The close connection Field & Vine has forged with local farms and butchers is reflected in the monthly changing menu. It’s a restaurant for omnivores with the sensibility of a vegetarian restaurant, with shining meat-free dishes like Grilled Spiced Carrots coffee cream and kumquat, and a Smoked Feta Handpie with caramelized onions and maitake mushroom aioli. Chef Andrew Brady creates some of our favorite raw seafood dishes every season, and treats meat with utmost care on the fire-fueled grill commanding the open kitchen. This sweet, vine-draped dining room is one of our favorite places for any occasion.

Union Square Donuts were the harbingers of Boston’s fancy doughnut renaissance when they hit the scene in 2012. They are headquartered in Union Square (natch), and today have multiple locations, including Brookline and inside the Boston Public Market. The flagship location provides the oversize, miraculously fluffy doughnuts at their freshest. Tuck into a “classic” like Boston Cream or Brown Butter Hazelnut Crunch, or please your inner child with a fun creation like Dirt and Worms. Any donut not paired with coffee is a missed opportunity—fortunately, USD brews its own house blend.

An anonymous-looking hallway down an alley in Union Square leads to the hidden cocktail oasis that is Backbar. The freewheeling creativity of the speakeasy’s menu offers something new to even the most diehard cocktail nerds, because it changes all the time and is based on themes like the Solar System and Disney’s Encanto. A relaxed atmosphere heavy on nerdy kitsch signals that it never takes itself too seriously, but rest assured: This is one of Boston’s best cocktail bars. Total bonus: Next-door neighbor Field & Vine is behind the bar snacks, like Ranch Popcorn and Hummus and Pita.

Over the years, Juliet has been a lot of things to people. It’s an a la carte cafe with all-day dining options, which hosts oft-changing dinner experiences at night based on themed, multi-course menus. The cuisine skews refined and continental while also being contemporary and sustainable. On weekends, you’ll find brunch, but every morning brings coffee and pastries. Currently, however, it’s just open for dinner Friday through Sunday while the restaurant moves next door. After several years in Union Square, forward-thinking hospitalitarians behind Juliet are expanding into a larger location with a dine-in bar and an open kitchen. Stay tuned for updates on menus and hours.

Union Square already had a couple Peruvian restaurants when Celeste came along (hello, Machu Picchu!), but this hot spot proved to be a game changer—in fact, it earned a James Beard nomination for Best New Restaurant in 2018. The generously sized bowls of bright ceviche are perfectly complemented by frothy Pisco Sours, and hearty mains like Seco de Cordero (a cilantro stew with lamb) and Sudado de Pescado (Peruvian-Chinese-style steamed fish) are a welcome respite from sharing plates-fatigue. Since debuting this lively little dining room, the owners have expanded with La Royal in Cambridge.