New to the Neighborhood – new spots opening in 2023

East Boston’s restaurant scene is heating up with a series of new spots set to open in 2023. Here’s a look at the newcomers who we can’t wait to open their doors.

Pomona Cafe & Wine Bar

With a prime location by Maverick Square, Pomona Cafe & Wine Bar is expected to open their doors this summer, with signs for the business already on display in the new location on Meridian Street. The cafe already has two popular locations in Swampscott and Winthrop, and from what we’ve seen at those locations, expect a wellness-focused menu of high-end coffee, healthy juices and smoothies, fresh breakfasts, salads and grain bowls,

Cafe Gloria

Will Isaza, a veteran of high-profile bars including Brookline’s Blossom Bar and Birds of Paradise in Brighton, is no doubt drawing on his decade of experience in the hospitality industry with the anticipated opening of Cafe Gloria. A lifelong East Boston resident, Isaza is bringing his coffee and espresso bar concept to East Boston in the summer of 2023, and recently launched a crowdfunding campaign on NuMarket to help fund the solo project. 

The Smoke Shop BBQ – NOW OPEN

Best of Boston’s 2022 Best BBQ winner, is opening a prime waterfront location near Clippership Wharf. With plans to open their doors before the end of 2023, the new venue will offer skyline views of the Seaport, award-winning BBQ and New England’s largest whiskey selection. The outlet’s proximity to Tall Ship is a bonus, so diners can continue the good times with an on-the-water nightcap.

MIDA

The South End staple from award winning chef Douglass Williams will be bringing updated Italian classics to a new location in East Boston. While an exact timeframe for opening is still TBD, the restaurant has confirmed plans to open in a new space on the water at Clippership Wharf, which will include a ground-floor dining area and bar alongside an outdoor patio. As a bonus, MIDA’s new venue will be just a few steps away from Lewis Wharf, where diners can easily hop on the ferry and head to the Seaport or North End in under 10 minutes.