A table outside on Newbury Street can turn lunch into the afternoon’s main activity. Order something, settle in and watch everyone else continue shopping while you decide whether you’re ready to move.
Eva, at 279A Newbury Street, has a large outdoor patio and a menu that gives you several ways to spend that time. You can start with mezze, have a burger or pizza, or make a fuller dinner out of dishes such as harissa chicken and braised short-rib gnocchi. Mediterranean Restaurant on Newbury Street
The restaurant describes its food as Mediterranean, but the choices reach well beyond one style of meal. That’s useful when you’re meeting friends who have different ideas about what they want, particularly if one person is thinking hummus and another is already committed to fries.
A table overlooking Newbury Street
The patio is a good reason to look at Eva when the weather suits sitting outside. The restaurant’s own story emphasizes a bright space and outdoor dining with a view of Newbury Street, which is a straightforward part of the appeal.
If an outdoor table is the point of your visit, ask about patio seating when reserving and check the weather before heading over. An outdoor meal depends on more than the address, especially during Boston’s less predictable months.
The name has a family connection, too. Eva’s website explains that it incorporates the initials of Elias and Vivian, the children who inspired the name. It’s a more personal detail than you might guess from a short name on a restaurant sign. Mediterranean Dining in Boston
Mezze, pizza or a full dinner
The dinner menu starts with enough small plates and mezze to build a meal around sharing. Hummus, baba ghanoush, muhammara and tzatziki are among the options, with toasted pita and a choice-of-three mezze offering.
There are also tahini carrots with labneh and za’atar, tuna tartare with crispy wonton and avocado mousse, and creamy garlic mussels. Those give a group a few different directions to take before anyone decides on a main.
For something more substantial, the menu includes roasted harissa chicken, lamb cavatelli, steak frites au poivre and braised short-rib gnocchi. Pizza and burgers sit alongside those dishes, so you can keep the meal fairly simple if that’s what you came for.
Published dinner prices give you a useful starting point: three mezze are listed at $29, the Eva burger at $21 and the short-rib gnocchi at $38. Check the menu when booking, since dishes and prices can change. evaboston.com
Brunch with Turkish eggs and chocolate French toast
Brunch has enough variety to make choosing the main event. Red shakshuka comes with three eggs, feta and sourdough toast, while Turkish eggs combine poached eggs with roasted garlic labneh and chili crisp.
The breakfast mezze includes hummus, yogurt, avocado, a boiled egg, vegetables and toasted pita. For something sweeter, French toast is listed with dark chocolate sauce, pistachio, kataifi and orange blossom, alongside blueberry pancakes. evaboston.com
That gives you a choice between a familiar brunch order and something different without needing to persuade the whole table to eat the same way. Pick what sounds good and leave room for whichever shared plate everyone suddenly decides is essential.
Cocktails and something without alcohol
The drinks menu has several names Taylor Swift listeners will recognize. Cruel Summer combines vodka, passion fruit and blood orange, while Speak Now uses gin, elderflower, Italicus, cucumber syrup and lime.
The spirit-free section has choices of its own, including Bad Blood with blood orange, citrus and bubbles, and Enchanted with grapefruit, citrus, blossom and vanilla. You can order a mixed drink without alcohol rather than defaulting to soda. evaboston.com
If you’re staying for dessert, the published options include Basque cheesecake, chocolate mousse and an affogato. There’s no need to commit to that part of the meal before you’ve seen how lunch goes. evaboston.com
Eva’s contact page lists opening hours of 11 a.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. on weekends, with closing times varying by day. Use the restaurant’s reservation link for your preferred date and check the relevant lunch, dinner or brunch menu. Mediterranean Restaurant Newbury Street
The patio may be what gets you interested, but the range of food makes it easier to choose Eva for the people you’re meeting. You can plan a proper dinner or simply take a break from Newbury Street and watch it from a table for a while.
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