New Zagat 2014 Boston Restaurants Survey Shows Major Changes Among the Top Restaurants
September 11, 2013
The results of Zagat’s 2014 Boston Restaurants Survey are now live on zagat.com, covering 1,207 restaurants in the Greater Boston Area. Based on the collective opinions of 8,514 avid diners, the survey shows that the resilient dining scene has welcomed a healthy batch of newcomers while celebrating long-held local favorites.
Some shakes-ups were seen among the Top Food list, with the North’s End’s Neptune Oyster taking top honors (up from No. 4 in the last survey), followed by another seafood restaurant, Island Creek Oyster Bar, which was previously unranked. The rest of the Top Food list includes perennial favorites like Oleana (No. 3), Lumière (No. 5) and Hamersley’s Bistro (No. 9), as well as some restaurants new to the top ten this year – Craigie on Main (No. 4, previously No. 15), Life Alive (No. 6, previously unranked), No. 9 Park (No. 8, previously No. 17) and Il Capriccio (No. 10, previously No. 32).
In other major categories, Jamie Mammano’s “breathtaking” Back Bay Italian, Sorellina, wins for Top Decor, while Barbara Lynch’s Menton repeats atop the list for Service. This year’s Most Popular restaurant in Boston is Abe & Louie’s. A few of this year’s notable newcomers include Asta in Back Bay, Tavern Road in the Seaport District and Bronwyn in Somerville, as well as BoMA Restaurant + Bar and Cinquecento in the South End.
According to the results of our Dining Trends Survey, Boston diners typically eat out 3.7 times per week (for lunch and dinner combined), and report spending an average of $44.19 per dinner. What irritates diners most? Noise – it tops the list with 23% of the vote, followed closely by service (21%) and prices (18%). However, one thing diners do not find irritating is taking pictures of their food and/or their companions – 83% of diners say its “ok in moderation” or “perfectly acceptable.” On the flip side, 60% find it “rude and inappropriate” to text, tweet, call or e-mail from the table.
In the wake of April’s Boston Marathon bombings, local restaurants have proven resilient and charitable, with many reopening for business and others making donations to aid recovery efforts or hosting charitable events. As the city looks forward to next year’s marathon, our editors have compiled a list of restaurants with a unique vantage point along the Marathon route, as well as more than 100 other Zagat lists, available through Google Maps, to help diners discover the city – everything from “Student Hangouts” and “Freedom Trail Restaurants” to restaurants for when you’re “Shopping in the Back Bay.”
To access all of this year’s ratings and reviews, check out zagat.com, download the Zagat app for Android and iPhone, or purchase the print guide, available at local bookstores.
Posted by Bill Corsello and Emil Ross, Zagat Senior Editors
Some shakes-ups were seen among the Top Food list, with the North’s End’s Neptune Oyster taking top honors (up from No. 4 in the last survey), followed by another seafood restaurant, Island Creek Oyster Bar, which was previously unranked. The rest of the Top Food list includes perennial favorites like Oleana (No. 3), Lumière (No. 5) and Hamersley’s Bistro (No. 9), as well as some restaurants new to the top ten this year – Craigie on Main (No. 4, previously No. 15), Life Alive (No. 6, previously unranked), No. 9 Park (No. 8, previously No. 17) and Il Capriccio (No. 10, previously No. 32).
In other major categories, Jamie Mammano’s “breathtaking” Back Bay Italian, Sorellina, wins for Top Decor, while Barbara Lynch’s Menton repeats atop the list for Service. This year’s Most Popular restaurant in Boston is Abe & Louie’s. A few of this year’s notable newcomers include Asta in Back Bay, Tavern Road in the Seaport District and Bronwyn in Somerville, as well as BoMA Restaurant + Bar and Cinquecento in the South End.
According to the results of our Dining Trends Survey, Boston diners typically eat out 3.7 times per week (for lunch and dinner combined), and report spending an average of $44.19 per dinner. What irritates diners most? Noise – it tops the list with 23% of the vote, followed closely by service (21%) and prices (18%). However, one thing diners do not find irritating is taking pictures of their food and/or their companions – 83% of diners say its “ok in moderation” or “perfectly acceptable.” On the flip side, 60% find it “rude and inappropriate” to text, tweet, call or e-mail from the table.
In the wake of April’s Boston Marathon bombings, local restaurants have proven resilient and charitable, with many reopening for business and others making donations to aid recovery efforts or hosting charitable events. As the city looks forward to next year’s marathon, our editors have compiled a list of restaurants with a unique vantage point along the Marathon route, as well as more than 100 other Zagat lists, available through Google Maps, to help diners discover the city – everything from “Student Hangouts” and “Freedom Trail Restaurants” to restaurants for when you’re “Shopping in the Back Bay.”
To access all of this year’s ratings and reviews, check out zagat.com, download the Zagat app for Android and iPhone, or purchase the print guide, available at local bookstores.
Posted by Bill Corsello and Emil Ross, Zagat Senior Editors
Follow