Explore the Best Women-Led Restaurants in Boston for 2019

March 8th is International Women’s Day. In celebration, we created a list featuring some of the most exceptional women in Boston’s culinary scene. This progressive New England city doesn’t just break barriers in different arenas—sports, education, politics, food, and culture—it makes history in them. Next time you’re in town, we invite you to celebrate women (and eat something delicious) at one of these top spots.

The OpenTable Team

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Updated February 03, 2023

Menton

$$$$

French

Fort Point Channel

4.5

2565 reviews

Chef Barbara Lynch may very well be the leading figure in fine Boston dining. After winning a James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northeast back in 2003, she continues to wow diners with her culinary creations to this day. Beginning in the late 1990s with the acclaimed No. 9 Park restaurant in downtown Boston, she’s created a restaurant empire. Menton is her newest endeavor in the Fort Point neighborhood, joining her two other spots there (Drink and Sportello). Menton offers an elegant atmosphere, along with a colorful menu of French-Italian cuisine. The menu offers either a "Chef's Whim" menu or an "a la carte" portion. Be sure to try one of the creative cocktails, a trademark of the Lynch restaurants.

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Porto

$$$$

Italian

Back Bay

4.7

1474 reviews

The local favorite Porto comes from the James Beard award-winning mind of Chef Jody Adams. Adams first made waves on the Boston scene with her celebrated Cambridge restaurant called Rialto. Moving into the city, Porto is one of her standout locations in downtown Boston. Porto has become a go-to spot for hungry crowds around the Copley Place and Back Bay neighborhoods. The Porto menu is an intriguing Mediterranean/Italian mixture of cuisine, with plenty of seafood and pasta dishes. It is also a great spot to try a handful of craft beers. Thirsty diners should check out the rotating selections from the fabled Maine Beer Company.

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Trade

$$$$

Greek

Seaport

4.7

727 reviews

Trade is another smash hit from chef Jody Adams, a James Beard Award-winner for Best Chef: America. Already a local culinary superstar for her Cambridge restaurant Rialto, Adams opened Trade in 2011. The restaurant has been a favorite of Bostonians ever since. Trade is one of the jewels of the rejuvenated Greenway strip. Once an elevated expressway that cut through the heart of Boston, the Greenway is now a place for fine dining. The restaurant offers a creative menu of Mediterranean dishes along with an excellent cocktail and beer menu. Diners should try the hummus, which comes along with a massively puffed-up za'atar pita - delish! Trade also features a sterling menu of flatbreads, with mushroom and fig and lamb sausage versions available.

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Mooncusser

$$$$

Seafood

Back Bay

4.9

1030 reviews

Mooncusser's chef Carolyn Johnson rose to fame under Jody Adams at the Cambridge favorite Rialto. When she set out to open her own restaurant, she developed Mooncusser in the heart of Stuart Street. Mooncusser sits comfortably in a Theater District/South End area known for excellent restaurants. The restaurant's elegant third-floor dining room boasts a menu of upscale seafood favorites. For a true Massachusetts flavor, there's also a New England-centric tasting of local fishes. Those who would like a livelier atmosphere can stop into the first-floor Moon Bar. The more casual Moon Bar is one of the best places in the city for lunch. For a real New England highlight, try one of the Moon Bar's classic North Shore roast beef lunch sandwiches. With rare roast beef smothered in barbecue sauce, mayo, and cheese, it's a delightful local lunchtime treat.

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Urban Hearth

$$$$

Contemporary American

Cambridge

4.8

433 reviews

My only complaint was that I was sitting about two feet from a woman who coughed all night. It wasn’t the restaurant’s fault, but does speak to the closeness of the tables. Food was delicious and creative. Service was wonderful.

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