Restaurants

5 restaurants we can’t wait to try in September

Boston openings include a casual Mexican restaurant with a rotating taco special, a European bakery in Back Bay, and a chicken finger empire near Downtown Crossing.

Raising Cane's. Courtesy

September 3, 2024

As much as we hate to see summer go, it’s time to realize that fall is upon us. Luckily, Boston’s restaurant scene continues to fight off the impending autumn chill as its openings are still sizzling with a new French-inspired bakery, music and mixology lounge, as well as a coastal Mexican joint.

Here’s where we can’t wait to dine in September.

155 On Portland

Downtown Boston’s newest hotel brings with it a new restaurant and bar, 155 On Portland at The Pennyweight. The contemporary American venue is tucked off the hotel’s lobby; an ideal location for its all day appeal as it transitions from an espresso bar by day to cocktail bar by night. The restaurant features a variety of seating from cozy bar stools and wing-backed chairs to a spacious outdoor patio. The morning menu offers on-the-go pastries as well as breakfast sandwiches and coffee; lunch focuses on elevated bar fare and shareable plates before a craft cocktail scene takes over at happy hour. Signature dinner items will include warm crab dip, the 155 burger and lobster pasta alla vodka.

The Pennyweight Hotel; 155 Portland St., Boston

Opens: mid-September

Black Rose European Bakery

Newbury Street just debuted its newest bakery with the second location of Black Rose European Bakery — a Westborough favorite for their signature specialty cakes, mini pastries, macarons and petit fours. “We’re looking forward to serving the wider Boston community in a more modern space, but we will stay true to our traditional European fare, which my family has worked diligently to master over the years,” says Black Rose European Bakery co-owner Nathan Nguyen. The Back Bay venue offers indoor and outdoor dining, as well as new, unique-to-its-location menu items crafted by chef George Arthur, including meat pies and classic sandwiches like pesto chicken and tuna to specialties like Bologna with sliced mortadella cream cheese and grain mustard (all $14.93).

303 Newbury St., Boston

Now open

Raising Cane’s

If you haven’t heard of the chicken finger empire that is Raising Cane’s, you now have unparalleled access to one of their most anticipated locations. The Boston opening of Raising Cane’s is the restaurant’s 828th location, with a location-dedicated design to set it apart from the rest of its nationwide outposts. The restaurant spans more than 10,000-square-feet and drips with gold from its golden exterior to its glittery disco balls, gleaning floors and gold cabinets. The gold theme stems from the franchise’s golden birthday, which they celebrated with their grand opening on August 28 with this 828th location. Their most popular chicken finger combos include the Box Combo ($12.99) which includes four chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, a Cane’s sauce, Texas Toast, coleslaw and a fountain soda. The Caniac Combo ($19.39) includes six chicken fingers and the Kids Combo ($7.49) scales down to two chicken fingers.

101 Arch St., Boston

Now open

Spy Bar

Hi-Fi listening bars have proliferated across Europe in recent years, but the newest one will be opening in Boston this fall at the Revolution Hotel. Spy Bar is a perfect medley of music and mixology as Wildlife Hospitality (behind The Beehive and Cosmica) prioritizes the Hi-Fi experience with designated music curators that plan to offer a completely singular music experience for guests with their rotating selection of DJ takeovers, spanning genres from downtempo electronica to indie vocals, Afrobeat and 70s French disco. The subterranean cocktail and beats lounge opens after a year of development as the bar welcomes alum from the beloved Drink in Boston and promises innovative cocktails that match the auditory experience of the evening. There will also be a selection of culinary offerings to complement the diversity of the music and libations. As for its name, Spy Bar is a tribute to Boston’s rich spy history that dates back to the colonial era with the Massachusetts Spy, a publication founded in 1770, that was known for spreading revolutionary ideas, and of, course, Paul Revere was a member of the first American intelligence network on record known simply as “the mechanics” or the Liberty Boys.

Revolution Hotel; 40 Berkeley St., Boston

Opens: mid-September

Taco Azul

A casual Mexican restaurant at the top of Beacon Hill is set to open with a mission to serve the best guacamole, tacos and margaritas. Taco Azul’s owner Dan Leyva, a 2021 Forbes 30 Under 30 – Food & Drink Honoree, assures every dish is made fresh daily in-house, including the restaurant’s signature heirloom blue corn tortillas and chips. The vibe, Leyva assures, is modern, comfortable and welcoming where “guests will be transported to a beach oasis.” He adds, “it is the perfect restaurant for a work lunch, a family meal, a date night, a fun time with friends, and everything in between.” Another detail we love is Taco Azul’s rotating taco, a regularly changing taco special of which part of its proceeds will be donated to a local charity.

21 Beacon St., Boston

Opens: mid-September