Restaurant

Chickadee

Name: Chickadee
Address: 21 Drydock Ave, Boston, MA, 02210, US
Price range: $$

Chickadee is one of the best mediterranean restaurants in Boston for date night, especially if you want a strong option in Boston.

Editorial review•Nov 6, 2025

Chickadee is what happens when a Gloucester-raised chef channels his Sicilian and Portuguese family table through the lens of New England's coastline — and lands it squarely in one of Boston's most self-consciously ambitious neighborhoods. Chef John DaSilva and partner Ted Kilpatrick opened here in 2018 inside the Innovation and Design Center on Drydock Avenue, and the Seaport's industrial bones suit the project: this is Mediterranean cooking with a regional accent, not a borrowed aesthetic. The Boston Globe gave it Restaurant of the Year at launch, and DaSilva's 2025 James Beard semifinalist nod for Best Chef: Northeast confirms the room has staying power beyond its opening buzz. The cavernous space — high ceilings, warehouse architecture, a playlist that reportedly skews late-nineties — reads better for groups and date nights that want atmosphere with some edge to it than for quiet conversation. The menu's organizing logic is the marriage of Mediterranean technique and New England sourcing, and the dishes that have anchored Chickadee's reputation since the beginning make that argument most clearly. The Lobster Campanelle is the kitchen's signature pasta: the dough itself is infused with lobster roe, then finished with lobster cream sauce, chunks of lobster meat, and crispy garlic — a dish that collapses the boundary between local shellfish tradition and Italian pasta craft. The Smoked Sea Trout Dip has been a consistent early-table order, drawing on the same instinct toward cured and preserved fish common to both Portuguese and Sicilian pantries. The Crispy Hen of the Woods rounds out the starters with a nod toward the earthy, vegetable-forward side of the menu. Roasted sea scallops have appeared since day one, which tells you something about DaSilva's priorities. The practical intel: the Lobster Campanelle is the dish people come back for, and it should anchor any order here. Reservations are the right move — this is not a walk-in room on a weekend. If the room feels too loud for where you're sitting, the bar area tends to offer a slightly more contained version of the evening.

Sophie Laurent, Food Editor

Methodology•Boston guides•Editorial team

date night

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Taste ID

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Rating (Google) 9.4

661 reviews

Boston

At a glance

The fastest read on whether this place fits tonight.

9.4

Rating

Based on 661 reviews

Best for

date night

Price and pace

Moderate spend

Neighborhood

Boston · 21 Drydock Ave, Boston, MA 02210, USA

Price

Moderate spend

Google rating

9.4 from 661 reviews

Address

Boston | 21 Drydock Ave, Boston, MA 02210, USA

What to order

Signature dishes at Chickadee

Lobster Campanelle

Smoked Sea Trout Dip

Crispy Hen of the Woods

Roasted Sea Scallops

Why go

What makes Chickadee worth the move

Chickadee works for date night because the room and the food both help the evening land. Lobster Campanelle and Smoked Sea Trout Dip also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.4 rating across 661 Google reviews.

What to know fast

Public rating

9.4 from 661 Google reviews

Best for

date night

Style

Mediterranean in Boston

Spend

Moderate spend

Best for

date night

Know before you go

Google rating: 9.4 from 661 reviews

Price point: $$

Popular dishes: Lobster Campanelle, Smoked Sea Trout Dip, Crispy Hen of the Woods

Website linked on this page

TastyPals Reviews

What diners are saying

0 diner reviews · reviewed by Sophie Laurent for Chickadee

Google snapshot

9.4 from 661 reviews

TastyPals notes

Editorial review by Sophie Laurent

No diner notes for Chickadee yet.

Every note in this section is written by a diner who actually ate here, so we leave it empty until there's a genuine one to share.

For now, Chickadee holds a 9.4 rating across 661 Google reviews.

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Plan the visit

Quick details

Visit Website Menu Directions

Address: 21 Drydock Ave, Boston, MA 02210, USA
Price: $$
TastyPals score: Coming soon
Google rating: 9.4 (661 reviews)
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Neighborhood: Boston

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Frequently asked questions

What cuisine does Chickadee serve?

Chickadee is a Mediterranean restaurant located in Boston, Boston. Chickadee is what happens when a Gloucester-raised chef channels his Sicilian and Portuguese family table through the lens of New England's coastline — and lands it squarely in one of Boston's most self-consciously ambitious neighborhoods.

What is Chickadee best for?

Chickadee is best for date night. Chickadee works for date night because the room and the food both help the evening land. Lobster Campanelle and Smoked Sea Trout Dip also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.4 rating across 661 Google reviews.

How much does it cost to eat at Chickadee?

Chickadee is in the Moderate spend price range ($$). Google rating: 9.4 from 661 reviews

What should I order at Chickadee?

Start with Lobster Campanelle, Smoked Sea Trout Dip, Crispy Hen of the Woods and Roasted Sea Scallops. These dishes are shown from TastyPals notes or restaurant data on this page.

Is Chickadee worth visiting?

Chickadee holds a 9.4 Google rating from 661 reviews. Chickadee works for date night because the room and the food both help the evening land. Lobster Campanelle and Smoked Sea Trout Dip also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.4 rating across 661 Google reviews.

Where is Chickadee located?

Chickadee is located at 21 Drydock Ave, Boston, MA 02210, USA. Directions are available via Google Maps.

Is Chickadee good for a date night?

Yes — Chickadee is tagged for date night dining. Chickadee works for date night because the room and the food both help the evening land. Lobster Campanelle and Smoked Sea Trout Dip also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.4 rating across 661 Google reviews.

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