"Things don’t change a lot in Beacon Hill, and while that’s not necessarily a bad thing, a hot new restaurant like Zurito is a welcome upgrade. Walk through the cherry red door and you’ll find a packed bar stocked not only with excellent wine, but legs of jamon, dangling like wind chimes over the bottles. Hang up your coat and join the party. The food and wine are inspired by Spain’s Basque region, and served tapas style. Start at the top of the menu with lots of small bites (order everything with anchovy), relax over a board of ham and cheese, and take a spin around the Spanish wine list—the tempranillo is a bargain at $8 a glass. photo credit: Brian Samuels photo credit: Brian Samuels photo credit: Brian Samuels photo credit: Brian Samuels Food Rundown photo credit: Brian Samuels Pimientos Rellenos de Bacalao If you stuff just about anything into a pepper, we’ll probably eat it. But baccala might be the best thing we’ve had inside a piquillo. Crunch through the pepper to a bite of fragrant cod that’s saltier and chewier than the fresh version. Txuleta Tartare This tartare is a very early contender for one of the best bites of 2025. What can we say? We love raw steak, especially when it’s tossed with the holy trinity of anchovy, olives, and roasted garlic, and placed on top of a wee bit of toast. You’ll probably want to order a couple. We did. Pan Con Tomate (With Anchovies) This is such a simple dish, and kind of an “if you know, you know” situation. When it’s done well, and this one is, the perfection is in the simplicity of garlic and extremely fresh tomato rubbed into bread for a summery taste (a real hothouse treat in the dead of a New England winter). The optional anchovy—which is a must—give Zurito’s an intensely meaty depth. Jamones y Quesos It’s probably against some sort of ordinance to visit a pintxo bar without getting a board of ham and cheese, and you’d regret not doing so at Zurito. One of our favorites is the 14-month cured jamon serrano, which comes in six thinly sliced pieces of salty, fatty, earthy meat, and the nuttiest manchego we’ve ever tasted, served with a savory-sweet tomato honey we would drizzle on literally everything, but especially this sheep milk cheese." - Tanya Edwards
