The 10 best restaurants in Somerville
Somerville is a small, dense city, and most of the restaurants sit in or near one of the squares. This list covers ten places to eat across Somerville, from Davis and Union squares to Magoun Square, Winter Hill and East Somerville. It is written for residents choosing a dinner spot and for visitors coming over from Boston or Cambridge.
The picks lean toward independent, locally run restaurants with years of steady local press behind them, plus a few newer rooms. Prices run from a $10.99 barbecue sandwich combo and $13 gumbo to $40 plates at the top end. Several of the ten take no reservations or hold bar seats for walk-ins.
How we chose
The list is alphabetical, not ranked. Each restaurant is inside the Somerville city limits and was confirmed open in November 2026 through the restaurant’s own website. Selection rested on longevity, coverage in established local outlets such as The Boston Globe, Boston magazine and The Infatuation, and a spread of squares, cuisines and price levels. Star ratings from review sites played no part.
Hours and prices below come from each business and change without notice. Call ahead if you are making a special trip.
American Flatbread Company
Pizza and candlepin bowling share one building on Day Street in Davis Square. American Flatbread, one of several locations the company runs, took over Sacco’s Bowl Haven, which the Sacco family opened in 1939 by the company’s account, and kept the lanes. The dough is made daily from organic wheat. A 12-inch Cheese & Herb flatbread is $14.25 and the 16-inch Vermont Homemade Sausage, with maple fennel sausage, mushrooms and caramelized onions, is $26.25. The menu says a large feeds two or three people. Lanes are booked separately through the Sacco’s bowling site, so reserve a table and a lane as two steps.
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday, 12 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Address: 45 Day Street, Somerville, MA 02144 (Davis Square)
Why they made the list
- The candlepin lanes from the 1939 bowling alley are still in use beside the dining room.
- A small gluten-free crust is available for an extra $6.
- The Evolution Salad, with sesame seeds, Maine sea kelp and ginger-tamari vinaigrette, is $10.50.
- The kitchen bakes until 10 p.m. seven days a week.
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Celeste
JuanMa Calderón cooks Peruvian and Andean food in a small room on Bow Street in Union Square, with Maria Rondeau running the restaurant alongside him. The two started in 2013 with Kriollo Real, a supper club in their home, according to the restaurant’s site, and The Boston Globe covered the Union Square opening in April 2018. Ceviche and slow-cooked stews anchor the menu, and the bar centers on pisco and mezcal. The Infatuation’s Somerville guide, dated September 12, 2025, recommends the mixed seafood ceviche, the avocado causa and a passion fruit pisco sour. The room is small, so reserve ahead.
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Address: 21 Bow Street, Somerville, MA 02143 (Union Square)
Why they made the list
- The owners are a filmmaker-chef and an architect who began by hosting dinners at home.
- Takeout and delivery run alongside indoor dining.
- Dinner is served seven nights a week, with a late-night menu after the main service.
Dalí Restaurant & Tapas Bar
Spanish tapas have been the business at 415 Washington Street, west of Union Square near the Cambridge line, since the 1980s; The Infatuation’s September 2025 guide counts three decades of collected objects on the walls. Founders Mario Leon and Tamara Bourso built the room themselves, by the restaurant’s own telling. Cold and hot tapas run from $7 marinated olives and an $8 tortilla española to $45 jamón ibérico de bellota, with a $9 garlic soup in between. Reserve by phone or OpenTable and confirm when the restaurant contacts you, because unconfirmed bookings can be canceled. Some tables are held for walk-ins.
Hours: The restaurant’s site lists service Wednesday through Sunday, with kitchen orders until 10 p.m. and the bar open until 11 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday and 11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Check current hours before you go.
Address: 415 Washington Street, Somerville, MA 02143 (west of Union Square)
Why they made the list
- The menu draws on regional recipes from across Spain and includes vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dishes.
- Payment is by credit card or Apple Pay, according to the restaurant’s information page.
- A to-go menu runs from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and orders are prepaid online.
- Gluten-free and dairy-free menus are available on request.
Field & Vine
Down Sanborn Court, an alley off Union Square, Field & Vine cooks a seasonal menu that changes with what farmers and fishermen deliver. The Infatuation describes an old industrial space hung with vines and plants and an open kitchen built around an Argentine-style asado grill. A recent sample menu lists cheddar scallion cornbread with miso butter at $14, cavatelli with eggplant-tomato ragout at $32, grilled local fish at $36 and a grilled pork chop at $40. Book through Resy or by phone. The restaurant has no parking lot and warns that metered spaces in the square fill up, so allow extra time or arrive by transit.
Hours: Tuesday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; closed Sunday and Monday.
Address: 9 Sanborn Court, Somerville, MA 02143 (Union Square)
Why they made the list
- Vegetable plates make up much of the menu, including roasted delicata squash with smoked feta at $18.
- House pickles, a mix of fermented and vinegar-pickled farm vegetables, are $8.
- The beer list leans on New England brewers, including Remnant Brewing from Somerville.
Highland Kitchen
Since 2007, by the restaurant’s count, Highland Kitchen has run a Southern-leaning comfort food menu and a jukebox at 150 Highland Avenue on Spring Hill, between Union and Davis squares. Reservations are not taken; the site tells diners to just come down. Andouille and chicken gumbo is $13 as a starter and $19 as a large bowl, the spicy jambalaya with duck confit, shrimp and tasso ham is $24, and a blackened catfish po’ boy is $18. Monday is fried chicken night. The kitchen closes at 10 p.m. most nights, but the bar stays open until 1 a.m., which makes late arrivals workable.
Hours: Kitchen: Sunday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. The bar is open until 1 a.m. every night.
Address: 150 Highland Avenue, Somerville, MA 02143 (Spring Hill)
Why they made the list
- A veggie jambalaya with red beans and seared greens is $19, and the black bean burger is $14.
- Every sandwich comes with house pickles and a choice of fries or mixed greens.
- The Infatuation’s September 2025 guide named the walk-in policy and late closing as reasons to go.
- Side dishes, from mac and cheese to garlic seared greens, are $6 each.
Mimi’s Chūka Diner
Inside Aeronaut Brewing on Tyler Street, a short walk from Union Square, Mimi’s cooks chūka food, the Japanese style of Chinese-influenced dishes. The diner had a long run as a pop-up before settling here, according to The Infatuation, and marks two years in the space with a gyoza dinner on November 20, 2026. The Infatuation points to the karaage fried chicken with chūka potato salad and the garlic noodles with garlic confit, pickled ginger and mushrooms. Dinner runs Tuesday through Saturday and brunch is served on weekends. Reservations go through Resy, and takeout and delivery are available seven days a week.
Hours: Dinner: Tuesday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Brunch: Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Address: 14 Tyler Street, Somerville, MA 02143 (inside Aeronaut Brewing, near Union Square)
Why they made the list
- The dining room sits in a back corner of the brewery taproom, with chrome and red diner seating.
- Catering, group menus and private events in the dining room are available.
- The diner’s own site calls the menu Greater Boston’s only chūka-inspired one, a claim that could not be checked independently.
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Premiere on Broadway
Italian American cooking comes with a show at this Magoun Square restaurant, which the Zammuto family opened in 2021. Owner Charles Zammuto designed the room, including a 600-square-foot stage and artwork of musicians and film stars, the restaurant’s site says. On the dinner menu, pepper vodka penne is $25, chicken parm over spaghetti is $26, spicy Calabrian rigatoni with burrata is $28 and lobster ravioli is $36. A brunch menu adds ricotta pancakes at $14 and tiramisu French toast at $18. The restaurant recommends reserving online ahead of time. Check the events page first to see who is on stage that night.
Hours: Check current hours before you go.
Address: 517 Broadway, Somerville, MA 02145 (Magoun Square)
Why they made the list
- The Zammuto family has lived and cooked in Somerville and Medford for more than five generations, by their own account.
- Several pastas and the burger can be made gluten friendly.
- Private parties and catering are booked through the restaurant.
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Redbones
Barbecue has come out of the pit at 55 Chester Street in Davis Square since 1987. Owner Rob Gregory started by renting a kitchen in a dive bar to sell ribs, brisket and pulled pork, according to Boston magazine’s Davis Square dining guide. The menu covers Texas, Carolina and St. Louis styles: a pulled pork sandwich with one side is $16.50, a brisket or burnt ends dinner with two sides is $24.75 and a half rack of St. Louis ribs is $30. Fried chicken and waffles is $17.50. The cheapest way in is the dine-in sandwich combo at $10.99, with chips and a Narragansett or soda.
Hours: Tuesday and Wednesday, 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday, 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.; closed Monday. The Underbones bar is open until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Address: 55 Chester Street, Somerville, MA 02144 (Davis Square)
Why they made the list
- The brisket is wood-smoked for 14 hours, the menu says.
- Vegetarian sides include collard greens, mac and cheese and dirty rice.
- Catering runs from pickup trays to a food truck and a private event space.
- Lunch service starts at noon six days a week.
Sarma
Chef and owner Cassie Piuma runs this Winter Hill restaurant with co-owner Ana Sortun, serving Mediterranean and Middle Eastern small plates modeled on the meyhanes of Turkey. Plates on the menu dated November 5, 2026 range from a $17 chickpea melt to $40 harissa barbecue duck, with lamb kofte sliders at $27. Servers also carry specials through the room, The Infatuation notes. Tables for up to six open on Resy 30 days out, with each new day released at 10 a.m. For anyone without a booking, the 20-seat bar and the high-top tables are first come, first served, and the bar opens at 5 p.m.
Hours: Bar opens daily at 5 p.m. Dining room: Sunday through Thursday, 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Closed November 26, December 24 through 28 and January 1.
Address: 249 Pearl Street, Somerville, MA 02145 (Winter Hill)
Why they made the list
- The kitchen can work around dairy, gluten, shellfish and nut allergies but does not otherwise modify dishes.
- A 20 percent gratuity is added for parties of six or more.
- Groups of seven or more book through the private events form with a set menu at $150 a person.
- The Infatuation singles out the wine list for Armenian and Lebanese bottles.
Tulum
At the East Somerville end of Washington Street, Tulum Mexican Cuisine has a long menu of tacos, small plates and large shared platters. Taco plates run from $16 for the veggie or huitlacoche to $22 for asada or grilled octopus, and birria with a side of consommé is $21. Guacamole is $12 and the Volcano Molcajete, a mix of grilled shrimp, beef, chicken, al pastor and cochinita with rice, beans and tortillas, is $58 for two. Weekly deals posted on the restaurant’s site include half-price nachos on Monday, six tacos for $24 on Tuesday and half-price margaritas on Wednesday. Tables can be booked online.
Hours: Check current hours before you go.
Address: 3 Washington Street, Somerville, MA 02143 (East Somerville)
Why they made the list
- The restaurant is open seven days a week, according to the site.
- Brunch dishes include Sinaloa chilaquiles at $20 and huevos rancheros at $16.
- Pozole with pork, hominy and radish is $13.
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