El Oriental is a cheerful Cuban café which provides bilingual service with a smile. It is a casual, friendly hangout for a diverse crowd of locals. Choose from among the succulent variety plates ($7.50-$11.75), particularly the chicken fricassee and shredded beef, deliciously satisfying meals with rice, beans, and tasty fried plantains served green or ripe. Don't forget the sweet drinks—tropical shakes are only $2, and a creamy orange concoction called “morir soñando” (“to die dreaming”) is only $2.50—or the desserts (sweet, light flan; $1.50). They serve the best Cuban coffee in the City and it's not unusual to see Red Sox and visiting team players here getting their fix, along with Cubans from all over town.
El Oriental de Cuba suffered a fire bombing in mid 2005 but like a phoenix rose from the ashes. Owner Nobel Garcia, an unofficial neighborhood ambassador, never let adversity hinder him. El Oriental does catering and their food is a great way to spice up your meeting (literally) with beans, rice a little pork or beef and platanos. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

This is a fantastic neighborhood Japanese restaurant. There is a take-out window when you first walk in - be sure to check out the daily specials before you order, there's usually at least one amazing offering there. If you want to eat in you have two options: sit at one of the tables or at the sushi bar. JP Seafood Cafe offers great lunch specials in bento boxes and entrees at diner are great as well. Their specialty is sushi and that's the main draw.

A popular JP restaurant specializing in New American cuisine. They offer high-end comfort food like a truly gourmet mac and cheese and fabulous burgers abound alongside salads and creative desserts. Zon's has a definite JP vibe, so the clientele is diverse. Zon's has a cozy bar that has a good wine menu to boot.

New American food with French influences from Krista Kranyk and her team. There is an open kitchen and there are 10 tables, literally. It's the BEST food in Jamaica Plain without question. The only restaurant in JP which is really high-end. Ten Tables gets national press and acclaim - which it deserves. Reservations are taken 7 days a week and are a very good idea as the restaurant fills up quickly. A great romantic dinner for two spot. There is a Tuesday Wine Dinner - four courses with four glasses of wine for $39. Each wine dinner has a country theme. Ten Tables is truly a small, neighborhood restaurant and worth a visit.

It's got an odd name, locals just call it "The Gate" but an Irish pub named for the way Guiness is moved in and out of the factory in Dublin can't be bad, right?
They've got Shepherd's Pie and Blood Pudding (which comes with the full Irish breakfast) or there's always the Bangers and Mash. Like the contemporary menus of pubs back in the old country, you can order curry sauce to dip your chips (fries) in. Being a JP establishment there's plenty for vegetarians to eat too. And the PEI mussels are simply the best thing EVER!
The ambiance is articulated by a long, centrally located, communal table in front of a fireplace - which roars throughout the cold winter months. In the warmer weather, there is a patio with shaded tables to eat al fresco. Trivia is played on Monday nights.

Bella Luna has been serving great food to folks from JP since 1993. The interior has a funky decor (with work by local artists) and you eat off of hand drawn plates (like those ones you did in elementary school). But it's the pizza (and other food) that is what folks come for.

The Simple Simon pizza (just mozzarella and sauce) starts at $5 for the small, but try some of the more exciting combos: Manny's Grand Slam (white pizza with garlic mashed potatoes, bacon, cheddar and scallions served with sour cream); La Sophia (pesto, chicken artichoke hearts); or the Latin Quarter (chicken, avocado, cheddar, bacon, jalapenos). Or you can also create your own galatic pie or calzone. Bella Luna also serves up appetizers, entrees, sandwiches and superior salads. They offer a full take out menu and deliver to JP. They also have a Party Take Out Menu - which is super handy for times when you want to have the gang over but don't want to do all the cooking (or for meetings!)
And if all this glorious food isn't enough, one percent of the profits go to support local non-profits. So every forkful is for a good cause! Once you are done eating you can head downstairs into the Milky Way for a little bowling. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

Sorella's has been serving Jamaica Plain for over 20 years. It's the quintessential New England place - breakfast and lunch only. But it's also very JP in its offerings - tofu and other meat alternatives are available. Amazing combinations in the muffins, pancakes,french toast and waffles -- try the ginger, blueberry, hazlenut. YUM! Where else can you get pumkin pancakes with cream cheese and strawberry's? Or how about pancakes with raisins, peaches, walnuts, strawberries, cinnamon and whipped cream? The ingredients are so fresh! The omelettes are out of this world, too. The walls are filled with their original omelette creations, often named after employees. Fresh mozzarella, arugula, basil. If you go any weekday for breakfast you will see the local regulars. On the weekends be prepared to stand in line (outside, there's no room inside). It's fun and funky greasy spoon. There are 2 seating areas - "outsiders" should know to go into the street level door and announce your intentions. You'll be given clearance by the staff if you need to go up the stairs outside into the secondary seating level. Tip: this place is seriously packed with a line down the block on the weekends. Arrive before 9am to guarantee a good seat. It's very tiny and will be very tough for those who require strollers or disability access, so keep that in mind before you go.

The Alchemist Lounge is a perfect allegory for the recent transformation of Jamaica Plain. It's in the former location of Triple D's. While you can still get a beer and food here, at the Alchemist it's going to be a Bass (or a microbrew) and calamari or a flatbread pizza (while at Triple D's it would have been Bud and pre-constituted chicken wings). Alchemist is a friendly neighborhood place and it's just slightly upscale but in a way that ensures you are getting great tasting food and drinks without all the pretension of someplace downtown. The Triple D's guys still come in to hang out (there's the proof!) And this is JP, so you will see a huge diversity of folks enjoying the bar or noshing at one of the tables in the restaurant. The cocktail menu features really excellent creations, which change seasonally. Food includes flatbreads (pizzas), salads, entrees (sirloin, spaghetti bolognese, stuffed peppers), sandwiches and desserts. There's a late night menu too. There's also live music Thur-Sun and Monday Night movies. The Alchemist Lounge is a great way to experience what is so fantastic about Jamaica Plain in its 21st century guise. Hours: Lunch 11:30-5:00 Daily, Dinner Su-Wed 5-10, Th-Sat5-10:30, Late Night menu 10:30-12, Lounge 5pm-1am

A lovely Indian dining experience, Bukhara's chef specialties include the Tandoori Duck Masala ($14), and regional Banglore and Madras meals such as Lamb Dosa ($10). Lunch buffet daily and weekend brunch buffet noon-3pm. Lovely selection of wines and a small bar in the back, where you can sit to wait for your table (which you will have to do if you go in at peak times on the weekend). The booths here are gorgeous red leather and the food comes out in hammered copper vessels that are placed over candles to stay warm. It's those little details that make dining at Bukhara a pleasurable experience, but in the end the food is excellent and that's what counts the most. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

Doyle's is a true neighborhood bar - you see old-timers, sports teams, couples, families - pretty much everyone from the diverse JP neighborhood hanging out at Doyle's. Food is consistently good, large selection of beers not commonly offered - but they have been at Doyle's forever. (It's 125 years old!) It even survived prohibition as a speakeasy and was officially reopened by the mayor of Boston when that silly little law was repealed. Doyle's is famous as a stop on the political trail - all the old pols stopped by. You can see that reflected on the walls throughout the rambling rooms that make up the place. It's also used in the movies as the "quintessential Boston Irish bar". It was in 'Mystic River' and 'Bachelor No. 2' just filmed there in September '07. Also, actor Mel Gibson was spotted at Doyle's in August '08. Can't recommend a better place to have brunch/lunch after visitng the Sam Adams brewery tour down the way. Or to watch the ball game with a friendly crowd (providing you root for the home team). And they have their own generator, in the advent you are a JPer who experiences a power outage during a blizzard! Stop by on St. Patrick's Day for one of the area's biggest celebrations (bagpipers perform throughout the day).