Boston's Best Mediterranean Cuisine
Avila Restaurant
1 Charles St. South
Boston, MA 02116
(617) 267-4810
www.avilarestaurant.com
Located in the Back Bay, Avila Modern Mediterranean restaurant and bar features a wide range of menu selections inspired by the cuisine of Spain, Italy, France, Portugal and Greece. Whether you are looking to have wine alongside small plates such as its steamed mussels or appetizers like one of its many spring rolls, this place offers something for everyone. Enjoy larger dishes including pastas or entrees, tasting menus for dining before local theater performances, and even gluten-free options. Locals love the seafood, including the sea scallops, but for a real taste of the Mediterranean, dive into the paella valencia with clams, mussels, shrimp, chorizo, calamari, chicken and saffron rice.
Vlora
545 Boylston St.
Boston, MA 02116
(617) 638-9699
vloraboston.com
Centrally located in the Back Bay at Copley Square, Vlora is a Mediterranean restaurant that's named after the chef and owner Aldo Velaj's hometown in Albania. It prides itself on serving fresh, natural and healthy cuisine influenced by the Northern Mediterranean regions of Albania, Greece and Southern Italy. Guests start a meal off at Vlora on a tasty note with fresh bread with only the purest olive oil. Then diners will definitely want to try the Mediterranean kebabs served with Italian rice pilaf, grilled vegetables and mixed greens, with proteins including chicken, beef tenderloin or succulent shrimp. It also offers gyros, pasta dishes, salads and plenty of specialty dishes including the Albanian tava, which is a delicious baked casserole of potato, zucchini, tomato, béchamel, onion, yellow squash, okra, and parmesan and Swiss cheeses.
Sabur
212 Holland St.
Somerville, MA 02144
(617) 776-7890
www.saburrestaurant.com/
Make yourself at home in the relaxed environment of Sabur in Teele Square in Somerville. Just minutes from Davis Square, diners may indulge on dishes with ties to Italy, Greece, Southern France, the Balkans and North Africa. Vegetarians will find no shortage of options here either. Start off with an appetizers such as the grilled chicken skewers with yogurt thyme honey sauce followed by one of its specialty entrees. One of the highlights on the menu is the open hearth roast featuring slow-roasted lamb, vegetables and natural jus.Related: Greek Yogurt Craze: Worth The Extra Money?
Metropolis Cafe
584 Tremont St.
Boston, MA 02118
(617) 247-2931
www.metropolisboston.com/
The Aquitaine Group, which also owns favorites in the South End including Gaslight and Union Bar and Grill, started off its restaurant endeavors with Metropolis Cafe. It's a casual Mediterranean café with a perfect location on Tremont Street. Whether diners come here for brunch on weekends or dinner nightly, it serves up affordable and tasty dishes. The menu features everything from Lebanese options such as summer tabouli, to Italian meals, including rigatoni or gnocchi.
Oleana Restaurant
134 Hampshire St.
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 661-0505
www.oleanarestaurant.com/Oleana in Inman Square in Cambridge has built an outstanding reputation. The menu features a wide range of vegetarian dishes. The menu is also very creative and will appeal to guests of all ages. There are many foods that stand out available but worth a mention is the popular starter Sultan's Delight, which is tamarind-glazed beef, smokey eggplant purée, and pine nuts, and the vegetarian tasting menu.
Michelle Levine is a creative energetic, young professional that is passionate about everything Boston has to offer. She loves to attend local events, dine out, and cook and wants to share her findings with you. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.
