New York Times names 2 Mass. restaurants among the 50 best in the US
The New York Times has released its 2025 list of the 50 best restaurants in the country, and two Massachusetts restaurants are among the eateries named as a must-visit.
The 2025 America’s Best Restaurants list was put together by New York Times reporters and editors, who traveled the country in search of restaurants, from fine dining to hole-in-the-wall eateries, that stand out from the usual fare.
The two Massachusetts restaurants, which are both located in Boston , that made the final cut were La Padrona and McGonagle’s Pub .
La Padrona
La Padrona is an upscale Italian eatery location within Raffles Boston in Back Bay.Brian Samuels Photography
La Padrona, which officially opened at the Raffles Hotel in Back Bay last May, is spearheaded by James Beard Award-winning chef Jody Adams. The 8,600-square-foot establishment specializes in authentic Italian cuisine.
“Combinations like asparagus, caviar and chives; or scallops, saffron and corn, aren’t unexpected, but vividly refined here,” NYT wrote of La Padrona. “The must-have is her tagliatelle Emilia-Romagna, composed around two ingredients from the Italian region: A mound of shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese does creamy and salty, and a trickle of aged balsamic vinegar chimes in with sour and sweet.”
McGonagle’s Pub
McGonagle's Pub is an upscale Irish Pub located in Dorchester.Courtesy Photo
Meanwhile, McGonagle’s Pub officially opened in Dorchester last December . The modern authentic Irish pub was the brainchild of Oran McGonagle, William McCarthy and Chef Aidan McGee. This is the same group behind The Dubliner , a must-visit Irish pub in Boston and winner of Boston Magazine’s “Best Irish Bar” in 2023 and 2024 .
“Mr. McGee brought over a proper Irish chip-cutting machine for the fish and chips. He took mozzarella sticks with marinara and reworked them into crunchy croquettes of Irish cheese, with a black truffle mayonnaise. And he introduced Dublin’s magnificent late-night drunk food: the spice bag, a crunchy, Chinese-Indian-Irish jumble of fried chicken bits with chiles, cumin, star anise, turmeric and more, all tossed with fries and served takeout style in a paper bag,” NYT wrote of the establishment. “Corned beef and cabbage could never. "
You can read the full New York Times list here.
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