top Five.

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I want to now address four restaurants, which were "new" to me this year, and impressed me. One of these restaurants recently moved their location, and I hadn't dined there for several years, so I now consider it "new" to me. These four are definitely restaurants I want to dine at again, and which are worthy of a hearty recommendation. 

Karma (Winchester)

This high-end, Asian fusion restaurant is part of a small chain, with locations in Westford, Concord, Burlington, and Andover. Though each restaurant shares much in common with the others, they also have some of their own identity. They have superb Sushi, and many other delicious dishes, from Soup Dumplings to Wagyu Beef. They offer tasty and reasonably priced Lunch specials, a great way to experience their cuisine. 

Posto (Somerville)

Posto recently moved their location from Davis Square to Assembly Row. I hadn't been to the Davis Square location since before the pandemic, so had to check out their new location. And the food was just as delicious as I remembered, which is why it used to be on some of my prior lists of Favorite Restaurants. For example, their Roasted Garlic pizza was amazing, with maybe more garlic than any other pizza I've ever had. Thus, it has earned its space back as one of my Favorites. Posto has also recently opened a second location in the South End.

The Cormorant (Newburyport)

With a diner-like vibe, this small restaurant serves a killer burger and fries. The Brioche type bun was butter grilled, and was soft and flavorful. The large, smashed patties possessed a nice meaty, grilled taste, enhanced by the toppings, which added a touch of smoke and salt, as well as a mild sweetness. A top notch burger! The French Fries were also delectable, with a great salty crispness to them. They also serve alcohol, and I enjoyed their Bourbon and Cream Soda cocktail. They have other appetizers and sandwiches, but the burgers are certainly a star. I can't wait to dine there again.

Sung Kong Restaurant (Malden)

Though I haven't yet reviewed this spot, I plan to in the near future. The restaurant gives me a Chinatown vibe, and it's well known for its Dim Sum, which is available every day. I have enjoyed lunch there several times, and most of the food has been excellent, from the fried rice to the sesame chicken. It's very inexpensive as well, and they provide complimentary hot tea. I still need to check out their Dim Sum, especially as the menu is intriguing.  

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What were some of your Favorite Restaurants this year?