The best Black-owned restaurants in Boston

Owner Helder Brando opened Estella, inspired by his mother, the restaurant’s namesake, and her passion for good food. The upper level of the restaurant gives guests an intimate space to enjoy a great meal with friends and loved ones. But the street level bar area and the basement level lounge bring a much-needed vibrancy to Boston night life. On a busy night you can find the amazing team at Estella whipping up craft cocktails among the buzzing crowd. Estella frequently features live music and DJs on Friday and Saturday nights to get the party going.

Italian for “he gives me,” the food at Mida is truly a gift to the city from chef-owner Douglass Williams. Recently named one of the top 10 Best New Chefs in America by Food & Wine, he draws on Italian influences for dishes such as handmade gnocchi cacio e pepe, short rib lasagna and North Shore fritto misto, and with three locations – the South End, Newton and Eastie – there’s no excuse not to indulge. The wine and cocktail lists are on point, with lots of Northern Italian vintages that pair well with your meal.

One of the most exciting restaurants opening in Boston in 2023, Dorchester’s Comfort Kitchen has already received a James Beard nomination for Best New Restaurant. Chef Kwasi Kwaa runs a busy kitchen serving food from across the African diaspora, serving dishes like Senegalese yassa chicken and jerk jackfruit sliders, to a packed house every night. The bar program is next level as well, sip the sumac sour or bodega daiquiri to kick off your meal.

This 5,000-square-foot dining and entertainment venue in the Seaport, from Darryl’s Bar and Kitchen (currently undergoing a revamp) owner Nia Grace, is one of our top spots of 2023. The restaurant includes a stage and lounge on the main floor, and even more seating adjacent. The hotspot brings nightly live music to the Seaport, along with dishes like oxtail grits, carrot cake chicken and waffles and more comfort classics.

Mida chef-owner Douglass Williams added a new restaurant to his portfolio in 2023, DW French, a Fenway brasserie inspired by his personal culinary journey, woven with the rich legacy of Paris. Inspired by American creatives who thrived in the City of Light, then brought that inspiration back stateside, kicking off the Harlem Renaissance. It’s this rich history, and Williams' attention to detail that make DW French so special. There’s also the remarkable food, with the beef bourguignon sandwich being a special standout, along with the DW French onion soup.

Nestled in the airy Dorchester Brewing Company’s building, M&M has been a Black owned business since 1982. Founded by Marion and Maurice Hill, the business is operated by their grandson, Geo Lambert, who took over about ten years ago. Grab a beer and a spot on the sunny roofdeck, and order one of M&M’s honey hot chicken sammies or a half a rack of ribs meal and count your blessings both businesses are under one roof right here in Boston.

There are only a handful of Black-owned vegan restaurants in America, and we’re lucky enough to have one right here in Dorchester. Owners Jahriffe Mackenzie and Nahdra Ra Kiros serve up healthy African couscous and grain bowls, stews and wraps, along with made-to-order drinks from their juice bar, all ready for takeout from Oasis Vegan Veggie Parlor. There’s an amazing melty vegan mac ‘n cheese pie, and the curry chickpea stew is not to be missed.

Visit Blue Nile for the house-made honey wine, but stay for the expertly scratch-made Ethiopian cuisine that appeals to vegans, vegetarians and meat-lovers alike. This intimate eatery in Jamaica Plain does a stand-out take-out business (with the long lines to prove it). You’re encouraged to dive into the dishes with your hands, but, of course, forks and knives are available.

Head to Hyde Park for the best Trinidadian style takeout you can get without going to the islands. The Caribbean restaurant serves all styles of roti, from chicken to beef to veggie, bake and saltfish (salted and dried codfish), pholourie (crunchy fried balls of dough) and weekly specials like bake and shark. Visit D Coal Pot for lots of goodies hard to find elsewhere in the area. 

This amazing restaurant is one of the best vegan restaurants in Boston, hands down. Owners of Oasis, Jahriffe Mackenzie and Nahdra Ra Kiros serve up healthy African couscous and grain bowls, stews and wraps, along with made-to-order drinks from their juice bar, all ready for takeout from Oasis Vegan Veggie Parlor. There’s an amazing melty vegan mac ‘n cheese pie, and the curry chickpea stew is not to be missed.

A top contender for the best handhelds in Boston, this small burger bar in Lower Mills serves grass-fed Maine beef patties piled-high with toppings. Smash burger combos are beyond basic, such as Somewhere in Wiscansin (complete with “pig candy,” butter, caramelized onion, cheddar and maple aioli). Vegans order up Impossible and veggies burgers, while smaller appetites can opt for salads and smoothies.

Francophiles, take note: French husband-and-wife team Antoine and Anaïs Lambert opened Cafe Sauvage as a chic and trendy Parisian style café-restaurant. They serve up breakfast sandwiches and treats all day (hello, Viennoiserie cakes and crêpes), as well as an evening menu of heavier French fare, and a wine list to complement. Don’t miss their special French Dinner, the last Wednesday of every month, where you’ll get a prix fixe Parisian dinner and an immersion in culture – only French is spoken during this meal!

Located in Boston's Leather District, Savvor Restaurant and Lounge is full of soul food inspired by rich Caribbean roots. Eclectic and flavorful plates take center stage (think jerk wings, braised beef short ribs and sweet plantains), while the unique house-recipe cocktails use exotic island rums hailing from all corners of the West Indies. Try the Bush Wackah, their Caribbean version of a chocolate martini.