Where to Eat and Drink in Boston's Fort Point

By Bethany Graber
07/17/2019

Once a no-man’s-land between Southie and the Seaport, Fort Point has become an exciting pocket of the city for eating and drinking. Stroll past the Hood milk bottle, down the length of Congress Street, and you’ll find an embarrassment of dining riches tucked into former industrial buildings that give the neighborhood its distinctive façade.

Barbara Lynch is the godmother of Boston dining, and Menton is her ode to haute cuisine. Her swankiest restaurant, it’s an expression of chic, modern French food. Dishes like Seared Foie Gras and Burgundy Escargot can be ordered à la carte, but the pièce de résistance is the ever-changing Chef’s Whim menu: a series of courses highlighting the kitchen’s skill and reverence of ingredients. The decor is mostly understated to allow the food to shine, a touch of luster at the six-seat Gold Bar tips a hat to the elegance of the experience.

Oysters from Row 34 | Where to Eat Oysters in Boston

Industrial-chic, high-ceilinged Row 34 is a temple devoted to the edible treasures of the sea. The menu features clam-bar classics—think hot and cold lobster rolls and fish and chips—but it leans a bit more luxe with Housemade Bucatini, crispy oyster-stuffed Lettuce Cups, and a rotating whole fish option. True gems can be found on the extensive raw bar menu, with its oysters (try the aptly named Row 34 Island Creek varietal), clams on the half shell, zingy crudos, and decadent uni toast: simple pleasures best enjoyed with a selection from the highly curated beer list.

Drink is a subterranean oasis and one of Boston’s pioneering cocktail bars. It’s also the singular beverage-focused jewel in the Barbara Lynch Collective crown. Skilled bartenders ask what type of liquor you like and what flavors you enjoy in order to custom-craft a cocktail suited to your preferences. There are also quality bar bites to nibble on, like Deviled Eggs with pimento cheese or a much-beloved wagyu Burger, as well as wines and beers to try—but this place was built for the sipping of shaken or stirred concoctions.

Joanne Chang’s Flour bakeries are now found in almost every corner of the city, and this outpost, like so many of the others, is always bustling with people satisfying their sweet tooths. Whether you stop in for a famous pecan Sticky Bun or sit at one of the covered tables outside to enjoy the Roast Beef sandwich with crispy fried onions and horseradish sauce, you’re sure to leave satisfied.

Grilled fish at Sportello

Rounding out the trifecta of Barbara Lynch spots in Fort Point is Sportello, an Italian diner with gleaming white counter seating and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Congress Street. The menu is straightforward with expertly executed pastas at its heart. Additional trappings—such as soups, antipasti plates, and the daily cannoli—are equally worth a try; visit during lunchtime for special prix-fixe menus to sample them all.

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