Diners' Choice: Contemporary American restaurants in Boston

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best overall Contemporary American cuisine in Boston? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyzes more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favorites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Sycamore

4.9

4.9 (2844)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Newton

About the restaurant

Sycamore is a seasonally inspired, chef-owned neighborhood bistro in Newton Centre. Emphasizing locally sourced produce, fish and meat, our menu draws on classic European country food; rustic and wholesome. Our beverage program is designed to complement the cuisine. The wine list focuses on passionate small producers, our beers are by and large domestic craft selections and the cocktail list highlights classic drinks and sipping spirits.

Top review

Alex

Dined 7 days ago

Always a fantastic dinner at Sycamore. Great drinks, great food, great service.

Brighton Bodega

4.8

4.8 (130)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Brighton

About the restaurant

A full service restaurant with a focus on small plates and street food fare, along with craft spirit

Top review

Susi

Dined on Jun 25, 2025

This was one of the best dining experiences I have ever had. The service was excellent as well.

dbar

4.9

4.9 (1481)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Dorchester

About the restaurant

dbar is a full service restaurant that seamlessly transforms into a nightclub and lounge as the night goes on. Formally an old school Irish pub filled with mahogany charm, dbar has been renovated into a hip chic hot spot. With warm glowing candles & long leather banquettes, dbar offers a casual and comfortable atmosphere that attracts clientele from Dorchester and surrounding areas. The unique and classy menu inspired by Executive Chef Christopher Coombs changes with the seasons and features the finest and freshest available ingredients throughout the New England area. Most of the menu takes a French twist, but also contains an assortment of comfort foods (such as our famous Veal & Pancetta Bolognaise) and old favorites (like our simple yet delicious Giannone Chicken Under a Brick.)

Top review

KennethVIP

Dined 1 day ago

Was visiting from out of town. Food was great and very innovative and at an affordable price.

Urban Hearth

4.7

4.7 (723)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Cambridge

About the restaurant

Farm-to-table dining in the comfort of our home: that is the unique experience you will find at Urban Hearth. Located in a cozy North Cambridge storefront, our intimate dining room, knowledgeable, friendly staff, and exquisitely crafted menu are the heart of our dinner service. Join us for a la carte or at our chef's counter where you'll have the pleasure of interacting with Chef Erin Miller while dining.

We share a story of culture, community, discovery and home. The globally-inspired, locally-sourced dishes we serve celebrate our rich and complex connection with food. The table is set, whether marking a special occasion or the end of a busy day, we look forward to sharing the evening with you. We welcome private event bookings for graduations, birthdays, weddings and more. To equalize the pay disparity between tipped staff & kitchen staff during our busy times, we add a 5% kitchen appreciation fee to each check. We require 24 hours notice for all cancellations.

Top review

Margaret

Dined 2 days ago

Great food and lovely service. We love this restaurant and highly recommend it!

North Street Grille

4.7

4.7 (507)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

North End

About the restaurant

Welcome to the North Street Grille.
Boston’s Best Brunch

Top review

ChristineVIP

Dined 6 days ago

The food is outstanding. Staff is extremely friendly. Very small venue. Make reservations ahead of time

Abby Park

4.7

4.7 (2855)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Milton

About the restaurant

The story of Milton's thriving restaurant scene starts with Abby Park. We opened in 2009 as the town's first eating establishment with a full liquor license, serving up American comfort food, local beer, and approachable craft cocktails. Newly renovated and revitalized, Abby Park offers a full entertainment calendar and an exciting late-night bar scene. With several options for private dining and catering, let us host your next event whether it is a business dinner, cocktail party or wedding. We have proudly become a local neighborhood establishment, serving our residents and families.

Top review

Maurs

Dined 6 days ago

The food is always perfect…. And the service is exceptional!

Discover more

4.7

4.7 (881)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

South Boston

About the restaurant

Imagine yourself wandering through a local public market, enjoying culturally unique street foods, socializing and immersing yourself in new or familiar surroundings. We believe, for the public good, everyone should have the chance to experience this magic.
We proudly invite you to join us at Publico, where our goal is to channel the senses of exploring a new locale through globally inspired fare, libations, and mid-century meets rustic décor.
Our simple plates meld elements and flavors from Europe, South and North America. Prepared with traditional techniques and time tested recipes, our approachable offerings highlight the season’s freshest, sensibly sourced ingredients from local farms and purveyors. Paired with wine selections from around the world, a selection of local craft beers, or indulgent cocktails, your experience is designed to leave you with a modestly priced passport stamp for your palette.

Top review

ChinVIP

Dined on Jun 21, 2025

The truffle fries are the best at Publico, literally mouth watering just thinking about it. The staff and ambiance are wonderful. The lunch special on weekdays are so worth it with delicious food and drinks included.

Discover more

Experience

Music Bingo in the Garden

Shy Bird - Kendall Square

4.7

4.7 (783)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Cambridge

About the restaurant

Shy Bird is an all day rotisserie, bar, cafe & takeaway. We strive to be affordable, approachable and accessible while offering crave-able food, warmth, and hospitality. We offer a serious beverage program that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Top review

Nancy

Dined on Jun 25, 2025

we often come in with a corporate party of 10 for breakfast and the staff always does an amazing job for us. The food is top quality as well.

Discover more

Popular dish

SB Smash Burger

Popular dish

Rotisserie Piri Piri Chicken

Popular dish

Chicken Benedict

75 Chestnut

4.7

4.7 (2495)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Beacon Hill

About the restaurant

75 Chestnut - Nestled amidst the brownstones on the charming streets of Beacon Hill. Features regional American food. Serving our neighborhood for the last 20+ years we are delighted to welcome you to our establishment. We are proud that we can serve our fresh cooked to order foods, specialty crafted drinks and cocktails. Our super friendly staff will make you want to come back again and again. we are the essential Beacon Hill restaurant a must see for residents and visitors alike. Our seafood stew and steak tips have our guests wanting to come back. We serve dinner seven nights a week and we serve brunch and lunch on Saturdays and Sundays. the stuffed French toast is something you don't want to miss. during the seasons we always feature food and drink specials and special events. some examples are sweet tooth Tuesdays, wine Wednesdays, green Thursdays, Sunday supper. our Ginger bread lunches are iconic so book soon. we will be happy to serve you .

Top review

Joelski

Dined 6 days ago

Excellent top notch neighborhood restaurant with a large selection of quality meals and beverages and great service.

Steel and Rye

4.7

4.7 (1767)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Milton

About the restaurant

Thank you for reserving a table at Steel & Rye!
PLEASE NOTE: FOR WEEKDAY LUNCH RESERVATIONS, STEEL & RYE OFFERS COUNTER SERVICE FROM OUR BAKERY BETWEEN 7:00 A.M. AND 4:00PM (Mondays until 2:30pm).

All reservations after 4pm for Dinner will be provided full table service and are for inside tables only. Outside parking lot tables are currently first come, first served and orders may be placed via QR code.

Top review

David and LucianaVIP

Dined 7 days ago

We had a great date night there last night. Everything was fantastic, food was fresh, tasty and delicious. The drinks were also very good. Soooo glad the Wood Fired Pizza is back on the menu, we missed it so much and last bight we were finally happy to get it again. Our server Maggie was super nice, friendly and on point with everything. Everyone else was very pleasant. Excellent service all around at this restaurant, as per usual. Thank you for making our special night out pleasant and memorable. We'll be back soon.

Explore Diners' Choice best of Boston

Explore more Diners' Choice lists