Eastern Standard

Eastern Standard at 528 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston's Kenmore Square occupies a beloved position in Boston's dining landscape as the definitive pre-game brasserie and the neighborhood anchor for the Hotel Commonwealth. Since opening in 2005, it has functioned as the go-to gathering point for Red Sox fans heading to Fenway Park, late-night diners after concerts at the House of Blues, and students from the nearby Boston University campus. The kitchen serves a broad American brasserie menu built around French bistro classics — steak frites, roast chicken, moules marinières — executed with consistency and generosity. The raw bar is a genuine strength, with a rotating selection of oysters, shrimp, and cold seafood alongside properly mixed classic cocktails that the bar program has become nationally recognized for. The bar team has helped define the craft cocktail renaissance in Boston; the Sidecar, Negroni, and seasonal house cocktails are benchmarks. The dining room is spacious and handsome, with warm lighting, banquette seating, a long bar, and a terrace that opens onto Commonwealth Avenue in warm weather. Eastern Standard's hours — kitchen open until 1am daily — make it invaluable in a city where late-night quality dining is scarce. The wine list is broad and intelligently priced, and the rotating oyster selection on the half shell offers good value compared to the city's dedicated oyster bars.