Craft cocktails & Thai sharing plates in a brick-lined haunt
































"The small plates style at this Brookline Thai tapas bar, awarded Bib Gourmand status by Michelin, allows diners to indulge in many flavors during one sitting. Here, Nantucket oysters are tossed in Thai seafood sauce and chile jam, and spicy crab curry lives on the same table as barbecue crispy pork. Owner Boong Boonnak’s Mahaniyom is also known for its excellent bar program. Creations like the Mahaniyom Sazerac with Thai tea-infused rye, bitters, and absinthe helped it win Michelin’s cocktail award." - Celina Colby


"A Brookline Thai restaurant where Chompon “Boong” Boonnak just earned Michelin’s Exceptional Cocktails Award, this Brookline Village spot is also a Bib Gourmand, making it Boston’s first Michelin-recognized bar and value pick in one location. Opened in 2020, the menu features hard-to-find dishes like its pomelo salad, the nom prik patter, crab curry, and variations on larb, while Boonnak’s drinks are built to pair with small plates. Boonnak arrived here from Boston’s Shojo, and the beverage program is tuned to the kitchen’s bold flavors." - Melissa McCart

"Opened five years ago by Chompon “Boong” Boonnak and his team, this Brookline dining staple was built around a ran lao experience—“a place to hang with good food and good drink” for “a great time with friends and family.” Classic cocktails form the base, then get a Thai twist using fun, seasonal ingredients like pomelo, with contributions from the kitchen that often repurpose leftovers. A favorite is the Mahaniyom Sazerac made with rye‑infused Thai tea; you get the Thai tea aroma with the punch of a Sazerac, and pairing it with yum som‑o (pomelo salad) that’s a little sour, spicy, and pungent is the best. Other highlights include pineapple pandan and a virgin‑style strawberry pandan mojito. In 2025, Boong earned the MICHELIN Guide Northeast Cities Exceptional Cocktails Award, presented in partnership with Tokaj." - The MICHELIN Guide

"Hidden in Brookline Village, this tiny Thai gem delivers the best Thai food many Bostonians have long waited for, offering actually spicy curries, succulent slow-cooked pork cheek and beef shank, bright cocktails inspired by Bangkok’s small-plate cocktail bars, and must-tries like savory nang kai (seasoned crispy chicken skin) and beef shank massaman with sweet potato and flaky roti." - Todd Plummer, Shannon McMahon

"Mahaniyom is one of the best Thai restaurants in the city, full stop. There’s also graffiti in the restroom that we’re kind of obsessed with, tremendous cocktails, and an energy that always puts us in a good mood, even if our roommate half-assed cleaned the kitchen again. In terms of food, you can’t go wrong with any of the small dishes on the menu, so bring a small group, start with the kang puu and chicken ka praw, and go from there. Pair it all with the Kin Na Ree cocktail, which uses both Thai and Jamaican rums. Get access to exclusive reservations at this spot with Chase Sapphire Reserve. New cardmembers get $300 in annual dining statement credits." - tanya edwards, jonathan smith