Location: Brookline
Top Restaurants in Brookline
Top Things to do in Brookline
- 1. Mount Auburn Cemetery
- 2. Fenway Park
- 3. Coolidge Corner Theater
- 4. Freedom Trail
- 5. Harvard Art Museums
- 6. John F. Kennedy National Historic Site
- 7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- 8. Larz Anderson Park
- 9. Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site
- 10. Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site
Brookline Food Guide: 10 Must-Eat Restaurants & Street Food Stalls in Brookline
Brookline /ˈbrʊklaɪn/ is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, in the United States, and is a part of Greater Boston. Brookline borders six of Boston's neighborhoods: Brighton, Allston, Fenway–Kenmore, Mission Hill, Jamaica Plain, and West Roxbury. The city of Newton lies to the west of Brookline.
Things to do in Brookline
1. Life Alive
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 234 reviews
Life Alive is an organic cafe serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a vibrant casual cafe that is inspiring and honors local artisans, the community, and our global ecology. Our Mission is to Feed the Vitality of the World... one meal at a time. We are here to renew your energy and connection to life by soulfully serving you the most fantastic, organic, therapeutic, whole food you could ever imagine. Our extraordinary food, space, and service are grown, supplied, prepared and designed with the health and vitality of our bodies, communities, and earth foremost in our mind. By providing you with ease and great enjoyment in one of the most important aspects of your wellbeing, we give you the profound experience of contributing to personal and planetary wellness as you blissfully nourish yourself. Namaste!
Reviewed By bkramer947 - NY
I was so happy to visit Life Alive as a whole food plant based eater. It can be hard in restaurants to find unadulterated plant foods that are overly processed, goopy with sauce and more. This is a place where yes, you can have sugary, salty sauces and toppings, but you can also eat very cleanly, which was my goal. You can build your own salads or whole-grain bowls, complete with quinoa, brown rice, beans, veggies and seeds. Delicious. They also have a huge selection of fun smoothies, ranging from the virtuous to the indulgent. I am pretty sure this is a vegetarian restaurant, as there is some cheese but no meat that I could see. A vegan can easily eat here, though, and feel good about it. You order at the counter and then have to fight your way down to the crowded lower level for a table. It's extremely casual but the decor is fun, colorful and cozy. There is serve-yourself water and condiments, and you bus your own tables. Casual place. Long lines but it moves fast. Highly recommend if you want to fuel your body with happy, good for you foods!
2. Barcelona
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 535 reviews
Barcelona meets Brookline, and a sophisticated Boston neighborhood has a wine bar to call its own. A historic town located minutes from downtown Boston, Brookline is the perfect mixture of urban and country living. From large estates and recreational parks to boutiques and pedestrian-filled streets, Brookline offers a city atmosphere in a suburban setting. Located in Washington Square at 1700 Beacon Street, Barcelona is the newest addition to this lively neighborhood dining destination. A mix of antique wire glass, steel and reclaimed wood gives our newly built space a vintage appeal. The rustic, polished environment is the next best thing to eating tapas and drinking wine in our restaurant's namesake city. With hardwood floors, floor-to-ceiling windows, and spacious patio, the space has a European charm which fills the menu as well.
Reviewed By Vanillaandcookies - Boston, Massachusetts
We had early dinner (5:30) and enjoyed our evening. Food is amazing and service is great. Waiter was attentive, had suggestions and also gave us plenty of time to make our decision. We ordered tuna crudo, chickpea hummus, croquetas and empanadas. All were delicious. We also shared a seafood paella and it was tasty but on a salty side. Drinks were great and we would definitely be back again. The ambiance was nice but it definitely got noisy as the place filled up.
3. OTTO
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 229 reviews
OTTO serves gourmet, specialty pizza by the slice or whole pie. Serving discerning pizza fans in New England since 2009.
Reviewed By JerryR10 - Salt Lake City, Utah
A friend recommended Otto when I was in Brookline. I did a takeout order via their web site and it was ready as ordered on time. The pizza was good - thin crust with good sauce and toppings. I’d dine here again.
4. Fugakyu
Overall Ratings
4 based on 365 reviews
FuGaKyu Japanese Cuisine is a unique Japanese restaurant located in the heart of Brookline, Massachusetts. Serving great dishes, such as authentic Japanese sushi and sashimi, you will enjoy a hearty meal that will delight your tastebuds and satisfy even the largest of appetites. Visit us today to experience what the rest of the town has been talking about! When you step through our restaurant doors, you will be immediately surrounded by a large collection of authentic Japanese decor. Combined with the delicious dishes, wonderful aromas, and outstanding service, you get a total dining experience. Established since 1998, our Japanese restaurant offers private rooms and daily specials for your dining enjoyment. We are a non-smoking restaurant. Come in today, enjoy the fresh air, and let your senses be mesmerized by the "scent-illating' aromas of our fine, Japanese cuisine. All of our exotic dishes are made of the freshest ingredients upon order, ensuring vibrant flavors.
Reviewed By Alison L S - Springfield, Massachusetts
Arrived without a reservation for an early dinner before a movie. Seated promptly after following a labyrinthine path up the stairs and through many little rooms. Our table was "American style" seating, but we passed several private dining rooms with horigotatsu seating behind paper screens. We ordered a variety of foods and everything was superb - fresh and delicious.
5. The Abbey
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 150 reviews
Reviewed By Kat F - Connecticut
Nice little lunch spot in Brookline. I went for comfort food and had the spicy tomato bisque with a grilled cheese panini. The soup was creamy and fresh with just the right amount of heat. The sandwich was cheesy goodness on crunchy French bread. Quick service and busy at lunch. Saw lots of great dishes being served. Will be back to try some others.
6. Zaftigs Delicatessen
Overall Ratings
4 based on 537 reviews
Zaftigs Jewish - Style Delicatessen Serving breakfast (all day), lunch, and dinner ! Come check us out today!
Reviewed By Noah B
Went here after I searched deli on Trip Advisor. It was very busy but the service was excellent. The food was fresh and delicious. I wasn’t crazy about the fries but it’s because they are a different style. I would highly recommend sticking with the classic pastrami. Next time I’ll go matzoh ball, pastrami and try their onion rings. Dessert looked great but I couldn’t eat any more. If you need kosher style NY deli, look no further.
7. SRV Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 165 reviews
Reviewed By Tom K - Boston, Massachusetts
SRV ( short for Serene Rebulic of Venice) is a great place for small groups to share Italian-type tapas. The food was fantastic, a variety of very nice drinks, excellent service, very nice, attractive casual atmosphere. Like most south end restaurants, parking can be an issue but SRV- on the corner of Mass ave and Columbus- is just a short walk from the Pru and Copley garages, so close to a number of hotels (Marriott, Westin, Sheraton, courtyard, etc) if visiting from out of town. We were a party of six- we had a variety of cichetti, piatti, grani,desserts. Everything was enjoyable- we particularly enjoyed the calzoneini (light bite size delicious), stuffed mushrooms (crazy delicious), braised beef pasta, potatoe/black truffle/Brussels sprout (deliciously different)....the meatballs, ribeye, bauletta, risottos, were all very good, as was the tiramisu dessert....all the gelatos and sorbet were excellent - I particularly enjoyed the coffee-white chocolate ball. Our service (Cassie) was excellent. Her recoes for champagne and wines were excellent- very helpful on everything- how much to order, pleasant, and attentive. Our party enjoyed the cocktails- my wife particularly enjoyed her bourbon cocktail. I would say prices are moderate. There are some choices that are gluten free. If I had to pick my Fave Boston tapas type meal, SRV would top the list.
8. La Morra
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 206 reviews
Reviewed By Rita P
We arrived in Brookline late the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, staying at the Homewood Suites on Boylston Street in Brookline. The only restaurant within walking distance is LaMorra. Fortunately when we lived in Boston we frequented LaMorra and knew how exceptional it is. We were warmly welcomed by the hostess and our server, who chatted with us, told us the specials in language we could understand and even made recommendations. Although it was late we did not feel rushed. The choices of small plates, salads and main plates are always unusual, high quality, never your run -of the mill Italian fare. I had thin linquini with a butternut squash puree, a little cream and truffles shaved on top...rich, delicious yet not heavy. My husband had risotto with wonderfully fresh mushrooms, also satisfying without being heavy. The salads are gorgeous, fresh and flavorful. We were too full to have coffee or dessert on this visit.
9. The Publick House
Overall Ratings
4 based on 224 reviews
Reviewed By CoachK2525 - Dedham, Massachusetts
Love everything about it as far as vibe...beer ...food...staff....but just 3 beers each (not real fancy) and 2 simpler entrees and for 2 people was $110...kind of $$ for portion but would easily return so just warning....parking can be a pain btw...
10. The Daily Catch
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 92 reviews
Reviewed By samten6 - Newton, Massachusetts
The black squid ink pasta with calimari was something I thought about the next day. We scraped every last taste of it off the bowl. Perfectly toasted garlic bread. Shellfish pasta was perfectly seasoned. We were lucky to get a table for 4 after about 10 minutes, but found many of the same faces waiting outside after we were through.
