Restaurants

Mass. has 2 of the best restaurants for outdoor dining, according to OpenTable

Both offer waterside dining.

Alma Nove in Hingham. Aram Boghosian

July 26, 2022

Summer in New England brings outdoor meals with loved ones, and two Massachusetts restaurants are among the best in the U.S. when it comes to al fresco dining, according to OpenTable.

This Massachusetts eatery is one of the world’s best restaurants, according to Conde Nast Traveler

The online restaurant reservation platform recently released a list of the 100 best restaurants for outdoor dining in 2022, selected from more than 13.6 million diner reviews, and waterfront restaurants Alma Nove in Hingham and The Black Whale in New Bedford made the cut.

“The list identifies restaurants coast-to-coast with great views, delicious cuisine and above all, an incredible outdoor dining experience,” OpenTable wrote.

This year’s annual list of 100 best restaurants for outdoor dining encompasses 25 states. The number of restaurants listing outdoor dining space nationwide has grown 54 percent compared to pre-pandemic 2019, according to OpenTable, and in Boston it has grown 92 percent. Boston also saw one of the greatest increases in outdoor dining reservations between May 2022 and June 2022, noted the site, with an increase of 37 percent.

“Outdoor dining played a major role in buoying the restaurant industry over the last few years, and restaurants took note — whether adding, expanding or elevating their offerings,” Susan Lee, chief growth officer for OpenTable, said in a statement. “Offering outdoor dining is now a key part of restaurants’ business, and we’re happy to see that diners continue to embrace it.”

Alma Nove is an Italian-Mediterranean restaurant founded by Paul Wahlberg and co-owned by famous siblings Donnie and Mark Wahlberg. It is named after their mother, Alma Wahlberg, and her nine (“nove”) kids. Guests can choose from specialty pastas, seafood, and wood-grilled fish and meat. Check out the dinner menu.

Seafood restaurant The Black Whale’s food mission is “to serve fresh, bold, and innovative food that reflects the history of New Bedford and celebrates the New Bedford fishermen, their catch and their culture.” Check out the dinner menu.

Five other New England restaurants made the list: Rhode Island’s Boat House Waterfront Dining in Tiverton; Coast Guard House in Narragansett; Lost Andes Restaurant in Providence; and The Mooring Restaurant in Newport; and Connecticut’s Dog Watch Cafe in Stonington.

The diner reviews were collected between May 1, 2021, and April 30, 2022, and restaurants under consideration had a minimum “overall” score comprised of overall diner ratings, user klout, total number of reviews, and regional overall ratings. The restaurants were then scored and sorted based on the percentage of reviews that included “outdoor dining” as a special feature.

View the entire list of 100 best restaurants for outdoor dining in America.